Speaker Johnson on national security threat: ‘There is no need for public alarm’

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said “there is no need for public alarm” after House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) called on President Biden to declassify information about a “serious national security threat.”

“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 in the Capitol on Wednesday. “We are going to work together to address this matter, as we do all sensitive matters that are classified.”

“We just want to assure everyone: Steady hands are at the wheel, we’re working on it, and there’s no need for alarm,” he added.

The Speaker would not reveal specifics of the threat, saying he was “not at liberty to disclose classified information and really can’t say much more.”

He did, however, say he is meeting with national security adviser Jake Sullivan at the Capitol on Thursday, along with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Turner and Rep. Jim Himes (Conn.), the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee.

Johnson said he sent a letter to the White House last month asking for a meeting with Biden “to discuss a serious national security issue that is classified,” which prompted Thursday’s meeting.

The remarks from Johnson came hours after Turner announced in a statement that the House Intelligence Committee made information about a “serious national security threat” available to all members of Congress. He also said he asked Biden to declassify the information so Congress, the administration and U.S. allies “can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.”

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On Tuesday, Turner sent a “Dear Colleague” letter informing lawmakers that the committee voted to make information available to members about “an urgent matter with regard to a destabilizing foreign military capability that should be known by all Congressional Policy Makers.”

Himes also urged the public not to be alarmed following Turner’s statement, telling reporters Wednesday “people should not panic, that is unequivocal.”

“It’s a serious issue that Mike is right to focus on but … it’s not gonna ruin your Wednesday. … It’s not gonna ruin your Thursday,” he said.

“It’s something that the Congress and the administration does need to address in the medium-to-long run,” he added.

He reiterated that message in a statement Wednesday afternoon, writing: “The classified intelligence product that the House Intelligence Committee called to the attention of Members last night is a significant one, but it is not a cause for panic.”

Johnson said he plans to “press the administration to take appropriate action” at Thursday’s meeting in regards to the national security threat, adding, “everybody can be comforted by that.”

Updated at 2:26 p.m. ET