Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

The Russians attacked our democracy. They will be back and we are not ready. The President is unwilling to meet this challenge, but we must be willing to meet this challenge.

The last time our electoral process was called into question post- Bush-Gore, this government spent $3.5 billion to upgrade our election systems because we treasured the integrity of our democracy. I hope we still do.

Earlier this year, we appropriated $380 million to the Election Assistance Commission to provide grants for training, equipment, and software which will help States fortify and protect our election systems. This amendment appropriates an additional $380 million to grants that continue to improve those defenses because our election infrastructure remains outdated, low tech, and nowhere where it needs to be to prevent future intrusions.

In the lead-up to the 2016 elections, the Russians targeted the election systems of at least 21 States and as many as 39. Through the special counsel's investigation, we now have the names of 12 Russian intelligence officers that carried it out.

When President Trump was given the opportunity to challenge President Putin in Helsinki this week, he, instead, condemned his own intelligence agencies while praising the Russian President.

Mr. Speaker, it was embarrassing, it was un-American, and it was a clear sign from the President that he will continue to stand by as President Putin orchestrates additional attacks on our democracy.

This latest episode of capitulation to the Russians was a step too far for many of you. But tweets will not stop the Russians. This moment demands action.

The Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, recently confirmed that the Russians continue to target our elections. Forty-two States continue to use outdated voting machines susceptible to cyber intrusions. Thirteen States continue to use voting machines that fail to produce a paper ballot or record.

The overwhelming demand for assistance is there. The EAC issued a public announcement just 3 days ago that every single State and eligible territory has requested grant funding with almost 90 percent of the existing funds already transferred out. But the amount distributed is only a fraction of what the States need. Election experts believe that the bare minimum required is $1.25 billion while this bill zeros out those grants.

We now have the chance to do the right thing. Equipped with the new revelations from the Mueller investigation and the realization that President Trump will do absolutely nothing to defend our elections systems from foreign interference; and with Russia attempting to cast doubt, uncertainty, and suspicion over the integrity of our election process, now is the time to double down on our efforts to prevent election hacking.

The American people are watching, and we must ensure that we, unlike our President, are on the right side of history during this pivotal moment in our democracy.

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