Here’s who is taking his spot.
On Thursday (December 30), Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) House Minority Leader announced that Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) would be replacing Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) as a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee as Nunes would depart on December 31.
Nunes resigned from Congress –– giving up his position as the chair of the House Intelligence Committee –– earlier in December to become CEO of President Donald Trump’s new social media venture.
After serving in Congress for nearly twenty years, Nunes’ tenure officially ends at midnight on December 31, Turner will then begin his tenure on January 1.
Nunes had been on the Intelligence Committee as a ranking member and then as the chair since 2015.
Considering that the GOP is set to take the majority in the House in upcoming midterms, Turner could become chair of the House Intelligence Committee within a year.
Announcing Turner’s new appointment, McCarthy stated that “Turner’s commitment to this country is unwavering,” adding that throughout Turner’s tenure on the Intelligence Committee, Turner had “established himself as a national security leader and ardent supporter of truth.”
McCarthy continued his glowing praise of Turner, adding that Turner would “continue the great work of Congressman Nunes,” who McCarthy said had led the committee with integrity. McCarthy then reassured Americans of Turner’s competence, saying that Americans who were committed to the safety and security of the country would be assured of Turner’s leadership.
Congratulating Turner on his appointment, Nunes also said Turner had been “an extremely valuable fighter” for House Intelligence Committee Republicans. Adding that he had been instrumental in exposing the “Russia collusion hoax” and “was a major asset” in demolishing Democrats’ “ridiculous accusations” when they first tried to impeach former President Trump.
Adding his support for Turner’s appointment as a ranking member in the House Intelligence Committee, John Ratcliffe, who has worked under Turner’s supervision, said that it was necessary to have principled leadership, accountability, and excellence from the intelligence community. Given that Biden’s administration’s policy failures have allowed U.S. adversaries to rise sharply.
