Washington (CNN) Rep. Ed Royce, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Sunday that President Donald Trump "should be straightforward" with the public about "the threat" posed by Russian interference in US elections and suggested the administration has not taken sufficient action to counter the threat.

"The President should be straightforward with the American people about the threat to our election process that Russia, or (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in particular, is engaged in," the GOP lawmaker from California told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."

Royce said "for years, we have watched Russian interference in trying to undermine our values," adding, "as a consequence of those efforts, and us not doing enough -- not just this administration, but the past administration --- not doing enough, we are in a position now where we have got to show Putin that he will have to pay a steep price if he doesn't stop this interference now."

Royce described the threat from Russia as "ongoing," echoing warnings from the President's top national security officials.

Trump has frequently appeared to be out of step with the message on Russia coming from his own administration

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