Dems see win after McConnell backs election security funds

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (Ky.) decision to back giving $250 million to states for election security constituted a major turnaround for the GOP leader.

McConnell, who had been derided as “Moscow Mitch” by Democrats over his refusal to give election security legislation a vote, in a surprise move Thursday said he would back an amendment providing funds to help states shore up their voting systems.

He took credit for helping to develop the amendment and touted that its inclusion in a government funding bill brings spending on election security to $600 million since fiscal 2018.

McConnell’s staff pushed back Friday on the idea that he had flip-flopped, blasting out an email to reporters titled “Setting the record straight on election security” that detailed previous steps taken by the Senate and federal agencies to secure elections since 2016.

But Democrats cast McConnell as having done a turnaround on the issue, and they made it clear they were surprised even as they continued to poke him with Russia references.

“Did he? Is that right?” a visibly surprised Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said when told about the GOP leader’s decision.

“No more invitations to the Kremlin for him,” Durbin quipped.