Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for bringing up my bipartisan bill, and I especially want to thank the chairman of our committee, Mr. Royce of California, for his action and moving on our bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I believe cybersecurity is the national security challenge of our time. Cyber warfare is inexpensive to carry out and easy for adversaries to hide behind, making it especially damaging, difficult to detect, and impossible for the victim to quickly respond.

In January, the CIA attributed to Russian military hackers a cyber attack that crippled computers in Ukraine last year. This attack wiped data from the computers of banks, energy firms, senior government officials, and an airport. The virus went on to affect computer systems in Denmark, India, and even here in the United States.

For years, Putin has been using Ukraine as a field test for these cyber attacks. Ukraine, after all, is on the front line for these nation self-directed cyber attacks, and they are potential harbingers of attacks on the United States.

By assisting Ukraine, we can learn best practices to best defend ourselves. For these reasons, I introduced H.R. 1997 with my Republican colleague from Pennsylvania, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, which encourages cooperation between the United States and our ally Ukraine on matters of cybersecurity and requires a report from the State Department on best practices to protect ourselves--to the benefit of both nations.

In Ukraine, it is no coincidence that cyber attacks against itself increased when the Ukrainian people self-organized to demand an open and democratic society in 2014 contrary to Putin's interests.

Days before the 2014 Presidential election, hackers infiltrated Ukraine's Central Election Commission with a series of attacks that disabled the website in an attempt to sow distrust in the outcome of the election of President Poroshenko.

In December of 2015, hackers remotely shut down power at three regional electricity distribution companies, creating a power outage affecting more than 200,000 people. We can only imagine what it must feel like to lose electricity and heat during the winter in Ukraine.

Cyber attacks, unfortunately, have only continued since. Ukraine's next Presidential election is just next year. Our own elections are right around the corner later this year, and, of course, the Presidential election is in 2020.

Both the United States and Ukraine have clear interests in strengthening our cyber defenses. Moreover, our cooperation toward this goal will send a strong and important signal of Western support for Ukraine at a time when it is literally fighting to protect its own democracy.

We must stand strong with the people of Ukraine and our NATO allies and come together in furtherance of our cybersecurity defenses. This bill is a reasonable first step to do just that, and it is obviously very timely.

I thank Chairman Royce again, as well as Ranking Member Engel for their hard work and support for this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. It is time we address this vital issue.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), who is someone who grew up a strong Philadelphia sports fan.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Let me say one thing that strikes me and saddens me. When I hold townhalls or meetings with constituent groups, usually some variation of this comment will be made: Why don't you guys get along? Why don't you do something?

Actually, I then tell them about our work on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I tell them that, under the leadership of Ed Royce and Eliot Engel as well as the other members of the committee from both sides of the aisle, a lot of work does get done and a real spirit of cooperation prevails in our committee meetings. I think that this piece of legislation is an example of that.

This is an important issue. We are standing up for Ukraine, but as I mentioned earlier, we are also doing what is clearly in the best interests of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, at the risk of sounding immodest, I urge passage of my legislation, legislation that I have worked on very hard with Brian Fitzpatrick.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1997) to encourage United States-Ukraine cybersecurity cooperation and require a report regarding such cooperation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks, and to include any extraneous material in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we are here to talk about Ukraine and the U.S.-Ukraine cyber cooperation. Ukraine, of course, is on the front lines of digital combat as we have learned. Few countries have endured as great a level of cyber invasion and aggression as has Ukraine at the hands of Russia and at the hands of other malicious actors as well.

I led a delegation of four Democrats and four Republicans into the east, into Dnipropetrovsk in the Donbass region, and we had an opportunity to hear about what is being done to try to tear that country apart.

This is in addition to the invasion in the east, the occupation of the east. This is the farthest east one can go in Ukraine today, and you can see the struggle that everyday people are having with the disinformation campaign launched against them relentlessly. As President Poroshenko said, ``Cyberspace has turned into another battlefield for state independence,'' and that is so true for Ukraine.

Their struggle to defend their independence and their territorial integrity from Russian aggression extends far beyond the armed conflict of the occupation of its territory. In 2014, hackers targeted Ukraine's electoral infrastructure just days before its presidential election. The following year, a malicious cyber intrusion shut down the country's electric grid, turning off the lights and turning off the heat in the dead of winter.

Ukraine's critical infrastructure, including its national railway system, its major stock exchanges, and its busiest airport, have been repeatedly targeted by sophisticated cyber attacks.

Most of these continuing assaults have been identified by experts as Russian in origin. By working with the government in Kiev, we can better prepare ourselves as well as our friends in partner countries against similar aggression, including combating Russian disinformation efforts that rely heavily on disseminating propaganda. That propaganda poses as legitimate news.

So this bill will enhance our cooperation with Ukraine in addressing shared cyber challenges, including cybercrime and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Modern society requires an internet worldwide that is open, that is reliable, that is secure, which can only be ensured if all those who seek to preserve it join forces to defeat those who wish to destroy it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), who is an esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. And besides Brendan Boyle here, he is another big Philly Eagles fan.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to also recognize and thank my colleagues, especially Mr. Boyle and Mr. Fitzpatrick, one Democratic and one Republican, both from Philadelphia, the sponsors of this bipartisan legislation. I want to thank Mr. Boyle for his work on this important bill because I think the threat to Ukraine and cyberspace is not isolated. It shouldn't be ignored. I think that when we talk to the researchers, they have warned that the attacks on Ukraine by state and by nonstate actors might be a test run for even larger additional attacks in the future on the United States and on our NATO allies.

While we must bolster our own capabilities, we should also cooperate with our friends and partners such as Ukraine because we have got to be sharing best practices; we have got to improve joint capabilities; and we have got to provide that mutual assistance to prevent, mitigate, and respond to those international cyber attacks.

This legislation is going to enhance that effort. And in so doing, it is going to strengthen our ability to protect our own country from those who seek to do us harm.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the bipartisan Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation Act of 2017. Let me first thank the hard work of Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, fellow Ukraine Caucus chair and Representative Brendan Boyle, as well as Chairman Ed Royce and the Ranking Member Eliot Engel for their support.

As we know all too well, Russian aggression towards Ukraine is not a new threat. Russia's hostile behavior continues to threaten Ukraine's freedom and destabilize its critical infrastructure and institutions. Since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, over 10,000 people have been killed and two million people have been uprooted, internally displaced. Ukraine finds herself on the front lines of hybrid war and an assault on her sovereignty--this time in the form of cyber warfare.

We as Americans have also been attacked by this insidious form of hybrid warfare. It is our duty to help other nations resist threat to liberty. To this day, the fallout of Russian interference in our sacred electoral process continues to plague our political landscape. At least 21 states, including Ohio, reported Russian hacking attempts in the 2016 election. Experts in the intelligence and defense communities have all warned that this threat is not going away. In fact, cybersecurity threats tested in Ukraine will likely be turned on the U.S. in elections this year.

By supporting this bill, we provide Ukraine with critical upgraded safeguards she needs to protect herself, her institutions, and her liberty. Upgrading Ukraine's current technological infrastructure grants her freedom from Russian technology. It gives her the ability to share sensitive information on an international level. And, we will strengthen our own cybersecurity through lessons learned from increased cooperation with Ukraine.

Ukraine and her people have every right to sovereignty and self- determination as they seek a more democratic future. It is paramount that the United States uphold our longstanding commitments to our allies, as hybrid threats loom. This measure will provide the citizens of Ukraine with the support they need to defend themselves. That's why I strongly support this measure, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1997, the ``Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation Act,'' legislation that will lead to greater cooperation between the United States and Ukraine on matters of cybersecurity and require State Department reporting to Congress on best practices to protect against future cyber-attacks.

In recent years, Ukraine has been the target of an increasing number of cyber-attacks that have infiltrated state institutions and critical infrastructure to the effect of undermining its democracy.

It is past time we step up to work with our ally Ukraine in furtherance of our mutual interest in cyber security, the modern battlefield.

Ukraine is a frontline for nation state-directed cyber-attacks, which are potential harbingers of attacks on the United States.

Helping Ukraine strengthen its cyber defenses will not only protect Ukraine from future attacks, but it will also help the United States develop new and more effective technologies and strategies.

As a former member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am pleased to stand in support of the effort to advance the strategic interests of both the United States and Ukraine on a bipartisan basis.

Cybersecurity is a complex and serious national and economic security issue for any nation.

For years, Ukraine has been under siege from nation-state cyber- attacks that have sought to weaken its government and undermine hopes for an open and democratic society.

The United States must play an important role in this fight.

By not adequately responding and adapting to these cyber-threats in Eastern Europe, our nation is both letting down an ally as well as failing to take proactive steps to protect itself.

Standing strong with our trusted allies in the cause of freedom is liberty's best defense.

I am proud lo work with my colleague, Congressman Boyle, in encouraging cooperation between the United States and Ukraine on this front, and look forward to continuing to work with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee to keep our focus on this 21st century battle.

I urge all Members to support H.R. 1997, the ``Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation Act.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1997--the Ukraine Cybersecurity Cooperation Act--offered by our Foreign Affairs Committee colleague from Pennsylvania, Brenden Boyle.

This bill focuses on how the U.S. and Ukraine can work together to address cyber threats and how the U.S. can help improve Ukraine's domestic cybersecurity capabilities.

But it also serves as a reminder to this body, and especially to this administration, that we need to work to improve our own cybersecurity defenses and we need to hold those who target us accountable.

Mr. Speaker, the events in Ukraine that spurred the necessity for Mr. Boyle's bill were a harbinger of things to come for the United States.

Ahead of the 2014 Presidential elections in Ukraine, Russian or pro- Russian elements hacked into Ukraine's Central Election Commission in a series of attacks in an attempt to undermine the results and stir up unrest throughout the country.

Then in December 2015, Putin-backed hackers attacked Ukraine's infrastructure, compromising three energy distribution companies, leaving nearly a quarter of a million people without electricity for several hours.

Imagine being without electricity during this period, when the daily average high temperature in Ukraine in December is below freezing.

Those were not the last of the attacks against Ukraine orchestrated by Putin.

But they were, perhaps, practice runs for what Putin had planned for the U.S. and others.

Because true to form, Putin then targeted the U.S. electoral system in 2016 the same way he targeted Ukraine's in 2014.

This is not in dispute--yet for whatever reason, we were ill prepared to prevent it, and the administration has been deficient in our response to hold this meddling accountable.

So while I fully support this measure and I urge my colleagues to do the same, I also urge my colleagues and the administration to take action against the totality of Russia's illicit activity aimed at us and our like-minded allies.