Reed Backs Bipartisan Probe into Russian Cyberthreats

Senate Armed Services Committee plans to hold inquiry in new year on Russian
cyberthreats to U.S. military and other institutions vital to national security

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the White House announced that President Barack Obama
has ordered a full review into Russian hacking to potentially influence the 2016
U.S. election, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed
Services Committee, says the committee plans to hold a bipartisan inquiry next year
into Russia’s cyberthreats to the military and other institutions and could help
shed light on suspected Russia interference in the 2016 U.S. election cycle.

«I am pleased the President is carefully reviewing this matter. We shouldn’t allow
any attack on our democratic system to go unchecked. The American people deserve to
know whether outside forces were working to undermine our electoral system or
influence voters, and I hope the results of this review may be made public without
jeopardizing intelligence sources or methods,» said Reed, who sent a
letter
to President Obama last month calling for the President to declassify and release
more information about Russia’s involvement in the U.S. election. In addition to
Reed, the letter was signed by six other U.S. Senators who serve on the Intelligence
Committee.

«Cyber security is critical to national security and there are a range of serious
cyber challenges that must be addressed,» said Reed, who commended Armed Services
Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) for his willingness to tackle the issue in a
bipartisan manner. «I hope we can have a productive, bipartisan examination of
cyberthreats to our military, and shed some light on what role outside forces may
have played in terms of interfering with the American political process.»

Other Senate committees, including the Foreign Relations Committee, have also
expressed interest in holding hearings next year into alleged Russian hacking.