GALLAGHER OPENING STATEMENT AT HEARING ON CYBERSPACE OPERATIONS AND CONFLICT IN THE 21st CENTURY

Mar 30, 2023

Press Release

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on military operations in cyberspace and building cyber capabilities across the Department of Defense in the 21st century.

Rep. Gallagher's remarks as prepared for delivery:

The subcommittee will come to order. I ask unanimous consent that the chair be authorized to declare recess at any time. Without objection, so ordered. I also ask that our members and witnesses be mindful of our three CITI commandments: (1) We start on time (2) we use language the average American can understand, so please limit the use of acronyms and jargon, and (3) a strict five minute rule will be in effect.

With that, good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here for today's hearing on the Department of Defense's cyberspace activities. We ask a lot from the Department in this space, from securely operating networks and inherently insecure weapons systems to assisting small and large businesses within the Defense Industrial Base. However more important than anything else is how prepared and capable we are to hold our adversaries at risk.

I've repeatedly expressed my concerns about the Department's pace for growing and modernizing the ships, aircraft, and weapons that are required for the potential fight with China. If we accept that we need more time to build the platforms required for a kinetic conflict, it's my genuine belief that our ability to robustly use information and cyber operations should provide us with the opportunity to "buy time to maneuver" for our kinetic forces.

While there have been some signs of progress, such as the first delivery of a budget built through the CYBERCOM Commander's enhanced budgetary authority, there are still wide gaps in where we are today and where we need to be very soon. There are chronic issues, such as force readiness, lack of sufficient intelligence support to cyberspace operations, and shortcomings in agile acquisition of cyber capabilities that continue to plague the cyber force.

The problems aren't new, and it's actually remarkable how much effort the Congress has expended on pulling and pushing the Department to embrace the promise of cyber operations. Since 2013, the Congress has tried to address force design and readiness through 24 different pieces of legislation. Over that same period, we have tried to address the civilian and military cyber workforce dilemma 45 times, CYBERCOM acquisition matters 12 times, Defense Industrial Base cybersecurity 42 times, and the list goes on. More frustrating is that the country's collective capabilities and readiness are seemingly no better off because of it.

In the words of Albert Einstein, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different outcomes".

I look forward to hearing why I am not insane from our witnesses, Dr. John Plumb, serving as both the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy and the Principal Cyber Advisor, as well as General Paul Nakasone, the seasoned Commander of US Cyber Command.