[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 171 (Thursday, October 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ELECTION SECURITY

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, President Trump was rightly criticized 
for dodging a question about the peaceful transfer of power. Instead, 
Trump criticized mail-in ballots and rejected the premise that he will 
lose.
  No, that doesn't mean that he is planning some sort of coup, but it 
is important for any President to choose their words very carefully.
  The same is true for partisans on the other side whipping up fear 
that our democracy is in jeopardy or that the ballots will not be 
counted. Even worse is the rhetoric setting the stage to delegitimize 
any future Trump victory.
  We now hear full-blown conspiracy theories. Let me mention a few. A 
group of Biden supporters conducted a war game speculating that the 
President will not leave office without a Biden landslide, questioning 
what the military would do.
  The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stepped in with a simple 
civics lesson. The U.S. military has no role in the elections, he said.
  Democrats have doubled down on this debunked theory that the Postal 
Service is plotting with Trump to disrupt the election mail. The Postal 
Service does not answer to the President of the United States. It has 
plenty of capacity to deliver election mail. Plus, the Federal 
Government doesn't run elections; the 50 States run those elections.
  A key goal of Russian ``active measures,'' dating back to the Cold 
War, has been to get Americans to doubt their government, its leaders, 
and democratic institutions. Let's not do Russia's dirty work for them. 
No American should be questioning our free and fair elections.
  Now to my State of Iowa. Our people who have requested absentee 
ballots will have ballots mailed to them starting on October 5. 
Remember to fill it out completely, including your driver's license or 
voter PIN number, and mail them to your county auditor well before 
election day but not later than the day before.
  Your ballot can be tracked on the secretary of state's website. Check 
out where your ballot is.
  I have great faith in Iowa's election officials and our postal 
workers. Iowans who vote in person or absentee can be assured that your 
vote will count--the same as any election.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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