Rep. Adam Schiff, (D, Calif.), told ABC News that if President-elect Donald Trump tries to reverse sanctions that President Barack Obama put on Russia, that Congress will respond with "vigorous," swift actions. Obama imposed the sanctions in response to overwhelming evidence that Russians, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, hacked the DNC (Democratic National Committee) emails during the 2016 Presidential election campaign. Although most if not all observers have no doubt about Russia's culpability in the DNC email leaks, some people believe that the Russian involvement did not result in Trump's election victory.
And then there's Trump
Then there is Donald Trump who does not even believe that the Russians were involved in the email hacking incidents in the first place. Trump says that he has does not have sufficient proof that the Russians infiltrated and hacked the DNC emails. The President-elect stated that he knows more than other Americans because he receives regular intelligence briefings. He also stated that "Hacking is a very hard thing to prove," (The Telegraph News, 1/1/17). Trump did promise to attend more intelligence briefings on Russian involvement in the email hacking matter.
What Congress thinks
Schiff stated that Democrats and Republicans alike in Congress feel that the Russians were involved in the email hacking incidents.
Schiff also called upon Trump "to stop denigrating the intelligence community," (ABC News, 1/1/17). Among the leading members of Congress who are convinced that the Russians played a role in the fiasco are Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R, Ky.), Senator Lindsey Graham, (R, S.C.), Senator John McCain, (R, Ariz.), Senator Charles Schumer, (D, N.Y.), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D, Calif.).
Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D, Mass.), also has been very outspoken about her belief that the Russians were involved in the email hacking incidents.
Within the last few days, McConnell stated that Russia is no friend of the United States. McConnell made that statement in response to Trump's criticism of President Obama's sanctions against Russia.
Obama imposed the sanctions because of overwhelming evidence uncovered by the FBI and other intelligence agencies that the Russians were directly involved in the hacking of the DNC emails.
McCain's NATO promise
Meanwhile, Senator John McCain has promised that the United States will not abandon NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), despite Trump's less than enthusiastic support for the agency. McCain also promised U.S. support for the Baltic States, despite Trump's assertion that his administration only will support the Baltic States that are current in their financial obligations to NATO.
