[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 12, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2664-H2665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KEEPING RUSSIAN ENTRAPMENTS MINIMAL AND LIMITING INTELLIGENCE NETWORKS
ACT
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 1617) to direct the Director of National
Intelligence to submit intelligence assessments of the intentions of
the political leadership of the Russian Federation, and for other
purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1617
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Keeping Russian Entrapments
Minimal and Limiting Intelligence Networks Act'' or the
``KREMLIN Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Russia continues to engage in information warfare and
political interference in the West, including by undermining
democratic systems and exploiting economic and ethnic
tensions within member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
(2) Such activities constitute a threat to the United
States and to its allies.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions
Act (Public Law 115-44) authorized the United States
Government to impose sanctions in response to actions by
countries, including Russia, that undermine the security of
the United States;
(2) the United States should sustain its contribution to
the newly deployed enhanced forward presence of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Poland, Lithuania,
Latvia, and Estonia and encourage Canada, the United Kingdom,
and Germany to continue their important leadership roles in
the military presence of NATO in those countries;
(3) the United States has defensive intentions in pursuing
such sanctions and such enhanced military posture in Europe,
and does not seek to threaten Russian territory;
(4) the United States does not seek to be an enemy of the
Russian people;
(5) the United States desires a peaceful, economically
prosperous relationship with Russia based on democratic
principles where freedom and the rule of law are upheld for
all; and
(6) the United States is committed to defending these
fundamental beliefs against any Russian aggression.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT FOR INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENTS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of National
Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of State and
the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees each of the assessments described in
subsection (b).
(b) Assessments Described.--The assessments described in
this section are the following with respect to the current
intentions of the political leadership of the Russian
Federation and based on intelligence obtained from all
sources:
(1) Potential military action against members of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
(2) Potential responses to an enlarged United States or
NATO military presence in eastern Europe or to increased
United States military support for allies and partners in the
region, such as the provision of additional lethal military
equipment to Ukraine or Georgia.
(3) Potential areas where the Government of the Russian
Federation could exploit weaknesses and divisions among the
governments of its Western adversaries.
(c) Form.--Each assessment required under subsection (a)
may be submitted in classified form but shall also include an
unclassified executive summary, consistent with the
protection of intelligence sources and methods.
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Armed
Services of the House of Representatives; and
[[Page H2665]]
(2) the Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Armed Services of the
Senate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 1617.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1617, the Keeping
Russian Entrapments Minimal and Limiting Intelligence Networks Act, or
the KREMLIN Act.
The intelligence community is united in its assessment that Russia
attempted to sabotage the 2016 U.S. election and that America is not
alone in facing these dangers and attacks. In fact, recent reports
indicate that Russia continues to engage in information warfare and
political interference in the West that threatens the health of
democratic institutions within member countries of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, otherwise known as NATO.
Among many examples, the Russian Federation is linked to cybercrimes
in Ukraine and Germany, disinformation campaigns here in the United
States, intelligence support for pro-Russian Bulgarian candidates, and
financing for pro-Russian parties in France.
The bipartisan KREMLIN Act which I introduced with my friend,
Congressman Chris Stewart of Utah, acknowledges the active threat of
foreign interference on the United States and our NATO allies.
Specifically, this legislation would require the Director of National
Intelligence to submit three intelligence assessments to Congress.
These assessments must analyze:
First, potential military action by Russia against members of NATO;
Second, potential responses by Russia to an enlarged U.S. or NATO
presence in Eastern Europe;
Third, potential areas where the Russian Government could exploit
weaknesses and divisions among the governments of NATO and her allies.
Most importantly, the KREMLIN Act recognizes that Russian meddling
with our allied NATO countries constitutes a direct threat to the
United States.
By providing the appropriate congressional committees with these
comprehensive assessments, we will be better prepared to thwart efforts
in the future that aim to weaken international democratic institutions.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, March 12, 2019.
Hon. Adam Schiff,
Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: This is to advise you that the Committee
on Foreign Affairs has now had an opportunity to review H.R.
1617, the ``KREMLIN Act,'' which falls within our shared Rule
X jurisdiction. I appreciate that you have consulted with us
on this legislation. The Foreign Affairs Committee has no
objection to considering this bill on the House floor. To
expedite that consideration, the Foreign Affairs Committee is
willing to waive referral, with the understanding that we do
not thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over the
legislation or its subject matter.
In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar
legislation is convened, the Foreign Affairs Committee
reserves the right to request an appropriate number of
conferees to address any concerns with this bill or related
provisions that may arise in conference.
Please place this letter into the Congressional Record
during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank
you for the cooperation spirit in which you have worked
regarding this matter and others between our committees.
Sincerely,
Eliot L. Engel,
Chairman, House Committee on
Foreign Affairs.
____
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, House of
Representatives,
March 8, 2019.
Hon. Eliot Engel,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Engel: I write in reply to your letter
regarding H.R. 1617, the ``KREMLIN Act.'' I appreciate your
willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation.
I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and that
the Committee on Foreign Affairs will not take up H.R. 1617
formally. I further agree that your Committee's inaction
regarding the bill will not waive any future jurisdictional
claims over matters addressed in H.R. 1617 which fall within
your Committee's jurisdiction under Rule X of the Rules of
Procedure for the House of Representatives for the 116th
Congress.
At your request, I lastly will ensure that our exchange of
letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your
cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to
continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the
legislative process.
Sincerely,
Adam B. Schiff,
Chairman.
Mr. STEWART. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in favor of H.R. 1617, and I am proud to
cosponsor this bill with my friend, Mr. Krishnamoorthi.
The Keeping Russian Entrapments Minimal and Limiting Intelligence
Networks Act, also known as the KREMLIN Act, is a commonsense bill that
directs the intelligence community to conduct an assessment on the
leadership of the Russian Government's plans and intentions, as my
friend Raja has said, especially in regards to NATO.
Madam Speaker, with some questioning Washington's commitment to the
transatlantic alliance, this bill also serves as a reminder to our
allies of the U.S. Congress' commitment to NATO.
{time} 1315
NATO is indispensable. As a former military officer, I know firsthand
how true that is. It is also as important today as it has ever been.
Understanding the threats that the Kremlin continues to challenge to
this important alliance is of utmost importance.
In particular, the bill seeks assessments in three areas:
First, any potential military action against NATO members;
Second, potential reaction to the expansion of NATO; and,
Third, potential weaknesses and areas of division against NATO
allies.
Learning the Russian Government's intentions in these areas will
better enable the United States Government to counter any attempts to
undermine this critical alliance that we call NATO.
I thank the Speaker, urge passage of H.R. 1617, and reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and am
prepared to close.
Mr. STEWART. Madam Speaker, once again, very briefly, this is a
commonsense piece of legislation. It is a bipartisan piece of
legislation. Importantly, it improves our national security. It
improves the ability of our intelligence agencies to do the critical
work that they do.
I urge my colleagues to vote in favor, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, for the health of our democracy, I
strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan KREMLIN Act, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1617.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________