As Alabamians, it is important to remember that the national security challenges we face as a nation often begin on our doorstep. This lesson has been reinforced in recent years as adversaries' cyber capabilities have targeted critical infrastructure in the United States, and especially in Alabama. But few national priorities are more valuable and worth protecting than our election infrastructure.

During my time in elected government, I have been reminded of the need to aggressively protect Alabama's most sensitive facilities and equipment from malicious actors, with sophisticated cyber attacks occurring in the past five years alone. Blocking the pipeline, Healthcare Systemand Municipal operationsEach of these security breaches has taught us new lessons about what can be done to prevent similar incidents from happening again. When it comes to election infrastructure, the light is flashing red, and Congress must heed the warnings.

Despite steep declines in funding from Congress, state election officials have been working hard to protect voting systems from cyber threats. Over the past five years, federal funding for election infrastructure, which is earmarked for the most urgent needs of all 50 states, has plummeted from an average of $400 million to $55 million in a government funding package passed last month. Meanwhile, threats to U.S. election systems from countries like China, Russia and Iran remain a serious concern for America's intelligence agencies ahead of the 2024 elections. In other words, now is not the time to skimp on investments in election infrastructure.

As Congressional support has slumped over the past few years, another important development has occurred: As anyone who has been to a grocery store can tell you, inflation means that the dollar is not as valuable as it once was. That is also true for election officials, who are tasked with procuring equipment and software to improve the technological capabilities and cyber defenses that keep our elections secure.

The call to action is clear: Congress must restore federal funding for election infrastructure for FY 2025 to the $400 million level established under the previous Administration. As a staunch conservative, I proudly support fiscal responsibility and believe we must play an active role in protecting our country and addressing the immediate challenges facing our election infrastructure. This is not a partisan issue, it's a patriotic issue. Investing in our election infrastructure is an investment in our national security.

The FY 2025 budget package provides a significant opportunity to enhance the safety and security of future election cycles. Increased funding will not only address immediate needs like ensuring modern computer operating systems and cyber training for election staff, but will also enable us to stay ahead of emerging threats through innovation and advanced cybersecurity measures.

My constituents in southeast Alabama have seen time and time again foreign cyber attacks on our nation's critical infrastructure and understand that we need to increase investment in our cyber defenses. Nowhere is this need greater than in our election infrastructure. Congress must act accordingly.

Billy Beasley is an Alabama State Senator representing the 28th District.