Policy
Bipartisan bill introduced to allow fire departments more flexibility in hiring, training practices
A bipartisan bill to assist local fire departments in saving money and hire more trained first responders was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Firefighters Retention Act of 2017 gives fire departments the ability to use Staffing... Read More »
Reps. Richmond, Payne, Jr. request hearings to examine cybersecurity capabilities of the nation’s healthcare, lifeline sectors
In the wake of the international WannaCry ransomware attacks, U.S. Reps. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) recently called upon the House Homeland Security Committee to hold hearings on the cybersecurity posture of the nation’s healthcare and lifeline sectors. The... Read More »
Reps. Lynch, King introduce bill to secure government-leased buildings from potential espionage
A bipartisan bill to help mitigate security risks of potential foreign government espionage by collecting beneficial ownership information prior to the federal government leasing buildings for high-security purposes was recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Peter King (R-NY).... Read More »
Rep. Ratcliffe’s cybercrime bill advanced House, companion bill introduced in Senate
A bill to provide state and local law enforcement offices with tools to combat cybercrime recently advanced the U.S. House of Representatives. The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX). Ratcliffe’s bill authorizes... Read More »
USDA announces $6 million in funding for antimicrobial resistance research initiatives
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), recently announced the availability of $6 million in funding for research in combating antimicrobial resistance. The funds were authorized as part of the the 2014 Farm Bill and will be... Read More »
Sen. Wyden urges policy panel to recommend security measure to protect personal sensitive information
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently called for a federal panel to recommend enhanced data security measures, such as the use of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), to protect sensitive personal information in a forthcoming report to Congress on evidence-based policymaking. Wyden, in a letter... Read More »
Africa CDC activates its Emergency Operational Centre to monitor recent Ebola outbreak
The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently activated its Emergency Operational Centre in response to the recently-declared Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in order to develop a concept of operations for the emergency.... Read More »
New report recommends policies to help United States achieve higher level of global health security
To achieve a goal of global health security, the United States must extend its legacy as a global leader through forward-looking policies, international partnerships, and continued investment into innovate medical advancements, according to a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences,... Read More »
Key congressional panel shows little support for proposed Trump cut in medical research funds
In a rare show of bipartisanship, members of a key House appropriations panel expressed opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts for the National Institutes of Health, the main funding source for medical research in the United States. U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the... Read More »
Sen. Toomey introduces three bills to help protect law enforcement officers
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) recently introduced three separate bills intended to provide additional layers of protection for law enforcement officers across the country. “My legislation stands for two simple propositions: First, America's law enforcement officers should be at least as well... Read More »
Sen. Kaine questions Cybercom commander on the impact of potential government shutdown
In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held last week, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) heard testimony from Navy Adm. Mike Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom), on how a potential government shutdown could complicate Cybercom’s mission. Kaine’s concerns stem from a recent... Read More »
USDA has made progress in protecting against avian influenza, evaluation still needed
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken numerous steps to reduce the risk of avian influenza, but needs a plan to evaluate its efforts going forward, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). In preparing its report, GAO was asked to... Read More »
Centers for Disease Control updates immunization recommendations for Vaxchora cholera vaccine
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently adopted and published a recommendation made by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP), concerning the use of PaxVax’s cholera vaccine, Vaxchora. The recommendation, which was unanimously approved by the CDC’s... Read More »
Trump issues Executive Order to strengthen cybersecurity for federal networks and critical infrastructure
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order last week, which aims to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) role in securing federal networks from potential cyberattacks. “Our nation’s economic and national security rely on a safe, secure, and reliable cyber... Read More »
Sens. Wyden, Schatz request information on recent Federal Communications Commission cyberattack
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) recently sent a public letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting information on the reported distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattack on the FCC’s website and the ability of the agency to defend... Read More »
BAE Systems selected by Treasury Department to assist in investigating financial crimes from terrorist organizations, drug cartels
BAE Systems was recently selected by the U.S. Department of the Treasury (DoT) to assist its Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI) in protecting the nation’s financial systems against threats from terrorist organizations, drug cartels, and rogue actors. The company is part of a... Read More »
Indonesian Foreign Minister visits OPCW headquarters, discusses chemical weapons convention implementation
Indonesia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to meet with OPCW Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü and discuss the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Üzümcü first... Read More »
Sen. Corker responds to Syrian chemical attack aftermath footage
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-TN) recently appeared on CNN to respond to a video that showed the aftermath of the reported chemical weapons attack in southern Idlib, Syria by Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The attack provided the impetus for a missile strike response... Read More »
Joint discussion encourages US-Chinese collaboration in a potential nuclear crisis
A scenario-based discussion, centering around how the United States and the People’s Republic of China could better cooperate to address nuclear threats, was recently conducted amongst representatives from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the China Institutes of Contemporary International... Read More »
U.S. Senate should create separate cybersecurity combat command, experts testify
America’s cybersecurity efforts could be strengthened posthaste if operations were overseen by a separate nationwide combat command, witnesses on Wednesday told members of the powerful U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “The government and military need to move... Read More »
House advances legislation to enhance FEMA disaster response, recovery programs
Three bills to strengthen the federal government’s disaster response and recovery programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were unanimously approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives. Each piece of legislation ensures that the federal government fairly considers... Read More »
Electromagnetic pulse threats don’t outrank cyberattacks on America’s grid, U.S. senators learn
Naturally occurring or man-made risks from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) are a threat to national defense, witnesses testified during a recent U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. And although the electric sector and the U.S. government are regularly working together and... Read More »
Nation’s visa security remains work in progress, feds tell U.S. House task force
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made progress during the past few years but faces numerous challenges strengthening America’s visa security, members of the House Committee on Homeland Security learned during a task force hearing last week. “This is a critical time for our... Read More »
Chamber of Commerce report provides recommendations for US-EU cybersecurity cooperation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently released a report, which includes policy recommendations that would help align the United States and the European Union (EU), regarding frameworks, standards, and best practices for cybersecurity. The report, titled Transatlantic Cybersecurity: Forging a... Read More »
Defense Threat Reduction Agency awards $35 million contract to Engility Holdings for nuclear consulting
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) recently awarded a $35 million contract to Engility Holdings, Inc. to provide specialized advisory services to the organization’s Nuclear Enterprise Support Directorate. The Cost Plus Fixed Fee contract has a one year base period and four one-year... Read More »
McSally bill to address staffing shortages along border approved by Committee
A bill authored by U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) to address staffing shortages among U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Border Patrol agents by getting rid of duplicative mandated polygraph tests was recently approved by the House Committee on Homeland Security. McSally’s... Read More »Amendment to include mass-gathering venues in emergency preparedness plans added to counterterrorism bill
An amendment that requires mass-gathering venue operators to be included in law enforcement and first responder exercises to inform response plans was unanimously approved to be added to the Community Counterterrorism Preparedness Act by the House Committee on Homeland Security. Venues included... Read More »
US announces more than $1 million pledge towards IAEA laboratory modernization
Officials from the United States recently announced a pledge of $1.091 million (€1 million) to modernize the laboratories of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Siebersdorf, Austria, which provide key nuclear research in various areas of human and animal health, food security, and... Read More »
House Science, Space and Technology Committee unanimously approves NIST cybersecurity bill for small businesses
The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Tuesday unanimously approved the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017, which aims to provide small businesses with guidance to help them manage various cybersecurity risks.... Read More »
New director discusses future of Sandia National Laboratories in introductory speech to lab workforce
On his first day as the new director of Sandia National Laboratories, Steve Younger stated in a speech to the lab’s workforce that it would maintain its strong missions in nuclear deterrence, nuclear nonproliferation, energy, and national security. “I see those continuing. However, are in... Read More »
Namibian delegation visits OPCW headquarters to discuss full chemical weapons convention implementation
A delegation of Namibian representatives recently visited the headquarters of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to discuss various initiatives related to the full implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The delegation included members of the... Read More »McSally introduces bill to address CBP, Border Patrol staffing shortages
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) introduced last week bipartisan legislation that builds on the Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010, which addresses staffing shortages of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and Border Patrol agents along both international U.S. borders. The legislation... Read More »Bills introduced in House, Senate to streamline government’s transition to cloud-based computing
U.S. Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) recently introduced the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, which aims to reduce wasteful spending in information technology (IT) while strengthening information security by expediting the federal government’s... Read More »
McCaul introduces counterterrorism funding bill for first responders
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) introduced this week the Community Counterterrorism Preparedness Act, which aims to direct grant funding towards first responders so they may receive counterterrorism training in the event of a coordinated terrorist attack.... Read More »