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McConnell Bristles At ‘Moscow Mitch’ After Blocking Election Security Bill | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

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Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell hit back at his critics after being labeled soft on Russia for election interference.

Jeremy Bash and Peter Baker react.

Why did Mitch McConnell refuse to bring the bill up for a vote, despite pressure from various organizations and a majority of Americans?

On July 25th, 2019, the United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to bring a highly important election security bill up for a vote, despite pressuring from the FBI, the CIA, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a majority of Americans who favor additional security measures. The decision to ignore the security bill was met with widespread criticism, and has led to McConnell being dubbed “Moscow Mitch” by some detractors.

The election security bill was meant to help defend the integrity of U.S. elections during the upcoming 2020 presidential election. The legislation would have provided states with $600 million to help safeguard their voting systems from cyber attacks and other forms of interference. In addition, the bill required that local officials deliver backup paper ballots in the event of machine malfunctions or other issues at the polling stations.

Despite the apparent necessity of such a bill, McConnell refused to bring it up for a vote in the Senate. This ultimately led to a backlash, with many people accusing him of sabotaging the democratic process and of being beholden to the Trump administration and Russian interests.

Following the criticism, McConnell accused those who attacked him of embracing “unhinged conspiracy theories.” However, the criticism did not quiet down. It continued to grow and some people began to refer to him as “Moscow Mitch,” as they believed that he was doing the bidding of the Kremlin.

On August 1, 2019, MSNBC’s The 11th Hour reported that McConnell had grown irritated by the nickname, which had begun to spread throughout social media and was highlighted in various news outlets. McConnell stated that the nickname was an unfair and inaccurate attack upon his character, and argued that the Democrats were using it as a political tool to gain an advantage in the upcoming election.

While it is clear that many Americans are unhappy with McConnell’s decision to block the election security bill, it remains to be seen whether or not the nickname “Moscow Mitch” will stick. However, the wider implications of McConnell’s refusal to act on election security measures cannot be ignored. It raises important questions about the integrity of U.S. democracy, and it is notable that this is happening at a time when the nation is under significant threat from foreign interference.

Ultimately, it is up to those in positions of political power to ensure that the democratic system is robust and resistant to interference. It is impossible to predict what will happen in the future, but we must hope that lawmakers across the political spectrum will take action to protect the integrity of our elections and prevent outside actors from destabilizing the system.