Guarding Against Foreign Interference in Future Elections

Floor Speech

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Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Election Security released a joint statement saying: ``The U.S. Intelligence Community is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of emails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations.'' The U.S. Intelligence Community went on to explicitly state that ``these thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the U.S. election process . . . only Russia's senior-most officials could have authorized these activities.''

Despite this certification, the majority in this body has demonstrated zero interest in examining the unprecedented attack on one of our most cherished institutions, democratic free elections.

I am here today to plead with the majority to take an interest, not because I seek to undermine the results of the recent Presidential election. That is not my intention. Rather, it is my sincere hope that we understand the nature of the foreign interference and how to guard against it in all future elections.

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