June 7, 2013
The Honorable Michael T. McCaul
Chairman
Committee on Homeland Security
H2-176 Ford House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman McCaul,
The membership of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) would like to thank you for soliciting our comments on your draft legislation entitled “The National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2013.” This legislation provides the foundation for an effective partnership between government and the private sector to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure from cybersecurity threats. INGAA is a trade organization that represents interstate natural gas pipelines. Its 25 members operate some 200,000 miles of pipeline, and serve as an indispensable link between natural gas producers and consumers.
The draft bill contains several key elements of importance to our membership. These include:
• Providing a centralized conduit for sharing cybersecurity threat information;
• Coordinating federal government activity and response to reduce duplication of effort;
• Assisting in the creation of industry-led Sector Coordinating Councils;
• Protecting the information shared between government and critical infrastructure entities; and
• Avoiding new government regulation and instead facilitating industry-led efforts to reduce and respond to cybersecurity threats.
INGAA believes your draft legislation provides a framework for an effective and adaptable response to the growing cybersecurity threat faced by the nation’s critical infrastructure. We support the concepts embodied in this draft, and will work to support you in your efforts to enact cybersecurity legislation.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Respectfully,
Donald F. Santa
President and CEO
cc: The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson
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