Two Schneider Amendments Included in Intelligence Authorization Act

Today, two amendments offered by Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) were included in H.R. 6237 – Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019.

The first Schneider Amendment expands a new public election security report from the intelligence community to require a list of foreign state or foreign nonstate actors involved in the threats to election campaigns for Federal offices. The amendment will help inform the public of those responsible for election interference.

"The American people deserve to know who is interfering in our democratic process, and deserve a government that will hold these countries and groups accountable," said Schneider in remarks on the House floor in support of the amendment.

The second Schneider Amendment directs the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to report on Iran's support for proxy forces in Syria and Lebanon, including Hizballah, and an assessment of the threat posed to Israel and other U.S. regional allies. This bipartisan amendment was introduced with Reps. Mark Meadows (R-NC), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Norma Torres (D-CA).

"Iran's destabilizing activities in the Middle East are no secret and of late, their malign influence has grown dramatically in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria… I am offering my amendment today, to focus our intelligence community on this urgent threat," said Schneider in remarks on the House floor in support of the amendment.

Both amendments passed the House by voice vote. H.R. 6237 passed the House by a vote of 363-54.