Turner voices support for Kevin McCarthy in speaker dust-up

Dayton congressman joins other national security committee leads in backing the embattled speaker candidate

Credit: Susan Walsh

Credit: Susan Walsh

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Dayton, has voiced support for Kevin McCarthy, the embattled candidate for speaker of the House of Representatives who has failed to achieve a majority vote in seven tallies at this writing.

Turner, lead Republican of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, joined House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and House Armed Services Committee Lead Republican Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, in backing McCarthy for speaker.

“As the incoming chairs of the national security committees, we strongly support Kevin McCarthy for speaker,” the trio said in a joint statement Thursday. “McCarthy’s Commitment to America agenda outlines a stronger approach to countering China, a plan to investigate the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and how a Republican majority will hold this administration accountable.”

“The Biden administration is going unchecked and there is no oversight of the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, or the intelligence community,” the three congressmen added. “We cannot let personal politics place the safety and security of the United States at risk.”

Turner was appointed ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence last year, giving him a potentially prominent voice on the direction of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and one of its key missions, the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC). He was widely seen as the incoming chair of that committee if Republicans retook the House majority.

Turner’s district now includes the city of Springfield and southern portions of Clark County.

The House voted Wednesday night to adjourn and reconvene today after GOP leader McCarthy failed in a sixth attempt for the speakership earlier in the day. McCarthy failed to gain a majority in a seventh tally early Thursday afternoon.

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