Election Security Letter

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence operatives for their activities hacking Democratic email and computer networks during the 2016 election.

In Illinois, our State Board of Elections was also targeted and its voter registration database breached. Data on tens of thousands of Illinois voters was taken. This breach and the taking of voter data is an unacceptable, malicious attack on our Nation and its people.

We must not only hold the attackers accountable; we need to ensure that attacks on our next election are defended against. Personally, I have met with county clerks for the district I represent, and I know they are taking action, treating this threat seriously.

We need to ensure that our Federal Government is responding with the same level of urgency. That is why, today, I led my Illinois colleagues in a letter requesting a briefing from the Department of Justice on their election security efforts in our State.

Protecting the integrity of our election is fundamental to our democracy. I urge the Department of Justice to work with Illinois to secure our election infrastructure and prepare for this serious national threat.

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