'They may destroy democracy': McCain rips fellow GOPers for stalling investigation of Russia hacks

In a conversation with CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that Russian attempts to sway the outcome of the 2016 election are "serious business" that calls for a thorough and impartial investigation.

The subversion of western democracy, he said, could have far-reaching implications, which is why he has requested a select committee investigation of the hacks.

"This is the sign of a possible unraveling of the world order that was established after World War II, which has made one of the most peaceful periods in the history of the world," McCain said.

"This is serious business. If they're able to harm the electoral process, they may destroy democracy, which is based on free and fair elections," said the senator.

McCain's calls for a select committee investigation have so far fallen on deaf ears among his fellow Republicans. Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) have declined to take up McCain's call for an investigation.

On Sunday, McCain sent a letter to McConnell urging him to attend to his duty as a patriot and investigate what happened.

"Cyber is the rare kind of all-encompassing challenge for which the Congress's jurisdictional boundaries are an impediment to sufficient oversight and legislative action," McCain wrote.

"Only a select committee that is time-limited, cross-jurisdictional, and purpose-driven can address the challenge of cyber," the letter said. "We believe it is justified by the extraordinary scope and scale of the cyber problem."

The letter was co-signed by Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI).

On Sunday, McCain said, "There's no doubt they were interfering and no doubt it was a cyber-attack. The question now is how much and what damage and what should the United States of America do? And so far, we've been totally paralyzed. I'm sure that when Vladimir Putin was told quote 'cut it out' unquote, I'm sure that Vladimir Putin immediately stopped all cyber-activities. The truth is, they are hacking every single day."

Watch the video, embedded below: