US House approves election security bill News
Photo credit: Stephanie Sundier
US House approves election security bill

The US House of Representatives Wednesday approved the Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act, which aims to improve the functioning of democracy by improving disclosure requirements for online political advertisements, ensuring that the electorate is fully informed.

The bill had no votes from Republicans, who dismiss it as an unnecessary restriction on campaigns. The president has threatened to veto the bill and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has described the bill as an attack on the First Amendment.

House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) stated before the vote, “The 2020 federal elections are fast approaching. Public confidence and trust in our elections is of the utmost importance. … Free and fair elections are at the core of what it means to live in a democracy like ours. … It is our solemn duty to defend them.”

The American Civil Liberties Union opposes the Act in its current form, stating, “The SHIELD Act, as it currently stands, strikes the wrong balance, sweeping too broadly and encompassing more speech than necessary to achieve its legitimate goals.”