Title: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for transparency regarding meetings between President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Expresses the sense of the Senate that President Trump should: (1) not meet with President Putin or any Russian official without another senior U.S. official present; and (2) report to Congress on the substance of the President's meeting with President Putin, including any agreements or commitments made on behalf of the United States.


[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 588 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 588

Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for transparency 
   regarding meetings between President Donald J. Trump and Russian 
                       President Vladimir Putin.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 24, 2018

 Mr. Merkley submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for transparency 
   regarding meetings between President Donald J. Trump and Russian 
                       President Vladimir Putin.

Whereas it is the unanimous conclusion of the United States intelligence 
        community that the Government of the Russian Federation interfered in 
        the 2016 Presidential election, at the direction of Russian President 
        Vladimir Putin, to advance the candidacy of then-candidate Donald J. 
        Trump;
Whereas President Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on intelligence community 
        conclusions regarding Russia's attacks during the 2016 election and 
        suggested at his Helsinki press conference, as he has in previous 
        statements, that he believes President Putin's denials despite evidence 
        to the contrary;
Whereas President Trump and individuals associated with his 2016 Presidential 
        campaign remain subjects of an ongoing investigation led by Special 
        Counsel Robert S. Mueller III relating to Russia's efforts to interfere 
        in the 2016 United States Presidential election, an investigation which 
        has yielded 32 indictments and 5 guilty pleas to date;
Whereas President Trump reportedly personally requested that his meeting at the 
        July 16, 2018, Helsinki Summit with President Putin be one-on-one and 
        excluded other United States officials; and
Whereas, since the Helsinki Summit, President Trump and President Putin alluded 
        to oral agreements they made, the specifics of which have not been made 
        known publicly: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) President Trump should not meet with President Putin or 
        any official of the Russian Federation without another senior 
        United States official present; and
            (2) the President, or a designee of the President, should 
        within 7 days report to Congress, in the appropriate setting, 
        on the substance of President Trump's meeting with President 
        Putin, including any agreements or commitments made on behalf 
        of the United States.
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