WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), joined Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” to discuss combating the deadly influx of fentanyl into our communities and how Congress can help the Trump administration secure our borders. Chairman Green also highlighted the “Cyber PIVOTT Act,” which was advanced out of Committee on Wednesday. The bipartisan vote underscores the urgent need to bolster our cyber workforce and shore up our collective defense against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) malign influence in cyberspace.

Watch Chairman Green’s full interview here

On the Trump administration’s success in securing our borders:

“We’re far more secure than we were just months ago. Think about it this way––national security… is the product, not the sum, of willpower and capability. You can have all the capability in the world, [but] if it’s multiplied times zero willpower, you get zero deterrence.”

“The border [was] wide open––we basically had cartels committing violent acts in the United States. All of those things under the last administration…are stabilizing now. We’re definitely more secure.”

“And as far as the fentanyl goes, the enemy, so to speak, the cartels and the Chinese suppliers are just going to try to find other ways. That’s why, besides just shutting down crossing sites and things like that, we have to plus up the Border Patrol. We’ve got to build more border wall. Those things take a little bit more time, and we’re working with the president, the administration to get that done in reconciliation.”

On how to combat the CCP’s intrusions into our critical infrastructure:

“It’s time that we act and show the Chinese that we’re not going to tolerate the fact that they’re in our infrastructure––they’re in our water systems, our power systems. They invaded our telecoms. They’re in AT&T and Verizon systems right now. They could turn them off if they wanted to, we believe. So, imagine if Russia or China put a satchel charge against a cell tower, Americans would be livid. China basically has the ability right now to do those kinds of acts of espionage and acts of war by invading our telecoms and our infrastructure. It’s unacceptable and it’s time we push back. And I agree with my former colleague, Mike Waltz, who’s now in the administration, it’s time to go on the offensive.”

On the “Cyber PIVOTT Act,” which would bolster the cyber workforce pipeline:

“The number one challenge we have is the number of people that we’ve been training to be cyber experts. Director Wray, when he was leading the FBI, came in and testified and said if he put every cyber person he had on the China desk, he’d still be outnumbered 50 to one. We have 500,000 empty [cybersecurity] jobs in this country, and so we created a scholarship program that will put kids into cyber fields––pay their way. They pay the government––they pay the taxpayer back by serving the government––at all levels of government.”

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