Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has suggested provisions to a fiscal 2019 defense policy bill in a move to address cybersecurity and security clearance challenges the federal government faces.
He re-introduced a proposal to update a national doctrine on how the government should respond to a foreign cyber attack on the country’s election systems, Warner’s office said Monday.
“I have offered an amendment that would require a direct response by the U.S. should a foreign adversary attempt to intervene and undermine the integrity of local, state, or federal elections,†the senator noted.
Warner also proposed implementing measures to reduce the current backlog of 700,000 security clearance applications and increase transparency in the background investigation process.
He also introduced a provision to amend tax reform legislation approved by Congress last year that subjects federal employees to additional levies for work-related relocation.