Carol Shea-Porter: “I would like to thank Chairman Gordon for his hard work on this bill. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee…”

“I would like to thank Chairman Gordon for his hard work on this bill. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I know just how important it is that we focus on cybersecurity and combating the threats that we face. It is an incredibly important area, and I commend him for his work. Mr. Chair, as cyberattacks become increasingly common and alarming, the government needs more expert cybersecurity personnel to protect us. The Scholarships for Service program is an important means to recruit such expert personnel. However, I believe that considering the high value of the education and security clearance, which is all provided at government expense, the current service obligation is insufficient to recover the significant Federal investment we are making. My amendment extends the service obligation for recipients of cybersecurity scholarships or fellowships on a sliding scale depending on the degree program. Those in bachelor's degree programs would see their service requirement extend by 1 year to 3 years, those in a master's program by 2 years to 4 years, and those in a Ph.D. program by 3 years to 5 or 6 years, depending on the program. Graduate students in cybersecurity programs need to have security clearances, and most students will need a clearance before beginning work in this field for the Federal Government.”