McCaul: CISA to Enhance Resilience of Critical Infrastructure

Washington, D.C. - Under the leadership of Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), the House Homeland Security Committee has prioritized cybersecurity legislation over the last several years and has taken strong, bipartisan action. The Omnibus spending bill included vital provisions to strengthen our nation's cyber defenses and enhance the resilience of our critical infrastructure, including electoral infrastructure, through additional funding to DHS' National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD). The omnibus also included $380 million in grant money to the Election Assistance Commission for states to improve the administration of elections, including election technology.

While these actions will do much to improve our cybersecurity capabilities, there is more work to be done. Chairman McCaul's bipartisan House-passed legislation, H.R. 3359, will elevate vital cybersecurity and critical infrastructure-related authorities by streamlining the current structure of the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) and re-designating it as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Of note, this legislation moves certain offices to other parts of the Department of Homeland Security so it can better execute its core missions.

Chairman McCaul: "With the advancement of technology and our increased dependence on computer networks, nation states, hackers, and cybercriminals are finding new ways to target our critical infrastructure. To ensure the continued success and strength of DHS' cyber mission, we must remain laser focused to more effectively streamline and enhance vital cybersecurity operations. H.R. 3359 will achieve DHS's longstanding goal of creating a stand-alone operational organization, better focused on its vital missions to strengthen the security of federal networks and our nation's critical infrastructure, including electoral, while bolstering our civilian cyber-defenses. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Congress and the Administration to get this to the President's desk as soon as we can."

NOTE: Watch Chairman McCaul's Floor remarks on H.R. 3359, here.