McCain says White House blocked cyber czar from testifying

Source: The Hill




BY MORGAN CHALFANT - 10/19/17 10:02 AM EDT

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Thursday said the White House had blocked its cyber czar from testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on U.S. efforts to defend the nation against cyberattacks.

Rob Joyce, a member of the National Security Council, was invited to testify before the full committee Thursday morning. However, McCain, the panel chairman, said in his opening remarks that the White House had declined to have him testify, citing executive privilege and “precedent against having non-confirmed NSC staff testifying before Congress.”

While such a move has been consistent with past practices by both Republican and Democratic administrations, McCain asserted that the issue of cybersecurity “requires us to completely rethink our old ways of doing business.”

“I would also like to note at the outset the empty chair at the witness table,” McCain said during opening remarks. “Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the White House declined to have its cyber coordinator testify.” He said Joyce’s absence underscored the “fundamental misalignment between authority and accountability in our government today when it comes to cyber.”

Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/356189-mccain-says-white-house-blocked-cyber-czar-from-testifying