Blackwill, Gordon Applaud the DETER Act

Today Robert D. Blackwill and Philip H. Gordon, senior fellows at the Council on Foreign Relations, issued the following statement in support of the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER) Act. The legislation, introduced by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fl.), sends a powerful message to any foreign actor seeking to disrupt our elections: if you attack American candidates, campaigns, or voting infrastructure, you will face severe consequences.

"We applaud the efforts of Senators Marco Rubio and Chris Van Hollen to enact bipartisan legislation to protect the United States from future interference in its democracy. Expanded sanctions against the perpetrators of election interference are an important part of a strategy to deter and contain aggressive foreign rivals. We urge congressional Democrats and Republicans to pass such legislation that would defend U.S. institutions and national interests."

Blackwill was deputy national security advisor for strategic planning, presidential envoy to Iraq, and ambassador to India in the George W. Bush administration. Gordon was assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs and White House coordinator for the Middle East during the Obama administration. They are the authors of Containing Russia:How to Respond to Moscow's Intervention in U.S. Democracy and Growing Geopolitical Challenge, and theyspeak on their own behalf and not for the Council on Foreign Relations, which takes no institutional positions on policy issues.

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