Sen. Carper Disappointed by Senate’s Failure to Advance Cybersecurity Legislation

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Subcommittee of Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, released a statement after the Senate failed to advance the Cybersecurity Act of 2012. Sen. Carper is a co-author of the bill. His statement follows:

“The Internet has become more central to the lives of all Americans. It’s where we communicate, work, shop, and bank. That’s why it is critical that we update our laws to create the tools we need to combat criminals and terrorists who seek to attack us through the Internet. I am deeply disappointed that the Senate could not come together and resolve this dangerous problem. My colleagues and I made a number of concessions to address concerns from the business community, privacy groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and yet we could not find agreement to move forward and pass a bill. Every day, hackers steal our sensitive personal information as well as the ingenuity and hard work of businesses both large and small. This hurts our economy and our global competiveness and leads to the loss of American jobs. Even more threatening, cyber terrorists have proven that they have the ability to destroy the systems that operate our critical infrastructure – jeopardizing the health and safety of millions of Americans. While this bill isn’t perfect, it is a significant improvement over our current cybersecurity laws, which numerous experts have said do not go far enough to protect us. Fortunately, these negotiations have moved us closer to an agreement that I am hopeful will eventually pass. While we weren’t successful today, we’ve come closer than ever before. Our nation cannot afford more delay on this issue. I remain hopeful that we can convince the rest of our colleagues and key stakeholders that the status quo is unacceptable, and I am committed to work together to pass a cybersecurity bill as soon as possible.”