[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 23 (Tuesday, February 6, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, now for a word on the Russia 
investigation, last night the House Intelligence Committee voted to 
release the contents of the Schiff memo. Now that the House 
Intelligence Committee has acted, President Trump should move--in 
conjunction with the DOJ and the FBI--and release the Schiff memo to 
the public. The American people deserve the chance to make their own 
judgment on the facts of this small piece of the broader case of 
Russia's interference in our election.
  The President decided the public deserved to see the Nunes memo 
before he had even read it. So he ought to be just as eager for the 
American people to see this memo, which refutes--effectively, 
devastatingly--so much in the Nunes memo.
  Given that the Schiff memo is based on the same underlying documents 
as the Republicans' partisan memo, there should be no question as to 
whether or not the President should approve its release. If he decides 
to keep the Democratic memo under wraps, the American people are going 
to be forced to wonder: What is the President trying to hide? What is 
he afraid of?
  President Trump should release the Schiff memo--and quickly. It will 
illustrate what a sham the Nunes memo is. Then, we can all move on and, 
as some of my good Republican colleagues have had the courage to say--
not enough, but some: Let Mueller do his investigation unimpeded, and 
let's see where the results end up.
  We need to move on. The Nunes memo is only the latest in a long line 
of distractions manufactured by the most extreme elements of the 
Republican Party and the conservative media to distract from the 
special counsel's investigation. It started with conspiracies about 
``deep state'' leaks and unmasking requests, phone taps at Trump Tower, 
and Uranium One, and now it is this memo. They don't quit with all 
these conspiracy theories, with all these ridiculous fomentations. They 
don't quit, perhaps because they are afraid of what a real 
investigation, which Mueller is doing and will continue to do, will 
reveal.

  What the American people want to know are three simple things: One, 
what did the Russians do to interfere in our elections; two, were there 
Americans involved in helping the Russians; and three, what are we 
doing to prevent the Russians from interfering in 2018 and beyond? To 
that point, Americans should be much more concerned about this 
administration's tepid response to Putin's interference in our election 
than about a memo of Republican talking points.
  Any other administration, any other President, I believe, would have 
made punishing Putin and protecting our democracy a primary issue in 
the first term, but this President began his first year in office by 
downplaying Putin's involvement in the 2016 election, and then he 
repeatedly accepted Putin's words of denial over the consensus of the 
American intelligence community.
  When the administration tried to wiggle out of existing sanctions 
against Russia, Congress overwhelmingly and almost unanimously passed 
legislation strengthening the existing sanctions and adding new ones to 
address the interference. We are still waiting for President Trump to 
implement the new round of sanctions. What is he waiting for? Why does 
he refuse to get tough with Putin? We look to the President of the 
United States to stand up for our democracy against all threats, but 
unfortunately and sadly--bad for America--President Trump has abdicated 
this responsibility when it comes to Putin.
  I yield the floor.
  I know my good friend from Illinois will have his usual thoughtful 
and articulate remarks to give.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I don't know if you want to announce the 
business of the day or if you have already done that.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is in a period of morning business.
  The assistant Democratic leader is recognized.

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