Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) has been appointed as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection for the 119th Congress, according to an announcement by House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY).
“I am proud to announce Congressman Ogles will lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee moving forward, a role that is vital to the Committee’s efforts to protect the resilience of our federal civilian networks and the critical infrastructure that Americans rely on,” Chairman Garbarino said. “At a time when our nation faces unprecedented cyber threats from sophisticated adversaries, Congressman Ogles is already leading legislation to reauthorize and enhance the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and create a whole-of-government effort to defend against cyber threats from the Chinese Communist Party. As the Committee continues to work with the Trump administration to refocus CISA back to its core mission, Congressman Ogles’ leadership and vision will be instrumental in guiding that effort. As the former chairman of this subcommittee, I know he will continue that mission with strength and clarity as we work together to secure America’s cyber future.”
In response, Rep. Ogles stated: “American national security rests on secured cyber infrastructure. As chairman of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, I vow to leverage every federal asset to fortify the cyber capabilities of every American city. I vow to hold accountable the hackers, doxxers, and cyber terrorists waging war against our land. America First cybersecurity is my mission, and I will not waver. Thank you to Chairman Garbarino for the appointment and for trusting me to carry this mantle forward.”
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee oversees activities related to protecting federal networks, enhancing critical infrastructure security, and fostering cooperation between government entities at all levels regarding national security.
Recently, Rep. Ogles sponsored two bills addressing cybersecurity issues: H.R. 5078 (“Protecting Information by Local Leaders for Agency Resilience Act” or PILLAR Act), which aims to reauthorize grants for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments targeting cybersecurity risks—including those involving artificial intelligence—and H.R. 2659 (“Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act”), which focuses on countering threats originating from China with support from its government. Both pieces of legislation were advanced by bipartisan votes in committee earlier this year; they passed in the House of Representatives yesterday.
