Sen. Cory GardnerCory Scott GardnerSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Interior faces legal scrutiny for keeping controversial acting leaders in office | White House faces suit on order lifting endangered species protections | Lawmakers seek investigation of Park Police after clearing of protesters The Hill’s Campaign Report: Republicans go on attack over calls to ‘defund the police’ MORE (R-Colo.) on Monday joined calls for the allegations of Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election to be “thoroughly investigated.”
“Recent reports from our intelligence community concluded that Russia attempted to influence the U.S. presidential election, serving as yet another reminder of the host of emerging threats in cyberspace,” Gardner said in a statement released Monday.
“These allegations must be thoroughly investigated, and I will continue to work with my colleagues to address the sanctioning of Russia and specifically, bad actors identified following an investigation.” His comments come after a secret CIA assessment released over the weekend concluded Russia intervened in the presidential election to help Donald TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate advances public lands bill in late-night vote Warren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases Esper orders ‘After Action Review’ of National Guard’s role in protests MORE win the White House. ADVERTISEMENTTrump has rejected the allegations, while accusing Democrats of making excuses for their loss in the presidential election. On Sunday, a bipartisan group of senators urged Congress to put aside partisan fighting to investigate the issue. The group said the reports should “alarm every American,” adding that recent cyberattacks “have cut to the heart of our free society.” On Monday, GOP congressional leaders called for an intelligence probe into the alleged interference while rejecting doubts of the integrity of the vote itself. Gardner said Monday that cybersecurity policy is “one of the most significant and complex challenges facing Congress.” He renewed his pleas for Congress to found a Permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity. “Yet the Senate’s current structure to address cyber attacks remains inefficient. According to the Congressional Research Service, at least 19 standing committees between the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have held hearings related to cybersecurity.” he said in the statement. “That’s why I’m renewing my call for the creation of a permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity, which would be narrowly focused on providing oversight of our strategy to protect sensitive data, defend our networks, and to deter malicious cyber actors.” Gardner is a key presence in cybersecurity issues. He chairs the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy and cofounded the Senate Cybersecurity caucus. When the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security first publicly acknowledged their belief Russia hacked various Democratic agencies on October 7, Gardner was one of the first to suggest concrete action. Hours after the announcement, he floated a sanctions bill mandating a response to those attacks and new ones like it. Gardner first suggested a new Permanent Select Committee on Cybersecurity last year, something he believes would make the process of legislating and understanding the issue far more efficient. Click Here: Fjallraven Kanken Art Spring Landscape Backpacks