Rep. Rick Crawford Takes Helm of House Intelligence Committee

In an unexpected move, Speaker Mike Johnson picked Rep. Rick Crawford from Arkansas to lead the House Intelligence Committee. This comes just a day after Johnson removed Rep. Mike Turner from the position. Crawford, a retired Army sergeant, has been serving on the committee for several years. He was the most senior Republican after the retirement of Rep. Brad Wenstrup. Crawford's background includes working as a rodeo announcer and producer after college. He has been a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee and has shown a keen interest in oversight. Johnson praised Crawford's steady approach and respect from colleagues. Crawford aims to strengthen oversight of the Intelligence Community and protect Americans' Fourth Amendment rights. He wants to prevent mission creep and ensure the IC follows U. S. laws. Johnson also named five new GOP members to the committee. The change didn't sit well with some moderate Republicans. They worry it could complicate negotiations and hinder Trump's agenda. Turner, who supported Ukraine aid and NATO, might become a thorn in Johnson's side. Johnson, however, denied any pressure from Trump or allies to oust Turner. Crawford has a different stance on Ukraine aid, voting against it last year. But he supported aid for Israel and Taiwan. Johnson sees this as a "reset" due to concerns in the intelligence community. He plans to keep Turner as the chair of the U. S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.