A bipartisan coalition of 20 federal lawmakers wants Congress’ administrative staff to take immediate action to encrypt phone calls between the House and Senate.
The lawmakers’ letter to the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the House’s chief administrative officer calls for securing calls between Congress’ upper and lower chambers to prevent foreign surveillance.
The 20 lawmakers making the request were led by Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, Sen. Mike Rounds, South Dakota Republican, Rep. Anna Eshoo, California Democrat, and Rep. Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Republican.
“Congress must secure itself from the serious threat posed by foreign spies,” the lawmakers wrote. “Please take immediate action to encrypt, in bulk, all internal calls and other electronic communications between the Senate, House, and other components of the legislative branch.”
Desk phone calls made between senators are encrypted, as are internal House phone calls made using “more recent” desk phone models, according to the lawmakers.
Calls between the two chambers are “still vulnerable to spying” by anyone who intercepts the data connection between the chambers, they wrote.
The lawmakers also asked for a detailed plan by June 12 from the administrative staff that documents how they will complete the cybersecurity upgrade.
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