The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee issued a cryptic statement on Wednesday requesting President Joe Biden to declassify information about a “serious national security threat” so that the U.S. and its allies can openly discuss how to respond.
00:00 So first I reached out earlier this week to the Gang of Eight to offer myself for up for a personal briefing to the Gang of Eight
00:07 And in fact, we scheduled a briefing for the four house members of the Gang of Eight tomorrow
00:12 So I am a bit surprised that Congressman Turner came out publicly today in advance of a meeting on the books for me to go
00:18 Sit with him alongside our intelligence and defense professionals tomorrow. That's his choice to do that
00:24 All I can tell you is that I'm focused on going to see him sit with him as well as the other house members of the Gang of Eight tomorrow
00:31 And I'm not in a position to say anything further from this podium at this time other than to make the broad point
00:36 That this administration has gone further and in more creative, more strategic ways, dealt with the declassification of intelligence
00:50 In the national interest of the United States than any administration in history. So you definitely are not going to find
00:57 An unwillingness to do that when it's in our national security interest to do so. At the same time, we of course have to
01:03 Continue to prioritize and focus very much on the issue of sources and methods. We'll do that. Ultimately these are decisions for the president to make
01:11 But in the meantime, the most important thing is we have the opportunity to sit in a classified setting and have the kind of conversation
01:18 With the house intelligence leadership that I in fact had scheduled before Congressman Turner went out today
