[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 759 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 759
Expressing that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that
the Russian Federation interfered in the 2016 United States
Presidential election and deliberately spread false information to
implicate the Republic of Ukraine.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2019
Mr. Keating submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing that it is the sense of the House of Representatives that
the Russian Federation interfered in the 2016 United States
Presidential election and deliberately spread false information to
implicate the Republic of Ukraine.
Whereas, on October 7, 2016, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office
of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement, which
concluded that the intelligence community of the United States was
``confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises
of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S.
political organizations'' and that ``these thefts and disclosures are
intended to interfere with the U.S. election process'';
Whereas, on January 6, 2017, the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence, on behalf of all 17 intelligence agencies, released an
unclassified report entitled ``Assessing Russian Activities and
Intentions in Recent U.S. Elections'', which included analysis by the
Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and
the National Security Agency that asserted ``Russian President Vladimir
Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S.
Presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in
the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her
electability and potential presidency'';
Whereas the unclassified report from the intelligence community found that
``Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for
President-elect Trump'' as well as ``aspired to help President-elect
Trump's election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton
and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him''. On November 11, 2017,
the Central Intelligence Agency, led by then-Director Mike Pompeo,
issued a statement saying ``The director stands by and has always stood
by the January 2017 intelligence community assessment'' and that ``the
intelligence assessment with regard to Russian election meddling has not
changed'';
Whereas, on May 16, 2018, Richard M. Burr, the Chairman of the Senate
Intelligence Committee, stated ``There is no doubt that Russia undertook
an unprecedented effort to interfere with our 2016 elections'';
Whereas, on March 22, 2018, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of
the House of Representatives issued the ``Report on Russian Active
Measures'' which states, ``In 2015, Russia began engaging in a covert
influence campaign aimed at the U.S. Presidential election.''. The
report goes on to state, ``Russia conducted cyberattacks on U.S.
political institutions in 2015-2016'' and ``Russian-state actors and
third-party intermediaries were responsible for the dissemination of
documents and communications stolen from U.S. political organizations''.
The report also found that ``Russian intelligence leveraged social media
in an attempt to sow social discord and to undermine the U.S. electoral
process'';
Whereas, on June 8, 2018, then-Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats,
publicly stated that ``Russia conducted an unprecedented influence
campaign to interfere in the U.S. electoral and political process'';
Whereas, on July 16, 2018, then-Speaker of the House, Paul D. Ryan, said that
``there is no question that Russia interfered in our election and
continues attempts to undermine democracy'';
Whereas, on July 18, 2018, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Christopher A. Wray, asserted, ``as I have said consistently, Russia
attempted to interfere with the last election and continues to engage in
malign influence operations to this day'';
Whereas, on July 25, 2019, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence also
issued a report on ``Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference
in the 2016 U.S. Election'', which stated that ``The Russian Government
directed extensive activity, beginning in at least 2014 and carrying
into at least 2017, against U.S. election infrastructure at the state
and local level''. The report also stated that ``the Committee found
that the IRA (Internet Research Agency) sought to influence the 2016
U.S. Presidential election by harming Hillary Clinton's chances of
success and supporting Donald Trump at the direction of the Kremlin . .
. the Committee found that IRA social media activity was overtly and
almost invariably supportive of then-candidate Trump, and to the
detriment of Secretary Clinton's campaign'';
Whereas, on February 2, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a press
conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that ``as we all
know, during the Presidential campaign in the United States, the
Ukrainian Government adopted a unilateral position in favor of one
candidate. More than that, certain oligarchs, certainly with the
approval of the political leadership, funded this candidate, or female
candidate, to be more precise.'';
Whereas, on November 13, 2019, when asked whether there was any factual basis to
support the allegation that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs,
George Kent, testified before the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives, ``To my knowledge, there
is no factual basis, no . . . I think it's amply clear that Russian
interference was at the heart of the interference in the 2016 election
cycle.'';
Whereas, on November 15, 2019, when asked about allegations that Ukraine
interfered in the 2016 United States elections, former United States
Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified before the Permanent
Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives, ``the
U.S. intelligence community has concluded that it was Russia.'';
Whereas, on November 19, 2019, when asked about allegations Ukraine interfered
in the 2016 United States elections, National Security Council Director
for European Affairs Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, testified
before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of
Representatives, ``It is the consensus of the entire intelligence
community that the Russians interfered in the U.S. elections in 2016.'';
Whereas, on November 21, 2019, former National Security Council Senior Director
for Europe and Russia, Fiona Hill testified before the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives, ``Based on
questions and statements I have heard, some of you on this Committee
appear to believe that Russia and its security services did not conduct
a campaign against our country--and that perhaps, somehow, for some
reason, Ukraine did. This is a fictional narrative that has been
perpetrated and propagated by the Russian security services
themselves.''; and
Whereas, on December 9, 2019, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
Christopher A. Wray stated, ``We have no information that indicates that
Ukraine interfered with the 2016 Presidential election.'': Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the conclusions of United States intelligence
agencies that the government of Russian President Vladimir
Putin, and not the Government of Ukraine interfered in the 2016
United States Presidential elections;
(2) recognizes that disinformation campaigns run by Russian
intelligence operatives have aimed to shift blame for
interference in the 2016 elections from Russia to Ukraine;
(3) condemns ongoing Russian disinformation campaigns and
efforts to undermine freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and
free and fair elections;
(4) recognizes that Ukraine is at the front lines of
combating Russian military aggression and malign political
influence; and
(5) reaffirms its support for the government and people of
Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression and
interference.
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