House Republicans blocked a bid by Democrats to force national intelligence chief Dan Coats to testify on the Russian election-hacking threat, while a bipartisan duo of Senators say 12 Russian intelligence officers indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller for meddling in 2016 could soon face stiff U.S. financial sanctions.
Tuesday’s push by Sen. Pat Toomey, Pennsylvania Republican, and Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Democrat, to sanction the members of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) came via a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin urging the U.S. to “swiftly impose” sanctions for allegedly hacking the computer networks of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.
“As previously demonstrated by your office, the Treasury Department has the legal authority necessary to impose sanctions on individuals who engage in cyber activities intended to interfere in America’s elections,” the senators wrote, citing recent moves by Treasury officials to sanction Russians through executive order, in addition to leveraging the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) bill, which last year created new levels of sanctions for Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, Republicans dug in their heels and fended of an effort by angry Democrats to secure the public testimony of Mr. Coats during a House Oversight committee hearing to explore federal efforts to help states secure their voting systems.
Committee chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, South Carolina Republican, and leading Democrats on the panel were at odds over how to hear from the nation’s top intelligence official.
Mr. Gowdy offered to invite him to a private, classified hearing.
But Rep. Gerry Connolly, Virginia Democrat, accused the committee of constantly blocking efforts to subpoena witnesses to address Russian meddling, then offered a motion to subpoena Mr. Coats to testify publicly.
Republicans defeated the motion in 17-15 vote along party lines.
Mr. Coats was in the headlines last week when he reiterated that Russia interfered in the last presidential election. He spoke hours after President Donald Trump questioned that assessment during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Mr. Trump later clarified his statement by saying he misspoke.
Th House Oversight committee hearing also featured local and state officials, who pulled the focus away from Washington and international politics by telling panel members that responsibility for upholding American Democracy ultimately rests with U.S. citizens.
“While we all need to work together to combat misinformation, intentional and accidental, to maintain voter confidence,” New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said, “I also encourage those citizens watching today to get involved in the process by becoming a poll worker, reaching out to their state and local election officials with questions and ultimately voting in November.”
New Mexico was not among the 21 state election systems that the Department of Homeland Security has concluded were targeted by Russian operatives in 2016. But all its neighbors — Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Arizona — were.
Ricky Hatch, the auditor for Weber County in Utah, discussed security responsibilities at the precinct level where the vast majority of residents cast their votes.
Mr. Hatch applauded Congress for appropriating $380 million in grants for state election security expenses, but reminded lawmakers that funds can get bogged down by state bureaucracy while election officials at the county level struggle to purchase new equipment, keep up with changing technology and thwart hackers.
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