Yesterday’s bipartisan statement from Senators Schumer, McCain, Graham and Reed calling for an investigation of the Russian hacking of Democratic institutions is a strong indication of the national security threat that these cyberattacks pose. Just this morning, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell joined their call for an investigation of the hack, which affected Hillary for America, the DNC and the DCCC.
This bipartisan chorus makes Speaker Ryan and the majority of House Republicans’ unwillingness to act and investigate even more striking.
To be clear, the news of the CIA’s conclusion is just the latest in many months of similar evidence from top-level intelligence officials. But this did not spur a call for prompt investigations in the House, which Congressmen Chaffetz and Gowdy have proven quite willing to do when centered on a Democrat. Instead, House Republicans’ most notable response came through their campaign arm, when the NRCC actually utilized materials from the hacks in paid advertising against Democratic candidates for Congress.
“Now that the intelligence community and a growing group of bipartisan leaders have reached the conclusion that a foreign adversary interfered in America’s elections, will Speaker Ryan join the call for the House to investigate this dire threat to our democracy? A failure to do so would not only leave a multitude of serious questions unanswered, but plays right into the Russians’ hands,” said Meredith Kelly of the DCCC.