Something bad is coming from the House Intelligence Committee chairman. Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) released a cryptic statement demanding that President Biden declassify all related information. concerning a serious national security threat.
There is not much information available but it’s important that what is available gets out so Americans can keep current on what is happening. It seems to have to do with space and the Russians.
Notice has been sent to all Congressional offices. The gang of eight was already scheduled to meet with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tomorrow night.
Fox’s Capitol Hill correspondent, Chad Pergram, said that he has been talking to Congress members, and when asked about the threat, they look as though they have seen a ghost. It’s an ominous announcement. Jake Sulivan is not commenting by holding his cards close to the vest.
Is it possible that Chairman Turner sounded this alarm that quickly went public to stress how important he thinks financial aid to Ukraine is? Sad but true, I think. Russia is our enemy and for many in Congress, passing a bill with aid to Ukraine is important. Most of the aid is said to be going to replenish U.S. ammunition, or at least that is the administration’s talking point. This is a bad time to appease Putin by cutting off Ukraine.
The Biden administration can declassify enough information without exposing sources and methods. and keep our national security safe. Turner is asking Biden to declassify all the details so that lawmakers and allies can respond.
This warning comes at a time when the House is expected to move forward on a bill to re-authorize the FBI’s spy tool. That tool is section 702 of the Foreign Information Surveillance Act (FISA). FISA allows U.S. intelligence agencies to target searches of foreigners to stop terrorism. Lawmakers want to make changes to what they call abuses of FISA. Turner insists the bill does not include legislation that puts additional requirements for warrants that might “hinder national security.” A vote is expected soon. The text of the bill joins together bills that passed last year in the House Intelligence Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.
In the meantime, members of Congress are limited as to what they can do about the threat.
Members of Congress or U.S. allies will not be allowed to openly talk about or work together on the threat until the report has been declassified.
They are able to review the information related to ‘destabilizing foreign military capability’ in a secure location in the Capitol today and tomorrow.
The documents need to be declassified to allow Congress to work together and to be able to openly talk about the situation. They can’t do that until the report has been classified. They can review the information and its connection to a ‘destabilizing foreign military capability.’ They can do that in a secure location in the Capitol today and tomorrow.
‘Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has made available to all Members of Congress information concerning a serious national security threat,’ Turner said.
‘I am requesting that President Biden declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.’
One lawmaker who reviewed the material Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), was one of the first to view the documents. He told reporters the threat is ‘not an immediate crisis but certainly something we have to be very serious about. There are a lot of very volatile things we have to address. This is one of them.’
Sullivan and others are trying to keep the public calm. That’s not going to be doable until the information is released. The random way this hot potato was dumped today invites concern and panic.
Sullivan said he was surprised that Turner handled the situation as he did.
‘I reached out earlier this week to the Gang of Eight to offer myself for up for a personal briefing to the Gang of Eight and, in fact, we scheduled a briefing for the for House members of the Gang of Eight tomorrow,’ Sullivan told the White House media briefing.
‘That’s been on the books. So I am a bit surprised that Congressman Turner came out publicly today in advance of a meeting on the books for me to go sit with him alongside our intelligence and defense professionals tomorrow,
‘I’m not in a position to say anything else,’ he added.
Some lawmakers say they already knew about the potential threat. The matter seemed to catch the White House off guard. That’s no surprise. The Biden administration continually plays defense, not offense on almost every matter.
So, at this point, all we know is it may have something to do with outer space and Russians, perhaps weaponry. Stay tuned.
