Escorted by a security detail, former special counsel Robert Mueller arrives to testify to the House Judiciary Committee about his investigation into President Donald Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Mueller told lawmakers he could not exonerate President Donald Trump of obstruction of justice and that the president's claims that he had done so in his report are not correct. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON - Robert Mueller warned that Russian interference is still happening "as we sit here."
State election officials are anxious and underfunded, some running systems with outdated software and scrounging for replacement parts off e-Bay.
And on Thursday, a report from the Senate Intelligence committee concluded all 50 states were targeted in 2016 and ahead of the 2018 election "top election vulnerabilities remained."
But there's no help coming from Congress.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday blocked a House-passed bill that would authorize $775 million to beef up state election systems. GOP leaders made the case that the Trump administration has already made great strides in protecting the vote and they say no more funding is needed.
The Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, called inaction by Congress a "disgrace" and pledged to keep pushing for votes. Mueller's testimony "should be a wake-up call," he said.
The challenge was underscored Thursday as the Senate Intelligence Committee released the full results of an investigation that found the Russian government directed "extensive activity" against U.S. election systems ahead of the 2016 election.
The report encourages states to "take urgent steps to replace outdated and vulnerable voting systems." It said, "More money may be needed."
The House is pushing other bills targeting fake ads and cyber intrusions and the Senate already unanimously approved one bipartisan measure, which makes interference in elections a violation of immigration law, and another that makes it a federal crime to hack elections systems.