House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Democrats are preparing a resolution to condemn President Trump for siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin instead of the U.S. intelligence community on whether Russia hacked into Democratic computers during the 2016 election.
Democrats and a few Republicans criticized Trump after his Monday press conference with Putin in Helsinki, calling it “treasonous” and asking what compromising information Putin could have on Trump that would have made him side with Putin.
“Yesterday, President Trump cowered before President Putin, and engaged in a dangerous, disgraceful and damaging show of his blame America first policy,” Pelosi said in a letter to House Democrats.
Pelosi slammed House Republicans for engaging in “a stunning abdication of leadership.” Republicans are “cravenly refusing to take any action to secure our elections from foreign attack, and instead offering only weak words while bringing to the floor an appropriations package that eliminates funding for states to protect their election systems,” Pelosi said.
In response, Democrats will introduce a resolution endorsing the statement of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., “rebuking the president’s statement in Helsinki and reaffirming the accuracy of the U.S. Intelligence community’s findings that Russia interfered in our 2016 elections,” Pelosi wrote to the caucus.
[Also read: Paul Ryan scolds Trump: ‘Russia is not our ally’]
Rep. Elliot Engel, D-N.Y., will offer the symbolic resolution Tuesday under unanimous consent, which is expected to be tabled by Republicans. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., will bring up a motion, forcing a vote on a measure that would increase funding for Election Assistance Commission grants, helping states “enhance their election equipment, counter cyberattacks and defend against future intrusions.”
Additionally, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., will hold a press conference presenting a “strong united chorus of condemnation” of Trump supporters on the House Intelligence Committee for “selling out” democracy. Schiff is also working on a “strong resoultion” that will be introduced in the coming days, Pelosi told House Democrats.
On Monday, Trump again cast doubt on the intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia interfered in the U.S. election, saying Putin offered a “strong and powerful” denial. When asked if he believed Putin or America’s intel agencies, Trump refused to condemn Russia, instead asking about the whereabouts of Hillary Clinton’s server.
