Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for A Lasting Democracy Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to strengthen protections from deceptive practices in Federal elections.

We know that in the lead-up to the 2016 election, our adversaries employed multiple systematic efforts to spread disinformation and sow confusion among American voters. In one particularly egregious example, Russian bots used social media to mislead voters and tell them that they could ``vote from home'' by simply texting a code or going online.

On the eve of the 2018 election, Facebook deleted many accounts-- including those with links to the Russian Government--that were engaged in coordinated, deceptive behavior.

Today, we know that our adversaries are not only working to hijack our political system just before an election, they are interfering in our democracy on a continuous basis.

Madam Chair, election security is not about Democrats or Republicans. Election security is about all Americans coming together to defend our shared democracy--our democracy--enshrined in our Constitution.

I have prioritized election security since arriving in Washington 10 months ago. As chairwoman of the House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, I held a hearing on disinformation and the threat posed by online imposters and deep fakes.

I have worked with a group of colleagues on both sides of the aisle on election security, and we have heard over and over again from experts on the need for more robust protections to combat this new era of coordinated disinformation efforts.

As a proud Representative of the great State of New Jersey, I will always defend our right as Americans to have a spirited debate, particularly when it comes to what matters to us in the run-up to our elections.

One of the things I love about my district is, while we don't always agree on the path forward, we agree on the need for honest and respectful debate. That is what our democracy is all about. It is what I signed up to defend when I joined the United States Navy.

So it is essential that we stand together as Americans to strengthen our laws and to ensure that our foreign adversaries are not able to dictate the outcomes of our elections.

I offer this amendment to prohibit any attempts to deceive voters 90 days before a Federal primary and general elections. This includes knowingly providing false information about the time or place of voting, what qualifications a voter must have in order to vote, or public endorsements of candidates.

Expanding the provisions in the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Act from 60 days before an election to 90 days will better protect our democracy from hostile foreign actors trying to disrupt the voices and votes of Americans. It also protects against longstanding efforts to disenfranchise communities of color, women, and other marginalized groups.

In my home State of New Jersey, early voting can occur up to 45 days before an election. In fact, 39 States across the country have some form of early voting. That is why we need this critical amendment to extend protections and prohibit disinformation before any American casts their ballot.

I urge my colleagues to pass this important amendment, safeguard our democracy, and ensure that the American people, not our foreign adversaries, determine the results of our elections.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

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Ms. SHERRILL. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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