The White House National Security Advisor and senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill sought to calm public concerns on Wednesday, after the House Intelligence Committee Chair warned of a “national security threat” related to a “seriously destabilizing foreign military capability” so significant that President Joe Biden should declassify “all the information” about it.
Two sources familiar with the Capitol Hill discussions said that the intelligence information is about Russia’s desire to place a nuclear weapon in space. According to ABC News, the goal would not be to drop a nuclear weapon on Earth but potentially use it against satellites.
However, one of the sources said, “It’s very concerning and very sensitive,” describing it as a “big deal.”
Despite not directly addressing the issue, many members of Congress quickly described the situation as serious without causing public alarm.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters at the Capitol building on Wednesday afternoon, “We will work together to address this issue, as we do with all sensitive classified matters.”
He added, “But we just want to assure everyone that there are steady hands at the wheel.”
No Cause for Panic
Representative Jim Himes, a Democrat from Connecticut and the senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, echoed this in his own statement, describing the warning as “important” but “not a cause for panic.”
Himes said, “As to whether more about this issue can be declassified, that’s a worthy discussion, but it’s not a public discussion.”
Turner said, “I am calling on President Biden to declassify all information related to this threat so that Congress, the administration, and our allies can discuss openly the actions needed to respond to this threat.”
He said he would make the information related to this matter available in a secure location for all members of the House according to the House’s rules.
Secret Meeting
Legislators arrived at the committee’s headquarters throughout the afternoon to view the initial intelligence related to Turner’s warning, inside a secure facility in the basement of the Capitol building.
Representative Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Arkansas, said afterward, “It’s concerning,” although he did not elaborate further.
A letter sent to Congress members from Turner and Himes, obtained by ABC News, indicated that the threat is associated with a “destabilizing foreign military capability that all policy makers in Congress should be aware of.”
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at Wednesday’s press briefing that he had already scheduled a secret meeting with Congressional leadership before Turner’s request.
Sullivan was pressed several times by reporters about the intelligence request but refrained from specifically saying whether Thursday’s meeting would discuss the reported threat.
He also declined to provide more details about the issue, simply stating, “Americans understand that there is a range of threats and challenges in the world that we deal with every day,” like terrorism.
Sullivan said, “I am confident that President Biden, through the decisions that he will make, will ensure the security of the American people.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Republican Representative from Ohio, Mike Turner, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that his committee “has made available to all members of Congress information related to a serious national security threat.”
