U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH), Angus King (I-ME), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Mitt Romney (R-MA) applauded the House’s passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for its inclusion of $21 million in funding for the Office of the National Cyber Director (NCD).
The NCD is a new position that will be tasked with coordinating the implementation of national cybersecurity policy and strategy. With cyberattacks increasing in scope and consequence, the Congressmembers said, the NCD position is crucial to protecting American interests.
“I applaud the House for passing our bipartisan priority of $21 million in important funding for the new Office of the National Cyber Director as part of the bipartisan infrastructure package, and I urge the president to sign it into law quickly,” Portman, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said. “This funding is critical because the position was created in the middle of a fiscal year, and thus Congress has not yet directly appropriated funding for the Office of the National Cyber Director, which is tasked with coordinating the implementation of national cyber policy and strategy. As we face increasing cyber threats, it is crucial that the National Cyber Director has the funding needed in order to be able to effectively and efficiently develop national cyber policies that best protect federal networks, data, and critical infrastructure.”
The infrastructure package includes a one-time funding allocation of $21 million through Fiscal Year 2022.
“As we work hard to negotiate investments in our infrastructure priorities, it’s essential to support and strengthen the security of our digital networks — which connect our economy and culture just as much as our highways, railways and bridges,” King, co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission that created the position, said. “As we strengthen our networks against global cyberthreats and ransomware criminals, we must ensure that Director Inglis has the resources to implement a comprehensive plan to protect our society, economy, and nation from those seeking to do us harm.”