Washington, D.C. – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about reports that the House and Senate Republican leadership have refused calls for an independent investigation or special committee to investigate Russia’s interference in the 2016 election:
“It is disturbing that the Republican leadership in both houses of Congress is refusing to allow a special committee or independent investigation of Russian involvement in the election, in order to provide cover for Donald Trump. This critical national security issue rises above party. We should be committed to comprehensively investigating what happened and to following the facts wherever they lead.”
Prior to the election of Donald Trump, Presidents have historically removed themselves from business dealings to avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest. President-elect Trump’s lack of concern for real or perceived conflicts of interest through the business he inherited is unprecedented and deeply troubling. Following his election, Donald Trump said he would separate himself from his business. He has failed to do so. His decision has raised immediate ethical and legal issues that will only serve to distract from his responsibilities as the President of the United States.
Our country deserves to know how the President-elect will handle his business conflicts. Unfortunately, because the President-elect has not released his taxes, as promised, we don’t fully know the extent to which his business dealings could impact his Presidency. By choosing to postpone a Press Conference originally planned for December 15th, the President-elect has shown he is unwilling to face very legitimate questions about how he will lead our country without the danger posed by conflicts of interest.
Before his inauguration, Trump must prove his commitment to transparency, and explain how he plans to completely separate himself from his business dealings. Trump has assured the American people that he will cut ties with his businesses because ‘the Presidency is a far more important task,’ and I plan to do everything that I can to hold him to that promise.”
Washington, DC – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff (D-CA), and House Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) released the following joint statement in response to news reports about intelligence assessments of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and comments by the House Republican leadership downplaying the need for a thorough investigation:
“All Americans should be deeply concerned by the reports that Russian agencies have interfered with a U.S. election. As Speaker Ryan noted, ‘any foreign intervention in our elections is entirely unacceptable.’
“The first duty of the United States government is to safeguard the American people and the integrity of our free society from attacks by foreign adversaries. Cyberattacks on our political institutions are direct threats to their integrity and are just as menacing as attacks on our economic, physical, and military infrastructure.
“Given the gravity of these unprecedented attacks by a foreign state, we need a congressional investigation that is truly bipartisan, that is comprehensive, that will not be restricted by jurisdictional lines, and that will give the American people a complete and full accounting of what happened consistent with safeguarding our national security.”
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith made the following statement about President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State:
“In nominating ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State, the President-elect has chosen an individual whose company opposed efforts to sanction Russia while also receiving an award from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This nomination raises critical questions about the manner in which the President-elect intends to lead our nation. As the President-elect formulates policy and considers nominees for positions in his Administration, it is critical that the fundamental standards of our system of government are met and respected. The incoming Administration and those who serve it must demonstrate an absolute commitment to the highest ethical standards, pose no real or perceived conflicts of interest, be completely transparent and open on their prior, current, and possible future dealings.
“The next Secretary of State should be tasked with leading the interagency on a cohesive, thoughtful foreign policy that advances our national security. Given Tillerson’s expansive potential for conflicts of interest, I am encouraged to see that a growing number of Senators with national security expertise have also expressed concerns with the nomination. There must be a full bi-partisan review and vetting of the President-elect’s nominees by the U.S. Senate.”
Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement on the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor:
“On December 7th, we commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of the more than 2,400 Americans who lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor. We will never forget them or their deeds, nor those of the millions more who fought to defeat fascism and forge a new international order that helped to secure peace around the globe. It is our profound duty to continue honoring them, by providing for our veterans and ensuring that we care for our men in women and uniform second to none.”
Washington, DC – Today, Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel, Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings, and Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Adam Schiff sent a letter to President Obama asking for Administration officials to brief all Members of Congress on Russian efforts to influence or interfere in the recent federal election.
Citing concerns that “Russia may have succeeded in weakening Americans’ trust” in our democratic institutions through its actions, the authors of the letter call attention to the hacking of American organizations, publication of private emails sent to or from campaign officials, as well as disclosures by WikiLeaks and fabricated news stories.
“By eroding Americans’ and foreigners’ trust in U.S. institutions,” the letter states, “Russia both weakens our country and sows global instability and uncertainty. …To evaluate Congress’s response appropriately, we would like all Members to have a comprehensive understanding of what the U.S. Intelligence Community knows regarding Russia’s involvement in these actions and attempts to interfere in our election.”
The full text of the letter can be read below.
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Dear Mr. President:
We are deeply concerned by Russian efforts to undermine, interfere with, and even influence the outcome of our recent election. This Russian malfeasance is not confined to us, but extends to our allies, our alliances and to democratic institutions around the world.
The integrity of democracy must never be in question, and we are gravely concerned that Russia may have succeeded in weakening Americans’ trust in our electoral institutions through their cyber activity, which may also include sponsoring disclosures through WikiLeaks and other venues, and the production and distribution of fake news stories.
Foreign interference presents a win-win for Russia—which we must counter. By eroding Americans’ and foreigners’ trust in U.S. institutions, Russia both weakens our country and sows global instability and uncertainty. Both present a boon for Russia and a loss for those working to maintain peace and prosperity around the world through the leadership of the United States and its allies.
To evaluate Congress’s response appropriately, we would like all Members to have a comprehensive understanding of what the U.S. Intelligence Community knows regarding Russia’s involvement in these actions and attempts to interfere in our election. Specifically, we are requesting a classified briefing that will provide details regarding Russian entities’ hacking of American political organizations; hacking and strategic release of emails from campaign officials; the WikiLeaks disclosures; fake news stories produced and distributed with the intent to mislead American voters; and any other Russian or Russian-related interference or involvement in our recent election.
We thank you for your attention to this matter.
STENY H. HOYER
Democratic Whip
JOHN CONYERS
Ranking Member, Committee on Judiciary
ELIOT ENGEL
Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs
BENNIE G. THOMPSON
Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS
Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
ADAM SMITH
Ranking Member, Committee on Armed Services
ADAM SCHIFF
Ranking Member, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Adam Smith made the following statement regarding the appointment of Lt. General Michael Flynn:
“I have grave concerns about the judgment of Lt. General Michael Flynn. He has regularly engaged in the reckless public promotion of conspiracy theories that have no basis in fact, with disregard for the risks that giving credence to those theories could pose to the public. The National Security Adviser is responsible for filtering and assessing crucial information pertaining to the national defense. Someone who is so oblivious to the facts, or intentionally ignorant of them, should not be entrusted with policy decisions that affect the safety of the American people.
“Lt. General Michael Flynn’s name should be removed from the position President-elect Trump has appointed him to. His recent statements make it unquestionably clear that he has become unhinged from reality. If the President-elect cares at all about the future of our national security, I suggest that he appoint another person to this critical administration position.”
Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement today following President-elect Trump’s nomination of Dr. Ben Carson to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development:
“With the nomination of Dr. Ben Carson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), President-elect Donald Trump has chosen a disturbingly unqualified individual for a key leadership positon in his administration. The HUD Secretary has the critical role of building strong, sustainable and inclusive communities that provide access to quality affordable homes for all. Dr. Carson has absolutely no experience to even remotely prepare him for the serious responsibility of leading a federal agency that directly impacts the quality of life of so many Americans.
“It is imperative that the administration and Congress focus on building comprehensive and long-term solutions to reverse the growing epidemic of housing insecurity. The community development and housing assistance programs that HUD directs help ensure that all individuals and families have a place to call home.”
Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement about reports that Donald Trump is nominating General James Mattis for Secretary of Defense:
“General Mattis has served the United States tirelessly, with admirable distinction. However, the unusual circumstances of his nomination raise serious questions about fundamental principles of our Constitutional order. Civilian control of the military is not something to be casually cast aside. So while I like and respect General Mattis a great deal, the House of Representatives would have to perform a full review, including hearings by the Armed Services Committee, if it were to consider overriding the statutory prohibition on recent military officers serving as the Secretary of Defense.
”I want to reiterate how much I admire General Mattis. I worked with him personally in the many positions he has held during his service. We have a close personal relationship, and I consider him an outstanding individual and officer. I will be having close conversations with him in the coming days about how to ensure we maintain civilian control of the military.”
Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) made the following statement on passage of the FY 2017 NDAA conference report:
“This bill makes a valuable contribution to our country’s national security. While it does not contain everything we could have hoped for, the bill includes a number of positive improvements to U.S. defense policy. It wisely avoids earlier efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals, erode the Endangered Species Act, undermine labor laws, and much besides. Instead, it focuses on efforts to advance the defense of the United States, and I believe it succeeds in doing so.”