It is encouraging that the Vice President and Secretary of Homeland Security are admitting that election hacking took place in 2016, and setting up a task force to look into it. However, their task force doesn’t add any funding for securing our election infrastructure, and Trump’s election security meeting earlier this week was less than an hour long. This does not appear to be a serious effort to take action.
It is still encouraging, because it means that the Trump Adminsitration is feeling the political pressure to do something about election hacking. We need to use that to get real funding for real action. The real action is at the state level, where the election infrastructure is actually maintained and secured. Senator Leahy (D-VT) is pushing for an appropriations amendment that will give grants to states to help them secure their elections. Let’s help get that passed.
ACTION: Ask our Members of Congress to help the states protect us from further election hacking.
1) Ask our Senators to join Senator Leahy in calling for a floor vote on his appropriations amendment to fund Election Security Grants to states, so that they can secure their elections infrastructure.
2) Ask your Representative (Smith or Jayapal) to make a similar proposal in the House.
Sen. Patty Murray–DC 202-224-2621; Seattle 206-553-5545
Sen. Maria Cantwell–DC 202-224-3441; Seattle 206-220-6400
Rep. Pramila Jayapal–DC 202-225-3106; Seattle 206-674-0040
Rep. Adam Smith–DC 202-225-8901; Renton 425-793-5180
SCRIPT for Murray and Cantwell:
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [CITY, ZIP]. I am calling because I am very concerned that Russia will try to hack this year’s election, like they did in 2016. I would like [Senator] to join Senator Leahy in pushing for a floor vote to fund grants to states to help them secure their election equipment. Can I count on her to do that?
SCRIPT for Jayapal or Smith:
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I’m calling from [CITY, ZIP]. I am calling because I am very concerned that Russia will try to hack this year’s election, like they did in 2016. Senator Leahy is pushing an appropriations amendment that would fund grants to states to help them secure their election equipment. I would like [Representative] to introduce similar funding in the house. Can I count on her/him to do that?
BACKGROUND:
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-cybersecurity-202/2018/07/30/the-cybersecurity-202-the-fight-over-election-security-comes-to-the-senate-floor/5b5dd0ad1b326b0207955e1b
- https://www.wired.com/story/secure-elections-budget-congress/
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-31/homeland-security-s-nielsen-says-putin-meddled-in-trump-election
UPCOMING EVENTS: August 4 & 5
Help take back the House by canvassing in Washington’s 8th district. All of these weekend events are within 25 miles of Seattle.
Saturday 10am – Sammamish
https://www.wa-democrats.org/ngpvanforms/8359
Saturday 12pm – Issaquah
https://www.wa-democrats.org/ngpvanforms/8369
Saturday 2pm – Issaquah/Snoqualmie Ridge
https://www.wa-democrats.org/ngpvanforms/10204
Sunday 1pm – Maple Valley
https://www.wa-democrats.org/ngpvanforms/8379
Sunday 3pm – Maple Valley
