A bipartisan group of House members has proposed creating a new Senate-confirmed position within the White House, the national cyber director.
The lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill, the National Cyber Director Act, that would establish the position so a dedicated expert serves as the president’s principal adviser on cybersecurity.
“They would oversee and coordinate federal government incident response activities, collaborate with private sector entities and attend and participate in meetings of the National Security Council and Homeland Security Council,” the bill’s sponsors explained. “The Director would develop and oversee implementation of a National Cyber Strategy to defend the nation’s interests and critical infrastructure against malicious cyber actors. They would also participate in the preparation for cybersecurity summits and other international meetings in which cybersecurity is a focus.”
A similar role that did not require confirmation, the White House cybersecurity coordinator, was created during the Obama administration but nixed under President Trump in 2018.
The Cyberspace Solarium Commissioner has since released a congressionally mandated report that recommended restructuring the executive brand so that “clear responsibilities and authorities over cyberspace can be established while it is empowered to proactively develop, implement and execute its strategy for cyberspace.”
Among the lawmakers sponsoring the bill are Rep. Jim Langevin, a Rhode Island Democrat who serves as commissioner of the Cyberspace Solarium, and Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican who acts as the Solarium’s co-chair.
“Only within the White House can we cohesively develop and implement a truly whole-of-nation cyber strategy that is commensurate with the threats we face,” Mr. Langevin said. “By establishing a National Cyber Director with the policy and budgetary authority to reach across government, we can better address cybersecurity vulnerabilities and gaps holistically and prevent catastrophic cyber incidents.”
“We need this strategic leadership yesterday, and I hope my colleagues realize we no longer have time to waste in strengthening our cyber resiliency,” Mr. Gallagher added.
Others sponsoring the bill include Reps. Carolyn Maloney, New York Democrat; John Katko, New York Republican; C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Maryland Democrat; and Will Hurd, Texas Republican.
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