Senate Armed Services Plans Thursday Hearing on Russian Election Hacks

The Senate Armed Services Committee scheduled a hearing for Thursday on foreign-based cyberthreats to U.S. entities that will focus primarily on Russia's involvement in hacks and cyberattacks against the IT systems at the Democratic National Committee and other U.S. institutions aimed at affecting the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, a committee aide told us Friday. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in G50 Dirksen. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, NSA Director Michael Rogers and Undersecretary of Defense-Intelligence Marcel Lettre are to testify, Senate Armed Services said. President Barack Obama on Thursday announced a set of sanctions and other actions against Russia over its cyber activities, which also included cyberattacks against U.S. critical infrastructure entities and harassment of U.S. diplomats (see 1612290040). The hearing could be another platform for committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., to push for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to form a select committee with consolidated jurisdiction over cybersecurity issues, an industry lobbyist told us. McCain and incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are among the lawmakers calling for creation of a select cybersecurity committee after the Russian hacks (see 1612190061 and 1612200044).