Lincoln, NE U.S. Senator Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement after President Trump signed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA included Sasses Cyber Solarium Commission legislation.
National defense is the federal governments top job, said Sasse. This legislation does two important things: it emphasizes our nations commitment to our military men and women and places a badly needed focus on emerging cyber and security threats around the world. The President signed the Cyber Solarium Commission, a provision I drafted, into law today thats good news. Washington should fund this and get to work. For decades, Washington has operated without a cyber strategy, even as our adversarys attacks became more nefarious. Were playing a dangerous game of catch up and its time we get serious about the threats ahead and get to work drafting a cyber doctrine.
Background on the Cyberspace Solarium Commission:
The Cyberspace Solarium Commission was signed into law by President Trump as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2019.
The United States does not have a coherent cyber doctrine. We do not effectively deter attacks. We do not know how to best organize our government, increase coordination between government agencies, or recruit and retain top talent and expertise for the defense of American interests in cyberspace.
To meet these challenges, Senator Sasse proposed a Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Loosely modeled on President Eisenhowers 1953 Solarium Commission, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission is designed to develop clear consensus on a strategic approach to protecting and defending the United States in cyberspace. While 21 st century threats are more complex and dynamic than the 20 th century threat of Soviet Russia, our lack of clarity in the cyber domain makes the imperative for a new Cyberspace Solarium greater. America needs its government to do the hard work of developing an intellectual, political, and military framework to defend the nation from cyber threats.
The 14-member commission will be composed by representatives from the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and private sector who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and experience in both the cyberspace and national security fields.
The Cyberspace Solarium Commission will guide a deliberate, structured debate that will produce a final report that outlines a path forward for the United States Government by September 1, 2019. This report will be submitted to the congressional defense committees, the congressional intelligence committees, the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security.
The Commissions membership will be fourteen individuals who have demonstrated knowledge, expertise, and experience in both cyberspace and national security fields. Members will be: Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Deputy Director of Homeland Security, Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, three members appointed by Senate majority leader, two members appointed by Senate minority leader, three members appointed by Speaker of the House of Representatives, and two members appointed by minority leader of the House.
Historical Background on Eisenhowers Project Solarium:
Under the Eisenhower Administration, Project Solarium produced the strategy that would guide American policy for much of the Cold War.
In May 1953, President Eisenhower established a secret panel of experts to review Cold War strategy and develop a range of policy responses to address the growing threat from the Soviet Union. This became known as Project Solarium and is considered one of the best examples of American long-term strategic planning for national security.
President Eisenhower commissioned three teams of experts, including Russia expert and strategist George Kennan, the author of The Sources of Soviet Conduct, to advocate for an assigned policy approach and develop options for the United States Government to pursue. The White House was given three strategies: containment, deterrence, and rollback.
President Eisenhower eventually decided to combine the work of all three teams and issue a new security directive, NSC 162/2, that provided the foundation for his New Look at U.S. grand strategy.