[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 119 (Monday, June 29, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 RUSSIA

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on Russia, on Friday, the New York Times 
and other media outlets reported that a Russian intelligence unit was 
offering Taliban-linked fighters bounties--bounties to kill American 
and coalition troops in Afghanistan. It should go without saying that 
it is our solemn obligation to support and protect our troops. If 
Russian intelligence is conducting a shadow campaign to sponsor the 
murder of American troops, there must be swift, strong, and 
unmistakable consequences for Putin and his cronies--something we 
should do in this NDAA bill.
  The New York Times reported that the Trump administration was aware 
of these activities as early as March of this year. Yet, the Trump 
administration has authorized no--no retaliatory actions. Russia gives 
bounties to kill Americans; the administration does nothing.
  Donald Trump, you are not being a very strong President here, as 
usual.
  At the very least, you would expect the President and his team would 
want to get to the bottom of this. The President claimed, however, that 
``nobody briefed or told [him] me about this report.''
  President Trump, you lose either way. If you weren't briefed on this 
important report, how can you run an administration where something 
this important is not brought to your level? And if you were told about 
the report and did nothing, that is even worse. Shame on you. Shame on 
you.
  A few hours ago, the White House Press Secretary said the President 
still has not received a briefing from the intelligence community about 
these reports. The White House Chief of Staff, meanwhile, is reportedly 
briefing Republican Members of the House before the President of the 
United States gets a briefing.
  Is that amazing? He is the Commander in Chief. He is the one who is 
supposed to be protecting our soldiers, and they are still twiddling 
their thumbs instead of giving him a briefing, which, who knows, given 
his lack of respect for the truth, he may have received it already and 
just denied it.
  It raises many, many questions. First, is it true the President was 
not told this information? If so, why not? Was there a concern about 
sharing this information with the President? And the President doesn't 
seem as outraged as you would think he would be if, in fact, the 
intelligence community had this vital and important information and had 
not briefed him.
  Something--something doesn't smell right here, especially when we 
have a President and an administration who has a great deal of trouble 
telling the truth. We need answers, and we need them fast. I am calling 
for the Directors of National Intelligence and the CIA to immediately 
brief all 100 Senators on reports that Russia placed bounties on U.S. 
troops in Afghanistan. Among many other things, we need to know whether 
President Trump was told this information and, if so, when
  Because there has been an alarming pattern in this administration, 
dating back to its first days of appeasement toward authoritarian 
leaders, especially of Vladimir Putin, President Trump stood next to 
Putin on the international stage and accepted his word over the word of 
our own intelligence agencies. President Trump has delayed or ignored 
congressionally mandated sanctions on Putin. The President has pondered 
withdrawing from NATO--the organization whose very purpose is to defend 
the free world from Vladimir Putin. Only a few months ago, the 
President mused about inviting Russia back into the G7.
  If we had learned anything in the past 3 years, it is that President 
Trump is inclined to ignore or forgive Vladimir Putin's abuses on the 
international stage--even in the face of an attack on our democracy. If 
we learned anything in the last 3 years, it is that dictators--whether 
Xi or Putin or the head of North Korea--played President Trump for a 
fool and got the advantage of him every time.
  This means we all need to speak up right now and make sure that 
Congress and the executive branch are doing what is necessary to get to 
the bottom of these reports. The first step is a briefing for all 100 
U.S. Senators.
  Despite what some administration officials are claiming, no such 
briefing has been scheduled, and I am not aware of any Senator who has 
been invited to a White House briefing of any sort.

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