John,

For years, Russia has used cyber warfare and propaganda to attack our democracy. Now, instead of fighting back, the Trump administration is giving them a free pass.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stop offensive cyber operations against Russia [1], a move that weakens our national security and makes it easier for Russia — and other adversaries — to interfere with our systems.

This isn’t an isolated decision — it follows mass layoffs at the agency that keeps our elections and infrastructure safe from hackers, the FBI shutting down its task force to stop countries like Russia and China from influencing our elections, and ending the requirement for other countries’ lobbyists to register as foreign agents.

These decisions hurt our democracy and invite our foreign adversaries to continue their cyberattacks aimed at eroding trust in American institutions and dividing us from within.

We can’t afford to stand by while the U.S. government abandons efforts to stop future attacks on our democracy. Congress has the constitutional authority to stop this dismantling of critical cybersecurity operations.

They must use their constitutionally-granted powers to stand up against this reckless threat to our democracy, AND enact safeguards that would protect Americans from foreign interference.

Onward,

The Issue One Team