We come to praise Mitch McConnell, not to bury him.

On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a bipartisan spending package containing $250 million to help states safeguard voting systems. Among the co-sponsors was the majority leader, Mr. McConnell, who, in a floor speech before the committee’s vote, declared himself “proud” to support the measure.

To say this was a welcome surprise would be an understatement. Mr. McConnell has spent the past year-plus blocking multiple bipartisan proposals for election security. This despite warnings from the intelligence community and others that American elections remain vulnerable to outside interference. In his testimony before Congress on Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential race, Robert Mueller, the former special counsel, stressed that Russia was still “doing it as we sit here” even as other foreign actors were poised to do the same.

In the wake of Mr. Mueller’s testimony, critics cranked up the pressure on Mr. McConnell, mocking him as a “Russian asset” and dubbing him “Moscow Mitch.” Social media went wild for the nickname. The ordinarily impervious Mr. McConnell, who is up for re-election next year, was not amused and proclaimed himself a victim of modern-day McCarthyism.

Mr. McConnell’s team says he’s on board with this new plan because it gives money directly to the states, with few strings attached . Others see that as a problem.