Reid Kills Cybersecurity Bill

This afternoon Sen. Reid (D,NV) effectively killed the Senate’s cybersecurity bill, S 3414, daring the Republicans to vote down a take it or leave it option on a cloture vote. Allowing no attempt for the Republicans to offer any amendments to the bill, Reid insured that he would not get the necessary votes to stop debate, ending with a nearly party-line vote of 51-47 (four Republicans voting Aye and four Democrats voting No). This was a purely political move since Reid knew that the bill would never pass in the House.

We will now see if Reid has any interest in actually allowing the consideration of cybersecurity legislation, no matter how meaningless. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there are three house bills (okay, just three cybersecurity bills) that are waiting for Senate action. If Reid wants to pass a symbolic cybersecurity vote two of those bills (probably not CISPA) would fill the bill. But, I would bet that none of these three bills will see the light of day.

Now we just have to wait for the President’s executive order; the justification has been established.