WASHINGTON – Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump’s signing of an Executive Order authorizing the imposition of additional sanctions against foreigners who attempt to interfere in U.S. elections.
“I look forward to reviewing the contents of the administration’s executive order,” said Senator Menendez. “It is outrageous that it has taken 21 months for President Trump to begin to respond to the Kremlin’s interference in our democracy. In addition, I do not believe this executive order precludes the urgent need for legislation that increases sanctions pressure on the Kremlin for its destabilization of democracies here and around the world, support of a war criminal and terrorism in Syria and its ongoing military aggression in Ukraine. The Defending America Security from Kremlin Aggression Act (DASKA) that I introduced with Senator Graham includes measures to address this behavior as well several comprehensive provisions that better position the United States to defend itself in the future. If the Trump administration is serious about protecting our nation from foreign interference, they should endorse this bipartisan proposal. Moreover, the American people deserve a whole-of-government strategy to the threat that Russia continues to pose to our democracy and national security. It is unacceptable that the President has not directed the federal government towards that end, which includes full implementation of mandatory sanctions provisions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) supported by 98 United States senators.”