[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 55 (Thursday, April 5, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E397]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FOREIGN POLICY

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                            HON. LAMAR SMITH

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 5, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the United States and its allies are 
aware that the Russian government is engaging in ongoing information 
warfare against democracies around the world. Beyond its targeting of 
the U.S. election systems and critical infrastructure, Russian 
influence efforts have been reported in the United Kingdom, France, 
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, Latvia, Ukraine, Spain, and 
Mexico, among others. Most recently, the United Kingdom has been 
attacked physically by Russia through its use of nerve toxins against 
perceived enemies of Russian President Vladimir Putin on British soil.
  The Kremlin needs to hear clearly that we will not tolerate its 
continuing bad acts.
  The Department of Treasury's newest sanctions against the businesses, 
entities, and people included in special counsel Robert Mueller's 
February 16th indictment is an important step in holding Russia 
accountable for its interference in the American election process. My 
colleagues and I passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through 
Sanctions Act last summer with this purpose in mind.
  The Kremlin Report list published by the Treasury Department 
currently names businessmen like Yuri Shefler, who has been protecting 
his company, SPI Group, against Russian attacks for almost twenty 
years.
  I urge the administration to develop a broader policy response to 
Russian interference in American politics. A strong first step to 
accomplish this goal is publishing a report on businessmen who are 
actually close to the Kremlin.

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