WASHINGTON _ House and Senate Democrats are urging colleagues to support creation of an independent, nonpartisan commission to study Russian attempts to influence the November election.
No Republicans have signed on to the House or Senate legislation to create the commission, but Democrats said they hope some colleagues were persuaded by Thursday's testimony from three U.S. intelligence chiefs that the Kremlin's most senior leaders approved a Russian intelligence operation aimed at interfering in the U.S. presidential race.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said the commission would "get to the bottom once and for all as to who was responsible, how we were so vulnerable, and make a promise to the American people, through recommendations, that we will never, ever let this happen again."
President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly challenged the conclusion of intelligence agencies. A declassified report released by the agencies Friday said Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to help Trump win the presidency, but doesn't say whether interference helped Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina are pushing for an aggressive investigation in Congress of Russian cyberattacks during the presidential campaign. It was during a hearing called by McCain when the intelligence chiefs testified on Russia's involvement.
Republican leaders have resisted calls for a separate special committee � or an independent panel like the bipartisan commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said Monday that congressional investigations are important, but that the kind of independent, nonpartisan commission Democrats propose would be made up of national experts who would give credibility to the panel's findings.
Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., who was the ranking member of the Select Committee on Benghazi, said an independent investigation would reduce finger-pointing or accusations of partisan goals.
"The last thing I want is for us to get bogged down in politics; this is just far too important," Cummings said. "It's not about Donald Trump, it's not about Hillary Clinton, it's not about Republicans, independents or Democrats. It's not even about 2016. It's about our future. We cannot allow foreign attacks on our electoral process to become normal or inevitable."
