Attorneys general for 22 states urged top Senate officials Tuesday to take steps to secure the nation’s election systems and infrastructure from state-sponsored attacks.
“Our state and local election officials are on the front lines of the fight to protect our election infrastructure, but they lack the resources necessary to combat a sophisticated foreign adversary like Russia,” they wrote in a letter sent to the leaders of the Senate Appropriations and Rules and Administration Committees.
“The nature of the threat against our election systems require the federal government to provide increased assistance to the states,” the letter said. “Securing our election systems is a matter of national security and we hope that you will take immediate action to protect our election infrastructure and restore Americans’ trust in our election systems.”
Led by Keith Ellison of Minnesota and signed entirely by Democrats, the letter was sent as Republicans in the GOP-controlled Senate have come under fire for impeding efforts to pass election security legislation despite growing concerns ahead of the 2020 presidential race.
Federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies have concluded that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election, prompting legislative proposals pitched in both chambers of Congress.
Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been hesitant to even hold a briefing on election security, however, spurring a stern rebuke Tuesday from his Democratic counterpart.
“McConnell just stands there and twiddles their thumbs and says almost, ’Come on Putin, let it happen’,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said during a news conference.
“It is Congress’s solemn obligation to protect our elections,” Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, told reporters. “And any leader who doesn’t do that is abdicating their responsibilities to our grand democracy.”
The letter sent by nearly half the states’ attorneys general urged Congress to provide additional election security grants to states and localities, support the establishment of cybersecurity and audit standards for election systems and enact further federal reform through legislation.
Spokespeople for the Republican chairs of the appropriations and rules committees — Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Roy Blunt of Missouri, respectively — did not immediately return messages requesting comment.
Russian state-sponsored hackers infiltrated U.S. targets during the 2016 presidential race ranging from Democratic Party computer networks, to a company that manufactures voting systems software used in several states, federal agencies concluded previously. Moscow has denied responsibility.
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