March 29, 2024

Hoyer Touts Election Assistance Commission

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House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) and Bob Brady, ranking member on the Committee on House Administration, support the Election Assistance Commission, especially in light of the reports that Russia may have hacked many states’ election systems.

A statement from the two congressmen says US citizens should be concerned about the security of future elections, and that the country needs to take action to keep any problems from occurring in local and state governments. These governments must secure their systems and voter data, to protect elections from any breach.

“Thankfully, we already have in the Election Assistance Commission a body capable of addressing this challenge; since its creation, it has encouraged states to identify and adopt best practices when it comes to the safety and effectiveness of voting systems,” the statement reads.

The statement goes on to quote then-FBI Director James Comey, who said on May 3, 2017, that the EAC is important in the fight against cyberattacks. The quote states: “[The FBI has] share[d] the tools, tactics, and techniques we see hackers, especially from the 2016 election season, using to attack voter registration databases and try and engage in other hacks. And we’ve pushed that out to all the states and the Election Assistance Commission so they can harden their networks. That’s one of the most important things we can do.”

On June 29, the House Appropriations Committee’s proposed termination of the Election Assistance Commission, which Congressman Hoyer called “reckless and irresponsible.”

“We now know that Russian hackers attempted to breach voting systems in at least twenty-one states, and the intelligence community agrees that foreign hackers are likely to try again in 2018 and 2020. Instead of strengthening our elections infrastructure, the committee’s proposal would make our election system more vulnerable, potentially undermining Americans’ faith in our democracy. As the appropriations process moves forward, we will work to defend the EAC’s funding and operations and push for Congress to ensure that the commission has the necessary resources to fulfill its mission and protect Americans’ votes,” reads a statement.

“Congress must pass a reauthorization of the EAC that includes authority to administer grants to states to strengthen voter registration database security. With the new cyber threats we face and Russia’s continued interest in subverting our democratic institutions, it’s time to give the EAC the tools necessary to carry forward its mission and protect American voters,” the statement reads.

Follow Congressman Hoyer on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information about House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader Page.

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