[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 126 (Thursday, July 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5427-S5428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 594--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
  GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION'S ONGOING ATTACKS AGAINST THE 
UNITED STATES ELECTION SYSTEM TO UNDERMINE OUR DEMOCRACY BY INTERFERING 
   WITH OUR ELECTION SYSTEM, AND AFFIRMING THE SENATE'S UNEQUIVOCAL 
  COMMITMENT TO HOLDING THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, PRESIDENT PUTIN, AND 
             THOSE WHO CARRIED OUT THE ATTACKS ACCOUNTABLE

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. Graham) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and 
Administration:

                              S. Res. 594

       Whereas, on January 6, 2017, the Office of the Director of 
     National Intelligence published a report titled ``Assessing 
     Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections,'' 
     noting that ``Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an 
     influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. Presidential 
     election,'' with a goal of undermining public faith in United 
     States democratic processes, and that the Government of the 
     Russian Federation's influence campaign followed a Russian 
     messaging strategy that blends covert intelligence 
     operations--such as cyber activity--with overt efforts by 
     Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party 
     intermediaries, and paid social media users or ``trolls'';
       Whereas the findings of the investigation by the Select 
     Committee on Intelligence of the Senate regarding election 
     interference confirmed the intelligence community's 
     assessment that--
       (1) Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election and its 
     actions were a significant escalation in directness, level of 
     activity, and scope;
       (2) Russia conducted cyber operations on United States 
     political targets likely to shape future United States 
     policies;
       (3) Russian-state actors and third-party intermediaries 
     were responsible for the dissemination of documents and 
     communications stolen from United States political 
     organizations;
       (4) the Government of the Russian Federation used 
     coordinated state platforms RT and Sputnik to advance its 
     malign influence campaign during the 2016 United States 
     presidential election; and
       (5) Russian intelligence leveraged social media in an 
     attempt to amplify Kremlin messaging intended to sow social 
     discord and to undermine the United States electoral process;
       Whereas, on July 13, 2018, the Department of Justice 
     indicted 12 members of the Russian military intelligence 
     agency, Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU), 
     for conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States 
     during the 2016 election, noting in the indictment that the 
     Russian officials conspired to hack ``into the computers of 
     U.S. persons and entities involved in the 2016 U.S. 
     presidential election, steal documents from those computers, 
     and stage releases of the stolen documents to interfere with 
     the 2016 U.S. presidential election'';
       Whereas the Senate passed the Countering America's 
     Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, (H.R. 3364, 115th 
     Congress), by a vote of 98-2, in order to impose strong 
     sanctions against the Government of the Russian Federation 
     for its well-documented efforts to undermine democratic 
     institutions and elections in the United States and Europe;
       Whereas, on May 8, 2017, former Director of National 
     Intelligence James Clapper testified before the Committee on 
     the Judiciary of the Senate that ``Russia is now emboldened 
     to continue such activities in the future both here and 
     around the world, and to do so even more intensely'';
       Whereas, on Friday, July 13, 2018, Director of National 
     Intelligence Dan Coats reaffirmed that Russia is continuing 
     its efforts to disrupt United States elections, noting, 
     ``Today, the digital infrastructure that serves this country 
     is literally under attack . . . It was in the months prior to 
     September 2001 when, according to then-CIA Director George 
     Tenet, the system is blinking red. And here we are nearly two 
     decades later, and I'm here to say, the warning lights are 
     blinking red again,'' and that Russia is the ``most 
     aggressive foreign actor, no question. And they continue 
     their efforts to undermine our democracy.'';
       Whereas, on July 16, 2018 Director of National Intelligence 
     Coats reaffirmed United States intelligence conclusions, 
     noting, ``We have been clear in our assessments of Russian 
     meddling in the 2016 election and their ongoing, pervasive 
     efforts to undermine our democracy.'';
       Whereas the men and women in the United States Foreign 
     Service, Armed Forces, intelligence agencies, civil service, 
     and law enforcement dedicate their careers to advancing the 
     interests of our country and home and abroad, including in 
     some difficult and demanding locations such as Russia;
       Whereas these men and women serve honorably despite at 
     times having to endure unwarranted harassing and hostile 
     actions in performance of their duties; and
       Whereas bipartisan support in Congress is important, but 
     there is no substitute for presidential leadership and 
     action, and without it, the costs imposed will not be 
     sufficient to deter Russia in the future: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) unequivocally agrees with the conclusions reached by 
     the dedicated, non-partisan men and women at United States 
     intelligence agencies that Vladimir Putin ordered an attack 
     against the 2016 presidential election to influence and 
     undermine faith in our democratic process and that United 
     States elections remain a target for Russia;
       (2) views attacks against United States election 
     infrastructure as representing a threat to the foundation of 
     our democracy, and declares that protecting our elections is 
     a national security priority;
       (3) views attempts by the Government of the Russian 
     Federation or persons or entities associated with the 
     Government of the Russian Federation to hack and otherwise 
     tamper with United States election voting systems, voter roll 
     information, political party organizations, and State and 
     local election administration officials as an attack on 
     United States critical infrastructure;
       (4) reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to 
     defend against and respond to cyber-attacks against our 
     election infrastructure, and declares that an attack on our 
     election systems by a foreign power is a hostile act and 
     should be met with appropriate retaliatory actions, including 
     full implementation of existing sanctions as well as new 
     additional sanctions;
       (5) reaffirms that States are responsible for conducting 
     elections, and Congress is committed to providing resources, 
     information,

[[Page S5428]]

     and cybersecurity expertise to help improve the security of 
     United States elections;
       (6) strongly supports State and local election officials 
     who administer United States elections and the continued 
     information sharing between those officials and the Federal 
     Government in order to protect the administration of 
     elections;
       (7) reaffirms that the free, open, and fair administration 
     of elections is a cornerstone of American democracy and that 
     any attempts to interfere with election administration is a 
     threat to national security;
       (8) strongly urges President Trump to take all necessary 
     steps to ensure the 12 Russian government officials and any 
     other Russian nationals indicted by the Department of Justice 
     for interfering in the 2016 elections are extradited to the 
     United States; and
       (9) strongly urges President Trump to publicly and 
     unambiguously state that the United States Government will 
     refuse all efforts by the Government of the Russian 
     Federation to question any current or former United States 
     personnel.

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