Political Quotes

“I start by thanking Chairman Hensarling and the committee and the staff for all the hard work that they have done on this very important bill. Mr. Chairman, protecting the personal information of Americans is critical to maintaining financial stability. Many of our families, friends, neighbors, and constituents have suffered from the threat of their personal information. While private industry works hard to implement strong protections for our online information, I believe that Congress has the responsibility to stay informed on the threats facing constituents in order to help protect those we represent from identity theft and IRS fraud. As you are aware, over the past few years, consumer reporting agencies have experienced numerous breaches of information. High- profile data breaches occurred in 2017, 2015, 2013, and 2011, among others. A recent cyber attack on a CRA subsidiary allowed thieves to access taxpayer W-2s, giving them the ability to file fraudulent tax returns. Another attack exposed the Social Security numbers of an estimated 200 million Americans. Protecting consumers and the constituents I serve in Pennsylvania's 16th District is my duty in Congress, and this includes cyber activity. In 2015, the IRS paid out $5.8 billion in fraudulent refunds to identity thieves.…”