Jun 6, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Johnson gives Dems extra House Intel seat to get Stefanik back on

Andrew Solender

Speaker Mike Johnson, wearing a blue suit, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, wearing a black suit, sitting in front of a row of American flags. — Speaker Mike Johnson and then-House Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik at the House Republican Conference meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Washington on Nov. 13, 2024. Photo: Allison Robbert-Pool/Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) finally settled on how to get Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) back on the House Intelligence Committee: Give Democrats an extra seat on the panel in order to make space for her.

Why it matters: Stefanik was becoming a thorn in Johnson's side, criticizing him in public after she gave up her seat on the panel to pursue her now-withdrawn nomination for U.N. ambassador.

Stefanik also had to give up her chairmanship of the House Republican conference, with Johnson creating a new, largely symbolic "chair of House Republican leadership" title for her after her nomination was withdrawn.
Stefanik has openly flirted with a run for New York governor in 2026, rather than running for reelection.

Driving the news: The House modified its rules Monday to expand the committee from 25 to 27 seats, with Stefanik becoming the second most senior Republican after chair Rick Crawford (R-Ark.).

To maintain the panel's partisan ratio and obtain unanimous consent on the change, Democrats were given a seat in exchange for creating a new one for Stefanik.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) selected Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) to join the committee.

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Johnson gives Dems extra House Intel seat to get Stefanik back on

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