U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee (R-FL) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) on Sept. 24 introduced legislation to combat an increasing number of cyber threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against America’s critical infrastructure.
“It is critical that the federal government implements a focused, coordinated, and whole-of-government response to all of Beijing’s cyber threats, so no other actors succeed,” said Rep. Lee, who sponsored the Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act, H.R. 9769, alongside two GOP original cosponsors, including Rep. Moolenaar.
If enacted, H.R. 9769 would establish an interagency task force led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to address the cybersecurity threats posed by state-sponsored cyber actors associated with the People’s Republic of China.
Additionally, H.R. 9769 would require that the task force provide a classified report and briefing to Congress annually for five years on their findings, conclusions, and recommendations relating to malicious CCP cyber activity, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Rep. Moolenaar, chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said that during a Select Committee hearing earlier this year, FBI Director Christopher Wray divulged that the United States had uncovered state-affiliated Chinese hackers, known collectively as Volt Typhoon, who infiltrated American critical infrastructure and installed malware to unleash a cyber-attack.
“I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation alongside Rep. Laurel Lee that will help protect the American people,” he said.
“The CCP, acting through Volt Typhoon and other threat actors, has made a concerted effort to pre-position itself within our networks in order to target and compromise the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day — from the transportation and water sectors to the energy sector,” said Rep. Lee. “While individual agencies have worked to examine and address the threats posed by malign cyber actors like Volt Typhoon, a siloed approach to cybersecurity will only give our adversaries the upper hand.”
The measure has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee.