Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) moved to end debate on a long-stalled cyber bill that reached the Senate floor earlier Tuesday.
The Republican leader filed cloture on a substitute package, which includes a slate of amendments to the legislation as well as the underlying Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, or CISA.
{mosads}Under Senate rules, that would set up the first procedural hurdle for Thursday on ending debate on the substitute amendment unless senators can get a deal to speed up the votes. No vote has been scheduled.
The Republican leader’s move comes after senators officially kicked off debate on the legislation from the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon, after Democrats blocked a separate bill to crack down on cities that don’t comply with federal immigration law.
CISA — aimed at bolstering information sharing between businesses and the government on cyber threats — is getting pushback from outside privacy groups, as well as Sen. Ron Wyden.
The Oregon Democrat blocked an effort by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who has spearheaded the cyber bill for Republicans, to get unanimous consent to wrap up the Senate’s work on the legislation on Thursday.
McConnell, however, appeared optimistic that the Senate could pass the legislation next week.
“This is legislation that we are confident that we can pass,” he told reporters. “We intend to see it through completion hopefully next week.”
Don Stewart, an official for McConnell, quickly defended the Republican leader’s move, saying that despite the procedural moves “debate will continue throughout the week” on the cyber bill.
CISA was originally brought up on the Senate floor ahead of the August recess with lawmakers reaching an agreement to consider at least 22 amendments with no time limit.