'Weakness Is Provocative': Eli Crane Attributes Growing Security Threats To 'Feckless' Leadership

3 months ago

During a House Homeland Security Committee hearing Thursday, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) claimed that 'feckless' leadership was the cause for growing security threats against the United States.

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Transcript

00:00The gentleman yields. I now recognize Mr. Crane for five minutes of questioning.

00:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Smith, thank you for preparing and coming before the Homeland

00:10Security Committee today. Mr. Smith, you're the president of Microsoft, is that correct?

00:15That's correct.

00:17You're here today to discuss some leaks and vulnerabilities that Microsoft has had in the

00:22past and what you guys are going to do to fix them in the future, is that correct?

00:24Yes, that's right.

00:25Okay. Mr. Smith, you said earlier in the hearing that some of your competitors are in this very

00:31hearing room, is that correct?

00:33So I've been told. They could raise their hands if you ask them,

00:36but it's probably not the best use of time.

00:38Okay. So would it be fair to say, Mr. Smith, that you understand the importance of being

00:43strong and formidable today with some of your opponents or competitors in the room?

00:50I'm sorry, I didn't hear.

00:52Do you understand the importance of appearing strong and formidable today because some of your

00:56opponents and competitors are in the room?

00:59I think the reason that, I don't know if I would use the word strong or formidable,

01:04I think the reason we need to be responsible and resolute

01:08is because of our adversaries abroad, not so much the competition.

01:13About this, Mr. Smith, have you ever heard the saying that weakness is provocative?

01:17Uh, I've heard similar things. I don't know if I've heard that one in particular,

01:21but I understand it.

01:22Well, you're running one of the most powerful corporations in the world,

01:25so I'm sure that that's something that's not completely alien to you, right?

01:32Yeah, it's those, you know, let me put it this way.

01:36Size brings power, but mostly what it brings is responsibility.

01:41I would much rather focus on the need to be responsible than anything else.

01:44Okay, fair enough.

01:46Mr. Smith, would you say that attacks against the United States

01:49in the cyber field have increased in the last couple years?

01:53Absolutely.

01:54Didn't you say in your testimony earlier, sir, that it felt like it was open season?

01:59Yeah, or yes, I did say that, and I think that's right,

02:02and it is an open season on U.S. targets by certain foreign adversaries.

02:07How many attacks are you guys seeing a day, Mr. Smith?

02:11I had the precise number in my written testimony, what I've been saying here,

02:14which is reflected there is more than 300 million per day.

02:17300 million per day?

02:18Yes.

02:19Wow. Mr. Smith, you're aware you're in the Homeland Security Committee, is that correct?

02:23Yes, absolutely.

02:24So you understand that the scope of the Homeland Security Committee

02:27is much larger than just cyber attacks, is that correct?

02:30Absolutely.

02:32Good. Are you aware, Mr. Smith, that there was a reporting just this last week

02:37that eight individuals with ties to ISIS were arrested this week in multiple U.S. cities?

02:42Did you hear that story?

02:43Actually, I was not until you just told me.

02:45Okay. Well, that happened this week. How about this one, Mr. Smith?

02:49Are you aware of the reporting that Russian ships were 30 miles off the coast of Florida

02:54just this week as well?

02:55I did hear that or read about it.

02:57Yeah. One of my colleagues asked you, sir, he said, what can we do to help you?

03:02And nobody really wants to say it in this room, but I'm just going to say it.

03:06One of the things that we can do to help you is actually get stronger leadership

03:10that's respected around the world.

03:11That's actually one of the big problems here.

03:13And I think everybody in this room actually knows that.

03:17And so that is one of the things that I think that we're going to be doing.

03:19But the other thing I wanted to point out, Mr. Smith,

03:21is this isn't an isolated incident, right?

03:24All these increased cyber attacks that we're seeing, right?

03:26We're seeing attacks across the board and everybody in this room knows it.

03:30We're seeing it at the border.

03:31We're seeing Russian ships off the coast of Florida just this week.

03:36Eight individuals with affiliation to ISIS were captured in multiple U.S. cities.

03:41And that's why I started my questioning, sir, with weakness is provocative.

03:46And if you knew what that meant and what it meant to you.

03:50Yeah, I understand.

03:52Let me just be clear.

03:53I have expertise in one field, not in every field.

03:55But I understand what it means in my field.

03:58I know you do, sir.

04:00And we've said this for a long time in this country, peace through strength.

04:05There is something to that.

04:07And when the United States senses that we're weak, we're feckless,

04:11and we have weak and feckless leadership, these are the types of things that we see.

04:15And so I'm hoping that not only this body, but the American people can work together

04:20to get better leadership for this country, because I know it's going to impact your business.

04:25And I want to say one more time, I appreciate you actually coming here today,

04:28taking ownership and responsibility, because as some of my colleagues have said,

04:32it's not something that we see every day.

04:33So thank you, sir. Appreciate it.

04:34Well, thank you.

04:35And then let me just conclude, because I think this gets us through the entire committee.

04:41I would just underscore what I've tried to say throughout.

04:45We do understand the importance of what you all do on this committee,

04:49what the CSRB and what CISA do, the importance of this report,

04:54and we are committed to addressing every part of it.

'Weakness Is Provocative': Eli Crane Attributes Growing Security Threats To 'Feckless' Leadership

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