Vernon Ehlers: “I was asked by the new Speaker, Newt Gingrich, some years ago--in 1995 to be exact--to take charge of setting up the new…”

“I was asked by the new Speaker, Newt Gingrich, some years ago--in 1995 to be exact--to take charge of setting up the new computer system for the House of Representatives. It was a formidable task. And one issue I emphasized over and over was the need for adequate security. We did the best we could at that time. And I was very proud for a number of years that although the White House got hacked, the Pentagon got hacked, the Senate got hacked, we did not get hacked. Those days are over. And every Member of this House of Representatives has to recognize that. This is going to involve, first of all, the best possible technology fix. There's no question about it. But there's another aspect that was mentioned by my colleague from California, and that is training Members and staff on how to deal with this threat and this danger. That is not easy. When I computerized the House, I had to educate my colleagues about computers. It was hopeless. I eventually taught computer classes myself to my colleagues to try to get them interested and to begin using computers.”