Russian hackers and organizations like WikiLeaks are targeted in an annual defense spending bill unveiled by the Senate Armed Service Committee on Wednesday, as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle aim to use next year’s military budget to address the election meddling that marred the 2016 U.S. presidential race.
Unveiled roughly two weeks after passing the committee, the proposed 2019 National Defense Authorization Act includes language ensuring the military can retaliate if Russian hackers breach U.S. computer systems and steal sensitive documents for dissemination.
A suspected Russia-sponsored operation was waged against Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump’s Democratic rival, during the 2016 election.
In the event that Russia conducts an “active, systematic, and ongoing campaign of attacks against the government or people of the United States in cyberspace,” the bill would enable the U.S. Cyber Command “to take appropriate and proportional action in cyberspace to disrupt, defeat and deter such attacks,” according to its language.
Elsewhere, the bill would authorize the military to conduct surveillance on foreign networks “engaged at the behest or in support of the Russian Federation,” including groups responsible for “stealing and releasing confidential information from United States persons or supporting organizations who are campaigning for public office.” The bill all but singles out WikiLeaks, the website that published documents stolen from the Clinton campaign in 2016 by Russian hackers.
If the bill is passed in its current form, the Pentagon would also be permitted to spy on Russian internet trolls, taking aim at the professional social media users accused of meddling in the 2016 race by spreading misinformation on networking including Facebook and Twitter.
Malicious actors identified by the government’s efforts could be shared on a voluntary basis with social media companies to assist in policing their own platforms, according to the bill’s authors.
The bill addresses “deterring Russia’s military aggression and cyberattacks,” Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma said on the House floor Wednesday.
“This bill expresses the sense of the Senate that the administration should complete a counter Russian influence strategy without delay,” added the committee’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.
Russian hackers, propagandists and internet trolls carried out a multi-pronged attack on the 2016 race and Clinton campaign, a cyberattack authorized by President Vladimir Putin, according to U.S. intelligence officials.
WikiLeaks participated in the operation by distributing documents stolen from the Clinton campaign after being obtained by Russian hackers, U.S. officials assessed.
The Department of Justice began investigating WikiLeaks and its publisher, Julian Assange, after they began publishing classified U.S. documents in 2010. A separate investigation launched by the Army identified former intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning as the source of those documents and resulted in her being convicted of related crimes.
WikiLeaks did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Jeff Sessions, Mr. Trump’s attorney general, previously called arresting Mr. Assange a “priority.”
Russia has denied meddling in the 2016 race.
The version of the NDAA unveiled by committee members Wednesday will ultimately be considered by the rest of the Senate and reconciled with an offering penned by counterparts in the House, albeit likely months down the road.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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