Senate Will Dig Into Russia Claims, but 'Follow Regular Order'

Four Senate bigwigs on Sunday called for a bipartisan investigation into the CIA's claim that Russian hackers worked to throw the 2016 election Donald Trump's way, and they're getting what they asked for, mostly. The Washington Post reports that during a prearranged year-end news conference, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plainly stated "the Russians are not our friends" and said the Senate intelligence committee will probe the alleged interference. While one of those bigwigs—John McCain—expressed his preference that a special select committee be handed the task, the Hill reports McConnell is opting instead to "follow the regular order," as he said, handing the review to the "more than capable" intelligence committee.

And while Trump called the CIA claims "ridiculous," McConnell took a different tone in commenting on the agency: "I have the highest confidence in the intelligence community and especially the Central Intelligence Agency." Meanwhile, the AP reports that 10 members of the Electoral College posted an open letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper asking for an intelligence briefing on the topic. (More Russia stories.)