Election Security

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on another matter, last week former Special Counsel Mueller testified that Russian interference in our democracy ``wasn't a single attempt. They're doing it as we sit here and they expect to do it in the next campaign.''

The Russians, he said, interfered in the last election and are trying to interfere again. Mueller said: ``Much more needs to be done in order to protect against these intrusions, not just by the Russians but by others as well.''

It was not just Mueller who said these things or agreed with these ideas and sentiments. FBI Director Wray, appointed by President Trump, has shared similar sentiments. Departing DNI Director Coats--lifelong Republican, former member of this body, well respected by all, and appointed by President Trump--has repeatedly warned about the threat posed by Russia. The Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by a Republican, Senator Burr, did the same.

It is with these facts as the backdrop--the testimony of prominent Republicans, allies of President Trump and friends and allies of our colleagues here--that Democrats have been pushing for election security--so far, to little avail. Leader McConnell and the Republican majority have not allowed a single election security bill to reach the floor of the Senate. We haven't had a single bill open for amendment all year.

So, last week, understandably frustrated at the lack of progress, Democrats asked unanimous consent to pass House legislation to safeguard our elections. Leader McConnell blocked that request saying yesterday: ``I am not going to let Democrats and their water-carriers in the media use Russia's attack on our democracy as a Trojan horse for partisan wish list items.''

``Partisan wish list items''--really? What are these items on our partisan wish list, you might ask? Using paper ballots--that is partisan? Using paper ballots is widely agreed upon as a reform to protect our elections from manipulation. Does Leader McConnell object to paper ballots? Does Leader McConnell believe paper ballots are partisan? They are part of our elections, whoever wins.

How about this one: We want the postelection audits to make sure the Russians or any other foreign power didn't interfere. Does Leader McConnell object to auditing our elections to make sure the outcomes are accurate? Are election audits partisan?

Making sure the States and localities have adequate resources to update and maintain election infrastructure--does Leader McConnell oppose that, when 21 attorneys general have said they don't have enough money now to guard their election processes and machines from manipulation by Russia or others?

So that is ``our partisan wish list''--paper ballots, election audits, and money to protect us from the Russians. If Leader McConnell opposes these policies, fine, but let him say so. I repeat, protecting our election from Russian interference is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue or an Independent issue, and it is not a liberal issue or a conservative issue. It is not a moderate issue. It is an issue that goes to the wellspring of our democracy and something the Founding Fathers warned about--foreign interference. James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin all were worried about foreign interference in our elections, and now Leader McConnell calls it partisan to worry about it? Please.

If Leader McConnell wants to debate other legislation than what we propose and what has passed the House--legislation like the FIRE Act or the Duty to Report Act or the Prevention of Foreign Interference with Elections Act--bring it on. Let's do it. If Leader McConnell wants to address election security in the appropriations process, we would welcome his support on an amendment to send more funding to the States. We want to get something done on election security because this is not about party. This is a matter of national security. This is about the sanctity of elections, something for which Americans have died for generations. It is not partisan at all. It is the wellspring of our democracy.

But so long as the Senate Republicans prevent legislation from reaching the floor, so long as they oppose additional appropriations to the States, so long as they malign election security provisions as ``partisan wish lists,'' the critics are right to say that Leader McConnell and Republican Senators are blocking election security because, at the moment, that is true.

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