Sen. Angus King and Rep. Mike Gallagher are worried President Biden’s failure to fill the vacancy of a top cyber position will diminish the government’s ability to secure the country’s digital assets.
Maine’s independent senator and the Wisconsin Republican wrote to Mr. Biden urging him to fill the National Cyber Director position that John C. Inglis left in February.
The lawmakers said Mr. Biden should formally nominate Kemba Walden, the acting director, to officially take the job so that the federal government can fully implement its new cybersecurity strategy.
“We are extremely concerned that the three-month delay (and counting) in nominating a candidate to replace Chris will hinder the implementation of the strategy and lead to a lessening of the stature of the office,” Mr. King and Mr. Gallagher wrote in the May letter.
Mr. King, who caucuses with Democrats, and his Republican colleague Mr. Gallagher recommended Ms. Walden for the position and said they know she would seamlessly transition into the permanent position.
“Ms. Walden’s prior experiences in government and industry give her unique insight into protecting critical infrastructure and fostering public-private collaboration, key pillars of the National Cybersecurity Strategy,” the lawmakers wrote. “We both routinely talk with private sector leaders and they also find Kemba to be a superb choice for NCD.”
The two lawmakers previously served atop the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, a group created by a 2018 defense bill to overhaul American cyber policy.
Mr. Inglis exited the director’s position earlier this year amid reported disagreements between the former director and a leading cyber White House official.
The federal government’s cybersecurity strategy unveiled in March spelled out more regulation for businesses and blamed a lack of mandatory requirements for leading to digital damage that spurred physical damage to American infrastructure, including things such as gas pipelines.
Mr. Inglis clashed with White House official Anne Neuberger over federal agencies’ regulatory authority for cybersecurity before his departure, according to Slate.
Ms. Neuberger occupies one of the top cyber posts in the Biden administration — the White House deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology. Several others are competing for a say over the Biden administration’s cyber policy plans, including Jen Easterly, who leads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The Office of the National Cyber Director declined to comment on Monday regarding Mr. King and Mr. Gallagher’s letter.
Source:Washington Times
