[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H7094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ELECTION SECURITY LETTER

  (Mr. SCHNEIDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, Special Counsel 
Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence operatives for their 
activities hacking Democratic email and computer networks during the 
2016 election.
  In Illinois, our State Board of Elections was also targeted and its 
voter registration database breached. Data on tens of thousands of 
Illinois voters was taken. This breach and the taking of voter data is 
an unacceptable, malicious attack on our Nation and its people.
  We must not only hold the attackers accountable; we need to ensure 
that attacks on our next election are defended against. Personally, I 
have met with county clerks for the district I represent, and I know 
they are taking action, treating this threat seriously.
  We need to ensure that our Federal Government is responding with the 
same level of urgency. That is why, today, I led my Illinois colleagues 
in a letter requesting a briefing from the Department of Justice on 
their election security efforts in our State.
  Protecting the integrity of our election is fundamental to our 
democracy. I urge the Department of Justice to work with Illinois to 
secure our election infrastructure and prepare for this serious 
national threat.

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