[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 126 (Thursday, July 25, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S5098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    INTERFERENCE WITH ELECTIONS ACT

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to speak about the 
Prevention of Foreign Interference with Elections Act, which I 
introduced in June.
  The bill is cosponsored by all 10 Democratic members of the Judiciary 
Committee, plus Senators Markey and Smith. This bill is necessary 
because we know foreign actors are working to influence our elections. 
The Mueller report showed us how Russia interfered in 2016, and we can 
expect it to happen again in 2020. The bill's goal is to provide 
enhanced criminal penalties to prevent foreign interference in our 
elections. The bill makes five changes to current law in order to 
accomplish that.
  First, it explicitly makes it a crime to work with foreign nationals 
to interfere in U.S. elections.
  Second, the bill prohibits Americans from helping foreign nationals 
funnel illegal contributions or donations into U.S. elections.
  Third, the bill expands restrictions on foreign-financed election 
ads. Notably, it restricts foreign-financed issue ads and foreign-
financed digital ads.
  Fourth, the bill creates a civil action so that when the Attorney 
General learns of foreign interference, the Justice Department can 
immediately get an injunction.
  And fifth, the bill modifies immigration law so if a non-U.S. citizen 
is convicted of interfering in our elections, they would be 
inadmissible into the United States.
  Unless we take action, Russia or another foreign power will interfere 
with our elections. It is not a question of if, it is a question of 
when.
  We need to make clear that such interference will result in criminal 
punishment, and we must update our election laws to combat these new 
cyber attacks.
  This bill accomplishes both. Thank you.

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