The White House reacted to reports that Russian hackers penetrated the Democratic National Committee’s computer network by complaining that Republicans have blocked additional money for funds to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity.
“This administration takes our nation’s cybersecurity quite seriously,” press secretary Josh Earnest said, referring to a proposal in the president’s budget that would increase resources to guard the nation against hacks of this nature.
“Republicans for the first time in 40 years declined to even hold a hearing on that specific budget proposal, which means that the president has put forward a specific plan, laid out exactly how he believes we should pay for [enhancing] our nation’s cybersecurity, and Republicans in the House and Senate have indicated they don’t even want to talk about it,” Earnest said. “So, that’s rather disappointing.”
Earnest said he has seen reports about the successful Russian hack of DNC computer and the stealing of opposition research on Donald Trump. He said he didn’t know if President Obama had been briefed on the matter yet.
Earnest referred specific questions about the nature of the U.S. government’s investigation into the DNC hack to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI.
