Nunes to head House Intelligence Committee, talks priorities

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, takes over as head of the House Intelligence Committee in January. Next month he'll fly to the Middle East for 10 days to gather information. But that doesn't mean the committee regards ISIS as the biggest threat to the U.S.

"Everything is a priority because there's no shortage of bad actors or problems," said Nunes.

Nunes has served on the House Intelligence Committee the past four years. It oversees 17 agencies, making sure programs are implemented and budgets are followed.

Each day, Nunes will be briefed on situations developing in the U.S. and abroad in places like Iran, North Korea and China.

"You have cyber attacks that are growing concern," said Nunes. "You have Putin's advancement in Ukraine which I spent time in Eastern Europe in August. There's a lot of folks who believe Putin is trying to recreate the Soviet Union."

The bipartisan Intelligence Committee is made up of 21 members of Congress.

"When it comes to protecting our country, really the politics should stop behind closed doors, especially as you're dealing with our intelligence community who are putting their lives on the line," said Nunes.

Congressman Nunes' first act will be to hire staffers who have field experience in gathering intelligence.