Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) and Chris Coons (D-Delaware) have proposed a bill that seeks to establish a new Senate committee that would conduct investigations on cybersecurity issues.
The proposed Senate Select Committee on Cybersecurity would consist of 21 members from various panels in the upper chamber that include the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee and would draft legislation and develop recommendations, Gardner’s office said Wednesday.
“Cybersecurity policy is one of the most complex and significant challenges facing Congress, yet the Senate’s structure to investigate and address cyber issues is diffuse and inadequate,” Gardner said.
“This has led to an uncoordinated policy response to recent cyber attacks on government agencies, businesses, and infrastructure.â€
The bipartisan bill seeks to provide “Congress the tools to comprehensively investigate and respond to cyber intrusions, take proactive steps to protect against and respond to future attacks, and hold the executive branch accountable for its actions,†Coons said.
Andrew Blake also reports for the Washington Times the proposed legislation would provide the new Senate panel authority over domestic and foreign cyber risks as well as state-sponsored cyber attacks.
