Title: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Government of the Russian Federation's ongoing attacks against the United States election system to undermine our democracy by interfering with our election system, and affirming the Senate's unequivocal commitment to holding the Russian Federation, President Putin, and those who carried out the attacks accountable.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:

Expresses agreement with the conclusions reached by U.S. intelligence agencies that Vladimir Putin ordered an attack against the 2016 presidential election, and declares that protecting U.S. elections is a national security priority.


[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 594 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 594

  Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Government of the 
Russian Federation's ongoing attacks against the United States election 
  system to undermine our democracy by interfering with our election 
 system, and affirming the Senate's unequivocal commitment to holding 
the Russian Federation, President Putin, and those who carried out the 
                          attacks accountable.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 26, 2018

  Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Graham) submitted the following 
     resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and 
                             Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the Government of the 
Russian Federation's ongoing attacks against the United States election 
  system to undermine our democracy by interfering with our election 
 system, and affirming the Senate's unequivocal commitment to holding 
the Russian Federation, President Putin, and those who carried out the 
                          attacks accountable.

Whereas, on January 6, 2017, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence 
        published a report titled ``Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions 
        in Recent U.S. Elections'', noting that ``Russian President Vladimir 
        Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. 
        Presidential election,'' with a goal of undermining public faith in 
        United States democratic processes, and that the Government of the 
        Russian Federation's influence campaign followed a Russian messaging 
        strategy that blends covert intelligence operations--such as cyber 
        activity--with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-
        funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or 
        ``trolls'';
Whereas the findings of the investigation by the Select Committee on 
        Intelligence of the Senate regarding election interference confirmed the 
        intelligence community's assessment that--

    (1) Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election and its actions 
were a significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope;

    (2) Russia conducted cyber operations on United States political 
targets likely to shape future United States policies;

    (3) Russian-state actors and third-party intermediaries were 
responsible for the dissemination of documents and communications stolen 
from United States political organizations;

    (4) the Government of the Russian Federation used coordinated state 
platforms RT and Sputnik to advance its malign influence campaign during 
the 2016 United States Presidential election; and

    (5) Russian intelligence leveraged social media in an attempt to 
amplify Kremlin messaging intended to sow social discord and to undermine 
the United States electoral process;

Whereas, on July 13, 2018, the Department of Justice indicted 12 members of the 
        Russian military intelligence agency, Intelligence Directorate of the 
        General Staff (GRU), for conspiracy to commit offenses against the 
        United States during the 2016 election, noting in the indictment that 
        the Russian officials conspired to hack ``into the computers of U.S. 
        persons and entities involved in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, 
        steal documents from those computers, and stage releases of the stolen 
        documents to interfere with the 2016 U.S. presidential election'';
Whereas the Senate passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions 
        Act, (H.R. 3364, 115th Congress), by a vote of 98-2, in order to impose 
        strong sanctions against the Government of the Russian Federation for 
        its well-documented efforts to undermine democratic institutions and 
        elections in the United States and Europe;
Whereas, on May 8, 2017, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper 
        testified before the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate that 
        ``Russia is now emboldened to continue such activities in the future 
        both here and around the world, and to do so even more intensely'';
Whereas, on Friday, July 13, 2018, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats 
        reaffirmed that Russia is continuing its efforts to disrupt United 
        States elections, noting, ``Today, the digital infrastructure that 
        serves this country is literally under attack. . . . It was in the 
        months prior to September 2001 when, according to then-CIA Director 
        George Tenet, the system is blinking red. And here we are nearly two 
        decades later, and I'm here to say, the warning lights are blinking red 
        again,'' and that Russia is the ``most aggressive foreign actor--no 
        question. And they continue their efforts to undermine our democracy.'';
Whereas, on July 16, 2018 Director of National Intelligence Coats reaffirmed 
        United States intelligence conclusions, noting, ``We have been clear in 
        our assessments of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and their 
        ongoing, pervasive efforts to undermine our democracy.'';
Whereas the men and women in the United States Foreign Service, Armed Forces, 
        intelligence agencies, civil service, and law enforcement dedicate their 
        careers to advancing the interests of our country and home and abroad, 
        including in some difficult and demanding locations such as Russia;
Whereas these men and women serve honorably despite at times having to endure 
        unwarranted harassing and hostile actions in performance of their 
        duties; and
Whereas bipartisan support in Congress is important, but there is no substitute 
        for Presidential leadership and action, and without it, the costs 
        imposed will not be sufficient to deter Russia in the future: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) unequivocally agrees with the conclusions reached by 
        the dedicated, non-partisan men and women at United States 
        intelligence agencies that Vladimir Putin ordered an attack 
        against the 2016 Presidential election to influence and 
        undermine faith in our democratic process and that United 
        States elections remain a target for Russia;
            (2) views attacks against United States election 
        infrastructure as representing a threat to the foundation of 
        our democracy, and declares that protecting our elections is a 
        national security priority;
            (3) views attempts by the Government of the Russian 
        Federation or persons or entities associated with the 
        Government of the Russian Federation to hack and otherwise 
        tamper with United States election voting systems, voter roll 
        information, political party organizations, and State and local 
        election administration officials as an attack on United States 
        critical infrastructure;
            (4) reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to 
        defend against and respond to cyber-attacks against our 
        election infrastructure, and declares that an attack on our 
        election systems by a foreign power is a hostile act and should 
        be met with appropriate retaliatory actions, including full 
        implementation of existing sanctions as well as new additional 
        sanctions;
            (5) reaffirms that States are responsible for conducting 
        elections, and Congress is committed to providing resources, 
        information, and cybersecurity expertise to help improve the 
        security of United States elections;
            (6) strongly supports State and local election officials 
        who administer United States elections and the continued 
        information sharing between those officials and the Federal 
        Government in order to protect the administration of elections;
            (7) reaffirms that the free, open, and fair administration 
        of elections is a cornerstone of American democracy and that 
        any attempts to interfere with election administration is a 
        threat to national security;
            (8) strongly urges President Trump to take all necessary 
        steps to ensure the 12 Russian government officials and any 
        other Russian nationals indicted by the Department of Justice 
        for interfering in the 2016 elections are extradited to the 
        United States; and
            (9) strongly urges President Trump to publicly and 
        unambiguously state that the United States Government will 
        refuse all efforts by the Government of the Russian Federation 
        to question any current or former United States personnel.
                                 <all>