Washington, D.C. – House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana made controversial appointments on Wednesday, assigning Reps. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Ronny Jackson of Texas to the House Intelligence Committee. Both Perry and Jackson, known for their allegiance to former President Trump and denial of the 2020 election results, now hold significant roles overseeing the U.S. intelligence community.
Being on the House Intelligence Committee comes with great responsibility as members have access to highly classified information and are tasked with supervising spy agencies, including FBI intelligence operations that Trump criticized. Perry, a fierce Republican, previously headed the right-wing House Freedom Caucus and played a pivotal role in promoting unfounded election fraud claims. His involvement in pushing baseless investigations to obstruct the transfer of power to President Biden led to a federal judge ordering the disclosure of nearly 1,700 records from his cellphone as part of a Trump election subversion inquiry.
Jackson, a retired U.S. Navy officer who served as the physician to Presidents Obama and Trump, faced a demotion in rank after a Pentagon inspector general’s report substantiated allegations of inappropriate behavior during his tenure as a White House physician. Both Perry and Jackson’s appointments followed Johnson’s recent outline of a strategy to target the Justice Department and other jurisdictions for investigating Trump, underscoring the speaker’s commitment to support Trump’s objectives.
The selections of Perry and Jackson to replace two resigning GOP members demonstrate Johnson’s intention to elevate staunch Trump supporters to influential positions within the committee. The move received criticism from Democrats, with Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia condemning the appointments as ill-suited for the intelligence committee, complicating cooperation between counterintelligence operations and Congress.
Despite the backlash, Johnson expressed confidence in Perry and Jackson’s ability to serve on the Intelligence Committee, with both appointees expressing gratitude for the opportunity. Perry emphasized the importance of conducting oversight of the intelligence community, aiming to prevent abuses of power, resources, and authority. Meanwhile, Jackson believes the committee can restore public faith in the intelligence community.
Former congressman Adam Kinzinger condemned the appointments as “insane,” adding to the growing dissent surrounding Johnson’s decision. The controversy surrounding Perry and Jackson’s appointments underscores the deep political divisions and challenges faced by the House Intelligence Committee in fulfilling its crucial role in overseeing the nation’s intelligence operations.