[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 125 (Tuesday, August 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             CYBER SECURITY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we all want to address cyber security. 
Repeatedly, in the last two Congresses, I worked to convene the 
chairmen and ranking members of the relevant committees to move cyber 
security legislation, and we worked hard and came up with a number of 
bills, one of which we brought to the floor and was killed by the 
Republicans. What was good for our Nation's security was bad for the 
tea party and the Republicans. They blocked the cyber security 
legislation.
  In this Congress, we have not been as uncooperative as the 
Republicans were when they were in the minority. Democrats are willing 
to proceed to the cyber security bill, if we can get assurance that 
Democrats can offer relevant amendments. It has to be done.
  For the majority leader to say, as he did here today, that well, on 
this massive bill we had, I stuck the cyber security bill with a lot of 
other things--he knew it wouldn't work there. It was only to check it 
off his list that he tried to do it. Realistically, we have already 
been on this legislation. We should have been on this legislation. The 
Republican leader could have proceeded to cyber security instead of a 
politically motivated bill to defund access to health care for women. 
Unlike Republicans, we don't need all the poison pill amendments that 
deal with different subjects.
  Democrats have amendments relevant to cyber security, and we must 
offer those. I have received a letter from Senators Wyden, Leahy, 
Franken, Whitehouse, and Coons yesterday that states:

       We understand that the Senate may soon consider the 
     Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. We share the view that 
     increasing the security of U.S. networks while protecting 
     Americans' privacy is an important goal, and while we have 
     different views on this legislation, we are all interested in 
     offering relevant amendments that we believe would improve 
     this bill in various ways.
       We look forward to working with you to ensure that there is 
     an adequate process for considering a reasonable number of 
     amendments.

  The way Republican Senators used to talk about an open amendment 
process, our request to have a few relevant amendments should be 
readily accepted by the Republicans. But then, looking at how the 
Republican leader has led the Senate this year, there is plenty of 
reason for Democrats to be concerned.
  Just look at the bill the Senate just considered last week--a major 
highway bill with more than 1,000 pages. The Republican leader filled 
the amendment tree twice, not allowing any amendments to be offered. 
Accordingly, if you look at what the Congressional Research Service 
says, the Republican leader could potentially fill the amendment tree 
more times than any other majority leader has done in the first year of 
a Congress. So far he has done that more than I ever did.
  Nevertheless, Democrats will work with Republicans to get on this 
bill and consider a reasonable number of important amendments. I hope 
the Republicans will cooperate with us.
  Would the Chair announce the business of the day.

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