Blog

I hope you were able to tune in to my interview with Brian Thomas this morning on 55KRC. During our discussion we talked about CISPA, Obamacare, and Benghazi, and I referenced a number of bills I have cosponsored or articles in the news. Below is a full rundown so you can read them for yourself. I encourage you to listen to the full podcast here. 

As I discussed with Brian, my job is to listen, represent, and serve you, the constituents of southern Ohio. I seek to be transparent in every vote I take, and you can always contact me by email on the issues facing our country.  To continue to stay up to date on everything I’m doing, I strongly encourage you to sign up for my E-newsletter.

We talked about how CISPA is a 100% voluntary program and does not include any new government authorities. At the bottom of this page are a few articles outlining the real threats facing our nation through cyber attacks on companies and infrastructure. These attacks are on the rise – over the last six years, according to one report, there has been a 680% increase in the number of reported cyber-based threats – and consumer data is currently at great risk.  We must provide companies the tools they need to protect their networks and consumer information.  I encourage you to read the full bill here, and browse through Redstate’s great “Myth v. Fact” article here. Further, I invite anyone with other solutions to the cyber threats we face to email my office - I am hear to listen to you.

Obamacare also came up. The fact that one of the bill’s biggest supporters has now called implementing it a “train wreck” confirms why I and so many conservatives strongly opposed the bill when it was considered, and why full repeal remains one of my top priorities.  I have always supported fully repealing the bill and replacing it with market-based, patient-centered solutions that keep government out of the doctor’s office. That’s why I have cosponsored H.R. 45, which you can read here.

Last, we touched on the need to fully investigate the terror attack on our Benghazi consulate 8 months ago. It is an outrage that we still don’t have all the answers and have not brought the perpetrators to justice. This is why I have cosponsored H.Res. 36 (read it here), to form a select committee in the House to investigate the attack, fully independent of the Obama administration.

 

50 million customers hit in LivingSocial hack (CNN, 4/26/13)

“The daily deals site recently suffered a cyberattack on some of its servers, and customer data for more than 50 million users may have been accessed, the company said late Friday. Credit card data was not affected.”

 

Chinese Army Unit Is Seen as Tied to Hacking Against U.S. (NYT, 2/18/13)

“[A sophisticated Chinese hacking group] has drained terabytes of data from companies like Coca-Cola, increasingly its focus is on companies involved in the critical infrastructure of the United States — its electrical power grid, gas lines and waterworks. According to the security researchers, one target was a company with remote access to more than 60 percent of oil and gas pipelines in North America. The unit was also among those that attacked the computer security firm RSA, whose computer codes protect confidential corporate and government databases.”

 

Bank Hacking Was the Work of Iranians, Officials Say (NYT, 1/8/13)

“Since September, intruders have caused major disruptions to the online banking sites of Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp, PNC, Capital One, Fifth Third Bank, BB&T and HSBC. They employed DDoS attacks, or distributed denial of service attacks, named because hackers deny customers service by directing large volumes of traffic to a site until it collapses. No bank accounts were breached and no customers’ money was taken.”

 

Chinese Hackers Hit U.S. Media (WSJ, 1/31/13)

“Chinese hackers believed to have government links have been conducting wide-ranging electronic surveillance of media companies including The Wall Street Journal, apparently to spy on reporters covering China and other issues, people familiar with the incidents said. Chinese hackers for years have targeted major U.S. media companies with hacking that has penetrated inside newsgathering systems, several people familiar with the response to the cyberattacks said. Tapping reporters' computers could allow Beijing to identify sources on articles and information about pending stories. Chinese authorities in the past have penalized Chinese nationals who have passed information to foreign reporters.”