On the recordJuly 12, 2021
I rise in support of Jen Easterly's nomination to serve as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly referred to as CISA. Before the Senate adjourned for the July 4 holiday, I stood right here and urged my colleagues to confirm her for this vital position. I was disappointed that a Republican colleague blocked Ms. Easterly's swift confirmation at that time, but I appreciate that he has now resolved his concerns and that we can move forward today. I warned that, without confirming Ms. Easterly, we risked leaving ourselves vulnerable to cyber attacks, and in the 2 weeks since I last called on my colleagues to approve this critical nomination, nation- state actors and criminal organizations have continued their relentless targeting of the United States. Over the July 4 weekend, we learned that U.S. software company Kaseya was the target of a major ransomware attack that has impacted hundreds and possibly thousands of businesses and organizations worldwide. Days later, we saw reports that a Republican National Committee contractor had been attacked in an attempt to target the RNC. Unfortunately, these are only the latest of several recent cyber attacks that threaten our government, critical infrastructure, and key industries. These attackers will stop at nothing to infiltrate our networks, and we urgently need qualified, Senate-confirmed cyber security leaders in place to fight back.…





