[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 161 (Wednesday, October 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6898-S6899]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 1377
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, yesterday, I came to the floor to warn
that a critical cyber security protection that has been in place for a
decade was set to run out and expire at the end of the fiscal year. I
urged my colleagues to pass a bipartisan, clean, 10-year extension to
keep these important national security protections in place.
Unfortunately, one of my colleagues--just one of my colleagues--
objected, and as of midnight, they have now expired. As a result, we
are without this critical line of defense. Our economy, our
infrastructure, and our government are exposed.
It is now going to be a more challenging effort to protect businesses
and critical infrastructure against cyber attacks at a time, Mr.
President, when you know that our adversaries' attacks continue to grow
more aggressive and more sophisticated.
This law was passed with strong bipartisan support, and the support
remains strong in both Chambers. Even the Trump administration agrees.
The White House and the Department of Homeland Security support a 10-
year extension and want to see this bill passed.
For months, my colleagues and I have heard from a broad coalition of
industry leaders who need the long-term certainty that a 10-year
reauthorization provides so we can protect our systems and they can
protect their systems and customers. That is why Senator Rounds and I
introduced a clean, bipartisan, 10-year extension all the way back in
April.
Every hour--every hour--we delay is an open invitation to cyber
criminals and hostile actors to attack our economy and our critical
infrastructure.
I would urge my colleagues to put our national and economic security
first and pass this clean, long-term extension.
Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule
XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S.
1377 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the
bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no
intervening action or debate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, as you
know, the CISA reauthorization is also included in the clean CR that we
are also trying to be able to pass, this continuing resolution.
On behalf of Chairman Paul, he has asked me to be able to come and
object, so I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
[[Page S6899]]
The Senator from Michigan.
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, the CR has not passed. We are now
vulnerable--right now. As my colleague from Oklahoma knows, we are now
vulnerable.
I do not know when that continuing resolution will pass. Every day
that goes by, we are susceptible to a cyber attack. Who is going to
answer for that when it occurs because we did not act here?
We also know that even if the CR were to pass, it is a couple of
months. We need to have long-term certainty. That is what we have been
hearing from all of the folks in the cyber security industry. That is
why the Trump administration is saying we need to pass a 10-year
extension, and we need to do it now. It is why Members in the House,
both Democrats and Republicans--there is overwhelming support there.
There is overwhelming support in this Chamber right now. I assume that
if we had a vote today, it would be overwhelmingly passed.
Why do we risk the security of our country from cyber attacks? Why
don't we pass commonsense legislation? That is what this Senate should
do.
I know we have issues that we debate all the time, but when there is
overwhelming support and the threats to our country are imminent, we
should act. And when we don't act, we fail the American people.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.