Civic Register
| 2.28.18

NSA Director Testifies Admin Isn't Doing Enough About Future Russian Election Interference

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What’s the story?

National Security Agency (NSA) Director Adm. Michael S. Rogers testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, offering comments that were blunt when possible, and loud in their omissions when classification or custom dictated.

Rogers asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely feels he has gotten away pretty cleanly with interference in the Russian election. The Washington Post quoted Rogers as saying, "We’re taking steps, but we’re probably not doing enough…They haven’t paid a price at least that’s sufficient to get them to change their behavior."

He also stated that, though he is leading efforts that fall under his current authority, he hasn’t not been offered by President Trump any additional authority to expand his agency’s efforts to combat future interference:

"I haven’t been granted any, you know, additional authorities, capacity and capability…"

He also testified that, given what he is seeing, future interference is inevitable:

"What I see on the Cyber Command side leads me to believe that if we don’t change the dynamic here, that this is going to continue, and 2016 won’t be viewed as isolated…This is something that will be sustained over time."

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on Tuesday afternoon, told reporters that "nobody is denying [Rogers] the authority" to do more. She asserted that the president is looking at all of the different causes and all of the different ways that we can prevent it. And as we find different ways that we can do that, we’re implementing them.”

What do you think?

Do you think the NSA should be given greater authority explicitly by the president to combat future Russian election interference? Do you think the administration is doing enough to deal with this threat, or not?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Philip Rucker via Twitter)