The Director of the National Security Agency told legislators on Tuesday that Russia hasn't yet "paid a price" for interfering in the 2016 U.S. election, The Hill reports.
During a meeting of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Mike Rogers, who heads U.S. Cyber Command as well as the NSA, said that President Donald Trump has yet to grant him "additional authorities" to combat Russian cyber attacks, and admitted that the administration hasn't done enough to "significantly" change the country's behavior.
"I need a policy decision that indicates there is specific direction" to prevent further interference, Rogers said. "The president ultimately would make this decision in accordance with a recommendation from the secretary of Defense."
The ranking Democrat on the committee, Rep. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, said that "essentially, we have not taken on the Russians yet," and that the Trump administration is "essentially sitting back and waiting."
Although the admiral denied that the U.S. has done nothing in response to Russia's actions, he did admit that "They haven't paid a price, at least, that has significantly changed their behavior."
He added that although a technical confrontation with Russian hackers isn't "optimal," that "it could be a part of the response."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.