WASHINGTON, July 19 — Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a resolution Thursday to force members of the Senate to go on the record in accepting the assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election and the looming threat of Russian interference in this year’s midterm elections.
The resolution also calls for the Senate to commit to safeguard the U.S. election system, protect the ongoing investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and demand that President Donald Trump cooperate with the investigation.
Sanders will speak on the floor regarding the resolution at 11:20 a.m. today.
“If President Trump won’t confront Putin about interference in our elections and his destabilizing policies, Congress must act. Tweets and speeches are fine, but we need more from Republican senators now,” Sanders said. “If their leadership won’t allow votes on this extraordinarily important matter, then my Republican colleagues must join with Democrats to make it happen or all of their words are worthless.”
On Monday, President Trump embarrassed and undermined the values of the United States by openly siding with Russia’s authoritarian leader, Vladimir Putin, against the unanimous assessment of the U.S. intelligence community that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
In response to international backlash, President Trump claimed he misspoke and blamed the media for reporting what he said, but still sowed doubt about Russia’s electoral interference by claiming it “could be other people also.” Trump’s constantly shifting answers indicate that he still does not fully acknowledge the threat to American democracy.
Sanders’ resolution states that the U.S. Senate:
- Accepts the assessment of the United States intelligence community with regard to interference by the Russian Federation in elections in the United States and in other democracies;
- Must move aggressively to protect our election systems from interference by Russia or any foreign power, and work closely with our democratic partners around the world to do the same;
- Demands that the sanctions against Russia that were passed last year be fully implemented by the president;
- Will not accept any interference with the ongoing investigation of Special Counsel Mueller, such as the offer of preemptive pardons or the firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and that the president must cooperate with this investigation; and
- Declares that the President must cooperate with the investigation of Special Counsel Mueller.
Click here to read Sanders’ resolution.
