Langevin Statement on White House Response to Russian Election Interference

Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus and a senior member of the House Committees on Armed Services and Homeland Security, released the following statement on President Obama’s response to Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 election:

“Interference in our electoral processes cannot be tolerated, and I am encouraged that President Obama is taking steps to respond to Russian attempts to undermine faith in and influence the 2016 federal elections. In particular, I commend the President for using a full range of response options, including economic, diplomatic, and cybersecurity actions. As nations increasingly use hacking and other cyber operations to advance their objectives, it is imperative that the United States respond firmly to attacks targeting our interests.

“The President’s actions are also notable because they have a deterrent effect beyond the punishment of Russians directly involved with or supporting the information warfare operation. By releasing formerly classified threat indicators, the Department of Homeland Security and FBI have exposed Russian hacking infrastructure and made it much easier for individuals and businesses around the world to protect themselves from Russian aggression. I strongly encourage network administrators to read the Joint Analysis Report hosted by the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team and take action to protect their systems.

“It is imperative that the community of nations understand that transgressions against the United States in cyberspace will be met with an appropriate response. Building strong cybersecurity norms – the rules of the road in cyberspace – depends on it. Russian interference with our elections was an unprecedented attack on our interests, and the actions taken by the Administration today represent a needed first step in response. However, we must continue to investigate ways to improve our resiliency and protect ourselves from future such operations, which is why I again call on Speaker Ryan to empower a Select Committee on Cybersecurity to look into the attacks. I also hope that the President-elect will use this moment to stop his utterly unfounded innuendo that that there is any uncertainty regarding Russian involvement in the hacks.”