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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Mike Turner of Dayton Ohio officially announced his intent to run for Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

"This is a critical time for our country," said Congressman Turner.

"Government must be held accountable to the people it serves.

As a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I know that there is a tremendous opportunity for innovation and for the development of a more efficient, effective, and transparent government.

We must conduct responsible oversight and adopt meaningful reform to eliminate and prevent waste, fraud, and mismanagement.

Washington, D.C.—Congressman Mike Turner, a senior Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, released the following statement in response to reports that the IRS may have destroyed Lois Lerner's hard drive, which held emails critical to the Committee's investigation of the IRS targeting of Americans for their political beliefs:

"This is staggering and unbelievable.

The American people rightfully expect the highest standard of accountability from their government and its officials.

Washington, D.C.—Today, in response to reports that Russia's state-owned monopoly, Gazprom, cut gas supplies to Ukraine, Congressman Mike Turner, Chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, released the following statement:

"This act of aggression further escalates the need for the U.S. to increase its exports of liquefied natural gas to our NATO and European allies.

As tensions in the region continue to rise, Russia has demonstrated a consistent pattern of using its energy resource dominance as a political and economic weapon.

Turner Grills Secretary Hagel on Release of Taliban Leaders

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REP. TURNER: Oh, that's our footnote now. Now the new policy of this administration is, we don't negotiate with terrorists directly?

SECRETARY HAGEL: Well, Congressman, you didn't let me finish.

REP. TURNER: That's what you said.

SECRETARY HAGEL: I did say that. But you cut me off before I could say the other part, that we were dealing with the Taliban.

Washington, D.C.—This evening, in a briefing provided to Congress by the Obama Administration regarding the negotiated release of five senior Taliban leaders, Congressman Turner asked the following question:

"Beyond the issue of lack of notification of Congress and judgment about whether or not this was a good decision for America, I'm very concerned that this action signals a significant shift in the U.S. policy that we do not negotiate with terrorists. Can you tell me any time in the last 40 years when our country has undertaken a swap of this nature with any other non-sovereign state?"

Washington, D.C.—In response to reports that Miamisburg resident, Jeffrey Edward Fowle, has been detained by the government of North Korea, Congressman Michael Turner (OH-10), released the following statement:

"I am deeply troubled by the the detainment of American and Miamisburg resident, Jeffery Edward Fowle, by the authoritarian government of North Korea.

We have been in contact with the State Department and will continue to carefully monitor Fowle's detainment as we await the release of additional information. "

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Dayton, OH – Yesterday afternoon, Congressman Mike Turner stopped an effort to eliminate funding for an economic development program critical to the Dayton community.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the Dayton-Cinncinati region had been designated a 'manufacturing community,' giving Dayton preferential application status for $1.3 billion in federal economic development assistance.

Turner led his colleagues in successfully voting down an amendment that would have significantly jeopardized this $1.3 billion and severely limited the chances of Dayton receiving substantial funding for increased manufacturing and development.