There were certainly signs that the would-be bill might die before it was really born. Burr and Feinstein didn't have a firm timetable, and it's difficult to propose legislation like this during an election year when support from tech companies could decide the outcome. There was also stiff opposition from the pro-privacy camp: Senator Ron Wyden threatened a filibuster.

However, the bill's early (if possibly temporary) end shows just how divisive encryption is in Washington. For every Burr or Feinstein contending that backdoors are necessary to thwart terrorists who'd otherwise plot in secret, there's another official worried that these holes would give hackers and foreign spies guaranteed access to your devices. This doesn't mean that you'll never see an anti-encryption measure make it to a vote, but it may take a fundamental shift in the political landscape for that to happen.