A bipartisan Senate report affirming the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election is proof that future coronavirus relief legislation should include protections for the nation's voting systems, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday, adding that she's not surprised by the findings.
"The Russians are still at work trying to undermine our election," the California Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" about the findings released Tuesday about the report released Tuesday by the Senate Intelligence Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into Russian interference. "That is why we have to have an important chunk of money in this next bill that will enable us to protect the integrity of our elections, as well as enable the American people to vote by mail, especially at this time of a health danger in going to the polls."
In their findings, senators rejected President Donald Trump's claims that the intelligence community was biased against him and noted that it had specific information that Russia preferred Trump in the election, that it sought to push out Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and that Putin had “approved and directed aspects" of the Kremlin's influence campaign.
"As a member of the Gang of Eight, I watched this whole investigation proceed," said Pelosi. "It leads you to the question about what does Vladimir Putin have on President Trump personally, politically, financially, in every way."
The report also showed Russia's intentions to "tinker or worse" with the nation's election infrastructure.
"This is the lifeblood of our democracy, the vote," said Pelosi. "[The report] really gives lie to what the president has said. We must start to insist on the truth with the president."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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