July 24, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 125 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S5054-S5055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 890

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues, Senator Blumenthal 
and Senator Warner, who have spoken strongly on the issue at hand, 
which is to protect our great country and our extraordinary 200-year 
experiment in self-governance. To do it, we have to add a new tier--a 
strong protection--for the sanctity of our elections.
  I thank Senator Blumenthal. He is a member of the Committee on the 
Judiciary, where he is doing important work on these issues. I thank 
our colleague, Senator Warner, of course, who is the vice chairman of 
the Intelligence Committee, on which I serve. I also thank my colleague 
who is still on the floor, Senator Blumenthal, for all of his 
leadership. I look forward to partnering with him and with Senator 
Warner in the days ahead.
  In a moment, I will ask for unanimous consent to adopt a bipartisan 
bill that I have proposed with Senator Cotton. It is S. 890, the Senate 
Cybersecurity Protection Act. Before I ask, however, for that unanimous 
consent request, I will give some brief background as to why Senator 
Cotton and I are working on this issue and putting all of this time 
into this effort.
  In the 2016 election, obviously, the Russians inflicted damage on our 
democracy by hacking the personal accounts of political parties and 
individuals and then by dumping emails and documents online. This 
tactic generated massive amounts of media coverage that was based on 
those stolen documents. It is clear, in my view, that the Russians and 
other hostile foreign actors are going to continue to target the 
personal devices and accounts, which are often less secure than 
official government devices. You don't have to take my word for it. Top 
national security officials in the Trump administration have said 
virtually the same thing.
  Last year, the Director of National Intelligence--our former 
colleague, Senator Coats--told the Senate Intelligence Committee: ``The 
personal accounts and devices of government officials can contain 
information that is useful for our adversaries to target, either 
directly or indirectly, these officials and the organizations with 
which they are affiliated.''
  Likewise, in a letter to me last year, the then-Director of the 
National Security Agency,   Mike Rogers, said that the personal devices 
and accounts belonging to senior U.S. government officials ``remain 
prime targets for exploitation.''
  These foreign intelligence threats are not just aimed at the 
executive branch. Last year, a bipartisan Senate working group examined 
cybersecurity threats against Senators. In its November 2018 report, 
the working group revealed there was ``mounting evidence that Senators 
are being targeted for hacking, which could include exposure of 
personal data.'' Likewise, Google has now publicly confirmed that it 
has quietly warned specific Senators and Senate staff that their 
personal email accounts were targeted by state-sponsored hackers.
  Unfortunately, the Sergeant at Arms--the office that is tasked with 
protecting the Senate's cybersecurity--is currently barred from using 
its resources to protect the personal devices

[[Page S5055]]

and accounts of Senators and their staff, even if Senators and their 
staff are being targeted by foreign spies and hackers.
  That is why, on a bipartisan basis, I and Senator Cotton, who also 
serves on the Intelligence Committee with me and with Senator Warner, 
who spoke earlier, introduced legislation to permit the Sergeant at 
Arms to provide 100-percent voluntary cybersecurity assistance to 
Senators and their staff. Our bill is modeled after a provision in the 
recently passed Senate Intelligence Authorization bill, which permits 
the Director of National Intelligence to provide voluntary cyber help 
to protect the personal devices and accounts of intelligence community 
employees.
  Fighting back against foreign interference means securing every 
aspect of our democracy, including the personal accounts and devices of 
elected officials. I feel strongly that the majority leader, our 
colleague from Kentucky, must stop blocking this commonsense 
legislation and allow this body to better defend itself against foreign 
hackers.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules 
and Administration be discharged from further consideration of S. 890, 
the Senate Cybersecurity Protection Act; that the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration; that the bill be read a third time and passed; 
and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the 
table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?
  Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. An objection is heard.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I note again there has been an objection.
  I would only state that I don't see how anyone could consider what I 
have proposed to be a partisan issue. I and our colleague from 
Arkansas, Senator Cotton--a military veteran--have joined in an effort, 
which I would just say to the Senators who are on the floor, is going 
to be one of the great threats of our time.
  We know that hostile foreign actors are going to target the personal 
accounts and devices of government officials. Russia clearly 
demonstrated the opportunities for meddling in the last election. Now, 
we know that those opportunities are going to grow exponentially in the 
days and months ahead. So I only want to pass on that I think this is 
regrettable, and there has been an objection, and I just hope we will 
be able to pass this bill before more people are hacked and their 
stolen data is exploited by hostile foreign actors.

  I yield the floor.

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