Cybersecurity bill bombarded with amendments
As the U.S. Senate races toward its August recess, lawmakers are filing tons of amendments to the Cybersecurity Act, a number of them designed to add privacy protections.
The amendments are an effort to meet the wishes of pro-business Republicans and pro-privacy Democrats and to reach a compromise that can be enacted into law. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) is pushing to get cybersecurity legislation voted on this week before the Senate breaks for recess in August.
The Democrat-based Cybersecurity Act of 2012, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) as it stands has already been modified to meet the needs of both sides of the aisle. Earlier this month, the bill was revised to remove a provision calling for critical infrastructure providers to meet minimum security standards, which Republicans argued was too regulatory and restrictive on businesses. It also added a provision preserving the civil liberties and privacy of users.
