US Senators Vow to Counter Trump on Russia

Skeptical of Trump’s warmer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, lawmakers in both parties are breaking with the incoming administration to carve out a tougher stance.

Lawmakers would like the US president-elect to rein in Russia, but they’re also signaling that Congress will act on its own.

“We cannot sit on the sidelines as a party and let allegations against a foreign government interfering in our election process go unanswered because it may have been beneficial to our case for the moment,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)  said.

The Obama administration formally accused Russia of hacking and leaking Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails last month as lawmakers debated how to respond to Moscow. Russia dismissed the claims.

Graham added that he is planning a multi-pronged approach: A package to better help allies in Eastern Europe counter what he called “Russian aggression” and a series of hearings to shine a spotlight on Russia's “misadventures.”

Graham’s closest ally, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, separately warned Trump against another “reset” of US-Moscow relations, arguing that he should be skeptical of Putin’s quest for a better relationship.

"We should place as much faith in such statements as any other made by a former KGB agent who has plunged his country into tyranny, murdered his political opponents, invaded his neighbors, threatened America's allies and attempted to undermine America's elections," McCain said.

The increased pressure from the Senate comes as the House passed legislation that would impose mandatory sanctions on anyone who provides financial or technological support to Syria’s government. The bill was widely seen as targeting Russia.

Lawmakers have also quietly voiced concerns about Trump’s positioning on Moscow for months, but are increasingly speaking up as the president-elect begins to set up his administration.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, questioned the choice of former military intelligence chief Michael Flynn as Trump’s national security advisor.

"I am deeply concerned about his views on Russia, which over the last 12 months have demonstrated the same fondness for the autocratic and belligerent Kremlin which animate President-elect Trump's praise of Vladimir Putin," Schiff said, the Hill reported.

Flynn retired from the US Defense Intelligence Agency in 2014 after a rocky tenure and reports that he was forced out. He's been increasingly critical of Obama since leaving the military.