A top Republican was warned there is a ‘serious national security threat’ in a cryptic statement demanding President Joe Biden declassify all related information.
House Intel Chair Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said members of Congress had been made aware of the threat – but wouldn’t go into details.
He asked the president to declassify the information in the ominous warning so lawmakers could discuss the ramifications.
The threat is ‘highly concerning and destabilizing’ and related to Russia, CNN reported as Capitol Hill scrambled for more details.
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.
A top Republican was warned there is a ‘serious national security threat’ in a cryptic statement demanding President Joe Biden declassify all related information
House Intel Chair Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio said members of Congress had been made aware of the threat – but wouldn’t go into details
‘Today, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has made available to all Members of Congress information concerning a serious national security threat,’ he 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.’
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday he was ‘surprised’ Turner came publicly about the threat related to a ‘destabilizing foreign military capability’.
He told reporters at the White House the briefing on the warning will take place in Congress on Thursday.
‘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.
Rep. Jim Hines, the ranking Democrat on the Intel Committee, insisted there was no need to ‘panic’, but also wouldn’t go into details.
‘It’s something that the Congress and the administration does need to address in the medium to long run.’