House GOP leaders rebuff White House push on cybersecurity

House Republican leaders are standing firm against intense pressure from the White House to embrace regulatory mandates for cybersecurity.

The Obama Administration is leaning on Congress to pass legislation that would require some private companies to meet minimum standards for protecting their computer networks. Heavyweights from the administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FBI Director Robert Mueller and National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander, were dispatched to Capitol Hill to outline the threats facing critical infrastructure. But GOP leaders in the House are opposed to adding more regulatory mandates on private businesses and are moving forward with cybersecurity legislation next week that would be purely voluntary.