Strengthening Va Cybersecurity Act of 2022

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7299, as amended, the Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act of 2022.

VA is the second largest Federal agency, and it handles 9 million veterans' personal information. The Department is a big target for cyber criminals, and the Veterans' Affairs Committee is responsible for making sure their data is being protected.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to assess how well VA is truly performing on cybersecurity, and how successfully the money invested translates into better security for veterans' information.

This bill would require a third-party cybersecurity audit of VA to fill in the gaps left by the existing audits. While necessary, those audits tend to be compliance exercises.

In contrast, this legislation requires a hard look at actual VA systems and real-world vulnerabilities. The bill also requires VA to submit a detailed plan to remediate whatever weaknesses the third-party auditor finds.

Hostile nations are working around the clock to exploit any vulnerability in our networks or systems, especially with health records. We must stay one step ahead of them, and I appreciate Mr. Mrvan's work on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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