Washington D.C. – Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee Ranking Member James R. Langevin made the following statement at today’s Emerging Threats and Capabilities subcommittee markup:

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all the members of the subcommittee for your efforts in crafting this important piece of legislation.  This has been a truly bipartisan effort.  I would particularly like to thank the subcommittee staff for their tireless work to make sure that this subcommittee runs smoothly and, above all, serves the needs of our nation and our men and women in uniform.

“This subcommittee has oversight of some of our nation’s most sought-after critical assets—high demand, low density assets like the men and women of Special Operations Command; our counter-terror and counter-proliferation efforts; the information technology programs that enable our warfighter networks and cyber operations; and the research and development efforts that maintain our technological superiority.  This mark affirms our commitment to supporting these assets and the dedicated people behind them.

“I am pleased that the mark fully supports the fiscal year 2013 request for Science and Technology Policies and Programs, particularly in areas supporting innovative technology capabilities, accelerated development of new technologies, and enhancing the S&T workforce.  These issues are mission critical to our national security and workforce development that will lead to 21st Century job creation.

“Additionally, it is important to note that this mark continues to prioritize and support the Department’s cybersecurity efforts.  Cyber has long been a chief focus of mine, and I have watched it grow exponentially in importance to our nation and our military.  This week’s “Cyber Week” in the House is a testament to how significant the issues surrounding cybersecurity and the Internet have become, and we must continue to define and refine the Department’s approach to cyber.  I am pleased that this mark addresses these critical issues and look forward to working with the Chairman and members of the Subcommittee to ensure we are doing all we can to keep our networks secure.

Thank you, again, Mr. Chairman.”

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