Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, who is a leading, outspoken critic of former President Trump, his close ties to Russia and the Trump Administration’s failure to address acts of Russian hostility against the U.S., made the following statement regarding the Biden Administration’s announcement of a new package of sanctions against Russian persons and other actions to hold Russia accountable.

“Throughout the Trump Administration, I was a strong advocate for a much more aggressive response to Russia’s malign influence efforts around the world. Trump’s fawning deference to Putin and his refusal to stand up for America’s interests helped advance Putin’s goal of weakening the transatlantic alliance and western democracy itself.

“These tough economic measures against Russia are a stark and welcome departure from Trump's soft and feckless posture towards Putin.

“These executive-branch actions highlight a range of Russian malign activities. From cyberattacks to interference in our democracy to hostile actions towards Ukraine, it’s clear that Russia, its leadership, and their proxies believe that they can continue to act with intent to damage our economy, violate our sovereignty, and undermine our national security.

“Given Putin’s disregard for global standards and human life, I am pleased that the Biden Administration announced this forceful set of sanctions, further foreclosing options for Russia’s licit financial access and signaling the resolve to escalate the U.S. response, as necessary. The global coordination to combat Russian aggression, particularly in cyberspace, also limits its ability to succeed. These decisive actions among agencies and in coordination with our allies send a strong signal that Russian adversarial pursuits will not be tolerated.”

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