Washington — The head of the House Intelligence Committee disclosed Wednesday that members of Congress had access to information about an unspecified “serious national security threat,” issuing a vague warning that prompted other lawmakers to downplay the urgency of the situation and urge the public to remain calm.
The revelation from Rep. Mike Turner, an Ohio Republican and the chairman of the House Intelligence panel, came in a cryptic statement issued by the committee, in which he encouraged President Biden to declassify all information relating to the threat. It did not contain any details, except to announce that the committee “has made available to all members of Congress information concerning a serious national security threat.”
“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,” Turner said.
One U.S. official told CBS News that the intelligence in question relates to Russian capabilities in space.
U.S. officials told CBS News that Russia is developing a nuclear-capable weapon that could take down U.S. satellites, knocking out the ability to communicate, but there is no evidence a weapon has actually been deployed.
The threat described does not involve an active capability, though the issue is considered significant.
A U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss the information publicly, pointed to a series of Russian space launches known as Cosmos, many of which carry classified Ministry of Defense payloads.
Lawmakers were seen entering and exiting a secure facility on Capitol Hill following Turner’s statement. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado who sits on the Intelligence panel, told reporters after leaving the secure room that “this is something that requires our attention, there’s no doubt. It’s not an immediate crisis but certainly something we have to be very serious about.”
Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told reporters that “people should not panic.”
“It’s a serious issue that [Turner] is right to focus on, but no, it’s not going to ruin your … Wednesday,” he said.
Himes added that it’s an issue Congress and the Biden administration need to address “in the medium-to-long run.”
In a statement, the Connecticut Democrat said a discussion about whether more can be declassified is “worthwhile,” but not one that should be held in public.
House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Himes’ comments, saying Congress would work to address the matter.
“We just want to assure everyone, steady hands are at the wheel. We’re working on it and there’s no…
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