Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville (Photo — Adam Colver, Post-Star)

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is calling for the appointment of an election security czar to oversee efforts to safeguard U.S. elections.

Stefanik, R-Willsboro, and U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-Garden City, sent a joint letter to President Donald Trump pushing for the appointment.

“The threat of continued election interference is urgent and real, and these agencies cannot do their jobs effectively if they are working in a silo,” they said in a news release. “An election security coordinator would consolidate our election security strategy and bring federal agencies together to combat all forms of election meddling in an organized and concerted manner.”

The call for the czar comes on the heels of a busy news week dominated by coverage of the Helsinki summit between Trump and Russian Vladimir Putin. Democrats and Republicans, including Stefanik, R-Willsboro, criticized the president for not taking a tougher line against Russia to prevent future meddling.

Stefanik’s Democratic opponent, Tedra Cobb, in a tweet criticized the congresswoman as being soft on the Russian investigation.

“Elise Stefanik chose party and politics over patriotism and truth when she voted to shutter the congressional investigation. She cannot change that with a tweet. She’s making too many mistakes and bad choices,” Cobb said, referring to the House investigation into 2016 election interference.

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Russian-related bills

Stefanik last week voted no on a procedural resolution to send the Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act back for more review. Democrats wanted to boost election security funding. GOP leaders have said that states have not spent the $380 million included for election security improvements in the budget bill passed in March.

Stefanik said in a news release she has sponsored two pieces of legislation to take a tough stance against Russia.

The Countering Foreign Propaganda Act would require enhanced reporting under the Foreign Agents Registration Act for media that are representing the interests of a foreign power.

The Defend Against Russian Disinformation and Aggression Act would codify the State Department sanctions, require reporting on Putin’s bank accounts and authorize enhanced NATO cooperation, according to a news release.

These two bills are part of an overall package called the Secure America from Russian Interference Act of 2018, which includes bills not to recognize Russian’s annexation of Crimea; impose sanctions on any country that takes part in election interference; prohibit the Department of Treasury from providing licenses for U.S. individuals to engage in joint energy activities that may produce oil in Russia; and require the State Department to submit reports about subversive activities by Russia, according to a news release.

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Working Families Party complication

The process of getting Katie Wilson off the Working Families Party ballot line has gotten more complicated.

Party leaders had said they had a way to remove Wilson from the line to clear the way to endorse Tedra Cobb of Canton, who is the Democratic nominee in the race.

The only way to get off of the ballot is to die, move away, be appointed to a judgeship or seek a different office.

Wilson said she was not interested in challenging Assemblyman Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, in the 114th Assembly District.

Ken Warner, upstate regional political director for the Working Families Party, told The Watertown Daily Times that the party plans to endorse Cobb in September. There is a plan to move Wilson off the ballot at that time if another candidate in a different race is appointed to the judiciary.

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Campaign manager switch

The Working Families Party was going to have a press conference last week to explain all this, but it was postponed after Cobb’s campaign manager, Mike Szustak, unexpectedly left the campaign. The Watertown Daily Times cites a blog post by former Watertown Mayor Jeffrey Graham that Szustak was having a heated conversation on an Acela train car with Cobb over a leaked video in which Cobb was heard expressing support for an assault weapons ban.

Szustak had worked on other campaigns, including Nina Ahmad’s campaign in Pennsylvania’s 1st Congressional District from December 2017 through March 2018; Paul Clements’ campaign in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District from February 2016 to November 2016; and Shawn O’Connor’s campaign in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in June and July 2015, according to Szustak’s LinkedIn page. All were unsuccessful in their bids for Congress.

New campaign manager Anna Sorensen lives in Canton and works as an assistant professor at SUNY Potsdam, according to her Facebook page.

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North Country legislation

Congresswoman Stefanik highlighted some funding that will benefit the North Country in the appropriations bill that passed last week, including $360 million for the Land Conservation Fund, $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and $415 million to combat the opioid epidemic. There is also $155 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, according to a news release.

Specifically, there is $8.4 million for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which provides grants to programs that protect the lake’s water quality, recreation, fisheries and cultural resources, according to a news release.

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Broadband connectivity

Stefanik has introduced a bill to provide refundable tax credits for businesses and people who want to build up infrastructure to expand rural broadband service.

The Broadband for All Act (H.R. 6442) would create a tax credit of up to 75 percent for groups of two or more homeowners or businesses to help cover the cost of building the infrastructure needed to get online.

The goal is to help bridge the “last-mile” gap between their homes and businesses and the existing broadband network, according to a news release.