GOODLATTE AND McCAUL STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF GOOGLE

Washington, D.C. – Today Congressman Bob Goodlatte, chair of the Republican High Tech Working Group and co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus, and Congressman Michael McCaul, co-chair of the House Cyber Security Caucus and co-chair of the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency, issued the following statement in support of Google’s announcement that it is considering terminating its business in China.

"We support Google’s announcement to consider terminating its business in China. China’s stranglehold on its citizens must stop. Suppressing freedom and persecuting those with diverse points of view are losing battles. Google’s threat to withdraw from China will not be the last challenge to China’s failed, restrictive policies. If China continues to so mistreat its citizens, it will face ever-growing resistance from the global community, and more importantly, from its own people who will continue to yearn for freedom.

Further, while the breach of Google is high profile, this incident is the latest in the ever increasing number of cyber attacks against American companies and government agencies that threaten our flow of commerce and our national security. It demonstrates one of the difficulties of cyber warfare – pinpointing who is responsible for the attack – and it further shows that we must work to increase our cyber security in both the public and private sectors."