Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the statement below following the release of the Committee’s bipartisan report on the U.S. government’s response to Russian activities, the third in its ongoing investigation of Russian interference in our elections:
“Russia’s unprecedented attack on our democracy in 2016 was an effort to sow discord and undermine Americans’ faith in our institutions, all in an effort to aid Donald Trump’s campaign. This report includes a comprehensive, bipartisan assessment of the challenges our government faced in responding to this attack and recommendations for how to ensure we are prepared to prevent future interference.
“What is also clear from this report is that the highly partisan atmosphere hanging over the Obama Administration remains, threatening to suffocate our ability to respond comprehensively to potential election interference. Instead of taking Putin’s word, President Trump should listen to the Intelligence Community and treat this threat with the seriousness it demands. That includes working with Congress, allies and partners abroad, and executive branch agencies to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent foreign interference and safeguard the integrity of our elections. At the same time, Leader McConnell must end his obstruction and immediately pass bipartisan election security legislation. Foreign interference continues to this day, and we need to take immediate, bipartisan action to protect our elections and the integrity of our electoral process.”