Make Them Hear You: Election Security

Make Them Hear You! is a weekly feature on KGNU, produced by Chris Mohr, letting listeners know how they can have their voices heard on issues up before Congress. You can hear it Wednesday mornings at 8.20am during the Morning Magazine.

Make Them Hear You: Election Security KGNU News

Since voting is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy, A Republican group is calling on a contingent of GOP senators to ensure Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell allows votes on election security. McConnell is whining that he has been accused of being a traitor, and that his choice to block votes on election security bills is making him a victim of “the New McCarthyism.”

Republicans for the Rule of Law on Wednesday released a series of 30-second advertisements separately targeting Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), co-sponsors of bills the group says will “help protect America’s elections.”

The group also targets Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee who has said that he will not bring up the legislation for a vote in committee.

McConnell recently blocked requests from Democratic senators to pass election security bills by unanimous consent. Connell has defended the decision, arguing that the bills were partisan in nature and that the Trump administration has made a concerted effort to secure the nation’s elections. Chris Truax, a spokesman for Republicans for the Rule of Law, says “[McConnell] does the Republican Party no credit in making election security a Democrat issue, and then claiming that all election security bills are partisan power-grabs. He must bring Republican-backed election security legislation to the floor for debate and amendment as soon as Congress returns from recess. McConnell and all Republican Senators have no greater responsibility than protecting our elections from foreign enemies like Russia and Iran.” Some Republican Senators disagree with McConnell. “Russia’s interference is a threat to our democracy,” Graham says. “If we don’t hit them hard, we will be empowering Russia.” And Rubio says, “I don’t think Vladimir Putin interfered in our election. I know he did.”

Legislation co-introduced by Republican Susan Collins would require campaigns to report to federal authorities if they have any contacts with foreign officials who are attempting to interfere in a presidential election. Republicans blocked Warner and Collins’s bill on the floor last summer.

Now that Congress is back from its recess, If you have thoughts on Republican efforts to break Moscow Mitch’s chokehold on election security against the Russians, you can contact your Senators, especially Cory Gardner, to see if he supports Republican election efforts by Rubio, Collins, Graham and Lankford.