[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1108-S1109]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Russia

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I come to the floor today with a sense 
of urgency. Our next national election is a little more than 8 months 
away. We know from public reporting that Russia is back to its 2016 
playbook and working to interfere again. What some called a political 
Pearl Harbor in 2016 is in the process of happening again. It is 
happening to us again.
  I notice that every Member of the Senate has Washington's Farewell 
Address. It is an annual ritual in which that address is read by 
Members. It is interesting, in the introduction, that one of the things 
Washington warned about is interference by foreign powers in the 
Nation's domestic affairs; George Washington, President, one of the 
Founders of our country, wrote back then about the interference of 
foreign powers in our domestic affairs.
  This isn't about the Kremlin helping Donald Trump, although we know 
that was their preference the last time. But it has become increasingly 
clear that at least at this point, chaos is the true goal. We haven't 
seen anything that may have changed what their preference was 4 years 
ago. Nothing that the President has done should be a reason for them 
not to want to see him be reelected again. But regardless of whether 
that is or is not the case, chaos is part of their goal. Rendering our 
democracy incapable of standing up to bullies abroad is their goal.
  What is this administration's response? Is it paralysis? No, it is 
anything but. This administration now appears to be engaged in a 
proactive strategy to deny this body access to information on this 
interference. With the appointment of Ric Grenell to serve as Acting 
Director of National Intelligence, the administration is sending a 
clear message to the American people, to the Congress, and to 
governments around the world that our intelligence services are now 
political commodities to be manipulated and used to gain 
electoral advantage. Amid all of the oversight challenges we face with 
this administration, we will likely look back on this decision as 
perhaps one of the most consequential and most damaging to our 
democratic institutions, and that is saying a lot about this White 
House.

  These reports of Russian interference do not come as a surprise. They 
should not find us flatfooted. Several of us have introduced sanctions 
legislation that would deter such Russian behavior from happening. The 
DASKA bill that I introduced with Senator Graham had broad bipartisan 
support and passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a 
strong bipartisan vote and is waiting on the Senate floor for action.
  What are we waiting for? The election is 8 months away. What are we 
waiting for? We are waiting for responsible Senators to defend our 
democracy, waiting for a vote. Yet it sits here, and it is an outrage.
  Inaction at this very precarious stage in our democratic story 
violates the very oath that Members swore to uphold upon their 
election. Inaction by this body at this time is truly unimaginable. Yet 
here we are with this lack of will to stand up for our national 
security, this lack of will to defend our

[[Page S1109]]

democratic institutions, this lack of will to fulfill the oath to our 
country. History will not judge well the Senate in this hour.
  Only Americans should decide American elections--no one else, no 
foreign power, no foreign player, no foreign individual. Only Americans 
should decide American elections. I think that is a pretty simple 
proposition, but it is a powerful one.
  Our legislation and others are not the only tools available to the 
President. If he decided to stand up for our democratic institutions, 
existing CAATSA legislation includes several sanction mandates already 
on the books that could be used. Obama and Trump era Executive orders 
are sitting on the shelf, gathering dust. Both could be employed right 
this minute to impose crippling sanctions on Russia to send a clear 
message: Do not mess with our elections or there are serious 
consequences.
  But what is the message from this White House in response to public 
reporting that Russia is again interfering? Is it following the laws 
that Congress has passed, full implementation of CAATSA, crippling 
sanctions on the Kremlin, full activation of all the powers involved 
and Executive orders? No, no. Instead, the President decided to fire 
the guy who delivered the news to Congress and replace him with a 
political sycophant. This would be like FDR dismissing the 
congressional declaration of war after Pearl Harbor and firing members 
of his staff who reported on the Japanese attack. It is pretty 
astounding.
  Never before have we had a President so transparently willing to bow 
down to a foreign foe, unwilling to challenge in the collective 
national interest and security of the United States, in the collective 
democracy of our country. The core of our democracy is citizen 
participation in casting a vote to decide who governs them, from the 
President to the Congress, to local States and mayors. When that is 
eroded by the engagement of a foreign government--a foreign government 
that is nefarious in its activities and consequential in its actions--
it undermines the very essence of our democracy.
  I don't care who they are helping. They are supposedly helping, 
according to the press reports, Senator Sanders as well. That is wrong. 
I don't want them helping anybody in our country. I don't want them 
engaged on behalf of anyone in our country.
  Never before have I seen a President unwilling to challenge Putin and 
Russia. Never before have I seen a President so willing to sacrifice 
national security for his own political gain. And every single Member 
in this body who does not stand up and hold him to account and try to 
make sure that we pass legislation and challenge the President to 
ultimately sign it and enact it and to pursue the law as it is already 
on the books in terms of CAATSA, to pursue the Executive order powers 
that exist today--which would send an incredibly powerful message if 
invoked--is complicit. We will have to bear the judgment of history. I 
expect the judgment will be rather harsh.
  For myself, I am going to do everything possible to ensure that our 
elections are sacrosanct and that they do not have the interference of 
a foreign power. I do not want to be among those whom history is going 
to judge very harshly for being silent in the face of an invasion of 
information and efforts to undermine our elections. In any other 
context, we would consider it a war. I consider it no less.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sullivan). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to engage in a 
colloquy with my Senate colleagues.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.