Speaker Mike Johnson has decided to remove Rep. Mike Turner as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
It came after a long drama that started with a warning the representative made last February that allegedly involved Russian space technology.
“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 last February in a message that caused concern.
Some Republicans believe that Turner’s affiliation with the intelligence establishment is excessive, and he has clashed with the more Trumpist wing of the GOP on various issues.
The representative responded to the news of his removal as head of the committee with a post on X.
“I’m very proud to have served on the House Intelligence Committee and as its chairman. There are great members on the Committee, and I’m honored to have served with them,” the Ohio representative said.
“Under my leadership, we restored the integrity of the Committee and returned its mission to its core focus of national security. The threat from our adversaries is real and requires serious deliberations. As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have been and will continue to be a strong advocate for the military and our national defense,” he said.
Who Is Mike Turner?
Why are the liberals so upset that he’s removed as the chairman of the Intelligence Committee?
Perhaps you want to watch this clip to understand what is going on! pic.twitter.com/0XzwE1oBeJ
— Wolf-Sheep: Hate Lies & Liars (@Joseph927855914) January 20, 2025
“My work to expand missions and capabilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base continues. Furthermore, I look forward to welcoming the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to Dayton in the coming months,” he said.
The top Democrat on the committee, Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, said the news about Rep. Turner said a “shiver” down his spine.
“The removal of Chairman Turner makes our nation less secure and is a terrible portent for what’s to come. The Constitution demands that Congress function as a check and balance to the executive branch, not cater to its demands,” he said.
The Speaker said that he read “Chairman Turner’s statement on the issue, and I want to assure the American people there’s no need for public alarm.”
“I’m not at liberty to disclose classified information and really can’t say much of that, but we just want to assure everyone, steady hands are at the wheel, we’re working on it. There’s no need for alarm,” he said.
Johnson earlier said he expects to pass most of President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda with one “big, beautiful bill” by Memorial Day.
During an interview on Fox News, Johnson said that Republicans would attempt to include as many policy matters as possible in a massive reconciliation bill to sidestep the 60-vote threshold required to pass most legislation in the Senate.
A simple majority, or 50 votes, is needed in the upper house to pass reconciliation legislation.
“We’re 15 days out from the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump for his second term. And we want to make sure that we’re jump-starting the agenda now over the next two weeks, so that he’s prepared and ready on day one. We have a lot to do, as you know. And we have been putting all the plays together and figuring out the sequence of how we’re going to run those plays. And we’re really excited about it,” Johnson said.
“At the end of the day, President Trump is going to prefer, as he likes to say, one big, beautiful bill. And there’s a lot of merit to that, because we can put it all together, one big up-or-down vote, which can save the country, quite literally, because there are so many elements to it. And it’ll give us a little bit more time to negotiate that and get it right,” Johnson added.
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