U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate
News releases, reports, statements and associated documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate as well as the House and Senate leadership and House and Senate committees.
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Sen. Murkowski: New Legislation Would Provide Greater Fiscal Stability for the University of Alaska
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release:
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, last week introduced new legislation, the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act, in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation is supported by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, also R-Alaska, and would resolve the University of Alaska's (University) unfulfilled land grant to help it generate revenues that support its students and operations.
The University currently has one of the smallest land endowments--just
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, issued the following news release:
U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan, and Rep. Don Young, all R-Alaska, last week introduced new legislation, the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act, in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The legislation is supported by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, also R-Alaska, and would resolve the University of Alaska's (University) unfulfilled land grant to help it generate revenues that support its students and operations.
The University currently has one of the smallest land endowments--just110,000 acres--of any applicable institution of higher education. While those lands help the University generate revenues, a complicated history of federal laws and an adverse court ruling have prevented the State of Alaska (State) from being able to directly convey additional lands to the University from its own entitlement--despite that being Congress' clear intent for several decades.
The delegation's new bill addresses these issues by allowing the University and State to jointly identify up to 500,000 acres for potential conveyance, which the Department of the Interior (DOI) would survey. The State and University would then work with DOI to transfer up to 360,000 acres in total to the University. Any land ultimately transferred to the University would be deducted from Alaska's outstanding statehood lands entitlement, which still totals several million acres.
"As we navigate these unprecedented times, the University of Alaska will continue to play a critical role by providing quality educations to young Alaskans and future generations," said Senator Murkowski, Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "This legislation will fulfill the University of Alaska's land grant for the benefit of its students and help provide a permanent foundation to support higher education in Alaska. This is key to a healthy and vibrant future for our state, and I thank the Governor and the University for working with us to develop this consensus approach."
"The University of Alaska, like so many other institutions in Alaska, has been hit hard by the pandemic, facing significant fiscal challenges as a result." said Senator Sullivan. "Finally fulfilling the University's promise as a land grant university with sufficient lands to achieve its mission will better enable the institution to support itself and continue to educate our state's next generation of leaders. I'm glad to join Senator Murkowski and Congressman Young in introducing this legislation to break through decades-long hurdles that have prevented the University from accessing the land it needs to secure a strong future."
"The COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly every area of our daily lives, including our economy," said Congressman Young. "One critical way we can help Alaskans bounce back from these unprecedented times is to help our universities in their goal of providing high-quality education to the young people of our great state. The University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act is an important piece of legislation to provide this essential institution with the resources necessary to support our students. Our state is well-known for being able to balance resource development with environmental protection, and the University of Alaska should be empowered to responsibly utilize their lands for the benefit of students. I am grateful for the support of both the Alaska Delegation and Governor Dunleavy, and will continue working to secure a bright future for future generations of Alaskans."
"I am committed to getting Alaskans back to work, reviving our state's diverse economy, and enhancing and developing our abundant natural resources. The fulfilment of the University of Alaska's long-standing land grants is a significant step towards meeting these commitments," said Alaska Governor Dunleavy. "I thank Senator Murkowski, as well as her Alaskan colleagues, Senator Sullivan and Congressman Young, for the introduction of the University of Alaska Fiscal Foundation Act. This vital piece of legislation would provide for the continuation of higher education by placing productive lands into active management to generate recurring revenues, supporting the University of Alaska. This is exactly what Congress intended in the creation of land grant universities and it is time this intent is realized."
"This is a major step forward and a very important day for the university toward our long-term financial security. The entire university community is grateful to our congressional delegation and for the support of the Governor," said University of Alaska Interim President Pat Pitney. "While there's more work to be done in the months ahead, this legislation signals that our status as a 'land grant university without the land' is finally coming to an end. We look forward to the opportunity that the land will provide to our long term stable funding to enhance our students' educational experience and for cutting edge research."
The text of the legislation as introduced in both the Senate and House is available here. To read more about the University's never-fulfilled land grant, please click here https://www.alaska.edu/govrelations/state/2019%20April%20UA%20Land%20Grant%20History%20White%20Paper.pdf.
Rep. Stefanik Helps House Pass Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik voted today in favor of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation that she cosponsored. This bill establishes the Horseracing Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority as a private, non-profit corporation responsible for developing and administering an anti-doping and medication control program for racehorses as well as their caretakers and trainers.
The Federal Trade Commission has oversight of the authority. This bill passed the House
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik voted today in favor of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, bipartisan legislation that she cosponsored. This bill establishes the Horseracing Anti-Doping and Medication Control Authority as a private, non-profit corporation responsible for developing and administering an anti-doping and medication control program for racehorses as well as their caretakers and trainers.
The Federal Trade Commission has oversight of the authority. This bill passed the Housein a bipartisan manner this afternoon.
"Horseracing is an important cultural and economic driver in our region," said Congresswoman Stefanik. "I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation to protect the horses and the sport with uniform, national standards. This bill will create an independent regulatory process and safety programs to help ensure health and safety in our historic horseracing industry, and I look forward to seeing the positive economic impact it has at the Saratoga Race Course and beyond."
Rep. Schiff Introduces Legislation Addressing Systemic Racism, Inequality in Health Care by Treating It As Civil Rights Issue
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-California, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the Equal Heath Care for All Act, to begin to address the systemic racism and inequality endemic to our health care system by - for the first time - treating equitable care as a civil rights issue.
This legislation would establish a legal definition of "inequitable health care," and create a formal structure to enforce the standard. It would establish a regulatory process to investigate complaints from patients, create a private right of action for
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-California, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced the Equal Heath Care for All Act, to begin to address the systemic racism and inequality endemic to our health care system by - for the first time - treating equitable care as a civil rights issue.
This legislation would establish a legal definition of "inequitable health care," and create a formal structure to enforce the standard. It would establish a regulatory process to investigate complaints from patients, create a private right of action forpatients, and authorize the Department of Justice to conduct pattern or practice investigations based on the failure to meet the standard of equitable care. It would also establish a grant program to assist hospitals and other providers in implementing reforms to ensure equitable care, establish a permanent Federal Health Equity Commission, to study and make recommendations on health equity issues, and greatly increase the collection and reporting of greater demographic data by health providers.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Karen Bass (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jim Cooper (D-TN), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Ro Khanna (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA). It is also supported by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League, Families USA, and the National Hispanic Medical Association.
"As America confronts its legacy of racism and discrimination, we must recognize that in the field of healthcare, discrimination can be among the most pernicious because it is a matter of life and death. Just as Congress passed landmark legislation to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or other protected classes in housing, employment and more, it is time to address discrimination in health care head on," said Rep. Schiff. "We must apply a civil rights framework to healthcare, by ensuring that every patient receives equal care, regardless of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, or any other characteristic. Every life is worth saving and every American deserves equitable health care, and the introduction of the Equal Health Care for All Act is an important step towards making that a reality."
As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane because it often results in physical death." Unfortunately, injustice and inequity in our healthcare system remain rampant. A 2002 review of scientific literature by the Institute of Medicine, undertaken at Congress's request, found that, "minorities are less likely than whites to receive needed services, including clinically necessary procedures." These effects persisted even when controlling for socioeconomic and other factors.
One need only look at the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it has been disproportionately borne by Black and Latino communities, with Black Americans approximately twice as likely to die of the disease. This systemic inequality and disparate treatment has existed long before COVID-19. The death rate for Black Americans is higher for heart diseases, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza and pneumonia, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and homicide. Black infants have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate than white infants, and Black women are 3 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes. And according to the American Medical Association, white Americans spent an average of 80 minutes waiting for or receiving care, while Black Americans spent 99 minutes and Latinos 105 minutes waiting for that same care.
The Equal Health Care for All Act will:
* Establish an Office of Civil Rights and Health Equity within the Department of Health and Human Services, strengthening the existing Office of Civil Rights;
* Establish a legal definition of "inequitable health care;"
* Create a complaint process where patients who believe they have suffered inequitable care by a health care provider can make a complaint to HHS, triggering an investigation;
* Establish a private right of action for patients to bring suit in state or federal court for failure to provide equitable care;
* Authorize the Department of Justice to investigate and bring civil actions against health care providers with a pattern or practice of inequitable care;
* Require the Secretary of HHS to issue regulations mandating the collection and reporting of greater demographic data by providers;
* Mandate that the failure to provide equitable care would be included as a potential cause for exclusion from payment by federal health programs;
* Include equitable care metrics as a factor in "pay for quality" programs for hospitals;
* Create a grant program to assist hospitals and other providers with implementing reforms intended to ensure equitable care, with priority given to disproportionate share hospitals; and
* Establish a permanent, bipartisan Federal Health Equity Commission, to study and make recommendations on health equity issues.
"There is a growing awareness in our nation that racial health gaps are driven by inequities in systems of healthcare delivery, not just a few bad apples in the system. The National Urban League has been documenting and advocating for policies to help close these disparities for decades. Congressman Schiff's legislation, the Equal Health Care for All, helps to identify and roll-back these systemic barriers to healthcare, while imposing much-needed accountability measures to ensure people of color have access to the care they deserve," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "Modeled on the historic Civil Rights Act, this legislation gives patients a right to be treated fairly and incentives for hospitals and other providers to make necessary reforms. With the uncertain future of the Affordable Care Act before the Supreme Court and a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 200,000 people, Congressman Schiff's legislation is just what the doctor ordered."
"NHMA applauds Congressman Schiff for introducing Equal Health Care for All Act that will support Black and Latino and other vulnerable people with grievance options to hold health systems and physicians accountable if they are found to be providing substandard quality care management based on racism or discrimination," said Elena Rios, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association.
Click here to read the full text of the legislation: https://schiff.house.gov/imo/media/doc/SCHIFF_046_xml.pdf
Rep. Lowenthal, House Colleagues, Human, Immigration Rights Orgs Urge New Acting ICE Director to End Southeast Asian American Deportations
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-California, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) today joined with 29 of his House colleagues in urging the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to end the detention and deportation of Southeast Asian refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The letter to newly installed ICE Acting Director Tony Pham, which was also endorsed by nearly 30 human and immigration rights organizations, points out that hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian refugees fled to the U.S. to seek freedom from
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-California, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Congressman Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) today joined with 29 of his House colleagues in urging the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to end the detention and deportation of Southeast Asian refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
The letter to newly installed ICE Acting Director Tony Pham, which was also endorsed by nearly 30 human and immigration rights organizations, points out that hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian refugees fled to the U.S. to seek freedom frompolitical persecution in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Communist take-over of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos in the 1970s. Some of these refugees, many young children and teenagers, resettled in struggling U.S. neighborhoods without support or resources to cope with significant trauma from the war and as a result, made mistakes that funneled them into the criminal justice system. However, these refugees have served their time and are now positively contributing to their communities.
The Members point out that contrary to the 2008 U.S.-Vietnam Agreement that effectively prevented the repatriation of refugees to Vietnam that arrived in the U.S. prior to 1995, ICE has in fact recently deported at 30 Vietnamese refugees, including pre-1995 individuals in the U.S. back to Vietnam. While no such agreement exists between the U.S. and either Laos or Cambodia, similar deportations of Laotian and Cambodia refugees have also been underway by ICE.
The Members conclude the letter to Acting Director Pham by writing, "As a refugee whose family fled communist forces, we know you are well aware of the struggle of the Vietnamese diaspora with the trauma of involuntary migration. These individuals and their families are Americans who are not familiar with the country they fled from. They may have made mistakes in their youth, but many have turned their lives around. We urge you to honor the humanitarian spirit and intention embodied in the 2008 US-Vietnam Agreement, and to halt deportation of Southeast Asian refugees. To do otherwise would send thousands of refugees back to countries they fled years ago, would tear apart thousands of families, and would significantly disrupt immigrant and refugee communities across the U.S."
In addition to Congressman Lowenthal, the letter was also signed by House Members Ami Bera, Donald S. Beyer, Jr., Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Gil Cisneros, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Al Green, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Barbara Lee, Ted W. Lieu, Zoe Lofgren, Betty McCollum, James P. McGovern, Grace Meng, Gwen Moore, Seth Moulton, Grace F. Napolitano, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Linda T. Sanchez, Jan Schakowsky, Adam Smith, Jackie Speier, Lori Trahan, Nydia M. Velazquez, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.
The human and immigrations rights organizations who have endorsed the letter include: National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, Laotian American National Alliance, Khmer Anti-deportation Advocacy Group (KhAAG), Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians For Education, Release MN8, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), NAPAFASA, Still Waters Anti-trafficking Program, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), CMAA (Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association), UNAVSA, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), PIVOT (Progressive Vietnamese American Organization), The Advocates for Human Rights, Japanese American Citizens League, VietRISE, Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN), Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW), Southeast Asian American Education Coalition, Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI), Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, Long Beach Southeast Asian Anti-Deportation Collective, Long Beach Immigrants' Rights Coalition, Cambodian American Community Council of WA State, and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.
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September 29, 2020
To: Tony Pham, Acting Director, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, 500 12th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20536-5003
Dear Acting Director Pham,
We write on the occasion of your appointment to this important position and to express our deep concern about the detention and deportation of Southeast Asian refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asian refugees fled to the U.S. to seek freedom from political persecution in the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Communist take-over of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Many of those who fled fought alongside or supported U.S. forces during the war. Others were born in refugee camps and have never set foot in the country to which they face deportation to.
Upon their arrival in the U.S., these refugees, many of them young children or teenagers, were resettled in struggling neighborhoods without support or resources to cope with significant trauma from the war. As a result, some made mistakes that funneled them into the criminal justice system. However, these refugees have served their time and are now positively contributing to their communities.
Recently, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) repatriated thirty Vietnamese nationals, including individuals confirmed to be pre-1995 refugees. These individuals are protected by the terms of the 2008 US-Vietnam Agreement.
This longstanding agreement, which was signed under President George W. Bush, did not outline a bilateral agreement regarding the deportation of any Vietnamese citizens who arrived in the United States before the two countries reestablished diplomatic relations on July 12, 1995, as this was subject to previous legal positions of the two countries. [Article 2, Para. 2] Even for those who came to the U.S. after July 12, 1995, the agreement promises to "take into account the humanitarian aspect, family unity and circumstances" of each person being considered for repatriation and to carry out repatriation "in an orderly and safe way, and with respect for the individual human dignity of the person repatriated." [Article I, Para. 1,3] As a refugee whose family fled communist forces, we know you are well aware of the struggle of the Vietnamese diaspora with the trauma of involuntary migration. These individuals and their families are Americans who are not familiar with the country they fled from. They may have made mistakes in their youth, but many have turned their lives around. We urge you to honor the humanitarian spirit and intention embodied in the 2008 US-Vietnam Agreement, and to halt deportation of Southeast Asian refugees. To do otherwise would send thousands of refugees back to countries they fled years ago, would tear apart thousands of families, and would significantly disrupt immigrant and refugee communities across the U.S.
See signatories here: https://lowenthal.house.gov/sites/lowenthal.house.gov/files/Member%20letter%20to%20Dir%20Tony%20Pham.pdf
Rep. Gottheimer Celebrates WWII Veteran's 104th Birthday Newton Resident, U.S. Air Force Veteran Wally Atkinson Celebrates 104th Birthday
GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
This weekend, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) honored local World War II U.S. Air Force veteran and Newton resident Walter "Wally" Atkinson in celebration of his 104th birthday and to thank him for his service during World War II.
"It's an absolute honor and privilege to celebrate Wally's birthday and to thank him for his service to our great country. I'm always lucky to be able to spend time with so many of our bravest veterans," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). "It is our
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GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, Sept. 30 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release:
This weekend, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) honored local World War II U.S. Air Force veteran and Newton resident Walter "Wally" Atkinson in celebration of his 104th birthday and to thank him for his service during World War II.
"It's an absolute honor and privilege to celebrate Wally's birthday and to thank him for his service to our great country. I'm always lucky to be able to spend time with so many of our bravest veterans," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). "It is ourduty as Americans not only to honor the men and women who have served our nation, but to do everything we can to fight for them when they return, to ensure they have the care they need, the benefits they were promised, and the support we all owe them."
A New Jersey native, Atkinson was drafted into the U.S. Air Force in 1942 at the age of 26 and was sent to MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for training. While at MacDill Air Force Base, Atkinson helped with preparations for the invasion of Normandy, which began two years ahead of the actual D-Day invasion. Atkinson's reconnaissance group also assisted with the Battle of the Bulge. Atkinson was honorably discharged in 1945.
Gottheimer was joined during a virtual celebration for Atkinson by NJ Assemblyman Gordon Johnson (LD-37), Newton Councilmember Matthew Dickson, and other North Jersey veterans.
House Energy & Commerce Committee: Bipartisan Emerging Tech Bill Passes House Unanimously
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Today, the House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass the American Competitiveness on More Productive Emerging Tech Economy (American COMPETE) Act. The bipartisan bill, led by Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy Subcommittee Chair Bobby Rush (D-IL), would work to speed up the development and deployment of emerging technologies to strengthen U.S. competitiveness, bolster our economy and national security, and
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Today, the House of Representatives voted unanimously to pass the American Competitiveness on More Productive Emerging Tech Economy (American COMPETE) Act. The bipartisan bill, led by Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Energy Subcommittee Chair Bobby Rush (D-IL), would work to speed up the development and deployment of emerging technologies to strengthen U.S. competitiveness, bolster our economy and national security, andhelp us win the technological race against China.
After the bill passed the House, Rep. Rodgers and Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) released the following statement.
"The U.S. must lead in the development and deployment of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, Internet of Things, and more to grow our economy, strengthen our national security, and advance U.S. leadership against bad actors like China. The bipartisan American COMPETE Act is an important step forward to helping us do just that," said Walden and Rodgers. "We thank our E&C Republican colleagues for provisions they authored in this bill, and our House colleagues for coming together in a bipartisan way today to ensure America leads in these technologies that define our future. We urge our colleagues in the Senate to take swift action on this important bill."
Background:
The bipartisan American COMPETE Act adopts several concepts from E&C Republicans' emerging tech agenda and passed unanimously out of a full committee markup on September 9, 2020.
Chairman Graham Releases Information From DNI Ratcliffe on FBI's Handling of Crossfire Hurricane
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today released a letter from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe. DNI Ratcliffe responded to Graham's request for intelligence community information regarding the FBI's handling of Crossfire Hurricane.
DNI Ratcliffe provided the following declassified information to the committee:
- "In late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russian
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 -- Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release on Sept. 29:
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today released a letter from Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe. DNI Ratcliffe responded to Graham's request for intelligence community information regarding the FBI's handling of Crossfire Hurricane.
DNI Ratcliffe provided the following declassified information to the committee:
- "In late July 2016, U.S. intelligence agencies obtained insight into Russianintelligence analysis alleging that U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had approved a campaign plan to stir up a scandal against U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump by tying him to Putin and the Russians' hacking of the Democratic National Committee. The IC does not know the accuracy of this allegation or the extent to which the Russian intelligence analysis may reflect exaggeration or fabrication."
- "According to his handwritten notes, former Central Intelligence Agency Director Brennan subsequently briefed President Obama and other senior national security officials on the intelligence, including the 'alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on July 26, 2016 of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by Russian security services.'"
- "On 07 September 2016, U.S. intelligence officials forwarded an investigative referral to FBI Director James Comey and Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Peter Strzok regarding 'U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's approval of a plan concerning U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering U.S. elections as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private mail server.'"
"I appreciate DNI Ratcliffe responding to my request for any information concerning all things Russia in the 2016 campaign, not just alleged Trump-Russia involvement.
"Director Ratcliffe will make this information available in a classified setting. I will try to review the material as early as today.
"This latest information provided by DNI Ratcliffe shows there may have been a double standard by the FBI regarding allegations against the Clinton campaign and Russia. Whether these allegations are accurate is not the question. The question is did the FBI investigate the allegations against Clinton like they did Trump? If not, why not? If so, what was the scope of the investigation? If none, why was that?
"I look forward to speaking with Director Comey about this latest information, and many other topics, at tomorrow's hearing."
