National security adviser Jake Sullivan came to Capitol Hill on Thursday to brief senior House lawmakers on a matter described by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) as a “serious national security threat.”
Sullivan’s private briefing, which was only provided to the House contingent of the Gang of Eight, was originally scheduled before Turner released his Wednesday statement calling on President Joe Biden to “declassify all information relating to this threat so that Congress, the Administration, and our allies can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond.”
The statement caused a flurry of speculation about what threat Turner was referring to. Sullivan appeared at a White House press briefing shortly after Turner released the statement to dispel concerns of imminent dangers to the homeland and express surprise at the remarks. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) similarly spoke out to quell any fears caused by Turner’s statement.
“I saw Chairman Turner’s statement on the issue and I want to assure the American people there is no need for public alarm,” Johnson told reporters on Wednesday. “We are going to work together to address this matter, as we do all sensitive matters that are classified.”
A source familiar with the matter told the Washington Examiner that Turner did not give Johnson’s office a heads-up before releasing the statement. His going public with a classified matter has caused consternation among his colleagues.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) went so far as to request that Johnson launch an inquiry into Turner’s “reckless” behavior and “poor judgment.”
“This revelation by the Chairman was done with a reckless disregard of the implications and consequences said information would have on geopolitics, domestic and foreign markets, or the well-being and psyche of the American people,” Ogles said in a letter shared with the Washington Examiner.
“In hindsight, it has become clear that the intent was not to ensure the safety of our homeland and the American people, but rather to ensure additional funding for Ukraine and passage of an unreformed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,” he added.
National Security Council coordinator John Kirby told reporters Thursday that the threat was related to Russia pursuing an anti-satellite capability, though the threat is not imminent.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told reporters before going into the meeting that “there is absolutely no immediate threat. Not today, not next week, not next month.”
Himes acknowledged that “this thing” they were focused on was something “the National Security Council has characterized as an anti-satellite capability.”
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Turner released a statement ahead of the Thursday briefing, with Sullivan saying the Intelligence Committee had voted 23-1 to make information on the threat available to members of Congress.
“The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence worked in consultation with the Biden Administration to notify Congress of this national security threat,” Turner said Thursday. “In addition, language in the bipartisan notification issued by the Chair and Ranking Member to all Members of the House was cleared by the Administration prior to its release.”