Quigley Statement on HPSCI Hearing with Jeh Johnson

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), released the following statement after former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testified before the Committee.

"The Russians do not have to hack into every polling place or voting booth in order to cast doubt, uncertainty, and suspicion over the integrity of our electoral process, which is, of course, their ultimate goal. The lessons learned from this past election, and the experiences Secretary Johnson discussed today, must remain at the forefront of our national security efforts, as well as at the heart of HPSCI's ongoing investigation. However, in order to address our security vulnerabilities, they must first be acknowledged by those in government, tasked with the responsibility to protect and serve. Seventeen Intelligence agencies have confirmed that Russia interfered in our election, but President Trump has yet to accept the validity of this intrusion.

"In order to prevent future attacks against our democracy and our values, we must harden our defenses. This includes expanding grant funding for state and local election officials, providing thorough education to those at voting locations, appointing a national leader on election cyber security, and continuing to promote best practices and raise public awareness. We must recognize the existence of these threats and stay vigilant in the actions we take to ensure this never happens again."

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