Every House Democrat now sponsors legislation to establish independent commission on election interference

At the end of the last Congressional term, Rep. Elijah Cummings, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, the ranking member of the CIA Subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced legislation calling for the creation of a bipartisan, independent commission to investigate foreign interference in the 2016 election.

After reintroducing the Protecting Our Democracy Act in the new session, the Congressmen have announced that every sworn-in House Democrat has now signed on to sponsor their legislation, which would “create a 12-member, bipartisan, independent commission empowered to interview witnesses, obtain documents, issue subpoenas, and receive public testimony to examine attempts by the Russian government or others to use electronic means to influence, interfere with, or undermine trust in last year’s U.S. elections.”

In a statement, Rep. Cummings said: “These Russian attacks on our electoral process were attacks on our Constitution, our people, and our nation, and our intelligence agencies have made it clear that if we do not respond now, the Russians will attack us again.”

Cummings further reiterated his urgent message to deprioritize partisan ideology in order to meaningfully and collectively address this crisis: “I’m pleased that all of my House Democratic colleagues have joined this legislation to create a bipartisan and independent Commission to try to prevent any foreign power from interfering in our elections again in the future. …I sincerely hope that Republicans, including the President-Elect—who for the first time ever will swear his own oath to protect and defend our Constitution—will join us in supporting this legislation.”

Rep. Swalwell underscored the message: “The unanimity of our caucus reflects the broad consensus that only an independent, bipartisan commission can truly get the job done. I hope our Republican colleagues will recognize this too. This isn’t about re-litigating the 2016 election; it’s about ensuring all our future elections are free of the taint of foreign meddling.”

House Democrats continue to seek support from their Republican colleagues, who remain resistant to efforts to meaningfully address the national crisis that threatens our democracy.