McGovern: Trump Must Back Bipartisan Russian Hacking Investigation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), a senior House Democrat and leading national voice on U.S.-Russia relations, spoke on the House Floor about today’s Capitol Hill hearing with U.S. intelligence officials and the Russian hacking done during the 2016 presidential election to influence the outcome. Click Here for Video of Congressman McGovern’s speech.
“American democracy was attacked in 2016 by Russian hackers seeking to tip our presidential election in favor of Donald Trump. That’s not me speaking. That is the CIA, FBI, and the 14 other United States intelligence agencies which have reached a clear consensus on the matter. Yet even in the face of the overwhelming evidence, President-elect Trump has continued to sow seeds of confusion by publicly attacking and trying to discredit our country’s intelligence agencies and the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
“Today, intelligence officials are testifying before the Senate on this matter. In one of his most alarming actions yet, President-elect Trump has said he would rather trust the words of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an accused sex offender, holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK, than the consensus of the directors of U.S. intelligence agencies. This is not normal behavior by a president-elect, let alone a president. We cannot allow it to become normal.
“America faces serious threats across the globe and we cannot afford to have a Commander-In-Chief at war with the very intelligence agencies responsible for keeping our country safe. Whatever his motivation, President-elect Trump must clearly and unequivocally join Republicans and Democrats seeking answers. We need a bipartisan independent commission to uncover the truth about the Russian hacking and we need all of our leaders to support it.
“It’s time Mr. Trump’s Twitter sideshow comes to an end. It only confirms what many of us feared during the campaign – that he is temperamentally unfit to be President. We must be united in protecting the integrity of our elections against Russian and all foreign influence.”
Click Here for Video of Congressman McGovern’s speech.
Full Text of Congressman McGovern’s Speech Below:
“Before I speak on today’s legislation, I want to express my continued deep concern and uneasiness about the Russian hacking to influence the outcome of the 2016 Presidential Election – and the deeply troubling response from our President-elect.
“American democracy was attacked in 2016 by Russian hackers seeking to tip our presidential election in favor of Donald Trump. That’s not me speaking. That is the CIA, FBI, and the 14 other United States intelligence agencies which have reached a clear consensus on the matter. Yet even in the face of the overwhelming evidence, President-elect Trump has continued to sow seeds of confusion by publicly attacking and trying to discredit our country’s intelligence agencies and the brave men and women who risk their lives every day to keep us safe.
“Today, intelligence officials are testifying before the Senate on this matter. In one of his most alarming actions yet, President-elect Trump has said he would rather trust the words of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, an accused sex offender, holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in the UK, than the consensus of the directors of U.S. intelligence agencies.
“When Speaker Ryan was asked about Julian Assange, he called him ‘a sycophant for Russia’ who ‘leaks, steals data, and compromises national security.’ Yet America’s next president puts more faith in him than in the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies he will soon oversee.
“This is not normal behavior by a president-elect, let alone a president. We cannot allow it to become normal. I appeal to my fellow members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, and especially the Republican leadership, to reach out to the President-elect and ensure that there is a clear understanding about how damaging these statements and actions are to America’s credibility, to our national security, and to the morale and responsibilities of our intelligence agencies. I appeal to my colleagues to get him help now.
“America faces serious threats across the globe and we cannot afford to have a Commander-In-Chief at war with the very intelligence agencies responsible for keeping our country safe. Whatever his motivation, President-elect Trump must clearly and unequivocally join Republicans and Democrats seeking answers. We need a bipartisan independent commission to uncover the truth about the Russian hacking and we need all of our leaders to support it. It’s time Mr. Trump’s Twitter sideshow comes to an end. It only confirms what many of us feared during the campaign – that he is temperamentally unfit to be President. We must be united in protecting the integrity of our elections against Russian and all foreign influence.”
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