Funding boost aids lab security effort

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) recently supported an effort to steer federal funding toward enhanced security at a pivotal intelligence research laboratory.

Schumer and Gillibrand said the Senate version of the FY 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes $14.2 million to boost security at Rome Lab in Rome, New York.

The legislators said the funding would be earmarked for anti-terrorism perimeter security and entry point control point at the Lab and would ensure the safety of Rome Lab and its personnel is critical to its essential mission.

“Rome Lab is a national leader in countering cyber-threats, and an engine for economic growth right here in the Mohawk Valley,” Schumer said. “Making sure the Lab has the resources and funding it needs to advance research, increase development and secure its perimeter and assets remains a top priority of mine. I fully support Rome lab and its employees, and as the Senate Democratic Leader, I vow to keep pushing through the appropriations process for greater investments in the lab, so that it has the tools it needs to continue its critical mission.”

Gillibrand said Rome Lab plays a critical role in keeping the nation safe from cyber-attacks, adding the funding allows the lab to continue developing technology improving the country’s cybersecurity infrastructure.

“In addition to being one of the nation’s premier research facilities, Rome Lab is also a vital economic anchor in the Mohawk Valley that employs nearly 1,200 workers,” she said. “I will always do everything I can to ensure that Rome Lab has the resources it needs to continue being successful.”