Press Releases

Congressman French Hill (AR-2) issued the following statement after the administration announced their plan to place sanctions on five entities and 19 individuals connected to the Russian cyber-attacks on the United States and our allies:

“Last month, I questioned Treasury Secretary Mnuchin during his testimony before the House Financial Services Committee about the timing of these sanctions, and I was told they would be executed in the coming months. I’m pleased to see Secretary Mnuchin and his department living up to his pledge by sanctioning Russian bad actors for meddling in the 2016 elections. These sanctions against Russia send a powerful message that America will not tolerate incursions into our democracy.”

These sanctions are pursuant to the Countering Our Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

Background:

The Countering Our Adversaries Through Sanctions Act

I supported H.R. 3364, which was signed into law in August 2017, and lists 12 types of sanctions that can be imposed on Russians and it obliges the President to use at least five in many case against those targeted. They can include freezing assets, revoking US visas, and banning exports from the United States to those sanctioned. Actions to be sanctioned for committing human rights abuses, significant acts of corruption, helping the Syrian government obtain arms, significant relationships with Russia's energy sector, intelligence, and defense agencies, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, and Russia undermining US cyber security. 

The Fight Russian Corruption Act

Additionally, in June 2017, I coauthored with Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) H.R.2820, a bipartisan piece of legislation. This bill would amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to require the Department of State to establish the Office of Anti-Corruption relating to Illicit Russian Financial Activities in Europe. This office would: (1) analyze financial networks of the Russian Federation operating in European countries that relate to real estate, energy, media, infrastructure, and other sectors; and (2) train U.S. liaison officers to serve in key U.S. diplomatic and consular posts in such countries to cooperate with foreign partners in uncovering and prosecuting illicit Russian financial activity.

In addition, this office would work with the Treasury Department to train U.S. diplomats in working with foreign partners in uncovering and prosecuting illegal Russian financial activity, among other things. It would also work with our NATO allies in elevating anti-corruption as part of NATO’s Readiness Action Plan.