Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Has Never Taken Seriously The Threat Russia Poses To Our Elections

DECEMBER 2016: THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTS THAT MCCONNELL CHALLENGED EFFORT TO ALERT PUBLIC TO THREAT OF RUSSIAN ELECTION HACKING

“In September, during a secret briefing for congressional leaders, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voiced doubts about the veracity of the intelligence, according to officials present.” … “According to several officials, McConnell raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics. Some of the Republicans in the briefing also seemed opposed to the idea of going public with such explosive allegations in the final stages of an election, a move that they argued would only rattle public confidence and play into Moscow’s hands.” [Washington Post, 12/9/16]

MAY 2017: MCCONNELL DEFENDS TRUMP DECISION TO FIRE COMEY AND REJECTS CALLS FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

The Hill: McConnell Defends Trump Decision To Fire Comey. “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday morning defended President Trump’s decision to fire FBI Director James Comey.” [The Hill, 5/10/17]

Politico: McConnell Rejects Calls For Special Prosecutor. “After a flurry of GOP statements Tuesday night criticizing Trump for axing Comey so suddenly, there were no new Republican calls on Wednesday for a special prosecutor or select committee to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections or possible collusion with the Trump campaign. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.) on Wednesday forcefully rejected calls for an independent prosecutor or commission.” [Politico, 5/10/17]

MARCH 2018: TOP OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL CONFIRMS MCCONNELL EFFORTS TO “WATER DOWN” RUSSIA ELECTION HACKING WARNING

Washington Post: Former Obama Chief Of Staff Said Top Senate Republican ‘Watered Down’ Pre-Election Russia Warning. “A former chief of staff to President Barack Obama said Sunday that the Senate’s top Republican insisted that a bipartisan appeal for states to step up election security in the face of Russian aggression be ‘dramatically watered down’ before it was issued in advance of the 2016 election. Denis McDonough said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was single-handedly responsible for downgrading the language in a letter “asking the states to work with us” to better secure election systems in light of intelligence indicating Russia was attempting to interfere in the election. McDonough complained that members of Congress have shown a ‘stunning lack of urgency about this question,’ and he put the blame mostly on Republican leaders in Congress. ‘The lack of urgency that we saw from the Republican leadership in 2016, we continue to see to this day today,’ he said. ‘It’s beyond time for Congress to work with the administration, to work with the states, to ensure that our electoral systems are ready to go. This is not a game.’” [Washington Post, 3/4/18]

JULY 2018:  SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK RESOLUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGING RUSSIA’S ELECTION INTERFERENCE

New York Times: Republicans Block Anti-Putin Resolutions Before Senate Approves One Rebuke. “In the Senate, Republicans objected to two nonbinding measures that would have put the body on record as being in support of intelligence agency conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, called on Mr. Trump to fully impose sanctions against Russia and pressed for oversight of the summit meeting, including the production of any notes taken by Americans.” [New York Times, 7/19/18]

AUGUST 2018: SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK $250 BILLION IN ADDITIONAL ELECTION SECURITY FUNDING

USA Today: Republicans Block $250 Million To Beef Up Election Security. “Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic push Wednesday that would have provided $250 million to beef up election security. The money would have been doled out in grants through the Federal Election Assistance Commission and helped, among other things, replace outdated voting equipment and increase cybersecurity efforts.” [USA Today, 8/1/18]

SEPTEMBER 2018: SENATE RULES COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ROY BLUNT (R-MO) SAYS MCCONNELL DOES NOT WANT TO PASS AN ELECTION SECURITY BILL “RIGHT NOW” 

Inside Cyber Security: Sen. Blunt Says Secure Elections Act Vote Isn't On Majority Leader McConnell’s Priority List For Fall: “Senate Rules Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) said this week that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is unlikely to push for getting the Secure Elections Act through the Rules panel and to a Senate floor vote prior to election day, although Blunt said he is still hoping to ‘memorialize’ election security in law. ‘I think the leader [McConnell] does not share my sense that we need to pass a bill right now, so we need to get to a point where if we're going to get a bill out of our committee, it would have the opportunity to get voted on, otherwise we need to keep working,’ Blunt told Inside Cybersecurity on Tuesday.” [Inside Cyber Security via Lexis, 9/25/18]

Associated Press: Election Security Bill Backers Say Delay Helps Russia. “Just two months before the midterm elections, bipartisan legislation to try to prevent foreign hacking into U.S. election systems is stalled in Congress as the White House and some Republicans worry it could exert too much federal control over the states.” … “The bill was negotiated over the last year by Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Lankford says the White House did not block the bill, but that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ‘had concerns’ after hearing from states and other interests that suddenly realized the bill was moving forward. Klobuchar similarly said concerns came from ‘leadership on the Republican side.’” [Associated Press, 9/4/18]

NOVEMBER 2018: MCCONNELL, SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK VOTE ON BILL TO PROTECT MUELLER FROM INTERFERENCE

NBC NEWS: McConnell, Senate Republicans Block Vote On 'Mueller Protection Bill.' “Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a bill to protect special counsel Robert Mueller on Wednesday, despite a threat from a GOP senator to hold up judicial nominees until action is taken on the measure.” [NBC, 11/28/18]

JANUARY 2019: REPUBLICANS BLOCK EFFORT CONDEMNING ADMINISTRATION FOR RELAXING RUSSIA SANCTIONS

Politico: GOP Blocks Senate Rebuke Of Trump On Russia Sanctions. “A bipartisan attempt to condemn the Trump administration for relaxing Russia sanctions stalled in the Senate Wednesday after Republicans banded together to block the effort. The bill would have formally rebuked the administration before it moves ahead with plans to lift sanctions on companies linked to oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” [Politico, 1/16/19]

MARCH 2019: MCCONNELL, SENATE REPUBLICANS BLOCK EFFORTS TO MAKE FULL MUELLER REPORT PUBLIC

The Hill: McConnell Blocks Resolution Calling For Mueller Report To Be Released Publicly. “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday blocked a resolution calling for special counsel Robert Mueller's report to be released publicly.  Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked for unanimous consent for the nonbinding resolution, which cleared the House 420-0, to be passed by the Senate following Mueller's submission of his final report on Friday.  ‘Whether or not you're a supporter of President Trump ... there is no good reason not to make the report public,’ Schumer said from the floor. ‘It's a simple request for transparency. Nothing more, nothing less.’” [The Hill, 3/25/19]

APRIL 2019: REPUBLICAN SENATOR CONFIRMS SEN. MCCONNELL REFUSES TO BRING ELECTION SECURITY BILL TO THE FLOOR, CREATING DELAY IN COMMITTEE

McClatchy: Divided Congress Can’t Agree On Fix For ‘Dangerous’ Russian Election Meddling. “Despite clear and compelling evidence of a Russian plot to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, partisanship has all but killed any chance that Congress will pass legislation to shore up election security before voters cast their ballots next year.” … “David Popp, a spokesman for McConnell, said he could provide ‘no guidance’ on whether an election security bill authored by Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma might be able to gain traction in the Senate. But Blunt said McConnell will not even bring a GOP-led election bill to the floor for fear Democrats might try to amend it.” … “Given McConnell’s opposition, however, Blunt told The Star he does not plan to take up Lankford and Klobuchar’s bill in the Rules Committee for hearings or a vote. ‘I don’t see any reason in this case to mark up a bill that can’t possibly be voted on on the floor,’ he said.” [McClatchy, 4/10/19] 

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