House passes third bill aimed at preventing foreign election interference

DposNews - October 24, 2019 - puck

The House on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at preventing foreign interference in U.S. elections, marking the latest attempt by Democrats to move election security legislation through Congress ahead of 2020.

The measure passed in a 227-181 vote, mostly along party lines. One Democrat joined Republicans in voting against the Strengthening Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, which focuses on paid online political advertisements.

The bill, sponsored by House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe LofgrenZoe Ellen LofgrenThis week: Tensions flare over Schiff, impeachment inquiry Hillicon Valley: Zuckerberg defends handling of misinformation in political ads | Biden camp hits Zuckerberg over remarks | Dem bill would jail tech execs for lying about privacy | Consumer safety agency accidentally disclosed personal data House panel pushes forward election security legislation MORE (D-Calif.), would require campaigns to report any illicit offers of assistance by foreign governments or agents and would take steps to ensure that online political advertisements are subject to the same rules as TV and radio ads.

“The 2020 federal elections are fast approaching. Public confidence and trust in our elections is of the utmost importance,” Lofgren said on the House floor before the vote. “Free and fair elections are at the core of what it means to live in a democracy like ours. … It is our solemn duty to defend them.”

Republicans raised concerns the legislation would infringe on First Amendment rights.

Rep. Rodney DavisRodney Lee DavisHillicon Valley: GOP lawmakers offer election security measure | FTC Dem worries government is ‘captured’ by Big Tech | Lawmakers condemn Apple over Hong Kong censorship GOP lawmakers offer new election security measure House panel pushes forward election security legislation MORE (Ill.), the top Republican on the House Administration Committee, said on the House floor that the bill had “no chance, zero chance of becoming law.”

The bill marks the third time this year the House has passed major legislation addressing various aspects of election security, with the For the People Act and the Securing America’s Federal Elections Act both also passing along party lines.

Those bills stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGraham to introduce resolution condemning House impeachment inquiry Overnight Defense: Trump’s Syria envoy wasn’t consulted on withdrawal | McConnell offers resolution urging Trump to rethink Syria | Diplomat says Ukraine aid was tied to political investigations Partisan squabbles endanger congressional response to Trump’s course on Syria MORE (R-Ky.) labeled the For the People Act the “Democrat Politician Protection Act” because of its language around voting reform.

The SHIELD Act is likely to die in the Senate as well, with McConnell confirming his opposition to the bill during a floor speech Wednesday morning.

McConnell called the legislation the “latest attempt” by Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiGraham to introduce resolution condemning House impeachment inquiry Democrats say they have game changer on impeachment Hillicon Valley: Zuckerberg would support delaying Libra | More attorneys general join Facebook probe | Defense chief recuses from ‘war cloud’ contract | Senate GOP blocks two election security bills | FTC brings case against ‘stalking’ app developer MORE (D-Calif.) to expand government “control over Americans’ political speech.”

McConnell was not alone in raising concerns about free speech issues.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sent a letter last week to the leaders of the House Administration Committee urging them to amend the SHIELD Act to “protect the rights of everyone in this country to communicate in their chosen manner about important political issues.”

“The SHIELD Act, as it currently stands, strikes the wrong balance, sweeping too broadly and encompassing more speech than necessary to achieve its legitimate goals,” the ACLU wrote.

However, House Democrats have pushed back against McConnell’s description of the SHIELD Act, with Rep. Katherine ClarkKatherine Marlea ClarkMassachusetts Democrats call for 100 percent fentanyl screening of international mail from ‘high-risk’ nations Ten notable Democrats who do not favor impeachment The Hill’s Morning Report – Trump searches for backstops amid recession worries MORE (D-Mass.) telling reporters during a press conference ahead of the House vote that McConnell was “hiding behind the First Amendment.”

“Mitch McConnell needs to realize that he works for the American people and that elections need to be free from foreign interference,” Clark, the vice chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters, adding that “hiding behind the First Amendment on this bill is not only something we see through but something voters will see through as well.”

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Rep. Elissa SlotkinElissa SlotkinAvoiding the snake in the grass: Let’s not allow impeachment to divide us Singer Brandi Carlile drops out of Fortune event over Kirstjen Nielsen’s appearance House Dems introduce bill to fight social media disinformation MORE (D-Mich.) said during the same press conference that the SHIELD Act “brings up to date a lot of things that were already on the books from the time of the Cold War, which were put there for a very good reason, and Sen. McConnell is hiding behind the First Amendment in ways that are deeply disturbing to anyone who cares about keeping foreign influence out of our elections.”

The SHIELD Act was also introduced in the Senate, and Sen. Amy KlobucharAmy Jean KlobucharHillicon Valley: Zuckerberg would support delaying Libra | More attorneys general join Facebook probe | Defense chief recuses from ‘war cloud’ contract | Senate GOP blocks two election security bills | FTC brings case against ‘stalking’ app developer Senate Republicans block two election security bills Warren overtakes Sanders in new poll MORE (D-Minn.) went to the floor before Wednesday’s House vote to try to pass the Senate version, which has more than a dozen Democratic co-sponsors.

Klobuchar was blocked in that effort by Sen. Marsha BlackburnMarsha BlackburnGraham, Van Hollen introduce Turkey sanctions bill Lawmakers toast Greta Van Susteren’s new show GOP senators say Erdoğan White House invitation should be revoked MORE (R-Tenn.), marking the second day in a row Senate Democrats were thwarted by Republicans in their efforts to pass election security legislation.

The attempts by Senate Democrats to pass election security bills follows similar efforts in July, when Republicans blocked Democrats from passing legislation on the same day former special counsel Robert MuellerRobert (Bob) Swan MuellerFox News legal analyst says Trump call with Ukraine leader could be ‘more serious’ than what Mueller ‘dragged up’ Lewandowski says Mueller report was ‘very clear’ in proving ‘there was no obstruction,’ despite having ‘never’ read it Fox’s Cavuto roasts Trump over criticism of network MORE testified that Russian actors were attempting to interfere in the U.S. 2020 elections “as we sit here.”

Mueller said in his 448-page report that Russia initiated a sweeping campaign to interfere in the 2016 elections that included both social media interference and hacking operations, with the overall goal of swaying the election in favor of President TrumpDonald John TrumpGraham to introduce resolution condemning House impeachment inquiry Support for impeachment inches up in poll Fox News’s Bret Baier calls Trump’s attacks on media ‘a problem’ MORE.

The Senate Intelligence Committee has also issued two reports on 2016 Russian interference efforts, with the most recent one on disinformation efforts finding that the Kremlin directed the operation.