Executive branch input on the composition of a comprehensive cybersecurity reform bill has been held up by a unnecessarily long interagency process, said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) during a March 9 hearing.

During the hearing, held by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Whitehouse pressed Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano for an end to the interagency process, or at the very least, a commitment from the Obama administration to work with senators on the legislation even if the interagency process isn't complete.

"We need input form the executive branch in order to sort out the differences between the different committees," Whitehouse said. "There's no point sorting it out if we don't know where the executive branch is going to stand."

During the last Congress, two Senate committees--Commerce, Science & Transportation and Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs--both introduced bills that would have wrought significant changes to the organization of federal cybersecurity efforts. Neither cleared the Senate.

Sen. Joe Liebermann (I-Conn.), chairman of the homeland security committee, introduced a revised version of his bill Feb. 17; the committee's majority counsel recently said that movement on the bill awaits White House input.  

"We are now probably a year into a stall on preparing the legislation that I think we urgently need," Whitehouse said, apparently placing responsibility for lacking passage of a cybersecurity bill on the executive branch.

When asked, Napolitano also said cyber reform legislation is needed, to the extent that it clarifies the authorities and jurisdiction of federal cybersecurity efforts. "Clarity always facilitates operations," she said.

During the hearing, Whitehouse got into a testy exchange with Napolitano:

Whitehouse: So, as far as you know, we are at least not close to the conclusion of that interagency process.

Napolitano: I didn't say that. I said I didn't know the answer. So, let me check and get back to you.

Whitehouse: If you're involved in it, presumably you have some visibility into it, and all I'm trying to get is--I mean, you're the secretary of homeland security. That's the central agency for cybersecurity, other than NSA, which provides the technical forces to everybody. You've got to have a sense how close this is. When you say you're going to get me an answer from the White House, I appreciate that, and I would love to have an answer from the White House, but I'd also like your sense about when this is going to come to an end, because you've got to be involved in this and have to have some familiarity with it.

Napolitano: Senator, I think it is fairly close, but I hesitate to give you a deadline, because I don't know that there is one. But, we share the sense of urgency.  

For more:
- go to the hearing webpage (there is a link to an archived webcast)

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