[House Document 117-154]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress, 2d Session -----------------------House Document 117-154
 
A REPORT ASSESSING THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK FOR SECURING THE NATION'S
     CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVIDING RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS

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                     THEPRESIDENTOFTHEUNITEDSTATES

                              transmitting

  A REPORT ASSESSING THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK FOR SECURING THE NATION'S 
    CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVIDING RELEVANT RECOMMENDATIONS, 
     PURSUANT TO R6 U.S.C. 652a(b)(3)(B); PUBLIC LAW 116-283, SEC. 
                    9002(b)(3)(B); (134 STAT. 4770)

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November 10, 2022.--Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                         ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                      Washington, November 7, 2022.
Hon. Nancy Pelosi,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Madam Speaker: I am providing this report, consistent 
with section 9002(b)(3) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public 
Law 116-283) (the ``Act''), as part of my efforts to keep the 
Congress informed of our work to secure the Nation's critical 
infrastructure.
    Pursuant to section 9002(b)(1)(B) of the Act, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security (Secretary) submitted to me in November of 
2021, and subsequently provided to the appropriate 
congressional committees, a report assessing the current 
framework for securing the Nation's critical infrastructure and 
providing relevant recommendations. I reviewed the Secretary's 
report and did not identify any critical concerns with its 
findings or recommendations. The Secretary's report 
incorporated feedback received through reviews led by both 
Department of Homeland Security and White House staff.
    Recognizing the need to drive implementation of the 
Secretary's recommendations across the Federal Government, my 
Administration will launch a process to review and revise, as 
appropriate, the primary United States policy for critical 
infrastructure, Presidential Policy Directive 21 of February 
12, 2013 (Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience). The 
strategic imperatives of today must address the increasing 
digitalization and automation of our infrastructure, efforts by 
our adversaries to gain footholds into our infrastructure, and 
the existential threat of climate change. Updated policy would 
strengthen the public-private partnership and provide clear 
guidance to executive departments and agencies (agencies) on 
designating certain critical infrastructure as systemically 
important. Moreover, it would clarify the roles, 
responsibilities, and services of the Sector Risk Management 
Agencies and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security 
Agency (CISA) to coordinate a national effort to secure and 
protect against critical infrastructure risks.
    I therefore accept the recommendations of the Secretary of 
Homeland Security and look forward to working with him to 
oversee the implementation of these recommendations in close 
coordination with relevant agencies and the private sector. 
Specifically, the National Security Council and the Office of 
the National Cyber Director staff will closely monitor and 
provide guidance to CISA, as appropriate, in the implementation 
of the action items in the Secretary's report.
    Furthermore, the events of the past 2 years highlight the 
need for urgent action to improve the cybersecurity of our 
critical infrastructure. Our Nation lacks a comprehensive way 
to establish mandatory minimum cybersecurity requirements 
across our critical infrastructure, and current approaches 
differ by sector. My Administration looks forward to working 
with the Congress to fill gaps in statutory authorities to 
ensure our critical infrastructure is protected from cyber 
attacks.
    My Administration is committed to working closely with the 
Congress on these matters to ensure more secure and resilient 
infrastructure while creating good-paying jobs, strengthening 
small businesses, and investing in the future.
            Sincerely,

                                               Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

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