EDITOR’S NOTE: This may turn out to be a
difficult if not impossible task, given Trump’s bizarre attitude about
electoral security.
On the one hand, he is demanding that his own taskforce
find evidence to support his outlandish claim that more than 3 million people
voted illegally – presumably all for Hillary Clinton – in the 2016 election.
On
the other hand, Trump not only dismisses irrefutable evidence of Russian
tampering in that same election, but also called for a Joint Russia-US
taskforce to “solve” this problem. Even though Trump later said this joint
taskforce would “never happen,” CNBC
reports that, in fact, it is in the works.
Until Congressional Republicans actually accept
the fact that America’s free and democrat elections are under threat from
hostile foreign powers, like Russia, and from within, from autocrats like
Trump, it’s hard to see any constructive work getting done.
That said, Rep. Langevin is going to give it a
try. – Will Collette
Congressman Jim Langevin
(D-RI), co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, was
named a member of the new Congressional Task Force on Election Security.
“As a former Secretary of
State of Rhode Island, I have a deep appreciation for the centrality of
election systems to our democracy,” said Langevin. “In the aftermath of the
Russian election interference operation – perhaps the most successful cyber
operation in history – I have worked diligently to strengthen our election
system and reduce the risk of future election meddling.
"I believe that the Task
Force has an important role to play in examining the threat to elections,
including to auxiliary systems such as those used for vote tallying, and
examining solutions like risk limiting audits to protect their integrity. I
look forward to working with Chairmen Thompson and Brady to help secure our
democracy, and I thank them and Leader Pelosi for leading on this issue.”
It will be led by Committee on Homeland Security Ranking
Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Committee on House Administration Ranking
Member Robert Brady (D-PA).
Reps. Thompson and Brady released the below joint
statement announcing the membership:
“Ensuring the security of our
election systems for our next major election should not be a partisan issue and
should be a top priority for both Republicans and Democrats. It is clear that
if we continue to do nothing, we make it easy for Russia – or anyone else – to
meddle in our elections and undermine public confidence in democratic
institutions.
"While we are eager to work together on protecting our election
systems to prevent a repeat of 2016, to date, Republican leaders on Capitol
Hill have displayed no appetite to do so. With our Task Force’s membership
established, we are ready to get to work and we welcome the support of Members
on both sides of the aisle. We understand that the integrity of our democracy
depends on the integrity of our elections.”
The other members of the Task Force on Election Security
are Representatives Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and Val Demings
(D-FL).