'He’s mad': GOP reps say ousted intel chair now 'never going to vote' for Johnson’s bills
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is in hot water with a significant portion of the House Republican Conference over his decision to remove the chairman of a high-profile committee.
On Thursday, Johnson announced that Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) would not be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee in the 119th Congress, instead choosing Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) as his replacement. Now, some Republican lawmakers are telling Fox News that Turner is rebelling against the speaker, and that Johnson may not be able to count on his vote for future legislation — which could be a significant complication given Republicans' razor-thin House majority.
"He dragged Mike along," one unnamed "senior House Republican" told Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pergram. "It wasn't a fair process."
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“(Johnson) cost himself some political capital,” another Republican confided to Pergram.
“Mike’s never going to vote for another f—ing thing around here again,” a GOP lawmaker said anonymously. “He’s mad.”
The speaker defended his decision, saying in an official statement that "Congress has a responsibility to conduct thorough oversight of these intelligence systems to ensure we are safeguarding the American people and our national interests while also strictly adhering to the Constitution."
“Our intelligence community and its oversight must maintain the highest levels of trust. The House Intel Committee will play a pivotal role in this work in the new Congress, and Rick Crawford will provide principled leadership as its chairman," he continued. "He has earned the respect of his colleagues through his years of faithful service on the committee and his steady approach to the challenges facing our country."
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As chairman of the Intelligence Committee, Turner was a big proponent of NATO and defended Ukraine as it continues to fight against Russia's invasion of its eastern territories. CBS News reported that "concerns from Mar-a-Lago" prompted Turner's removal from the committee, as President-elect Trump is not likely to continue U.S. support of Ukraine after he's officially sworn in next week.
Speaker Johnson concluded his statement in an apparent effort to keep Turner in his corner, given that he could have just a one-seat majority in a matter of weeks. Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla. ) is expected to leave the House to be Trump's National Security Advisor and, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) will soon follow if she is confirmed as United Nations ambassador.
“Outgoing Chairman Mike Turner deserves our gratitude for his leadership and critical work in the 118th Congress. He led the committee well during a very challenging period of our nation’s history and was fully dedicated to the task," Johnson said. "He is a highly valued member of our Conference, and we look forward to his continued contributions to keeping America safe and expanding our global security, including in his important position as the Chair of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.”
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