WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comments that stopping Russia’s meddling in the 2018 election will be “very difficult”:

“It boggles my mind to hear Secretary Tillerson say it’s ‘very difficult’ to prevent another attack on our democracy when, after more than a year, this Administration hasn’t even tried. Congress overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan sanctions bill giving the Trump White House strong tools to punish those responsible for meddling in our 2016 election. Those tools have sat on the shelf. The utter failure to hold Russia accountable almost suggests that this Administration would be fine with Russian interference in the upcoming election. I’m not fine with it, and the American people aren’t fine with it. If President Trump won’t act, it falls to Congress to take responsibility and protect our democracy.”

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