Now What?
I've laid out here why Russia is not our friend, how, despite these facts, President Trump and his associates have cozied up to Russia, and how Russia is attacking the core of our democracy—our elections. It's clear that for the future of our country and the integrity of our democracy, we cannot let these attacks go un-answered.
That is why today I call for every American to stand up for our American ideals, and let your voice be heard that America, and President Trump's Administration, must be free of Russian influence. We need to start by understanding exactly how deep the relationships go, how far the attacks have penetrated, and how we let this go un-noticed for so long. The potential personal, political, and financial ties between Russia and Trump officials, both on the campaign and in the administration, could be immense and threaten our independence, and thus, they must be investigated and brought to light.
With this in mind, I and Rep. Cummings introduced H.R. 356, the Protecting Our Democracy Act, earlier this year to establish an independent, bipartisan-appointed commission to investigate the Russian interference in our elections. It is a bipartisan bill that should be brought before the House and passed immediately. Republicans in the Senate have spoken of the need for this investigation as well, recognizing the threat Russia's interference poses. Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said "we need an independent investigation on the Russian interference in our election," and I hope Senate Republicans will soon cosponsor their companion bill and make this commission law.
This will only be the first of many steps and many pieces of legislation intended to address these troubling developments with Russia. Do you have an idea of how to keep American democracy American? Let me know here!
