[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 115 (Monday, July 10, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S3875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





             PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT PUTIN

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, there was the G-20 and President Trump's 
bilateral meeting with President Putin. While a few good things came 
out of this summit, overall, it was an embarrassment to our country and 
our ideals. Clearly, the lowest moment of all was President Trump's 
meeting with Vladimir Putin, on several counts.
  As our intelligence community has concluded, the President of Russia 
deliberately interfered in our elections and sought to undermine our 
democracy. That is not Democrats making it up. That is 17 intelligence 
agencies--men and women, many of whom risk their lives for us every 
day, people we look up to, people we admire. They are the ones who said 
there was interference--not Democrats, not politicians. I wish 
President Trump would stop saying it was Democrats who came up with 
this idea. It was our own intelligence community. Rather than 
decisively confront the Russian President on these actions--the Russian 
interference--the President reportedly acquiesced to Putin's denial.
  To give equal credence to the findings of 17 U.S. intelligence 
agencies and an assertion by Mr. Putin is disgraceful. They are not 
equal. Our 17 intelligence agencies are far more important to us and 
far more credible to us than Vladimir Putin. Every American--every 
American--no matter their party affiliation, should take umbrage with 
the President of the United States equating our own hardworking, 
dedicated intelligence community with Mr. Putin, who has shown contempt 
for our democracy and has spent his professional and political career 
trying to undermine it.
  This almost certainly paves the way--the President's actions almost 
certainly pave the way--for future Russian interference on our 
elections. If Russia feels there will be no punishment for interfering 
in our elections, no reprimand at all from the United States, surely 
they will try and try again.
  President Trump went so far as to float the absolutely absurd 
possibility of a joint cyber security unit with the Russians. Then he 
backtracked after he was hailing it as one of the great things about 
the summit. When he got such reaction--particularly, from Senators 
McCain and Rubio, from his own party--he backtracked.
  The thought of working with our adversary on cyber security should 
send chills down the backs of all Americans. It is clear that President 
Trump is not willing to be the guardian of American interests when it 
comes to Vladimir Putin. The House of Representatives must step in and 
fill the void by passing the Senate's tough, bipartisan sanctions bill 
to finally punish Russia for their intrusions in our 2016 elections.
  The Founding Fathers established Congress as a check and balance on 
the executive branch when necessary. The House must be that check and 
balance now.
  Given the President's actions at the G-20, there is now even more 
reason for the House to pass the Senate sanctions bill, which passed 98 
to 2--overwhelmingly bipartisan.
  Given President Trump's casual dismissals of the findings of our 
intelligence community and face-value acceptance of Mr. Putin's word, 
there is even greater cause to tie the hands of this administration 
with a tough Russia sanctions bill.
  Now more than ever, it is clear that President Trump should not have 
the final and only authority to lift sanctions on Russia. He has shown 
that he is willing to turn a blind eye to the direct assault on our 
democracy and did so this weekend in his meeting with Mr. Putin.
  Congress should step up and say: President Trump, if you are not 
going to punish Russia for meddling with our democracy, we will.
  The American people are wondering: How can the President of the 
United States fail to stick up for our democracy? How can the President 
fail to seriously challenge the man responsible for violating the 
sanctity of our elections?
  Candidly, I am dismayed that the Republican leadership in this body 
and in the other has been so quiet in the wake of these events. The 
Republican Party's foreign policy for decades was predicated on 
opposition to the Soviet Union and now Russia. It was the linchpin of 
their foreign policy. Now, when a President of their party is soft on 
Russia--even after Russia blatantly interfered in our elections--we 
hardly hear a peep from the Republican leadership.
  I certainly acknowledge, respect, and admire the words of my friends, 
Republican Senators McCain, Graham, Sasse, and Rubio, who have spoken 
out and should be recognized and applauded for it. They have been the 
exception, not the rule. We need to hear more from the Republican 
leadership because this situation is getting ever more troubling.

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