Jasmine Crockett: “My amendment today seeks to protect the bedrock of our democracy, free and fair elections, from attacks by foreign…”

“My amendment today seeks to protect the bedrock of our democracy, free and fair elections, from attacks by foreign actors. While I have great concerns about the underlying bill today, given its overly broad language and its impact for universities in need of DHS funding, whether it be for disaster relief or campus hardening or threat protection, the issue of election interference is one that cannot be ignored. We know that our democratic processes are under attack by foreign countries. Last week, the Department of Justice issued indictments outlining efforts from the Russian Government to influence the 2024 Presidential election by funding and promoting divisive, inflammatory rhetoric and disinformation campaigns in the media and on online platforms. These efforts have been surprisingly effective in infiltrating the platforms of far-right influencers, conservative media, and even some of my fellow lawmakers, who have repeated some of this Russian propaganda right here on the House floor. The concerns about the PRC doing the same are not new. Last December, the National Intelligence Council detailed how the intelligence community assessed that ``China tacitly approved efforts to try to influence a handful of midterm races involving members of both U.S.…”