Senate Republicans block plans to make elections more secure from foreign interference

Republicans in the US Senate have blocked the passage of several election security measures that would require campaigns to alert federal authorities about foreign influence and ban voting machines from connecting to the internet.

As part of the Senate's procedure, Democrats sought "unanimous consent" to bring the measures to the body, meaning any one opponent could effectively end the bills' passage just nine months from contentious 2020 federal elections.

On Tuesday, Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn opposed the requests, accusing Democrats of using the measures as a fundraising effort to attack Republicans knowing that they would prevent their passage.

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The move follows Donald Trump's apparent intervention in the sentencing of former adviser Roger Stone and the resignation of four federal prosecutors from the case after the Justice Department reversed course, which Democrats say was at the urging of the president.

Recently emboldened by his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial after being charged with pressuring Ukraine to collect politically damaging information on his opponent Joe Biden, the president congratulated his attorney general William Barr for "taking charge of a case that was totally out of control and perhaps should not have even been brought".

Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures Show all 50 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. World news in pictures 1/50 11 February 2020 Hawaiian surfer Kai Lenny rides a wave during the big waves Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge in Nazare AFP via Getty 2/50 10 February 2020 A worker wears a protective suit as he stands outside an office building while checking people entering in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 40000 in mainland China. The country has continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 900, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China Getty 3/50 9 February 2020 South Korean film director Bong Joon Ho poses with the awards, his film Parasite, won at the Oscars. It was named best picture, becoming the first non-English language film to do so AFP via Getty 4/50 8 February 2020 Thailand security forces take cover behind an ambulance as they chase a shooter hidden in a shopping mall after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21, in Nakhon Ratchasima Reuters 5/50 7 February 2020 A Palestinian demonstrator hurls stones at Israeli forces as tires burn near the Israeli barrier during a protest against the US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, in the village of Bilin, West Bank Reuters 6/50 6 February 2020 Two people were killed and dozens injured when a train derailed outside the city of Lodi in Italy AFP via Getty 7/50 5 February 2020 Health teams and fire brigade crews surround a passenger plane which split into three pieces after it skidded off the runway at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey Anadolu Agency via Getty 8/50 4 February 2020 Sri Lanka's military march with national flags during the 72nd independence day ceremony, in Colombo Reuters 9/50 3 February 2020 Refugees and migrants confront riot police during a demonstration outside the Kara Tepe camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, February 3, 2020 Reuters 10/50 2 February 2020 An Iraqi demonstrator sits amid burning tires blocking a road during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq Reuters 11/50 1 February 2020 Horses panic as a spot fire runs through the property of Lawrence and Clair Cowie near Canberra, Australia. The couple stayed to defend their home, with the spot fire destroying part of the property. Chief Minister Andrew Barr declared a State of Emergency on Friday, as the Orroral Valley bushfire continues to burn out of control Getty 12/50 31 January 2020 Stefan Kraft soars through the air during a qualifying session for the men's large hill individual competition at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event in Sapporo, Japan EPA 13/50 30 January 2020 Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok. A Thai surgical mask factory, producing 10 million masks a month, increased working hours to cope with the rising demand following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China AFP via Getty 14/50 29 January 2020 An Israeli soldier fires teargas towards Palestinian protestors during a demonstration in al-Aroub Palestinian refugee camp, between the West Bank towns of Hebron and Bethlehem AFP via Getty 15/50 28 January 2020 Firefighters with their face painted with the movie character 'Joker', participate in a demonstration against the pension reforms and for better work conditions in Paris EPA 16/50 27 January 2020 Flowers outside Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School, in Philadelphia, as people pay their respects after basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash Reuters 17/50 26 January 2020 US singer-songwriter Lizzo performs onstage during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles AFP via Getty 18/50 25 January 2020 A Lebanese anti-government protester in makeshift protective gear stands under a water jet as security forces move to disperse a demonstration near government headquarters at the Grand Serail, in downtown Beirut AFP via Getty 19/50 24 January 2020 A protester holds a sign reading "On the move" mocking the LREM party's slogan during a demonstration in Paris, as part as a nationwide multi-sector strike against the French government's pensions overhaul AFP via Getty 20/50 23 January 2020 A Chinese police officer wears a protective mask as he stands guard next to an ad before the annual Spring Festival at a Beijing railway station. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to over 500 in mainland China as health officials locked down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have been confirmed can be passed from human to human Getty 21/50 22 January 2020 Visitors wear face masks as they sit inside the Venetian casino hotel resort in Macau, after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus that originated from Wuhan in China. AFP via Getty 22/50 21 January 2020 Marine One helicopter with US President Donald Trump on board arrives for the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland Reuters 23/50 20 January 2020 A man walks between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq Reuters 24/50 19 January 2020 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, (second row, left to right) arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, African Union (AU) Committee Chairman Moussa Faki, European Council President Charles Michel, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pose for a family picture during a Peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin AFP via Getty 25/50 18 January 2020 Sweden's Jennie-Lee Burmansson competing in the final run of the Freestyle Skiing Womens Freeski Slopestyle at the Leysin Park in Leysin, during the 2020 Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games AFP via Getty 26/50 17 January 2020 Firefighters take part in a demonstration to protest against the attacks against them during interventions in Strasbourg. During the New Year's Eve night in Strasbourg, two firefighters were notably injured following a projectile thrown onto the window of their truck. Last weekend, three firefighters were victims of a stabbing by a person they came to rescue in the outskirts of the city. AFP via Getty 27/50 16 January 2020 People enjoy the frozen lake of Houhai in Beijing ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Rat. - The Lunar New Year falls on January 25 this year and marks the Year of the Rat. AFP via Getty 28/50 15 January 2020 Taiwanese soldiers operate a CM-11 battle tank during an exercise at a military base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan AFP via Getty 29/50 14 January 2020 A resident who briefly returned home to retrieve belongings carries figurines of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary in Laurel, Batangas province, Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to four out of five, warning that a hazardous eruption could take place anytime, as authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from the area Getty 30/50 13 January 2020 Mini's driver Jakub Przygonski and his co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete in Stage 8 of the Dakar 2020 around Wadi Ad-Dawasir AFP via Getty 31/50 12 January 2020 People take photos of a phreatic explosion from the Taal volcano from the town of Tagaytay in Cavite province, southwest of Manila AFP via Getty 32/50 11 January 2020 An injured Syrian child cries after being transported to a clinic for treatment following an air strike by pro-regime forces on the nothwestern city of Idlib AFP via Getty 33/50 10 January 2020 Vets and volunteers treat koalas at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, southwest of Adelaide, Australia AAP Image/Reuters 34/50 9 January 2020 Devotees follow the carriage transporting the statue of the Black Nazarene during an annual religious procession in its honour in Manila. Thousands of barefoot devotees joined the religious procession hoping to touch a centuries-old icon of Jesus Christ, called the Black Nazarene, which is believed to have miraculous powers AFP via Getty 35/50 8 January 2020 People stand near the wreckage after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran ISNA/AFP via Getty 36/50 7 January 2020 Mourners gather around a vehicle carrying the coffin of Iranian top general Qasem Soleimani during the final stage of funeral processions, in his hometown Kerman. Soleimani was killed outside Baghdad airport Friday in a drone strike ordered by US President Donald Trump, ratcheting up tensions with Iran which has vowed "severe revenge". The assassination of the 62-year-old heightened international concern about a new war in the Middle East and rattled financial markets AFP via Getty 37/50 6 January 2020 Actor Rose McGowan speaks at a news conference outside a Manhattan courthouse after the arrival of Harvey Weinstein, in New York. Weinstein is on trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, more than two years after a torrent of women began accusing him of misconduct AP 38/50 5 January 2020 Mourners march behind a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qassem Soleimani and others as they pay homage in the Iranian city of Mashhad Tasnim News/AFP/Getty 39/50 4 January 2020 Rescue personnel search for bodies among mud and debris following a landslide caused by heavy rain in West Java, Indonesia EPA 40/50 3 January 2020 A burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport is seen following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon said Thursday that the US military has killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump AP 41/50 2 January 2020 Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south Robert Oerlemans via AP 42/50 1 January 2020 Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister's house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales, Australia EPA 43/50 31 December 2019 A man rides a donkey cart against the last setting sun of 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan Reuters 44/50 30 December 2019 A Skycrane drops water on a bushfire in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. According to local media reports, thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate in the state of Victoria as soaring temperatures and winds fanned several bushfires around the state EPA 45/50 29 December 2019 A jumper soars through the air during a trial jump at the first stage of the 68th four hills ski jumping tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany AP 46/50 28 December 2019 Revellers dressed in mock military garb throw eggs as they take part in the "Els Enfarinats" battle in the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi on December 28, 2019. - During this 200-year-old traditional festival participants known as Els Enfarinats (those covered in flour) dress in military clothes and stage a mock coup d'etat as they battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers outside the city town hall as part of the celebrations of the Day of the Innocents, a traditional day in Spain for pulling pranks. AFP via Getty 47/50 27 December 2019 The Panamanian-flag cargo ship "Zelek Star" is pictured after being washed up on a beach in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod during a storm AFP via Getty 48/50 26 December 2019 Monks wearing solar filter glasses watch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse at the Gaden monastery in a Tibetan colony in Teginkoppa, India AFP via Getty 49/50 25 December 2019 A participant in a Darth Vader costume jumps into the water during the 110th edition of the 'Copa Nadal' (Christmas Cup) swimming competition in Barcelona's Port Vell. The traditional 200-meter Christmas swimming race included more than 300 participants on Barcelona's old harbour AFP/Getty 50/50 24 December 2019 Children dressed as Santa Claus during celebrations on Christmas Eve at a school in Amritsar AFP via Getty 1/50 11 February 2020 Hawaiian surfer Kai Lenny rides a wave during the big waves Nazare Tow Surfing Challenge in Nazare AFP via Getty 2/50 10 February 2020 A worker wears a protective suit as he stands outside an office building while checking people entering in Beijing, China. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to more than 40000 in mainland China. The country has continued to lock down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have confirmed can be passed from human to human. The number of those who have died from the virus in China climbed to over 900, mostly in Hubei province, and cases have been reported in other countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and several others. The World Health Organization has warned all governments to be on alert and screening has been stepped up at airports around the world. Some countries, including the United States, have put restrictions on Chinese travellers entering and advised their citizens against travel to China Getty 3/50 9 February 2020 South Korean film director Bong Joon Ho poses with the awards, his film Parasite, won at the Oscars. It was named best picture, becoming the first non-English language film to do so AFP via Getty 4/50 8 February 2020 Thailand security forces take cover behind an ambulance as they chase a shooter hidden in a shopping mall after a mass shooting in front of the Terminal 21, in Nakhon Ratchasima Reuters 5/50 7 February 2020 A Palestinian demonstrator hurls stones at Israeli forces as tires burn near the Israeli barrier during a protest against the US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, in the village of Bilin, West Bank Reuters 6/50 6 February 2020 Two people were killed and dozens injured when a train derailed outside the city of Lodi in Italy AFP via Getty 7/50 5 February 2020 Health teams and fire brigade crews surround a passenger plane which split into three pieces after it skidded off the runway at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Turkey Anadolu Agency via Getty 8/50 4 February 2020 Sri Lanka's military march with national flags during the 72nd independence day ceremony, in Colombo Reuters 9/50 3 February 2020 Refugees and migrants confront riot police during a demonstration outside the Kara Tepe camp, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, February 3, 2020 Reuters 10/50 2 February 2020 An Iraqi demonstrator sits amid burning tires blocking a road during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq Reuters 11/50 1 February 2020 Horses panic as a spot fire runs through the property of Lawrence and Clair Cowie near Canberra, Australia. The couple stayed to defend their home, with the spot fire destroying part of the property. Chief Minister Andrew Barr declared a State of Emergency on Friday, as the Orroral Valley bushfire continues to burn out of control Getty 12/50 31 January 2020 Stefan Kraft soars through the air during a qualifying session for the men's large hill individual competition at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup event in Sapporo, Japan EPA 13/50 30 January 2020 Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok. A Thai surgical mask factory, producing 10 million masks a month, increased working hours to cope with the rising demand following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China AFP via Getty 14/50 29 January 2020 An Israeli soldier fires teargas towards Palestinian protestors during a demonstration in al-Aroub Palestinian refugee camp, between the West Bank towns of Hebron and Bethlehem AFP via Getty 15/50 28 January 2020 Firefighters with their face painted with the movie character 'Joker', participate in a demonstration against the pension reforms and for better work conditions in Paris EPA 16/50 27 January 2020 Flowers outside Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School, in Philadelphia, as people pay their respects after basketball legend Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash Reuters 17/50 26 January 2020 US singer-songwriter Lizzo performs onstage during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles AFP via Getty 18/50 25 January 2020 A Lebanese anti-government protester in makeshift protective gear stands under a water jet as security forces move to disperse a demonstration near government headquarters at the Grand Serail, in downtown Beirut AFP via Getty 19/50 24 January 2020 A protester holds a sign reading "On the move" mocking the LREM party's slogan during a demonstration in Paris, as part as a nationwide multi-sector strike against the French government's pensions overhaul AFP via Getty 20/50 23 January 2020 A Chinese police officer wears a protective mask as he stands guard next to an ad before the annual Spring Festival at a Beijing railway station. The number of cases of a deadly new coronavirus rose to over 500 in mainland China as health officials locked down the city of Wuhan in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-like disease which medicals experts have been confirmed can be passed from human to human Getty 21/50 22 January 2020 Visitors wear face masks as they sit inside the Venetian casino hotel resort in Macau, after the former Portuguese colony reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus that originated from Wuhan in China. AFP via Getty 22/50 21 January 2020 Marine One helicopter with US President Donald Trump on board arrives for the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland Reuters 23/50 20 January 2020 A man walks between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq Reuters 24/50 19 January 2020 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, (second row, left to right) arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, African Union (AU) Committee Chairman Moussa Faki, European Council President Charles Michel, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pose for a family picture during a Peace summit on Libya at the Chancellery in Berlin AFP via Getty 25/50 18 January 2020 Sweden's Jennie-Lee Burmansson competing in the final run of the Freestyle Skiing Womens Freeski Slopestyle at the Leysin Park in Leysin, during the 2020 Lausanne Winter Youth Olympic Games AFP via Getty 26/50 17 January 2020 Firefighters take part in a demonstration to protest against the attacks against them during interventions in Strasbourg. During the New Year's Eve night in Strasbourg, two firefighters were notably injured following a projectile thrown onto the window of their truck. Last weekend, three firefighters were victims of a stabbing by a person they came to rescue in the outskirts of the city. AFP via Getty 27/50 16 January 2020 People enjoy the frozen lake of Houhai in Beijing ahead of the Lunar New Year of the Rat. - The Lunar New Year falls on January 25 this year and marks the Year of the Rat. AFP via Getty 28/50 15 January 2020 Taiwanese soldiers operate a CM-11 battle tank during an exercise at a military base in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan AFP via Getty 29/50 14 January 2020 A resident who briefly returned home to retrieve belongings carries figurines of Jesus Christ and Mother Mary in Laurel, Batangas province, Philippines. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology raised the alert level to four out of five, warning that a hazardous eruption could take place anytime, as authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from the area Getty 30/50 13 January 2020 Mini's driver Jakub Przygonski and his co-driver Timo Gottschalk compete in Stage 8 of the Dakar 2020 around Wadi Ad-Dawasir AFP via Getty 31/50 12 January 2020 People take photos of a phreatic explosion from the Taal volcano from the town of Tagaytay in Cavite province, southwest of Manila AFP via Getty 32/50 11 January 2020 An injured Syrian child cries after being transported to a clinic for treatment following an air strike by pro-regime forces on the nothwestern city of Idlib AFP via Getty 33/50 10 January 2020 Vets and volunteers treat koalas at Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, southwest of Adelaide, Australia AAP Image/Reuters 34/50 9 January 2020 Devotees follow the carriage transporting the statue of the Black Nazarene during an annual religious procession in its honour in Manila. Thousands of barefoot devotees joined the religious procession hoping to touch a centuries-old icon of Jesus Christ, called the Black Nazarene, which is believed to have miraculous powers AFP via Getty 35/50 8 January 2020 People stand near the wreckage after a Ukrainian plane carrying 176 passengers crashed near Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran ISNA/AFP via Getty 36/50 7 January 2020 Mourners gather around a vehicle carrying the coffin of Iranian top general Qasem Soleimani during the final stage of funeral processions, in his hometown Kerman. Soleimani was killed outside Baghdad airport Friday in a drone strike ordered by US President Donald Trump, ratcheting up tensions with Iran which has vowed "severe revenge". The assassination of the 62-year-old heightened international concern about a new war in the Middle East and rattled financial markets AFP via Getty 37/50 6 January 2020 Actor Rose McGowan speaks at a news conference outside a Manhattan courthouse after the arrival of Harvey Weinstein, in New York. Weinstein is on trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, more than two years after a torrent of women began accusing him of misconduct AP 38/50 5 January 2020 Mourners march behind a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qassem Soleimani and others as they pay homage in the Iranian city of Mashhad Tasnim News/AFP/Getty 39/50 4 January 2020 Rescue personnel search for bodies among mud and debris following a landslide caused by heavy rain in West Java, Indonesia EPA 40/50 3 January 2020 A burning vehicle at the Baghdad International Airport is seen following an airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon said Thursday that the US military has killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force, at the direction of President Donald Trump AP 41/50 2 January 2020 Boats are pulled ashore as smoke and wildfires rage behind Lake Conjola, Australia. Thousands of tourists fled Australia's wildfire-ravaged eastern coast ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south Robert Oerlemans via AP 42/50 1 January 2020 Photographer Matt Roberts reacts to seeing his sister's house destroyed by a bushfire in Quaama, New South Wales, Australia EPA 43/50 31 December 2019 A man rides a donkey cart against the last setting sun of 2019 in Lahore, Pakistan Reuters 44/50 30 December 2019 A Skycrane drops water on a bushfire in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. According to local media reports, thousands of residents and tourists were forced to evacuate in the state of Victoria as soaring temperatures and winds fanned several bushfires around the state EPA 45/50 29 December 2019 A jumper soars through the air during a trial jump at the first stage of the 68th four hills ski jumping tournament in Oberstdorf, Germany AP 46/50 28 December 2019 Revellers dressed in mock military garb throw eggs as they take part in the "Els Enfarinats" battle in the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi on December 28, 2019. - During this 200-year-old traditional festival participants known as Els Enfarinats (those covered in flour) dress in military clothes and stage a mock coup d'etat as they battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers outside the city town hall as part of the celebrations of the Day of the Innocents, a traditional day in Spain for pulling pranks. AFP via Getty 47/50 27 December 2019 The Panamanian-flag cargo ship "Zelek Star" is pictured after being washed up on a beach in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashdod during a storm AFP via Getty 48/50 26 December 2019 Monks wearing solar filter glasses watch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse at the Gaden monastery in a Tibetan colony in Teginkoppa, India AFP via Getty 49/50 25 December 2019 A participant in a Darth Vader costume jumps into the water during the 110th edition of the 'Copa Nadal' (Christmas Cup) swimming competition in Barcelona's Port Vell. The traditional 200-meter Christmas swimming race included more than 300 participants on Barcelona's old harbour AFP/Getty 50/50 24 December 2019 Children dressed as Santa Claus during celebrations on Christmas Eve at a school in Amritsar AFP via Getty

Two of the latest bills to face a roadblock by Senate Republicans would require campaigns to report offers of foreign assistance to the Federal Election Commission and the FBI, while the SAFE Act proposes prohibiting voting machines from being connected to the internet or being produced in foreign countries.

Their introduction to the upper chamber of Congress follows a Senate Intelligence Committee report investigating 2016 election interference, revealing how poorly postured US elections are against Russian-backed manipulation, warning that have largely been ignored by Republicans.

Democrats have accused Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of burying Democrat-backed bills in his "legislative graveyard" and "refusing to take action on critical legislation that already has bipartisan support" last fall. A stack of 250 bills languished on Mr McConnell's desk late last year, including nine election security bills.

His coordinated roadblock earned him the nickname "Moscow Mitch".

"Once again, Senate Republicans, afraid of the wrath of President Trump and Senator McConnell, blocked our efforts", said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. "We'll see if our Republican friends are willing to stand up and do what's necessary to protect elections, something that Americans have died for over the centuries."

Roger Stone was found guilty of lying to Congress and tampering with witnesses as politicians investigated whether he sought foreign support to access hacked Democrat emails in the 2016 election as a campaign adviser to Mr Trump.

Following the Justice Department's recommendation for a seven-to-nine-year sentence, the president called the sentence "horrible" and "unfair" and a "miscarriage of justice" hours before the department reversed course.

Democrats have demanded that the inspector general open an investigation into the president's actions.