WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today pushed for continued strong U.S. sanctions to punish Russia for its ongoing attacks on U.S. businesses, elections, and critical infrastructure.

During a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing assessing the impacts of U.S. economic, financial, and trade sanctions on Russia, Heitkamp spoke about the urgent need for a sanctions strategy that promotes rigorous enforcement, close coordination with U.S. allies, and proper resourcing for federal departments responsible for implementing and monitoring sanctions. Click here to watch her full remarks.

“Russia poses a grave threat to our national security, and our nation cannot ignore President Putin’s willingness to wage hostile cyberattacks that disrupt the lives of millions of Americans,” said Heitkamp. “Heightened economic sections are a key part of deterring further Russian aggression against our country and our allies, and the federal offices responsible for implementing these tools must have the resources they need to put full pressure on the Russian government and its cronies. Additionally, our government needs to coordinate with our allies to make sure bad actors can’t move their business activities and wealth across a border to successfully escape punishment. I’ve long said that we need a sanctions policy that reprimands Russia for interfering in our elections, annexing Crimea, and propping up Bashar al-Assad’s bloody regime in Syria. One of my most important responsibilities as a U.S. senator is to protect American communities and keep North Dakota families safe, and I’ll continue to speak out in favor of a sanctions policy that contributes to a tough, smart national security strategy and sends a unified signal that a destabilizing Russian foreign policy won’t be tolerated.”

Last year, Heitkamp helped pass a bipartisan package of sanctions, which she cosponsored, to hold Russia— as well as Iran and North Korea— accountable for blatant aggression against U.S. interests.

Heitkamp has long pushed for tough, smart national security policies to keep Russia in check. During a hearing in April 2017, Heitkamp fought to hold Russia accountable for its aggression in Ukraine and Crimea, as well for its cyberattacks and interference in the U.S. electoral process. Click here to watch her remarks.

Heitkamp has also worked to reinforce the suitability of Grand Forks and Minot Air Force bases for future Arctic missions given their existing infrastructure, their current missions, and their proximity to the Arctic. Yesterday, Heitkamp joined Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson to view the Grand Forks community’s cutting-edge contributions to unmanned aerial systems (UAS) research, training, and innovation— and she continued to highlight Grand Forks’ leadership role in a future Arctic security strategy.

Background

Heitkamp has continued to recognize the impacts of the relationship between the United States and Russia on American lives and security. In March 2017, Heitkamp spoke at a symposium she helped bring together on U.S.-Russia relations and the Arctic hosted by the Wilson Center and the University of North Dakota. Heitkamp invited Russia experts to come to North Dakota to talk about current Russian threats and how Grand Forks Air Force Base could leverage its strengths to attract an Arctic mission.

And Heitkamp has also worked to make sure the U.S. carefully investigates Russian interference in the U.S. democratic process through congressional committees and law enforcement probes.

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