CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Rep. Jim Himes (D- CT) Is Interviewed About Russia's Ongoing Election Meddling
Interview
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BLITZER: All right. Important information indeed. Manu, thank you very much. Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill. Let's get some more on all of this. Democratic Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut is joining us. He is a key member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. Let's get to the news that's unfolding right now.
Democratic senators, they are calling for additional sanctions on Russia right now following these intelligence reports that the Kremlin is once again trying to interfere in the U.S. presidential election potentially maybe to help President Trump, potentially maybe to help Senator Bernie Sanders.
Do you believe new sanctions against the Russians, including Putin himself maybe, is that really a realistic option?
REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): Well, it should be, Wolf. And let's be clear, it's really important to frame this right, right. The Russians don't have any particular love for Donald Trump or for Bernie Sanders. It's not really about them as individuals.
I obviously can't speak specifically to intelligence I have seen, but the Russian objective is to cause polarization, to cause division, to cause infighting, and I think it's fair to conclude that President Trump and Bernie Sanders and as much as Senator Sanders could kind of cause a riff in the Democratic Party, that serves those goals.
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But yes, you know, I have been on your show plenty, very critical of President Trump, as you know, Wolf, but quite frankly, the Obama administration's response to the 2016 electoral meddling that the Russians did was inadequate.
The message that the Kremlin took away was that you can mess around in the U.S. elections and basically get a wrist slap for that. So not only would I favor being really aggressively forward leaning with sanctions on people that we believe are in the process of trying to mettle again.
I would be fairly direct probably quietly with the threat that if there is another assault on our election, there will be United States' offensive counter measures that exact a cost from those who seek to mettle at the very heart of our democracy.
BLITZER: Because you remember the then Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian entities for interfering in the 2016 election. The Russians did get some sanctions as a result of their interference in the U.S. presidential election in 2016, but they are still, according to U.S. intelligence, engaged in that kind of the meddling and may pick up steam as we get closer and closer to November. Do you believe that sanctions are an effective deterrent?
HIMES: I think they can be. Look, we know that Vladimir Putin is very, very angry about the sanctions. It has an impact on his economy and I think that sometimes, they can have a signaling effect of saying we're not going to tolerate this, which is why I made the point I just did, Wolf.
I'm not sure sanctions in and of themselves are enough. Again, I do believe that the Obama administration missed an opportunity to demonstrate our offensive capability. Yes, we shut down some "diplomatic facilities" that the Russians had. Yes there were a number of "diplomats sent out of the country" and there was some punishment.
But look, we have the best cyber offensive capabilities on the planet, and it is time for the Russians to know and to understand that if they strike at the heart of our democracy, there will be a significant cost imposed.
And we have to be careful about that of course because, look, we're more wired than the Russians are, but we have the capability to wreak some havoc inside of Russia.
And the Russians need to understand and I would suggest that the president should make it clear even though I am not holding my breath on that, that if they attack us, they should expect to pay a pretty severe cost not just in sanctions, but in terms of our offensive capabilities.
BLITZER: Clearly, the activity by the Russians if you believe U.S. intelligence is continuing. Congressman Jim Himes, thanks so much for joining us.
HIMES: Thank you, Wolf.
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