Contingent elections: what they are, and what to expect if 2024 triggers one
The pundits predict the presidential election will be close. So should people prepare for contingencies? There’s truly only one contingency for this scenario. It’s called a contingent election. What’s that? Don’t feel badly if you’ve never heard of a contingent election. The term is not even mentioned in the Constitution. However, Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment address the process for settling a dispute in the Electoral College where no candidate scores the magic number of 270 electoral votes. Or, if there’s a tie. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WIN OR LOSE, HARRIS MUST ATTEND THE JAN. 6 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CERTIFICATION The U.S. has only undergone a contingent election on three occasions: 1801, to elect President Thomas Jefferson. Then in 1825 to pick President John Quincy Adams. Finally in 1837 to elect Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson. In a contingent election, the House selects the President. The Senate picks the Vice President. But let’s first explore scenarios for a complicated Electoral College tabulation – which could trigger a contingent election. The possibility of a 269-269 Electoral College tie is real. Let’s say Vice President Harris loses Pennsylvania and Georgia. But she prevails in Nevada, Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin. Harris also collects a singular electoral vote in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional district. Maine and Nebraska distribute their electoral votes based on which presidential candidate prevails in each Congressional district. For instance, in 2020, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., won – even as President Biden carried the district. In Maine’s 2nd Congressional district, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, won. Yet former President Trump bested Mr. Biden in that district. Nebraska has five electoral votes. Mr. Trump received four. President Biden, one. Maine has four electoral votes. The President earned three. But former President Trump collected one. There are other scenarios to get you to an Electoral College tie. Fast-forward to January 6th, the day the House and Senate meet in a Joint Session of Congress to certify the Electoral College. We know what happened in 2021 with Republicans contesting slates of electoral votes from six states. If Congress fails to certify a winner, or, if there are disputes on various batches of electoral votes, it’s possible no candidate hits 270. SENATE TO SWEAR IN MENENDEZ SUCCESSOR FOLLOWING NJ LAWMAKER’S CONVICTION, RESIGNATION So, it’s then up to the House of Representatives to select the President and the Senate, the Vice President, in a contingent election. Here’s the fascinating part. Each state votes as a state delegation – but receives only one vote in a contingent election. In other words, California, with its 52-member delegation comprised of 40 Democrats, counts the same as South Dakota, with its lone Republican. But we don’t truly know the breakdowns of each Congressional delegation for next year which could vote in a contingent election. We only know the breakdown for this Congress. The new Congress isn’t sworn-in until January 3, 2025. So here’s an analysis on where each state delegation stands now, and where they could stand come January. As of this moment, Republicans control 26 state delegations – ranging from all Republican West Virginia to mostly Republican Florida and Texas. Democrats rule in 22 state delegations. That includes mostly Democratic New York and all Democratic Massachusetts and Connecticut. Two states are tied: Minnesota features a 4/4 split between the parties. North Carolina is divided 7/7. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: WHY FOREIGN POLICY MIGHT MATTER But what does the House look like next year? Things would still favor the GOP – even if Democrats win control of the House with the most seats. And evaluating the map, the odds favor Republicans to control the most state delegations. But nothing is a done deal. So let’s study state delegations which have a chance of flipping one way or the other in 2025 – and how that could sway a contingent election. Alaska is a fascinating place to start. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, won this statewide seat in a special election in 2022 after the death of late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. Young represented the state for 49 years. Peltola is up against Republican Nick Begich Jr., grandson of late Rep. Nick Begich, Sr., D-Alaska. Ironically, Young took the seat after the elder Begich died in a plane crash. Also on the ballot: John Wayne Howe and Eric Hafner. If Democrats are to hold the House for a potential contingent election, they need Peltola to win. Former President Trump won Alaska in 2020 with 61 percent of the vote. Where could Democrats flip a Congressional delegation in their favor? Arizona is a case study as to why it’s hard for Democrats to gain traction in state delegations. Arizona is a swing state at the presidential level. But there are two Republicans at risk. Rep. Dave Schweikert, R-Ariz., narrowly won two years ago. Freshman Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., also represents a battleground district. But Republicans currently hold a 6-3 advantage over Democrats in the House delegation. Democrats have an outside shot at moving the delegation to 5-4 in their favor should they knock off two incumbents. But that’s dicey. THE HOME STRETCH: VP HARRIS FILLS DEMOCRATS WITH OPTIMISM AS ELECTION DAY NEARS Colorado’s House districts currently favor the Democrats, 5-3. But in order to maintain that advantage and avoid a 4-4 tie, freshman Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., must win re-election. Caraveo won her first term with less than 50 percent of the vote in 2022. As mentioned, Maine awards its electoral vote proportionately. Golden is one of the most moderate Democrats in the House, routinely winning close races. But Maine only has two House seats. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, holds the other one. Pingree is favored to win this fall. However, if Golden loses, Maine’s delegation is tied. How that delegation votes in a contingent election is anybody’s guess. A tie essentially nullifies that state’s vote in a contingent election on the House floor. In the contingent election of 1801, the House delegations of Vermont and Maryland were split evenly. The House then
Trump-backed plan to avoid government shutdown advances to House-wide vote as Republicans defect
House Republicans’ plan to avert a partial government shutdown and crack down on election security surpassed a key hurdle Monday evening, though it’s headed for an uncertain fate in a chamber-wide vote this week. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is aiming to pass legislation combining a six-month extension of fiscal year 2024’s federal funding levels, called a continuing resolution (CR), and a House GOP bill to mandate proof of citizenship in the voter registration process. The plan passed the House Rules Committee, 9-4, late Monday, bundled with unrelated bills – the final step for legislation before a House floor vote. House lawmakers are expected to hold a procedural vote allowing for debate on the bill Tuesday, with final passage teed up for Wednesday. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION But it’s not clear yet whether the bill will survive a chamber-wide vote, with at least five House Republicans publicly opposing it as of Monday evening. Johnson only holds a majority of four votes, meaning he will likely need Democratic support for it to pass. Both Republicans and Democrats agree a CR is needed to give congressional appropriators more time to negotiate fiscal year 2025 federal spending and to avoid a partial government shutdown weeks before Election Day. The House has passed four of 12 GOP-led appropriations bills so far, while the Democrat-led Senate has not passed any. House GOP leaders are hoping to use the fiscal pressure to force Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., into holding a vote on the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill authored by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and backed by former President Trump. But Democratic leaders generally see the SAVE Act as a nonstarter. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called it “partisan and extreme” in a letter to House Democrats on Monday, and the White House issued a veto threat. JOHNSON UNVEILS TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE GOP PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SETS UP BATTLE WITH SCHUMER Schumer wrote to colleagues on Sunday, “As I have said before, the only way to get things done is in a bipartisan way. Despite Republican bluster, that is how we’ve handled every funding bill in the past, and this time should be no exception. We will not let poison pills or Republican extremism put funding for critical programs at risk.” Congressional leaders have until Sept. 30 to find a path forward or risk nonessential government programs being paused and potentially thousands of federal employees furloughed. Meanwhile, Johnson has little room for error in his own conference. MCCARTHY’S ‘FINAL STRUGGLES’ THREATEN TO HAUNT JOHNSON’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FIGHT The speaker could get some help from Democratic defectors, however. Five House Democrats broke from their party to vote for the SAVE Act earlier this year. A CR through March would mean the government funding debate will be taken up by a new White House – run by either Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris – and a new Congress.
Rahul Gandhi launches fresh attack on PM Modi in US, says, ‘darr nahi lagta ab…’
Speaking at an Indian diaspora event in Herndon, Virginia, he claimed that the fear of PM Modi among the people has disappeared
Walz tells Texas Democrats a U.S. Senate race win is within reach
The vice presidential candidate was briefly in Dallas for a fundraiser on behalf of Kamala Harris’ campaign.
McCaul says he will hold Blinken in contempt after State Department shrugs off his demands for testimony
Foreign Affairs Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul said he still intends to haul in Antony Blinken on the Afghanistan withdrawal even after his sprawling report was completed, and will hold him in contempt of Congress if he does not comply. “This was a catastrophic failure of epic proportions,” the Texas Republican told reporters on Monday. “This is a disgrace. I will hold him in contempt if that’s what it takes to bring him before the American people.” “Secretary Blinken refuses to take one day out of this month to come before the [Gold Star] families.” McCaul’s comments came on the heels of a 350-page report he released Monday on the withdrawal that the committee worked on for much of the past nearly two years of the Republican majority. It laid much blame on the State Department and detailed how State officials had no plan for getting Americans and allies out while there were still troops there to protect them. McCaul subpoenaed Blinken last week, saying he must appear before the committee by Sept. 19. HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel shrugged off the committee’s threats. “The majority isn’t truly interested in legislating on Afghanistan policy. If they were, they would have sought to speak to the secretary long ago,” he told reporters Monday. “They would have sought to speak to him to get his input as they make this report,” he said. “Instead they waited until the report was completely finished to come back to us.” In May, McCaul asked Blinken to appear at a hearing in September on the committee‘s report on its investigation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The State Department failed on several occasions to provide a date for Blinken to appear before lawmakers, McCaul said. But the State Department said Monday Blinken had testified before House and Senate committees 14 times on the withdrawal, including four times before the Foreign Affairs Committee. McCaul also hinted that he believes there should still be a small contingency of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS BLINKEN OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL “We cannot see now into Afghanistan except through over the horizon, which doesn’t work. We can’t see Russia, China and Iran, either, because of this tragic failure of foreign policy,” he told reporters. “We can’t see all of ISIS gathering in the Korazhan region of Tajikistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, making their way to the United States of America. That is what they did to us,” the chairman went on. “They embolden the unholy alliance of Putin, Xi, the Ayatollah and Kim Jong Un,” he said, referring to the leaders of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. The Biden administration has long claimed the president’s hands were tied by the Doha agreement negotiated under President Trump that laid out a deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Afghanistan. But the new report detailed how the Taliban had failed to hold up their end of the deal, absolving the U.S. of any obligation to adhere to it. “Biden, for his part, faced a stark choice when he came to office, abide by the flawed agreement and end America’s longest war, or blow up the deal, extend the war, and see a much smaller contingent of American troops back in combat with the Taliban,” White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Monday. “He chose the former and was able to buy additional time to prepare for that withdrawal all the way into the summer. And we, as a nation are safer for it. Any and every discussion about what happened in Afghanistan has to start right there. Sadly, the report does not dwell on it.” The damning report claims that while US military personnel were drawing down their footprint in the nation, the State Department was growing theirs. And according to the report, U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson was on vacation the last week of July and the first week of August 2021. He promptly hightailed it out of the country on a flight ahead of his staff in mid-August. He allegedly had COVID-19 at the time and forced a foreign service officer to take his COVID test so he could get on the plane. Patel defended Wilson, but did not deny the allegations. “I’m just not going to get into a tit-for-tat with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, but what I can say is that it is not my understanding that he was on vacation at the beginning of August. Beyond that, I will just echo what I said previously about Ambassador Wilson, that this is an esteemed individual, a decorated Foreign Service officer.” He claimed the GOP-led report chose “scandal over substance” and called it a “collection of cherry-picked comments… designed to paint an inaccurate picture of this administration’s efforts. He claimed the withdrawal was carried out in a way that was consistent with department policy. “The drawdown in Kabul was conducted in a manner which is consistent with our departments and our country’s standards and protocols when faced in those circumstances.” He said he did not have a headcount on how many Americans are still in Afghanistan, but touted the more than 18,000 Afghan special immigrant visas (SIVs) for the U.S.’s Afghan allies, such as interpreters, that were processed in 2023.
Mike Johnson faces conservative mutiny over Trump-backed plan to avert government shutdown
House GOP leaders’ plan to avert a partial government shutdown at the end of this month could be derailed by mounting opposition from fiscal hawks within their own party. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., rolled out legislation late last week to extend the current year’s government funding levels through March via a continuing resolution (CR) to give congressional negotiators more time to work out the next fiscal year’s spending priorities. It’s attached to a Republican-led bill for a proof of citizenship requirement in the voter registration process. CLUB FOR GROWTH POURS $5M INTO TIGHT HOUSE RACES AS GOP BRACES FOR TOUGH ELECTION Despite former President Donald Trump blessing the plan, Johnson can afford little room for error with a razor-thin House majority of just four votes. As of early Monday evening, it appears that at least four House Republicans are opposed to their leaders’ bill – one more GOP “no” vote would ensure Johnson will need to seek out Democratic support for its passage. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., told reporters on Monday that he and Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are all opposed. “I’ve made it clear…that I’ll be a no on the CR,” Mills said. “As far as I’m concerned, this is nothing more than messaging.” Fox News Digital reached out to Burchett to confirm his stance. JOHNSON UNVEILS TRUMP-BACKED HOUSE GOP PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, SETS UP BATTLE WITH SCHUMER Massie told Fox News Digital last week that he believed it was a mistake for Johnson not to push for a longer CR. Under a bipartisan deal passed last year, a CR extending past April 30 would automatically trigger a 1% government funding cut. “Speaker Johnson has this teed up in front of him. The 1% cut is in law. All we need is a one-year CR to queue it up. When the April 30 deadline arrives, he could even trade the cut for something. But he’s afraid to even create a spending cut deadline,” Massie said. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., who is retiring at the end of this year, also told Fox News Digital last week that he is against the bill. MCCARTHY’S ‘FINAL STRUGGLES’ THREATEN TO HAUNT JOHNSON’S GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FIGHT Lawmakers anticipate a Wednesday vote on the plan, but enough opposition could force House GOP leaders to scuttle the vote. It’s possible that some Democrats will vote for the bill. Five House Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act earlier this year. But Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have both come out in opposition to the plan. The White House also announced Monday that President Biden would veto the bill if it got to his desk. Johnson told reporters earlier in the day that he did not have a fallback plan in case of failure. “There is no fallback position. This is a righteous fight. This is what the American people demand and deserve,” Johnson said. It’s a position that is likely to worry moderates who worry the political fallout from a government shutdown weeks before Election Day could cost them their seats. “If we shut down, we lose,” one Republican told Fox News Digital last week. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson for comment on the “no” votes. Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
White House pushes back against scathing report on Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan
The White House pushed back on a report released Sunday by Republican lawmakers criticizing President Biden’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, calling the report partisan and offering “little or nothing new.” Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, the Republican chair of the committee, released a GOP-led report disputing Biden’s claims that his hands were tied to the agreement former President Trump had made with the Taliban establishing a deadline for U.S. withdrawal for the summer of 2021. It also said State Department officials had no plan for helping Americans and allies out while there were still troops in the region to protect them. McCaul’s report also noted the failure to adequately respond to terror threats ahead of the ISIS-K bombing at Abbey Gate at the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghan civilians, and that the Taliban likely had access after the withdrawal to $7 billion in abandoned U.S. weapons, and up to $57 million in U.S. funds that were initially given to the Afghan government. On Monday, White House National Security Council communications adviser John Kirby defended Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan during a White House briefing. HOUSE DEMS ISSUE RESPONSE TO GOP REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN Kirby told reporters the GOP report comes two years after their first report, adding, “This one says little or nothing new.” He then provided a rundown of what he called “actual facts” that he considered important. “First, on the very day this administration took office, the Taliban was in the strongest position it had been in years. The Afghan government, the weakest,” Kirby said. “The Trump administration cut a deal called the Doha Agreement that mandated a complete U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and yes, that included Bagram Air Base, by the end of May 2021.” HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN Part of the deal was that 5,000 Taliban fighters would be released from prison, and in return, the Taliban agreed not to attack U.S. troops, he explained. Kirby referred to testimony from former commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie, who said the Doha deal had a really pernicious effect on the Afghan government, and it demoralized them. “They knew right then and there that America was on its way out,” Kirby said. “Indeed, in October of 2020, then-President Trump ordered his military to rush the exit from Afghanistan and have everybody leave by Christmas of that year. HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS BLINKEN OVER AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL “President Biden, for his part, faced a stark choice when he came to office: Abide by the flawed agreement and end America’s longest war, or blow up the deal, extend the war, and see a much smaller contingent of American troops back in combat with the Taliban,” Kirby added. “He chose the former and was able to buy additional time to prepare for that withdrawal all the way into summer, and we, as a nation, are safer for it.” Kirby then brought up what he called “falsehoods” from the report. The first issue he found was that there was in fact planning for evacuations beginning in the spring of 2021. Kirby said the Department of Defense proposed additional military units in the region so when a decision was reached to evacuate, they would be poised to respond. AFGHAN GENERAL SAYS HIS COUNTRY HAS ONCE AGAIN BECOME ‘CRUCIBLE OF TERRORISM’ He also said there was no point in securing Bagram Air Base during the evacuation because it would have required thousands of additional U.S. troops. It would also have required a “dangerous trek by evacuees” across Taliban territory, making the evacuation even more difficult. Kirby also mentioned that there was no handover of U.S. equipment to the Taliban. “That equipment had been provided to Afghan security forces appropriately and with congressional approval over the course of two decades of war,” he said. “That equipment was left by those Afghan forces when they surrendered or stopped fighting.” Finally, Kirby told reporters the Biden administration did not deceive, lie or fail to be transparent during, or after the withdrawal. “We did the best we could every day to keep the American people informed of what was happening,” he said. “We conducted our own after-action reports and shared those, too, with the public.” Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
Fox News Politics: Fight Night Eve
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. COUNTDOWN: 1 DAY: Don’t miss the Fox News simulcast of the ABC News Presidential Debate, tomorrow at 9 p.m. ET. Learn more. What’s happening… -Retired generals and admirals defend Biden-Harris’ Afghan withdrawal -Harris’ campaign website finally includes policy section -Biden’s deep ties to liberal think tank hamper Project 2025 criticism In a margin of error race with eight weeks to go until Election Day and early voting getting underway this month in some crucial battleground states, it is hard not to underscore the importance of Tuesday’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. “It’s going to frame the race in people’s minds and have a decisive impact,” veteran GOP strategist and Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks told Fox News Digital. Republican consultant and Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer emphasized that there is “a lot at stake in this debate.” While Trump is a very well known commodity in the minds of American voters, they are considerably less familiar with Harris. “For the first time people are really going to get to see her and whether she can stand on her own two feet,” argued Fleischer, a White House press secretary under then-President George W. Bush. Harris and Trump will share the same stage at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center in an ABC News debate in their first and perhaps only face-to-face encounter ahead of the presidential election. Harris has enjoyed a wave of momentum in both polling and fundraising since replacing President Biden at the top of the Democrats’ 2024 ticket in July, but Republicans argue Americans’ honeymoon with the vice president is subsiding…Read more ‘CHAOTIC APPROACH’: Retired generals, admirals criticize Trump’s actions in Afghanistan, defend Biden-Harris withdrawal …Read more OUT OF ORDER: Biden has signed just 2 executive orders since dropping out of race, trailing past presidents …Read more ‘TWO CAN PLAY THIS GAME’: Biden’s deep ties to liberal think tank could come back to haunt Harris campaign as it blasts Project 2025 …Read more ‘NOT TRUE’: State Department denies lack of planning for Afghanistan withdrawal after scathing report …Read more ‘THEY DID IT’: 9/11 families call on Trump and Harris to oppose US-Saudi deal …Read more AFGHAN WITHDRAWAL: House Dems issue response to GOP report on Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan …Read more ‘UNLAWFUL’: Top Trump ally in Congress grills Garland on who’s letting Jack Smith keep going …Read more TEMPORARY SENATOR: George Helmy being sworn in as Menendez replacement, will only serve for final months of term …Read more WORTH THE WAIT?: Harris campaign website now includes policy section, uses much of it to bash Trump …Read more TOUGH TIMING: Dems face narrow timeline to push Biden-Harris judges through and surpass Trump legacy …Read more GALVANIZED SUPPORT: Poll finds Black voters more likely to vote now that Harris has replaced Biden on Democratic ticket …Read more ‘SMART SOLUTIONS’: Harris doubles down on support for left-wing benefit for illegal immigrants …Read more ‘HIT HER ON POLICY’: Republican allies advice for Trump in debate showdown with Harris …Read more GAME-‘CHANGER’?: Conservative group registers 50K in swing states …Read more STEEL CITY SPEAKS OUT: Voters say where they believe Harris stands on issues …Read more RED PERIL: New report sounds alarm on China’s role in destroying US familes with deadly drug …Read more FEWER JOBS: Surge of migrant workers cutting off bottom of the career ladder for native-born Americans: expert …Read more TERROR TUNNELS: Hezbollah relies on aid from North Korea, Iran to mine tunnels in threat to Israel …Read more Subscribe now to get the Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Migrant controversy hits heartland as Alabama council meeting boils over, state officials slam feds’ ‘mess’
Residents of a small Alabama city were up in arms at the migrant influx during a recent city council hearing that lawmakers suddenly cut short amid the outcry. Meanwhile, state leaders demanded answers from the feds as the migrants appear to be in the country legally under Temporary Protective Status provisions extended to Haitian nationals by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In Sylacauga, just south of NASCAR’s Talladega Superspeedway, City Council President Tiffany Nix abruptly curtailed public comment as residents demanded accountability for the at least 50 migrants that appeared in the city. “We’re done,” Nix responded to resident David Phillips, who had criticized council’s attitude as “entirely unacceptable” during the meeting last week. “[Haiti is] a failed state – their president (Jovenel Moise) was assassinated in 2021 – there is no way the State Department can vet these individuals,” Phillips said before Nix cut in as another resident called out, “Please let him talk.” MIGRANT CRISIS ROILS BOSTON AREA AS SCHOOL STANDS FIRM ON RESIDENCY POLICY Nix then made a motion to adjourn the meeting and ordered the gallery cleared. “This is our city,” a woman in the gallery said. “Good to know, they don’t want to hear the truth,” another said. Another resident wondered aloud how local schools will be able to handle the new migrants, noting that financial resources would be needed for children that only speak French-Creole and not English. Amid the murmuring, Nix could be heard asking, “What would you like us to do?” Earlier in the meeting, Nix said there is no reason to launch a municipal investigation and that people should not treat others “differently because of how they look.” State Rep. Benjamin Robbins, who represents the city, wrote a letter Thursday to Mayorkas, demanding a federal response. “As the secretary of Homeland Security, you are charged with overseeing immigration enforcement and refugee resettlement,” he wrote. “Recently, my district has seen an influx of Haitian immigrants. You and your agency have failed in your responsibility to notify our community of the relocation of refugees, provide any information to local leaders or answer questions.” Robbins said the situation has caused “panic and confusion” and left local leaders “helpless.” Robbins said he would demand Congress investigate if DHS does nothing. Sylacauga Mayor Jim Heigl separately told Alabama’s 1819 News that information the migrants were in his city legally “came out from [Gov. Kay Ivey’s] office and also came from Mike Rogers’ office, [Sen.] Katie Britt’s office and [Sen. Tommy] Tuberville’s office. BIDEN’S LATEST BORDER ORDER MAY EMBOLDEN MIGRANTS TO FLOUT IMMIGRATION LAWS, COMMIT MARRIAGE FRAUD CRITICS SAY Rogers, the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, called the situation in his district “yet another example of the Biden-Harris administration’s moronic immigration policy failures.” “Those two never cease to amaze me with their total incompetence and outright antagonism toward hardworking Americans. The way to fix this is to re-elect President Trump,” Rogers said. Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter added his biggest concern is the lack of information from the feds on the migrants already inside the state. “We have asked repeatedly,” said Ledbetter, R-Rainsville. “Once they are here, communities like Sylacauga and Albertville are left to deal with the disaster. Our schools don’t have the ESL resources to support the immigrant children, housing these people is an issue, crime is an issue, and the federal government has offered zero support whatsoever.” Tuberville told Fox News Digital the feds are abusing their parole authority, which he said is supposed to be used sparingly and only for humanitarian purposes. Instead, he said the administration is using it as a tool of “mass amnesty to millions of people.” “We have no idea who most of these people are,” Tuberville said. Fox News Digital reached out to the city and was directed to Nix’s email but did not receive a response. Meanwhile, in Montgomery, state Senate President Pro-Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper, said Monday the Biden administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to “pour in” and cause a crisis. “The immigration catastrophe they have … openly incentivized is hitting home right now for Americans across the country, including right here in Alabama,” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Alabama officials are prepared to use the tools at our disposal to clean up the mess and confusion their reckless policies have created,” Reed went on, adding that the crisis in Sylacauga emphasizes the importance of the presidential election. A spokesperson for Ivey responded to a question about the mayor’s comments by saying her office has not received any facts or communications from the feds or to local officials on the matter. “Separately though, Alabamians and Americans all over the country are rightfully concerned over the current Biden-Harris pro-illegal immigration policies. No doubt this is a contributing factor to the concerns of people in Sylacauga and other areas,” Gina Maiola said. “People are on high alert. Gov. Ivey will continue taking action to enforce the law, doing everything in Alabama’s authority to secure the U.S. southern border and protecting our citizens from the harmful effects of illegal immigration.” DHS did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
Mike Pence, other former top Trump officials featured in Harris campaign ad slamming Trump as ‘dangerous’
A new ad from the Harris campaign slamming Trump as “dangerous” will feature comments from several former top Trump officials, including former Vice President Mike Pence. The ad, titled, “The Best People,” seeks to bring old criticisms targeted at Trump — from former top officials he once hired — back into the spotlight. It will be aired the same day as ABC’s presidential debate Tuesday, and is scheduled to play on multiple Fox affiliates across the country. “Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be President of the United States,” Pence said in August 2023. It came after an indictment was handed down against former President Donald Trump for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election results. The Harris campaign utilized the remark in its new ad, as well as a second remark made by Pence on Fox News roughly six months ago, saying he would not be endorsing Trump for president. “Take it from the people who knew him best,” a narrator says in the advertisement. But despite the former vice president’s cameo appearance slamming Trump in the new ad, his decision not to endorse Trump does not equate to an endorsement for Kamala Harris, a spokesperson for Advancing American Freedom, a nonprofit recently founded by Pence, suggested. The spokesperson pointed Fox News Digital to a particular comment from Pence made last month in Atlanta, Georgia, during which Pence stated adamantly: “I could never vote for Kamala Harris as President of the United States, or Tim Walz her running mate.” CNN CALLS OUT HARRIS FOR USING TRUMP’S BORDER WALL IN CAMPAIGN AD AFTER CONDEMNING IT FOR YEARS The new Harris campaign advertisement also included year-old remarks from the former defense secretary under Trump, Mark Esper. Esper’s comments utilized in the ad came from a June 2023 CNN interview, during which he was asked whether Trump “can be trusted” with the nation’s secrets in light of scrutiny over how he handled classified documents after leaving the White House. “No,” Esper says. “It’s just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our national security at risk.” Fox News Digital reached out to representatives for Esper to see if he was aware of his appearance in the ad, but did not hear back. Meanwhile, Trump former national security adviser John Bolton and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff under Trump, Gen. Mark Milley, also appeared in the new ad from the Harris campaign. Bolton and Milley both have a track record of being outspoken critics of Trump. OVER 200 FORMER BUSH, MCCAIN, ROMNEY STAFFERS ENDORSE HARRIS: ‘THE ALTERNATIVE … IS SIMPLY UNTENABLE’ “Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage,” remarks from Bolton in the ad. “The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump.” Bolton’s remarks highlighted in the advertisement came from an interview on CNN in October 2023 and last week, respectively. The ad concluded with remarks from Milley made during his final address as the nation’s top military general in September 2023. “We don’t take an oath to a king, or a queen, or a tyrant, or a dictator,” Milley says in the ad. “And we don’t take an oath to a wannabee dictator.” Fox News Digital reached out for comment to representatives for Bolton and Milley, but did not receive a response by publication time. Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, meanwhile, slammed the new ad as an attempt to “distract” from how “dangerously liberal [Harris] is.” “The Kamala campaign is using the words of a few disgruntled losers because they are losing in the polls and trying to distract from the fact that Kamala is losing support from moderate Democrats who realize how dangerously liberal she is,” Leavitt said on Monday.