[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 6, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1398-S1399]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I join our colleagues who have spoken 
about the concern of the Russian cyber attacks on this country.
  Every day that passes, we gather new information about how Russia, at 
Vladimir Putin's direction, has gone about interfering by committing 
cyber attacks on this country, not only in its stealing names and 
personal information but now in its interfering in our elections.
  In a long indictment, Special Counsel Robert Mueller spelled out how 
the so-called Internet Research Agency--a front in Russia--created fake 
accounts on social media and other internet platforms. It spread 
divisive content, and it even organized political rallies in the United 
States with the help of unwitting Americans--all backed by one of 
Putin's cronies through a so-called catering company. This indictment 
tells a pretty remarkable and alarming story, and if you are still not

[[Page S1399]]

sure what this was all about, just read the Internet Research Agency's 
own words: ``information warfare against the United States of 
America.'' That says it all.
  I know there has been a lot of discussion about Russian interference 
in our elections, and there should be. We have to get to the bottom of 
this. It is coming fast and furious, and it is going to be happening in 
the elections this year. We know what Russia did in the last election. 
Just as the CIA Director and the Director of National Intelligence told 
us, we know, in their words, that Russia will do it again. The more we 
learn, though, the more it becomes clear that we are not doing enough 
to protect ourselves from further attacks.
  This is not a partisan issue; it is an attack on the very foundation 
of our democracy. At a time when it is getting harder and harder to 
come together as a country--when polarization is so rampant, when 
excessive partisanship is so evident--what Russia is doing is 
particularly sinister. It is trying to exacerbate our divisions and 
undermine Americans' faith in their institutions.
  Months away from an election, the question is, What are we going to 
do about it? We are just days away from an election in Texas and about 
8 months away from the November general election. What are we going to 
do? One thing we ought to do is to start defending ourselves.
  Last month, Senator Shaheen, Senator Blumenthal, and I wrote to the 
Secretary of Defense and urged him to use our cyber forces--U.S. Cyber 
Command, which is the one instructed with protecting us--to disrupt 
Russian cyber operations that target our elections. We urged the 
Secretary of Defense to implement the recommendations of the 
Department's own task force to deter these cyber operations. Those were 
the recommendations of the Department of Defense's own task force.
  Just a few days ago, four-star Admiral Rogers, commander of Cyber 
Command, told our Armed Services Committee that he had still not been 
directed to counter these cyber operations and that he needed approval 
from the White House. The White House, unbelievably, hasn't authorized 
him to act.
  Until the Trump administration starts cracking down on Russia, 
Vladimir Putin is going to continue to get away with his cyber attacks 
on our elections and all of his other cyber attacks on our country. 
Admiral Rogers also told the committee that Russia has not paid a 
sufficient enough price for what it has done to us to get it to change 
its behavior.
  This is the kind of thing--defending the Nation--for which our cyber 
forces were created. This Senator is the ranking member of the 
Cybersecurity Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee. I can tell 
you that our cyber forces are growing, and they are getting better and 
better, but they are only good if they are put to work and given the 
task of defending us.
  So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that this letter that 
several of us sent to the Secretary of Defense be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                  U.S. Senate,

                                 Washington, DC, February 6, 2018.
     Hon. James N. Mattis,
     Secretary of Defense,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Mattis: The Government of Russia, at 
     President Vladimir Putin's direction, conducted an extensive 
     campaign to influence our elections in 2016. The Russian 
     campaign--a mix of covert intelligence operations, 
     disinformation, and propaganda spread through traditional and 
     social media--represents a serious and unprecedented attack 
     on American democracy.
       While the Obama Administration imposed targeted sanctions 
     on Russia in response to the attack, just last week, the 
     Trump Administration elected not to impose further sanctions. 
     Yet, Russia's influence activities continue in the United 
     States and elsewhere, according to the Director of the 
     Central Intelligence Agency. As the 2018 midterm elections 
     are now only months away, there is no time to lose in 
     countering Russian influence through multiple means.
       Because Russian influence is conducted largely through 
     cyberspace, National Mission Teams (NMTs), part of the U.S. 
     Cyber Command's Cyber Mission Force, should be ordered to 
     prepare to engage Russian cyber operators and disrupt their 
     activities as they conduct clandestine influence operations 
     against our forthcoming elections. The mission of these 
     forces is to defend the Nation, including critical 
     infrastructure like our election systems, from foreign attack 
     and we urge the Department of Defense to consider employing 
     them as soon as possible.
       Additionally, we urge you to implement the recommendations 
     of the Department's own Defense Science Board's Task Force on 
     Cyber Deterrence. The Task Force's report outlined a strategy 
     to deter further Russian attacks on our democracy by 
     threatening those things that our adversaries hold most dear 
     through tailored campaigns of both cyber and information 
     operations. To my knowledge, the Department has yet to 
     implement these critical recommendations.
       Defending our democracy must rank among the most important 
     responsibilities of our government, including our military 
     cyber forces. We are grateful for your continued service to 
     the country and appreciate your prompt attention to this most 
     pressing threat.
           Sincerely,
     Bill Nelson.
     Richard Blumenthal.
     Jeanne Shaheen.

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to say 
that all of us have to get to work--the White House, our cyber forces, 
and the whole of government. When it comes to defending our democracy, 
many of us have taken up arms, many of us have worn the uniform of this 
country to defend it, many of us, in civilian performance of the duties 
of this government, have likewise performed duties to defend this 
Nation. We now have to defend this Nation against cyber attacks, and 
more immediately we have to defend against the cyber attacks to undo 
and undermine our democratic institutions by attacking our elections.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Tillis). The Senator from Ohio.

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