WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 22, 2020) — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – released the following statement on reports that Russia and Iran again interfered in our elections:
“As US intelligence officials again sound the alarm, it should be news to no one that foreign states like Russia are continuing to interfere in our elections — as they did in 2016 and in 2018. For years, Republicans in the Senate have blocked tougher deterrent sanctions on Russia, and the Trump administration has avoided using the broad range of strong sanctions tools Congress already provided to hold President Putin accountable. Their inaction has left our democracy and the American people at risk, and undermined Americans’ confidence in our democracy. Today Senate Republicans again blocked these deterrent sanctions, just twelve days before our elections. I trust a future Biden administration will respond much more forcefully and consistently to Russian and other actors like Iran who interfere in our elections.”