GOP lawmakers probe Equifax use of existing cyber tools; Democrats call for data-breach law

At the first congressional hearing today on the Equifax hack, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee pursued familiar lines of inquiry -- with Republicans suggesting the company failed to make use of existing tools and protocols while Democrats called for a new federal breach law, while one GOP lawmaker suggested imposing a dramatic penalty on companies that lose consumer data.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), a former chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said companies need a stronger...