Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Blocks Democratic Efforts To Secure 2020 Elections From Foreign Interference

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), has been called “the lead opponent” efforts made by Senate Democrats to make elections more secure, an issue Democrats have been pressuring McConnell into bringing to the Senate floor.

Democrats have released a report that shows efforts made by McConnell to resist election security since 1999.

Senate Democrats reported that “after reportedly fighting efforts to expose Putin’s interference during the 2016 elections, Senator McConnell is blocking bipartisan reforms that would secure our elections from foreign interference.”

The Democrats highlighted steps made by McConnell and his Republican colleagues to deny debate on election security bills in the Senate.

According to a spokesperson for McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader is pleased with efforts by federal agents to secure the 2020 elections.  

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McConnell stated that Congress will continue to monitor the issue, “while resisting any efforts to use the failures of the past to justify sweeping federalizations of election law,” he claims Democrats are trying to enact.

Republicans have consistently blocked Democrats efforts to pass election security bills. One such bill would have voters use a back-up paper ballots on election day.

Some security bills have been passed, however. Last week, the Senate passed legislation that would make it a crime to hack into voting systems. Another bill was passed earlier in the year that would deny visas to individuals who have or are suspected of interfering with elections. 

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said “hostile foreign actors are going to interfere in the 2020 elections,” adding that it will be much worse than the interferences done in 2016.