Several Republican senators will introduce a cybersecurity bill Wednesday highlighting the use of research and education, The Hill newspaper reports.Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Tex.), Chuck Grassley (Neb.) Saxby Chambliss (Ga.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Dan Coats (Ind.) will propose the Secure IT Act.
The Secure IT Act is their alternative to a bill from Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), according to The Hill.
The Lieberman-Collins bill puts the Department of Homeland Security in charge of regulating cybersecurity over companies that run computer systems critical to national security.
McCain is concerned the Lieberman-Collins bill duplicates the Defense Department‘s cyber efforts, could impose burdensome regulations on businesses and grows the budget deficit.
A spokesperson for Lieberman told The Hill Lieberman is open to ideas and Lieberman is glad that his colleagues share his belief that Congress must pass cybersecurity legislation.
