OK, here is another example of Bob Good's hatred for the Democrat party getting in the way of his voting for good legislation.HR 302, the Energy Cybersecurity University Leadership Act of 2023, passed in the House of Representatives on Feb. 6 by a vote of 357 to 56, with 20 congresspeople not voting.
One-hundred fifty-four Republicans, 69% of the majority party in the House, supported this bill. But congressman Good voted against it. HR 302 will build a workforce of highly skilled computer geeks specializing in protecting our infrastructure and defenses against cyberattacks.
As Congressman Frank Lucas, a Republican from Oklahoma, reminded the House members, we have been so attacked multiple times over the last few years, and the targets have included "... our liquefied natural gas industry, our electric grid, and even our national laboratories." Furthermore, Congressman Lucas indicated that the Chinese Communist Party had launched these attacks as tests to help them prepare for a bigger assault on our 21st-century infrastructure. This is not some product of the congressman's imagination. It comes from reports by the FBI and is a more significant threat than the now infamous balloon.
The bill was sponsored by Deborah Ross, a Democrat from North Carolina, and co-sponsored by Mike Carey, a Republican from Ohio. Apparently, the fact that Congresswoman Ross has a "D" after her name was enough to put Bob Good off the bill. In this instance, Bob Good is more supportive of the Chinese Communist Party than his own country.
He and Ben Cline were the only two Republicans from Virginia to vote against HR 302. Morgan Griffith (VA-9), and Robert Wittman (VA-1), voted for it. Newcomer Jennifer Kiggans (VA-2), who, after a career in the U.S. Navy, no doubt understands the gravity of cybersecurity, did likewise.
The vote on this bill demonstrates that when matters of national security are at stake, the House can work in a bipartisan manner. It is a shame that Bob Good is so full of partisan vitriol that he cannot join in these brief moments of national unity.
Steve Bailey, Richmond