WASHINGTON – The head of the House Intelligence Committee said on Wednesday that members of Congress had been briefed on a “serious national security threat,” but did not provide any details. The revelation prompted other lawmakers to downplay the urgency of the situation and urge the public to remain calm.
Rep. Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the committee, said in a statement that he had requested President Biden to declassify all information related to the threat. He said that this would allow Congress, the administration and allies to “openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.”
U.S. officials told CBS News that the intelligence in question relates to Russian capabilities in space. They said that Russia is developing a nuclear-capable weapon that could take down U.S. satellites, but that there is no evidence that such a weapon has been deployed.
Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado who sits on the Intelligence Committee, told reporters 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, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, told reporters that “people should not panic.” He said that the issue is serious, but that it is not something that the public needs to be worried about immediately.
House Speaker Mike Johnson echoed Himes’ comments, saying that Congress would work to address the matter. He said that “there is no need for alarm.”
The Senate Intelligence Committee also has the intelligence referenced by Turner. Its leaders, chairman Mark Warner and vice chairman Marco Rubio, said in a statement that they have been “rigorously tracking this issue from the start.” They said that they are discussing with the Biden administration an “appropriate response.”
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that he had reached out to the leaders of Congress to offer a briefing on the threat. He said that the administration is “protecting the national security of the United States and the American people.”
Note: This article was first published at CBS News.
