Friday, June 26, 2015

InstaPoll: Government data breach

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 
In April, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) first detected an intrusion affecting their systems. On June 4, 2015, OPM officially announced the cyber intrusion compromising personnel records. This sweeping cyber breach has impacted the personal data of current, former, and prospective federal employees, potentially exposing and putting at risk their personal and financial information. OPM has reported that an estimated 4 million were impacted by the data breach, while U.S. officials briefed on the investigation say the number could be closer to 18 million people affected. However, the full extent of the data breach, including who was affected and what information was accessed, is still unknown.

On Tuesday, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hosted a hearing with OPM Director Katherine Archuleta and OPM Assistant Inspector General Michael Esser to discuss the cause of the massive breach. Director Archuleta stated that she does not believe, "anyone is personally responsible" for the breach and that the majority of the blame should be placed on old computer systems. Alternatively, Assistant Inspector General Esser stated the computer systems were modern and the source of the weakness was rather a lack of follow-through to improve the computers' security systems. On Wednesday, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform also held a hearing investigating the OPM data breach.

U.S. investigators believe there is evidence that the Chinese government could be behind the cyber-attack, which some consider to be the worst and most widespread cyber-attack ever carried out against the U.S. government. In the aftermath of the breach, many have raised concerns that U.S. security practices have not kept up with the latest hacking tactics and capabilities, leaving the United States exposed to potential attacks.


Question of the Week: In light of the recent OPM hack, are you concerned that the U.S. government is dangerously vulnerable to cyber-attacks?


(  ) Yes.
(  ) No.
(  ) I don't know.
(  ) Other.


Take the Poll here


Find the results of last week's InstaPoll here.
 
 

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Is America Exceptionally Good Or Exceptionally Bad?





Saturday, June 20, 2015

God's Purpose for America





Friday, June 19, 2015

InstaPoll: Obamacare Before the Supreme Court

Congressman Randy Forbes

 

 
This month, the Supreme Court is expected to issue a major decision in the case King v. Burwell on the subsidies for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The case considers the question of whether the over 30 states that decided not to establish healthcare exchanges—and instead let the federal government set up their exchanges for them—are legally allowed to continue to accept the federal tax credits that subsidize those eligible in state-run exchanges. The Administration is arguing that the broader intent of the statute implies that subsidies should be available to plans on all exchanges. Plaintiffs, however, argue that that is contrary to the plain text of the ACA.

Meanwhile, as the nation awaits the Supreme Court's decision, two bipartisan bills passed the House of Representatives this week to reverse some of the most harmful elements of the ACA. First, the Medical Device Tax Elimination Act (H.R. 1533), repeals the ACA's tax on medical devices that has been criticized for eliminating jobs and reducing investment in research. Additionally, the House is voting on The Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act of 2015 (H.R. 1190) to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) established under the ACA, more commonly referred to as a Medicare rationing board or "death panel."


Question of the Week: Do you support measures in the legislative and judicial branches to roll back Obamacare? 


(  ) Yes.
(  ) No.
(  ) I don't know.
(  ) Other.


Take the Poll here

Find the results of last week's InstaPoll here.                    
 
 

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Saturday, June 13, 2015

VIDEO: Living With Hardened Criminals





Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Keep Internet access tax-free

Friend –

I believe access to the Internet should never be taxed. And yet, many states and localities are looking to do just this. Pull out your most recent phone bill -- look closely, and you'll notice a list of access taxes tacked onto your bill each month. If you look at the bill from your Internet service provider, those same taxes are not there.

In case you missed it, a bipartisan bill that I have been championing to permanently ensure that citizens cannot be taxed for Internet access passed the House of Representatives last night with my support. Take a look at H.R.235. Let's keep access to the Internet tax-free.

Yours in service,

Randy


P.S. I will keep you posted on this bill's progress as it moves to the Senate.
















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Friday, June 5, 2015

What If America Never Existed?