House Democrats on Thursday released a letter urging President Trump to reinstate the role of White House cybersecurity coordinator, a top policy adviser position eliminated by his administration earlier this week.
Led by Rep. Debbie Dingell, Michigan Democrat, eight lawmakers signed the letter after the Trump administration announced Tuesday it would stop staffing the cybersecurity coordinator position following the departure last week of outgoing cyber czar Rob Joyce.
“We urge you to strongly reconsider this decision,” the Democrats wrote. “America needs to send a strong message to allies and adversaries alike that we are committed to leading and solving complex cybersecurity issues.
“The risks individuals and countries face in cyberspace are only increasing, and we must build on our capacity to combat those risks — not take needless steps backwards,” they wrote.
The White House did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Created in early 2009, the coordinator position was established to harmonize cybersecurity policies across the federal government, acting as a conduit for “interagency development of cybersecurity-related strategy and policy,” according to the Obama administration.
Mr. Joyce served as Trump administration’s cybersecurity coordinator from March 2017 through Friday, when he left to resume his old job at the National Security Agency and left a permanent vacancy at the White House in his place.
“The role of cyber coordinator will end,” Christine Samuelian, an aide to John Bolton, Mr. Trump’s new national security adviser, wrote Tuesday to National Security Council employees, Politico first reported.
NSC spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement afterward that eliminating the position “will improve efficiency, reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability.”
House Democrats aren’t as optimistic, however, and caution in their letter that the White House needs a cybersecurity coordinator now more than ever.
“With increased tensions with China, Russia and now Iran, the need to bolster and form a cohesive strategy for dealing with threats new and old is of vital importance,” the Democrats wrote. “Nations will continue to brazenly defy international norms in cyberspace. Whether it is attacks on our financial sector energy sector, industry or even political campaigns we cannot let these go unanswered and leave ourselves open for future attack.
“When inevitable questions on how to implement new policies arise, there should be someone in the White House to answer them,” they wrote.
The lawmakers’ letter, dated Wednesday, was sent in the wake of Democratic Reps. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island and Ted Lieu of California introducing legislation Tuesday evening intended to reinstate the cybersecurity coordinator position.
“As a computer science major and Air Force veteran, I can tell you that eliminating the White House cybersecurity coordinator will endanger our economy, critical infrastructure, and possibly American lives,” Mr. Lieu said in a statement.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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