OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Nomination of Jen Easterly

Floor Speech

Date: July 12, 2021
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security

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Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I rise in support of Jen Easterly's nomination to serve as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly referred to as CISA.

Before the Senate adjourned for the July 4 holiday, I stood right here and urged my colleagues to confirm her for this vital position. I was disappointed that a Republican colleague blocked Ms. Easterly's swift confirmation at that time, but I appreciate that he has now resolved his concerns and that we can move forward today.

I warned that, without confirming Ms. Easterly, we risked leaving ourselves vulnerable to cyber attacks, and in the 2 weeks since I last called on my colleagues to approve this critical nomination, nation- state actors and criminal organizations have continued their relentless targeting of the United States.

Over the July 4 weekend, we learned that U.S. software company Kaseya was the target of a major ransomware attack that has impacted hundreds and possibly thousands of businesses and organizations worldwide. Days later, we saw reports that a Republican National Committee contractor had been attacked in an attempt to target the RNC.

Unfortunately, these are only the latest of several recent cyber attacks that threaten our government, critical infrastructure, and key industries. These attackers will stop at nothing to infiltrate our networks, and we urgently need qualified, Senate-confirmed cyber security leaders in place to fight back.

With more than three decades of cyber security expertise and service in the public and private sectors, Ms. Easterly is more than qualified to lead CISA. We need her in place immediately so she can get to work with agencies, businesses, and others to recover from recent cyber attacks and to strengthen cyber security defenses before the next attack.

I appreciate that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have withdrawn their objections and that the Senate is prepared to confirm this highly qualified nominee on a bipartisan basis. I certainly look forward to working with her and with my friends on both sides of the aisle here in Congress to shore up cyber security vulnerabilities and keep American families, businesses, and the Federal Government secure.

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