Chuck Darwin<p>House Speaker Mike Johnson has angered lawmakers in both parties by appointing a pair of hardline conservatives to the House Intelligence Committee.</p><p>Why it matters: <br>Committee members fear the presence of Reps. Scott <a href="https://c.im/tags/Perry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Perry</span></a> and Ronny <a href="https://c.im/tags/Jackson" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Jackson</span></a> threatens to disrupt a hard-fought bipartisan consensus forged in the aftermath of the Trump era.</p><p>⭐️Some are also concerned about the highly sensitive information to which committee members are often exposed.</p><p>Driving the news: <br>Johnson tapped Perry and Jackson to replace former Reps. Chris <a href="https://c.im/tags/Stewart" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Stewart</span></a> (R-Utah) and Mike <a href="https://c.im/tags/Gallagher" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Gallagher</span></a> (R-Wis.), both of whom resigned midway through their terms.</p><p>The picks were bound to be inflammatory: <br>💥Perry's phone was seized by the FBI as part of its Jan. 6 probe, while <br>💥Jackson has faced allegations of drinking on duty and harassing staff when he was the White House physician.</p><p>Rep. Chrissy <a href="https://c.im/tags/Houlahan" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Houlahan</span></a>, a Democratic member of the panel, sent Johnson a letter earlier this week urging him to reverse the appointments.</p><p>What we're hearing: <br>One HouseDemocrat said panel members were "<a href="https://c.im/tags/shocked" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>shocked</span></a> at first, and [now] some people are <a href="https://c.im/tags/angry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>angry</span></a>," calling the appointments "<a href="https://c.im/tags/reckless" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>reckless</span></a>."</p><p>"Everybody is concerned," the lawmaker added.</p><p>👉One Republican member said of Perry, who has been a thorn in the side of GOP leadership: "Part of the problem is it is rewarding bad behavior."</p><p>👉Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) said Johnson should "keep a close eye and make sure that people are respecting the seriousness of the committee."</p><p>Zoom in: <br>🔥Perry is seen by Republicans as the real concern, with some Democrats lumping the two together and others drawing a distinction.</p><p>Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) said he will give Jackson "the benefit of the doubt, because I know him very well," but has "some concerns" about Perry.</p><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/06/15/house-intelligence-committee-johnson-perry-jackson" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">axios.com/2024/06/15/house-int</span><span class="invisible">elligence-committee-johnson-perry-jackson</span></a></p>