DOJ Prioritizing Cybersecurity, Lynch Tells Senate Appropriators
Attorney General Loretta Lynch named cybersecurity one of the four critical national security issues warranting “$107 million in program increases” in the Justice Department’s FY 2016 budget request. “The FY 2016 Budget Request also includes $775 million in total for…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
cyber-related activities that address cybercrimes and defend the security of critical information networks,” Lynch told the Senate Appropriations Commerce Subcommittee Thursday in her written testimony. “This request includes increases of $27 million for key program enhancements to the FBI, NSD [National Security Division], U.S. Attorneys, and the Criminal Division. The FBI will continue improving its cyber collection and analysis, while extending its centralized cyber capabilities to the field through its Next Generation Cyber initiative,” she said, citing a need for more attorneys specializing in cybercrime. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., chair of the Appropriations subcommittee that held the hearing, cast doubt on DOJ’s funding request. “The President’s 2016 budget request for the Department of Justice totals $29 billion, which is $2 billion above the 2015 enacted level,” Shelby said in his opening statement. “While funding for the Department of Justice is one of the federal government’s highest priorities, we simply cannot afford such an increase in spending while operating under our current budget constraints.” Senate Republicans have committed to putting together 12 appropriations bills rather than resorting to funding the government by continuing resolution. “I expect the Senate Appropriations Committee to write 12 appropriations bills that conform to the spending guidelines in this resolution,” Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., said in a statement earlier this week. “This will be a challenge, but one that we fully intend to meet by producing responsible, thoughtful bills to meet our commitments to our national security and the American people.” FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Ajit Pai will testify before the Financial Services Subcommittee Tuesday (see 1505050040).