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Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ Statement on ‘Russia Today’ Interference during C-SPAN Broadcast

January 12, 2017

Congresswoman Maxine Waters' Statement on ‘Russia Today' Interference during C-SPAN Broadcast

January 12, 2017

Washington, D.C.Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement in response to reports that C-SPAN's online broadcast of her floor speech discussing H.R. 78, the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act, was inexplicably interrupted by a broadcast from RT, an English-language network controlled by the Russian government. During her floor remarks, Congresswoman Waters made frequent references to Russia, the incoming Trump Administration, and the President-elect's cabinet nominees with ties to Wall Street before the broadcast was compromised. Congresswoman Waters' statement is as follows:

"What's most unusual and curious about the incident today is the point at which C-SPAN's online broadcast of my floor speech was interrupted by a broadcast from RT – Russia's international television network. At the time, I was discussing my opposition to H.R. 78, a Republican bill that would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to undertake an extremely onerous and financial industry-friendly cost-benefit analysis to the detriment of its rulemaking and enforcement duties that protect investors. Right before the interruption, I stated the following: ‘And further, Donald Trump has nominated a lifelong defender of Wall Street to lead the SEC, which I can only assume means that Trump's SEC will eagerly pillage the Commission's overworked enforcement staff to help pay for the Republicans' planned repeal of Dodd-Frank. As President-elect Trump takes office next week, beginning what is the most conflicted Administration in U.S. history, I urge my colleagues to join me, investor and consumer advocates, public pension plans, civil rights groups, labor unions and supporters of financial reform in opposing H.R. 78 to ensure that the actions of Trump's SEC are in the interest of Americans' economic stability, and not in Russia's or Wall Street's interests.' As I continued to speak extemporaneously about how the bill would obliterate the SEC's regulatory authority, the broadcast was inexplicably interrupted by programming from RT.

"C-SPAN has informed my office that they are investigating the issue and do not yet know how the online broadcast was compromised. C-SPAN also said that this type of occurrence was unique and its staff could not readily recall a similar interference in its programming. Placed in the context of current events concerning cyberattacks and foreign interference in our elections, it is very important that C-SPAN provide a clear and concise explanation for the interruption of its online broadcast before we can reach any conclusions or establish the basis for additional inquiry."

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