Conservative lawmakers wary over slowdown in government funding fight: ‘We punted’
Several conservatives told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that they don’t expect any votes on the House’s remaining appropriations bills until the new year — a move they’re concerned will cost Republicans valuable time in negotiations. “I guess we’ll take it up in January. We punted. I hate that we did it the way we did it,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the hardline-right House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital. “This body is good — Republicans and Democrats are good at spending taxpayers’ money, and they’re not good at cutting anything.” Lawmakers returned on Tuesday from a Thanksgiving break and will recess again until January on Dec. 15. Just before leaving, Congress passed a temporary extension of last year’s government funding levels, but with two separate deadlines: passing appropriations bills concerning military construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Transportation; and Housing and Urban Development by Jan. 19, while the remaining eight appropriations bills must be worked out by Feb. 2. HOUSE PASSES BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SPEAKER JOHNSON NOTCHES FIRST BIG LEGISLATIVE WIN While the measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), allowed Congress to avoid a government shutdown over the holidays, Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital he believed it also dampened the urgency for Congress to make a deal. “All we’ve done with these two CRs is kick the can down the road. We still have a tough road ahead of us. We’ve got to get on with our business,” Self said. “We took the pressure off with the CRs. This town needs a deadline. When you moved the deadline out, it takes pressure off. This town responds to pressure. Otherwise, we’re happy to just let things go.” JOHNSON’S FIRST WEEKS AS SPEAKER MARKED BY GOP INFIGHTING — AND SOME VICTORIES He said the House should be “pushing hard” on its remaining spending bills or “sitting down with the Senate daily” to discuss a deal. The House has passed seven of 12 individual appropriations bills it has pledged to fund the government in the next fiscal year. Before that, the Senate passed its own three spending bills in a joint “minibus” and is potentially weighing a similar effort with the other nine. “We need to start discussing this stuff. You know, we’re following that same old trap where we get down, and then leadership comes from on high and tells us what we’re going to do,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Fox News Digital. “I would hope they start listening to us on some of these spending measures.” But the government funding fight has been fraught with intra-GOP divisions for months. Before the CR passed, House leaders were forced to pull spending bills from the vote schedule multiple times over objections from both moderates and conservatives. SPEAKER JOHNSON ROLLS OUT PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PREVENT ‘SPENDING MONSTROSITY’ One senior GOP aide said those disagreements were the reason for the apparent slowdown. “I think people are worn out. I think they have to discuss behind the scenes if we can un-jam any of the ones that we have that are jammed up,” the aide told Fox News Digital. “We threw everything at the wall trying to get these appropriations bills passed. We couldn’t. So I just don’t think there’s going to be a breakthrough at the moment.” A GOP lawmaker who spoke with Fox News Digital said conversations between the top appropriators in the House and Senate were “ongoing” and downplayed the public delay. “I don’t know that there’s a clear benefit to moving them at this point. I mean, the rules of the House indicate that our official negotiating position can be set when something’s passed out of appropriations or passed out of the rules… We’ve got our marching orders for all 12 bills, we’re in a position to be able to negotiate with the Senate, we should go negotiate with Senate,” the lawmaker said.
GOP senators, House conservatives to call for ‘fiscal sanity’ and stronger border security
GOP lawmakers in Congress will hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to urge the House and Senate to pass appropriations bills and a national security aid package that secure “fiscal sanity” and tougher border security measures, such as higher asylum standards. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., will lead the press conference alongside members of the House Freedom Caucus and Sens. Mike Braun, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Roger Marshall. A source familiar told Fox News Digital the press conference will also focus heavily on aid to Ukraine negotiations. “For years, too many in Congress – and I’m talking about both parties and Republican leadership – have just accepted the status quo with CR’s [Continuing Resolutions] or stood idly by as Democrats shoved through massive spending package after massive spending package with no consideration of the consequences. We can’t squander it,” Scott is expected to say, Fox News Digital learned exclusively. “I’ve had enough. Families have had enough. When I talk to Florida families, and hear how Biden’s inflation crisis is affecting them, they need us to fix this ASAP,” Scott is expected to say. “So now Republicans in the Senate need to stand with our colleagues in the House as they force the return of fiscal sanity in Washington by passing spending bills that get us on the path to a balanced budget, so we can get our country back on track.” GOP LEADERSHIP SAYS NATIONAL SECURITY PACKAGE MUST INCLUDE STRICTER BORDER POLICIES TO PASS SENATE SEN MARSHALL URGES GOP TO SAY ‘HELL NO’ TO SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST WITHOUT TIGHTER BORDER SECURITY Tensions are high as both chambers are expected to vote on an emergency supplemental bill as early as next week that the Biden administration requested in October. That package requested $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel (with $10.6 billion allocated for military aid), $13.6 billion for some border provisions like speeding up asylum processing, and significant investments in Indo-Pacific security assistance, totaling around $7.4 billion. Additionally, there’s $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. In January and February, Congress will also have to finalize an annual budget for the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested creating two separate deadlines for funding different parts of the government in an effort to prevent Congress from lumping all 12 spending bills into a massive “omnibus” package. Bills concerning military construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development must be worked out by Jan. 19 while the remaining eight appropriations bills must be decided upon by Feb. 2. SCHUMER TO SEND BIDEN’S $106 BILLION SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE REQUEST TO SENATE FLOOR AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Whitmer’s sister drops from NY House race, endorses progressive Dem for high stakes GOP-controlled seat
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s sister, Liz Whitmer Gereghty, on Wednesday suspended her campaign for the House in New York’s 17th congressional district. In announcing her exit from the contest as Democrats vie to reclaim the seat won by GOP Rep. Mike Lawler in 2022, Gereghty endorsed former congressman Mondaire Jones. Jones is running a comeback campaign to flip back the once-reliably blue district now considered swing territory in 2024. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC dedicated to electing Republicans to the House of Representatives, billed Jones as an “extreme progressive” who supports Medicare-for-all and the Green New Deal and has backed calls to defund police, along with the abolition of cash bail. “When we started this journey, we had one goal: to ensure the Hudson Valley was no longer represented by an anti-choice, shape-shifting extremist out of step with our values,” Gereghty said in a statement. “Mike Lawler and his allies are more interested in regulating women than the weapons of war flooding our nation. They are working to defund public schools and don’t want you to notice that Congress’ inaction on common sense gun legislation impacts your property taxes when schools have to increase spending on security to keep our students safe.” FORMER DEMOCRATIC REP MONDAIRE JONES LAUNCHES COMEBACK BID FOR CRUCIAL SEAT THAT HELPED GOP TAKE HOUSE Billing Lawler as a former oil and gas lobbyist “more interested in saving gas stoves than preventing childhood asthma and working to protect the planet for future generations,” Gereghty went on to explain her reasoning for endorsing Jones. “I remain committed to doing everything possible to elect Democrats across the board in 2024, especially here in NY-17,” she wrote. “Uniting our party and focusing our resources on taking back the House is critical to fighting back against the radical extremism plaguing our politics.” Lawler, who snatched his House seat from then-chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Sean Patrick Maloney in a shocking upset for Democrats, reacted to Gereghty dropping out on X, saying, “That Liz did not find traction in today’s Democratic Party speaks volumes.” “It’s clear New York Democrats would rather support a ‘defund the police’ and open borders radical, with one of most [sic] partisan voting records in Congress, and who proudly referred to himself as a socialist and Squad-adjacent,” Lawler wrote. “Voters in the Hudson Valley will reject that next year.” REP. MONDAIRE JONES DOUBLES DOWN ON HIS CLAIMS THAT OPPONENTS TO DC STATEHOOD ARE ‘RACIST’ The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) noted how Jones told Teen Vogue during a June 2020 interview that “Congress must cease all funding that militarizes police forces, repeal the 1994 Crime Bill that accelerated mass incarceration, and abolish cash bail,” adding, “We must dismantle white supremacy in all aspects of our society, and that means moving funding away from police departments.” Jones was also forced to apologize last month over a social media post some people, including members of his own party, considered antisemitic. “New York Democrats are demonstrating just how out of touch they are with everyday voters by backing a radical socialist, who wants to open our borders and defund the police,” CLF communications director Courtney Parella said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Voters in New York are looking for a common-sense leader like Mike Lawler to represent their interests in Washington, not a progressive socialist like Mondaire Jones, who will absolutely put his extreme agenda over what New Yorkers want.” Jones wrote Wednesday on X, “Last night, Liz Whitmer Gereghty called to tell me she’s suspending her campaign. I thanked her for her contributions to our community. I’m honored to have Liz’s endorsement and ready to work together to defeat Mike Lawler, who masquerades as a moderate on television but votes like an extreme MAGA Republican.”
Dem senators tell White House any further assistance to Israel ‘must be consistent with our interests’
More than a dozen Democratic senators visited the White House this week, where they discussed the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, the impact it has had on Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and what steps the Biden administration would take after the temporary cease-fire expires. U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Jack Reed, D-R.I., were joined by over a dozen of their Democratic colleagues for a meeting with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Tuesday. The named lawmakers then released a statement on Wednesday detailing what was discussed. According to the statement, the senators condemned the brutal terror attacks by Hamas, expressed support for funds to immediately replenish Israel’s defensive systems, and tasked the White House with detailing its plan to support Israel in a way that advances U.S. interests. “We continue to support additional assistance to Israel in the aftermath of the brutal Hamas attacks – but we are all in agreement that this assistance must be consistent with our interests and values and used in a manner that adheres to international humanitarian law, the law of armed conflict, and U.S. law,” the Democrats said. They added: “We need to find a better path toward helping Israel achieve legitimate military and security objectives. U.S. assistance has never come in the form of a blank check – regardless of the recipient.” ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR: US LOOKS TO INCREASE AID INTO GAZA THROUGH EGYPT, INCLUDES WARNING FOR ISRAEL The statement comes as Israel and Hamas extended a temporary cease-fire for several more days – with another potential extension being negotiated. The temporary truce included the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel as well as an opportunity to provide humanitarian relief to Palestinians in Gaza. In the letter, the Democratic lawmakers specifically condemned Hamas for initiating a terror attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the current conflict. IDF CHIEF SAYS ISRAEL ‘PREPARED TO CONTINUE FIGHTING,’ VOWS TO ‘DISMANTLE HAMAS’ AFTER CEASE-FIRE EXPIRES “Following the brutal terror attacks that Hamas conducted against Israel, America has stood united in our support for Israel’s duty to defend itself and hold Hamas accountable,” the Democrats said. “We believe the U.S. should immediately provide Israel with funding to support this effort, including funds to replenish its defensive systems.” ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND EXPRESSES ‘HOPE’ HAMAS WILL RELEASE MORE AMERICAN HOSTAGES ‘IN THE DAYS TO COME’ “But to better understand the efficacy of U.S. funding that supports Israel’s operations inside Gaza, we requested answers from the President on how these funds are being used in order to ensure they support an Israeli strategy that will effectively degrade and defeat the threat from Hamas while taking all possible measures to protect civilians in Gaza,” they added, referencing a letter they sent to President Biden that expressed similar sentiments. “In our letter to President Biden, we raised several key issues, including maintaining a focus on returning hostages, reducing civilian casualties, delivering humanitarian aid, establishing a plan for post-war governance and the future of the region, and addressing extremist violence in the West Bank. During yesterday’s briefing, we had an opportunity to discuss with the Administration each of the questions raised in our letter,” they said in Wednesday’s statement. “As we expressed in the meeting, we are grateful for their leadership in negotiating a temporary ceasefire to secure the release of many hostages and to allow some desperately needed humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” they said. “But as the end of the temporary ceasefire looms ahead, we must do more to ensure the protection of innocent civilians.” The Democrats also said they were “gravely concerned” about a resumption in fighting between Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas, which they said “threatens to once again renew the high rate of civilian casualties and further deepen the humanitarian crisis.” They also urged President Biden, who has received criticism for his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, to publicly address his strategy, saying “the Administration must provide transparent responses to the American people on these matters.” The current truce is scheduled to expire on Nov. 30.
Michigan Gov Whitmer signs sweeping green energy bill forcing transition from fossil fuels
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a landmark legislative package that requires state power providers to meet some of the most aggressive green energy goals in the country. Whitmer was joined by fellow state Democrats, climate activists and industry stakeholders during a ceremony Tuesday where she signed the seven green energy bills that aim to reduce Michigan’s reliance on fossil fuels and improve environmental quality statewide. The topline target mandated under the so-called Clean Energy Future plan is a 100% clean energy standard that must be met within two decades. “Once I sign these bills, Michigan becomes a national leader on clean energy, bringing billions of federal tax dollars home and private investment into our communities,” Whitmer remarked before signing the legislation. “Together, we are protecting our air, our water and our land while focusing on tackling climate change head on. Today is a huge win for Michigan families, for Michigan businesses, and for future generations of Michiganders.” “Our clean energy future is ambitious, but it is achievable,” she continued. “I have no doubt that, if we pursue this wholeheartedly, we can get it done because, in Michigan, we’re not afraid of hard things. We have defied and defined history so many times before, and I know we are up to it again. We will lead the clean energy future because we have the workforce, and now the legislation, to foster strong economic growth.” CALIFORNIA’S GRID FACES COLLAPSE AS LEADERS PUSH RENEWABLES, ELECTRIC VEHICLES, EXPERTS SAY Senate Bill 271, one of the bills included in the package, establishes a renewable energy standard of 50% by 2030 and 60% by 2035, meaning electric utilities meet at least that share of their electric generation capacity with renewable energy credits or direct renewable energy generation. That mandate supersedes previous laws requiring utilities to achieve a 15% renewable energy standard through 2029. In addition, under the bill, utility providers must meet an 80% clean energy standard by 2035 and a 100% clean energy standard set to be achieved by 2040. The clean energy standard would include natural gas-fired generation with 90% carbon capture, a nascent and expensive technology that hasn’t been deployed at any power plant nationwide. TEXAS VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVE MEASURE GREENLIGHTING MORE FOSSIL FUEL DEVELOPMENT And the Michigan Clean Energy Future plan transfers permitting authority for large-scale green energy projects from local control to Michigan Public Service Commission, the state regulator. The move would ensure such projects move forward over widespread local opposition. The Michigan state Senate ultimately approved the package late last month and the state House of Representatives subsequently passed it earlier this month. The legislation was passed by slim majorities in both chambers, which are both simultaneously under Democratic control for the first time since the 1980s. “Let’s face it, Gov. Whitmer is trying to build her national profile with the Democrat Party,” Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall told Fox News Digital in an interview. “I think in order for her to build her brand with the far left and the Democrat Party, she felt she had to try to one up them here in Michigan.” He noted that Whitmer originally proposed a ban on natural gas and full renewable energy standard by 2035, a proposal that was ultimately watered down in the bills she signed Tuesday. “There is no fuel source that we have that’s as clean and efficient, reliable and affordable as natural gas,” Hall continued. “When you’re replacing that artificially with other sources of energy that are just not as efficient, they take huge capital costs and you have to build a lot more of them to get the same power, that cost gets passed on to the ratepayers of the state, which are manufacturers, they’re small businesses and they’re individuals. They’re going to see their energy bills go up.” DEM GOVERNOR WITHDRAWS ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE IN STUNNING BLOW TO ENVIRONMENTALISTS Under the Clean Energy Future plan, the average monthly electric bill would be nearly double the current average in coming decades, according to a recent report from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a free market think tank which analyzed the package of energy bills. The report further warns that overall grid reliability would be severely diminished under the plan. “The biggest thing is prices are going to go up, reliability is going to go way down and people are going to be left sitting in the cold in Michigan in January, like our modeling shows, for as much as 61 hours without electric service because of these plans,” Jason Hayes, the Mackinac Center’s director of energy and environmental policy and one of the report’s authors, previously told Fox News Digital. “Where if we decided to do it with reliable sources of energy like fossil fuels, we could do it for far less and avoid those outages, avoid the blackouts. So, to me, it seems a no-brainer. We should be doing it for less money and more reliability,” he continued. Hayes added that the intermittent nature of solar and wind, meaning they produce less power relative to their total generation capacity, could create instability. Green energy developers and government officials often highlight total capacity of new renewable power projects, but fail to mention how much actual power the project is expected to produce. Solar panels, for example, produce just 25% and wind turbines produce 34% of their listed capacity, according to federal data. Coal, natural gas and nuclear power plants, meanwhile, produce 49%, 54% and 93% of their listed capacity, respectively. Meanwhile, according to Energy Information Administration data reviewed by Fox News Digital, Michigan routinely ranks among the top five states in residential use of natural gas and in the top 10 for total natural gas consumption. More than 75% of Michigan residents rely on natural gas as their primary source for home heating. Natural gas-fired power plants produce by far the largest share of the state’s electricity, the most recent data showed, followed by nuclear energy and coal-fired power. By comparison, solar and
Schumer decries antisemitism in impassioned Senate speech: ‘Jewish people feel isolated,’ ‘deep fear’
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered a 40-minute speech on the Senate floor Wednesday morning against the rise of antisemitism in the U.S. since the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on Oct. 7. “I feel compelled to speak because I’m the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in America,” Schumer said on the floor Wednesday. “In fact, the highest-ranking Jewish elected official ever in American history.” Schumer listed several incidents across the country that unfolded after Oct. 7 as evidence of the threat Jewish Americans feel they’re under. Schumer highlighted boycotts on unrelated Jewish businesses, swastikas on delis, verbal abuse with references to Hitler, threats toward a Jewish senator, harassment and violence against Jewish students, and a left-wing magazine labeling a pro-Israel rally as a “hate rally.” CONGRESS FEELING HEAT FROM GROUPS DEMANDING BAN ON CONTRACTS WITH CHINESE FIRM TAKING AMERICANS’ DNA Schumer also condemned the “Free Palestine” slogan that protesters across the country have chanted – “From the river to the sea” – and called it a “violently antisemitic message.” “But rather than call out this dangerous behavior for what it is, we see so many of our friends and fellow citizens – particularly young people who yearn for justice – unknowingly aiding and abetting their cause, and worse, many of our friends and allies whose support we need now more than ever during this moment of intense Jewish pain, have brushed aside these concerns,” he said. “When I’ve asked some of the marchers what they would do about Hamas, they don’t have an answer,” he said. SENATE AND HOUSE TO NEGOTIATE MILITARY SPENDING BUDGET THIS WEEK WITH SEVERAL DIVERSITY INITIATIVES GUTTED “Can you understand why the Jewish people feel isolated when we hear some praise Hamas and chanted its vicious slogan?” he asked. “Can you blame us for feeling vulnerable only 80 years after Hitler wiped out half the Jewish population across the world, while so many countries turned their back? Can you appreciate the deep fear we have about what Hamas might do if left to their own devices? Because the long arc of Jewish history teaches us a lesson that is hard to forget. Ultimately, we are alone.” When Schumer first heard about the unfolding attacks in Israel, he recalled a story of when his great-grandmother refused to go with Nazi soldiers, “They machine-gunned down every last one of them – the babies, the elderly, everybody in between,” “This story resonated deeply in my heart,” he said. “No matter what our beliefs are, no matter where we stand on the war in Gaza, all of us must condemn antisemitism with full-throated clarity whenever we see it before it metastasizes into something even worse. Because right now, that’s what Jewish Americans fear most,” he said. Since the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israelis last month, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported a nearly 400% rise in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. since the same time period last year. Prior to that, the ADL reported in March that antisemitic incidents rose 36% – equivalent to 3,697 incidents – in 2022. In New York, Schumer’s home state, a 214% year-over-year surge in hate crimes against Jews was reported in October – or 101 incidents – according to the city’s monthly crime data. SENATE AND HOUSE HEADED FOR SHOWDOWN OVER DEFENSE BILL “The time for solidarity must be now. Nothing less than the future of the American experiment hangs in the balance,” Schumer continued. “We are stewards of the flames of liberty, tolerance and equality that warm our American melting pot, and make it possible for Jewish Americans to prosper alongside Palestinian Americans, and every other immigrant group from all over the world.”
Chicago mayor blames predecessor Lightfoot for migrant crisis: ‘inherited’
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said he “inherited” the Windy City’s migrant crisis from his predecessor, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, during a press conference touting construction of the city’s first government-run migrant tent encampment. “Look, the international crisis that I inherited six months ago, I’ve made it very clear that we are going to make sure that we remove people out of police districts: women, children who are living on floors and sleeping outside, that we’re going to create spaces that provide more dignity,” Johnson said Tuesday. At least 20,000 migrants have poured into Chicago since August 2022, when many migrants were bused from the southern border states to liberal cities farther north. Efforts have been underway to strip Chicago of its sanctuary city status as some residents sound off about the issue. In addition to the influx of migrants who lack shelter, an estimated 68,000 Chicago citizens are considered homeless, Fox News Digital reported earlier this month. CHICAGO RESIDENTS EXPLODE WITH ANGER OVER MIGRANTS, SANCTUARY POLICIES: ‘THEY ARE NOT LISTENING’ CHICAGO MIGRANTS CRAMMED ON SIDEWALK WITH BELONGINGS AFTER BEING LOCKED OUT OF POLICE STATION The city has struggled with where to house the people, relying on police stations and O’Hare International Airport. Now, Johnson said his government is working with 17 churches as part of the “Unity Initiative” to move migrants from the public spaces and into the churches for shelter, and announced the construction of the Brighton Park migrant camp, Chicago’s first government-run migrant tent encampment. “Did you know when I was sworn in in May, the previous City council did not budget for 2023’s migrant mission,” Johnson added. “So not only have we stood up the full force of government in a collaborative way, we did it without the previous city council even providing resources for it.” DEM TEXAS MAYOR SAYS CITY IS AT ‘BREAKING POINT’ AS BORDER CRISIS RAGES Lightfoot was voted out of the run-off election earlier this year as voters voiced that crime was their top concern. Under Lightfoot’s tenure, Chicago recorded 2,784 homicides and a total of 14,681 shooting incidents, according to police data from 2019 to May of this year, when Johnson was sworn in as mayor. The number of homicides and shooting incidents during Lightfoot’s administration notched a 9% increase from the 2,546 homicides and 13,421 shootings that took place during her predecessor, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s, final term in office. CHICAGO STRUGGLES TO HOUSE WAVES OF MIGRANTS AS FREEZING TEMPERATURES HIT CITY Johnson also slammed “right-wing extremism” for the woes in his city, arguing Republicans offer no solutions to crime and intentionally create “chaos” in Democratic-run cities. “What we’ve seen is a very raggedy form of right-wing extremism,” Johnson said. “Everyone knows that the right-wing extremism in this country has targeted democratically-run cities, and quite frankly, they have been quite intentional about going after democratically-ran cities that are led by people of color. And their whole motivation is to create disruption and chaos.” “This is the same political party that did not want to accept that President Obama was actually an American. This is the same Republican right-wing extremism that stormed the Capitol. It’s the same right-wing extremism that refuses to accept the results of the Civil War. It’s raggedy, it’s disrespectful,” he said.
Dem-run city drops six figures to repaint BLM street mural as crime skyrockets
The Washington, D.C., government dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars touching up its “Black Lives Matter” street painting as crime skyrockets in the Democrat-run city. The refurbishment of the infamous mural, which Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser initially painted in June 2020 as BLM protests were underway in the city and across the country, appears to have run taxpayers $271,231, including $217,680 in labor costs and $53,551 in paint supplies, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch from D.C.’s Department of Transportation. “DC crime is out of control but local leaders continue to waste $270,000 in tax money promoting the extremist Black Lives Matter movement in the heart of Washington DC that is racist, anti-police, anti-American, and often violent,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. According to the documents, the city contracted with D.C.-based vendor Equus Striping on the project. The company posted videos on its Facebook page showing its team “making progress on prepping the surface” of the BLM mural on Nov. 8 and shared the completed project the following day. BLACK LIVES MATTER DONATIONS DRASTICALLY PLUMMETED BY NEARLY $70 MILLION “As a black and women owned DC business, we couldn’t be prouder of our crew. A lot of elbow grease went into this project and we are incredibly happy with how it turned out,” the vendor wrote. “Thanks for Helping us Change the World, One Line at a Time.” The D.C. government doled out the cash to repaint the mural after slashing its police budget by millions since 2020. The city also has 400 fewer officers than three years ago, according to multiple reports. Meanwhile, the nation’s capital has experienced soaring crime rates as its leaders have attempted to alleviate anxiety. Democrat D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson told the House Committee on Oversight in late March that while there are significant concerns regarding crime, residents should not worry. “With regard to crime, yes, there is considerable concern,” Mendelson said. “But while perception is important, the reality is less concerning. Let me be clear: People should feel safe, and it is a problem that many residents of the district don’t. “I know this belies the common belief – and when it comes to crime, how people feel is important – but there is not a crime crisis in Washington, D.C.” The hearing came after months of disputes between Congress and the D.C. council over crime proposals. It also occurred just days after a staff member for Republican Sen. Rand Paul was severely injured after being stabbed by a man who had recently been released from prison. BLM CO-FOUNDER’S NONPROFIT FLOODED WITH SECRET CASH FROM TECH TITAN FUND Statistics show that crime in D.C. remains exponentially higher than last year. According to data from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, homicides have increased by 34% as of Nov. 28 over the same time in 2022, while robberies are up 68%, motor vehicle theft is up 93% and arson is up 125%. Overall, violent crime is up 40% this year, while all crime is up 27%, the data shows. “I was not denying the importance of public safety,” Mendelson told Fox News Digital in August. “The increase in crime is, of course, a concern. But back in March when I testified, Congressman Comer was suggesting a ‘crisis’ to justify taking away the District’s Home Rule. I don’t agree with that. In fact, Congress has gotten in the way of our efforts to fight crime by under-resourcing local prosecutions, cutting local police funding, and interfering with our ability to control illegal cannabis sales.” Democratic D.C. Councilmember Trayon White Sr. sang a much different tune than Mendelson. In early August, White said it might be time to bring in the National Guard as the city continued to be hammered by criminality. “The crime is out of control and getting worse by the day,” White said at a press conference at the time. “We must declare an emergency regarding the crime and violence in our neighborhoods and act urgently. It may be time to call on the National Guard to protect the children and innocent people that are losing their lives to this senselessness.” “I am tired of burying our children. We are too comfortable with the state of our city. We must take action to gain control and protect our residents,” he continued. “Law enforcement is only one part of how we combat public safety issues. It will take all of us to heal our community.” Mayor Bowser’s office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
House Speaker Johnson to meet with Senate GOP leaders amid escalating border, Ukraine talks
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected to meet with Senate GOP leaders at their Capitol Hill lunch on Wednesday, Johnson’s office confirmed to Fox News Digital. The meeting arrives at a crucial juncture as the two chambers need to reconcile their differences to finalize the Biden administration’s approximately $106 billion national security supplemental aid package. Deliberations have revolved around border security, Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan for several weeks. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced a vote on the package would occur as early as next week. Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., want to keep Ukraine and Israel aid tied together. Meanwhile, the House passed a $14.3 billion Israel-only aid package earlier this month that also included steep cuts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). SEN. RICK SCOTT SAYS SCHUMER LIKELY DOESN’T HAVE VOTES TO PASS SUPPLEMENTAL WITHOUT TIGHTER BORDER SECURITY But that package likely won’t pass the Democrat-controlled Senate, nor get the White House’s approval without funding to help Ukraine. “Let me be clear: The Senate will not take up the House GOP’s deeply flawed proposal,” Schumer posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Nov. 2. “Instead we will work on our own bipartisan emergency aid package that includes funding for aid to Israel, Ukraine, humanitarian aid including for Gaza, and competition with the Chinese Government.” The White House’s supplemental request, which was sent to Congress in October, includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel (with $10.6 billion allocated for military aid), $13.6 billion for some border measures such as speeding up asylum processing, and significant investments in Indo-Pacific security assistance, totaling around $7.4 billion. Additionally, there’s $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. SCHUMER TO SEND BIDEN’S $106 BILLION SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE REQUEST TO SENATE FLOOR AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK But a mounting impediment for the Democrats will be the influx of migrants at the border, which has thrown a wrench in plans for a smooth bipartisan passage. Republicans in the Senate say tighter border security provisions must be in the supplemental and argue its current form does not address the slowing of illegal entries. “I called the president last week to make sure he understood that there wouldn’t be a bill without a credible effort to get on top of our disastrous southern border situation,” McConnell told reporters Tuesday after the GOP’s weekly luncheon resumed following the Thanksgiving recess. “I hope that made the point, because I think on our side, I’ve been the most enthusiastic supporter of the underlying bill, but this has to be part of it,” he said. BIDEN ADMIN URGES MAJOR FUNDING INCREASES FOR AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL AND GAZA CIVILIANS But Johnson may be apt to throw more funding to Ukraine if it’s tied with the GOP’s vision of border security provisions. On Monday, Johnson said during a press conference in Florida, “Ukraine is another priority. Of course, we can’t allow Vladimir Putin to march through Europe.” “And we understand the necessity of assisting there. What we’ve said is that if there is to be additional assistance to Ukraine, which most members of Congress believe is important – we have to also work on changing our own border policy,” he said. “And so there’s been a lot of thoughtful negotiation ongoing with that. I think most of our Senate colleagues recognize that those two things need to move together because we owe that to the American people.”
Florida grand jury calls on state to track immigration status of arrestees in response to migrant crisis
A Florida grand jury empaneled after a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis to investigate human smuggling networks is calling for legislation to track the immigration status of those arrested in the state, as well as increased sentences for those who commit crimes after previously being deported. “We believe Florida should begin tracking data regarding the immigration status of arrestees, and mandate its reporting to [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] for retention and publication,” the grand jury’s fifth report says. “We recommend that our leaders adopt a law requiring the Department of Corrections, each County Sheriff, and the Chief of Police of any law enforcement agency in this state to provide such data to FDLE along with the other data they are already sending.” DeSantis filed a petition last year to the Florida Supreme Court, requesting it “impanel a statewide grand jury to examine international human smuggling networks that bring aliens to the southern border, and ultimately to Florida.” Previous reports have been scathing of the handling of the crisis by the federal government, including accusing the Biden administration of a “complete abdication of responsibility” for the welfare of children. FLORIDA GRAND JURY ACCUSES BIDEN HHS OF ‘COMPLETE ABDICATION OF RESPONSIBILITY’ FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN WELFARE This report, coming after 450 hours in session and more than 100 witnesses, said its mandate is not to rewrite federal law, but to explore the impact of any criminal activity on the state. “The short answer is that there are most certainly crimes being committed, including by some of our fellow state residents, which abet transnational and local criminal organizations and individuals in their trafficking of people (including and especially children), criminal actors, fraudulent documents, and drugs into our state, extracting money in return,” it says. “These crimes are sometimes actually enabled by governmental agencies, policies, and activities; and there are things that can be done about them. We are also convinced that, because the driving forces are largely federal policies, and political incentives seem to not prioritize solving the problems, it will be up to Florida and other states to help themselves, at least in the short term.” The lengthy 146-page report, which outlines an exhaustive list of crimes committed by smugglers and alleged dangers to the homeland, accuses non-governmental organizations of magnifying the “magnetic illusion of economic prosperity at the end of a migratory trek” by offering assistance to migrants. “We have seen charts and advisory pamphlets showing aliens possible routes of travel (none of which warn, for example, that the territory about to be entered is controlled by violent cartels) handed out by NGOs,” the report says. “We have seen makeshift and expanded ‘camps’ set up as way stations in the middle of places like the Panamanian jungle to help ferry aliens up the Central American peninsula.” It also cites reports of exploitation of migrants by cartels who are overseeing the migratory routes and helping migrants make their way to the border. It also points to evidence of child labor violations and other crimes related to smuggling including exploitation, as well as the large number of “special interest aliens” coming into the U.S. “Absent the overheated rhetoric from all political angles, the situation truly is not complicated; individuals from other countries are enticed to come to this country, the overwhelming majority with no plausible claim to asylum whatsoever, and serious harm results on both sides of our border as the situation is exploited for crime and profit by cartels, funding by NGOs, and political clout-chasing by others. All the while, we and our fellow taxpayers pick up the tab.” Ultimately, the grand jury found that Florida “should wait no longer to protect its interests, its residents, and its immigrant population from the problems we have described.” It recommends another grand jury be formed to investigate NGOs and provides other recommendations — including a requirement that sponsors of unaccompanied children who are not parents or guardians be subject to a formal legal determination. The report also recommends “adding a sentencing enhancement provision…which would increase the exposure for those who have been previously deported and return to commit a felony offense in our state.” Separately, it says the cartels should be designated as foreign terrorist organizations. Florida’s legislature passed a sweeping anti-illegal immigration bill which includes provisions to bar driving licenses to illegal immigrants, mandate E-Verify, enhance penalties for smuggling and require hospitals to collect data on the cost of providing healthcare to illegal immigrants. WHITE HOUSE FUNDING REQUEST INCLUDES $14 BILLION FOR BORDER AS CRISIS HITS NEW RECORDS In a statement, Attorney General Ashley Moody said the report marked a “damning indictment” of the failure of the federal government to protect the border and the unaccompanied children being smuggling into the U.S. “Not only is the administration jeopardizing the safety of unaccompanied minor children—they are letting terrorists and immigrants from countries of concern into the interior of the U.S.,” she said. “I want to thank the members of the Statewide Grand Jury for their dogged pursuit of the truth and for bringing to light how the Biden administration’s dangerous immigration policies are harming vulnerable populations.” The Biden administration, meanwhile, has said it is working within the confines of a “broken” immigration system and has called on Congress to provide more funding and comprehensive immigration reform to fix that system. Most recently it made a $14 billion request to Congress that would include migrant services and housing, anti-fentanyl technology and more border agents. It also includes money for DNA collection and over $1.9 billion for Health and Human Services “to support eligible arrivals and unaccompanied children.”