Posted on 07/13/2011 6:59:27 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON -- Arizona Sen. John McCain has called for a Senate Select Committee on Cyber Security and Electronic Intelligence Leaks to address the problem of computer hackers.
The Arizona Republican made the request Wednesday in a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Cyber security proposals have been put forth by numerous Senate committees, the White House and various government agencies, McCain said, however, the Senate has yet embrace one comprehensive proposal that adequately addresses the government-wide threats we face.
"With so many agencies and the White House moving forward with cyber security proposals, we must provide congressional leadership on this pressing issue of national security," McCain wrote.
He said a select committee would be capable of drafting comprehensive cyber security legislation quickly without needing to work through numerous and, in some cases, competing committees of jurisdiction.
Committee chairmen and ranking members need to "step away from preserving their own committees' jurisdiction in order to develop a bill that serves the national security needs of all Americans," McCain wrote.
He said cyber security legislation and safeguards are needed to prevent leaks such as the "Wikileaks fiasco" that endangered the security of many United States diplomats and soldiers serving abroad.
McCain said the Senate Armed Services Committee on which he serves heard this month from Defense Secretary and former CIA chief Leon Panetta, who testified, "The next Pearl Harbor we confront could very well be a cyber attack."
McCain wrote, "We must act now and quickly develop and pass comprehensive legislation to protect our electric grid, air traffic control system, water supply, financial networks and defense systems and much more from a cyber attack."
It’s bad enough that Mr. McCain is still on the payroll; I just wish he’d keep his yapper shut until he retires.
This is so simple.
For centuries information has been kept from general access.
Today, classified info should be on a closed network - no access from outside.
FUJM
*I* call on Senator McCain to just go away.
Public access isn’t the problem. Security risks in high places is the problem.
There are security programs guarding national security in place already, and have been. How do you keep traitors on the inside from spilling the beans?
"Select committee", "comprehensive" and "bi-partisan" are three terms I'm not interested in hearing attached to "legislation".
Which is a term I'm not terribly fond of, either.
Particularly if it emerges from John McCain's lips...
Hang a couple. The rest will straighten right up.
When you catch the traitors, you execute them quickly.
It does wonders for security.
Yeah. It means he's going to help them pin us down and force us to spread 'em.
I don’t want anything bipartisan. Is it just me?
bipatisan = twice as bad
I don’t trust Juan any farther than I could throw Meghan.
One of the biggest is at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Any bill with “Comprehensive” in the title scares the shit out of me.
McCain the idiot.
No specifics at all. Not one clue as to what they really have in mind. You know it’s bad for the American people when they keep the details secret.
Amen!
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