On the recordAugust 2, 2012
today I wish to urge my colleagues to allow an up-or-down vote on the Cybersecurity Act of 2012, S. 3414, and to support my amendment to further strengthen the privacy safeguards in this important legislation. National security experts from both parties have warned us about the very serious danger of a major cyber attack. It is not a matter of if, but when it will occur. As someone who witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor and was in Washington, DC, on September 11, 2001, it is frightening to know that in our modern world where much of our critical infrastructure and security systems are controlled by computers, a successful attack on a critical system could lead to more loss of life, injury, and damage than those terrible events. We have a moral duty to act immediately. That is why I urge my colleagues to put partisan differences aside and pass the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 for the safety of our Nation. As a senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I know that Chairman Lieberman and Ranking Member Collins have been working diligently for several years to get this bill to the floor for a vote. Commerce Committee Chairman Rockefeller and Intelligence Committee Chairman Feinstein have also been working tirelessly to advance this legislation.…





