Rep. Payne, Jr.'s Statement on Colonial Pipeline Cyber-Attack

Statement

Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., Chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials for the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure and a Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement regarding the Colonial Pipeline cyber-attack yesterday. The attack forced the company to shut down the largest gasoline, diesel and jet fuel supplier to the East Coast. The pipeline transports 2.5 million barrels of fuel, or almost 50 percent of the area's supply, every day.

"This cyber-attack on one of our country's most critical energy pipelines is proof that our energy cybersecurity is vulnerable and we need to upgrade it immediately," said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. "In addition, it serves as a great example of why we need to pass President Biden's American Jobs Plan. Infrastructure is more than roads and bridges. It includes the systems that provide our power and our water. President Biden's plan would provide funds to prevent such cyber-attacks. I am investigating this situation to find out how this attack could have been prevented and what needs to happen to protect our energy infrastructure in the future."

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