Recent reports have indicated that many cybersecurity experts and government officials are concerned that election security will be de-prioritized or neglected following former Secretary Nielsen’s departure

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with jurisdiction over federal elections, and James Lankford (R-OK), Member of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kevin McAleenan urging him to ensure that election security continues to be a Departmental priority following former Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen’s departure. Recent reports have indicated that cybersecurity experts and government officials are concerned that election security will be de-prioritized or neglected under new leadership, despite findings from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report that confirm that “the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a sweeping and systematic fashion.”

“Since designating election infrastructure as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure, the Department has done important work to improve election security. As we approach the next federal elections, it is vital that this work be scaled to meet the significant threat posed by foreign adversaries,” the senators wrote. “While the Cyber and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) has been instrumental in building our national capacity to defend against and respond to cyber-attacks, more needs to be done and reports indicate that cybersecurity experts and government officials are concerned about the impact that Secretary Nielsen’s departure will have on cybersecurity initiatives, including those aimed at protecting the 2020 elections.

“As you continue as Acting-Secretary, we strongly urge you to prioritize election security and to ensure that the Department’s resources are allocated to reflect the increasing demands associated with election security,” they continued.

Klobuchar and Lankford have been leading the fight to protect our elections from foreign interference. In March 2018, they introduced the Secure Elections Act with Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Burr (R-NC), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) to strengthen election cybersecurity in America and protect against foreign interference in future elections. The Secure Elections Act streamlines cybersecurity information-sharing between federal intelligence entities and state election agencies; provides security clearances to state election officials; promotes the use of paper ballots and post-election audits; and provides resources for states to strengthen our election infrastructure.

The full text of the letter can be found below:

Dear Acting Secretary McAleenan:

We write to express concern about how recent transitions in leadership at the Department of Homeland Security may impact efforts to improve election cybersecurity.

Special Counsel Mueller’s report found that “the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in a sweeping and systematic fashion.” Recently, FBI Director Wray said that “our adversaries are going to keep adapting, so we are very much viewing 2018 as a kind of dress rehearsal for the big show in 2020.” With the Special Counsel’s Report and other assessments from our intelligence agencies, we have a common set of facts about election interference and we must ensure that we are doing everything possible to protect our democracy from future attacks.

Since designating election infrastructure as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure, the Department has done important work to improve election security. As we approach the next federal elections, it is vital that this work be scaled to meet the significant threat posed by foreign adversaries. While the Cyber and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) has been instrumental in building our national capacity to defend against and respond to cyber-attacks, more needs to be done and reports indicate that cybersecurity experts and government officials are concerned about the impact that Secretary Nielsen’s departure will have on cybersecurity initiatives, including those aimed at protecting the 2020 elections. As you continue as Acting-Secretary, we strongly urge you to prioritize election security and to ensure that the Department’s resources are allocated to reflect the increasing demands associated with election security.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter, we look forward to working with you to secure our election systems.

Sincerely,

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