[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 57 (Monday, April 3, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E427]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   QUESTIONING THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2017

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first let me thank Congresswoman Jayapal and 
Congressman Raskin for their tireless work to protect our democracy.
  I also want to thank the fearless leaders of the CPC, Congressman 
Keith Ellison and Congressman Raul Grijalva for organizing this Special 
Order Hour and for leading the fight for the integrity of our republic.
  Mr. Speaker, we're here today to shine a light on the deceit and 
corruption taking place at the White House. For months, we've known 
that Russia meddled in our election to benefit Donald Trump's campaign.
  In fact, even before the election, 17 intelligence agencies all 
concluded that the influence came from the highest levels of the 
Kremlin. The reality of this unprecedented interference is outrageous 
and appalling.
  But even more disturbing than the fact of foreign actors meddling, 
has been the response of our Commander-in-Chief. President Trump 
stacked his campaign, and then his Administration, with officials who 
benefited both financially and personally from Russian ties.
  Now, instead of calling for a bipartisan independent investigation 
into Russia's influence, President Trump has heaped praise on Vladimir 
Putin and undermined the ongoing investigations.
  Amid all of the evidence pointing to Russian interference to benefit 
President Trump, one question remains.
  Why has the President not taken this national security issue 
seriously? Over the past 60 days we have learned the answer to that 
question. A steady stream of revelations has shown what we've suspected 
all along. President Trump's cozy relationship with Russia warrants a 
bipartisan independent investigation. Nearly every week, the ties and 
lies that exist between President Trump and the Russians have led the 
news cycle.
  Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort stepped down during the 
campaign after reports of his murky financial dealings with Russia 
became public. Michael Flynn was forced to resign after news reports 
confirmed he lied about contacts with the Russians during and after the 
campaign.
  Attorney General Jeff Sessions lied under oath to conceal meetings he 
had with Russian officials while on the campaign. And, just this week, 
we learned that President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner had 
questionable financial links to Russia that warrant a Senate 
investigation.
  The web of ties and lies gets murkier by the day. As these 
improprieties come to light, President Trump peddles increasingly 
desperate conspiracy theories in an attempt to distract from the truth.
  Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. The American people are demanding that 
the truth about this Administration be exposed.
  They deserve to know every last detail concerning Putin's involvement 
in our election; ties that exist between Trump allies and Putin 
officials; and exactly what knowledge President Trump had of Russian 
actions during the campaign.
  Clearly, Republicans have proved that they are incapable of leading 
such an investigation. Just this week, we've watched the Chairman of 
the Intelligence Committee be caught up in this cloud of corruption. 
Congressman Devin Nunes, a former executive board member on Trump's 
transition team, is too compromised by the Trump Administration to lead 
this investigation. Congressman Nunes' conflicts of interest clearly 
demonstrate he cannot be trusted to conduct the investigation.
  Mr. Speaker, the list is endless. He has withheld information from 
Members of the Intel Committee; shared critical information with the 
President, the subject of the investigation, without alerting his 
counterparts on the committee, including the Ranking Member, Adam 
Schiff. Mislead the American people with scant details of his sources. 
Not to mention, he helped develop President Trump's national security 
plan on the campaign.
  Mr. Speaker, Congressman Devin Nunes has lost the confidence of the 
American people. He needs to step down immediately from Chair of the 
Intelligence Committee.
  Mr. Speaker, the corruption shrouding this Administration undermines 
our national security and makes us less safe. So the only solution here 
is an independent investigation to reveal the extent of President 
Trump's personal, political and financial ties to Russia.
  I urge my colleagues to support this commission. This has gone far 
beyond partisan politics. This is about the character of our nation and 
the independence of our democracy. The American people deserve to know 
the truth about the troubling links that exist between President Trump 
and Putin's Russia.

                          ____________________