; Whereas, on July 13, 2018, Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced indictments of 12 members of the military intelligence service of the Russian Federation known as the Glavnoe Razvedyvatel'noe Upravlenie (referred to in this preamble as the GRU ); Whereas, on July 13, 2018, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats raised the alarm on growing cyberattack threats against the United States in a range of areas, including Federal, State, and local government agencies, the military, business, and academia, stating that the situation is at a critical point , adding, In regards to state actions, Russia has been the most aggressive foreign actor. No question. And they continue their efforts to undermine our democracy. , and comparing the warning signs to the signs the United States faced ahead of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; Whereas the cyberattacks by the Russian Federation represent a threat to the democratic system of the United States and the democratic systems of the allies of the United States; Whereas, domestically, President Putin has undermined democracy in the Russian Federation, crushing free speech, jailing political opponents, harassing and assassinating journalists who criticize him, and increasingly persecuting ethnic and religious minorities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer citizens; Whereas, in terms of foreign policy, the Russian Federation has meddled in the elections of democratic countries, stoking political tensions by promoting hatred and suspicion of immigrants and minorities, and trying to undermine longstanding alliances between democratic allies; Whereas, in 2014, in violation of international law, the Russian Federation invaded neighboring Ukraine, and annexed the Crimea region