The chairman of the US House of Representatives intelligence committee has issued a cryptic statement warning of an unspecified “serious national security threat”.
Representative Mike Turner on Wednesday urged President Biden to “declassify all information relating to this threat” so that Congress could openly discuss a response.
Sources indicated to Reuters and several other major news outlets that the threat was related to Russia and operations in space, without providing further details.
The discussion in Congress comes amid fierce debate over the US should deal with global threats from Russia and other rivals.
The Biden administration has ramped up criticism of House Republicans for potentially blocking $95 billion bill passed by the Senate that would supply aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
Rep Turner has been a voice for stronger US national security, putting him at odds with some Republican colleagues who favour an isolationist, “America First” approach.
The Senate Intelligence Committee said it has been tracking the issue.
“We continue to take this matter seriously and are discussing an appropriate response with the administration,” Senator Mark Warner, the Democratic committee chairman, and Senator Marco Rubio, the Republican vice chairman, said in a statement.
“In the meantime, we must be cautious about potentially disclosing sources and methods that may be key to preserving a range of options for US action.”
Former president Donald Trump was criticised earlier this week after saying that he would “encourage” Russia to attack members of the alliance that did not meet their defence spending targets.
Speaking on Saturday at a rally in South Carolina, Mr Trump recalled how as president he told a Nato country that he would “encourage” Russia to do as it wishes in cases of Nato allies who are “delinquent.”
His comments were condemned by the head of Nato, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who claimed they would put US and European soldiers at increased risk.
President Biden on Tuesday condemned his comments on Nato as “dumb”, “shameful” and “dangerous”.
