[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 121 (Monday, July 12, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4812-S4813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Nomination of Jen Easterly

  Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I rise in support of Jen Easterly's 
nomination to serve as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure 
Security Agency, commonly referred to as CISA.
  Before the Senate adjourned for the July 4 holiday, I stood right 
here and urged my colleagues to confirm her for this vital position. I 
was disappointed that a Republican colleague blocked Ms. Easterly's 
swift confirmation at that time, but I appreciate that he has now 
resolved his concerns and that we can move forward today.
  I warned that, without confirming Ms. Easterly, we risked leaving 
ourselves vulnerable to cyber attacks, and in the 2 weeks since I last 
called on my colleagues to approve this critical nomination, nation-
state actors and criminal organizations have continued their relentless 
targeting of the United States.
  Over the July 4 weekend, we learned that U.S. software company Kaseya 
was the target of a major ransomware attack that has impacted hundreds 
and possibly thousands of businesses and organizations worldwide. Days 
later, we saw reports that a Republican National Committee contractor 
had been attacked in an attempt to target the RNC.
  Unfortunately, these are only the latest of several recent cyber 
attacks that threaten our government, critical infrastructure, and key 
industries. These attackers will stop at nothing to infiltrate our 
networks, and we urgently need qualified, Senate-confirmed cyber 
security leaders in place to fight back.
  With more than three decades of cyber security expertise and service 
in the public and private sectors, Ms. Easterly is more than qualified 
to lead CISA. We need her in place immediately so she can get to work 
with agencies, businesses, and others to recover from recent cyber 
attacks and to strengthen cyber security defenses before the next 
attack.
  I appreciate that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have 
withdrawn their objections and that the

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Senate is prepared to confirm this highly qualified nominee on a 
bipartisan basis. I certainly look forward to working with her and with 
my friends on both sides of the aisle here in Congress to shore up 
cyber security vulnerabilities and keep American families, businesses, 
and the Federal Government secure.

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