McConnell Finally Caves On Election Security Measure After Months Of Stonewalling

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 11:  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) listens during a news briefing after the weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon July 11, 2017 at the Capitol in Washington, DC. Sen. McConnell announced that Senate will delay its recess to the third week of August.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) listens during a news briefing in July 2017. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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After months of constantly blocking bipartisan efforts to address foreign election hacking, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) finally gave in on Thursday and announced his support for an election security funding measure of $250 million.

During a speech on the Senate floor, McConnell said he was “proud” that the Senate’s appropriations bill includes an bipartisan amendment that would grant states $250 million in funding to help them beef up security for their voting systems.

“I’m proud to have helped develop this amendment and to co-sponsor it in committee,” he continued.

The Republican leader also jabbed at his Democratic critics, saying that the amendment is “exactly the kind of positive outcome” that is possible “when we stop posturing for the press.”

McConnell’s turnabout came after House and Senate Democrats kept publicly blasting the senate leader for his stonewalling, even referring to the Kentucky Republican as “Moscow Mitch” (which McConnell had complained was “over the top” and “modern-day McCarthyism”).

In an official statement on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) applauded McConnell’s decision but warned that the measure alone isn’t sufficient to combat election meddling from foreign governments.

“While this funding is important, it’s not the only thing we must do to secure our elections from Russian, Chinese, Iranian or any other foreign country interfering,” Schumer said. “There are multiple, bipartisan pieces of legislation awaiting action on the floor that would counter foreign influence operations against our democracy, safeguard our elections, and deter foreign adversaries from even attempting to interfere.”

Watch McConnell below:

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Notable Replies

  1. Welp. Looks like McConnell knows what’s in that whistleblower report and, yep, definitely its about Trump and Putin.

    The need to create a counter-narrative about how tough, very tough, Trump has been on Putin by having him sign this legislation is the only reason Moscow Mitch be doing this.

    Whether Putin lets Trump sign it is another question.

    ETA: OMG! What if the promise to Putin was about not letting this specific legislation become law?

  2. Avatar for jmacaz jmacaz says:

    when we stop posturing for the press

    WOW… I actually think MoscowMitch might think that people are more stupid then tRump thinks they are

  3. Baby steps, baby steps. I guess being tagged Moscow Mitch had an impact.

  4. Well, problem solved. We all feel safer now #moscowmitch. :roll_eyes:

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