Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Calling For Relevant Committee Chairs To Conduct A Government-Wide Review On The Threat Of Cyberattacks

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding the increase in cybersecurity attacks and the importance of having the necessary resources to take on this growing threat. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Over the past few months, there have been a number of high-profile cyber-attacks against the U.S. Government, American businesses, and critical infrastructure. From the Solarwinds attack last year to a ransomware attack on the City of Baltimore and the Colonial Pipeline, cybercrime is a real and growing threat. Just last week, the MTA, our vast subway system in New York, was the victim of an attack.

While the Attorney General has announced an intensified effort to combat this scourge of ransomware attacks, we in Congress have a responsibility to conduct oversight and determine whether our government needs an additional authority and resource to take the fight to cyber criminals and foreign intelligence services.

Congress must ensure that federal agencies, like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have the necessary resources to take on this growing threat and support state and local governments under assault. So earlier this week I called for Congress to increase CISA’s budget by $500 million to fight this growing threat.

And today, I am asking Chairman Gary Peters of our Homeland Security Committee, and the other relevant committee chairs, to begin a government-wide review of these attacks and determine what legislation may be needed to counter the threat of cyber crime and bring the fight to the cyber criminals.

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