Democrats say a massive defense bill set for a Senate vote this week doesn't have enough election security provisions in it, reports The Hill.
The National Defense Authorization Act, released Dec. 9, contains several provisions aimed at securing U.S. election infrastructure, including directing the Department of Homeland Security to furnish a report about 2016 cyberattacks on U.S. election infrastructure by foreign governments within 60 days of the bill being signed into law.
Democrats want tougher language ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
"We can't mandate that, but we could say if you want to take the federal money, you've got to meet these prerequisites," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told The Hill regarding the addition of requirements for states that don't use paper ballots.
"I still don't think we're as protected as we should be going into the 2020 election."
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., told The Hill post-election audits were important and that it was "really the only verifiable way of determining whether or not the ballots are legitimate or not, to have some kind of procedure, so I think [Warner's] concern is warranted."
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