Rep. Lauren Underwood Takes Over as Chair of House Cybersecurity Panel

According to thehill.comRep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) will take over as chair of the House Homeland Security Committee‘s subcommittee on cybersecurity, infrastructure protection and innovation. 

Underwood, who serves as vice chair of the full Homeland Security panel, will take over the subcommittee chair position from Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.). Richmond in turn is taking a position on the House Ways and Means Committee, to fill the seat previously held by the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

To quote from The Hill:

The cybersecurity subpanel has in the past addressed issues around election security, state and local cybersecurity needs, bolstering the cybersecurity workforce and oversight of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Science and Technology Directorate.

Underwood said in a statement Friday that she was “honored to step into this leadership role to secure our cyber and physical infrastructure in a way that reflects American values.”

“Our nation faces homeland security threats that endanger not only the lives of Americans, but the foundation of the democracy we hold dear,” Underwood said. “As Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation, I look forward to advancing legislation that makes us safer—whether that means securing our elections against foreign interference and cyberattacks, or protecting our schools and houses of worship from targeted violence—and conducting oversight of the Administration to ensure the job gets done.”

She emphasized that “with the 2020 election currently underway across Illinois and the country, this committee’s work is more critical than ever before.”

During her time in Congress, Underwood has co-sponsored legislation to bolster state and local cybersecurity, a bill intended to increase media literacy to combat social media disinformation, in addition advocating for multiple bills addressing election security concerns.

Congresswoman Underwood also serves on the House Committee on Education and Labor, the House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs, and the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

To read more: https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/518235-underwood-takes-over-as-chair-of-house-cybersecurity-panel