Democrats refuse to allow a vote on cyber security bill to stop hacking

The Hill:

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) lambasted Democrats from the floor minutes after they blocked a GOP attempt to link a cybersecurity amendment to a defense bill.

“The refusal to move forward with this legislation, particularly the cybersecurity part of this discussion, is just unconscionable,” he said.

The upper chamber on Thursday fell four votes shy of the 60 needed to move forward with attaching the anti-hacking measure to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The provision contained legislation, known as the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), meant to expand the exchange of cyber threat data between the government and the private sector.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was trying to rush CISA through the Senate in response to the massive digital theft of workers’ data from the Office of Personnel Management, which exposed information about at least 4 million people — and likely more.

“Our colleagues across the aisle have now blocked an amendment that would provide for greater sharing of information to address the rampant and growing cyber threat that this country faces,” Cornyn said. “Sharing cyber threat information will help us as a country deter future cyber attacks, and it helps both the public and the private sector act in a more nimble way when attacks are detected.”

Democrats opposed McConnell’s maneuver because they want the opportunity to offer privacy-enhancing amendments to CISA, which they would not be able to do if the language was attached to the NDAA.
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Democrats desperately need new leaders who think beyond just acting like a bunch of jerks.  Harry Reid has done more to damage the political process than anyone in my memory.   For a guy who deliberately blocked virtually all amendments when he was speaker, he is not the one to make the case he is trying to make,