The rise of artificial intelligence has ushered in a new digital age but it has also emboldened America’s adversaries, making it easier for malign actors to strike at critical assets. With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus have prioritized passing legislation and conducting oversight on efforts to strengthen and secure our national digital infrastructure. With Honor Action-supported veterans in Congress helped form and lead two national commissions that provided key recommendations to Congress which With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus helped pass into law — The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) & the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC).
The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence & the Cyberspace Solarium Commission: Securing our National Digital Infrastructure
In 2019, Congress established the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), led by Dr. Eric Schmidt, former Google Chairman and CEO, and the Honorable Bob Work, 32nd United States Deputy Secretary of Defense, to make recommendations to Congress and the president on “artificial intelligence, machine learning, and associated technologies to comprehensively address the national security and defense needs of the United States.” The NSCAI continues its work through its successor organization, the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP).
In 2021, the Commission issued its final report, which included 45 recommendations presenting an integrated national strategy to reorient and strategically prepare America for a new age of technological competition. With Honor Action and Members of the For Country Caucus were instrumental in the passage of several of these provisions, including the establishment of the Department of Defense Cyber and Digital Service Academy, an effort led by For Country Caucus Member Rep. Chrissy Houlahan and former Member Rep. Mike Gallagher, and the creation of a grant program for U.S. businesses to engage in international standards-setting organizations.
George Shultz introduced me to With Honor. This outstanding organization [With Honor Action] and the bipartisan veterans they support are playing an essential role in helping to modernize our national security for the remarkable challenges and opportunities that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and other technology platforms present, and which (Eric Schmidt) and I wrote about in our book. If America is to remain competitive, we simply must have a space in Congress where serious dialogue and thinking can happen across our partisan divides.
Dr. Henry Kissinger Secretary of State, With Honor Action Advisory Board
In 2018, lawmakers came together to establish the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (CSC) to develop a whole-of-government strategy to protect the United States from major cyber attacks — increasingly salient in light of the expansion of digital currencies and major breaches like the SolarWinds hack. Modeled after President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Project Solarium, the Commission was co-chaired by former For Country Caucus Member and Rep. Mike Gallagher, and Senator Angus King and carries on its work through its successor organization, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0 (CSC 2.0).
In addition to the 82 original recommendations presented in the CSC’s March 2020 final report, CSC 2.0 issued six white papers with 34 further recommendations. Currently, nearly 70% (78) of recommendations have been implemented or are nearing implementation, while an additional 20% (26) of recommendations are on track to be implemented.
Working alongside the Members of the For Country Caucus, With Honor Action successfully advocated for some of the strongest proposals to reorient the federal government towards a stronger cybersecurity infrastructure. Among these achievements are the establishment of the Office of the National Cyber Director and passage of the Cyber Diplomacy Act, which established the first-ever U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy.
*Nate Fick – Former With Honor Action Advisory Board Member, Ambassador Nate Fick, the first-ever U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy.
Additionally, With Honor Action worked to successfully pass nearly two dozen pieces of legislation strengthening America’s national cybersecurity, including the creation of a Joint Cyber Planning Office to coordinate public and private sector entities and passage of the Defending America’s 5G Future Act to defend against malign tech companies.
With Honor Action was proud to support For Country Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Mikie Sherrill and former Member Rep. Mike Gallagher in their leadership on the bipartisan, bicameral Endless Frontier Act, included in the historic CHIPS and Science Act, which invested roughly $280 billion into American semiconductor manufacturing. With Honor Action successfully secured key provisions in the bill to provide scholarships for students studying digital technology and cybersecurity, including the Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program to support cybersecurity education at minority-serving or historically black institutions of higher education and the Federal Cyber Scholarship-for-Service Program. Additionally, to protect American research and empower organizations to engage globally, With Honor Action supported the establishment of the Office of Research Security and Policy in the National Science Foundation.
By fully implementing the CSC’s and the NSCAI’s recommendations, the United States has the potential to harness immense opportunities, minimize risk, and ensure continued American technological superiority. With Honor Action’s advocacy work played a key role in encouraging Congress and federal agencies to incorporate these recommendations and ensure America retains global technological supremacy.
Testimonials
“In a Congress this dysfunctional, important recommendations from bipartisan commissions do not pass easily into law. With Honor Action has been an important force in delivering results from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission I co-led with Senator Angus King.”
Mike Gallagher Representative
“American success and security has historically been predicated on our ability to master next generation technologies. We are at another one of those crossroads, where we will either take the lead on cyber issues — or our opponents will. Thanks to the bipartisan work of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, I know we are on the right track.”
Nathaniel C. Fick U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy