House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., asked President Biden in a March 24 letter to move quickly on nominating a National Cyber Director as provided for under the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
Rep. Maloney said the appointment will help to “maximize” the effectiveness of $2 billion of IT modernization and cybersecurity funding approved by Congress in the American Rescue Plan Act.
“The Committee on Oversight and Reform worked closely with the Committee on Homeland Security and our Senate counterparts to provide $2 billion for federal information technology cybersecurity and modernization to streamline and strengthen our networks in the face of escalating cyber attacks that threaten our pandemic response efforts and national security,” Rep. Maloney said.
“To maximize the effectiveness of this funding and to make urgently needed progress on critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities, I ask that you prioritize immediate action” on the National Cyber Director nomination,” the congresswoman said.
She said the need for a quick nomination is also highlighted by the Government Accountability Office’s 2020 High-Risk List, which shows that more than 750 of GAO’s recommendations to address Federal cybersecurity challenges have yet to be addressed.
