Republicans Announce New Congressional Cyber Subcommittee Leadership

The House Homeland Security Committee announced a new leadership slate for the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation Subcommittee on Friday, with Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) now serving as its chairman.

The New York Republican replaces his Democratic predecessor from the same state, Rep. Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.), following the 2022 midterm elections and the GOP's newly-minted House majority. Garbarino said in a statement that he was “thrilled and honored” to be named chairman of the committee and cited cyberattacks as a preeminent threat to every sector of the economy. 

“Our foreign adversaries have grown more advanced making cybersecurity the next arena in which we must build out our national defenses,” the congressman said. He added that was looking forward to working with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency “and fostering a strong partnership and open dialog between the public and private sectors in order to face rising threats and strengthen our national cybersecurity posture.”

Garbarino has led multiple congressional cybersecurity efforts, from introducing legislation last year aimed at providing federal grants for state cybersecurity curricula to urging the White House to develop a “continuity of the economy” plan in the event of a major cybersecurity attack. He previously served as the top Republican on the subcommittee. 

Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) was also appointed to serve as the vice chair of the subcommittee, while Reps. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) were also named to the subcommittee.