November 4, 2022

Expanding Our Cyber Workforce

Dear Friends,  

As you know, my time in Congress is winding down, but I’m still hard at work. Just this week, I re-introduced a bill to address an issue that is critical to our economic and national security – our cybersecurity workforce.

I partnered with my Republican friend and fellow co-chair of the Congressional Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, to introduce the Cybersecurity Skills Integration Act. This bipartisan legislation would create a $10 million pilot program to award federal grants to support CTE programs that are working to integrate cybersecurity into their curriculum.

As you have seen in the news, cyberattacks are happening more frequently than ever before. Unfortunately, our critical infrastructure, such as our telecommunications, banking, and healthcare industries, are prime targets for hackers who wish us harm. We must protect these critical industries which is why my bill aims to equip the employees who work in these fields with the basic cybersecurity knowledge they need to defend against cyberthreats.

Protecting our critical infrastructure from malicious hackers is a top national security priority, but we need all hands on deck to make it possible. Now is the time to double down on our investments in CTE and cybersecurity education, so that we can meet the challenges of the 21st century. 

Since I arrived in Congress, I have dedicated my career to bringing attention to cybersecurity issues in both the public and private sectors. Until my last day in office, I will be fighting for the resources we need to prepare our workforce for the cybersecurity challenges of tomorrow.   

To keep up with my work in Washington and in our district, please visit my website and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Sincerely,

Restoring the Pell Bridge This month, I joined my congressional delegation colleagues to celebrate a new, $82.5 million federal investment in a true Rhode Island treasure – the Pell Bridge. As the longest suspension bridge in New England, the Pell Bridge is one of Rhode Island's most iconic landmarks. But it’s also an integral piece of our infrastructure, upon which tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders depend each and every day. I’m so proud to deliver this federal funding, so that the Pell Bridge will continue standing tall across the Narragansett Bay for generations to come.

Investing in Public Health  Working alongside my delegation colleagues, I was thrilled to deliver more than $81 million in CDC grant funding to expand Rhode Island’s public health infrastructure. Rhode Islanders are counting on us to have the state-of-the-art technology at the ready if -- and when -- the next pandemic emerges. And it’s so important to have the capacity to deliver fast and reliable medical results to patients all across our state.  By building a new State health lab, we can be prepared for the next public health emergency, turbocharge Rhode Island’s fast-growing life science industry, and create good-paying jobs.