The Russia connectionDem. leaders want $300 million for FBI, DHS to protect U.S. election from Russia

The Democratic leaders in the Senate and House on Wednesday sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin), demanding an increase in funding for the FBI and the DHS in the upcoming omnibus spending package.

The letter was sent after special counsel Robert Mueller indicted thirteen Russian nationals for interfering in the 2016 election.

The Washington Examiner reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California), and leading Democratic appropriators sent a letter to Ryan and McConnell demanding that $300 million be given to the FBI and DHS so they can thwart more meddling by foreign powers.

The letter urges state and local governments to bolster their defense against cyberattacks, including the replacement of outdated voter registration and voting systems, after the FBI and DHDS confirmed that Russian government operatives, in 2016, tried to attack these components of the U.S. election system in twenty-one states.

Schumer did not say whether Senate Democrats would hold their votes on the spending package unless it includes funding to combat possible interference from Russia or another nation state from attempting to interfere.

“We’re not drawing lines in the sand,” Schumer told the Examiner. “We’re going to push hard to get this funding, and we hope it gets the support from our Republican colleagues.”

Current government funding will end on 23 March, and lawmakers will have to agree on an omnibus spending package to fund the government for the remainder of the 2018 fiscal year.

The letter sent by the Democratic leaders to McConnell and Ryan:

Dear Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan:

The most essential elements of America’s democracy are under attack by a foreign adversary and Congress must respond immediately. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s recent criminal indictment provides further evidence that Russian President Vladimir Putin and his operatives undertook significant covert activities to interfere in the 2016 U.S. elections. In order to counteract another attack in the 2018 elections, America must bolster our domestic defenses. Accordingly, we must provide urgently needed resources in the FY2018 Omnibus due on March 23rd for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s counterintelligence activities; the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to assist state and local governments enhance their election infrastructure security; and Election Assistance Commission state election security grants.

As Russian efforts to interfere with our democracy continue, the burden placed on the FBI to investigate and counter these operations only increases. In order to ensure our nation’s premier law enforcement agency can adequately respond to this threat, we urge you to support a $300 million increase in the Bureau’s 2018 budget request. This additional funding should be targeted to ensure the resources and manpower to counter the influence of hostile foreign actors operating in the U.S., especially Russian operatives operating on our social media platforms.

Our intelligence agencies have also made clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hackers attacked state and local election infrastructure during the 2016 election. This aggression requires state and local governments to enhance their defenses against cyber-attacks; replace outdated registration and voting systems; and ensure procedures are in place to accurately count every ballot. As State and local governments face significant resource challenges to address this threat, we recommend a substantial increase for both the Department of Homeland Security and Election Assistance Commission’s activities to assist state and local governments with the security of their election infrastructure. These investments are critical for elections in 2018 and beyond and for the resiliency of our democracy.

These attacks and Putin’s ongoing efforts to again interfere in our upcoming elections demand a robust and urgent response, and Congress must respond immediately to attacks on our democracy by a foreign adversary. We urge you to join us in vigorously combating efforts to sow discord in our country and support our state and local officials with the critical resources they need to protect our election systems.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

U.S. Representative Nita Lowey (D-NY)

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)