Tom Carper

That is why I joined Senator Blunt to introduce our Data Security Act of 2014.

I was so pleased to see that that cyber resilience program is part of their rollout strategy.

But not everyone appreciates every aspect of our bill and I would just invite you to--you have heard some of the criticisms of each of the major pieces that have been introduced in the Senate.

I ask Congress to continue to work with States to identify ways to protect our Nation's information assets and provide funding opportunities for State government cybersecurity.

This is a day that I would describe for us here in the Senate, I suspect for Dr. Coburn and me as well, it is like fitting a size 13 foot into a size 10 shoe, how we are going to make all this work.

One of the most significant accomplishments over the last year though, was the release of a voluntary Cybersecurity Framework.

49 different compliance regimens, an area that has driven us from one of the most secure places to do business.

I endorse the framework as an excellent first step; however, it is important to stress it is the beginning and it is not the end.

Every day, sophisticated criminals, hackers, and even nation states are probing our government agencies, universities, major retailers, and critical infrastructure, and they are looking for weak spots in our defenses.

I think that is an expenditure we ought to figure out to get that made, and I would just urge you...

We cannot just focus on symptoms of problems. We have to focus on underlying causes as well.

If all we do is strengthen our borders, or even strengthen the borders between Mexico and those countries, that will not solve the problem.

One of the reasons I am told this is happening is because the economy is stronger in Mexico.

Get the government out of my life.

We need to add more people at the ports of entry, not between the ports of entry.

I think we basically doubled the number of human beings we have between the ports of entry.

If you had any idea the threats that our Nation faces from within and without on a daily basis, you would probably want the government to be in some ways more involved in your life.

What we do need to do--and this budget does it to some extent--is provide funding for what I call force multipliers.

I think living wills or health care directives--I have one for myself.

The Affordable Care Act is not the answer, the be-all in terms of actually getting there.

One of the things that Senator Grassley and I are working on is an effort to make sure that that directive, my wishes, actually goes with me to where I am receiving the health care.

We have to continue to bend the cost curve, make sure that we get better health care results for the same amount of money or less money.

We have to find a way to come together in a bipartisan fashion to give all Americans the opportunity to get ahead.

The work that we do here for the American people is hugely important.

Did we make enough progress? No, I do not think so. Did we make some progress? Yes, we did.