Members of Congress are planning to put up four pieces of legislation Tuesday which directly address matters of ongoing Russian aggression and indirectly pressure President Trump to stop choosing Vladimir Putin over U.S. national security.
Lawmakers are rebuking Putin in celebration of Sunshine Week, an observance of transparency in government, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, citing Russia’s “malign activities.” The House will also consider a non-binding resolution on making special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report public.
“Democrats seek to shine a light on the weaponizing of dark money, both in the United States and abroad, while also ensuring that the Trump administration makes public the special counsel’s report,” said Hoyer (D-Md.), who also touted Democrats’ passage last week of a sweeping ethics reform package.
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The bills mention Moscow’s interference in the 2016 presidential election — which Trump appeared to dispute last year while standing next to Putin in Helsinki — in addition to recently enacted sanctions targeting Russia, many of which the Trump administration has not fully implemented ...
The first is a resolution condemning Putin for the assassination of Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, while another is a measure stating that the U.S. government does not recognize Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Another bill would require the director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress a broad report on Putin’s net worth, much of which is held by Russian oligarchs with deep ties to the Kremlin.
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Lawmakers will also vote on legislation aimed at deterring Russia’s worldwide disinformation campaigns. The bill requires the director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress outlining U.S. intelligence assessments on Russia’s efforts to “exploit weaknesses and divisions among the governments of its Western adversaries,” including attempts to undermine the NATO alliance.
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Later in the week, the House will vote on a resolution aimed at putting pressure on the Justice Department to release Mueller’s findings to the public and to Congress. Mueller has been investigating Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, in addition to obstruction of justice and possible collusion between Trump associates and Russian operatives.
Attorney General William Barr, during his confirmation hearings, wouldn’t pledge to making Mueller’s full report public.