House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Thursday named Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, to replace Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., as the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee when Nunes leaves Congress as the year ends.
Nunes, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, announced earlier this month he would be resigning his powerful position in the House to head up Trump's new social media venture.
Turner's tenure will begin Jan. 1, as Nunes officially ends his nearly two decades in Congress at midnight Dec. 31. Nunes has served as the top Republican on the Intelligence Committee, either as the chair or as the ranking member, since 2015.
With the GOP poised to retake the House in November, Turner could become chairman of the committee within a year.
"Congressman Turner's commitment to this country is unwavering," McCarthy said in announcing the appointment. "Throughout his long tenure on the Intelligence Committee, Mike established himself as a national security leader and ardent supporter of truth.
"Mike's leadership of the committee will continue the great work of Congressman Nunes who has led the committee with integrity," he continued. "Every American committed to the security and safety of this country should be well-assured of Congressman Turner’s leadership of the House Intelligence Committee."
Nunes congratulated Turner on the appointment, saying, "For many years, Mike has been an extremely valuable fighter for House Intelligence Committee Republicans. He was instrumental in the work we did to expose the Russia collusion hoax, and he was a major asset in demolishing the Democrats' ridiculous accusations during the first impeachment of President Trump."
"As myriad foreign policy failures by the Biden administration now has our adversaries and the threats facing our country sharply on the rise, there is an even greater need for strong, principled leadership which demands both excellence and accountability from the intelligence community to meet these unprecedented challenges. I have every confidence that Mike Turner will do exactly that as ranking member," said John Ratcliffe, who served in Congress with Turner and worked under his oversight as director of national intelligence.
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