Vice Ranking Members Call for a Bipartisan & Bicameral Investigation into Data Breaches
Washington, D.C.—Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Vice Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, led a letter, signed by nine Vice-Ranking members, to Congressional leadership calling for a bipartisan bicameral investigation into data breaches. Their call comes on the heels of the Equifax and Yahoo data breaches that have compromised billions of people's information globally. This is the first time Vice Ranking Members have united to address an issue.
In the letter Members write:
The enormity of this situation demands a thorough and comprehensive review. As Vice Ranking Members and Members of Congress, it is our duty to ensure this matter is investigated and the American people receive the answers they deserve. We ask that a Congressional probe be convened to conduct an exhaustive investigation into the cause and impact of this event.
Even more alarming, the Equifax data breach seems to be another successful attack in a long line of data breaches. Over the past decade, America's data infrastructure has been under constant onslaught and hackers have successfully pilfered our sensitive information, anything from medical records, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, to security clearances. The depth of the damage done to our economy, security and economic security by massive data breaches are not truly understood by the American public, private industry, or the government.
The full text of the letter is attached here.
"Right now Committees in both the House and Senate are holding their own, separate hearings regarding the Equifax breach. These are a good first step, but we need more. Data breach is an ever growing threat that has hit both the public and private sectors. Millions of people have been harmed and millions of dollars have been wasted on fixing breaches," said Congresswoman Adams.
"The Equifax breach, and now Yahoo, has made it clear that it's time for Congress to come together and put forth safeguards and accountability measures that protect the American people. Data breaches are a major liability for the people we serve and for our economy. That is why Democratic Vice Ranking Members have come together for the first time; we firmly believe that the American people deserve a bicameral bipartisan investigation into the matter."
The letter was signed by Reps. Gerry Connolly, Vice Ranking Member of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; Pramila Jayapal, Vice Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee; Jamie Raskin, Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee; Don Beyer, Vice Ranking Member of the House Science Committee; Kathy Castor, Vice Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee; Jared Huffman, Vice Ranking Member of Natural Resources Committee; Mark Takano, Vice Ranking Member of Veterans Affairs Committee; Jared Polis, Vice Ranking Member of Rules Committee; and Bonnie Watson Coleman, Vice Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security.