CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE TAKES ACTION TO COMBAT FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN AMERICAN ELECTIONS AND INCREASE TRANSPARENCY
Comprehensive, bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Rep. Morelle will help safeguard the integrity of U.S. electoral process
(Rochester, NY) – Congressman Joe Morelle announced the passage of legislation to combat foreign interference in American elections and protect our democracy. The legislation, co-sponsored by Rep. Morelle, passed the House of Representatives this week with bipartisan support.
"Congress has a fundamental responsibility to safeguard the trust of the American people and ensure the integrity of our elections, which are the bedrock of our democracy," said Rep. Morelle. "And now more than ever, we must be proactive in our efforts to combat the ongoing threat of foreign interference in our elections. I'm proud to co-sponsor and vote in favor of this critical legislation that protects our national security and ensures the voice of every American is heard."
"The voters of Monroe County deserve an open and transparent election process they can trust and providing voter confidence with the integrity of our election infrastructure remains our top priority," said Colleen Anderson, Commissioner of the Monroe County Board of Elections. "We remain focused on protecting the integrity and security of Monroe County's election systems against cyber-attacks which includes our partnerships and training with the Federal and State Agencies, Department of Homeland Security, New York State Division of Homeland Security, FBI, State Police, and the NYS Intelligence Center and the New York State Secure Elections Center. We are committed to ensuring that our elections remain free from foreign influence and are grateful for the bipartisan support co-sponsored by Rep. Joseph Morelle in making certain we continue to meet and exceed the expectations of election protection for every voter across our county, our state, and our nation."
H.R. 4617, the SHIELD Act, takes commonsense, bipartisan steps to close loopholes that allow foreign spending in our elections, boost disclosure and transparency requirements, and create a duty to report illicit offers of campaign assistance from foreign nations or governments.
Specifically, the SHIELD Act:
- Creates a duty to report illicit offers of campaign assistance from foreign governments and their agents.
- Helps prevent foreign interference in future elections by improving transparency of online political advertisements.
- Closes loopholes that allow foreign nationals and foreign governments to spend in U.S. elections.
- Restricts exchange of campaign information between candidates and foreign governments and their agents.
- Prohibits deceptive practices about voting procedures.
"The SHEILD Act is just the latest in a number of bills my colleagues and I have taken up to secure our elections, like H.R. 1 and the Securing America's Federal Elections Act," continued Rep. Morelle. "We will continue to advance legislation that delivers on our promise to strengthen our democracy and put government back in the hands of hardworking Americans."
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