N.Y. Reps. Yvette Clarke and Ritchie Torres call for $600M in cybersecurity funding
The Colonial Pipeline hack shows the need for a nationwide boost in cybersecurity, say two New York City members of Congress who are calling for millions of dollars toward that end.
Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), representing Brooklyn and the Bronx respectively, urged President Biden on Thursday to add $100 million to his massive infrastructure proposal for cybersecurity training for workers.
The duo also wants the American Jobs Plan legislation — currently stalled in the Senate — to include another $500 million in grants for states and localities to invest in cybersecurity.
“The recent Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack exposed our nation’s vulnerabilities to some of the most rudimentary cyberattack mechanisms,” Clarke and Torres wrote. “We as a nation must do all that we can to prevent cyberattacks like this from occurring again.”
They were referring to the disruption earlier this month to the country’s biggest pipeline, in which a major hack caused gas distribution problems and panic-buying in the Southeast.
The House of Representatives passed the American Jobs Plan in March. Amid Republican opposition in the Senate, Democrats have trimmed the size of the package, from about $2.3 trillion to $1.7 trillion in programs.
Still, Torres said GOP opposition shouldn’t prevent the $600 million in cybersecurity efforts that he and Clarke are seeking.
“Republicans continue to be the party of no and will oppose everything, including protecting our cybersecurity infrastructure to prevent another attack like Colonial Pipeline,” he said in a statement. “We must push ahead, and Democrats are ready to do so.”
With News Wire Services
