Senate rejects Democratic push for more election security funds

Senate Republicans on Wednesday defeated an attempt to allocate $250 million to states for “election security,” turning back what Democrats said would have been the first steps to combat foreign meddling in the looming midterm elections.

The amendment failed on a 50-47 vote, as part of a broader debate on a $154.2 billion spending package that covers programs for agriculture, the environment, financial services and transportation. The amendment needed 60 votes to pass.

Later in the day, the broader bill passed easily on a 92-6 vote, as leaders hailed the progress they’re making on the 2019 spending bills ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline. The Senate has now passed seven of the 12 individual funding bills for 2019, and the House has passed six.

“I hope my colleagues are encouraged by what’s happening here, by what we are accomplishing together,” said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, Alabama Republican. “Moving these bills in this way is the right thing to do — not only for this institution, but for our country; for the American people.”

But the bigger fight was over the election-security funding, which Democrats said are necessary to defend the country against encroaching interference in the 2018 elections at the hands of outside actors like Russia.