Tag: Cyber

Daines Prioritizes National Security and Secures Air Support for Nuclear Weapons

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today worked to bolster aviation security, cybersecurity and nuclear security. The Senate Committee on Appropriations today marked up and passed the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill and Fiscal Year 2017 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. “It’s unconscionable to imagine that our nuclear warheads do not have adequate air security,” Daines stated. “With my provisions and additional funding, we will have the needed air support for our nuclear weapons until the permanent solution of an expedited procurement is complete.”  Daines secured the following provisions in the Defense Appropriations Bill:  Upgrading UH-1Ns: $75 million in the bill for the Air

Daines Leads Bipartisan Group of Senators in Introducing Measure to Strengthen Cybersecurity

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today lead a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that directs the president to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a Combatant Command. U.S. Cyber Command it is currently a subordinate unit to U.S. Strategic Command. Congress established U.S. Special Operations Command to address a rapidly growing need, strengthen the warfighter and to unify forces. Today, with cyber threats being one of the fastest growing national security threats we face, the need for another Combatant Command is clear. Daines’ amendment will elevate the command so it

Daines Slams Obama Administration on Long-Delayed Admission of Iranian Cyberattack on New York Dam

U.S. SENATE — Senator Steve Daines today slammed the Obama administration after reports indicate that they will name Iran as the perpetrator of a 2013 cyberattack on a New York dam. “It is downright shameful that it has taken President Obama three years to denounce Iran for a malicious cybersecurity attack on our country while at the same time sitting at a negotiating table with them,” Daines stated. “This failure is undoubtedly linked to President Obama’s clouded judgment in ushering through his misguided deal with Iran, which has only endangered our national security.  “Just this week Iran tested two ballistic missiles inscribed with ‘Israel must be

Daines Works to Bolster National Security, Strengthen North Korea Sanctions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following reports of yet another North Korean missile test, Senator Steve Daines today worked to successfully pass bipartisan legislation to bolster national security by strengthening sanctions on North Korea. “We can’t sit by idly and allow a dangerous regime to conduct ballistic missile tests without repercussions,” Daines stated. “This legislation is crucial to not only strengthening sanctions but outlining a comprehensive strategy to combat North Korea’s criminal cyber activities and horrific human rights violations. We must continue to confront the extremist regimes that threaten our global security, troops and allies in the region and that violate innate human rights.” Daines is a

Daines Continues Fight to Block Internet Sales Tax

Daines, Ayotte, Rubio, Lee urge congressional leaders to oppose so-called Marketplace Fairness Act WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Cyber Monday, Senator Steve Daines urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to reject any legislation to impose onerous Internet sales tax requirements that would hurt online retailers in Montana and across the nation.   In a letter to Congressional leadership, Daines joined Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) to underscore the detrimental impact that a federal Internet sales tax would have on Montana small businesses that rely on the Internet to grow their businesses

Daines: CISA Fails to Protect Americans’ Personal Privacy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today expressed his disappointment after the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) passed the United States Senate and reaffirmed his concerns that the legislation failed to sufficiently protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties: “I have serious concerns that this legislation fails to fully protect Montanans’ right to privacy from government overreach. As someone who spent nearly 13 years in the technology sector, I know firsthand the cybersecurity risks facing Montanans and agree that we must adopt real reforms that better protect Americans from these threats. But these reforms must not come at the expense of Montanans’

Daines: We need to be Proactive in Preventing Future Cyber Attacks

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines took to the Senate floor to underscore the gaping holes in the cybersecurity of the United States, while also reflecting on his first biannual Montana High Tech Jobs Summit, which took place in Bozeman earlier this week. Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. Click here to download Daines’ remarks.  Daines made the following remarks on the Senate floor: “Mr. President, this generation is at the forefront of technological advances. In fact it’s making the United States and this generation that lives here one of the best networked in history – not only here, but around the world. “The need

Daines Statement on Reported Russian Cyber Attack

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement in response to reports that Russia hacked the Pentagon’s unclassified email system: “Reports that Russian hackers—possibly sanctioned by the Russian government—hacked into the Joint Chiefs of Staff email servers nearly two weeks ago are deeply concerning.  This is the third known major cyber attack on the federal government unearthed this summer, and we still have yet to see a full report on the depth of the hack at the Office of Personnel Management. It’s unacceptable that the Obama administration has not yet addressed these serious holes in our nation’s