The Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act on Tuesday.
The 74-21 vote was an anticlimactic conclusion to a process that has dragged on for much for the year and drew some intense opposition. Critics ranged from privacy advocates such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation to trade associations that included much of the tech industry, most prominently the Computer and Communications Industry Association and the Business Software Alliance. Other prominent critics included presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
By the the time the Senate vote rolled around, its most likely critics in the chamber had left the scene. Just one of the Senate’s five presidential candidates, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., voted against the legislation.
The four Republican presidential candidates were absent. Those included Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Sen. Marco Rubio of Texas, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Paul. The Senate’s fifth absentee vote, Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is running for governor.
However, the legislation, which would release companies from liability when they share customer data with the federal government, passed without any of the privacy-protecting amendments proposed by more skeptical members. That means its road to passage in the House, which passed its own version of the legislation in April, will be treacherous.
The two chambers will need to appoint a conference committee to work out the differences. It’s conceivable the bill could make it to President Obama’s desk without any of the amendments that critics hoped to make. However, with the change in congressional dynamics following House Speaker John Boehner’s anticipated retirement on Thursday, it is possible the legislation could stall for the foreseeable future.
In addition to Sanders, those who voted against the bill included five Republicans and 15 Democrats. That list includes Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mt., Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn, Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Del., Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. James Risch, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska., Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mt., Sen. Mark Udall, D-N.M., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.
