American democracy is working on a simple promise: your vote is important. But this promise does not mean anything if foreign opponents can penetrate our systems, or if the bombs threats are closed, or if the election workers flee their participation in fear.
At the present time, the infrastructure that protects this promise is at risk of collapse – not only the rehabilitation of democracy, but the power of Americans to influence everything from our local schools to the economy.
Budget negotiations are now taking place, and Congress has an opportunity to reflect this dangerous cycle before it is too late.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Emose
The experience of the front lines in Pennsylvania shows what is at stake. The state’s Republican Foreign Minister, Schmidt, warned of “serious consequences” in message To the Ministry of Internal Security.
In 2024, CISA – CISA – the Federal Agency created to protect critical infrastructure in our country, including election systems – with Pennsylvania election officials Respond to bombs threats On election day, a Russian manufacturer was soon exposed Fake video Targeting the Bacaz province, which claimed to show their destroyed voices, and coordinate responses when election offices receive envelopes containing suspicious white powder.
Cisa was created through Legislation of the two parties And its adoption by an overwhelming majority by Congress.
The agency works as a pillar of skipping infrastructure for election security in America, as it provides cybersecurity assessments, threatening intelligence surroundings, and physical security support. The exchange of important information is coordinated between federal, state and local officials.
Last year aloneIt conducted more than 700 cyber security assessments and 1,300 material security assessments, and provided the weekly security vulnerability assessments of about 1,000 election officials.
These networks give local officials the intelligence of real time and the coordination of a rapid response.
This was not more important.
Foreign opponents Including Russia, China and Iran, the increasingly advanced electronic attacks are taking place against the election infrastructure. In West Pennsylvania, The Iranians have penetrated the water body Aliquippa. Physical threats They also rise – from Bombs threats And sabotage to suspicious packages targeting election offices.
With the mid -term elections approaching 2026, it is time to prepare. Unfortunately, the opposite happens.
As Schmidt male“There is no country with a national or global perspective on the nature of the threats and capabilities of the bad actors.”
Local judicial states lack both funds and experiences to replace federal programs that provide international threats and coordination of responses across thousands of election offices.
However, the Trump administration has It was systematically destroyed This security infrastructure.
CISA has been subjected to funding discounts from DOGE, eliminating partnerships with countries, and changing the task away from facing wrong information, and running from Trump himself on the agency’s assertion of the election results in 2020.
Nearly 1,000 people-a third of the workforce in CISA-may Leave. Election security activities remain frozen, and information sharing networks have been completed. The Infrastructure Information Information Center-which provided free cyber security services to societies suffering from financial distress-was I was completely closed.
At the same time, the budget of the proposed president seeks Huge discounts To finance the elections, including reducing 18 percent to finance CISA and completely dispose of the electoral security grants.
There is a strong precedent from the two parties to finance security in the strong federal elections. The largest security investment in elections in modern history –825 million dollarsHap during President Donald Trump in 2020.
Republican and Democratic election officials throughout the country are now praying Recovered support For election security programs.
Congress should behave immediately.
First, Congress needs to restore election security activities in CISA and rebuild the workforce of consultants working as important contacts for local officials during accidents.
Second, Congress must require at least $ 825 million in financing the Law of Assistance in America, and matching successful investment for 2020.
Third, Congress must include a condition for ensuring two -thirds of money directly to local officials who already run our elections.
Pennsylvania faces a special target as a fundamental country, but every state depends on federal coordination and experiences that agencies such as CISA can only provide.
Local states and communities should not be abandoned and forced to confront foreign opponents and local threats alone. Congress has the power to restore defenses that keep our elections safe. Our democracy has survived nearly 250 years because every generation defended it when it was more important.
Congress member Chris Delosio represents the Congress 17 in Pennsylvania.
Brian Limk is the CEO of the Defense Fund for the voting.
The opinions expressed in this article are the book of the book.