The House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection will hold a hearing on January 13, 2026, to discuss ways to improve the United States' offensive cyber operations. The session, chaired by Andy Ogles (R-TN), aims to address how federal agencies and private sector partners can strengthen the nation's ability to deter and disrupt foreign cyber threats.
As cyber activities become increasingly important in global conflicts, officials are concerned about persistent attacks from countries such as China, Russia, and Iran targeting U.S. networks and infrastructure. The hearing will focus on operational, legal, and policy issues related to offensive cyber strategies within the federal government. Discussions will also explore how roles between agencies and industry partners can be clarified for better coordination and more effective responses.
Witnesses scheduled to testify include Joe Lin of Twenty Technologies, Inc., Emily Harding from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Frank Cilluffo of Auburn University's McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, and Drew Bagley from CrowdStrike. Their testimony will be made available online. The event is open to the public and press; members of the media must have congressional credentials and are asked to RSVP in advance.
Recent efforts by Congress have included hearings on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing that may impact national cybersecurity. In December 2025, Chairmen Ogles and Josh Brecheen (R-OK) led a joint hearing examining how adversaries use these tools against U.S. interests.
Previously, Ogles joined with Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, in requesting testimony from tech companies following a report by Anthropic that identified Chinese state-sponsored actors using AI systems for autonomous cyber espionage campaigns with little human involvement.
In November 2025, lawmakers passed two key bills led by Ogles: H.R. 5078 (the PILLAR Act), which reauthorizes support for local cybersecurity initiatives through DHS grants—a measure widely supported across industry and government—and H.R. 2659 (“Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act”), establishing an interagency task force focused on addressing threats linked to groups associated with the Chinese Communist Party.
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month last year, Chairman Garbarino wrote an op-ed emphasizing the need for stronger collaboration between public agencies and private companies to counter sophisticated cyber threats posed by foreign nation-states.
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