Senator Hopes for a Vote on Cybersecurity Measure Before Elections

The Senate is considering attaching cybersecurity legislation to a key defense authorization bill as a way to assure passage this year of the measure to reform the way the government safeguards its computer networks and that of key national IT systems, Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Deleware) said.

"It's hard to get a measure like cybersecurity legislation passed on its own," said Sen Carper, who chairs a Senate subcommittee with cybersecurity oversight. Sen Carper said that backers would seek to add cybersecurity provisions to a bill that's likely to pass, such as the National Defense Authorization Act, which likely would be passed before the fall midterm elections. Besides, he said, cybersecurity is a component of national security. "That is a place that makes a lot of sense."

Another reason Sen Carper said he believes the Senate may consider the cybersecurity legislation as part of the defense authorization bill is that the chairman and ranking minority member of the Armed Services Committee -- Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI) and John McCain (R-AZ) -- also serve on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where a major piece of the cybersecurity legislation emanates. Sen McCain also serves as the ranking Republican on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management.