Klobuchar, Blunt Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect U.S. Election System from Foreign Influence
Despite technological advancements that affect how people donate money to campaigns, the law banning foreign contributions to U.S. elections has not been updated for more than fifty years; This means that current disclosure requirements for online campaign contributions do not fully protect our election system from foreign interference
The Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act would strengthen disclosure by requiring federal campaigns to use existing credit card verification protocols to help verify that online credit card donations come from U.S. sources
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) have introduced bipartisan legislation to protect the U.S. election system from foreign influence. Despite technological advancements that affect how people donate money to campaigns, the law banning foreign contributions to U.S. elections has not been updated for more than fifty years. This means that current disclosure requirements for online campaign contributions do not fully protect our election system from foreign interference. The Stop Foreign Donations Affecting Our Elections Act would strengthen disclosure by requiring federal campaigns to use existing credit card verification protocols to verify that credit card donations come from U.S. sources. This technology is similar to credit card verifications used by nearly all online merchants who verify the billing address of the consumer. The House companion to this legislation was introduced by Rep. Gosar (R-AZ) and is supported by a bipartisan group of 33 cosponsors.
“With the recent intelligence report which established foreign interference in our democracy, we need to take steps to restore trust in our electoral process and ensure that the voices of the American people are heard,” Senator Klobuchar said. “Commonsense reforms like the one Senator Blunt and I are fighting for with this legislation will help strengthen our campaign finance laws and protect American elections from foreign influence.”
“Keeping our nation’s electoral system free from foreign influence is critical to ensuring the integrity of our democratic process,” said Senator Blunt. “This bill takes important steps to prevent foreign donors from illegally contributing to U.S. campaigns. I urge all of my colleagues to support this measure.”
As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, Klobuchar has introduced legislation to improve the security of U.S. election systems and make commonsense improvements to election administration.
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June 29, 2017
Klobuchar Introduces Legislation to Improve U.S. Election Cybersecurity, Infrastructure, and Administration
Helping State and Local Governments Prevent Cyber Attacks Act would help combat foreign interference by providing state and local governments with information and resources they need to keep our elections secure and improve voter confidence
The legislation would also simplify registration and voting processes to save taxpayer dollars, increase efficiency
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight jurisdiction over federal elections, has introduced legislation to improve the security of U.S. election systems and make commonsense improvements to election administration. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has designated election infrastructure as a critical infrastructure, but the designation only provides expedited access to DHS information, it does not provide local jurisdictions with the resources they need to modernize and upgrade infrastructure to keep elections secure. The Helping State and Local Governments Prevent Cyber Attacks Act would help combat foreign interference by providing state and local governments with information and resources they need to keep our elections secure and improve voter confidence. The bill is cosponsored by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) , Dick Durbin (D-IL), Al Franken (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tom Udall (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
“Free and fair elections have become targets for adversaries looking to subvert our democracy," said Klobuchar. "According to the Department of Homeland Security, in the last election, as many as 21 states may have been hit by Russian hackers. State and local election officials must have the tools and resources they need to prevent these attacks and ensure that future elections are safeguarded from foreign interference.”
The Helping State and Local Governments Prevent Cyber Attacks Act amends the Help America Vote Act by requiring the Election Assistance Commission to hold public hearings and establish best practice recommendations for both election cybersecurity and election audits. Once those best practices are finalized, the bill provides for a grant program that helps provide states with $325 million in grant funds to implement these best practices. Additionally, the bill will create efficiencies that save taxpayer dollars including:zzz
- creating an online federal voter registration form to provide all eligible Americans with access to online voter registration;
- requiring the United States Post Office to connect its change of address services with the online federal form to streamline voter registration for Americans that move;
- strengthening the accuracy of voting lists by notifying previous jurisdictions when Americans move and register in a new location;
- protecting the right to vote by allowing voters who had previously registered in a state to update their address through Election Day; and
- providing an opportunity for all eligible Americans to vote at a convenient time.
Earlier this month, as Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee, Klobuchar led Committee Democrats in a call for hearings and briefings on foreign attempts to hack into U.S. election systems and improving cyber security. Klobuchar also led a group of 26 senators in calling for a full account of the Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) efforts to address Russian cybersecurity threats.
In early January, Klobuchar introduced legislation with four other senators to create an independent, nonpartisan commission to comprehensively investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election. Klobuchar was recently in Ukraine, the Baltic states, and Georgia to reinforce support for our Eastern European allies and to focus on mounting international cybersecurity threats. The bipartisan congressional delegation was led by Republican Senator John McCain from Arizona, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and also included Klobuchar and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.
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January 9, 2018
Pelosi Remarks at Press Conference on House Republicans’ Refusal to Fully Investigate Russia’s Threat to Our Democracy and National Security
Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Ranking Members Eliot Engel, Maxine Waters, Jerrold Nadler, and Bennie Thompson, as well as Vice Ranking Member Gerry Connolly at a press conference to highlight House Republicans’ refusal to fully investigate and address Russia’s threat to our democracy and national security. Below are the Leader’s remarks:Leader Pelosi. Good afternoon. As Members of Congress, we proudly take an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution and protect the American people. One year ago, that oath was tested when the U.S. Intelligence community concluded that Russia interfered in [the] 2016 elections and will do so again. One year ago, today, the community made that revelation. Since then, more information about the scale of Russia’s rising threat to our democracy has emerged. The unprecedented attack requires a whole-of-government response.
The American people deserve a comprehensive and fair investigation on the totality of the Russian attack on our electoral system. The Republican-controlled House continues to block Democrats’ efforts to investigate the attack. Last week, I sent a letter calling on Speaker Ryan to allow the Intelligence Committee to continue its investigation, but received no response.
To date, the House has only held one full committee public hearing on the most significant finding of the report: the continued vulnerability of our elections to foreign interference. House Republicans must show real leadership and join Democrats to find answers to the multitude of vital unanswered questions. Nothing less than the strength and integrity of American democracy and national security are at stake. And that is what we take an oath of office to support and defend: our constitution and the American people.
I’m very pleased to be joined here this afternoon by the leadership of the committees of jurisdiction. I’m going to yield now to Representative [Bennie] Thompson and thank him, as Ranking Member of Homeland Security, former Chair of that Committee, for his great leadership in protecting our electoral system and protecting our homeland security. Mr. Thompson.
They were joined by Congressman Bob Brady, Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee, in sending a letter to the Speaker, and in the letter they ask for and they say, ‘We are extremely concerned by the Intelligence Community’s warning that Russia may attempt to interfere with future elections, including the upcoming midterm elections. and we are deeply troubled by the lack of action by the Trump Administration and the House Republicans in responding to this core threat to our democracy.’
I thank them for sending that letter, asking for action and in the letter they say, ‘As members we take a solemn oath to support and defend the constitution and protect the American people. The failure of House Republicans to take strong and swift action in the face of Russia’s assault on our democracy is beneath the dignity of this oath. The strength and integrity of our democracy, the rule of law and our democratic institutions hang in the balance.’
And hence, they ask for action and I thank them for their leadership on their committees and for their presentations today and I am sure they will be pleased to take any questions that you may have on this subject.
Q: How hopeful are you that Ryan will respond to your call to action if you had to put a number to it?
Leader Pelosi. On a score of what to what?
[Laughter]
Leader Pelosi. Well we haven’t heard yet but the purpose of our coming together today and this week, one year since the Intelligence Committee put forth this challenge. I have no doubt that if the Democrats were in power we would have taken action to protect our electoral system, I have no doubt if the Democrats were in power the Republicans would be urging that action but that’s not what they’re doing.
And as Congresswoman Waters said, for some reason they are protecting the President. And we just want to get the facts. This is only about getting the facts about our election so we can protect them.
I hope that the odds are very high that the Speaker would respond and I hope that the pubic visibility of the letter that our colleagues have sent and the actions that the American people are calling for will motivate him to respond in a positive way and honor his oath of office to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Letter to Speaker Ryan from Ranking Committee Members
January 9, 2018
The Honorable Paul D. Ryan
Speaker of the House of Representatives
H-232, United States Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
January 6th marked one year since the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its ominous report documenting Russia’s multifaceted campaign to interfere in the 2016 elections and warning that Russia is likely to do it again.
Over the past year, our nation has learned more about the breadth and magnitude of Russia’s growing threat against our democracy and our national security. We now know that Russia used its influence to help elect Donald Trump, sought to interfere in at least 21 state elections, executed a propaganda campaign to manipulate and sow discord among the American people, and hacked our nation’s critical infrastructure, including U.S. electricity grids.
Since then, President Trump’s former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, and the President’s former campaign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, both have pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about their contacts with Russia. President Trump also fired James Comey, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, because he continued to investigate the “Russia thing” while refusing to pledge his loyalty to President Trump.
Russia’s aggression towards the United States and the Trump Administration’s efforts to cover up its communications with the Russians demand an immediate, whole-of-government response. Yet, Republican House leaders and Committee Chairmen have blocked, stonewalled, and rejected our basic requests to investigate, hold public hearings, and advance legislation to address these matters. House Republicans have chosen to put President Trump ahead of our national interests.
Rather than pursue the truth on behalf of the American people, House Republicans have waged an aggressive campaign to shut down congressional and criminal investigations into Russia’s attack, they have launched and re-launched investigations into baseless conspiracy theories to deflect attention and resources, they have defamed our nation’s top law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and they have sought to discredit anyone seeking to uncover wrongdoing, including Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a decorated war veteran.
To date, the House has held only one full committee public hearing on the most significant finding of the ODNI report: that our elections continue to be vulnerable to foreign interference in the future. Instead, they have relegated this issue to a handful of toothless subcommittee hearings, which have been marked by the Trump Administration’s refusal to provide documents requested by Democrats that would help inform our work, such as documents relating to Russia’s attempted attacks against 21 state election systems that are currently being withheld by the Department of Homeland Security. Our country, our democracy, and the American public deserve better.
As Members of Congress, we take a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution and protect the American people. The failure of House Republicans to take strong and swift action in the face of Russia’s assault on our democracy is beneath the dignity of this oath. The strength and integrity of our democracy, the rule of law, and our democratic institutions hang in the balance.
We ask you to change course and begin demonstrating true leadership on this critical national security issue. We request that House Republicans join us in fulfilling our sworn constitutional duty by ensuring that each committee of jurisdiction thoroughly investigates the following key questions:
- How were Russian hackers able to penetrate our state election systems, and how do we protect our elections infrastructure in advance of upcoming elections this year and beyond?
- What vulnerabilities remain in our electrical grids and infrastructure networks, and what can we be doing to ensure our safety and security?
- How was social media leveraged to influence voters, and what can be done to ensure that American voters know where their information is coming from?
- What was the extent of the Trump campaign’s involvement in Russia’s operation to hack and disseminate material damaging to Hillary Clinton?
- In light of President Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns, what is the extent of his and his family’s business and financial ties to Russians, and how might those ties constitute leverage over the President and his family?
- In light of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ testimony in October that the Trump Administration is not doing enough to stop future Russian interference and that “the matter is so complex that for most of us we are not able to fully grasp the technical dangers that are out there,” what steps has the Trump Administration taken to hold Russia accountable for its attack and ensure the safety of our elections from foreign interference?
- Why is the Trump Administration dragging its feet on implementing the sanctions against Russia that were adopted by Congress with widespread bipartisan support?
- What are the extent and nature of efforts by the Trump Administration to impede criminal and congressional investigations into the Trump campaign’s involvement and support for Russian interference into our elections?
We are extremely concerned by the Intelligence Community’s warning that Russia may attempt to interfere with future elections—including the upcoming midterm elections—and we are deeply troubled by the lack of action by the Trump Administration and House Republicans in responding to this core threat to our democracy.
We ask you to review this request and to schedule a meeting with leaders of both parties so we may work together to respond to the matters of serious concern raised in this letter. Thank you for your consideration of these requests.
Sincerely,
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Congressman Eliot Engel, Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
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Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee
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Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee
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Congressman Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee
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Congressman Elijah Cummings, Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee |
Congressman Robert Brady, Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee |
U.S. Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA)
House Democrats from States Targeted by Russian Hackers call on Speaker Ryan to Take Action
Members Urge Speaker to Recognize That Ensuring the Security and Integrity of Our Election System is a Bipartisan Issue
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Democrats from 18 of the 21 states whose elections were targeted by Russian hackers in 2016 released a letter calling on House Speaker Paul Ryan to take several immediate actions to protect the security of America’s election infrastructure.
The letter calls for Speaker Ryan to ask the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to brief all members of Congress on the Russian cyber-attacks on our election infrastructure, to direct the relevant Congressional committees to investigate the attacks, and to seek bipartisan solutions to secure our elections.
The letter, led by Election Security Task Force co-chair and House Administration Committee Ranking Member Robert A. Brady (D-Pa.) reads as follows:
“We represent 18 of the 21 states whose elections were targeted by Russian hackers in 2016, and we write because we are deeply concerned about the security of America’s election infrastructure. Fair, free, and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. Accordingly, we respectfully request that you ask DHS and the FBI to brief all Members of Congress on the Russian attack on 21 states’ voting systems, direct the relevant Congressional committees to investigate this attack, and seek bipartisan solutions to secure our elections going forward.
“The attacks in 2016 were not a one-off occurrence. In March 2017, then-FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that: “[T]hey’ll be back. They’ll be back in 2020. They may be back in 2018.” Days before the 2017 elections, Bob Kolasky, the acting Deputy Undersecretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security said, “We saw in 2016 that Russia had an intent to be involved in our elections and some capability to be active or to attempt to be active in scanning election systems. We have not seen any evidence that intent or capability has changed.” The threat remains, and Congress must act.”
The letter, led by Congressman Brady, was signed by House Democrats from 18 of 21 states targeted by Russian hackers, including Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D- Md.), U.S. Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Val Butler Demings (D-Fla.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Rosa L.DeLauro (D-Conn.), Gene Green (D-Texas), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa), Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and Timothy J. Walz (D-Minn.).
A link to the letter can be found here, and full text is below:
December 18, 2017
The Honorable Paul Ryan
Speaker of the House
H-232, United States Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Speaker:
We represent 18 of the 21 states whose elections were targeted by Russian hackers in 2016, and we write because we are deeply concerned about the security of America’s election infrastructure. Fair, free, and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. Accordingly, we respectfully request that you ask DHS and the FBI to brief all Members of Congress on the Russian attack on 21 states’ voting systems, direct the relevant Congressional committees to investigate this attack, and seek bipartisan solutions to secure our elections going forward.
The attacks in 2016 were not a one-off occurrence. In March 2017, then-FBI Director James Comey testified before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that: “[T]hey’ll be back. They’ll be back in 2020. They may be back in 2018.”[1] Days before the 2017 elections, Bob Kolasky, the acting Deputy Undersecretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security said, “We saw in 2016 that Russia had an intent to be involved in our elections and some capability to be active or to attempt to be active in scanning election systems. We have not seen any evidence that intent or capability has changed.”[2] The threat remains, and Congress must act.
Over the past six months, the Election Security Task Force, comprised of Democratic Members of the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on House Administration, has conducted an in-depth examination of America’s voting systems. The Task Force’s preliminary findings demonstrate that this issue needs urgent, bipartisan attention.
Our voting machines can easily be hacked. In July, at DefCon, one of the world’s largest, longest-running, and best-known hacker conferences, 25 pieces of election equipment were successfully breached by participants with little prior knowledge and limited tools.[3] In over 40 states, elections are carried out using voting machines that were purchased more than a decade ago.[4] These machines are now either obsolete or at the end of their useful life. Some of these machines rely on operating systems like Windows XP or Windows 2000 which pose a particularly significant security risk as those operating systems either do not receive regular security patches, or have stopped receiving support altogether.[5] These issues are exacerbated by the fact that twenty percent of Americans cast their ballot on voting machines that do not have any kind of paper backup.[6] In other words, if these paperless machines were hacked, it would be nearly impossible to tell.[7]
State voter registration databases are also vulnerable to attack. In Illinois, hackers successfully breached registration databases and attempted, but failed, to alter and delete voting records.[8] In Arizona, hackers successfully installed malware on a county election official’s computer.[9] Russian hackers also targeted at least one election vendor with the hope of ultimately obtaining access into numerous state and local voter registration databases.[10] If these attacks had been successful, hackers would have been able to alter or delete voter registration records, causing a great deal of chaos on Election Day and potentially swaying the results of the election.
State and local election officials are acutely aware of these issues, but many are struggling to get the necessary funding from their legislatures,[11] and are frustrated by Congressional inaction.[12] The plea for Congress to act is echoed by a bipartisan group of former government officials, academics and cyber security experts. Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security wrote in The Wall Street Journal, “[L]awmakers and election officials’ lackadaisical response is both staggering and distressing…This is a matter of national security, and Congress should treat it as such…[T]here’s a clear need for action to upgrade security systems and create meaningful standards.” In June, a group of over 100 computer scientists and cyber experts wrote to Congress to take “simple, straightforward, and cost-effective actions to set meaningful standards to protect American elections.” [13]
When a sovereign nation attempts to meddle in our elections, it is an attack on our country. We urge you to recognize that ensuring the security and integrity of our election system is a bipartisan issue, to request a briefing for all Members of Congress from DHS and the FBI, and to direct the relevant committees to open an investigation on securing America’s election infrastructure.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
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U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS)
September 26, 2017
UPDATED: Election Security Task Force to Hold First Public Forum Thursday
September 27, 2017 (WASHINGTON) – On Thursday, September 28th, the Congressional Task Force on Election Security, will hold its first public forum: “Securing America's Elections: Understanding the Threat.” The task force will hear from Jeh Johnson, former Homeland Security Secretary, and Suzanne Spaulding, former DHS Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate.
Details:
Congressional Task Force on Election Security Forum
“Securing America's Elections: Understanding the Threat”
11 a.m.
Thursday, September 28th
Location: 1302 Longworth House Office Building
***NOTE ROOM CHANGE***
The Congressional Task Force on Election Security was created this summer to address the lack of action to protect electoral infrastructure following Russia interfering and attempting to influence the 2016 Presidential election. It is chaired by Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-PA).
Co-Chairs Thompson and Brady released the below joint statement announcing the forum:
“Recent news reminds us that Russia targeted voting infrastructure in at least 21 states last year in a direct attack on our democracy. Looking forward, the American people expect us to investigate our vulnerabilities and do whatever possible to prevent this from happening again. While Republican leaders in Congress refuse to investigate, we have decided to take initiative to start a process to provide answers on how we can better secure our election infrastructure and prevent election meddling in the future.”
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Media contact:
(Thompson) Adam Comis
(Brady) Jamie Fleet
U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS)
Jul 27, 2017
Election Security Task Force Receives First Briefing
(WASHINGTON) – The Congressional Task Force on Election Security, chaired by Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-PA) received its first information gathering briefing to inform its work on securing our election systems.
The Task Force was briefed by the Brennan Center For Justice on its new report: Securing Elections From Foreign Interference. Brennan Center experts offered specific actions Congress and local election officials can quickly take to insulate voting technology from continued foreign interference. Their report focuses on assessing and securing two of the most vulnerable points in the system: voting machines, which could be hacked to cast doubt on or change vote totals; and voter registration databases, which could be manipulated in an attempt to block voters, cause disruption, and undermine confidence when citizens vote.
Co-Chairs Thompson and Brady released the below joint statement following the briefing:
“Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election and targeting of voting infrastructure in at least 21 states was a direct attack on our democracy. The American people expect their government to do whatever possible to prevent this from happening again. While Republicans refuse to look into this issue, we are taking the steps to begin an investigation into what we can do to secure our election infrastructure and prevent what transpired last year from happening again. The Brennan Center’s expertise on election issues will lend us to our first public meeting in the coming weeks where we will hear from officials and experts with diverse backgrounds. This will be the first step towards forming solutions to protect our democracy and its cherished institutions from malicious actors and outside influence.”
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Media contact:
(Thompson) Adam Comis
(Brady) Jamie Fleet
U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS)
Jul 20, 2017
Thompson, Brady Announce Election Security Task Force Members
(WASHINGTON) – Today, the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Task Force on Election Security – Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-PA) – announced the membership of the new Task Force.
After Russia meddled in the 2016 election and infiltrated the voting systems in at least 21 states, this Task Force was established to focus on how to bolster the security of election infrastructure ahead of the 2018 Election. It will be a forum for Members of Congress to hear from election infrastructure experts on both physical security and cybersecurity challenges and identify actions that should be taken to help ensure the integrity of our election systems and guard against future attacks.
Congressmen Thompson and Brady released the below joint statement with the announcement:
“Ensuring the security of our election systems for our next major election should not be a partisan issue and should be a top priority for both Republicans and Democrats. It is clear that if we continue to do nothing, we make it easy for Russia – or anyone else – to meddle in our elections and undermine public confidence in democratic institutions. While we are eager to work together on protecting our election systems to prevent a repeat of 2016, to date, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have displayed no appetite to do so. With our Task Force’s membership established, we are ready to get to work and we welcome the support of Members on both sides of the aisle. We understand that the integrity of our democracy depends on the integrity of our elections.”
Task Force Membership:
- Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Co-Chair
- Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA), Co-Chair
- Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
- Rep. James R. Langevin (D-RI)
- Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA)
- Rep. Val Demings (D-FL)
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Media contact:
(Thompson) Adam Comis
(Brady) Jamie Fleet
Jun 29, 2017
Pelosi, Thompson, Brady Announce Election Security Task Force
(WASHINGTON) – Today, as the nation prepares to celebrate July 4th, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), and Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-PA) announced the formation of a Task Force to ensure the health and security of our nation’s election systems.
The Congressional Task Force on Election Security will address the lack of action to protect electoral infrastructure following Russia interfering and attempting to influence the 2016 Presidential election. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the election systems in 21 states were breached and voter records containing personal information were stolen. To this day, we have seen no action from the Republican Congress or the Trump Administration to provide greater protection to our election systems.
The Congressional Task Force on Election Security is intended to be a forum for Members from the two Committees to hear from experts with expertise in cybersecurity and election infrastructure and identify policy recommendations that can help ensure the integrity of our election systems and guard against future attacks.
Leader Pelosi released the following statement on the Task Force:
“The integrity of our democracy itself is under threat from the Russians,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “But we see an appalling absence of action, or even concern, from President Trump and Congressional Republicans. Democrats won’t allow Putin’s assault on American democracy to go unchallenged. With our Task Force on Election Security, House Democrats are continuing to pursue the facts and defend our democracy where Republicans won’t.”
Ranking Member Thompson added the following:
“Last year's Russian campaign to hack our political institutions and interfere with the Presidential election was a blatant attack on our democracy. If we continue to do nothing to protect the integrity of our election systems, we make it easy for Russia and other nefarious actors to impact future elections. Unfortunately, we have seen no effort from the Republican-led Congress or the Trump Administration to address this vulnerability. Looking towards the future, we must be able to put politics aside for the good of the country and work together to protect against efforts to undermine our cherished democratic institutions. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Brady and my colleagues to get answers for the American people and prevent future damage to our democracy.”
Ranking Member Brady added the following:
"We now know that Russia launched an unprecedented attack on our election infrastructure, and the intelligence community has indicated that foreign actors will be back in 2018 and 2020. Free, fair, and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, and Congress must take action to address this threat to our election security, and our national security. I look forward to working with my colleagues to identify the vulnerabilities in our voting systems and to take action to make our elections safer."
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Media contacts:
(Thompson) Adam Comis
(Brady) Khalil Abboud
