Fox News Politics: Biden’s Early Christmas Gift to Public Workers


Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’

– Kristi Noem boasts outpouring of police, border union support for DHS chief: Current leaders ‘betrayed us’

– Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas

Biden’s Parting Gift to ‘Public Servants’

The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House.

The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness.

“Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday…Read more

US President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Madison, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, April 8, 2024. Biden's alternative student-debt relief plan could forgive loans for as many as 26 million Americans, a far-reaching initiative that will be tested by the same challenges that beset his original program struck down by the Supreme Court. Photographer: Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

US President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Madison, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, April 8, 2024. Biden’s alternative student-debt relief plan could forgive loans for as many as 26 million Americans, a far-reaching initiative that will be tested by the same challenges that beset his original program struck down by the Supreme Court. Photographer: Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

White House

A HOLY EXIT: Biden heading to Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis, Italian PM Meloni in final overseas trip…Read more

‘POSSIBLY CRIMINAL’: Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’…Read more

Trump at border wall

President Donald Trump tours a section of the border wall, Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in San Luis, Ariz. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

LEFT-WING ‘LAUNDRY LIST’: Watchdog seeks to halt an 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ a KY police department…Read more

CHRISTMAS RUSH: Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate…Read more

Capitol Hill

**Check out our new live blog on the spending bill fight — Trump-backed spending bill voted down in the House with shutdown looming**

US Capitol dome framed by trees

The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen from a perch in Washington, D.C. (Fox News Digital)

‘NO DEALS WITH THE DEMOCRATS’: GOP lawmaker says vote on ‘very similar’ CR expected Friday morning…Read more

‘DOGE SPEAKER’: Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’…Read more

‘PAY OUR TROOPS’: Senate Republicans attempt to fast track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown…Read more

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans reach new plan to avoid government shutdown after back-to-back defeats: Sources…Read more

KILL THE BILL: Here’s a list of the 38 Republicans who defied Trump by voting ‘no’ on the failed spending bill…Read more

Across America 

BUTTIGIEG BUZZ: Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz…Read more

Pete Buttigieg closeup shot

Pete Buttigieg, US secretary of transportation, speaks during a news conference in Long Beach, California, US, on Thursday, July 18, 2024. The Pier B on-dock rail project, which is expected to be the largest rail facility of any port in the US, will serve the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Photographer: Tim Rue/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Tim Rue)

OPEN BORDERS: ICE response team in NYC arrested a Mexican illegal immigrant sex offender who “has been removed from the US on 5 separate occasions”…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.



Source link

PA lawmakers demand Scranton revert ‘Biden Expy’ name, calling it a ‘scar’ following Kids-4-Cash scandal


Several Pennsylvania officials, particularly in the Scranton area where President Joe Biden hails from, are calling on the city to undo its 2021 renaming of a freeway spur in his honor.

State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Dallas, appeared to lead the charge with a scathing statement highlighting Biden’s recent pardon of a judge convicted in a “kids-for-cash” scandal wherein he received kickbacks for sentencing juveniles to for-profit prisons.

Wilkes-Barre Common Pleas Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr. were convicted in 2008. The former served time in prison, followed by COVID-induced house arrest until Biden’s pardon. 

Walsh said some of the children affected had been convicted of minor offenses like jaywalking. The Democratic-majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out 4,000 juvenile convictions as a result of the scandal. 

ECONOMY BORDER & ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AS RESIDENTS LOOK BACK ON NATIVE SON’S FIRST TERM

Biden Expressway

The former Central Scranton Expressway — now the President Biden Expressway — diverges from I-81, which continues toward Binghamton, N.Y. (Charles Creitz)

“In light of the recent decision made by the Biden administration to commute former Judge Conahan’s sentence, I implore city officials and Mayor [Paige Gebhardt Cognetti] to remove President Joe Biden’s name from the expressway sign that leads to the heart of the ‘Electric City’s’ downtown area.”

In 2021, the mayor and city council unanimously approved the rebranding of the three-quarter-mile Central Scranton Expressway spur off Interstate 81 and its continuance via then-Spruce Street through downtown as the “President Biden Expressway” and “Biden Avenue,” respectively.

The President Biden Expressway initially serves as a short bypass of PA-307 into the city, and continues as “Biden Ave” toward northbound US-11, which, in-turn, meets the terminus of the colloquial “Route 9” — the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension.

“The children affected by Conahan’s actions of nearly 15 years ago are now adults suffering in their own ‘mental’ prisons due to his deeds of self-fulfillment,” Walsh said in a statement.

WV DEMOCRATS RIP BIDEN’S ‘EGREGIOUS’ PUBLIC CORRUPTION PARDON CHOICES: ‘WHAT WE’D EXPECT FROM TRUMP’

Former Luzerne County Court Judges Michael Conahan, front left, and Mark Ciavarella.

Ex-Luzerne County Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella. (AP Photo/The Citizens’ Voice, Mark Moran)

“Crimes against children are everlasting, and there is no escape from the irreparable damage these predators caused by their actions.”

Walsh argued that the issue is non-partisan but “right versus wrong” and that Biden no longer deserves the commemoration because his pardon “exonerates [Conahan’s] behavior” as a signal to future corrupt public officials.

State Rep-elect. Brenda Pugh, R-Luzerne, told WBRE that Conahan’s conduct is a “blight on Pennsylvania” and that Biden’s pardon is “nothing short of a travesty.”

“[H]is clemency is a miscarriage of justice,” Pugh said, adding the President Biden Expressway will therefore “forever be a scar reminding people of what happened here [in NEPA].”

Meanwhile, Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak made his case directly to Cognetti, writing the mayor a letter saying that reverting “Biden Avenue to Spruce Street” would help restore confidence in city leadership and reaffirm a commitment to governing in the best reflection of city values.

“This [pardon] has brought significant negative attention to Scranton, tarnishing the city’s reputation and reflecting poorly on Lackawanna County as a whole,” Chermak wrote.

In a Friday interview, Cognetti said that Biden’s commutation of Conahan was a “grave error” that freshly opened “deep and horrific” wounds for Scrantonians and NEPA residents.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

scranton_biden_cognetti_pa

Biden and Scranton Democratic Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti (Reuters)

She echoed Gov. Josh Shapiro’s remark earlier this week that Conahan’s sentence was too light in the first place.

“[The case] was just the stuff that you think a screenwriter couldn’t make up — how systemic and how deep that scandal went,” Cognetti said.

She said she had contacted the White House with her concerns and that she was sad to learn Conahan’s commutation is irreversible.

Cognetti noted she is currently mayor in part because of other officials’ public corruption as well.

Predecessor Bill Courtright resigned in July 2019 amid a conviction for bribery, corruption and conspiracy. Courtright’s departure led to two brief interim mayors before Cognetti was elected that November as an independent and, in 2021, as a Democrat. 

Cognetti added that the calls to strip Biden’s name from roadways are not new and continue to be mostly grounded in partisanship.

“The president is from here, and there are few communities that can boast of being the hometown of a President of the United States. We will continue to celebrate and be very proud of having a hometown son of Scranton as president.”

“The two issues are conflated, I think, for political reasons. And I’d like us to treat these things as what they are. We need to continue to address corruption in government,” Cognetti added.

“That’s separate from the president’s legacy of 50 years in office and being the most successful son of Scranton.”

BIDEN’S HOMETOWN EXPRESSES HOW IT REALLY FEELS ABOUT ‘BIDENOMICS’

Biden street sign in Scranton

Biden Street; formerly Spruce Street (Getty)

When recently asked about Biden granting Conahan a pardon, Shapiro said that presidents have the “unique and absolute” power to do so, but should wield it “incredibly carefully.”

“I study every single case that comes across my desk where there’s a request for a pardon or clemency or worse, or a reduction in sentence. And I take it very seriously,” said Shapiro, who previously served as attorney general.

“I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. This was not only a black eye on the community because of the scandal, but it also affected families in really deep and profound and sad ways,” he said.



Source link

President-elect Trump appoints outspoken conservative as Vatican ambassador: ‘To God be the glory’


Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Just five days before Christmas, President-elect Donald Trump announced he is appointing outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote Brian Burch to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. 

The Vatican, also known as the “Holy See,” is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by Pope Francis. There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the U.S. 

Burch, a father of nine, is an outspoken supporter of the president-elect. His organization, CatholicVote, a conservative activist group, issued its first presidential endorsement in Trump’s favor this year.

Catholic voters across the country swung massively toward Trump in the 2024 election, contributing to his surprise blowout victory on election night.

CATHOLIC SWING VOTERS WERE CRITICAL TO DONALD TRUMP’S BLOWOUT VICTORY: ‘HARRIS SNUBBED US’

Burch/Trump

CatholicVote President Brian Burch argues that President-elect Trump won last week thanks to Catholic voters. (Fox News Digital | Getty Pool)

In his post announcing the nomination, Trump credited Burch for his significant gains among Catholic voters in November, saying that Burch “represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!”

“I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” said Trump. “Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country.”

“Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud,” the president-elect said. “Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PICKS’ FAMILIES HAVE 1 THING IN COMMON

Vatican City aerial view

(Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Burch responded to his nomination by posting on X: “To God be the glory.”

“Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” said Burch. “I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.”

He thanked his family, the CatholicVote team and gave special credit to his recently deceased father who, he said, “taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S.”

“The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance,” said Burch. “I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church.”

NOTRE DAME HOSTS FIRST MASS SINCE 2019 FIRE, DRAWING CROWDS BY THE THOUSANDS

catholics rally outside home of gov. whitmer

A rally organized by CatholicVote. (CatholicVote)

CatholicVote also responded to the announcement, saying the group is “immensely proud” of Burch and that his nomination “is a testament to the importance of Catholics to the United States.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Under Brian’s leadership, CatholicVote has launched influential campaigns exposing violence against Catholic churches and uncovering government overreach targeting Catholics and pro-life advocates,” the group said. “Beyond his professional work, Brian is a devoted husband and father of nine children. His commitment to family life informs his passion for building a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person and supports the central role of families in society.” 

The new Trump administration will have several Catholics in high-ranking positions, including Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan. 

The position of ambassador to the Holy See requires Senate confirmation.



Source link

Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz


Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

An appearance by Pete Buttigieg on Friday morning on New Hampshire talk radio is fueling ongoing speculation that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in President Biden’s administration may be mulling another White House run in 2028.

Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who is considered a potential contender for the next nomination race, has made numerous radio appearances across the country during his four years steering the Department of Transportation, including a bunch in New Hampshire, which prides itself on being the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state.

But with President-elect Trump a month away from returning to the White House, and Democrats scrambling in the wake of November’s election setbacks to find a path out of the political wilderness, Buttigieg’s latest radio appearance in New Hampshire is grabbing increased attention as the extremely early preseason moves in the party’s 2028 presidential primary race will soon start.

And the guest segment by Buttigieg on the statewide morning news-talk radio program “New Hampshire Today” is bound to spark more 2028 speculation.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

Pete Buttigieg speaks on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center, in Chicago, Illinois, on August 21, 2024.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

“The only thing I’m sure is next is a little vacation,” Buttigieg said when asked by host Chris Ryan about his plans once his tenure as transportation secretary sunsets on Jan. 20.

Buttigieg said he and his spouse, Chasten, “are ready to spend a little time together. I’m ready to be around our three-year-old twins a little more, and I’m determined not to make any life decisions too quickly in the new year.”

VANCE IN ‘CATBIRD SEAT,’ BUT HERE ARE THE OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO MAY ALSO RUN IN 2028 

“But I will find ways to make myself useful, and maybe that’s running for office, and maybe that’s not. I’ll take the next few weeks and months to work through that,” Buttigieg shared.

And he emphasized that “I know what I care about. I care about how communities, like the place where I grew up, find a better future. I care about how to make sure technology makes us all better off and not worse off. I care about how the infrastructure issues and opportunities I’ve worked on can develop. I care about public service. I care about our democracy, and I will find ways to work on that, whatever shape that might take.”

Buttigieg and Biden in Hurricane Helene meeting

President Joe Biden speaks alongside Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (left) during a briefing on Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on October 1, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Buttigieg, a former naval intelligence officer who deployed to the war in Afghanistan and who served eight years as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was a longshot when he launched his 2020 presidential campaign. 

But his campaign caught fire, and he narrowly edged Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to win the Iowa caucuses before coming in close second to Sanders in the New Hampshire presidential primary. But Buttigieg, along with the rest of the Democratic field, dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden as the former vice president won the South Carolina primary in a landslide, swept the Super Tuesday contests and eventually clinched the nomination before winning the White House.

WHAT RNC CHAIR WHATLEY TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT THE 2028 GOP PRESIDENITAL PRIMARY

During his tenure as Secretary of Transportation, Buttigieg has made a handful of official visits to New Hampshire, most recently earlier this year. And two years ago, in a political trip, he headlined the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s major autumn fundraising gala.

Asked in the interview whether he’ll be returning to the Granite State in the near future, he quipped, “I’m sure I’ll turn up before too long.”

Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg addresses the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner, which is the state party’s largest annual fundraising event, on Sept. 24, 2022, in Manchester, N.H. (New Hampshire Democratic Party)

Buttigieg, in recent years, has also made regular appearances on the Fox News Channel to highlight the Biden administration’s efforts. This year, he served as a high-profile surrogate on Fox News and elsewhere across the media landscape for Biden, and later for Vice President Kamala Harris, on the campaign trail.

After his 2020 presidential campaign, Buttiegieg moved from red-state Indiana to neighboring Michigan, which is a key battleground, and now calls Traverse City, Michigan, home.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In recent weeks, Buttigieg has fielded calls by some Michigan Democrats urging him to consider a 2026 run for governor, to succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited.

“I haven’t made any decisions about, big decisions about my future,” Buttigieg told reporters earlier this month in Detroit, in a line that he would repeat in this week’s New Hampshire radio interview.



Source link

House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’


FIRST ON FOX: The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released a more than 17,000-page report detailing its work this Congress, touting their success in protecting Americans against censorship of speech and the weaponization of federal law enforcement agencies, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Fox News Digital obtained the 17,019-page report compiled by the subcommittee, which falls under the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. 

“The Weaponization Committee conducted rigorous oversight of the Biden-Harris administrations weaponized government and uncovered numerous examples of federal government abuses,” Jordan told Fox News Digital. “Through our oversight, we protected the First Amendment by investigating the censorship-industrial-complex, heard from numerous brave whistleblowers, stopped the targeting of Americans by the IRS and Department of Justice, and created serious legislative and policy changes that will benefit all Americans.” 

Jim Jordan speaks before House subcommittee

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The report, first obtained by Fox News Digital, states that the “founding documents of the United States articulate the ideals of the American republic and guarantee to all American citizens fundamental rights and liberties. 

“For too long, however, the American people have faced a two-tiered system of government—one of favorable treatment for the politically-favored class, and one of intimidation and unfairness for the rest of American citizens,” it continues. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the contrast between these two tiers has become even more stark.” 

HOUSE WEAPONIZATION COMMITTEE: BIDEN ADMIN ‘COLLUDED’ WITH BIG TECH, ‘FACILITATED THE CENSORSHIP OF AMERICANS’

The committee was created to “stand up for the American people,” the report says, highlighting its work to “bring abuses by the federal government into the light for the American people and ensure that Congress, as their elected representatives, can take action to remedy them.” 

The mission of the subcommittee was to “protect and strengthen the fundamental rights of the American people,” the report said, noting that by investigating, uncovering and documenting executive branch misconduct, lawmakers on the panel have taken “important steps to ensure that the federal government no longer works against the American people.” 

“This work is not complete, but it is a necessary first step to stop the weaponization of the federal government,” the report states. 

The committee, from its inception, says it has been working to protect free speech and expand upon the constitutional protections of the First Amendment. 

JORDAN SUBPOENAS BIG TECH CEOS FOR RECORDS ON ‘COLLUSION’ WITH BIDEN ADMIN TO ‘SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH’

“Throughout the Biden-Harris administration, multiple federal agencies, including the White House, have engaged in a vast censorship campaign against so-called mis-, dis-, or malinformation,” the report states, noting that the subcommittee revealed the extent of the “censorship-industrial complex,” and detailed how the federal government and law enforcement coordinated with academics, nonprofits, and other private entities to censor speech online.” 

Rep. Jim Jordan

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, leaves the Republican caucus meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The panel is touting its work, saying its oversight has “had a real effect in expanding the First Amendment.” 

“In a Supreme Court dissent, three justices noted how the Select Subcommittee’s investigation revealed that ‘valuable speech was..suppressed,’” the report states. 

BIDEN CAMPAIGN, BLINKEN ORCHESTRATED INTEL LETTER TO DISCREDIT HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY, EX-CIA OFFICIAL SAYS

And in a letter to the subcommittee, Facebook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted that the Biden-Harris administration “pressured” Facebook to censor Americans. 

“Facebook gave in to this pressure, demoting posts and content that was highly relevant to political discourse in the United States,” the report states. 

And in another win for the subcommittee, in response to its work, universities and other groups shut down their “disinformation” research, and federal agencies “slowed their communications with Big Tech.” 

MUSK PROVES HUNTER BIDEN CENSORSHIP CAME FROM COLLUSION AMONG BIDEN CAMPAIGN, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TWITTER

The committee also celebrated a “big win” in October after it prevented the creation of a new “GARM,” an advertising association that engaged in censorship and boycotts of conservative media companies. The committee revealed, before it was disbanded, that GARM had been discussing ways to ensure conservative news outlets and platforms could not receive advertising dollars and were engaged in boycotts of conservative voices and Twitter once it became “X” under the ownership of Elon Musk. 

Meanwhile, the subcommittee also investigated the alleged weaponization of federal law enforcement resources. 

In speaking with a number of whistleblowers, the subcommittee learned of waste, fraud and abuse at the FBI. 

“When these whistleblowers came forward, the bureau brutally retaliated against many of them for breaking ranks—suspending them without pay, preventing them from seeking outside employment, and even purging suspected disloyal employees,” the report states, noting that the subcommittee revealed that the FBI “abused its security clearance adjudication process to target whistleblowers.” 

The report references the FBI’s response, in which the bureau admitted its “error” and reinstated the security clearance of one decorated FBI employee. 

FBI INTERVIEWED PRIEST, CHURCH CHOIR DIRECTOR AHEAD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO, HOUSE GOP FINDS

The subcommittee also was tasked with investigating the executive branch’s actions in “intruding and interfering with Americans’ constitutionally protected activity.” 

For example, the subcommittee revealed “and stopped” the FBI’s effort to target Catholic Americans because of their religious views; detailed the DOJ’s directives to target parents at school board meetings; stopped the Internal Revenue Service from making “unannounced visits to American taxpayers’ homes;” caused the DOJ to change its internal policies to “respect the separation of powers and limit subpoenas for Legislative Branch employees; and highlighted the “vast warrantless surveillance of Americans by federal law enforcement.” 

The panel also investigated the federal government’s election interference, highlighting the FBI’s “fervent efforts to ‘prebunk’ a story about the Biden family’s influence peddling scheme in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.” 

CIA ‘MAY HAVE ASSISTED IN OBTAINING SIGNATORIES’ FOR LETTER DISCREDITING HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP: HOUSE GOP REPORT

The panel also investigated and demonstrated how the 2020 Biden campaign “colluded with the intelligence community to falsely discredit this story as ‘Russian disinformation.’”

The report includes a list of hearings the subcommittee held, letters sent by the subcommittee and subpoenas issued by the panel.

It also includes depositions and transcribed interviews conducted by the subcommittee. The subcommittee conducted 99 depositions and transcribed interviews during this Congress.

Depositions and interviews included in the massive report are of former FBI officials and CIA officials, like former Director John Brennan, former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office involved in the original hush money probe against President Trump, Mark Pomerantz, and interviews with Facebook, Meta and Google officials.



Source link

Watchdog seeks to halt 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ Kentucky police over Breonna Taylor incident



EXCLUSIVE: A conservative legal watchdog is expected to file a brief with a Kentucky court to urge a judge against blessing a consent decree forged by Attorney General Merrick Garland and the city of Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky., that would reform police practices after the controversial 2020 death of Breonna Taylor.

The Oversight Project is placing its amicus brief on the docket of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on Friday morning as a judge prepares a schedule to rule on activating the agreement.

Oversight Project Executive Director Mike Howell said the consent decree includes a “laundry list of BLM-type standards that have been argued for over the years since George Floyd[‘s death in 2020]” and the riots that followed.

“Louisville would be a sanctuary city for gangbangers,” Howell warned, adding he hopes Friday’s addition to the docket gives the court pause before agreeing to any accelerated timeline for approval.

PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN

Taylor was killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house, when her beau fired a “warning shot” through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg.

A hail of return fire followed, fatally wounding Taylor, and five officers were later involved in legal cases where one was found guilty of deprivation of rights under the color of law for reportedly firing blindly through a window amid the chaos.

Walker later alleged he mistook the police for intruders and did not hear them announce themselves. Louisville wound up paying Taylor’s family $12 million in a wrongful death settlement.

Last week, Garland announced the consent decree with Louisville, saying it will bring about needed systemic reforms to policing to prevent a repeat of what happened to Taylor.

Howell said, however, that the decree will only hamstring the police department and also defy the will of Kentucky voters who elected new Republicans on the Louisville council on the issue of law and order.

“[The decree] basically limits the ability for officers to react quickly and in a strong way. It’s very heavy on the de-escalation techniques, particularly as it relates to this category of people who they call ‘behaviorally impaired’ or something to that effect,” Howell said.

BIDEN ADMIN HIT WITH FOIA SEEKING 25TH AMENDMENT-RELATED COMMS

Howell said there is concern over the spiking teenage murder rate – violence committed by suspects aged 11-17 – and that the decree wrongly imposes new standards for dealing with youth offenders as well as stop-and-frisk restrictions.

One of the most glaring issues with the agreement is the fact Louisville councilmen, Kentucky lawmakers and the general public will all be prevented from making further adjustments to policing policies for five years, if the judge signs the decree.

In a consent decree system, an official monitor appointed by the judge, and not the relevant legislature, is the arbiter of policies that fall under said agreement unless both parties that forged it agree to change them.

Howell said, in that regard, the Biden Justice Department and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, a Democrat, appear to be rushing through the legal process to head off the likelihood a Trump Justice Department will balk at the agreement.

“The most basic responsibility of government is to keep our people safe while protecting constitutional rights and treating everyone fairly,” Greenberg said in a statement about the decree. “As mayor, I promised to uphold that responsibility, and I have.”

“The Department of Justice saw the action we’ve already taken and our commitment to aggressively implement police reform. As a result of these improvements, we have a consent decree unlike any other city in America.”

Greenberg said any decree must build on reforms made in recent years, cannot “handcuff police as they work to prevent crime” and also be financially responsible and have a clear sunset date.

“I felt comfortable signing this because our officers will have clear guidance and goals to meet, the DOJ can’t move the goalposts, and our officers can focus on good police work, not paperwork,” added Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey.

The Oversight Project’s amicus brief is backed by law enforcement advocacy leaders like Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Johnson, whose group promotes constitutional policing and studies similar consent decrees, told Fox News Digital it’s clear the Biden DOJ realizes such an agreement would be “D.O.A.” when President-elect Donald Trump assumes the Oval Office. 

“Most of these police consent decrees are more of an activist wish list than effective means to remedy constitutional violations by police agencies. The Justice Department is trying to impose burdensome rules that far exceed their authority under law,” Johnson said.

He suggested that technical assistance letters, which aim to encourage reforms without imposing a judicial arbiter, are generally preferred in most cases.

“But, the activist lawyers in the Biden administration prefer to use a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel. This approach has proven counterproductive time and again — hurting public safety, police morale, and police-community relations more than it helps.”

Meanwhile, Howell said he hopes the Kentucky judge will see that Greenberg and Garland are trying to “turn him into a legislature” when it comes to law enforcement practices.

Under the consent decree system, the policy changes will be untouchable by a more hawkish Trump DOJ for up to five years, rendering the new administration’s predicted actions in the law enforcement realm moot in Louisville.

Criminals will likely endorse the decree, he said, as they will use the encyclopedia of new policing standards to their benefit.



Source link

Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’


President-elect Donald Trump filed an amicus brief late Thursday in support of a legal effort by Texas and Missouri to “immediately” stop the Biden administration’s sale of border wall materials, saying the action is “possibly criminal.” 

Texas and Missouri filed a motion earlier this week in a district court in the southern district of Texas to hold a status conference to determine if the government is in breach of the court’s permanent injunction from earlier this year. That injunction barred the Biden administration from using funds obligated for wall construction for anything other than that purpose. 

‘PATTERN OF DISREGARD’: RED STATES SEEK COURT ACTION AGAINST BIDEN ADMIN’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ BORDER WALL DISPOSAL

“The Court should issue an order directing the Defendants to immediately stop any ongoing sale of border-barrier materials to private parties pending the Court’s review of Defendant’s conduct, and the Court should swiftly conduct a searching examination of the Government’s conduct, by formal discovery if necessary, to examine the Government’s compliance with the law, the Constitution, and the Court’s injunction,” Trump’s amicus brief states. 

President-elect Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The Biden administration has been auctioning off border wall parts since at least 2023 with parts listed for sale on auction marketplaces, after it abruptly shut down most border wall construction in 2021.

Those auctions have continued, with border officials telling Fox that auctions now occur weekly and have been for some time. But the practice made news last week when The Daily Wire published video showing parts being transported, and cited Border Patrol agents who said the goal was to clear it out before Christmas.

Trump’s amicus brief states that if officials in the Biden administration are “deliberately selling off border-wall materials at a major financial loss to the Government to obstruct the pro-wall policy of Congress and President Trump, such conduct likely constitutes a criminal act, such as a conspiracy to defraud the United States.” 

“At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior,” the filing states. 

GOP SENATOR MOVES TO BLOCK FEDS FROM DISPOSING OF BORDER WALL MATERIALS AMID AUCTION BACKLASH 

A defense official told Fox News last week that the Pentagon has been disposing of excess wall construction in accordance with the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the defense secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased with Pentagon funds. That plan was submitted in March.

The official said border states, including Texas, were first offered that material for purchase before auction. The official also said the materials no longer belong to the U.S. government, adding the Defense Department has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of it.

“Through our reutilization, transfer and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GovPlanet online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DOD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

But those statements have not stopped the outrage from Republicans, who see the auctions as a move to stop the Trump administration from building the wall. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., introduced legislation this week to put a halt to the auctions.

Trump, meanwhile, said on Monday he had been working with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others to acquire the materials.

Arizona Border Wall With Mexico

This March 2, 2019, file photo, shows a Customs and Border Control agent patrolling on the U.S. side of a razor-wire-covered border wall along the Mexico border east of Nogales, Ariz. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

“What they’re doing is really an act, it’s almost a criminal act,” he said. “They know we’re going to use it, and if we don’t have it, we’re going to have to rebuild it. And it’ll cost double what it cost years ago, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars because you’re talking about a lot of, a lot of wall.”

Paxton said in a statement that Texas is going to court to “prevent any border security materials from being unlawfully sold and to find out the truth about what the federal government may be doing to subvert border wall construction.”

‘STANDING BY TO HELP’: RED STATE REVEALS PLAN TO PURCHASE AUCTIONED BORDER WALL MATERIALS TO STORE FOR TRUMP

“President Trump has an overwhelming mandate from the American people to build the wall and I will do everything in my power to prevent any acts of sabotage by the outgoing administration,” he said.

Texas has said it intends to do all it can to help the incoming administration build the wall at the southern border when Trump enters office.

“The Biden Administration’s latest attempt to block Texas and President-Elect Donald Trump’s efforts to secure the southern border is downright shameful and demonstrates a continued pattern of disregard for the safety of Texas and American families in favor of increasingly disastrous open border policies,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Officials said this week they intend to purchase the auctioned off materials, and Buckingham said she intends to store it on state land for the new administration.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I made a promise to use every tool at my disposal from the GLO to secure our border and protect Texans,” Buckingham said in the statement to Fox. “That is why I have offered state leaders and President-Elect Donald Trump the opportunity to store any wall panels his incoming administration may acquire on state land. I will never give up the fight to secure our porous southern border and protect our sons and daughters from violent, criminal illegal immigrants.”

Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. 



Source link

Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas


Top Senate Democrats Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., made clear they only intend to move forward on the original stopgap spending bill plan that Republicans scrapped after pressure from billionaire Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump.

Murray said she is prepared for a partial government shutdown and to stay in Washington D.C., for the Christmas holiday if Republicans do not return to the original short-term spending bill that was released earlier this week and subsequently killed after Musk and others publicly opposed its provisions.

“I’m ready to stay here through Christmas because we’re not going to let Elon Musk run the government,” she said in a Friday morning statement, hours before the government could be sent into a partial shutdown if a bill is not passed. 

TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES

Patty Murray, Chuck Schumer

Top Democrats signaled unwillingness to move forward on any other GOP versions of a stopgap bill. (Reuters)

As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to climb rapidly. 

“Put simply, we should not let an unelected billionaire rip away research for pediatric cancer so he can get a tax cut or tear down policies that help America outcompete China because it could hurt his bottom line. We had a bipartisan deal-we should stick to it,” Murray said. 

In floor remarks on Friday morning, Schumer said, “if Republicans do not work with Democrats in a bipartisan way very soon, the government will shut down at midnight.”

“It’s time to go back to the original agreement we had just a few days ago. It’s time the House votes on our bipartisan CR. It’s the quickest, simplest and easiest way we can make sure the government stays open while delivering critical emergency aid to the American people.”

He also said that if Speaker Mike Johnson were to put the original bill on the House floor for a vote, “it would pass, and we could put the threat of a shutdown behind us.”

‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING

Donald Trump speaking with Elon Musk

Musk eviscerated the original bill on social media. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Murray added, “The deal that was already agreed to would responsibly fund the government, offer badly needed disaster relief to communities across America, and deliver some good bipartisan policy reforms. The American people do not want chaos or a costly government shutdown all because an unelected billionaire wants to call the shots — I am ready to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass the bipartisan deal both sides negotiated as soon as possible.” 

After Musk and conservatives railed against the 1,547-page bill, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance ultimately condemned it as well, killing whatever chance it had left. 

Murray’s Friday statement came shortly after it was revealed that House Republicans were planning a new continuing resolution (CR) vote in the morning on a different proposal. It’s unclear whether negotiations are taking place across party lines or bicamerally, however. 

DOGE CAUCUS LEADER JONI ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS

President-elect Donald Trump

Trump pinned any shutdown on Biden. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters Friday morning that House Republicans were “very close to a deal” and that a vote could happen in the morning.

However, if that deal is not the original stopgap spending bill, it sounds like Murray and Democrats in the Senate would be prepared to oppose it. 

Murray also isn’t the only one who says they are prepared to let the government’s funding expire before the holiday. Several Republicans have expressed their willingness to let it shut down if Republicans aren’t able to get a better deal. 

PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE HASN’T HEARD FROM WEST POINT SINCE EMPLOYEE ‘ERROR’ DENYING HIS ACCEPTANCE

Sen. Patty Murray

Murray blasted Elon Musk’s involvement. (REUTERS/Jon Cherry)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump himself wrote on Truth Social Friday morning, “If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under ‘TRUMP.’ This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!”

Congress must pass a measure, and it must be signed by President Biden by midnight on Saturday morning in order to avoid a partial shutdown. 





Source link

House vote on ‘very similar’ spending bill expected Friday morning, GOP lawmaker says


The House is planning to vote on another CR proposal Friday morning to avert the looming partial government shutdown, a GOP lawmaker told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaking to reporters outside Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, said lawmakers are “very close to a deal” and that a vote could be held at 10 a.m. Friday.

“I do not believe the government is going to be shutting down. You guys will see some great stuff, very similar to President Trump’s plan yesterday,” the congresswoman said.

TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., attends a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing in Rayburn Building on Tuesday, February 7, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Luna also added that “there will be no deals with the Democrats.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown that was backed by Trump failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night. The bill needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass but failed to even net a majority, with two Democrats voting with the majority of Republicans to pass the bill and 38 GOP lawmakers against.



Source link

Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’


Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, predicted that House Speaker Mike Johnson would not retain the gavel next year and called for either Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the leadership role.

“I don’t think the speaker is going to remain in power,” Lee predicted during a Thursday night appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

The senator went on to say if he is correct, the next speaker should be a “DOGE speaker,” a reference to the Department of Governmental Efficiency. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead the effort to advocate for reduced government spending.

“Vivek, Elon if you’re watching, please sign up, America needs you,” Lee said.

TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FAILS HOUSE VOTE

Sen. Mike Lee

Sen Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at Findlay Toyota Center on Oct. 13, 2024 in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

In a Thursday morning post on X, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had floated the idea of Musk for House speaker.

“Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it .  . . nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds),” Paul posted Thursday morning.

This week, with the prospect of a potential partial government shutdown looming, conservatives railed against a 1,547-page government spending measure advocated by House Speaker Mike Johnson. 

President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance also weighed in, declaring in a statement, “Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling.”

Before a vote on Thursday, in which 38 House Republicans and most Democrats rejected a reworked proposal with a much lower page count, Trump lambasted Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., claiming that the lawmaker was “getting in the way, as usual, of having yet another Great Republican Victory – All for the sake of some cheap publicity for himself.”

“Weak and ineffective people like Chip have to be dismissed as being utterly unknowledgeable as to the ways of politics, and as to Making America Great Again,” Trump asserted in a Truth Social post.

TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS

President-elect Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort on Dec. 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Lee spoke highly of Roy after Trump trashed the Lone Star State lawmaker.

“There is not a more faithful advocate of conservative policy, constitutionally limited government, or MAGA principles than @ChipRoyTX,” Lee declared in a post on X. “President Trump will not have a more principled, hardworking ally than @ChipRoyTX,” he added. “If a more devoted advocate for the Constitution exists today, I have not met that person.”

Roy delivered a fiery speech ahead of the vote on Thursday, in which he blasted the new version of the spending proposal and the Republicans supporting it.

“Yes, I think this bill is better than it was yesterday on certain respects,” Roy noted, adding that to “congratulate yourself because it’s shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is asinine.”

Roy said he was “sickened by a party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility and has the temerity” to suggest the proposal was “fiscally responsible. It is absolutely ridiculous,” he asserted.

Sen. Paul, R-Ky., reposted a clip of Roy’s speech, and commented, “We are either fiscally conservative or not. An unlimited increase in the debt ceiling for 2 years is not fiscally conservative and should be rejected.”

MASSIE COMES OUT AGAINST JOHNSON RETAINING SPEAKER’S GAVEL: ‘HE DOES NOT HAVE MY VOTE’

Rep. Chip Roy

U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., speaks to the media after the House of Representatives failed to pass a government funding bill at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In a post on X, Roy noted, “Currently, I’m against raising the debt ceiling without major spending cuts/reform.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who like Roy, voted against passing the spending proposal on Thursday, suggested that instead of voting on a catchall measure, there should be multiple measures that receive individual votes.

“This isn’t complicated. Separate the bills and vote on them individually. one vote on the clean CR one vote on the debt limit one vote on disaster relief one vote on farm bailouts Radical right? Individual bills for each issue,” he posted.

Lee agreed with him. 

“Separate the bills,” he wrote. “Vote on them individually,” he added. “Revolutionary!”



Source link

Illegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country 5 times


Join Fox News for access to this content

You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in New York arrested a Mexican-born illegal immigrant who sexually abused a child after being removed from the country five times.

According to ICE, the criminal immigrant, 36-year-old Raymond Rojas Basilio, sexually abused an 11-year-old child in the U.S.

Rojas committed this crime after being removed from the country five times and then re-entering once again on an unknown date and at an unknown location, without admission by an immigration official.

The New York Police Department arrested Rojas on Aug. 28, 2023. He was then convicted of forcible touching of the intimate parts of an 11-year-old victim by the Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Sept. 20, 2024. The court sentenced him to 60 days of incarceration and six years’ probation and required him to register as a sex offender.

DRUNK IMMIGRANT KILLED 7 YEAR OLD MONTHS AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM ICE DETAINER

police car lights

D.C. police arrest 14-year-old, 16-year-old in connection with robbery that left DJ dead. (iStock)

New York ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents then arrested Rojas outside his residence in Queens on Dec. 17.

U.S. Border Patrol first arrested Rojas, following three separate attempts to unlawfully enter the U.S. near Douglas, Arizona, in May 2002.

Border protection officials then arrested Rojas again on Jan. 6, 2012, at Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, when he attempted to enter the country using a fake Arizona Driver’s License and U.S. birth certificate. Just days later, on Jan. 11, border authorities again removed Rojas after he attempted to enter the country using fraudulent documents at another port of entry in Nogales.   

New York ICE Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo commented on the arrest, saying: “This criminal has repeatedly shown he has absolutely no regard for our nation’s laws, as evidenced by his repeated attempts to unlawfully or fraudulently enter the United States.”

ICE NABS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN ALASKA, WASHINGTON STATE, OREGON, TEXAS WITH CONVICTIONS FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION

Lukeville, Arizona migrants

Dec. 5, 2023: Migrants flee through a gap being repaired in the border wall in Lukeville, Arizona. (Fox News)

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“As this case illustrates, it only takes one successful unlawful entry to do irreparable harm to a member of our community,” he continued.

He said that local “non-cooperation policies” in place had prevented ICE from taking immediate custody of Rojas following his sentencing by the Brooklyn court. 

“However, due to the diligence of our officers, ERO New York City was able to rapidly apprehend this public safety threat before he could harm any other New Yorkers,” said Genalo.

According to the statement, Rojas is currently in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico. 



Source link

Here’s a list of the 38 Republicans who defied Trump by voting ‘no’ on the failed spending bill


A bill to avert a partial government shutdown that was backed by President-elect Donald Trump failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night, pushing Congress closer to a government shutdown. 

The bill, which had won the approval of President-elect Donald Trump, still lost the approval of 38 Republicans. 

The deal roundly lost 235 to 174, scoring only 2 Democratic ‘yes’ votes and 197 Democratic nos. 

President-elect Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) are struggling to prevent a government shutdown.

President-elect Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) are struggling to prevent a government shutdown. (Getty Images)

It comes after two days of chaos in Congress as lawmakers fought among themselves about a path forward on government spending – a fight joined by Trump and his allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Meanwhile, the national debt has climbed to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion.

The new deal also includes several key policies unrelated to keeping the government open, but the 116-page bill is much narrower than its 1,547-page predecessor.

Donald Trump speaking with Elon Musk

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks with former president Donald Trump during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa.  (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

‘HELL NO’: HOUSE DEMS ERUPT OVER GOP SPENDING DEAL

Like the initial bill, the new iteration extended the government funding deadline through March 14 while also suspending the debt limit – something Trump had pushed for. It also included $110 billion in disaster relief and a farm bill extension. 

“Why would we give Joe Biden more money this late in his administration?” said Rep. Bob Good, D-Va., after the vote. “The money intended for disaster victims should have been paid for, there should have been offsets. 

The Democrats who voted ‘yes’ on the legislation were Reps. Kathy Castor, Fla., and Marie Gleusenkamp Perez, Wash. 

Left: Elon Musk; Right: Vivek Ramaswamy

Elon Musk, left, and Vivek Ramaswamy (Left: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Right: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Here’s a list of all the Republicans who voted ‘no’ on the legislation: 

Rep. Aaron Bean, Fla. 

Rep. Andy Biggs, Ariz.

Rep. Josh Brecheen, Okla.

Rep. Tim Burchett, Tenn.

Rep. Eric Burlison, Mo.

Rep. Kat Cammack, Fla. 

Rep. Michael Cloud, Texas

Rep. Andrew Clyde, Va.

Rep. Eli Crane, Ariz. 

Rep. John Curtis, Utah 

Rep. Jeff Duncan, S.C. 

Rep. Russ Fulcher, Idaho

Rep. Bob Good, Va. 

Rep. Paul Gosar, Ariz. 

Rep. Doug Lamborn, Colo.

Rep. Debbie Lesko, Ariz. 

Rep. Nancy Mace, S.C. 

Rep. Thomas Massie, Ky. 

Rep. Rich McCormick, Ga. 

Rep. Corey Mills, Fla. 

Rep. Alex Mooney, W. Va. 

Rep. Ralph Norman, S.C. 

Rep. Scott Perry, Pa. 

Rep. Chip Roy, Texas 

Rep. David Schweikert, Ariz. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Rep. Keith Self, Texas 

Rep. Victoria Spartz, Ind. 

Rep. Tom Tiffany, Wis. 

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, Texas 



Source link

Biden admin announces another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts


The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House.

The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness.

“Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday.

The action brings the total loan forgiveness approved by Biden to nearly $180 billion for nearly 5 million borrowers.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL

Biden stands over canceling student debt sign

Biden has approved nearly $180 billion in student loan handouts during his time in office. (Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“With the approval of another $4.28 billion in loan forgiveness for nearly 55,000 public servants, the Administration has secured nearly $180 billion in life-changing student debt relief for nearly five million borrowers,” Cardona said. “The U.S. Department of Education’s successful transformation of the PSLF Program is a testament to what’s possible when you have leaders, like President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are relentlessly and unapologetically focused on making government deliver for everyday working people.”

Biden speaks in Wisconsin

Biden announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts right before he is set to leave office. (Daniel Steinle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Biden-Harris administration touted the program for creating an “incentive” for public servants to “pursue and remain” in their careers by forgiving borrowers’ remaining balance after they made the 120 qualifying monthly payments.

DAD WHO SACRIFICED HIS SAVINGS TO PAY FOR SON’S COLLEGE CALLS STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS A ‘BITTER PILL’ 

“The relief announced today includes both borrowers who have benefitted from the Administration’s limited PSLF waiver, a temporary opportunity that ended in October 2022, as well as from regulatory improvements made to the program during this Administration,” the release said.

Split image of former President Trump and President Biden

President-elect Donald Trump and President Biden (Getty Images)

During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden pledged to forgive student loans for millions of Americans if elected, but the president has faced continuous legal roadblocks in his attempt to eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in debt.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

After the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s first attempt at providing broad-based student loan forgiveness, ruling it was an overreach of the executive branch’s authority under the Constitution, the president and his team began to work on other options to provide handouts.

President-elect Trump has not said specifically how he will approach the Biden administration’s student loan handout plans, but he has said he plans to rework the entire education system during his term.

Fox News Digital’s Audrie Spady contributed to this report.





Source link

Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate


The Senate’s top DOGE Republican will send 24 letters – one to each major federal agency head – demanding a halt to last-minute work-from-home negotiations before President Biden returns to Delaware.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate GOP Policy Committee, made the demand days after crafting legislation for 2025 that would “decentralize” and relocate one-third of the federal workforce outside Washington, D.C.

That bill’s lengthy acronym spells out “DRAIN THE SWAMP Act.”

Ernst said that not a single government agency’s office space is half-occupied two-plus years on from the COVID-19 pandemic, and she previously called for the Biden administration to sell off unused real estate for taxpayers’ benefit.

DOGE CAUCUS LEADER ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR ONE-THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS

In her letters, Ernst laid out that 90% of telework-eligible federal employees are still working from home and only 6% report they are working on a “full-time basis.” 

Additionally, she wrote that public-sector unions are purportedly “dictating personnel policy” without regard to federal directives from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), which is running up a massive tab and leading to wastes of time, space and money.

“The union bosses are rushing to lock in last minute, lavish long-term deals with the lame-duck Biden administration—extending beyond President Trump’s next term in office—guaranteeing that bureaucrats can stay at home for another four years or longer,” Ernst wrote in one letter prepped for Office of Personnel Management director Robert Shriver III.

“Apparently, protecting telework perks for public employees is a higher priority than showing up to serve American taxpayers,” she wrote, calling Biden’s submission to union demands “shocking and unacceptable.”

She noted it was a similarly liberal president who vociferously opposed unionization of public employees in the first place, as Democrat Franklin Roosevelt wrote in a letter to a union steward declining a 1937 invitation to a national federal employee union convention.

“All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service,” Roosevelt said.

TOP DOGE SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS ON PLAN TO EXHAUST CHIPS ACT FUNDS BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES

DOGE Caucus logo

Fox News Digital previewed the DOGE Caucus’s new logo along with an email hotline for Americans to send suggestions on government efficiency. (Fox News Digital)

“It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with government employee organizations.”

“The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress.”

Ernst suggested federal workers and their union representatives have forgotten Roosevelt’s warning, citing the last-minute push to ratify collective bargaining agreements and telework privilege pacts before President-elect Donald Trump can begin his oversight endeavors through DOGE.

Ernst pointed out situations she said show union bosses and career agency management have the “government wrapped around their finger.”

In the letters, she embedded a photo of former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley while he was serving as Biden’s Social Security Administration chief and who was wearing a Captain America T-shirt alongside a purported union official at a party.

Ernst cited news reports of O’Malley going to Florida to party with union members before endorsing a contract preventing easy reduction of work-from-home ability.

She said O’Malley spent the trip “crooning” Irish ballads on his guitar and drinking alcohol.

“This buddy-buddy relationship between the Social Security Commissioner and the union bosses representing his workforce during what is supposed to be a negotiation resulted in a contract unbelievably slanted towards the union and against the interests of taxpayers and the mission of the agency,” she said.

In another case, she pointed to Housing & Urban Development employees who may not have deserved the TFUT or “taxpayer-funded union time” they filed for.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Former Governor of Maryland Martin O'Malley takes the stage at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 27, 2016. REUTERS/Scott Audette - RTSJZFR

Former Baltimore mayor and ex-Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (Reuters)

One such worker successfully claimed compensation while in jail.

Ernst demanded the agencies report data on TFUT claims and payouts, unused or underused real estate holdings designated for use through collective bargaining, and any cases of each agency permitting unions or their employees to use department property at a discount or for free.

“Giving bureaucrats another four-year vacation from the office is unacceptable. Bureaucrats have had enough gap years—it’s time to get them back to work,” she said.

Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.



Source link

Some House Republicans privately furious at Musk, Ramaswamy after government shutdown talks implode


Some House Republicans are privately fuming after Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy got involved in congressional talks on government funding, leading the charge to tank a bipartisan deal.

Several GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely about a sensitive situation were either frustrated about the pair getting involved or believe they exacerbated long-standing weaknesses within the House Republican Conference.

“Musk and Vivek should not have jumped in at the 11th hour and should have handled it directly with the speaker. Folks on the same side shouldn’t act like these two,” one House Republican said. “They’re more about the clicks and bright lights than getting the job done. I’ll have nothing to do with them after watching them publicly trash the speaker.”

A second GOP lawmaker said, “If Elon and Vivek are freelancing and shooting off the hip without coordination with [President-elect Trump], they are getting dangerously close to undermining the actual 47th President of the United States.”

CAPITOL HILL BRACES FOR HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER $36T US DEBT CRISIS

Elon Musk and Mike Johnson split

Speaker Mike Johnson is in a political quagmire after Elon Musk helped tank his spending deal. (Getty Images)

A third lawmaker accused Ramaswamy of distorting facts.

“He didn’t read the entire [continuing resolution] and the vast majority of what he was talking about is misinformation,” they said.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was gearing up to hold a vote on a bipartisan, 1,547-page deal to extend current government funding levels through March 14 – known as a continuing resolution (CR).

The goal was to give congressional negotiators more time to cobble together an agreement on how to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2025, while also kicking the fight into a term where Republicans control the House, Senate and White House.

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE INTERIM SPENDING BILL

But GOP hardliners were furious about what they saw as unrelated measures and policy riders being added to the bill at the last minute.

In addition to averting a partial government shutdown through March 14, the bill also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, plus more than $100 billion in disaster aid funding, measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Ramaswamy at an Arizona campaign rally

One Republican accused Vivek Ramaswamy of spreading misinformation. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Musk and Ramaswamy soon joined the opposition, with Musk even threatening to back primary challengers to Republicans who supported the CR.

Less than 24 hours after the legislation was released, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told reporters the bill was dead.

House GOP leaders have been working toward a plan B, but it’s unclear they’ll get much, if any, Democratic support

A fourth House Republican who spoke with Fox News Digital said of Musk’s involvement, “I think he influenced weak members who didn’t have direction until he tweeted.”

“He’s just highlighting bad governance and indirectly a weak legislative branch,” they said.

JOHNSON HIT WITH POSSIBLE SPEAKERSHIP RIVALS AS CONSERVATIVES REBEL OVER GOVERNMENT FUNDING PLAN

President-elect Donald Trump

President-elect Trump at the Elysee Palace for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Dec. 7, 2024, in Paris. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

Trump, meanwhile, threatened to primary Republicans who supported a “clean” CR without an increase of the debt limit – which expires January 2025.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The issue threw a wrench into negotiations on Wednesday night, given the months-long and politically brutal talks that normally accompany a debt limit increase or suspension.

One Republican bristled at his threat: “Trump threatening to ‘primary’ us also reduces his standing with many of us. I don’t want anything to do with him.”



Source link

Red state leader unleashes lawsuit that could set off abortion ‘civil war’


Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a New York-based abortionist for violating Texas law by shipping abortion drugs into the state.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, however, is pushing back, saying a recently passed “shield law” protects abortion providers from prosecution by other states, setting the stage for what some call an abortion “civil war” scenario.

Paxton released a statement saying the out-of-state doctor “caused serious harm” to the Texas woman and explained he was launching the suit because “in Texas, we treasure the health and lives of mothers and babies, and this is why out-of-state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents.”

The lawsuit, filed in the federal District Court for Collin County, posits that New York abortionist Dr. Margaret Carpenter violated Texas law and endangered a 20-year-old Texas woman by illegally shipping drugs into the state without first conducting an in-person examination of the woman to determine the gestational age of her baby.

PRO-LIFE GROUPS SOUND OFF AFTER TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOT RESTRICT ABORTION PILLS: ‘SERIOUS AND GROWING THREAT’

Paxton presser

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference in Dallas on June 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Chemical abortions, which now account for more than 60% of all U.S. abortions, are known to present a risk of severe complications and infection in some cases. Despite this, the Biden administration further rolled back restrictions on chemical abortion, permanently allowing the drugs to be prescribed via telemedicine, shipped through mail and obtained at retail pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens.

Some states, however, including Texas, continue to restrict chemical abortion from being distributed through the mail or without a doctor’s consultation.

The 20-year-old Texas woman who obtained the abortion pills from Carpenter ended up being admitted to a local hospital because of a hemorrhage or severe bleeding as a result of the drugs, according to the Paxton lawsuit.

“Carpenter provided abortion-inducing drugs to the pregnant Collin County woman, which caused an adverse event or abortion complication and resulted in a medical abortion,” the suit claims. “Carpenter’s knowing and continuing violations of Texas law places women and unborn children in Texas at risk.”

HOSPITAL THAT DELAYED EMERGENCY ABORTION BEARS BLAME FOR GEORGIA WOMAN’S DEATH, FAMILY’S LAWYER CLAIMS

Drug bottles

Bottles of abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol are seen at a clinic in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

The suit requests civil penalties and a permanent block on Carpenter from sending more abortion drugs to Texas women.

However, New York state has a so-called “shield” law that explicitly protects abortion providers from prosecution for prescribing abortion pills to patients in states where it is illegal. This is the first legal challenge to be launched by a state pitting one set of abortion laws against that of another.

Hochul responded to the Texas lawsuit by saying, “I will do everything in my power to enforce the laws of New York State.”

“No doctor should be punished for providing necessary care to their patients,” she said, adding, “As Texas attempts to limit women’s rights, I’m committed to maintaining New York’s status as a safe harbor for all who seek abortion care, and protecting the reproductive freedom of all New Yorkers.”

JUDGE BLOCKS NY AG LETITIA JAMES FROM TRYING TO SILENCE PREGNANCY CENTERS THAT PROMOTE ABORTION PILL REVERSAL

Hochul at a press conference

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during a press announcement at the Governor’s office in New York on Nov. 14. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Experts believe the Texas challenge could eventually be bound for the Supreme Court.

Kristi Hamrick, vice president of media and policy for the pro-life group Students for Life Action, told Fox News Digital that she is hopeful the Texas lawsuit makes its way to the Supreme Court so that it could re-examine the question of national safeguards on abortion pills.

Hamrick said that though the Supreme Court ruled against re-implementing abortion pill restrictions in a case called AHM v. FDA earlier this year, the court made it clear it was not shutting the door on restoring the safeguards through another case.

“The Supreme Court did not say that everything with the pills was great, they could be sold as they were [and] there were no problems with the pills,” she explained. “What the Supreme Court said is you need to go back and start again, you’ve come to us with the wrong victims, they didn’t have what the court called ‘standing.’” 

BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PRESSURING AFRICAN COUNTRY TO ADOPT LAX ABORTION LAWS IN EXCHANGE FOR FOREIGN AID: REPORT

Abortion showdown at Supreme Court

Anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights activists are separated by a barrier as they protest outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., ahead of arguments in the Mississippi abortion rights case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health on Dec. 1, 2021. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“So, the three states have already joined in saying we have standing, we are a victim because we are paying higher emergency room bills because of these pills,” she went on. “The state has a right to defend its laws. So, the state, on the face of it, has a right to defend itself and its laws and the laws of its citizens and its duly elected representatives. So, yeah, they have standing.”

Students for Life Action recently launched its own challenge against abortion pills in the form of what is called a “citizen petition.” The petition demands the FDA delay its plans to broaden the use of abortion drugs once again, this time to treat miscarriages, until the agency re-examines how the pills are contaminating the nation’s water supply.

“The Biden-Harris administration during COVID essentially created a de facto right to pollute and that pathological medical waste [from abortion pills] is going into the water supply across America, no one is checking on that,” she said. “Abortion and miscarriage are not the same. But if you’re going to conflate that and then hand out even more of these drugs without any environmental assessment, without any sense of the health and safety risks, that is reckless and dangerous and that is federal.”



Source link

‘America first’ vs. ‘America last’: What does Trump’s return mean for US foreign policy?


As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House next month, what sort of foreign policy can Americans expect during his second stint in the Oval Office?

Trump will pursue an “America first foreign policy,” J. Michael Waller, senior analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy, suggested during an interview with Fox News Digital, describing Biden’s approach as “America last.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is advocating for the soon-to-be commander in chief to significantly increase military spending in a bid to build up the nation’s “hard power.”

The long-serving lawmaker is also warning against an isolationist approach to foreign policy, asserting in a piece on Foreign Affairs that “the response to four years of weakness must not be four years of isolation.”

MCCONNELL WARNS RFK JR. TO STEER CLEAR OF THE POLIO VACCINE

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., takes a question from a reporter during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“Trump would be wise to build his foreign policy on the enduring cornerstone of U.S. leadership: hard power. To reverse the neglect of military strength, his administration must commit to a significant and sustained increase in defense spending, generational investments in the defense industrial base, and urgent reforms to speed the United States’ development of new capabilities and to expand allies’ and partners’ access to them,” McConnell contended.

“To pretend that the United States can focus on just one threat at a time, that its credibility is divisible, or that it can afford to shrug off faraway chaos as irrelevant is to ignore its global interests and its adversaries’ global designs,” he argued.

Waller, who authored the book “Big Intel,” explained that America-first foreign policy does not mean isolationism. 

“It means for the United States to define its national interests very strictly,” without suggesting that every crisis around the globe is “of vital, existential interest to our country,” he noted.

Waller opined that in Foreign Affairs McConnell was seeking to “maintain the uniparty consensus for the United States’ present global commitments that are stretching us beyond our means … without even stepping back to reassess what is really in our national interests and how can we best marshal our resources to ensure them.”

Fox News Digital attempted to reach out to request comment from McConnell, but did not receive a response.

US ‘CLOSER THAN EVER’ TO REACHING HOSTAGE DEAL BECAUSE OF TRUMP, GOP REP SAYS

Trump has tapped Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for secretary of state, a choice Waller graded as a “really good pick.” 

Regarding the ongoing UkraineRussia conflict, Rubio has said that the U.S. is funding a “stalemate war.”

Trump has called for a ceasefire.

“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse,” he declared in a post on Truth Social.

FETTERMAN MEETS WITH TRUMP NOMINEES, PLEDGES ‘OPEN-MIND AND AN INFORMED OPINION’ FOR CONFIRMATION VOTES

Rep. Marco Rubio

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump has also called for the release of hostages in the Middle East, warning in a post on Truth Social that if they are not released by when he assumes office, “there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America,” he declared.



Source link

ICE deportations catch up to Trump-era numbers in FY 2024 as Biden admin comes to a close


Deportations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) caught up to levels seen during the Trump administration in Fiscal Year 2024, just as the number of illegal immigrants not in ICE detention soared to new highs.

The annual ICE report released Thursday shows that ICE deported 271,484 illegal immigrants to 192 different countries in fiscal year 2024. Of those, 32.7% had criminal histories and 237 were known or suspected terrorists.

It’s a significant increase from more than 142,000 deported in FY 23, and around 72,000 in FY 2022. In FY 2020, the last year of the Trump administration and which coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, there were around 185,000 deportations and in FY 2019 there were 267,000 deportations. 

TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM EYES EXPANSION OF ANKLE MONITORS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOT IN CUSTODY

However, those numbers also include removals of those encountered by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border, which typically make up the vast majority of ICE deportations. Of removals of those arrested in the interior by ICE itself, just 47,000 illegal immigrants were deported, compared to 44,255 last fiscal year and 28,204 in FY 2022. 

President-elect Donald Trump

President-Elect Donald Trump at the Elysee Palace for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, France. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

That compared to 62,739 in FY 2020 in the last full year of the Trump administration and 85,958 conducted in FY 2019, nearly double that of FY 2024.

ICE says that its resources were strained by having to shift staff and attention to the southern border to help with the migrant crisis, as well as an increase in those released into the interior.

“In addition, ERO detailed significant numbers of its personnel to support DHS efforts for managing irregular migration at the Southwest Border over the past several fiscal years, further straining ERO’s finite resources,” the report says.

Consequently, it says the number of arrests by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) dropped in FY 2024.

“In FY 2024, ERO arrested 113,431 noncitizens — a 33.5% decrease from FY 2023, when ERO conducted a total of 170,590 arrests,” the report said. “Although shifts in arrest numbers are driven by multiple complex factors, many of ERO’s resources throughout FY 2024 were concentrated on processing and removing noncitizens at the Southwest Border, limiting interior law enforcement actions. This focus on border cases impacted routine interior enforcement operations.”

Both ICE arrests and the number of deportations of those arrested by ICE are expected to increase under the next administration, which has indicated it intends to drop the restrictions put on ICE during the Biden administration and launch a “historic” mass deportation campaign.

‘STANDING BY TO HELP:’ RED STATE REVEALS PLAN TO PURCHASE BORDER WALL MATERIALS TO STORE FOR TRUMP

In this undated photo, ICE agents arrest an illegal immigrant.

In this undated photo, ICE agents arrest an illegal immigrant. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE))

That promise was a centerpiece of Trump’s 2024 campaign and his team are already making concrete steps towards that goal. It has already drawn resistance from some Democrats, but also some support from others in cities that have been overwhelmed by the massive migrant influx that the country has seen since 2021.

The scope of that challenge is emphasized by the ICE report, which shows that the number of illegal immigrants on ICE’s non-detained docket has exploded during the Biden administration to nearly 7.7 million, more than doubling what it was when Trump left office. It was at 3.2 million at the end of FY 2020.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

The non-detained docket is made up of illegal immigrants in deportation proceedings, who are not in ICE custody, but who may be in federal, state or local custody or in forms of monitoring. 

This includes illegal immigrants who were caught and released at the border and are waiting for their court dates, as well as illegal aliens who have already been ordered deported by a DOJ immigration judge after already having their cases heard. 

Fox has previously reported that there are over 1.4 million illegal immigrants in the US with final orders of removal, meaning they have been ordered deported but are still in the U.S. The report revealed that ther were more than 701,000 Venezuelan illegal immigrants on ICE’s non-detained docket, but only 1,470 were in ICE detention.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Meanwhile, despite a surge into the U.S. of more than 500,000 unaccompanied migrant children into the U.S. during the Biden administration, just 411 were removed in FY 2024, an increase from the 212 in FY 2023. For comparison, more than 4,000 were removed in FY 20202.





Source link

FOX EXCLUSIVE: ICE arrests four illegal migrants convicted of child molestation in blue state


EXCLUSIVE: Baltimore ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officials on Thursday arrested eight migrants, including four convicted of child molestation and one murderer, in suburban Maryland. 

The arrests happened during an exclusive Fox News ride-along with the government agency. 

One of the migrants apprehended was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor and exposing himself in public several times. Another migrant, from the Philippines, was previously convicted of molesting a 10-year-old girl.

According to ICE, the one migrant convicted of murder was living in the U.S. on a permanent visa status.

MIGRANT CRIME PROBLEM ‘COURTESY’ OF BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, DEMOCRATIC PARTY: REP. PETE SESSIONS 

ICE agents immigration

ICE agents conduct an enforcement operation in the U.S. interior on June 2, 2022. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

“The people we are out for are the worst of the worst,” Baltimore field office Director Matthew Elliston told Fox News’ David Spunt. “It’s not the average person who is in the country illegally. If we are targeting you, there is a reason.”

The goal is simple for the Baltimore ICE Field Office: arrest and then deport as many illegal migrants with criminal records as possible. ICE agents’ goal at the start of the day was to capture eight targets, and all eight targets are now in custody.

Now all eight of those migrants are behind bars and await hearings in front of immigration judges and potential deportation.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH FOR ON IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY IN 2025

Raul-Calderon-Interiano-ICE-custody

Raul Calderon-Interiano, who is in the U.S. illegally and convicted of sex crimes in Baltimore, is apprehended by ICE officials. (ICE)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to ICE data obtained by the House Homeland Security Committee in September, there are at least 650,000 criminal illegal immigrants on the agency’s “non-detained docket,” meaning they are free in the U.S. interior. Of those, 14,944 are murderers and over 20,000 have been convicted of sexual assault.

Although not officially a sanctuary state, Maryland, which is led by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and a majority Democratic state assembly, is considered immigrant friendly. The city of Baltimore, meanwhile, has an official policy that does not allow law enforcement to ask residents about their immigration status.

ICE data indicates that Baltimore ERO arrested 570 migrants with either a criminal conviction or a pending criminal charge in fiscal year 2024.



Source link

Fox News Politics: Musing About a Speaker Musk


Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

What to expect as Republicans try to salvage spending package, avoid government shutdown

Georgia appeals court disqualifies DA Fani Willis and her team from Trump election interference case

Paris Hilton-backed bill aimed at stopping abuse at child treatment facilities heads to Biden’s desk

Dr. Paul’s Prescription for Treating ‘Uniparty’

The chaotic collapse of the continuing resolution spending bill is putting House Speaker Mike Johnson’s, R-La., leadership under the spotlight and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has floated the idea of replacing him with Elon Musk, President-elect Trump’s pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Paul took to Musk’s X on Thursday morning to pitch the idea of the tech billionaire taking the House speaker’s gavel, noting that the speaker does not need to be a sitting member of Congress.

“The Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress… Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk… think about it… nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds),” wrote Paul, a staunchly libertarian conservative on fiscal matters…Read more

Elon Musk and Mike Johnson split

Speaker Mike Johnson, left, may face a leadership battle over his handling of the spending bill, with Sen. Rand Paul suggesting he be replaced by Elon Musk. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images, left, and Antonio Masiello/Getty Images, right. )

White House

COMPETING PRIORITIES: Biden sets economy-wide climate target: reducing emissions 61-66 percent in 2035 from 2005 levels…Read more

HEADING FOR THE EXIT: Where’s Biden? Lame-duck president slammed for ‘quiet quitting’ amid major government funding battle…Read more

Joe and Jill Biden walking through churchyard

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church in Wilmington, Del., on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. Wednesday marks the 52nd anniversary of the car crash that killed Joe Biden’s first wife Neilia Hunter Biden and 13-month-old daughter Naomi. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

‘BAD DAYS’: Biden admin officials noticed stamina issues in president’s first few months in office: report…Read more

Trump Transition

‘ENTIRELY DEAD’: Trump cheers disqualification of ‘corrupt’ Fani Willis, says case is ‘entirely dead’…Read more

KENNEDY CAUCUS: ‘Make America Healthy Again’ caucus launched by Sen Marshall after RFK Jr meeting…Read more

THREAT TO SAFETY: DOJ seeks to block Jan. 6 defendants from attending Trump inauguration…Read more

Jan. 6 Capitol riot shot in main photo, inset has DOJ seal

TURF WAR: House GOP campaign chair says Trump victory means ‘we’re going to be on offense’ in ’26 midterms…Read more

CLOCK IS TICKING: Trump issues new spending bill demands with government shutdown looming…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘GOING ON OFFENSE’: Tim Scott’s Senate campaign arm staff revealed ahead of crucial 2026 swing state races…Read more

‘DOES NOT HAVE MY VOTE’: Massie comes out against Johnson retaining speaker’s gavel: ‘He does not have my vote’…Read more

TECH REVOLUTION: Experts praise long-awaited AI report from Congress: ‘A thoughtful and forward-thinking framework’…Read more

illustration of flying 0s and 1s digital display over a US Capitol image

Flying Through Data Structures (Getty images)

BACK TO WORK: DOGE Caucus leader Joni Ernst eyes relocation out of DC for third of federal workers…Read more

SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to What Happened to the Interim Spending Bill…Read more

SHUTDOWN BASICS: Here’s what happens during a partial government shutdown…Read more

TRUMP’S TAKE: Johnson will ‘easily remain speaker’ if he does this one thing, president-elect says…Read more

House Speaker Mike Johnson closeup shot

WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 25:  Newly elected Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks with Speaker pro tempore Patrick McHenry (R) (R-NC) in the House chamber after his election at the U.S. Capitol on October 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. After a contentious nominating period that has seen four candidates over a three-week period, Johnson was voted in to succeed former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who was ousted on October 4 in a move led by a small group of conservative members of his own party (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

MCCONNELL HAS THOUGHTS…: ‘America first’ vs. ‘America last’: What does Trump’s return mean for US foreign policy?…Read more

‘SHOOTING FROM THE HIP’: Some House Republicans privately furious at Elon Musk after government shutdown talks implode…Read more

‘PRESIDENT MUSK’: Dems complain the Tesla chief is running the show on GOP spending drama…Read more

PORK BARREL SPENDING: Here’s what’s in the spending bill that’s drawing the ire of Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy…Read more

Across America

FIRST ON FOX: Alex Soros and Huma Abedin hold star-studded engagement party at Anna Wintour’s home…Read more

Huma Abedin, left, with Alex Soros

Huma Abedin and Alexander Soros attend The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2024 in New York City. (Cindy Ord/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

‘WOKE’ IS BROKE: State revamps curriculum, bans ‘woke garbage’ to teach all aspects of Obama-Biden-Trump era…Read more

ICE HEATS UP: ICE deportations catch up to Trump era in FY 2024 as Biden era comes to a close…Read more

ABORTION CIVIL WAR: Texas launches high stakes abortion pill lawsuit likely bound for Supreme Court…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.



Source link