In a separate letter to House members, Turner and the committee's top Democrat, Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, wrote that the committee “requires all “We have identified urgent matters that policymakers in Congress need to know about.”
The full committee voted Tuesday to make the information available to all House members for in-person review in a secure room at the Capitol, lawmakers said.
The information was not about an immediate threat, and officials familiar with the matter said it was not about an immediate threat and was based on the powers given to intelligence agencies under Section 702 of the landmark electronic surveillance law, which is hotly debated in Congress. It is said that it was obtained by
Turner, a strong supporter of surveillance authorities, appears to be hoping to use information about adversaries' capabilities to convince skeptical colleagues that the 702 is an essential intelligence tool. officials said.
Mr Himes cautioned that the information Mr Turner highlighted was not about the issue of “panic of the moment”. “This is a critical national security issue in the medium to long term that Congress and the administration need to focus on,” Himes said. “But you don't have to buy gold.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) also urged caution. “I want to assure the American people that there is no need to be alarmed in public. We will work together to address this issue, just as we do with all classified matters,” he told reporters. told.
One Capitol Hill aide spoke about the information ahead of a scheduled press conference for the top House members of the so-called “Gang of Eight,” who traditionally have access to some of the most sensitive intelligence information. He expressed his displeasure with Mr. Turner for warning the public.
Lawmakers in the House and Senate have been receiving live information about foreign capabilities for weeks and are preparing to learn how the administration will respond, the aide said. The response could become more difficult if Mr. Turner's disclosures reveal information about how the information was obtained in the first place, aides said.
In his initial statement, Turner called on the Biden administration to declassify all information regarding the threat.
President Biden has long been aware of this threat and last week directed his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, to brief senior lawmakers. “It's actually highly unusual for a national security adviser to do that,” Sullivan told reporters at the White House. He questioned why Turner decided to make the matter public, given that Sullivan, along with intelligence and defense officials, is scheduled to meet with members on the Hill on Thursday.
He said the meeting was “scheduled” for Thursday, adding, “So I'm a little surprised that Congressman Turner made a public appearance today ahead of the meeting…Tomorrow, he's going to talk to the intelligence community and… He will be joined by defense experts.'' It’s his choice,” Sullivan said.
Asked whether the meeting requested by Turner was to discuss the same “serious national security threats” that Turner referred to in his statement, Sullivan demurred. “I'll leave it up to you to draw out any connections you like,” he said. “I am not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time.”
Sullivan added that the Biden administration has approached intelligence declassification “in more creative and strategic ways” that “serves the national interest of the United States than any administration in history.” But “at the same time, of course, we must continue to prioritize and focus on issues of sources and methods.”
Karen DeYoung, Abigail Hauslohner and Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report.
