Senate Cybersecurity Bill Stalls After White House Pushback

The White House and some congressional Democrats have raised privacy concerns about a cybersecurity bill drafted by top Senate Intelligence Committee lawmakers, stalling -- at least temporarily -- one of Congress’s top priorities. A draft of the bill was circulated by the panel’s chairman, Sen Richard Burr (R-NC) and Vice Chairman Sen Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). They planned to hold a debate and vote on the measure behind closed doors on March 3, people familiar with the process said.

The legislation is meant, in large part, to make it easier for companies to share information with the government about potential cyberattacks, malware, viruses, or computer intrusions. The information-sharing focus of the draft has broad support from many -- but not all -- large companies. But privacy advocates and at least one technology firm immediately mobilized to try to quash the legislation, arguing that the way the 48-page draft was worded could make it easier for the government to use corporate data to spy or conduct surveillance on US citizens. White House officials signaled to lawmakers that they shared privacy concerns about the draft, and pushed for modifications, people familiar with the matter said. The precise nature of the White House’s concerns couldn’t be learned, though several Democrats on Capitol Hill are believed to share similar concerns.