Speaker Mike Johnson appointed Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) as the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, replacing Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who was removed from the position.

Crawford, a retired Army sergeant and former chairman of the Intelligence subcommittee, has been in Congress since 2011.

Johnson praised Crawford’s leadership and experience.

The decision to oust Turner, a strong supporter of NATO and U.S. aid to Ukraine, has sparked controversy, with some GOP members criticizing it as politically motivated, NBC News has reported.

Turner, however, remains in his role as chair of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

Written by B.C. Begley