WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing today, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp fought to make sure Congress doesn’t let partisanship get in the way of holding Russia accountable for aggression in Ukraine and Crimea, as well as for cyberattacks and interference in the U.S. electoral process. The hearing aimed to assess the effectiveness of sanctions on Russia.

Click here to watch Sen. Heitkamp’s questioning on YouTube, and click here to watch Ambassador Nicholas Burns’ testimony on the need for the president to be tougher on Russia.

“Hyper partisanship is our country’s greatest weakness—and we’d be foolish to let Russia take advantage of it,” said Heitkamp. “At today’s hearing, I pressed expert witnesses on how Congress can send a clear message to Russia that we stand united, and won’t let it engage in cyberattacks or election interference against our country with impunity. When I invited experts from the Wilson Center to host an event at the University of North Dakota last month, they reinforced the importance of taking Russia seriously and staying tough to deter its aggression. That’s a message I echoed today, and I’ll keep working to hold Russia accountable—and looking for opportunities where North Dakota can play a role, like bolstering our nuclear deterrent and potential Arctic missions.”

Heitkamp has long pushed for tough, smart national security policies to keep Russia in check. She spoke at a Senate Banking Committee hearing in March about sanctions on Russia, questioning witnesses about how the U.S. can use smart policies to counter Russia and keep America safe.

Heitkamp has worked to make sure the U.S. carefully investigates Russian interference in the U.S. democratic process through congressional committees and law enforcement probes. In February she joined six other senators in urging the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs—a committee Heitkamp sits on—to launch a full investigation of Russian interference in the U.S. democratic process.

Last month, Heitkamp spoke at a symposium on U.S.-Russia relations in North Dakota hosted by the Wilson Center and the University of North Dakota. Heitkamp invited Russia experts Kenneth Yalowitz, a former U.S. ambassador to Georgia and Belarus, and Matthew Rojansky, director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, to come to Grand Forks to talk about geopolitics in the Arctic because of Grand Forks Air Force Base’s potential for Arctic missions. The experts also discussed Russia’s efforts to influence the U.S. electoral process.

Heitkamp hosted a community meeting after the Wilson Center event, bringing together Grand Forks and Air Force leaders with Russia experts to talk more about how Grand Forks and the base could leverage its strengths to attract Arctic missions. As the Arctic opens up, Heitkamp is working to bring more attention to the region, highlighting its strategic importance to the United States, and reinforcing the need for increased American leadership in the region.