Cardin to introduce bill on Russia today

Sen. Ben Cardin, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will unveil legislation today that he said will respond to Russia’s alleged cyberattacks during the presidential election as well as Moscow’s involvement in Syria and Ukraine. The legislation is part of a broader, bipartisan push on Capitol Hill to offer some answer to Moscow — possibly before President Barack Obama’s term ends in January. President-elect Donald Trump extended a more conciliatory tone to Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout the campaign. Cardin did not discuss specifics of his proposal, which he said he would lay out in a speech today. Asked if the bill would call for sanctions against Russia, Cardin said only that it would be “comprehensive” and that it would address the country’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its airstrikes in Syria.