CDT Statement on Passage of CISPA

Washington – CDT is disappointed that CISPA passed the House in such flawed form and under such a flawed process.

We worked very hard in cooperation with the Intelligence Committee to develop amendments to narrow some of the bill’s definitions and to limit its scope.  We are very pleased that those amendments were adopted, leaving the bill better for privacy and civil liberties than it was going into the process.

However, we are also disappointed that House leadership chose to block amendments on two core issues we had long identified – the flow of information from the private sector directly to NSA and the use of that information for national security purposes unrelated to cybersecurity.  Reps. Thompson, Schakowsky, and Lofgren wrote amendments to address those issues, but the leadership did not allow votes on those amendments.  Such momentous issues deserved a vote of the full House.  We intend to press these issues when the Senate takes up its cybersecurity legislation.  

We will continue to work to oppose any cybersecurity legislation that does not also protect the privacy and civil liberties of Americans.