Hoagenson: Hartzler needs to explain her vote against protecting our elections from Russian interference

(From the Renee Hoagensen campaign)

Renee Hoagenson, Democrat for Congress in Missouri's 4th Congressional District, this week hosted a cyber-security training for staff and volunteers.

"Last week, Senator McCaskill's campaign had to fend off Russian cyber attackers attempting to penetrate her campaign information. Fortunately, her staff was savvy enough not to be duped into allowing the infiltration," said Hoagenson. "If our Congresswoman won't stand up to protect our American Elections, I will."

We have known definitively for many months that the Russians are attempting to hack into our campaigns and elections and create disruption of democracy and circumvent the voice of the American people. It's widely acknowledged in the intelligence community that there will likely be more attempts to hack campaigns the closer we get to the midterm elections.

Yet, Vicky Hartzler, in a party line vote, blocked the bid to extend election security grants and protect the midterm elections against Russian interference.

"U.S. Representative Hartzler needs to explain why she is abandoning our nation's defenses from another cyber-invasion, why she is not guaranteeing that every American's vote is hack proof, and that our election infrastructure is secure. Our vote is our guarantee of liberty and we must defend our liberty from all enemies foreign and domestic," said Hoagenson. "We must hold U.S. Representative Hartzler accountable and she needs to explain her vote to the citizens of Missouri.

The attempts on Senator McCaskill's campaign is similar to the Russian infiltration of our elections in 2016, which was called an act of war by current National Security Advisor, John Bolton. Russians are known to have already infiltrated our electrical grids through the software of contractors to our electric companies. Having access to our power grids could simply unplug much of the United States during a time of conflict. The repercussions of compromised electrical grids are untold.

"Russia has never given us any reason to trust them and they have given us every reason not to trust them. And yet our Congress stands by while Russia gains access to our power grid and votes to not fund protection of our elections," said Hoagenson. "Our Congress should make cyber security a top priority and put the attention and focus on it we need.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler is sitting on her hands, while we at the Friends of Renee Hoagenson for Congress campaign actively work to educate ourselves on this threat."