,,ii #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aedd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #ab1 #bjag ,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,franken1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,harris1 and ,mr4 ,merkley7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to prevent ,federal funds from being used to establish a cybersecurity unit in cooperation with the ,russian ,federation4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,no ,funds for ,cyber ,coordination with ,russia ,act of #bjag4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4 ,sec4 #b4 ,definitions4 ,sec4 #c4 ,purpose4 ,sec4 #d4 ,findings4 ,sec4 #e4 ,funding prohibition4 ,sec4 #f4 ,sense of ,congress4 ,sec4 #g4 ,termination4 #b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,rules and ,administration1 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations1 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,appropriations1 and the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs1 the ,committee on ,house ,administration1 the ,committee on ,armed ,services1 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security1 the ,committee on ,appropriations1 and the ,permanent ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#b7 ,cybersecurity ,the term cybersecurity means the protection or defense of cyberspace from cyberattacks4 7#c7 ,cybersecurity unit ,the term cybersecurity unit means any organization or entity established for the purpose of cybersecurity4 7#d7 ,cyberspace ,the term cyberspace means the global domain within the information environment consisting of the interdependent network of information systems infrastructures 7including the ,internet1 telecommunications networks1 computer systems1 and embedded processors and controllers74 7#e7 ,significant activities undermining cybersecurity ,the term significant activities undermining cybersecurity includes-- 7,a7 significant efforts-- 7i7 to deny access to or degrade1 disrupt1 or destroy an information and communications technology system or network2 or 7ii7 to exfiltrate1 degrade1 corrupt1 destroy1 or release information from such a system or network without authorization for purposes of-- 7,i7 conducting influence operations2 or 7,,ii7 causing a significant misappropriation of funds1 economic resources1 trade secrets1 personal identifications1 or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain2 7,b7 significant destructive malware attacks2 and 7,c7 significant denial of service activities4 #c4 ,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to protect ,united ,states cybersecurity and critical infrastructure by preventing the ,president from establishing a cybersecurity unit in coordination with the ,government of the ,russian ,federation1 a known foreign adversary4 #d4 ,findings ,congress makes the following findings3 7#a7 ,on ,january #f1 #bjag1 an assessment of the ,united ,states intelligence community entitled1 ,assessing ,russian ,activities and ,intentions in ,recent ,u4,s4 ,elections concluded1 ,russian efforts to influence the #bjaf ,,us presidential election represent the most recent expression of ,moscow's longstanding desire to undermine the ,,us-led liberal democratic order1 but these activities demonstrated a significant escalation in directness1 level of activity1 and scope of effort compared to previous operations44 ,the report concluded with high confidence1 ,russian ,president ,vladimir ,putin ordered an influence campaign in #bjaf aimed at the ,,us presidential election4 ,russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the ,,us democratic process1 denigrate ,secretary ,clinton1 and harm her electability and potential presidency4 ,we further assess ,putin and the ,russian ,government developed a clear preference for ,president-elect ,trump44 7#b7 ,on ,december #bi1 #bjaf1 ,president ,barack ,obama issued ,executive ,order #acgeg1 ,taking ,additional ,steps ,to ,address ,the ,national ,emergency ,with ,respect ,to ,significant ,malicious ,cyber-,enabled ,activities4 ,executive ,order #acgeg amended ,executive ,order #acfid1 ,blocking the ,property of ,certain ,persons ,engaging in ,significant ,malicious ,cyber-,enabled ,activities4 ,e4,o4 #acfid authorized sanctions on individuals and entities determined to be responsible for or complicit in malicious cyber-enabled activities that result in enumerated harms that are reasonably likely to result in1 or have materially contributed to1 a significant threat to the national security1 foreign policy1 or economic health or financial stability of the ,united ,states4 ,e4,o4 #acgeg expanded executive authority to allow for the imposition of sanctions against individuals and entities determined to be responsible for tampering1 altering1 or causing the misappropriation of information with the purpose or effect of interfering with or undermining election processes or institutions4 7#c7 ,the ,government of the ,russian ,federation has repeatedly launched cyber-attacks against ,united ,states agencies1 including the ,department of ,state in ,november #bjad1 the ,department of ,defense in #bjae1 and the ,white ,house computer networks in #bjad4 7#d7 ,on ,march #ae1 #bjag1 the ,department of ,justice charged ,russian ,federal ,security ,service 7,,fsb7 officers and criminal coconspirators for hacking ,yahoo and the email accounts of millions of ,united ,states citizens4 7#e7 ,on ,may #h1 #bjag1 former ,director of ,national ,intelligence ,james ,clapper testified before the ,committee on the ,judiciary of the ,senate1 ,russia's influence activities in the run-up to the #bjaf election constituted the high water mark of their long running efforts since the #aifjs to disrupt and influence our elections4 ,they must be congratulating themselves for having exceeded their wildest expectations with a minimal expenditure of resource4 ,and ,i believe they are now emboldened to continue such activities in the future both here and around the world1 and to do so even more intensely4 ,if there has ever been a clarion call for vigilance and action against a threat to the very foundation of our democratic political system1 this episode is it44 7#f7 ,on ,june #g1 #bjag1 former ,director of the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation ,james ,comey testified before the ,select ,committee on ,intelligence of the ,senate that the ,government of the ,russian ,federation1 using technical intrusion1 lots of other methods1 tried to shape the way we think1 we vote1 we act4 ,that is a big deal4 ,and people need to recognize it4 ,it's not about ,republicans or ,democrats4 ,they're coming after ,america1 which ,i hope we all love equally4 ,they want to undermine our credibility in the face of the world4 ,they think that this great experiment of ours is a threat to them1 and so they're going to try to run it down and dirty it up as much as possible44 7#g7 ,on ,july #i1 #bjag1 ,president ,donald ,trump stated1 ,i strongly pressed ,president ,putin twice about ,russian meddling in our election4 ,he vehemently denied it ''' now it is time to move forward in working constructively with ,russia6 ,putin ,i discussed forming an impenetrable ,cyber ,security unit so that election hacking1 many other negative things1 will be guarded4 #e4 ,funding prohibition ,no ,federal funds may be used to establish a cybersecurity unit1 or any variation thereof1 in cooperation or connection with the ,government of the ,russian ,federation4 #f4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,president should publicly endorse the assessment of the ,united ,states ,armed ,forces and the intelligence community that the ,government of the ,russian ,federation interfered in the #bjaf election and take appropriate measures to deter such activities in the future2 7#b7 the ,president must not use taxpayer funds to engage in cyber coordination with the ,government of the ,russian ,federation1 a foreign adversary2 and 7#c7 the ,president should work with ,congress to establish a non-partisan1 independent commission of experts to determine1 examine1 and report on the facts regarding the extent of ,russian official and unofficial cyber operations and other attempts to interfere in the #bjaf ,united ,states national election4 #g4 ,termination ,the prohibitions under this ,act shall terminate on the date the ,president submits to the appropriate congressional committees a written certification that the ,government of the ,russian ,federation has-- 7#a7 ceased ordering1 controlling1 or otherwise directing1 supporting1 or financing acts intended to undermine democracies around the world2 and 7#b7 submitted a written statement acknowledging interference in the #bjaf ,united ,states ,presidential election4