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Sarbanes Statement on Election Security Funding Contained in 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill

March 27, 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) issued the following statement today on the omnibus spending bill provision that allocates $380 million in election security grant funding to states, including more than $7 million for Maryland:

"This crucial investment in our election infrastructure is an important step forward in shoring up our election systems in the face of foreign interference. But with the 2018 elections fast approaching, Congress needs to take more action. Specifically, we must step up our efforts to prevent foreign agents from sowing discord and spreading disinformation on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, including beefing up disclosure standards for online political and issue ads. We also need to take a hard look at how we can prevent foreign nationals from making illicit campaign expenditures through various loopholes in our campaign finance system. This includes limiting the amount of secret money in our politics and improving disclosure requirements for outside campaign spending. Foreign efforts to undermine our democratic process are a serious national security threat, and Congress must respond with a robust defense strategy that protects our democracy."

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