Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here in support of the ANCHOR Act sponsored by my friend, Mr. Mike Garcia of California. The ANCHOR Act establishes the crucial need for better cybersecurity in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet. This fleet of 18 vessels operates in the oceans, the Great Lakes, and the polar regions where they conduct crucial research on our marine environments. They are studying ecosystems and food webs, offshore energy resources, and how we can better forecast and respond to hazards like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Much of what we know about the ocean, from the wave dynamics to the deepest trenches, is thanks to research done aboard one of these vessels. They operate a wide range of specialized equipment, including deep- towing cameras, state-of-the-art acoustic sensors, and sea floor mapping systems. They do this all over the globe, often sailing to remote locations far from land. This creates a unique challenge because the fleet needs secure and reliable communications and data transmissions, whether they are just off the coast of California or in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. That means that each individual vessel needs a specialized infrastructure that protects their scientific equipment and ensures the security of their data, both on board and in transmission. They need this level of security, but they don't have it. This bill will change that.…”