85R21533 BPG-D     By: Turner H.C.R. No. 128       CONCURRENT RESOLUTION          WHEREAS, On June 14, 2016, the Washington Post reported that   the Russian government had penetrated the computer network of the   Democratic National Committee and that Russian government hackers   had targeted the networks of both presidential candidates, as well   as the computers of some Republican political action committees;   and          WHEREAS, Indications of Russian interference in the   electoral process continued to mount in the ensuing months; the   Post reported that the FBI had alerted Arizona election officials   in June that Russians were behind an assault on their state's voter   registration system; as a result, election officials shut down the   system for nearly a week; according to the FBI, a similar attack on   the state voter registration database in Illinois appeared to offer   further evidence of Russian interest in U.S. elections; on October   7, 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Office of   the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement   expressing confidence that "the Russian Government directed the   recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions,   including from U.S. political organizations"; and          WHEREAS, In response to these incursions, President Barack   Obama released a December 29, 2016, executive order "taking   additional steps to address the national emergency with respect to   significant malicious cyber-enabled activities"; the order blocked   all property and interests in property in the United States   belonging to five entities based in Russia and four individuals of   Russian nationality; in addition, the White House ordered 35   Russian operatives to leave the U.S., and it closed two   Russian-owned facilities believed to have been used for   intelligence purposes; and          WHEREAS, Just eight days later, the Office of the Director of   National Intelligence released an Intelligence Community   Assessment of Russian activities and intentions in recent U.S.   elections, which determined that Russian president Vladimir Putin   ordered his country's campaign to influence the 2016 U.S.   presidential election, that the campaign was multifaceted, that the   influence effort was the boldest yet in the United States, and that   the election operation signaled a "new normal" in Russian influence   endeavors; the U.S. intelligence community also assessed with high   confidence that Russian military intelligence relayed U.S. victim   data to WikiLeaks and that Russian intelligence obtained and   maintained access to elements of multiple U.S. state or local   electoral boards; and          WHEREAS, FBI Director James Comey testified before the House   Intelligence Committee on March 20, 2017, to confirm his agency's   wide-ranging investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016   presidential election, which was ordered by President Vladimir   Putin to undermine Hillary Clinton's bid for office and improve the   odds for Donald Trump; Mr. Comey noted that the Russians were   successful in injecting "chaos and discord" into the electoral   process and consequently could be expected to resume such   activities in future elections, and revealed that the FBI is   looking into possible coordination between the Kremlin and the   Trump campaign; in another recent revelation, the Associated Press   reported on March 22 that former Trump campaign manager Paul   Manafort had secretly worked for a Russian oligarch to influence   politics, business dealings, and news coverage for the benefit of   Vladimir Putin; and          WHEREAS, In light of these reports of Russian interference in   U.S. elections, it is the fundamental responsibility of Congress to   decide where, how, and by whom financial resources in its control   should be invested with regard to Russia; our government should not   provide funds that can be used to facilitate the Russian   government's campaign to influence our election processes; now,   therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to bar   investments in Russia until investigations into Russian   interference with U.S. elections have been completed; and, be it   further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official   copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to   the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of   Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the   members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that   this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a   memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.