Don't Worry About the Government
Glen Dean done said:

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Give me a break. Have our elected representatives lost their mega-government minds? Can somebody please tell me why Congress is wasting their time holding hearings about drug use in a private company?...Can these publicity seekers not find another way to get on TV?

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So I done responded:

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All Congresspersons, left or right, are publicity whores. If they can get some screen time decrying something or another, they'll do it.

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And romablog done responded responded:

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I agree that it's a damn joke that congress is wasting their time with this and getting involved in something that they should be nowhere near. Onatrio Emperor's comment though, I have to disagree with. Such a generalized statement about the basis of our democracy is far from helpful. if you're going to make a statement that is _that_ strong, at least back it up. I wonder how you could even prove that to yourself.

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So, let's explore my thesis that all Congresspersons are publicity whores. Let's look at the catalog of House hearings for the 108th Congress and choose the last hearing:

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CYBER SECURITY EDUCATION:
MEETING THE NEEDS OF
TECHNOLOGY WORKERS AND EMPLOYERS

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I'll admit that this is an important topic for someone to explore, although capital L and small l libertarians may question whether the government should be subsidizing private enterprise in this regard. However, I'm sure that our elected representatives remained focused on this issue during the two-hour hearing. Didn't they? They didn't bring up terrorist threats or former baseball players, did they?

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Chairman Boehlert. The hearing will come to order. Let me
explain to our witnesses that both parties had morning
conferences, party conferences, and they were running a little
bit later than expected, so the Committee is more important
than the party, and that is why Mr. Gordon and I are here to
welcome you.

It is a pleasure to welcome everyone here this morning for
a hearing on cyber security, a subject that has consumed the
Committee over the past couple of years. We have focused on
this topic for good reason. Information and communication
systems underpin our government, and they ensure the smooth
functioning of our industries, financial institutions, and
transportation systems. They touch nearly every aspect of our
lives, but they are fragile, vulnerable to intrusions and
attacks.

We continue to focus on new tools to prevent devastating
attacks, and we will undoubtedly revisit the federal investment
in cyber security research and development in the future, the
very near future. But today, we will focus on another cyber
security challenge, the education and training of a cadre of
professionals in computer security and information assurance.

As the cost of security breaches rise and attacks increase
in frequency and sophistication, business and industry are
recognizing the need to invest in technology as well as
training. And education and training programs are springing up
to meet that need. Some of these programs, including those that
will be discussed here today, are particularly innovative. But
the field of cyber security education and training is still
developing. You might say it is in its infancy, and we need to
see that it goes to full maturity. We need to learn how to help
our colleges and universities respond rapidly and intelligently
to a field that continues to evolve. We need to identify ways
to attract and retain skilled faculty, and we need to work with
higher education institutions, businesses, and other
organizations to ensure that education and training courses and
programs translate into employment.

If I might give a parenthetical thought for a minute, I am
a senior Member on the House Committee on Intelligence, and we
are on the eve of the report of the 9/11 Commission. And that
report will emphasize something that we are going to emphasize
here today: the importance of the investment in human capital.

A few years ago, a friend summed up the challenges of cyber
security in this way: ``New technologies and enhanced security
practices are like sun screen: they offer you some protection,
but sooner or later, you are going to get burned.'' By
increasing the quality and quantity of cyber security education
and training programs, a new generation of technicians and
technology professionals can enhance the SPF of our information
and communication systems and create a more secure future. And
that would provide a very sunny outlook, indeed.

Chairman Boehlert. With that, let me recognize the
distinguished gentleman from Tennessee, the Ranking Member, Mr.
Gordon.

[The prepared statement of Chairman Boehlert follows:]

Prepared Statement of Chairman Sherwood Boehlert

It is a pleasure to welcome everyone here this morning for a
hearing on cyber security--a subject that has consumed the Committee
over the past couple of years.

We have focused on this topic for good reason. Information and
communication systems underpin our government and they ensure the
smooth functioning of our industries, financial institutions and
transportation systems. They touch nearly every aspect of our lives,
but they are fragile, vulnerable to intrusions and attacks.

We continue to focus on new tools to prevent devastating attacks--
and we will undoubtedly revisit the federal investment in cyber
security research and development in the future--but today we will
focus on another cyber security challenge: the education and training
of a cadre of professionals in computer security and information
assurance.

As the costs of security breaches rise and attacks increase in
frequency and sophistication, business and industry are recognizing the
need to invest in technology as well as training. And education and
training programs are springing up to meet that need.

Some of these programs, including those represented here today, are
particularly innovative, but the field of cyber security education and
training is still developing. We need to learn how to help our colleges
and universities respond rapidly and intelligently to a field that
continues to evolve. We need to identify ways to attract and retain a
skilled faculty. And we need to work with higher education
institutions, businesses and other organizations to ensure that
education and training courses and programs translate into employment.

A few years ago, a friend summed up the challenges of cyber
security in this way: New technologies and enhanced security practices
are like sun screen. They offer you some protection but, sooner or
later, you are going to get burned. By increasing the quality and
quantity of cyber security education and training programs, a new
generation of technicians and technology professionals can enhance the
SPF of our information and communication systems and create more secure
future.

And that would provide a very sunny outlook indeed.

Mr. Gordon.

Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I am pleased to join you in welcoming our witnesses to this
hearing on efforts to improve education and training of cyber
security professionals. The President's strategy for security
in cyberspace highlighted that a lack of trained personnel and
inadequate certification programs for security professionals is
complicating the task of reducing the vulnerabilities of the
Nation's network information systems. This committee also
recognized the problem and attempted to address it in the Cyber
Security R&D Act, which was enacted during the last Congress.

In addition to new research programs at NSF and NIST, it
authorized educational programs at NSF to improve cyber
security education at undergraduate institutions, including
two-year colleges. These are the education programs that
produce the computer and network specialists who are
responsible for ensuring that cyber systems are operating
safely and reliably.

Today, the Committee will get a progress report on these
NSF programs from those in the field who are carrying them out.
We also hope to gain a better understanding of the overall
state of cyber security education and training. I am interested
in whether the federally-sponsored education and training
programs are focused on industry's requirements, are meeting
the demand that exists for cyber security professionals, and
receiving funding that is adequate to ensure that the programs
are effective and of sufficient size to meet the need.

Again, I want to welcome the witnesses today and look
forward to our discussion.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Gordon follows:]

Prepared Statement of Representative Bart Gordon

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to join you in welcoming our witnesses
to this hearing on efforts to improve the education and training of
cyber security professionals.

The President's Strategy to Secure Cyberspace highlighted that a
lack of trained personnel and inadequate certification programs for
security professionals is complicating the task of reducing the
vulnerabilities of the Nation's networked information systems.

This committee also recognized the problem and attempted to address
it in the Cyber Security R&D Act, which was enacted during the last
Congress.

In addition to new research programs at NSF and NIST, the Act
authorized education programs at NSF to improve cyber security
education at undergraduate institutions, including two-year colleges.
These are the education programs that produce the computer and network
specialists who are responsible for ensuring that cyber systems are
operated safely and reliably.

Today the Committee will get a progress report on these NSF
programs from those in the field who are carrying them out. We also
hope to gain a better understanding of the overall state of cyber
security education and training.

I am interested in whether the federally sponsored education and
training programs are focused on industry's requirements, are meeting
the demand that exists for cyber security professionals, and are
receiving funding that is adequate to ensure the programs are effective
and of sufficient size to meet the need.

Again, I want to welcome our witnesses today, and I look forward to
our discussion.

[The prepared statement of Mr. Smith follows:]

Prepared Statement of Representative Nick Smith

The type of computer systems that banks, universities, government,
the military, and large corporations depend on, are immense and
extremely complex. It saves time and money the more closely connected a
system is internally, and to external systems that it needs to interact
with. Because the usefulness of computer systems depends in large part
on interconnectedness, they are vulnerable to outside ``hackers'' who
can take advantage of the level of openness that the system must
maintain in order to be effective. In addition to the threat of
electronic attacks, we must not lose sight of the physical security of
central servers.

So the need for a highly trained cyber security workforce is
obvious. And in some ways, the work that the Federal Government needs
to do in this area is similar to what we are doing to ensure that we
produce a sufficient number of workers with technical skills and a math
and science background. A few examples of these similarities include
supporting the development of innovative new strategies for exciting
kids about math and science in K-12 schools, providing funding so that
universities and community colleges can take the math and science
talent developed in those K-12 schools and focus it towards specific
areas of focus, and helping post-graduate programs attract and educate
enough talented students to meet growing workforce needs.

But it seems to me that training this workforce gives us a paradox
similar to the one that developers of computer systems face in making
sure that they are open enough to be effective, but not so open that
hackers can take advantage of them. In order to defend a network it is
necessary to know how it works and where its vulnerabilities lie. If we
want to maintain a cyber security workforce large enough to meet
growing need, this information needs to be made widely available. By
facilitating this, we make it easy for someone with sinister intentions
to obtain the training that he or she would need to wreak the kind of
havoc that we are trying to prevent. As we move forward in the area of
cyber security education, this is an issue that must be addressed.

Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much.

And our witnesses today, a very distinguished list of
witnesses, I want to thank you in advance for agreeing to be
facilitators and educators for this committee. We take great
pride in the quality of witnesses that are invited before this
committee, and we also take great pride in the fact that more
often than not we listen. It is easy for the elected officials
like us to sit up here and pontificate and talk a lot, but we
don't learn much when we are talking. We learn an awful lot
when we hear from people like you. And it is a very diverse
panel.

Mr. Chet Hosmer, President and Chief Executive Officer for
WetStone Technologies, Inc. in Cortland, New York. Mr. John
Baker, Director, Technology Programs, Division of Undergraduate
Education, School of Professional Studies in Business and
Education, Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Erich Spengler, and
for the purpose of an introduction, the Chair will recognize
the distinguished Chair of the Subcommittee, Ms. Biggert.

Ms. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity
to introduce Mr. Erich Spengler.

With a Master's degree in Business from Loyola University,
Mr. Spengler is the Director of the NSF Regional Center for the
Advancement of Systems Security and Information Assurance at
Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois.
While the school lies just outside my district, I am here today
because Mr. Spengler is almost a constituent and because
Moraine Valley truly is an educational asset to the entire
Chicago land area, and I think that he is to be congratulated
for all that he has accomplished at Moraine Valley and
certainly has contributed and will contribute this morning to
our discussion of cyber security education. And that is why it
is my privilege to welcome Mr. Spengler to the hearing of the
House Science Committee today.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Chairman Boehlert. Our next witness is Second Lieutenant
David Aparicio. Lieutenant, it is good to see you here. He has
got an exciting story to tell. Lieutenant Aparicio is a
graduate. As a matter of fact, he was the valedictorian of the
Advanced Course in Engineering Cyber Security boot camp, and,
boy, that is an interesting story, Mr. Gordon and my
colleagues, I want you to hear about. And he is joined to his
rear by Dr. Kamal Jabaar who is director of the cyber security
boot camp. Doctor, it is good to have you here with us. And Mr.
Aparicio, I can't resist the temptation. As you probably know,
this weekend the most important event taking place any place in
the world is taking place in my home district of New York.
Cooperstown, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it is the
induction ceremony this weekend. A couple of greats from the
past, Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor, are being inducted.
But one of the popular inductees of many years ago was Louie
Aparicio, and so I just want to say it is good to see another
Aparicio here.

And for the purpose of an introduction, the Chair
recognizes Mr. Gordon.

Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

It is my pleasure to introduce Ms. Sydney Rogers who is
Vice President for Community and Economic Development at
Tennessee State Technological Community College. I also want to
welcome her as a fellow graduate of Middle Tennessee State
University and thank her belatedly for voting for me for
student body president some years back. Ms. Rogers is
responsible for workforce development, student services,
computer services, and grants, and development at Nashville
State Technical Community College. Previously, she served as
interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of
Technologies, and Department Chair and Associate Professor for
Computer Information Systems for 20 years. Of particular
interest for today's hearing, Ms. Rogers is the lead principal
investigator for the Center for Information Technology
Education, a regional center funded by the National Science
Foundation Advanced Technology Education Program. Her work has
focused on the reform of technological education to create a
more adaptable workforce suited for the new century. Ms. Rogers
serves on three NSF national visiting committees and several
local Boards and has 30 years of leadership experience in
technology education and workforce development.

Once again, welcome to our committee.

Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

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THEN they got around to the testimony.

I'll grant that many of the words above were not spoken during the beginning minutes of the hearing, but someone felt it important enough to "revise and extend remarks" and get all that junk into the public record.

Boehlert has been involved in this cyber security stuff for a while, but it's certainly not just to increase his popularity with the voters, is it?

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 5, 2002

SCHUMER, BOEHLERT URGE MORE FUNDING FOR ROME CYBERSCIENCE LAB

On visit to Rome Lab, Schumer examines US efforts to prevent cyber terrorism attacks, stop identity theft and provide technology for responders to cyber crimes

Schumer, Boehlert urge Congress to approve more funding for the Rome lab, which will bolster its role in homeland security efforts

US Senator Charles Schumer toured Rome's CyberScience Laboratory today, examining the lab's facilities, which play a crucial role in US efforts to stop cyber-terrorism, prevent identity theft and provide technological resources to local and state law enforcement agencies that respond to cyber crimes. Schumer was joined by Congressman Sherwood Boehlert; the two called upon Congress to provide even more funding for the lab next year.

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Boy, that's nice of the Senator and Representative to ask for funding of a project in Rome, Italy. Wait, I stand corrected - it turns out that the laboratory is in Rome, New York. And Schumer and Boehlert represent New York. What a coincidence.

And for the record, Schumer is a Democrat and Boehlert a Republican. And, by golly, isn't Cooperstown in New York too?

So, let's look at the classic case of a Congressional committee - was Senator Truman a publicity whore? First, let's look at the work of this committee, which (despite Truman's reluctance) propelled the Missouri Senator into the vice presidency, followed by the presidency:

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Special commissions have long been employed to monitor the massive outlays of public money that inevitably accompany the run up to and the aftermath of a war. The Truman Committee is both the most famous and the most successful; having held hundreds of hearings and conducted exhaustive investigative missions that laid bare the machinations of America's military industrial complex and saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The savings generated are staggering compared to the cost of setting up and running the committee: the Truman Committee was launched with just $15,000, but may have saved in excess of $15 billion.

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Truman undeniably benefited from his committee work:

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No senator ever gained greater political benefits from chairing a special investigating committee than did Missouri's Harry S. Truman.

In 1940, as World War II tightened its grip on Europe, Congress prepared for eventual U.S. involvement by appropriating $10 billion in defense contracts. Early in 1941, stories of widespread contractor mismanagement reached Senator Truman. In typical fashion, he decided to go take a look. During his 10,000-mile tour of military bases, he discovered that contractors were being paid a fixed profit no matter how inefficient their operations proved to be. He also found that a handful of corporations headquartered in the East were receiving a disproportionate share of the contracts.

Convinced that waste and corruption were strangling the nation's efforts to mobilize itself for the war in Europe, Truman conceived the idea for a special Senate Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program. Senior military officials opposed the idea, recalling the Civil War-era problems that the congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War created for President Lincoln. Robert E. Lee had once joked that he considered the joint committee's harassment of Union commanders to be worth at least two Confederate divisions. Truman had no intention of allowing that earlier committee to serve as his model.

Congressional leaders advised President Franklin Roosevelt that it would be better for such an inquiry to be in Truman's sympathetic hands than to let it fall to those who might use it as a way of attacking his administration. They also assured the president that the "Truman Committee" would not be able to cause much trouble with a budget of only $15,000 to investigate billions in defense spending.

By unanimous consent on March 1, 1941, the Senate created what proved to be one of the most productive investigating committees in its entire history.

During the three years of Truman's chairmanship, the committee held hundreds of hearings, traveled thousands of miles to conduct field inspections, and saved millions of dollars in cost overruns. Earning nearly universal respect for his thoroughness and determination, Truman erased his earlier public image as an errand-runner for Kansas City politicos. Along the way, he developed working experience with business, labor, agriculture, and executive branch agencies that would serve him well in later years.

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I don't believe that Truman INTENDED to rehabilitate his tainted reputation by chairing the Committee. And he certainly didn't want to become Vice President:

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The choice of Roosevelt's running mate in 1944 posed a challenge for Democratic Party leaders who distrusted Vice President Henry Wallace and feared that Roosevelt might not survive another term. As a moderate border-state Senator, Truman was a "Missouri Compromise" - a nominee acceptable to both liberal and conservative Democrats. Truman repeatedly said he didn't want the job. Then, at the Democratic National Convention, he heard Roosevelt's voice booming over the telephone: "Well, you can tell the Senator that if he wants to break up the Democratic Party in the middle of the war, that's his responsibility." The call to duty did the trick: Truman agreed to be nominated.

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So, I admit to romablog that I stand corrected. It was inaccurate to say that all Congresspersons are publicity whores. Just most of them.