{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/election-security-task-force-releases-final-report-recommendations", "Election Security Task Force Releases Final Report & Recommendations", "2018-02-14", "2018", "2018-02", "Democrat", "House", "MS", "Bennie Thompson", "T000193", "benniethompson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Election Security Task Force Releases Final Report & Recommendations Election Security Act will implement recommendations\nFebruary 14, 2018 (WASHINGTON)  The Congressional Task Force on Election Security, chaired by House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) and Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Robert Brady (D-PA) released its FINAL REPORT including ten specific recommendations on what the federal government and states can and should be doing to secure our nations elections. Russias unprecedented assault on the countrys elections in 2016  including targeting 21 states voting systems  exposed serious national security vulnerabilities to our election infrastructure  which includes voting machines and voter registration databases. The Members of the Task Force also introduced legislation, the Election Security Act, to implement the recommendations of the report.\n\nCongressman Thompson released the following statement with the report:\n\nIt has been over a year since Russias campaign to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy was uncovered, and yet neither the Trump White House nor Republicans in the House have done anything of substance to stop it from happening again. This inaction to an attack on our democracy should be appalling to all citizens. We know if we do nothing to protect elections - the very root of our democracy - Russia will do the same again. We formed this Task Force so to investigate the vulnerabilities in our voting systems and create common sense solutions to close any security gaps. States cannot fight sophisticated adversaries like Russia alone. It is time for Congress to act to institute reforms and provide substantial assistance. With the next federal election less than nine months away, we cannot afford to waste any more time.\n\nCongressman Brady added the following statement releasing the report:\n\nThere is no doubt that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and targeted 21 states voting systems. And we can expect them to return. The Election Security Task Force has been hearing from state and local officials over the past seven months. They know they need to strengthen their voting systems, and they need Congress to act. But Republicans have been asleep at the wheel. To date, Republicans have not even held a single full-committee hearing on the security of our nations elections. The first primary election of 2018 is on February 20  only 6 days away. The general election is in under nine months. We do not have a minute to waste. \n\nReport Recommendations:\n\n Congress should immediately make the nearly $400 million authorized in the Help America Vote Act available to states to replace aging, less secure voting machines with paper ballots.\n\tCongress should provide ongoing funding to states to secure their IT systems and voter databases, train personnel on cybersecurity, and end the crisis-to-crisis approach to addressing vulnerabilities in elections.\n\tCongress should adequately fund the Department of Homeland Security and the Election Assistance Commission so they can properly fulfill their mission to assist states in securing their election infrastructure.\n\tStates should require voting machine vendors follow cybersecurity standards and notify of potential breaches.\n\tThe Federal government should develop a National Strategy to Counter Efforts to Undermine Democratic Institutions.\n\tThe Intelligence Community should produce election security threat assessments six months before federal elections.\n\tDHS should maintain the designation of election infrastructure as a critical infrastructure subsector.\n\tStates should conduct risk-limiting audits to determine vote accuracy after elections.\n\tStates should prioritize cybersecurity training for their election officials, IT staff, and poll workers and the federal government must assist in this effort.\n\tDHS should expedite the clearance process for the chief election official in every state and establish channels for sharing relevant threat and intelligence information.\n \n\nThe Congressional Task Force on Election Security was created in June 2017 under the direction of Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi by Co-Chairs Thompson and Brady. Membership of the Task Force also includes Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Rep. James R. Langevin (D-RI), Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA), and Rep. Val Demings (D-FL).\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://benniethompson.house.gov/media/press-releases/election-security-task-force-releases-final-report-recommendations"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.004369929432869, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}