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Schumer supports Democrats delaying all Trump nominees who lack unanimous support

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he supports the delay of all of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominees who do not have unanimous support in the Senate. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., filed cloture on John Ratcliffe’s nomination for CIA director, Kristi Noem’s nomination for Homeland Security secretary and Pete Hegseth’s nomination for defense secretary on Tuesday. But a last-minute objection from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., held up a vote on Ratcliffe, triggering hours of debate that could delay confirmation votes on Trump’s national security nominees late into the week and possibly into the weekend. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask to make sure that we have a full, real debate that lasts two days on the Senate floor,” Murphy said on the Senate floor, adding that Democrats have “serious concerns” about Trump’s CIA pick.  The Senate voted to confirm Ratcliffe, 74-25, on Thursday afternoon.  SEN THUNE SUGGESTS STAYING THROUGH WEEKEND TO CONFIRM TRUMP PICKS AFTER DEMS DELAY VOTES: ‘SHOULDN’T BE HARD’ Asked on Thursday if he supports slowing the confirmation process for Trump’s nominees down, Schumer indicated that he does. “Look, there are some nominees like [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio that got broad support, but a detailed discussion – I have some doubts about Mr. Ratcliffe, particularly when I asked him how he’d react if Tulsi Gabbard were put in charge of him in the DNI,” Schumer said, referring to Trump’s pick to lead the Office of National Intelligence.  NEW GOP SENATOR TEARS INTO DEMS ‘SEEKING TO DELAY’ PETE HEGSETH DOD CONFIRMATION “For a day or two, or a few hours to examine these nominees who have such power thoroughly, absolutely,” he added. “Our idea is to let the whole truth come out if they try to rush them through. We don’t want that to happen.”  Thune on Tuesday expressed frustration with Democrats over their delay tactics. CONFIRMATION DELAYS STACK UP FOR TRUMP NOMINEES AS PAPERWORK LAGS IN FEDERAL OFFICES “Do we want a vote on these folks on Tuesday or vote on them on Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Because that’s what we’re going to do. This can be easy or this can be hard,” Thune said. “This is about America’s national security interests, and we’re stalling, so that’s not going to happen.” Ratcliffe was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee by a bipartisan vote of 14-3. Because of that, Thune said the vote to confirm him “shouldn’t be hard.” “Democrats and Republicans, in a very big bipartisan fashion, agree that he is very qualified for this job,” Thune said, adding that he isn’t sure what stalling accomplishes.

Hegseth clears Senate hurdle and advances to a final confirmation vote

Pete Hegseth cleared a procedural hurdle Thursday to advance his confirmation to lead the Defense Department for a final Senate vote, setting up a high-stakes showdown.  A motion to invoke cloture, or begin up to 30 hours of debate, passed 51-49. Republican Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted no on advancing Hegseth’s confirmation, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voted yes.  Hegseth’s nomination was dealt another hurdle this week when reports emerged that his ex-sister-in-law alleged Hegseth abused his second wife.  Two sources told CNN Hegseth’s ex-wife, Samantha Hegseth, gave a statement to the FBI about Hegseth’s alleged alcohol use. The outlet said one of the sources said Samantha Hegseth told the FBI, “He drinks more often than he doesn’t.” On Tuesday, Fox News obtained an affidavit from Hegseth’s former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, which alleges he has an alcohol abuse problem and at times made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. Danielle Hegseth was previously married to Pete Hegseth’s brother and has no relation to Samantha. KEY SENATE CHAIRMAN CRITICIZES ‘ANONYMOUS SOURCES WITH ULTERIOR MOTIVES,’ STANDS BY HEGSETH NOMINATION But Danielle Hegseth added that she never witnessed any abuse herself, physical or sexual, by Pete against Samantha.  Samantha Hegseth has also denied any physical abuse in a statement to NBC News. Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker said in a statement Wednesday night that reports “regarding a confidential briefing on the FBI background investigation of Pete Hegseth that I received last week are starkly and factually inaccurate” and that he stands by Hegseth’s nomination. “It is disturbing that a sensitive, longstanding process used by committee leadership to vet presidential personnel is being litigated in the press by anonymous sources with ulterior motives,” Wicker said, adding he has been briefed by the FBI three times about a background check into Hegseth. The new reporting came after a slew of reports damaging to Hegseth’s character, including a sexual assault allegation that he denies and reports about his alleged penchant for drinking and financial mismanagement. Hegseth has said he would abstain from alcohol if confirmed.  Hegseth is expected to face one of the most vicious confirmation fights of any Trump Cabinet nominee. His confirmation hearing was heavy on personal character questions and interrogation over his opposition to female-specific standards for women in combat and light on policy inquiries.  HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW Earlier Thursday, Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., urged Republicans to join him in opposing the former Fox News host and Army national guardsman.  “Hegseth is so utterly unqualified, he ranks up there [as] … one of the very worst nominees that could be put forward,” Schumer said. “People’s lives depend on it — civilians and, of course, the men and women in the armed services — and Pete Hegseth has shown himself not only incapable of running a large organization, he often shows himself incapable of showing up or showing up in a way where he could get anything done. He is so out of the mainstream and so unqualified for DOD that I am hopeful we will get our Republican colleagues to join us. There will be a vote this afternoon.” Hegseth, who has been married three times, has admitted he was a “serial cheater” before he became a Christian and married his current wife, Jenny.  The 44-year-old Army National Guard veteran, who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is relatively young and inexperienced compared to defense secretaries in the past, retiring as a major. But Republicans say they don’t want someone who made it to the top brass who’s become entrenched in the Pentagon establishment.  Hegseth has made it clear he will work to fight “woke” programs in the Pentagon that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). He originally said he opposed women in combat before later clarifying he only opposes standards for women in combat that are different from men.  “I’m straight up just saying that we should not have women in combat roles,” Hegseth said on the “Shawn Ryan Show” podcast. “It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, has made fighting more complicated.” Additionally, in 2019, he successfully lobbied Trump to pardon three service members convicted or accused of war crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Trump may have looked ahead to sparing himself the headache this role caused him during his first administration. Only Jim Mattis and Mark Esper lasted more than a year. Three others served in an acting capacity. Hegseth is more likely to align himself with Trump’s goals for the department.  Fox News’ Stephen Sorace, Julia Johnson and Tyler Olson contributed to this report. 

‘Blatantly unconstitutional’: US judge temporarily blocks Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship

A federal judge in Seattle on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order banning birthright citizenship for children of illegal immigrants, describing the action as “blatantly unconstitutional.” The decision by U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Ronald Reagan appointee, comes in response to four U.S. states — Arizona, Illinois, Oregon and Washington — who sued to block Trump’s executive order, which was signed by Trump shortly after being sworn in as president.  Coughenour said Thursday that the executive order banning birthright citizenship “boggles the mind,” and told the court he could not remember in his more than 40 years on the bench seeing a case so “blatantly unconstitutional.” TRUMP DHS REPEALS KEY MAYORKAS MEMO LIMITING ICE AGENTS, ORDERS PAROLE REVIEW  The 14-day restraining order granted by Coughenour will apply to the entire U.S.  The ruling is a blow to the new Trump administration, and comes as 22 U.S. states and immigrants rights groups have sued the Trump administration over the ban on birthright citizenship, arguing in court filings that the executive order is both unconstitutional and “unprecedented.” Trump’s ban is slated to come into force Feb. 19, and would impact the hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S. annually. Trump’s order seeks to clarify the 14th Amendment, which states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” It clarifies that those born to illegal immigrant parents, or those who were here legally but on temporary nonimmigrant visas, are not citizens by birthright. The U.S. is one of roughly 30 countries where birthright citizenship is applied.  States who have challenged the law have argued that the 14th Amendment does in fact guarantee citizenship to persons born on U.S. soil and naturalized in the U.S.   This is a breaking news story, more updates to come.

In Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, a push for residents to lose weight and curb diabetes

In Brownsville, the city and local hospital have helped residents lose more than 23,000 pounds since 2008.

John Ratcliffe confirmed as next CIA director, becomes second Trump nominee to gain congressional approval

John Ratcliffe was confirmed to be the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on Thursday, making him the second of President Donald Trump’s cabinet picks to secure their position.  By a vote of 74-25, Ratcliffe was confirmed.  The Senate’s full approval of Ratcliffe came after a 14-3 vote by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Monday evening, which advanced Ratcliffe’s nomination to the Senate floor Thursday.  Ratcliffe previously served as Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI) from May 2020 until January 2021, during the president’s first term in office. At the time, Ratcliffe faced scrutiny over whether he was adequately qualified for the role and whether his loyalty to Trump might cloud his judgment. Ratcliffe’s eventual nomination was approved along party lines.    BREAKING DOWN THE SENATE HEARINGS FOR TRUMP’S CABINET NOMINEES Prior to Ratcliffe’s role as DNI, he was a member of the House of Representatives since 2015, serving Texas’s 4th Congressional District. During Ratcliffe’s tenure in Congress, he served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2019 until his move to DNI the following year. Ratcliffe’s confirmation this time around has garnered support from some Democrats, including from the top Democrat on the Senate’s intel committee, Rep. Mark Warner of Virginia, who voted in favor of Ratcliffe’s confirmation. MODERATE REPUBLICAN MURKOWSKI WON’T BACK TRUMP PICK HEGSETH FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY During Ratcliffe’s first confirmation hearing last week, when lawmakers probed him over how he would handle the role as CIA director if confirmed, Ratcliffe said he would eliminate politicization and “wokeness” in the agency’s workforce. Ratcliffe added that he plans on focusing on the agency’s approach to technology, saying that he thinks it has struggled to keep pace with the tech evolution occurring in the private sector. Ratcliffe will also take a hawkish stance towards China, according to people close to Ratcliffe, the Wall Street Journal reported last week. Ratcliffe’s confirmation makes him the second of Trump’s nominees to garner congressional approval, after Marco Rubio. The Republican-controlled Senate said it plans to work overtime to get the rest of Trump’s nominees approved quickly, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune insisting in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday evening, that they would work “nights, weekends, recesses” until the process is complete.

Border encounters drop sharply as Trump launches crackdown on illegal immigration

EXCLUSIVE: The U.S. southern border has seen a sharp drop in illegal immigrant encounters in the first days of the Trump administration, compared to the final few days of the Biden administration, multiple Department of Homeland Security sources tell Fox News Digital. The number of Border Patrol encounters at the southern border in the first three days of the Trump administration is 35% lower than the final three days of the Biden administration, the sources said. The numbers do not include encounters at the northern border, or encounters at ports of entry by CBP’s Office of Field Operations. On Jan 17, there were 1,288 encounters nationwide, then 1,266 on Jan 18 and 1,354 on Jan 19. That is 3,908 encounters in total. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES Trump took office on the 20th, when there were 1,073 encounters. It then declined further to 736 encounters on the 21st and again to 714 on the 22nd – making up 2,523 encounters. Numbers fluctuate sharply at the border on a daily and weekly basis, but numbers have been relatively low since June, when President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum. That followed a historic migrant crisis from 2021 that had shattered records repeatedly. President Donald Trump implemented additional restrictions. On taking office, he signed orders declaring a national emergency at the border, deploying the military to the border and ended the use of the CBP One app to process migrants at ports of entry via humanitarian parole. His administration has also launched a mass deportation operation, with ICE agents active in multiple cities and states across the United States. ‘PROMPT REMOVAL’: TRUMP DHS EXPANDS EXPEDITED DEPORTATION POWERS AS OPERATIONS RAMP UP The Department of Homeland Security has also issued memos rescinding limits placed on ICE by the Biden administration, ordering a review of parole, and expanding the use of expedited removal for recently-arrived illegal immigrants. Trump’s administration has also moved to restore border wall construction and reinstate the Remain-in-Mexico policy, which requires migrants to stay in Mexico for the duration of their asylum cases. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Trump also signed an executive order ending birthright citizenship for illegal immigrants — a move which quickly sparked a lawsuit from nearly two dozen Democratic-led states. Although the data is preliminary, lower numbers will likely fuel speculation about a “Trump effect,” in which migrants are discouraged from making their way to the border if they believe they are less likely to be admitted, or more likely to be deported if they are. 

‘Tides are shifting’: Push to codify key Trump-era policy snags dozens of cosponsors, including Dems

FIRST ON FOX: A bill to restore the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” policy, introduced recently in the House, is racking up cosponsors as it becomes the latest immigration bill to pick up bipartisan support in the chamber. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, a freshman lawmaker, introduced the Remain in Mexico Act this month. The bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the Migrant Protection Protocols, which were introduced during the first Trump administration and required migrants to wait in Mexico while their asylum cases were heard, part of an effort to end the practice known as “catch and release.” The protocols were scrapped by the Biden administration, which argued they were cruel and ineffective.  TRUMP’S REMAIN IN MEXICO POLICY COULD BE REVIVED UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP BILL  President Donald Trump has signed an order requiring the protocols to be restored, but codifying the policy in federal law would make it significantly harder for critics to then repeal it under a different administration. However, with the bill now before Congress, it has already picked up over 100 cosponsors, Fox News Digital is told. That includes two Democrats, Rep. Marie Glusenkamp Perez, D-Wash., and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “I am overwhelmed with gratitude that over one hundred of my colleagues have shown bipartisan support for my REMAIN in Mexico Act that codifies President Trump’s executive border action into law,” Gill said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The tides are shifting under President Trump—Congress knows we must strengthen our national security, prevent fraudulent asylum claims, and put our citizens first,” he said. TRUMP’S ICE RACKS UP HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS, INCLUDING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED FOR HORROR CRIMES The bill is one of a number of pieces of immigration legislation that have been introduced, with increasing signs of support from Democrats after a year in which illegal immigration was a top issue for voters and resulted in Republicans controlling the House, Senate and White House. On Wednesday evening, the House passed the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of illegal immigrants accused of theft-related crimes. It had previously passed the Senate. In the House, 46 Democrats voted in favor of it. The House is expected to be active on illegal immigration, reflecting a flurry of orders coming from the White House. Those orders include declaring a national emergency at the border, sending troops to the border and canceling a slew of Biden-era parole programs. 

GOP lawmaker rolls out MERIT Act to restructure federal workforce based on private sector model

FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Barry Loudermilk rolled out a measure Thursday that would reform and restructure the federal workforce by focusing on hiring and retaining officials on a merit basis, modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, Fox News Digital has learned.  Loudermilk, R-Ga., re-introduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement and Transformation (MERIT) Act on Thursday in an effort to hold “inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable.”  WHITE HOUSE OPM ORDERS ALL DEI OFFICES TO BEGIN CLOSING BY END OF DAY WEDNESDAY The rollout comes after President Donald Trump signed several Day One executive actions focused on reforming the federal workforce.  “Over the past four years, most Americans feared the federal government and its ability to unjustly wield power and have become tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal bureaucracy,” Loudermilk told Fox News Digital. “With President Trump back in office, and the passage of my MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust.”  Loudermilk says he intends to “return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas.”   The bill would address misconduct and poor performance by repealing the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which Loudermilk said is “unnecessarily time-consuming,” and instead, streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors.  The bill also permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position.  The MERIT Act also authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered, and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had those issues been known at the time.  The bill also affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation under the bill. “The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system,” Loudermilk said. “Our federal employment system should reward hard work and dedication; however, the current federal employment code protects poor performers and corruption.”  Loudermilk said he has been working on the bill for “several years” and that “now is the time to reform our outdated system.”  “MERIT would create a more efficient and effective government that works for the benefit of the American people,” he said. “It would restructure the federal employment code by modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, and lessen the time it takes to root out misconduct and poor performers.”  TRUMP VOWS ‘NEW ERA OF NATIONAL SUCCESS,’ SAYS AMERICA’S ‘DECLINE IS OVER’ IN INAUGURAL ADDRESS Loudermilk told Fox News Digital he is “encouraged” that Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will “complement MERIT.”  “I look forward to working with them and my colleagues to get it passed in the U.S. House,” Loudermilk said.  The bill’s original co-sponsors are Reps. Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, Erin Houchin, Burgess Owens, Anna Paulina Luna, Scott Franklin, Dan Webster, Tracy Mann, Dan Meuser, Brian Babin, Claudia Tenney, Jim Baird, Greg Steube and Tim Burchett.  TRUMP TO TAKE MORE THAN 200 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS ON DAY 1 The rollout of the legislation comes as Trump has already taken steps to reform the workforce during his first week in office.  Trump directed all agencies and departments to close their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices by Wednesday evening and place all DEI office employees on paid administrative leave.  Trump issued two other executive actions on Tuesday targeting DEI: An executive order to end discrimination in the workplace and higher education through race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of DEI, and a memo to eliminate a Biden administration policy that prioritized DEI hiring at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP By the end of the day Friday, Trump ordered all agency and department heads to notify their workforce of a return to in-person, in-office work. The White House has recommended a target return-to-work start date for 30 days from the original notice. 

Moderate Republican Murkowski won’t back Trump pick Hegseth for defense secretary

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said on Thursday she can’t support Pete Hegseth to be President Donald Trump’s secretary of Defense.  “Given the global security environment we’re operating in, it is critical that we confirm a Secretary of Defense, however, I regret that I am unable to support Mr. Hegseth,” she concluded in a lengthy statement posted to X.  TIM SCOTT EMPHASIZES ‘RESULTS’ OVER RECONCILIATION PROCESS AS HE STAYS OUT OF DEBATE In her reasoning, Murkowski cited infidelity, “allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking” and Hegseth’s previous comments on women serving in the military.  The behaviors that he has admitted to alone, she said, show “a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces.” While Hegseth has admitted to past infidelity, he has denied claims of excessive drinking and sexual assault.  DEM WHO CALLED TRUMP ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO DEMOCRACY’ NOW BLOCKING HIS NOMINEES The Alaska Republican noted that she met with Hegseth “and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials.”  Further, Murkowski said she “closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations, veterans, and Alaskans.” However, “After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense,” she said.  HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW Other GOP senators who have yet to take a public position on Hegseth include Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and former GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Collins told reporters on Thursday, “I’ll be releasing a statement shortly.”  Hegseth will need a simple majority of the Senate to vote in his favor in order to be confirmed. With the Republicans’ 53-seat majority, he can only afford to lose a handful of the conference. If there is a tie, newly sworn in Vice President JD Vance will be needed to cast the tie-breaking vote.  The move to oppose Hegseth’s confirmation was not unexpected from Murkowski, who has earned a reputation for occasionally bucking her party.  Fox News was recently told it was possible Hegseth’s confirmation would need Vance’s tie-breaking vote.In particular, Fox News was told to watch McConnell, Collins and Murkowski on the pivotal confirmation vote.  If McConnell and Collins join Murkowski in voting nay, Vance will need to come to the Capitol to break the tie and confirm Hegseth as Defense Secretary.  No Vice President had ever broken a tie to confirm a cabinet Secretary until former Vice President Pence did so to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary on February 7, 2017. Pence also broke ties to confirm former Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) as ambassador for religious freedom in 2018. He also broke a tie to confirm current Budget Director nominee Russ Vought as Deputy Budget Director in 2018.

JD Vance’s first big VP moment on the horizon with possible cabinet tiebreaker vote

JD Vance’s first big moment as vice president is on the horizon as the Senate prepares confirmation votes on President Donald Trump’s picks to lead the CIA and Defense Department, which could require Vance stepping in with a tiebreaking vote.  Under the Constitution, vice presidents serve as the president of the Senate and are charged with the sole power of breaking tied votes in the chamber. Vance, who previously served in the Senate before his election as vice president, could employ this power in the coming days as lawmakers make their way through Trump’s cabinet picks.  Senate lawmakers swiftly and unanimously confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state in a 99–0 vote on Monday. Other cabinet and administration picks, however, are still making their way through committee hearings and final votes.  Senate lawmakers are set to vote on Trump’s pick for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, before voting on Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Fox News learned earlier this week that lawmakers could deadlock on the confirmation vote for Hegseth, which would require Vance to step in.  THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO A PROBABLE WEEKEND SESSION TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES  Republicans hold control of the Senate at 53 seats, compared to Democrats’ 45 seats and two independent seats. Fox News was told that Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, could break with Trump’s secretary of defense nominee and vote against his confirmation.   Ratcliffe is scheduled for a confirmation vote Thursday, which will be followed by a procedural vote to advance Hegseth’s nomination. Vance could be called to Capitol Hill to break a tied vote if a handful of Republicans deny confirming the nominees.  Ratcliffe previously served as director of national intelligence under the first Trump administration, and was confirmed by the Senate in 2020 by a 49–44 vote.  Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tiebreaking votes in her role as vice president when she issued her 32nd tiebreaking vote in 2023 regarding the confirmation of a federal judge. Democrats only had a 51-member majority over Republicans, who had a 49-person conference, during the 118th Congress. SEN. THUNE SUGGESTS STAYING THROUGH WEEKEND TO CONFIRM TRUMP PICKS AFTER DEMS DELAY VOTES: ‘SHOULDN’T BE HARD’ The first Trump administration made history in 2017 when Mike Pence became the first vice president to deliver a tiebreaking vote to confirm a cabinet secretary. Pence voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education after a 50–50 deadlock over the nominee. Pence also broke tie votes in 2018 to confirm Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., as ambassador for religious freedom and to confirm Russ Vought as deputy director for the Office of Management and Budget.  Vance could see himself in a similar position as Republicans hold a tight majority in the chamber.  HEGSETH LAWYER SLAMS ‘FLAWED AND QUESTIONABLE AFFIDAVIT’ FROM EX-SISTER-IN-LAW Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, where he faced a grilling from Democrats over his views on women serving in combat roles, infidelity and drinking habits.  Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has battled allegations of sexual misconduct, excessive drinking and mismanaging a veterans nonprofit organization. He has denied the allegations and vowed that he won’t drink “a drop of alcohol” if confirmed to Trump’s cabinet. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH’S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING “Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you,” Hegseth said before the committee on Jan. 14, beginning to choke up in his emotional opening remarks.  “And as Jenny and I pray together every morning, all glory, regardless of the outcome, belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “His grace and mercy abounds each day. May His will be done.” Earlier this week, Democratic senators on the Armed Services Committee reviewed an affidavit that alleged Hegseth abused alcohol and, at times, made his ex-wife, Samantha, fear for her safety. The affidavit was filed by Danielle Hegseth, who was married to Pete Hegseth’s brother. Pete Hegseth’s lawyer pushed back in a statement that Hegseth’s ex-wife has never alleged abuse.   “Sam has never alleged that there was any abuse,” attorney Tim Parlatore said in a comment to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “She signed court documents acknowledging that there was no abuse and recently reaffirmed the same during her FBI interview. Belated claims by Danielle Dietrich, an anti-Trump, far-left Democrat who is divorced from Mr. Hegseth’s brother and never got along with the Hegseth family, do nothing to change that.”  Hegseth’s final leg of the confirmation process will unfold after lawmakers vote on Ratcliffe for CIA director — a process that could pour over into the weekend.  Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.