Nextgov, January 11, 2021

By Frank Konkel

Aaron Cooper, vice president of global policy at BSA | The Software Alliance, added that Senate and House control give Biden “an easier pathway” to approve economic stimulus packages. A preview of Biden’s investment priorities could come soon after his inauguration in the form of another COVID-19 relief bill. Cooper added that because most issues in the government tech space “are inherently bipartisan,” he did not think the Senate’s slim Democratic edge would significantly “change what the administration’s policies will be.” A slim majority, he said, is not enough to ram single-party legislation through Congress.

Cooper said he expects the Biden administration to focus directly on cybersecurity and supply chain issues following a widespread hack of government agencies purportedly carried out by a foreign government. Following the hack—the investigation of which remains ongoing—Biden said he would “elevate cybersecurity as an imperative across the government.” To make good on that promise, Cooper said he expects the Biden administration to focus on cybersecurity best practices while pushing “companies and individuals to do more to keep networks secure.” Cooper added that he expects the admin to ensure secure software development and focus narrowly on ransomware attacks.

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Original Posting: https://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2021/01/what-democratic-control-government-could-mean-bidens-tech-policies/171324/