Johnson taps GOP Reps. Perry, Jackson to serve on Intel panel

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday announced he had chosen Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Scott Perry and Texas GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson to serve on the House Intelligence Committee.

The vacancies on the panel stemmed from the resignations of GOP Reps. Chris Stewart, Utah, and Mike Gallagher, Wis., according to Politico. 

Perry is the former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, the conservative bloc that spearheaded the original leadership challenge to Kevin McCarthy in 2023 and which has proven a hotbed of dissent within the fractious Republican conference.

Jackson, for his part, is an ally of former President Donald Trump and previously served as the White House physician. Trump reportedly backed Jackson for the appointment.

Membership on the Intelligence Committee has been a point of controversial in recent years, especially in light of Republican reviews of the Intelligence Community agencies.

Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, in January of 2023, refused to seat Democratic California Reps. Eric Swalwell and Adam Schiff over concerns about their suitability.

"Swalwell can't get a security clearance in the private sector. I'm not going to give him a government security clearance. Schiff has lied too many times to the American public. He should not be on Intel," he said that month.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.