GOP platform says protecting critical infrastructure from hackers is a ‘national priority’

The Republican National Committee on Monday published a policy roadmap committing the GOP to “use all tools of National Power” to safeguard U.S. critical infrastructure and the country’s industrial base “from malicious cyber actors.”

The language in the RNC’s 2024 platform, which is expected to be officially approved at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week, differs from recent GOP efforts to block the federal government from imposing digital regulations on sectors known for poor cyber defenses, such as water systems and healthcare networks. Both have become frequent targets of cyberattacks, either by nation-state hackers and criminal ransomware groups. 

“This will be a National Priority, and we will both raise the Security Standards for our Critical Systems and Networks and defend them against bad actors,” according to the policy roadmap.

Last month the Supreme Court cut back on the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer and ruled that courts should rely on their own interpretation of ambiguous laws — a ruling that could cripple the administration’s regulatory efforts including the creation of a cyber incident reporting regime.

The new party platform, titled “2024 GOP Platform: Make America Great Again!,” is expected to go to a full vote on Tuesday and be officially approved on the first day of the Republican National Convention. 

The document also promises that Republicans will repeal President Joe Biden’s “dangerous” artificial intelligence executive order that was issued last year.

The directive "hinders AI Innovation and imposes Radical Leftwing ideas on the development of this technology,” the platform states. “In its place, Republicans support AI development rooted in Free Speech and Human Flourishing.”