Cyber Bill

Inside Cybersecurity reported today that the Senate Intelligence Committee has approved a cybersecurity information-sharing bill on a 14-1 vote, after revising the language to emphasize liability protection for sharing threat indicators through a Department of Homeland Security portal:

In a markup that lasted less than 90 minutes, the bill earned the support of every committee member except Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). Chairman Richard Burr (R-NC) and ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said the final version of the bill reflects input from leaders of both the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees.

"I think the other committees are very comfortable with this bill," Burr told reporters after the markup.

Burr and Feinstein said they had also talked to White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on Wednesday and expressed hope that the Obama administration would support the bill.

"Now the White House will take a look at it," Feinstein said.

"We've bent over backwards to provide things in this bill that were important. The only way to get this first step done is in a bipartisan way," Feinstein said.

Burr joked, "The vice chair has stretched me so much I feel like I've had cosmetic surgery."