Cybersecurity Bill Faces Tough Odds

After last year’s intense debate of an anti-piracy bill, any legislation dealing with Internet security faces an uphill climb.

That point was made clear by House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI), who was careful to point out differences between his bipartisan cybersecurity legislation and last year’s failed online piracy bill that was crushed after an all-out lobbying campaign from Internet companies and users. “Apples and oranges,” the Chairman Rogers told reporters in a conference call when asked whether his legislation, which encourages private companies and the federal government to share information related to cybersecurity threats, might face a similarly grim fate as the Stop Online Piracy Act that was killed last year. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), the ranking member on the Intelligence panel, also made an economic case for the bill. “When these hackers steal intellectual property, they take new high-paying jobs along with all the other damages that we do have,” Rep Ruppersberger told reporters. Reps Rogers and Ruppersberger were careful to focus on the security and economic aspects of the bill and highlighted the coalition of supporters they have built through dozens of meetings held last year.