Mike Quigley: “This is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill…”

“This is the final amendment to the bill which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. The Russians attacked our democracy. They will be back and we are not ready. The President is unwilling to meet this challenge, but we must be willing to meet this challenge. The last time our electoral process was called into question post- Bush-Gore, this government spent $3.5 billion to upgrade our election systems because we treasured the integrity of our democracy. I hope we still do. Earlier this year, we appropriated $380 million to the Election Assistance Commission to provide grants for training, equipment, and software which will help States fortify and protect our election systems. This amendment appropriates an additional $380 million to grants that continue to improve those defenses because our election infrastructure remains outdated, low tech, and nowhere where it needs to be to prevent future intrusions. In the lead-up to the 2016 elections, the Russians targeted the election systems of at least 21 States and as many as 39. Through the special counsel's investigation, we now have the names of 12 Russian intelligence officers that carried it out. When President Trump was given the opportunity to challenge President Putin in Helsinki this week, he, instead, condemned his own intelligence agencies while praising the Russian President. Mr.…”