House GOP lawmaker pushes Biden to establish a cyber response plan

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Exclusive GOP Rep pushes Biden for cyberattack action plan

, author of Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) on the House steps at the Capitol in July 2021. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images A top GOP congressional cyber leader is pushing the Biden administration to establish an economic continuity plan in the event of a massive cyberattack, in a new letter shared exclusively with Axios. Why it matters: The letter gives a sneak peek at what will be top of mind for House GOP cyber leaders if their party takes control of the House after the upcoming elections. Driving the news: Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) demanding he follow through on a requirement in the 2021 national defense policy bill to establish a "Continuity of the Economy" plan in the event of a cyberattack that causes "severe degradation to economic activity." The fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act required the president to submit a plan by Jan. 1, 2023. Catch up quick: In the spring, the White House tasked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) with drafting the plan, according to Garbarino and Gallagher's letter. What they're saying: "As we approach the deadline for the submission of the COTE plan on Jan. 1, 2023, I am concerned that there appears to be limited action taken by CISA to develop or implement this plan," the lawmakers wrote. "The execution of this law requires a whole-of-government effort led by the commander-in-chief," the letter continues. "It is unfortunate that by waiting more than a year to task CISA with completing the plan, you have ultimately set them up to fail to meet the deadline set by Congress." The big picture: House GOP lawmakers are expected to be more critical of the Biden administration's cybersecurity efforts if the GOP wins control of the lower chamber next week. Republican lawmakers will press harder for the administration to share metrics of success to defend future cyber budget requests, for example, one cyber lobbyist told Axios. Yes, but: Cybersecurity remains one of the few bipartisan issues left on Capitol Hill. Several bills during the current congressional session passed with bipartisan support or had bipartisan co-sponsors. Sign up for Axios’ cybersecurity newsletter Codebook .

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