U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Mark Green, MD (R-TN) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) reintroduced legislation that would help combat Chinese-backed cyberattacks.
The legislation, Strengthening Cyber resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act, would require the federal government to assess and mitigate Chinese-backed cyber threats to U.S. infrastructure. The bill was originally introduced by U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) in the 118th Congress.
“The Chinese Communist Party is the greatest foreign adversary we face, and Beijing continues to use cyberspace as a battlefield on which to undermine American sovereignty and interests. In the wake of attacks by CCP-backed actors against our critical infrastructure and even their intrusions into the campaign communications of President Trump and Vice President Vance, we must ensure the government is coordinating effectively to make sure this never happens again,” Ogles, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, said. “As we learned from the Biden-Harris administration, turning a blind eye to China’s intrusions only invites more attacks. I look forward to getting this legislation to President Trump’s desk so we can keep securing our nation from this deadly enemy.”
In March, Green, the Committee’s chair, and Garbarino, the chair of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, with questions about the federal government’s response to cyber intrusions by “Volt Typhoon” and “Salt Typhoon,” two advanced persistent threat actors backed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
“For too long, the federal government has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to combating increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks on our networks by Chinese-backed actors. Americans depend on critical infrastructure for vital services every day, from the phones in our pockets to the water in our homes and gas in our cars,” Green said. “I fear the recent ‘Typhoon’ intrusions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the CCP’s espionage and pre-positioning in our infrastructure. With new threats mounting every day, our response must be a coordinated, whole-of-government effort.”
The legislation would establish an interagency task force, led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to address the CCP-based cybersecurity threats. The legislation would also require the task force to provide a report and briefing to Congress annually through 2030.