[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 17, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H6272]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           LET THERE BE LIGHT

  (Mr. KILMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILMER. Mr. Speaker, in 1961, in the face of a challenge from the 
Soviets, President Kennedy visited the University of Washington and 
said we are neither ``warmongers nor appeasers. Neither hard nor soft. 
We are Americans, determined to defend the frontiers of freedom.''
  He pointed out the university's motto is: ``Let there be light,'' and 
asked: ``What more can be said today, regarding all the dark and 
tangled problems we face, than: Let there be light.''
  It is the unanimous view of the United States intelligence community 
that Russia used social media to influence our elections in 2016. After 
yesterday, Americans from all viewpoints called on Congress to stand up 
for our interests to protect our elections from Russian influence.
  I offered the Honest Ads Act as an amendment to the bill we are 
voting on today. This bipartisan bill simply establishes the same 
disclosure requirements for online ads that currently apply to 
political ads on television and radio.
  So today, Congress had the chance to stand up to Russia and pass the 
Honest Ads Act, but like the President a day ago, this body failed to 
act.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress has a duty to defend the frontiers of freedom. 
So, let there be light. Let's pass the Honest Ads Act and shine a light 
on the darkest corners of our election systems so that Russia can never 
again use our news feeds to influence our elections.

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