[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 29, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7176-H7180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HOMELAND SECURITY NETWORK DEFENSE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2008

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 5983) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 
2002 to enhance the information security of the Department of Homeland 
Security, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5983

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

        This Act may be cited as the ``Homeland Security Network 
     Defense and Accountability Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER; 
                   QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT.

       Section 703(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
     U.S.C. 343(a)) is amended--
       (1) by inserting before the first sentence the following:
       ``(1) Authorities and duties.--The Secretary shall delegate 
     to the Chief Information Officer such authority necessary for 
     the development, approval, implementation, integration, and 
     oversight of policies, procedures, processes, activities, 
     funding, and systems of the Department relating to the 
     management of information and information infrastructure for 
     the Department, including the management of all related 
     mission applications, information resources, and personnel.
       ``(2) Line authority.--''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
       ``(3) Qualifications for appointment.--An individual may 
     not be appointed as Chief Information Officer unless the 
     individual has--
       ``(A) demonstrated ability in and knowledge of information 
     technology and information security; and

[[Page H7177]]

       ``(B) not less than 5 years of executive leadership and 
     management experience in information technology and 
     information security in the public or private sector.
       ``(4) Functions.--The Chief Information Officer shall--
       ``(A) establish and maintain an incident response team that 
     provides a continuous, real-time capability within the 
     Department of Homeland Security to--
       ``(i) detect, respond to, contain, investigate, attribute, 
     and mitigate any computer incident, as defined by the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology, that could 
     violate or pose an imminent threat of violation of computer 
     security policies, acceptable use policies, or standard 
     security practices of the Department; and
       ``(ii) deliver timely notice of any incident to individuals 
     responsible for information infrastructure of the Department, 
     and to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team;
       ``(B) establish, maintain, and update a network 
     architecture, including a diagram detailing how security 
     controls are positioned throughout the information 
     infrastructure of the Department to maintain the 
     confidentiality, integrity, availability, accountability, and 
     assurance of electronic information; and
       ``(C) ensure that vulnerability assessments are conducted 
     on a regular basis for any Department information 
     infrastructure connected to the Internet or another external 
     network, and that vulnerabilities are mitigated in a timely 
     fashion.''.

     SEC. 3. ATTACK-BASED TESTING PROTOCOLS.

       Section 703 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     343) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(c) Attack-Based Testing Protocols.--The Chief 
     Information Officer, in consultation with the Inspector 
     General, the Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity, and the 
     heads of other appropriate Federal agencies, shall--
       ``(1) establish security control testing protocols that 
     ensure that the Department's information infrastructure is 
     effectively protected against known attacks against and 
     exploitations of Federal and contractor information 
     infrastructure;
       ``(2) oversee the deployment of such protocols throughout 
     the information infrastructure of the Department; and
       ``(3) update such protocols on a regular basis.''.

     SEC. 4. INSPECTOR GENERAL REVIEWS OF INFORMATION 
                   INFRASTRUCTURE.

       Section 703 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     343) is further amended by adding at the end the following 
     new subsection:
       ``(d) Inspector General Reviews.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Inspector General of the Department 
     shall use authority under the Inspector General Act of 1978 
     (5 App. U.S.C.) to conduct announced and unannounced 
     performance reviews and programmatic reviews of the 
     information infrastructure of the Department to determine the 
     effectiveness of security policies and controls of the 
     Department.
       ``(2) Performance reviews.--Performance reviews under this 
     subsection shall test and validate a system's security 
     controls using the protocols created under subsection (c), 
     beginning not later than 270 days after the date of enactment 
     of the Homeland Security Network Defense and Accountability 
     Act of 2008.
       ``(3) Programmatic reviews.--Programmatic reviews under 
     this subsection shall--
       ``(A) determine whether an agency of the Department is 
     complying with policies, processes, and procedures 
     established by the Chief Information Officer; and
       ``(B) focus on risk assessment, risk management, and risk 
     mitigation, with primary regard to the implementation of best 
     practices such as authentication, access control (including 
     remote access), intrusion detection and prevention, data 
     protection and integrity, and any other controls that the 
     Inspector General considers necessary.
       ``(4) Information security report.--The Inspector General 
     shall submit a security report containing the results of each 
     review under this subsection and prioritized recommendations 
     for improving security controls based on that review, 
     including recommendations regarding funding changes and 
     personnel management, to--
       ``(A) the Secretary;
       ``(B) the Chief Information Officer; and
       ``(C) the head of the Department component that was the 
     subject of the review, and other appropriate individuals 
     responsible for the information infrastructure of such 
     agency.
       ``(5) Corrective action report.--
       ``(A) In general.--Within 60 days after receiving a 
     security report under paragraph (4), the head of the 
     Department component that was the subject of the review and 
     the Chief Information Officer shall jointly submit a 
     corrective action report to the Secretary and the Inspector 
     General.
       ``(B) Contents.--The corrective action report--
       ``(i) shall contain a plan for addressing recommendations 
     and mitigating vulnerabilities contained in the security 
     report, including a timeline and budget for implementing such 
     plan; and
       ``(ii) shall note any matters in disagreement between the 
     head of the Department component and the Chief Information 
     Officer.
       ``(6) Reports to congress.--
       ``(A) Annual reports.--In conjunction with the reporting 
     requirements of section 3545 of title 44, United States Code, 
     the Inspector General shall submit an annual report to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate--
       ``(i) summarizing the performance and programmatic reviews 
     performed during the preceding fiscal year, the results of 
     those reviews, and any actions that remain to be taken under 
     plans included in corrective action reports under paragraph 
     (5); and
       ``(ii) describing the effectiveness of the testing 
     protocols developed under subsection (c) in reducing 
     successful exploitations of the Department's information 
     infrastructure.
       ``(B) Security reports and corrective action reports.--The 
     Inspector General shall make all security reports and 
     corrective action reports available to any member of the 
     Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives, any member of the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the 
     Comptroller General of the United States, upon request.''.

     SEC. 5. INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE DEFINED.

       Section 703 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     343) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Information Infrastructure Defined.--In this section, 
     the term `information infrastructure' means systems and 
     assets used in processing, transmitting, receiving, or 
     storing information electronically.''.

     SEC. 6. NETWORK SERVICE PROVIDERS.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle D of title VIII of the Homeland 
     Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 391 et seq.) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 836. REQUIREMENTS FOR NETWORK SERVICE PROVIDERS.

       ``(a) Compatibility Determination.--Before entering into or 
     renewing a covered contract, the Secretary, acting through 
     the Chief Information Officer, must determine that the 
     contractor has an internal information systems security 
     policy that complies with the Department's information 
     security requirements for risk assessment, risk management, 
     and risk mitigation, with primary regard to the 
     implementation of best practices such as authentication, 
     access control (including remote access), intrusion detection 
     and prevention, data protection and integrity, and any other 
     policies that the Secretary considers necessary to ensure the 
     security of the Department's information infrastructure.
       ``(b) Contract Requirements Regarding Security.--The 
     Secretary shall include in each covered contract provisions 
     requiring the contractor to--
       ``(1) implement and regularly update the internal 
     information systems security policy required under subsection 
     (a);
       ``(2) maintain the capability to provide contracted 
     services on a continuing and ongoing basis to the Department 
     in the event of unplanned or disruptive event; and
       ``(3) deliver timely notice of any internal computer 
     incident, as defined by the National Institute of Standards 
     and Technology, that could violate or pose an imminent threat 
     of violation of computer security policies, acceptable use 
     policies, or standard security practices at the Department, 
     to the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team and 
     the incident response team established under section 
     703(a)(4).
       ``(c) Contract Requirements Regarding Subcontracting.--The 
     Secretary shall include in each covered contract--
       ``(1) a requirement that the contractor develop and 
     implement a plan for the award of subcontracts, as 
     appropriate, to small business concerns and disadvantaged 
     business concerns in accordance with other applicable 
     requirements, including the terms of such plan, as 
     appropriate; and
       ``(2) a requirement that the contractor submit to the 
     Secretary, during performance of the contract, periodic 
     reports describing the extent to which the contractor has 
     complied with such plan, including specification (by total 
     dollar amount and by percentage of the total dollar value of 
     the contract) of the value of subcontracts awarded at all 
     tiers of subcontracting to small business concerns, including 
     socially and economically disadvantaged small businesses 
     concerns, small business concerns owned and controlled by 
     service-disabled veterans, HUBZone small business concerns, 
     small business concerns eligible to be awarded contracts 
     pursuant to section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
     637(a)), and Historically Black Colleges and Universities and 
     Hispanic-serving institutions, tribal colleges and 
     universities, and other minority institutions.
       ``(d) Existing Contracts.--The Secretary shall, to the 
     extent practicable under the terms of existing contracts, 
     require each contractor who provides covered information 
     services under a contract in effect on the date of the 
     enactment of the Homeland Security Network Defense and 
     Accountability Act of 2008 to comply with the requirements 
     described in subsection (b).
       ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
       ``(1) Socially and economically disadvantaged small 
     businesses concern, small business concern owned and 
     controlled by service-disabled veterans, and hubzone small 
     business concern.--The terms `socially and economically 
     disadvantaged small

[[Page H7178]]

     businesses concern', `small business concern owned and 
     controlled by service-disabled veterans', and `HUBZone small 
     business concern' have the meanings given such terms under 
     the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.).
       ``(2) Contractor.--The term `contractor' includes each 
     subcontractor of a contractor.
       ``(3) Covered contract.--The term `covered contract' means 
     a contract entered into or renewed after the date of the 
     enactment of the Homeland Security Network Defense and 
     Accountability Act of 2008 for the provision of covered 
     information services.
       ``(4) Covered information services.--The term `covered 
     information services' means creation, management, 
     maintenance, control, or operation of information networks or 
     Internet Web sites for the Department.
       ``(5) Historically black colleges and universities.--The 
     term `Historically Black Colleges and Universities' means 
     part B institutions under title III of the Higher Education 
     Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
       ``(6) Hispanic-serving institution.--The term `Hispanic-
     serving institution' has the meaning given such term under 
     title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1101a(a)(5)).
       ``(7) Information infrastructure.--The term `information 
     infrastructure' has the meaning that term has under section 
     703.
       ``(8) Tribal colleges and universities.--The term `tribal 
     colleges and universities' has the meaning given such term 
     under the Tribally Controlled College or University 
     Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.).''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting after the item 
     relating to section 835 the following new item:

``Sec. 836. Requirements for network service providers.''.

       (c) Report.--Within 90 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall transmit 
     to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and the Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs Committee of the Senate a report describing--
       (1) the progress in implementing requirements issued by the 
     Office of Management and Budget for encryption, 
     authentication, Internet Protocol version 6, and Trusted 
     Internet Connections, including a timeline for completion;
       (2) a plan, including an estimated budget and a timeline, 
     to investigate breaches against the Department of Homeland 
     Security's information infrastructure for purposes of 
     counterintelligence assessment, attribution, and response;
       (3) a proposal to increase threat information sharing with 
     cleared and uncleared contractors and provide specialized 
     damage assessment training to private sector information 
     security professionals; and
       (4) a process to coordinate the Department of Homeland 
     Security's information infrastructure protection activities.

     SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

       Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting in any 
     manner the application of the Federal Information Management 
     Security Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3541 et seq.), to the 
     Department of Homeland Security, including all requirements 
     and deadlines in that Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
measure and yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Keeping our Federal and critical infrastructure network secure is an 
issue of national security. The United States and its allies face a 
significant and growing threat to our information technology systems. 
The acquisition of our government's information by outsiders undermines 
our strength as a Nation. Over time the theft of critical information 
from government computers could cost the United States our advantage 
over our adversaries.
  This legislation is the result of extensive oversight work undertaken 
by the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Science and 
Technology, Mr. Langevin.
  An organization is only as strong as the integrity and reliability of 
the information that it keeps. H.R. 5983, a piece of the DHS 
authorization package, seeks to improve cybersecurity at DHS by 
ensuring that DHS's defenses of information systems are robust and by 
holding individuals at all levels accountable for mitigating 
vulnerabilities.
  H.R. 5983, which was approved by voice vote in the committee, Mr. 
Speaker, is composed of five important provisions:
  First, it establishes authorities and qualifications for the Chief 
Information Officer position at the Department. Through our oversight 
work, Mr. Speaker, we have observed how lack of an information security 
background can hamper the CIO's understanding and ultimately efforts to 
secure DHS' networks.
  Second, the bill establishes specific operational security practices 
for the CIO, including a continuous real-time cyber incident response 
capability, network security architecture, and vulnerability 
assessments. These are fundamental elements for a comprehensive 
information security program.
  Third, H.R. 5983 establishes testing protocols to reduce the number 
of vulnerability exploitations throughout the Department's networks. 
Time and again we have heard the current Federal information security 
requirements do not go far enough to actually ``operationalize'' 
security to reduce the number of successful attacks. Under H.R. 5983 
security will be ``operationalized'' at DHS, a Federal agency that has 
a critical homeland security mission and is the receptacle of highly 
sensitive information.
  Fourth, Mr. Speaker, the bill requires the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to determine if the internal security policy of a contractor 
who provides network services to DHS is consistent with the agency's 
requirements. This is a standard operating procedure for all private 
sector companies. It should be also for DHS as well.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, this bill seeks a formal report from the 
Secretary of Homeland Security on meeting the deadlines established by 
the Office of Management and Budget for Trusted Internet Connections, 
encryption and authentication mandates. These are critical for the 
Department's efforts to improve information security. It is unclear 
whether proper deadlines are being met.
  I encourage my colleagues to support the Homeland Security Network 
Defense and Accountability Act of 2008.

         House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and 
           Government Reform,
                                    Washington, DC, July 24, 2008.
     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Thompson: I am writing about H.R. 5983, the 
     Homeland Security Network Defense and Accountability Act of 
     2008, which the Homeland Security Committee ordered reported 
     to the House on June 26, 2008.
       I appreciate your effort to consult with the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform regarding H.R. 5983. In 
     particular, I appreciate your willingness to strike the 
     provision of the bill addressing the Freedom of Information 
     Act and for agreeing to add rule of construction with regard 
     to application of the Federal Information Management Security 
     Act (FISMA) to the Department of Homeland Security.
       In the interest of expediting consideration of H.R. 5983, 
     and in recognition of your efforts to address my concerns, 
     the Oversight Committee will not request a sequential 
     referral of this bill. I would, however, request your support 
     for the appointment of conferees on the Oversight Committee 
     should H.R. 5983 or a similar Senate bill be considered in 
     conference with the Senate.
       Moreover, I believe it is important to identify additional 
     provisions in H.R. 5983 that are of particular concern to me.
       Specifically, H.R. 5983 creates new responsibilities that 
     might cause confusion with existing requirements under FISMA. 
     Although these requirements do not necessarily contradict 
     FISMA, I am concerned that when the Department seeks to 
     implement these new requirements there may be uncertainty as 
     to which law takes precedence. The unique set of requirements 
     created in H.R. 5983 does not appear to align with current 
     governmentwide requirements.
       In addition, I am concerned that H.R. 5983 puts too much 
     responsibility with the Department's Inspector General. In my 
     view, primary responsibility for performance reviews and 
     testing should reside with the Department.
       Again, thank you for your efforts to address my concerns 
     with H.R. 5983. Although I still have reservations about a 
     few provisions, I look forward to working with you to resolve 
     these matters and develop policies that benefit the federal 
     government as a whole.
       This letter should not be construed as a waiver of the 
     Oversight Committee's legislative jurisdiction over subjects 
     addressed in H.R. 5983 that fall within the jurisdiction of 
     the Oversight Committee.

[[Page H7179]]

       Please include our exchange of letters on this matter in 
     the Homeland Security Committee Report on H.R. 5983 and in 
     the Congressional Record during consideration of this 
     legislation on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Henry A. Waxman,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Homeland Security,

                                    Washington, DC, July 24, 2008.
     Hon. Henry A. Waxman,
     Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House 
         of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 
     5983, the ``Homeland Security Network Defense and 
     Accountability Act of 2008'', introduced on May 7, 2008, by 
     Congressman James R. Langevin.
       I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this 
     legislation. I acknowledge that H.R. 5983 contains provisions 
     that fall under the jurisdictional interests of the Committee 
     on Oversight and Government Reform. I appreciate your 
     agreement to not seek a sequential referral of this 
     legislation and I acknowledge that your decision to forgo a 
     sequential referral does not waive, alter, or otherwise 
     affect the jurisdiction of the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform.
       Further, I recognize that your Committee reserves the right 
     to seek appointment of conferees on the bill for the portions 
     of the bill that are within your jurisdiction, and I agree to 
     support such a request.
       I will ensure that this exchange of letters in included in 
     the Committee's report on H.R. 5983 and in the Congressional 
     Record during floor consideration of H.R. 5983. I look 
     forward to working with you on this legislation and other 
     matters of great importance to this nation.
           Sincerely,
                                               Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                            Information Technology


                                       Association of America,

                                     Arlington, VA, June 25, 2008.
     Hon. James R. Langevin,
     Chairman, the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging 
         Threats, Cybersecurity, Science, and Technology, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       On behalf of the more than 350 members of the Information 
     Technology Association of America (ITAA), I am writing to 
     express our support for the overall objective of H.R. 5983. 
     As you know, IT AA has long been an outspoken supporter of 
     many Congressional initiatives to improve federal information 
     security practices and we commend the committee's efforts to 
     specifically address information security at the Department 
     of Homeland Security.
       We would like to take this opportunity to note that Sec 
     836(c) has significant requirements to develop and implement 
     plans for the awarding of subcontracts to small businesses 
     and disadvantaged businesses. This is duplicative of existing 
     law and we feel it is unnecessary to require it in the 
     context of this Bill.
       Should you have any questions on these comments or our 
     perspective, please feel free to contact Audrey Plonk or 
     Jennifer Kerber. Thank you for your attention to our 
     concerns.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Philip J. Bond,
     President and CEO.
                                  ____

         New York State Office of Cyber Security & Critical 
           Infrastructure, Coordination,
                                         Albany, NY, May 30, 2008.
     Re House Bill: H.R. 5983.

     Hon. Bennie Thompson,
     Chairman, Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, S&T Subcommittee 
         Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Thompson: The New York State Office of Cyber 
     Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC) 
     supports H.R. 5983, which amends the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002 to enhance the information security of the Department of 
     Homeland Security.
       It is our view that amending the Act to institutionalize 
     the responsibility for ensuring that the Department's 
     information infrastructure is protected from cyber and other 
     threats to the maximum extent practicable is a crucial step 
     in improving the nation's security. All too often the 
     responsibility for securing our cyber infrastructure gets 
     lost in the myriad of operational activities at the expense 
     of security. It is essential that these vital cyber 
     responsibilities are institutionalized if we are to be as 
     cyber prepared as possible.
       Thank you for providing CSCIC with an opportunity to 
     comment on this Bill. Please do not hesitate to contact me if 
     you wish to discuss the Bill further as it advances through 
     the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                               William F. Pelgrin.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 5983, the Homeland Security Network 
Defense and Accountability Act, sponsored by my committee colleague 
Congressman James Langevin.
  H.R. 5983 includes several provisions designated to enhance the 
information security of the Department of Homeland Security and improve 
oversight of contractors that provide network services to the 
Department.
  Specifically, the bill requires the Chief Information Officer at the 
Department to have 5 years of executive leadership and information 
technology experience. The bill also mandates that all contractors and 
service providers for the Department have compatible information 
security policies and programs.
  Additionally, the bill directs the Department's Inspector General to 
develop appropriate security protocols for the Department and to 
annually test various aspects of the Department against these protocols 
as well as Federal Information Security Management Act requirements. 
The bill requires procurement officers to review contractors' security 
postures prior to awarding a contract and directs the Inspector General 
to conduct both performance and programmatic reviews of the 
Department's computer network. The bill does not exempt the Department 
from Federal Information Security Management Act requirements but 
directs DHS to focus its efforts on elements that will improve its 
overall security posture.
  DHS has expressed some concerns about the potential impact of the 
added responsibilities under the bill, particularly on the Department's 
ability to recruit and retain qualified individuals to fill these 
important positions. I hope that we can address these concerns as the 
legislative process moves forward.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 
5983 to strengthen the security of information at the Department.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests 
for time, and if the gentleman from Florida has no more speakers, then 
I am prepared to close after the gentleman closes.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back the balance of my 
time, I just want to emphasize how important I believe it is for the 
House to consider both an authorization and appropriations bill for the 
Department of Homeland Security this year. Every Republican member of 
the Committee on Homeland Security has signed a letter to Speaker 
Pelosi urging her to bring the fiscal year 2009 DHS appropriations 
bill, which the Appropriations Committee has already approved under the 
fine leadership of our chairman, and our chairman has done an 
outstanding job.
  And, Mr. Chairman, I want to say something else. You have been so 
fair to my colleagues and me this year, and I really enjoy serving on 
your committee.
  So if we could get those bills to the floor immediately, my 
colleagues and I would appreciate it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5983 is the product of extensive oversight by 
Chairman Langevin and the other members of the Emerging Threats, 
Science and Technology Subcommittee.
  After hearing from hundreds of experts on how best to improve 
information security, reviewing best practices in the public and 
private sectors, and investigating cyber incidents across the public 
and private sectors, Chairman Langevin authored the Homeland Security 
Network Defense and Accountability Act.
  H.R. 5983 will ensure that a qualified leader serves as the Chief 
Information Officer and has direction on what specific operational 
security practices should be implemented to make DHS's information 
security defenses robust.

                              {time}  1245

  This legislation seeks to make DHS the gold standard when it comes to 
information security. After all, Mr. Speaker, how can DHS legitimately 
be the lead Federal agency for cybersecurity and infrastructure 
protection when it doesn't have its own house in order.

[[Page H7180]]

  I am pleased to include H.R. 5983 in the package of DHS authorization 
bills that the Committee on Homeland Security has approved on a 
bipartisan basis. I urge my colleagues to support me in passing this 
critical piece of legislation.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Homeland 
Security Network Defense and Accountability Act of 2008, H.R. 5983. The 
United States and its allies face a significant and growing threat to 
our information technology, IT, systems and assets, and to the 
integrity of our information. The acquisition of this information by 
outsiders threatens to undermine and over time could cost the United 
States our advantage over our adversaries. This is a critical national 
security issue that we can no longer ignore.
  As chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging 
Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology, I have prioritized 
this issue in the 110th Congress. I have held seven hearings on 
cybersecurity issues, heard from hundreds of experts on how best to 
tackle these problems, reviewed information security best practices in 
the public and private sectors, investigated cyber incidents across the 
spectrum--from the State and Commerce Departments to our nation's 
electric grid--and uncovered and assisted law enforcement in 
investigating breaches at the Department of Homeland Security. It has 
become clear that an organization is only as strong as the integrity 
and reliability of the information that it keeps.
  The legislation we're considering today represents a critical step 
toward improving the cybersecurity posture at the Department of 
Homeland Security by addressing two key issues: ensuring a robust 
defense-in-depth of our information systems, and holding individuals at 
all levels accountable for mitigating vulnerabilities.
  This measure is composed of several important provisions. First, it 
establishes authorities and qualifications for the Chief Information 
Officer, CIO, position at the Department. In a number of hearings, I 
have heard concerns that the lack of an information security background 
can hamper the CIO's understanding and efforts to secure the 
Department's networks. We cannot allow future Presidents to repeat the 
mistakes made by this Administration in appointing unqualified 
individuals to this important office.
  Second, the bill establishes specific operational security practices 
for the CIO, including a continuous, real-time cyber incident response 
capability, a network architecture emphasizing the positioning of 
security controls, and vulnerability assessments for each external-
facing information infrastructure. These are fundamental elements of a 
comprehensive information security program.
  Third, the bill establishes testing protocols to reduce the number of 
vulnerability exploitations throughout the Department's networks. Time 
and again we have heard that the Federal Information Security 
Management Act--or FISMA--does not operationalize security, and does 
not effectively reduce the number of successful attacks. We must change 
this, and we can do so by bringing together the heads of appropriate 
federal agencies to mitigate known attacks against our governmental 
infrastructure.
  The fourth major provision of the bill requires the DHS Secretary to 
determine if the internal security policy of a contractor who provides 
network services to the Department is consistent with the Department's 
requirements. Again, this is standard operating procedure for all 
private sector companies; it should be so for the Federal Government as 
well.
  Finally, this bill seeks a formal report from the Secretary on 
meeting the deadlines established by the Office of Management and 
Budget, OMB, for Trusted Internet Connections, TIC, encryption and 
authentication mandates. These are critical for the Department's 
efforts in information security, and I am not confident that the proper 
deadlines are being met.
  I encourage my colleagues to support the Homeland Security Network 
Defense and Accountability Act of 2008 and thank Chairman Thompson for 
his leadership in bringing this important measure to the floor.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5983, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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