Just received a response to a letter of mine to my Congressman...

[Wounded Bear]

Thought I would share:

Dear S*****,


Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about Russia. I appreciate hearing from you on this extremely important issue and value the opportunity to respond.

I am gravely concerned about Russia’s continued efforts to undermine democracies around the world. Russia has actively sought to weaken international alliances and undermine democratic values. These actions are made even more troubling by President Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Russia’s attempts to influence our elections and his repeated rhetoric and actions, which undermine faith in U.S. commitment to our partners and alliances. Trump’s refusal to recognize the U.S. Intelligence Community’s assessment is dangerous.

Foreign influence in our elections is a threat to our democratic systems and erodes trust in American institutions. We must take these threats seriously so that we can protect our election infrastructure and deter influence operations and cyber intrusions into our democratic institutions and processes. I have taken steps to protect Special Counsel Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in our elections, including through the co-sponsorship of legislation such as H.R. 5476, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, and H.R. 3654, the Special Counsel Independence Protection Act. These bills aim to allow the Special Counsel’s inquiry to proceed without interference.

I have been dismayed at President Trump’s consistent rhetoric and actions undermining the U.S.’s relationships with partners and alliances. At the beginning of the G-7 summit in June 2018, President Trump called to bring Russia in to rejoin the G-7 despite President Putin’s continuous efforts to undermine democratic values while working to upend the international order. President Trump’s propensity to side with Russia raises concerns regarding his private meeting with President Putin at the Helsinki Summit in July 2018. Along with other Democratic committee leaders, I have engaged directly with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of the Office of National Intelligence requesting briefings on any national security matters discussed at the private meeting.

Russia’s efforts to extend their influence in the world is especially apparent in Ukraine. We must stand up for Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea and against the illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory. This includes maintaining sanctions on Russia until conditions in the law are met and continued security assistance to Ukraine. Furthermore, Russia’s increased aggression in the region illustrates the vital importance of working with our allies to protect our shared values.

Furthermore, we must not give our NATO allies reason to question the U.S.’s commitment to collective defense. The national security threats facing the United States, including those posed by Russia, are too vast to address on our own, and President Trump must stop undermining our ability to work with allies and partners to meet our defense challenges.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Should you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.


Sincerely,

Adam Smith
Member of Congress

He seems to mean business.

This is one of the reasons I supported him over the Dem challenger. We're into the 3rd/4th quarter now, no need to sub in a rookie.

[BigmanPigman]

1. I wrote to many people between the election and the inauguration

about my concerns and "what are we going to do about it?" but none had a great response like this. I don't think they were taking it seriously until 6 months later.