Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, isn’t satisfied with President Trump’s executive order aimed at stopping election interference by foreign agents.
“While the administration has yet to share the full text, an executive order that inevitably leaves the president broad discretion to decide whether to impose tough sanctions against those who attack our democracy is insufficient,” Warner, of Virginia, said in a statement.
Warner pointed to Trump’s joint press conference with Vladimir Putin earlier this summer, at which Trump appeared to cast doubt about the U.S. intelligence assessment that Russians meddled in the 2016 election. Trump later said he misspoke.
“Unfortunately, President Trump demonstrated in Helsinki and elsewhere that he simply cannot be counted upon to stand up to Putin when it matters,” Warner said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also called for a legislative fix and criticized Trump’s executive order.
“Given what the president did in Helsinki, giving himself the option of levying tough sanctions is hardly reassuring,” Schumer said. “The new executive order certainly does not absolve the Senate from passing much-needed legislation and funding to beef up our election security and prevent future attacks on our democracy from foreign adversaries.”
National security adviser John Bolton announced the sanctions plan on Wednesday.
The plan calls on national intelligence agencies to monitor and assess threats of interference or meddling in the upcoming elections and to conduct a post-election review to determine whether foreign agents meddled.
Warner and other lawmakers in both parties say legislation is needed. They have pitched proposals that would formally sanction Russia or threaten sanctions if U.S. officials determine they meddle in the November midterm elections.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the legislation is a top priority after the September spending bills are completed.
