[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 17, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H3347-H3348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 RUSSIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on a quiet war 
that has plagued our Nation for years. It is not the type of warfare we 
typically consider, but this war's implications are just as grave. It 
is a war being waged on our soil, in our communities, and exploiting 
discourse among friends, family, and neighbors. It is a war intended to 
divide our great Nation in order to weaken our unity and our 
resilience.
  The tactics of this warfare are not always apparent, making it 
possible for any citizen to become a casualty of this dangerous 
campaign against the United States. The war I am referring to is the 
disinformation war against Western democracies being waged by the 
Russian Federation.
  Russia's disinformation campaign against the United States started 
before the 2016 Presidential election. In 2013, the Chief of Staff of 
the Armed

[[Page H3348]]

Forces of Russia stated: ``The very rules of war have changed. The role 
of nonmilitary means of achieving political and strategic goals has 
grown, and, in many cases, they have exceeded the power of force of 
weapons in their effectiveness. The focus of applied methods of 
conflict has altered in the direction of the broad use of political, 
economic, informational, humanitarian, and other nonmilitary measures--
applied in coordination with the protest potential of the population.''
  Last month, General Philip Breedlove testified before the House Armed 
Services Committee stating: ``Russia sees the West, and in particular, 
a unified West, as an adversary. Waging a conventional war against the 
West would be unfavorable to Russia. As such, it has used hybrid 
warfare to break up Western unity.''
  He went on to say: ``Exploiting divisions in U.S. society and 
promoting a `culture war' is one key element of Moscow's efforts to 
weaken the West.''
  In 2015, Russia's disinformation campaign against the United States 
impacted my home State of Missouri. Research conducted by U.S. Air 
Force Lieutenant Colonel Jared Pier found that the same Russian trolls 
involved in the 2016 Presidential election interjected themselves in 
the 2015 protests at the University of Missouri with the goal of 
inciting further unrest and spreading discord and fear. The Russian 
account @fanfan1911 tweeted: ``The cops are marching with the KKK. They 
beat up my little brother. Watch out.''
  The tweet was then retweeted by Twitter bots and hundreds of real 
Twitter users who fell victim to the hoax. Lieutenant Colonel Pier's 
research found that this same Twitter account later changed its tweets 
to all German and spread rumors about Syrian refugees provoking unrest 
in Germany during the height of the refugee crisis. In 2016, the 
account switched back to English and began tweeting about the 2016 
Presidential election.
  Russia's interference in the 2016 Presidential election by spreading 
disinformation on social media is troubling, and it showcases Russia's 
success in weaponizing the internet. Russia has exploited political 
divisions with the intention to cause individuals to question the 
legitimacy of our democracy. That is Russia's ultimate goal, not to 
sway the outcome of elections, but to call into question the very 
foundations that make our democracy strong by provoking mistrust and 
instability into democratic institutions.
  As Americans, we must wake up and band together to fight against 
Russia's tactics. In Missouri and around the country, we have our own 
interfamily squabbles. Brothers and sisters may have arguments, but the 
minute the neighborhood kid picks on one of us, we defend each other. 
It is time that we face the reality that Russia is exploiting our 
American family disagreements and making them far worse.

  Instead of placing blame on each other and further polarizing our 
Nation, we should turn toward each other to develop a defense strategy 
to counter Russia's propaganda machine. Russia is instigating fights on 
both sides of the aisle. They do not care about American political 
parties, but rather the demise of Western democratic institutions. It 
is time that we stop Russia from infecting our family with their 
disinformation virus.
  I call on all Americans to judge inflammatory posts with a wary eye. 
We need to quit being naive, allowing ourselves to become a pawn of 
those who want our undoing.
  The internet is now a battlefield. It is critical that we consider 
the source of all information we receive. That information could be 
from a Russian bot in St. Petersburg. It is time to stand united, talk 
to each other, and work together to solve the challenges of our times.

                          ____________________