Top Republican warns of national security threat about nuclear weapon

The House Intelligence Committee chairman has issued a vague warning of a “serious national security threat” facing the US.

Representative Mike Turner on Wednesday urged President Joe Biden to declassify the threat to allow for open discussion about how to respond to it, reports BBC.

The White House has said although the threat is not imminent, congressional leaders would be briefed this week.

Meanwhile, the White House’s national security adviser and leading lawmakers on Capitol Hill sought to allay public concerns after the senior Republican lawmaker on Wednesday issued the unusual and cryptic statement warning of a “serious national security threat”.

The warning and new intelligence were related to Russia’s attempts to develop a space-based anti-satellite nuclear weapon, the New York Times reported citing a current and a former US official.

Meanwhile, current and former officials stated that the nuclear weapon was not in orbit.

In a statement posted by the House Intelligence Committee on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Turner said that President Biden should declassify all information about this threat so that our allies Congress, the Administration, and can openly discuss the actions necessary to respond to this threat.

Turner’s statement was released during a debate in Congress over how the US should be dealing with global threats from Russia and other rivals.

Mike Turner recently returned from leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Ukraine. Later, he warned fellow lawmakers.

House Republicans have been criticized by the Biden administration for possibly blocking a $95 billion Senate bill.