U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, recently sent a letter to Speaker of the House U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) calling for the creation of a Select Committee on Cybersecurity.
Approximately 80 committees and subcommittees currently claim some jurisdiction over cybersecurity-related issues. Langevin said a select committee could cut across jurisdictional lines to investigate pressing cybersecurity matters, such as potential interference in the 2016 U.S. election by the Russian government.
“Speaker Ryan said himself that ‘any foreign intervention in our election is entirely unacceptable,’” Langevin said. “We must now back up those words with action, and I believe a Select Committee on Cybersecurity is the best way to streamline oversight and ensure a thorough, fair investigation into this disturbing attack on our democracy.”
Langevin’s call for a new committee comes in the wake of recent reports by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that indicated possible Russian interference in the election. Some reports have indicated that Vladimir Putin himself may have dictated some of the actions. Langevin said the incident was indicative of the breadth of challenges the U.S. faces in cybersecurity-related issues and suggested that a new select committee could provide important recommendations moving forward.
“I have been studying cybersecurity for nearly a decade, and while the awareness of this issue as a critical national and economic security challenge continues to grow, our nation remains grossly unprepared for the cyber threats of today and the new attack vectors of tomorrow,” Langevin said.