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Russia Looms Large as Senate Committee Is Set to Discuss Hacking Russia Looms Large as Senate Committee Is Set to Discuss Hacking
(about 4 hours later)
WASHINGTON — The Senate Armed Services Committee will convene on Thursday morning for a hearing on “foreign cyberthreats to the United States.” Of course, one foreign entity is destined to loom largest: Russia.WASHINGTON — The Senate Armed Services Committee will convene on Thursday morning for a hearing on “foreign cyberthreats to the United States.” Of course, one foreign entity is destined to loom largest: Russia.
The hearing arrives at an explosive moment. President-elect Donald J. Trump has continued to express doubts about Russia’s interference in the presidential election, placing him at odds with the intelligence agencies he will soon command and with several leading members of his own party.The hearing arrives at an explosive moment. President-elect Donald J. Trump has continued to express doubts about Russia’s interference in the presidential election, placing him at odds with the intelligence agencies he will soon command and with several leading members of his own party.
Here is what to watch for Thursday on Capitol Hill:Here is what to watch for Thursday on Capitol Hill:
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, the committee’s chairman, has made no secret of his belief that Russia was responsible for the election-related hacking, and his recent travels will not have eased his concerns about Russian aggression. He just returned from a New Year’s tour of countries that see themselves as threatened by Russia: Ukraine, Georgia and the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, the committee’s chairman, has made no secret of his belief that Russia was responsible for the election-related hacking, and his recent travels will not have eased his concerns about Russian aggression. He just returned from a New Year’s tour of countries that see themselves as threatened by Russia: Ukraine, Georgia and the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat, also has taken a strong public stand in support of the intelligence agencies’ finding of Russian government interference. He noted on Twitter:Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat, also has taken a strong public stand in support of the intelligence agencies’ finding of Russian government interference. He noted on Twitter:
The group will hear testimony from James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence; Marcel Lettre, the under secretary of defense for intelligence; and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, a leader of the National Security Agency and United States Cyber Command.The group will hear testimony from James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence; Marcel Lettre, the under secretary of defense for intelligence; and Adm. Michael S. Rogers, a leader of the National Security Agency and United States Cyber Command.
Other Republicans on the committee include Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close McCain ally and fellow hawk on Russia, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.Other Republicans on the committee include Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close McCain ally and fellow hawk on Russia, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
On the Democratic side, members include Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who is making her hearing debut after being named to the committee.On the Democratic side, members include Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who is making her hearing debut after being named to the committee.
He has a tower in Manhattan.He has a tower in Manhattan.
Most Republicans have avoided attacking Mr. Trump directly over his comments — even as he defended the credibility of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, at the expense of the intelligence agencies. But the hearing will offer a potent showcase for the agencies to defend their work.Most Republicans have avoided attacking Mr. Trump directly over his comments — even as he defended the credibility of Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, at the expense of the intelligence agencies. But the hearing will offer a potent showcase for the agencies to defend their work.
They are likely to face little hostile questioning from lawmakers.They are likely to face little hostile questioning from lawmakers.
“The point of this hearing is to have the intelligence community reinforce from their point of view that the Russians did this,” Mr. Graham said on Wednesday.“The point of this hearing is to have the intelligence community reinforce from their point of view that the Russians did this,” Mr. Graham said on Wednesday.
In another possible preview of Thursday’s proceedings, Mr. Graham went on to attack Mr. Assange.In another possible preview of Thursday’s proceedings, Mr. Graham went on to attack Mr. Assange.
“You seem to have two choices now,” he told reporters. “Some guy living in an embassy, on the run from the law for rape, who has a history of undermining American democracy and releasing classified information to put our troops at risk. Or the 17 intelligence agencies sworn to defend us. I’m going with them.” (Mr. Assange has spent the last four years inside Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he sought asylum to avoid being turned over to Sweden for questioning in a sexual assault case.)“You seem to have two choices now,” he told reporters. “Some guy living in an embassy, on the run from the law for rape, who has a history of undermining American democracy and releasing classified information to put our troops at risk. Or the 17 intelligence agencies sworn to defend us. I’m going with them.” (Mr. Assange has spent the last four years inside Ecuador’s embassy in London, where he sought asylum to avoid being turned over to Sweden for questioning in a sexual assault case.)
Mr. Trump has not hesitated to weigh in from the sidelines as Congress begins its work this year. Already this week, he has injected himself into debates over plans to effectively scrap an independent House ethics office and the Republican approach to repealing the Affordable Care Act. Yes, and even before the hearing starts.
Given Mr. Trump’s past instincts when Russian interference is in the news — Twitter missives are common — the president-elect could feel compelled to appraise the hearings in real time. Mr. Trump issued a pre-emptive self-defense, blaming the “dishonest media” for saying he agreed with Mr. Assange.
Mr. Trump is also expected to receive an intelligence briefing on the election interference in New York on Friday from Mr. Clapper, among others — essentially a detailed, classified version of what will be presented publicly at Thursday’s hearing. On Tuesday, he said on Twitter that he claimed that the briefing had been postponed, adding, “perhaps more time needed to build a case.” The Obama administration said intelligence leaders had always planned to brief Mr. Trump on Friday. “I simply state what he states,” Mr. Trump began, in the first of two Twitter posts, “it is for the people to make up their own minds as to the truth. The media lies to make it look like I am against ‘Intelligence’ when in fact I am a big fan!”
Mr. McCain, a professed “maverick” prone to fits of bucking his own party, would appear primed for a return to center stage. He was just re-elected, lessening any pressures to hew to a party line. He clashed during the campaign with Mr. Trump, who suggested Mr. McCain was not a war hero because he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. And as the committee’s chairman, he will wield considerable influence over foreign affairs on Capitol Hill, positioning himself to be a persistent headache for Mr. Trump if he chooses to be. Yet Mr. Trump has repeatedly attacked the intelligence community in recent weeks, charging that their conclusions on the cyberattacks are no more reliable than their faulty finding that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and suggesting this week that officials were withholding information on the hackings because they did not yet have conclusive proof.
Given Mr. Trump’s past instincts when Russian interference is in the news — Twitter missives are common — the president-elect could feel compelled to appraise the hearings in real time as well.
Mr. McCain, a professed “maverick” prone to fits of bucking his own party, would appear primed for a return to center stage. He was just re-elected, lessening any pressures to hew to a party line. He clashed during the campaign with Mr. Trump, who suggested that Mr. McCain was not a war hero because he was captured and held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. And as the committee’s chairman, he will wield considerable influence over foreign affairs on Capitol Hill, positioning himself to be a persistent headache for Mr. Trump if he chooses to be.
Mr. McCain told reporters on Wednesday that the gathering was “the first of a series of hearings on the issue of cyber.”Mr. McCain told reporters on Wednesday that the gathering was “the first of a series of hearings on the issue of cyber.”
He continued, “You try to subvert a nation’s ability to determine its leaders and its democratic process, that’s an act of war.”He continued, “You try to subvert a nation’s ability to determine its leaders and its democratic process, that’s an act of war.”
Though senators from both parties, led by Mr. McCain and Mr. Graham on the Republican side, have called for a select committee to investigate Russian interference in the election, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has said a select committee is unnecessary. Though senators from both parties, led by Mr. McCain and Mr. Graham on the Republican side, have called for a select committee to investigate Russian interference in the election, Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has said a select committee was unnecessary.
The Senate Intelligence Committee is “more than capable of conducting a complete review,” Mr. McConnell said last month, adding that Mr. McCain could also conduct an investigation on the Armed Services Committee.The Senate Intelligence Committee is “more than capable of conducting a complete review,” Mr. McConnell said last month, adding that Mr. McCain could also conduct an investigation on the Armed Services Committee.
Mr. McCain said on Wednesday: “We will have a subcommittee on cyber. It’s not a special panel.”Mr. McCain said on Wednesday: “We will have a subcommittee on cyber. It’s not a special panel.”