Bipartisan Senate Group Calls for Probe of Russian Hacking in US

The senators said the alleged Russian hacking can't become a 'partisan' issue.

ByABC News
December 11, 2016, 9:34 AM

— -- A group of Democratic and Republican senators are calling for bipartisan support for an investigation into cyberattacks against the United States by foreign governments following reports of alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Saying that cyberattacks by foreign governments pose "grave threats" to U.S. national security, the senators' statement said: "This cannot become a partisan issue. The stakes are too high for our country."

Two Democratic senators -- Chuck Schumer of New York and Jack Reed of Rhode Island joined two Republican senators -- John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina -- in issuing the statement.

"We are committed to working in this bipartisan manner, and we will seek to unify our colleagues around the goal of investigating and stopping the grave threats that cyberattacks conducted by foreign governments pose to our national security,” the statement said.

Schumer is the incoming Senate minority leader, while Reed and McCain are their parties' leaders on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Graham also serves on that panel.

President-elect Trump has questioned reports of the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that the Russian government was behind a series of hacks against U.S. political groups and institutions this year.

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