Even as, for the most part, Democratic senators were introducing a cybersecurity bill on the Senate floor, a group of Republican senators called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to back off and instead first allow for committee debate and hearings on the bill.
Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and others wrote Reid saying they feared government overreach if Reid proceeded with his plan to bypass regular order and those hearings and debate.
"If we are serious about enacting effective legislation into law, we must provide all Members of the Senate the opportunity to become adequately informed by regular order," they wrote. "This is not the kind of legislation that can result in a carefully balanced solution unless the full process is afforded," they said, adding that "the relevant committees have not had the opportunity to weigh in on this measure..."
The relevant committees, they argue, include Commerce, Intelligence, Judiciary, Energy, Armed Services, Budget and Health Education, Labor and Pensions.
