[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5019]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    RUSSIA'S THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY

  (Mr. McEACHIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, before my time in Congress, I was a trial 
lawyer. As a trial lawyer, I learned that, where there is smoke, there 
is fire. Mr. Speaker, I am here to tell you that there is a fire 
threatening our Republic.
  Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it: Russia attacked our country 
when it tried to meddle in our elections. But we have a Commander in 
Chief who will barely acknowledge this act, much less condemn it.
  Mr. Speaker, we hear tough talk from the President when it comes to 
Iran, North Korea, and China; but when Russia moves missiles in 
violation of treaty obligations, when a Russian spy ship patrols just 
outside our coastal waters, we hear crickets. As evidence mounts that 
Russia is interfering with the democracies of Europe, we hear crickets. 
Indeed, Mr. Speaker, this President sees no moral difference between 
our democracy and the Putin regime.
  Mr. Speaker, there is smoke; there is fire. Our Republic is being 
threatened. We are the first responders, and we can only put this fire 
out with the truth. We need to establish an independent commission to 
investigate the Trump-Russian ties and find our way to the truth.

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