WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) released a statement following House passage of his amendment to the surface transportation bill. Steil’s amendment requires the GAO to study cybersecurity vulnerabilities within America’s transportation system. Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-04) and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) are cosponsors of the amendment.
Click above to watch Steil’s speech on House floor in support of his amendment
“As we’ve seen with the recent pipeline and beef supplier hacks, there are alarming cybersecurity weaknesses in America’s critical infrastructure. We must act to protect elements of our transportation system, especially as cars and transit equipment become reliant on the internet. My amendment requires a study of vulnerabilities within America’s transportation system. By identifying these problems early, we can more accurately plan, invest, and create policy to bolster our infrastructure,” said Rep. Steil.
“The recent cyber-attacks on our physical infrastructure have demonstrated a clear and acute need for strategic action on the part of the federal government,” said Rep. Houlahan. “I’m proud to partner with Representatives Steil and Auchincloss on this crucial and timely effort to shore up our cyber defenses and protect our infrastructure.”
“As we invest in infrastructure, we must also protect it from cyber threats. We’ve already seen how threats to our infrastructure are real and can impact our safety and economy. This amendment will allow us to think in an innovative way about the future of infrastructure as it relates to our national defense,” said Rep. Auchincloss.
Steil’s amendment directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress the vulnerabilities that the United States transportation system has from ransomware and other cybersecurity threats.
Steil’s remarks on the House floor:
Bolstering our infrastructure against cyberattacks and ransomware attacks is an issue that concerns every American.
It isn’t a Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative.
As we’ve seen from the recent Colonial Pipeline hack and the shutdown of the world’s largest beef supplier, JBS, there are alarming cybersecurity weaknesses in America’s critical infrastructure.
Immediate action must be taken to protect America’s infrastructure against our adversaries.
That’s why we must pass my amendment to the surface transportation bill.
My proposal is simple, focused, and does not grow the size of the federal government.
It requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the vulnerabilities within our transportation system to combat cyberattacks.
This study will show us and accurately allow us plan, invest, and put forth policies that address our susceptibilities to future threats.
I thank my colleagues from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania for joining me in this effort.
I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the amendment.
