McCarthy touts 'reconstructed, redeveloped' Intel committee at Ohio Air Force base visit

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy touted the "reconstructed and redeveloped” GOP-led House Intelligence Committee at an Ohio Air Force base visit on Wednesday.

He said the committee was more focused on politics than intelligence matters under former Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). McCarthy has argued that the committee missed warning signs ahead of the Afghanistan withdraw while it was focused on the impeachment of former President Trump.

"Before, members weren't even traveling. It's one of your responsibilities to be able to gather the information. Lots of times they just would travel by themselves. The chairman just put a bipartisan trip that went to a number of countries together," McCarthy said at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where the National Air and Space Intelligence Center is located.

"So it's not just working together, it's also showing the rest of the world that the Intel Committee is back reconstructed, redeveloped to the place it's supposed to be. And I've heard from both sides of the aisle of people who serve on this committee saying this is a new day," he added.

McCarthy said the Intelligence Committee meetings are "fundamentally different now" compared to the last session of Congress with the Democratic-controlled House.

"We should put the partisanship away when we're dealing, especially with foreign threats around the world, and we should only focus on what's best for America. And Chairman Turner is doing that," he said.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner and Chairman Brad Wenstrup, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, appeared at the event with McCarthy.