WASHINGTON — On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson appointed Representative Rick Crawford from Arkansas as the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, emphasizing the need for rejuvenation within the panel.
Johnson praised Crawford for his extensive experience, stating that he has garnered the respect of his peers due to his committed service on the committee and his methodical handling of the challenges facing the nation. Crawford is set to begin his eighth term in the House.
The announcement came as a surprise to many lawmakers, as it was revealed that Johnson would be replacing Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio from his leadership position. The decision seems to stem from Turner’s differences with President-elect Donald Trump on various issues, including his support for providing aid to Ukraine in its efforts against Russian military actions.
Democrats have voiced their concerns that Turner’s removal might compromise the committee’s independence regarding intelligence oversight. Notably, Turner has been a strong advocate for national security. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the decision, referring to Turner as a “highly-principled leader” whose removal may be welcomed by adversaries like Russia and China. He stated, “Mike Turner has robustly promoted the safety of the American people and the Free World and his unjustified ouster is likely being applauded by our adversaries in Russia and China. Shameful.”
Crawford has been part of the Intelligence Committee since 2017 and released a statement expressing his awareness of the “abuse” present within the nation’s security structures, which he claims has undermined trust and hampered effective intelligence gathering.
As the new chairman, Crawford committed to upholding rigorous oversight of the Intelligence Community’s funding and operations. He asserted, “As chairman, I will aggressively uphold our mandate to provide credible and robust oversight of the Intelligence Community’s funding and activities. Without aggressive oversight and vigorous protection of Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights, the IC is prone to give in to mission creep and skirt U.S. laws.”
