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WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after reviewing classified and unclassified versions of the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment of Russia’s cyberattack on the 2016 election:
Today, the United States Congress counted the electoral ballots and officially certified the election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. Hours later, we learned that President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a campaign to influence the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election in Mr. Trump’s favor.
What struck me was the scope and breadth of Russian cyberattacks against the United States. Moscow has been targeting us for a very long time, but this most recent attack on our democracy represents a dramatic escalation that cannot be ignored or go unanswered.
The Obama Administration issued significant new sanctions on the Russian Federation—that sent a signal to the Kremlin that must now be amplified by Congress. There is bipartisan support for strong additional sanctions against Russia, and I will support that effort every step of the way. The American people should be absolutely outraged that some Republican leaders continue to waffle and downplay this—but make no mistake: this was an attack on America, and it will not go unanswered.
