{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a61cf7b4-5603-49bb-b0b0-9578e6756aa1", "Sen. Warner Calls for Hearing into Target Consumer Data Breach", "2013-12-30", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Mark Warner", "W000805", "www.warner.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) today requested a hearing by the Senate Banking Committee to examine whether companies and financial service providers are taking all actions necessary to safeguard consumer data and protect against fraud and identity theft, and whether stronger industry-wide cybersecurity standards are needed.\r\nIn the wake of Target\u2019s recent account data breach affecting some 40 million U.S. customers, Sen. Warner and Banking Committee colleague Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) wrote to Chairman Tim Johnson and Ranking Member Mike Crapo:\u00a0 \u201cWith our economy and financial sector becoming increasingly information-based and data-reliant, consumers depend on the companies and financial service providers with whom they do business to protect their sensitive information.\u00a0 As companies collect, store, and process ever-greater quantities of consumer data, they\u2014and our regulators\u2014must become even more vigilant against breaches and improper use.\u201d\r\nJust days before Christmas, Target announced that a data breach occurred between Nov. 27 and Dec. 15, affecting about 40 million credit and debit card accounts, compromising customers' names, card information and security codes. Target has yet to disclose how the hackers penetrated its data security.\r\nThe Warner/Menendez letter follows:\r\n\u00a0\r\nDecember 30, 2013\r\nThe Honorable Tim Johnson\r\nChairman\r\nSenate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs\r\nWashington, DC 20510\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Mike Crapo\r\nRanking Member\r\nSenate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs\r\nWashington, DC 20510\r\n\u00a0\r\nDear Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Crapo:\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We write to request that the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hold a hearing as soon as reasonably possible regarding consumer financial data security.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 As you know, earlier this month, Target Corporation announced a data breach that affected roughly 40 million customer credit and debit card accounts \u2013 one of the largest such corporate security breaches in history.\u00a0 Thieves reportedly gained access to information including cardholders\u2019 names, card information, and security PIN codes, potentially exposing millions of consumers to the risk of fraud, identity theft, and other hardships during the peak of the holiday shopping season.\u00a0 Breaches such as this also expose businesses, banks, and card companies to losses from fraudulent charges or withdrawals using stolen information.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With our economy and financial sector becoming increasingly information-based and data-reliant, consumers depend on the companies and financial service providers with whom they do business to protect their sensitive information.\u00a0 As companies collect, store, and process ever-greater quantities of consumer data, they\u2014and our regulators\u2014must become even more vigilant against breaches and improper use.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We believe it would be valuable for the Committee to examine whether market participants are taking all appropriate actions to safeguard consumer data and protect against fraud, identity theft, and other harmful consequences, and whether we need stronger industry-wide cybersecurity standards.\u00a0 Some industry experts, for example, have called for faster and more uniform adoption of technologies such as EMV \u201csmart\u201d chips to improve credit and debit card transactional security, among other proposals.\u00a0 We also believe it would be helpful for the Committee to hear from our financial regulators as to whether they have the necessary tools, information, and authority to ensure that financial companies and service providers are doing enough to protect consumer data, and, in the event that a breach does occur, to minimize the harm to affected parties and take appropriate enforcement actions.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When it comes to data security, consumers\u2019 interests must come first.\u00a0 We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to working with you to address it.\r\nSincerely,\r\n\u00a0\r\nMark Warner\r\nUnited States Senator\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nRobert Menendez\r\nUnited States Senator", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=a61cf7b4-5603-49bb-b0b0-9578e6756aa1"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9686509147286415, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}