Joaquin Castro: “First, I am very honored to be joined by my fellow colleagues and Members of Congress from both parties from San…”

“First, I am very honored to be joined by my fellow colleagues and Members of Congress from both parties from San Antonio, Texas--Congressmen Smith, Doggett, Cuellar, and Hurd--who each represent a portion of Bexar County and have joined me on this amendment. My amendment would give the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to establish the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium, or NCPC, within the Department of Homeland Security. Doing so would formally allow this consortium, which already exists outside of the government, to assist State and local entities in developing their own viable and sustainable cybersecurity programs, and it would be at no cost to taxpayers. The NCPC consists of five university partners. The University of Texas at San Antonio leads the effort, along with Texas A&M University in College Station, the University of Arkansas, the University of Memphis, and Norwich University in Vermont. {time} 1030 These schools proactively came together to coordinate their work, helping State and local officials prepare for cyber attacks. The consortium also develops and carries out trainings and exercises to increase cybersecurity knowledge. Additionally, the NCPC uses competitions and workshops to encourage more people to pursue careers in cybersecurity and grow the industry's workforce.…”