Senate Homeland Security Chairman Joe Lieberman still hasn't given up hope that the Senate could pass a version of his cybersecurity bill (S 3414) after the November elections, according to a report from Tim Starks. The independent from Connecticut said he plans to continue working toward passing a cybersecurity bill, despite increasing indications the Obama administration is planning to issue an executive order on cybersecurity. According to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, even if the administration does issue an order, it would still need Congress to provide liability protections for companies that share information with the government, increase penalties for cybercrimes, and enhance the government's hiring authority for cybersecurity personnel.
Lieberman is retiring from the Senate at the end of this year, and cybersecurity has been his pet issue in recent years. Therefore, it isn't surprising that he hasn't yet given up hope on making his mark on this crucial issue. But while Lieberman is still optimistic that a bill could pass in the lame-duck session, his colleagues appear to be less confident. There are a number of issues that Congress must still clear up before the end of the year, including several spending bills that would take priority over the cybersecurity legislation. Furthermore, the divide between the parties and the two chambers on the bill has shown no signs of abating. In short, cybersecurity legislation still looks like a tough sell, and we would be shocked to see any movement in Congress this year. However, the executive order appears very much in play, and could come down in a matter of weeks. Stay tuned for full coverage.
Senate Panel Endorses Internet Governance Resolution: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee backed a resolution on Wednesday that expresses congressional opposition to expanding the United Nations' control over the Internet. The panel approved a concurrent resolution (S Con Res 50) by voice vote indicating its concern about a potential power grab by the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union, which will meet in Dubai this December. The House adopted a similar measure last month, as U.S. lawmakers have been united in their desire to preserve the current multistakeholder governance model, which gives the U.S. heavy influence over how the Web is managed and regulated. Minority Lawmakers Oppose House STEM Visa Bill: The Congressional Hispanic, Black, and Asian Caucuses wrote to their House colleagues on Wednesday urging them to oppose skilled-immigrant legislation from House Judiciary chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas. The House is scheduled to consider the measure (HR 6249) Thursday under suspension of the rules; the bill would abolish the diversity visa program and divert 55,000 green cards annually to foreign graduate students that earn a degree at U.S. universities in STEM (Science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. The "tri-caucus" supports an increase in permanent visas for tech workers, but doesn't think they should come at the expense of less-educated groups of immigrants. The lawmakers note the historically low rates of immigration from places such as Africa, whose residents have earned roughly half the diversity visas in recent years. Sen. Chuck Schumer has introduced a bill that would award 55,000 STEM Visas without affecting the visa lottery program. House Says Astronauts Deserve Mementos: The House passed a bill on Wednesday that would clarify that NASA astronauts from the agency's early space missions have ownership over certain artifacts, like personal logs and flight manuals. The bill (HR 4158) passed by voice vote and gave veteran astronauts ownership over mementos from the Mercury, Gemini, or Apollo programs through 1975. The measure would cover expendable items that weren't required to be returned to NASA, which has contested some Apollo astronauts' ownership of items when they attempted to sell them.