Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.) will chair the new House Cybersecurity, Science, and Research and Development subcommittee. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D.-Calif.), whose district encompasses parts of the Silicon Valley, will be the ranking minority member.
The subcommittee will have oversight authority on issues involving the protection of government and private networks and computer systems from domestic and foreign attack.
In early March, Rep. Christopher Cox. (R.-Calif.) created the cybersecurity subcommittee as part of the Homeland Security Committee. Cox also created subcommittees on with border security, emergency preparedness, counter-terrorism and internal oversight.
Republicans on the cybersecurity subcommittee include Peter Sessions (Tex.), Sherry Boehlert (.Y.), Dave Camp (Mich.), Jim Gibbons (Nev.), Kay Granger (Tex.), Peter King (N.Y.), John Linder (Ga.), Chris Shays (Conn.), Lamar Smith (Tex.), Mark Souder (Ind.), and Curt Weldon (Penn.).
Democrats include Robert Andrews (N.J.), Sheila Jackson Lee (Tex.), Donna Christensen (V.I.), Bob Etheridge (N.C.), Charles Gonzalez (Tex.), Ken Lucas (Ky.), James Langevin (R.I.), Kendrik Meek (Fla.), and Loretta Sanchez, (Calif.).
The Homeland Security Committee will coordinate all House oversight of the Homeland Security Department. It will also exercise exclusive legislative jurisdiction over the Homeland Security Act that established the federal department tasked with protecting the U.S. from terrorist attack.