The Senate today unanimously passed the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2019 today, moving the legislation one step closer to establishing a cyber workforce that can move between Federal agencies as needed. […]
Panelists representing consumer privacy perspectives discussed an array of strategies for approaching data privacy protection laws at a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee today. […]
On the Hill, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Chris Krebs made the case for his agency’s FY2020 $3.17 billion budget request – which represents a cut over FY2019 funding levels – during an April 30 House Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation hearing. In a rare move, there was strong bipartisan support for increasing the funding request and providing more funding to help improve the nation’s cybersecurity posture. […]
Senators and panelists across government and industry came to agreements, but also butted heads, about steps to take in strengthening Internet of Things (IoT) cybersecurity at an April 30 Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Security Subcommittee hearing. […]
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology convened today to discuss the growing number of unwanted robocalls, with an inconclusive conversation and no clear plan to move forward with legislation. […]
Cybersecurity and other IT-centric issues made cameo appearances at today’s House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security’s FY2020 budget proposal, but were quickly overshadowed by sharp questions about immigration and border protection policy. […]
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Director of IT and Cybersecurity Nick Marinos emphasized concerns about the Census Bureau’s IT readiness and cybersecurity ahead of the 2020 census, at a House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee oversight hearing today. […]
On Monday, Senator Bob Menendez, D-N.J., announced a bill to provide funding to states to safeguard voting systems from cyberattacks. […]
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee is getting ready for Tuesday’s hearing on unwanted robocalls. The hearing – which will include expert testimony from academia, consumer interest groups, and technology interest groups – will cover seven legislative measures that lawmakers unveiled today. […]
The House Energy and Commerce Committee asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai on April 23 for a lengthy list of details about historical consumer location information that, according to recent media reports, the company maintains internally and refers to as “Sensorvault.” […]
On April 17, a group of senators introduced the Digital Equity Act of 2019 that aims to fund state and local projects to help narrow the “digital divide” by promoting wider access to communications technologies. […]
In a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., and Ranking Member Kay Granger, R-Texas, almost every member of the House Homeland Security Committee requested an increase in the Homeland Security Subcommittee’s FY2020 302(b) allocation. […]
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., introduced the Privacy Bill of Rights Act, a piece of “comprehensive” Federal privacy legislation on April 12. […]
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig said his agency needs $290 million this year and as much as $2.7 billion in additional funding over the next six years to modernize its IT before the Senate Finance Committee April 10. […]
The House voted today to approve H.R. 1644, the Save the Internet Act, which would roll back network neutrality rules to their 2015 level. The bill won approval by a vote of 232-190, and almost entirely along partisan lines, with one Republican supporting the measure. […]
Broadband access is essential in the 21st Century. To achieve availability across the country, the Federal government must have accurate broadband access data to ensure that funds and resources are being spent to expand coverage to unserved areas. However, accuracy issues with the broadband map have plagued the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)–the Federal entity tasked with compiling the data. […]
David Norquist, deputy Defense Secretary and chief financial officer at the Pentagon, told senators today that threats posed by China and Russia are the Defense Department’s (DoD) central problem – particularly in the race for technological defense capabilities – and largely justify the White House’s proposed $750 billion defense budget for FY2020. […]
Testifying today in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee which is reviewing the Navy’s FY2020 Defense Authorization Request, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said the service branch is sending a proposition up to Congress to add a fifth assistant secretary to address cyber needs. […]
With Tax Day coming around the corner fast, some congressional Democrats and Republicans are leaning in support of private tax preparation companies by looking to permanently ban the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from creating a free electronic filing system. […]
The ACCESS BROADBAND (Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand) Act, which would provide expanded broadband access to underserved and rural areas, is back in both chambers of Congress. […]
Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019 to authorize $17.4 million per year in funding to address the causes and consequences of sexual harassment in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. […]
A group of 19 House Democrats–many from districts close to Washington–asked leaders of the House Appropriations Committee in a letter dated today to put the brakes on a Trump administration plan to shift government functions currently performed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to the General Services Administration (GSA). […]
Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., on April 3 introduced an updated version of their Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines Act (DETER Act), which they said promises “swift and severe consequences” to Russia and other “foreign actors” if they attack U.S. political candidates, campaigns, or voting infrastructure. […]
The House Energy and Commerce Committee late Wednesday voted 30-22 to approve H.R. 1644, the Save the Internet Act, which would roll back network neutrality rules to their 2015 level. […]
In the wake of a critical report on the implementation of the MISSION Act by the U.S. Digital Service, officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offered assurances to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs that the program is on track and veterans will see no disruption in care. […]
The House Appropriations Committee’s Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee adjourned its scheduled hearing today without reviewing the Trump administration’s FY2020 Department of Commerce budget request after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross declined to testify before the subcommittee. […]
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved by voice vote today S. 151 – the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act, as amended. […]
Defense Department (DoD) officials today underscored the importance of the agency’s ongoing electronic health records (EHR) modernization efforts at a Senate Appropriations Committee Defense Subcommittee hearing on the Defense Health Program FY2020 budget request. […]
Sen Ben Cardin, D-Md., today asked leadership of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a “game plan” on workforce stabilization and recruiting after discussing with agency officials the steady reduction of headcount at NRC as the agency’s budget has declined in recent years. […]
The U.S. Army and Air Force Secretaries and Chiefs of Staff justified the Trump administration’s proposed FY2020 Defense budget before the House Armed Services Committee today by pedestalling the urgency of modernizing the services. […]