Washington (June 11, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. Senate defeated an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that contained the text of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA).

“CISA could open a floodgate of information sharing that would jeopardize Americans’ privacy and put their personal information at risk.  This legislation would have made it easier for the government to access personal information of innocent Americans as well as for private companies to monitor Americans’ online activities. I was proud to vote against this harmful amendment that sacrifices Americans’ privacy under the guise of security.  While the Senate should enact strong cybersecurity legislation, there should be an opportunity for Senators to offer amendments that ensure any legislation we pass appropriately protects Americans’ privacy.”