Lawmakers have largely expressed what they see as a need to restructure national cyberdefense by more clearly delineating lines of authority and elevating the status of Cyber Command in the Pentagon. However, pushback from the White House is casting doubt on whether such a move would be viable this year, much to the frustration of Congress.

“The premise is simple. To succeed against our present and future challenges, we need flatter, faster-moving and more flexible organizations,” Senate Armed Services Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said at a recent hearing. He added that the administration’s opposition to change was “bizarre.”