Hill aides, ACLU urge Obama to address cybersecurity bills

Republican congressional aides and a top American Civil Liberties lawyer agreed that the Obama Administration needs to send Congress its views on pending cybersecurity legislation and whether it needs new authorities to monitor and defend Internet networks.

The White House has largely sat on the sidelines as lawmakers and key congressional committees wrangle over competing cybersecurity bills. "The timing now is important for the administration to offer a proposal," Louis Tucker, minority staff director for the Senate Intelligence Committee, said during a forum hosted by the Heritage Foundation. "We need that to happen. It would help our bosses and everybody in Congress to come together." Michelle Richardson, legislative counsel for the ACLU's Washington office, agreed. She said Congress should not grant the administration any new authorities to monitor and defend critical networks until the administration explains its current cybersecurity authorities and what it wants from Congress.