Democratic congressional leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi have demanded an extra $300 million in funding to protect the U.S. from potential Russian meddling in the 2018 midterm elections. The funding request was made in a letter to Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Congress is currently negotiating terms for an omnibus spending package that will set full spending levels for the rest of the 2018 fiscal year which runs through September. The deadline for that package is March 23. Schumer and Pelosi wrote in their letter that the extra funds are necessary to bolster America’s defenses against another potential attack by Russia in the upcoming elections.
“In order to ensure our nation’s premier law enforcement agency can adequately respond to this threat, we urge you to support a $300 million increase in the Bureau’s 2018 budget request. This additional funding should be targeted to ensure the resources and manpower to counter the influence of hostile foreign actors operating in the U.S., especially Russian operatives operating on our social media platforms,” they wrote.
Sen. Schumer did not pledge to withhold Democratic support for a spending bill that did not include the extra funding but did emphasize the importance of giving the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies, the resources they need to combat any potential threat.
“We’re not drawing lines in the sand,” Schumer said. “We’re going to push hard to get this funding, and we hope it gets the support from our Republican colleagues.”