What we can do about attack on our democracy by Russia
Since at least 2016, our elections — the bedrock of our democracy — have been under nonstop attack from Russia. Last month, we received two bracing reminders about the scope and scale of that threat.
On July 24, special counsel Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee. Mueller’s report had described Russia’s “sweeping and systematic” campaign to destabilize American democracy and change the outcome of the 2016 presidential campaign. When asked by Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, whether Russia might try to do the same in 2020, Mueller replied, “They’re doing it as we sit here, and they expect to do it in the next campaign.”
Twenty-four hours later, the Senate Intelligence Committee released its report on the 2016 election. In addition to creating fake Facebook accounts and dumping data through Wikileaks, Russia also hacked electoral systems in all 50 states; the report also reveals that “Russian cyberactors were in a position to delete or change voter data.”
In a span of two days, we heard our intelligence community’s assessment confirmed: every
day, Russia is deploying resources to manipulate American voters, poison our public discourse, sow disunity, and rig our next election. We also learned that this interference is taking place on a wider scale than we once thought — and that our election systems are more vulnerable than we knew.
As Mueller said, “Much more needs to be done in order to protect against these intrusions.”
He’s right — and fortunately, there is much we can do. On June 25, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Securing America’s Federal Elections Act, which requires verifiable paper ballots for federal elections and provides funds to update and protect our election equipment against interference. And on the other side of Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of senators is advancing the Foreign Influence Reporting in Elections Act. This bill would require campaigns to report any offer of assistance from a foreign national to the FBI and Federal Election Commission.
Unfortunately, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has blocked a vote on the SAFE Act, and Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith has blocked a vote on the FIRE Act.
Election security should not be a partisan matter. Strengthening our elections is about restoring all Americans’ trust in our election system and defending against countries who seek to turn us against one another. Russia seeks to weaken the United States more broadly, creating conflict and inflaming our deepest historical wounds.
But they underestimate us. No matter how partisan our politics may feel right now, Americans are more than their party affiliations. We have a shared history, a proud tradition, and an unbroken commitment to one another. These are sources of pride for millions of Americans — and a continuing inspiration to me in my public service.
To defend against the ongoing threat from Russia and elsewhere, we need to shore up our election systems. We need an administration willing to stand up to President Putin. We need social media companies that vigilantly guard against manipulation. And we need the American people to tell their leaders that our elections are essential — and that they must be defended.
Rep. Madeleine Dean represents Pennsylvania’s Fourth Congressional District (Berks and Montgomery Counties). She was elected to Congress in 2018 after serving 6 years in the Pennsylvania State Legislature.