Proposal strengthens information sharing and encourages private sector innovation

Washington, DC - U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Dan Coats (R-IN), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Richard Burr (R-NC) today introduced the Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information, and Technology Act (SECURE IT), their proposal to protect and secure our nation against cybersecurity attacks.

"The SECURE IT Act strengthens America's cybersecurity by promoting collaboration and information-sharing, updating our criminal laws to account for the growing cyber threat and enhancing research programs to protect our critical networks," said Senator John McCain. "This legislation will help us begin to meet the very real threat of cyber attack."

"We are all in agreement that we need to make our nation's cybersecurity a top priority. I believe we have come up with a strong common sense approach that will help prevent the spread of cyberattacks from network to network and across the Internet, by removing barriers to sharing information about threats, attacks, and strategies for improvement," Senator Hutchison said.  "Our bill focuses on giving businesses the tools they need to protect themselves from the looming threat of cyber criminals, and increased requirements for notification of threats to federal agencies."

"As our nation faces increasing cyber attacks in a critical economic environment, we must ensure that the private sector has the authority it needs to defend its own networks and share cyber threat information to prevent future attacks," Senator Chambliss said. "Now is not the time for Congress to be adding more government, more regulation, and more debt - especially when it is far from clear that any of it will enhance our security. Our bill offers the right solution to improving our nation's cybersecurity by encouraging collaboration, investment, and innovation."

"Our bill represents a new way forward in protecting the American people and the country's cyber infrastructure from attack.  It's a bill that can be supported by all partners that have an interest in cybersecurity. Instead of the heavy hand of the government, our approach promotes information sharing and keeps the taxpayers' wallets close," said Senator Grassley.

"Rather than arming Homeland Security with expansive new regulatory authority over every sector of our economy, the SECURE IT cyber bill we've introduced today emphasizes a partnership approach between the government and private entities. By focusing on those areas like information sharing where bipartisan agreement is achievable, we can tackle the cyber issue in a meaningful and constructive way," said Sen. Murkowski.

"After September 11, we broke down the barriers to information sharing and provided our intelligence and law enforcement professionals with the tools they need to keep us safe.  Today, we must break down similar barriers that exist in cyber security to respond to the increasing number of attacks against private companies and the federal government," said Senator Coats. "The SECURE IT Act will enable robust information sharing without creating costly layers of government bureaucracy or imposing new regulatory burdens on American businesses."

"This bill recognizes that industry is at the center of any solution. It's a sensible step forward that allows industry to invest in innovation and job creation rather than compliance. Imposing a costly and bureaucratic regulatory regime is the wrong approach to national security. New regulations will slow down innovation and investment while companies wait years for the government to introduce outdated standards," said Sen. Johnson. "The regulatory process simply cannot keep up with the rapid pace of technology."

"Cyber security is essential to our national security, and this bill takes a step in the right direction to ensure that our nation has the proper defenses in place to address threats to our nation's systems and infrastructure.   This bill takes fiscally responsible measures to protect against cyber threats by enhancing research and development, updating enforcement tools and penalties to reflect current threats, and promoting voluntary information sharing between the public and private sector without creating unnecessary bureaucracy or regulations," said Senator Burr.

Co-sponsors of the proposal are U.S. Sens. John McCain, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Saxby Chambliss, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Lisa Murkowski, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Dan Coats, Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and Ron Johnson, Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia, and Richard Burr, Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

The SECURE IT Act will:

·         Improve cybersecurity by collaborating with industry and eliminating barriers to enhanced information sharing.

·         Create expedited information sharing for private sector using existing structures and reporting relationships.

·         Require federal contractors who provide telecommunications or cybersecurity services for the federal government to report to the government cyber threat information related to those services.

·         Strengthen criminal statutes for cyber crimes.

·         Update the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) and preserve the roles of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Commerce in disseminating security standards for the federal government.

·         Leverage and strengthen existing programs in cybersecurity research and development.

Here is a copy of the text of Grassley's statement at today's press conference.

The group you see here today saw a need to develop cybersecurity protections that focused on avoiding new federal government bureaucracies, reforming existing programs, and not adding additional, burdensome regulations that may stifle innovation and growth in the private sector.

We felt the best approach was to focus on strengthening Cybersecurity defenses. We do this by coordinating the public and private sectors to work together.  Creating a collaborative partnership between the private sector and the federal government will foster an information sharing system that helps detect, eliminate, and prevent cyber threats.  Our legislation is something that all partners involved in protecting our cyber networks can fully stand behind.

As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, I have focused my involvement on the criminal law provisions, legal barriers to information sharing, civil liberty and privacy protections, as well as whistleblower protections.

Our bill will break down the legal barriers, such as antitrust and liability issues.  In the past, these barriers prohibited business and industry from sharing cyber threat information with the government or industry partners.  The bill includes provisions to ensure that confidentiality and personal privacy are engrained in the information sharing.  It also includes a provision ensuring that no preexisting whistleblower protection law is changed by this legislation.  We also update criminal statutes and streamline the existing, confusing penalty structure in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.  And, it reins in prosecutions.  These prosecutions have raised concerns by advocates on both sides of the political spectrum.  If left unchanged, they could lead to average citizens being prosecuted as federal felons.

Beyond the Judiciary Committee provisions, and very importantly, our legislation adheres to our core principle of keeping the government's regulatory reach out of the private sector.  We avoid complicated regulatory regimes that will stifle innovation and job growth.

Our approach has been laid out for many months.  It achieves consensus and can gain the support of many Senators.

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Washington, DC - House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (OK-03) today announced a series of field hearings on the 2012 Farm Bill that will take place throughout the country in March and April, with the second hearing to take place on March 23^rd in Galesburg, Illinois in the district of Congressman Bobby Schilling (IL-17).  This hearing will give members of the Agriculture Committee the opportunity to hear firsthand from Illinois farmers and regional stakeholders about their priorities for the next farm bill. 

"This field hearing represents a great opportunity for folks on the Agriculture Committee to come out to Illinois and meet with the 'final three feet' - our area's farmers and producers- to get their input on policies that will allow the U.S. to continue to yield affordable and high-quality food products for our friends and families," Schilling said. "Many thanks to Chairman Lucas and staff on the Committee for recognizing our area's invaluable agricultural contributions to our food supply.  From crop insurance to conservation and rural development to research, this next farm bill represents a great opportunity for rural America and I'm proud that Illinois' 17^th District will be one of the settings for this debate."

"I am pleased to announce a farm bill field hearing in Congressman Schilling's district," Chairman Lucas said. "This will be a great opportunity to meet members of the agriculture community in his district, recognize the contributions our farmers make for this nation and around the world, and discuss the challenges our producers continue to face.   We need more members like Congressman Schilling who understand and appreciate agriculture because now, more than ever, it is important that we stand strongly together in support of production agriculture and rural economies."

The schedule of upcoming field hearings can be found below.  For those unable to attend the hearings, the Agriculture Committee plans to provide a live webcast here.

Friday, March 9, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. EST
North Country Community College, Sparks Athletic Complex
23 Santanoni Ave
Saranac Lake, NY 12983

Friday, March 23, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. CDT
Carl Sandburg College, Student Center Building B
2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd.
Galesburg, IL 61401

Friday, March 30, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. CDT
Riceland Hall, Fowler Center
Arkansas State University
201 Olympic Drive
State University, AR 72467

Friday, April 20, 2012 - 9:00 a.m. CDT
Magouirk Conference Center
4100 W. Comanche
Dodge City, KS 67801

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WASHINGTON – Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, Ore., has since Sunday taken action in three unrelated marine safety cases that has protected the environment, protected mariners and protected the maritime transportation system in the Port of Portland, Ore.

Sector Columbia River's recent activity began around 11 a.m. Sunday with notification from the 648-foot, car carrier Morning Spruce of the vessel's loss of engine power while 12 miles southwest of the Columbia River bar, leaving the vessel adrift in 12-foot seas.  The Coast Guard Captain of the Port issued an order directing the owner of the Morning Spruce to immediately contract for tow vessels to hold the ship offshore.  In addition to its cargo the Morning Spruce was reportedly carrying a combined 543,000 gallons of heavy oil, diesel and lube oil.

Engine power was restored around 3:30 p.m. Sunday and the Coast Guard monitored the progress of the vessel, escorted by the tug Kokua, as it cleared the Columbia River bar.  The Kokua and Morning Spruce were joined by another tug, the Vancouver, for the transit to Portland, Ore.  The Coast Guard then made preparations for an inspection of the Morning Spruce as it arrived in Portland.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Portland's Port State Control Branch conducted an inspection of the Morning Spruce Tuesday, revealing numerous safety hazards, resulting in the detention of the vessel.  The safety hazards included excessive oil in machinery spaces, inadequate patches made on the vessel's fire-main piping, heavy hydraulic oil leaks and inadequate fire control boundaries.  The control action will remain in effect until the violations are corrected and verified through follow up inspections.

Meanwhile, a Coast Guard Vessel Boarding and Safety Team from Sector Columbia River boarded the 738-foot freighter Laconia, Tuesday, as part of a port state control boarding.  Alerted by Customs and Border Protection agents already aboard, the Coast Guard team conducted alcohol tests of the master of the ship, suspecting the captain was intoxicated based upon CBP agents' observations and their discovery of open containers of alcohol found within the captain's stateroom.

As a result of the breathalyzer test, the Coast Guard boarding team removed the master and transferred him to the custody of Coast Guard Investigative Service agents.  The Coast Guard then required the owner of the Laconia to acquire a replacement for the ship's captain prior to the freighter's departure from its anchorage.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Columbia River issued bar closures Wednesday for Depoe Bay and the Siuslaw River due to dangerous high surf and offshore weather conditions.  The closure protects mariners and the maritime transportation system by reducing the risks associated with bar crossings made under severe conditions.

"Together, the actions taken by Sector Columbia River demonstrate how the Coast Guard preserves the maritime business commons by reducing the risk and uncertainty of the maritime environment and how the Coast Guard's vigilant maritime safety and security presence enables American prosperity," said Cmdr. Chris O'Neil, chief of media relations for the Coast Guard.  "According to the Port of Portland, more than 550 oceangoing vessels called upon facilities in the Port of Portland in calendar year 2011, carrying to and from the port more than 13.1 million short tons of cargo, including more than 941,000 short tons of breakbulk cargo, 197,000 containers, 4.7 million short tons of grain, 234,000 autos and 5.2 million short tons of bulk mineral cargo."

WASHINGTON – Applications for summer internships with Senator Chuck Grassley are due March 15.

Internships are available for college age Iowans in Grassley offices in Washington, D.C., Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo.  There are two sessions for 2012 summer internships.  The first is May 21 through July 3.  The second is July 5 through August 17.

Senate interns assist staff members with administrative, legislative and communications work, including that of Grassley's staff on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he serves as Ranking Member.  A video about Grassley internships produced by last year's summer interns can be seen here.

Grassley said he encourages young Iowans who are interested in learning more about government to apply.  "Working in a congressional office is a good way for college students and new graduates to learn more about the legislative branch of the federal government, while gaining valuable work experience.  Internships in my offices are available to students in all areas of study," he said.

Application forms are available on Grassley's Senate website and in Grassley's offices in Iowa. Due to security-related delays in postal mail delivery to U.S. Senate office buildings, internship applications should be emailed to intern_applications@grassley.senate.gov.  For additional information, send messages to intern_applications@grassley.senate.gov or call 202-224-3744.