On the recordFebruary 3, 2010
I thank the Chair, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, let me thank, Mr. Chairman, the leadership of Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall and the floor managers, Mr. Lipinski of Illinois and Mr. McCaul of Texas. I appreciate very much their leadership. Cybersecurity, Mr. Chairman, has been a growing concern, and recent events like the attack on Google and the hacking of Web sites maintained by Members of this very Chamber in the House highlight the urgency of today's action. As you know, the bill would expand research and development work in the field of cybersecurity, to provide for increased higher education opportunities, and to launch a much needed public awareness campaign on the importance of making our electronic communications and commerce as secure as possible in today's digital age. My amendment, Mr. Chairman, would clarify that children and young adults should be an important target audience of that public awareness campaign, and must be included. Children and young adults are by far among the largest consumers of new media and technology, yet in many cases they are also the most naive when it comes to taking basic safety precautions when using this technology and these innovations, which makes it all the more important that we reach out to them specifically.…





