A legislative proposal aimed at securing U.S. election systems from cyberattack is picking up additional support in the Senate as lawmakers grapple with how to respond to Russian election interference. The bill, spearheaded by Sens. James Lankford James Paul LankfordGOP turns against Jan. 6 probe as midterm distraction The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Biden wants Congress to pass abortion bill, pushes for Mideast cease-fire Top border officials defend Biden policies MORE (R-Okla.) and Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharDemocrats to introduce bill to prevent default recurring political donations Are the Supreme Court and Biden ready to rumble over Roe? Bottom line MORE (D-Minn.), is designed to help states upgrade their digital voting systems and boost information sharing between state and federal officials on potential cyber threats to U.S. elections. ADVERTISEMENT The bill picked up new cosponsors in Sens. Mike Rounds Mike RoundsSenators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission Filibuster fight looms over Jan. 6 commission McCarthy, McConnell drive over their lieutenants to stop bipartisan Jan. 6 commission MORE and Bill Nelson Clarence (Bill) William NelsonStephanie Murphy won't run for Senate seat in Florida next year China fires back after NASA criticism of rocket debris reentry The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Infrastructure, Cheney ouster on deck as Congress returns MORE (D-Fla.), the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Armed Services cyber subcommittee, on Tuesday. Lankford is also hoping that Special Counsel Robert Mueller Robert (Bob) MuellerSenate Democrats urge Garland not to fight court order to release Trump obstruction memo Why a special counsel is guaranteed if Biden chooses Yates, Cuomo or Jones as AG Barr taps attorney investigating Russia probe origins as special counsel MORE’s recent indictment of 12 Russian intelligence officers for launching cyberattacks in an effort to interfere with the 2016 election will add more urgency to passing the bill. “It was further evidence in great detail that the Russian not only were trying to engage, but how they were engaged,” Lankford told The Hill in an interview Wednesday. The bill is necessary to ensure confidence in future votes and securing state systems, he said, and future elections will be more at risk from hacking or interference if it is not passed. “Anytime you have any spot where you have a weak link, that’s going to be your vulnerability in the future,” Lankford said. The bill is making its way through the Senate at a time when President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE has sparked a political firestorm after appearing to cast doubt on the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment of Russian election meddling during a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday. The comments sparked bipartisan outrage, prompting Senate leaders to weigh new legislative actions, including additional sanctions, to punish Moscow. Trump walked back his comments on Tuesday, clarifying that he misspoke and accepts the intelligence community’s judgment on Russian interference. The bill would authorize grants for states to replace outdated voting systems and institute requirements to improve information sharing between state and federal officials. It would also essentially codify into law actions that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking to share sensitive information with and provide security clearances to state elections officials. Earlier this year, Congress allocated $380 million for states to immediately replace outdated voting systems with more secure ones. Officials revealed last year that Russian hackers tried to probe election systems in 21 states as part of a broader interference plot in 2016. While officials maintain that the targeted systems were not involved in vote tallying and that no votes were changed, the revelations have spurred concerns about the vulnerability of American voting infrastructure to cyber sabotage. Lankford and Klobuchar originally introduced the bipartisan legislation last December. When some states expressed concerns with various aspects of the bill, the senators began engaging with state officials to resolve the issues. A revised version of the bill picked up support from leaders of the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee in March. But despite efforts to pass the bill – including by attaching it to must-pass defense policy legislation – it has not yet received a vote in the upper chamber. But lawmakers have demonstrated increased interest in election security in recent weeks. The Senate Rules Committee has held two hearings on the issue. Lankford also said his staff is sitting down with counterparts on the Rules Committee to work out any issues with the bill before the committee ultimately votes on whether to advance it to the Senate floor. It is unclear when, and if, the Rules Committee will vote on the legislation. Chairman Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntOvernight Health Care: Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine is 100 percent effective in 12- to 17-year-olds | US achieves full vaccinations for half of adults | Trump on Wuhan lab: Now everyone agrees 'I was right' Senate confirms Biden pick to lead Medicare, Medicaid office Greene in 2020 video said she wouldn't take down statue of Hitler MORE (R-Mo.) indicated Tuesday that the committee is working through details on the information reporting requirements by engaging with voting system vendors and state and local officials. “We are trying to figure out for sure exactly what the best reporting regime would be,” Blunt told reporters. “I think, clearly, the [Department of] Homeland Security is trying to work with local officials in a way that is much more effective than they did in 2016. We are trying to determine what needs to be legislated and what needs to be a matter of oversight.” Most of the hang-ups with the legislation have centered on state concerns with the bill. State officials have broadly been weary of federal efforts to address election security, fearing a federal takeover of elections that have historically been run by the states. Lankford said that he met with state secretaries of state last week on the latest version of the bill and that the officials were “very supportive of where we are.” “They recognized how much input they have already given,” Lankford said Wednesday. “I would assume it will continue to have tweaks all the way to the bitter end,” Lankford said. “I don’t expect large changes tough.” The Mueller indictment, as well as President Trump’s recent comments about Russian interference in the election, could put momentum behind the bill. On Friday, Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officials for hacking emails of Democratic officials and waging cyberattacks against entities involved in administering elections – including hacking into a state elections board website and sending spear-phishing emails to state elections officials and an unnamed voting equipment vendor. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to be besieged with criticism over his handling of the summit with Putin, stating Wednesday that no one had been tougher than he on Russia, although he also said Russia does not pose a threat to the United States. Lankford said he was “very troubled” by the initial comments and that Trump’s subsequent statement on Tuesday clarified “a tremendous amount.” But, he said the bigger question going forward is what actions the Congress and the administration should take to push back on Moscow. “Russia is not our friend,” Lankford said. “We’ve got to have a real push the Russians are not going to respond to words."<doc-sep>And election experts note that the law passed in response to the 2000 presidential recount did not foresee the challenges facing elections today. But apart from the $380 million approved for this year — which was the first new spending on election security grants in years — Congress has not stepped in with a new pot of money or directions on how to spend it.<doc-sep>
(CNN) — House Republicans and Democrats clashed over increased money for election security in the leadup to the midterm elections, as the chamber passed an appropriations bill Thursday without Democrats’ proposal of additional funding for an agency aimed at improving and protecting US elections. Democrats sought more money for states to protect their election infrastructures from threats, mainly citing Russia. But Republicans argue that there’s more than enough resources currently available and there is no urgent need for further funding. On Wednesday, several House Democrats attempted to make a unanimous consent request to demand that Republicans hold a vote on an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat, that would add $380 million more for election security. However, their efforts came to naught. In a vote of 217-199 Thursday, the House approved the appropriations bill for the Interior Department, environment and related agencies for fiscal year 2019, which excluded the proposed additional funding for the Election Assistance Commission. And a vote later for a last-minute attempt to add the amendment to the bill also failed. Democrats argued the proof for more funding is in the wake of 12 Russians military officials indicted for alleged election hacking and President Donald Trump’s performance during a news conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Finland, in which he was largely deferential to the Russian leader. “The Russians attacked our democracy. They will be back and we are not ready,” Quigley said on the House floor Thursday, adding that “now is the time to double down on our efforts to prevent election hacking.” Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, argued this amendment allowed states to “slam the door in the face of the Russia bear or any other adversary who seeks to steal the integrity of our elections.” “Surely we can rise above pandering to party and Putin to act on behalf of our freedom and our security,” Hoyer said to cheers from Democrats. Following Hoyer’s speech, chants of “USA” broke out among Democrats in the House chamber. House Republicans countered Wednesday by saying there is adequate funding available for states that request it. “There’s no crisis. There is help available. States have an opportunity for the resources necessary to make sure what all American people want, that our elections are held with the utmost honesty and integrity,” said Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Washington Republican. Texas Rep. Pete Sessions, the chairman of the House Rules committee, also argued that “there is not, at this time, a request necessary for more money.” Both Republicans pointed to the Help America Vote Act, passed by Congress in 2002 in the wake of the 2000 presidential election, and the $380 million for election security included in the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed in March. Newhouse said that nearly 40% of the 2018 funds still have not been doled out to states. During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Trump was asked whether Russia is still targeting the US and replied “no.” Later, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the President was not disputing intelligence findings, but instead was declining to further answer any questions. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and the US intelligence community has assessed Russia and other countries are continuing their attempts to breach US systems. “The warning signs are there. The system is blinking,” Coats said last weekend.“It is why I believe we are at a critical point.” CNN’s Phil Mattingly contributed to this report.