However, Reid also showed some wiggle room that may indicate he is open to the bipartisan compromise currently being negotiated behind closed doors. Reid acknowledged that "there are many possible solutions to this urgent challenge" before once again targeting critics, who in his view "have failed to offer any alternative to securing our nation's critical infrastructure." Those other possible solutions could include industry incentives to comply with baseline security standards, such as liability protections for firms that have been breached. Such protections are among the options being discussed to solve the impasse over critical infrastructure. Notable, Reid made no mention of the privacy concerns cited by several advocacy groups on both sides of the aisle.
Regardless, Reid appears poised to bring a bill to the Senate floor, whether or not it's capable of passing the House. Sponsors of the Senate cyber bill have been pursuing legislation on this issue for years, and they're probably not thrilled by the perception they've been left behind while the lower chamber dictates what cybersecurity laws would be tolerable. If the Senate passes a bill with some form of voluntary regulations, there could be room for compromise in a conference committee. But any security mandate will probably be greeted by the House like a PC user at a Mac convention.
Quotable: "The longer we argue over how to tackle this problem, the longer our power plants, financial systems and water infrastructure go unprotected. Everyone knows this Congress can’t pass laws that don’t have broad, bipartisan support. So we’ll need to work together on a bill that addresses the concerns of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. But for that to happen, more of my Republican colleagues need to start taking this threat seriously. It is time for them to participate productively in the conversation, instead of just criticizing the current approach." --Sen. Reid