FINAL PUSH — Congress is back from its post-election hibernation and lawmakers are cramming in at least one more cyber push this lame duck session. Three hearings this week could set the stage for how a divided Congress handles cyber threats under a GOP legislative trifecta. Here's what you need to know. — The China split: Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s (D-Conn.) Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Chinese cyber threats would normally be just another China-focused session. But with Republicans taking the Senate gavel in January with a firm grip, this is Democrats' last chance to frame the debate their way. The hearing on Chinese cyber threats comes after a year marked by aggressive state-sponsored campaigns. That includes Volt Typhoon’s hacking of hundreds of outdated routers and critical infrastructure networks, to a monthslong espionage campaign breaching AT&T, Verizon, Lumen Technologies and T-Mobile. Blumenthal’s hearing may again focus on a key Democratic strategy: linking Chinese cyber threats to oversight of tech giants. The Republican playbook looks slightly different. Subcommittee ranking member Josh Hawley ’s (R-Mo.) focus the last few years suggests a separation of China policy from tech regulation — focusing more on sanctions, export control and dealing with China more directly as a distinct national security threat. — Transportation’s security crossroads: The House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on TSA's cybersecurity posture is shaping up as a referendum on the agency's regulatory approach. Chair Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) is positioning the Tuesday session as an examination of TSA's cyber risk management, particularly its recent proposed rulemaking affecting rail, pipeline and bus security. Industry pushback against TSA's numerous security directives signals some tension between federal oversight and sector-specific concerns. Gimenez believes these directives “have fallen short and lack necessary feedback from the transportation sector,” suggesting Republicans may push for a regulatory reset. Though watch for the potential industry divide. The American Gas Association will have a representative at the hearing, after recent praise of TSA’s proposed tougher cyber rules shows some sectors are finding alignment with federal oversight, even as others push back. This split could complicate GOP efforts to paint TSA’s approach as universally problematic. — AI fraud: Perhaps the most politically charged session will be Sen. John Hickenlooper's (D-Colo.) examination of AI-enabled fraud. The hearing's witness list — including a mother of a deepfake victim and leading AI ethics researchers — suggests Democrats are building a case for stronger consumer protections ahead of the power shift. The inclusion of Truepic's leadership points to growing interest in technical solutions for content authentication, a priority that gained urgency after the summer's wave of AI-generated campaign disinformation. — The lame duck factor: With power shifting in the Senate and margins razor-thin in the House, these hearings are less about immediate action and more about positioning for 2025's cyber battles. Regulating cyber powers, China policy and AI protection are shaping up to be the holy trinity of next year's cyber agenda. UNWINDING REGS — Bipartisan lawmakers and White House officials are making a late push to pass legislation aimed at easing the crush of cyber regulations on the private sector — raising the odds the 118th Congress could get one big cyber bill across the finish line by January. — The momentum: Last Thursday, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) introduced a little-noticed House companion bill to the Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act, a bill from Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) that moved out of the Senate Homeland Security Committee this summer. Cyber stalwart Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) also announced his support for the Senate bill the same day. It comes as the White House has been making its own PR blitz for the bill. Last week, top officials from the National Security Council and Office of the National Cyber Director appeared at a conference on cyber regulation at Columbia University, where keynote speakers included New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. — Why it matters: Federal agencies have advanced myriad new cyber regulations in the last decade to incentivize schools, pipelines, and banks to up their defenses. But many of those mandates overlap, causing a major compliance headache for businesses. The Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act would seek to fix that by creating an interagency committee empowered to “harmonize” the labyrinth of different regulations on companies. — Driving it home: In an interview, Nicholas Leiserson, the assistant national cyber director for cyber policy and programs, argued the bill is a national security imperative. He pointed to a recent survey of large financial institutions from the Bank Policy Institute that found that senior cyber leaders spend between 30 to 50 percent of their time on compliance. “When you're filling out additional forms, or having to respond to multiple regulators who are asking for the same types of controls, that is time off-mission,” said Leiserson, who added: “That’s why this is just critical to improving our cyber security posture.”
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