Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr Richard Mauze BurrRep. Mark Walker says he's been contacted about Liberty University vacancy Overnight Defense: Trump rejects major cut to military health care | Senate report says Trump campaign's Russia contacts posed 'grave' threat Senate report describes closer ties between 2016 Trump campaign, Russia MORE (R-N.C.) announced plans Friday for his committee to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 elections.

“The Committee will follow the intelligence wherever it leads,” he wrote in a statement. “We will conduct this review expeditiously, but we will take the time to get it right and will not be influenced by uninformed discourse.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.) tasked the Intelligence Committee with investigations into reports that Russian officials, with the consent of Vladimir Putin, hacked Democratic groups to sway the election. Many had suggested McConnell assign a special investigatory committee for that purpose.

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In a bullet-pointed plan of action, Burr said the committee would “[r]eview the all-source intelligence that informed its assessments, including but not limited to the October 7 statement,” “[r]eview the cyber activity directed against our nation by the Russian Government, both as it regards the 2016 Election and more broadly,” “[h]old hearings examining other specific aspects of Russian behavior” and “[i]nterview senior officials of both the outgoing and incoming administrations including the issuance of subpoenas if necessary to compel testimony.”

Burr emphasized his plan for an even-handed investigation.

“Majority Leader McConnell and incoming Minority Leader Schumer have made it clear they expect any review of Russia’s involvement in our nation’s elections to be conducted in a bipartisan manner,” he said, referring to Sen. Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerCruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish Senate Democrats introduce legislation to probe politicization of pandemic response Schumer interrupted during live briefing by heckler: 'Stop lying to the people' MORE (D-N.Y.).

In the same statement, Burr defended the intelligence community against a growing chorus of Trump supporters accusing them of politicizing a narrative of Moscow’s intervention in the presidential elections.

"Without exception, I know them to be hard-working, patriotic Americans,” wrote Burr, later adding, “Unlike many in Washington, though, they check politics at the office door and focus on their mission.”