Lawmakers eye ‘low hanging fruit’ for government efficiency after first DOGE Caucus meeting
Some lawmakers in the new Congressional DOGE Caucus are eyeing a crackdown on federal agencies work-from-home policies when Republicans take over the levers of power in Washington DC next year. The group’s name is an acronym for Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency, coinciding with the Department of Government Efficiency – also DOGE for short – a new advisory panel commissioned by President-elect Trump and led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The caucus held its first meeting on Tuesday, which lawmakers described to Fox News Digital as largely “organizational.” DOGE Caucus co-chair Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital the room was full of interested lawmakers. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN “We had 29 sign up to come, so we met in a small conference room. But it was packed – we had over 60 members attend,” Bean said. That included three Democrats – Reps. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., Val Hoyle, D-Ore., and the first Democrat to join the DOGE Caucus, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. Documents given to attendees and shared with Fox News Digital encouraged lawmakers to think of what kind of DOGE goals would be “worthwhile lifts,” “quick wins,” “lower priority,” and “low-hanging fruit” and other ways to organize and prioritize initiatives. Asked about what some “low-hanging fruit” for the panel would be, Bean said, “People going back to work.” REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ FIRST DEMOCRAT TO JOIN CONGRESSIONAL DOGE CAUCUS “We have a problem,” Bean said. “[Federal workers] do a large amount of work from home. Which, that’s a debate – whether or not they’re productive working from home. But if they are working from home, we have between a 6 and 15% occupancy of billions of square foot of commercial buildings that we are spending billions on to upkeep and whatnot. Do we still need that much space if people aren’t using their offices?” That was echoed by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, who also attended the meeting. “You know, when you take out security, you’ve got one percent of the federal government workers who are going in to work on a regular basis, and we’re paying for 100% of them all to have office space,” Van Duyne said. “There’s lots of low hanging fruit. I just hope we can identify what those are.” Bean also dismissed accusations from critics of Musk and Ramamswamy’s DOGE push that it was a way for Republicans to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits “That is not the intent,” Bean emphasized. “It is not the intent [to be] cutting benefits, of either health or [veterans] or Social Security. But those benefits…have limited shelf life, unless we make reductions elsewhere. So the purpose is not to cut those things, but to safeguard them.” REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY Other lawmakers who attended said they came away enthusiastic about the group’s cost-cutting and efficiency goals. “It was a good introductory meeting of the caucus, kind of challenging us all to think about our expectations and how we can help, you know, take ideas and move them in to bill form and work through the normal committee process to do that,” Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., said. “I’ve even gotten a lot of ideas from constituents…I think this is a really great grassroots effort.” House GOP Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore, R-Utah, another DOGE Caucus co-chair alongside Bean and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said “there’s a billion and a half ideas, and we need to make it so it’s actually actionable for Vivek and Elon.” Both Bean and Moore indicated that the next steps for the caucus would be to split up into working groups targeting various aspects of DOGE’s mission. The next caucus meeting is expected in January, Bean said.
Congress unveils bill to avert Friday government shutdown with over $100B in disaster aid
Congressional leaders are unveiling their plan to avoid a partial government shutdown by the Friday federal funding deadline. House Republicans released the 1,547-page text of a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels to give lawmakers more time to agree on funding the rest of FY 2025. It’s the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30. The bill extends FY 2024 government funding levels through March 14, while also including more than $100 billion in funding for disaster relief after storms Helene and Milton battered the U.S. Southeast just months ago. A further $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers is also included. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY The legislation has health care provisions aimed at lessening the influence of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), and legislation aimed at revitalizing Washington, DC’s RFK Stadium and the surrounding area. The bill will also make way for outbound investment legislation, to crack down on the flow of U.S. dollars benefitting Chinese military and technology firms overseas. Recent drone activity on the Eastern Seaboard that’s alarmed private citizens and lawmakers alike also inspired negotiators to include a reauthorization and extension of the government’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program. To offset some of that funding, House leadership staff said the bill will allow the Treasury to recoup some of the funds the federal government spent rebuilding the Baltimore Key Bridge. It must pass the GOP-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate by Friday and hit President Biden’s desk by midnight that day to avoid a partial government shutdown. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER Last-minute negotiations delayed the bill’s expected Sunday release to Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, GOP hardliners are crying foul at Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for stacking what they anticipated would be a “clean” CR with unrelated policy riders. “We talked with the speaker up until this weekend, the only discussion was ‘How long is this clean CR going to be?’ And suddenly we find out – I heard rumors over the weekend – they’re negotiating with a health care package that included PBM stuff,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. “I think it’s absolutely disgusting to bring forward a several-thousand-page bill that nobody’s read, even today, nobody’s even seen it, and then they expect us to vote on it without any debate.” MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT Allies of President-elect Trump had pushed for a short-term extension into the new year to give his administration, and a fully Republican Congress, more control over government funding. But some GOP lawmakers worried that fighting the previous year’s battles will risk derailing the forward-facing agenda Republicans hope to enact in Trump’s first 100 days. “His agenda is going to be subject to a one-seat majority for some time, in the best case scenario, he gets about three or four seats. So we don’t have much margin for error,” one House Republican said.
Fox News Politics: Cheney Accused of ‘Potential’ Witness Tampering
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… -Red state reveals plan to purchase auctioned border wall materials to store for Trump –Electoral College vote moves Trump another step toward officially becoming president -Vance will likely be 2028 front-runner, but RNC chair ‘excited about the bench that we have’ Former Rep. Liz Cheney is facing calls from GOP legislators that the FBI investigate her for “potential criminal witness tampering” related to her former role on the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, a report released Tuesday by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight chairman, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., details. “Based on the evidence obtained by this Subcommittee, numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, the former Vice Chair of the January 6 Select Committee, and these violations should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evidence uncovered by the Subcommittee revealed that former Congresswoman Liz Cheney tampered with at least one witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, by secretly communicating with Hutchinson without Hutchinson’s attorney’s knowledge,” the report, which was provided to Fox Digital, found. Cheney, in comments provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday afternoon, defended her former committee’s investigation, while arguing Loudermilk’s report “intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence.” “January 6th showed Donald Trump for who [he] really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave,” Cheney said to Fox News Digital….Read more SCHOOL’S OUT: Jill Biden leaves job at Virginia community college ahead of White House departure…Read more ‘ALMOST A CRIMINAL ACT’: Biden taken to task for selling border wall materials …Read more ‘DEEPLY DISTURBING’: Biden administration pressuring African country to adopt lax abortion laws in exchange for foreign aid: report…Read more ‘SLAP IN THE FACE’: Biden clemency for convicted fraudsters met with outrage…Read more THE BIG C: Biden’s clemency for doc in chemotherapy fraud scheme contrasts with longtime ‘Cancer Moonshot’ advocacy…Read more LAST-DITCH EFFORT: Two new student debt relief programs from Biden barrel toward imminent release…Read more PUBLIC SHOWDOWN: Pete Hegseth may release sexual assault accuser from confidentiality agreement, setting up public showdown…Read more ‘UNOFFICIAL CO-PRESIDENT’: Elizabeth Warren wants answers from Trump over Elon Musk ‘conflicts of interest’…Read more EXCITEMENT AND WORRY: Majority of Americans optimistic about Trump agenda, poll finds, despite tariff concern…Read more ‘PHENOMENALLY BAD IDEA’: Dems push drastic move that Mike Lee calls ‘a phenomenally bad idea’…Read more IN THE DOGE HOUSE: Top Republican touts ‘real motivation’ behind House DOGE Caucus’ mission before first meeting…Read more ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: House AI task force says ‘unreasonable’ to expect immediate congressional action on AI in 250-page report…Read more WHAT HAPPENED?: Republican demands info from State Department on delayed Afghanistan flights….Read more SPARTZ FLY: House GOP lawmaker rejects committee assignments to dedicate time to DOGE…Read more GETTING STARTED: DOGE Caucus senator introduces 2 bills to kick-start waste cuts in Trump term…Read more BLOW TO SQUAD: AOC loses bid to be top Democrat on powerful House Oversight Committee…Read more ‘CONSEQUENCES’: GOP rebels plot mutiny against Johnson over government shutdown drama…Read more SWING-STATE CURVEBALL: Swing state governor’s race sees a twist as top Dem will run as independent…Read more ‘WE NEED SOLUTIONS’: Chicago community activist sounds off on migrant crisis: ‘I welcome’ Trump border czar…Read more MOVING TO SANCTUARY CITIES: TN lawmaker proposes sending illegal migrants accused of minor crimes to sanctuary cities instead of deporting…Read more NO TAX ON TIPS: Virginia Gov. Youngkin calls for end to taxes on tips ahead of legislative session…Read more LOOKING AHEAD: ‘America First’ group says its voter-targeting made a difference as Trump picks several leaders for WH…Read more ‘UNDERMINED CLIMATE PROGRESS’: Environmental group launches six-figure battleground state ad buy against Newsom’s ‘climate leadership’…Read more DRONES: Government agencies say joint investigation into drone sightings reveals no threat: ‘We recognize the concern’…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Texas GOP threatens House members who support Dustin Burrows in speaker race with attack mailers
This is the latest example of the Republican Party of Texas spending its resources attacking its own members.
Texas school districts asked to return $16 million in federal funding for special education services
The request comes after an audit found Texas improperly billed the federal government for reimbursements related to Medicaid-eligible students.
Planes, stars and hobbyists: Lawmakers insist nothing ‘nefarious’ is happening in NJ skies
Lawmakers exiting a classified briefing with U.S. intelligence officials insisted they received assurances nothing “nefarious” is going on with the recent uptick in drone sightings in New Jersey. On Tuesday, U.S. officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Defense Department privately briefed members of the House Intelligence Committee in an effort to assuage growing fears over sightings of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and fresh calls for federal action. “There’s no evidence that anybody acted unlawfully here, or that any of these drones, in as much as the authorities know anything about them, are associated with anybody with malign intent,” Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the committee, told reporters after the briefing. “I don’t think we have any reason to believe that they are hiding information. And, again, we asked an extraordinarily detailed series of questions of 28 people over a period of three hours.” ‘DRONE’ SIGHTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST SPARK ‘UNFOUNDED’ PANIC, SAYS EXPERT But the uptick in alleged drone sightings along the East Coast has touched off panicked calls for an investigation from residents and state lawmakers. The FBI has received more than 6,000 tips from the public on mysterious drone sightings. One theory can definitively be ruled out, according to Himes. The drones are not the work of a classified government operation, he said. “We asked this question over and over and over again,” he said, “They are not [linked to the U.S. government]. We were assured.” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder stressed to reporters that the drones seen along the East Coast are not a DOD asset. Instead, the running theory among U.S. officials seems to be that there is no one reason behind the phenomenon, and many of the sightings called in to law enforcement are planes, helicopters or hobbyist drones operating lawfully. “There is no evident threat coming from any place. These are just traditional planes, drones, stars, private planes — all the things that are typically in our skies,” said Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican and outspoken critic of the Biden administration’s response to the drones, told Fox News Digital in an interview Tuesday he plans to introduce legislation as early as this week that would allow state police to better handle the drone threat, including tracking the unmanned aircraft and, if necessary, taking them down. But Smith said Tuesday he sees the bill as a “very real extension of a capability that is needed right now” in the U.S. defense space. “There’s more vulnerability here that anyone wants to accept, but we need to take action — decisive action,” Smith said. On Friday, government agencies will lose their counter-drone authority without an FAA reauthorization from Congress. An extension of that authority is expected to be included in spending legislation to keep the government open, but security-minded lawmakers are pushing for more extensive reform to grant state and local law enforcement the authority to intercept and identify drones and equip them with radar detection capabilities. “We got a lot of answers. Quite frankly, the technology of drones has outpaced the law,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill. “We have to work in a bipartisan manner to plug some holes within the law in terms of who is allowed to operate drones in what manner and how do you disable or deal with drones in improper airspace.” NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER On Monday, the DHS, FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon issued a joint statement noting that, while they “recognize the concern” from the public, there is no evidence that the drones are “anomalous” or a threat to national security. The drone complaints began pouring in last month in New Jersey, where witnesses and residents first began reporting drone sightings off of coastal areas, including off of Cape May, a scenic town roughly 50 miles south of Atlantic City along the Jersey Shore. More recently, lawmakers in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland have reported new drone sightings in their home states, with some witnesses claiming the aircraft in question have been the “size of cars” or seen flying above sensitive infrastructure or in restricted airspace. Krishnamoorthi insisted he was “satisfied” with the answers he got from the briefing, but the government needs to do more to assuage the concerns of the public. “The public needs to see for themselves what these government officials have concluded and the technology that’s been used.”
Attorney for RFK Jr. blasts ‘hysterical’ media report as distortion of HHS pick’s views on vaccines
An attorney advising Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s secretary nominee for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is slamming a New York Times report this week that claimed he sought to revoke the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for the polio vaccine. “Contrary to hysterical media reports that the petition sought to make sure no polio vaccines would be available, the scope of the petition was quite narrow,” Aaron Siri, a close RFK Jr. adviser and partner at Siri & Glimstad LLP, told Fox News Digital. “It simply asked the FDA to require a proper trial for licensure for children of a novel polio vaccine.” The New York Times reported Friday that Siri is “waging a war” against all vaccines, but Siri said the report “falsely claimed the petition sought to eliminate” the polio vaccine, “as if there is only one, and that our client sought to leave Americans without the choice to get vaccinated for polio.” RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SIT-DOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL “In reality, the petition sought to ensure the safety of one of the six existing licensed polio vaccines that we inject into our children three times before their first birthday,” he said. The report came just days before RFK Jr. headed to Capitol Hill this week to meet with Senators, seeking support for his HHS confirmation. The petition, filed in 2022 on behalf of the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) and not as an individual action by Siri, urged the FDA to suspend the polio vaccine IPOL for infants and children. ICAN’s request stems from concerns that IPOL, licensed in 1990 by Sanofi, was approved based on pediatric trials that, according to the FDA, evaluated safety for only three days after injection. This is not the traditional polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk or Albert Sabin that many people are familiar with, Siri added. Instead, it is a product utilizing a different technology, where the polio virus is grown on monkey kidney cells that have been genetically altered to replicate indefinitely, similar to cancer cells. Traces of these cells are present in each vaccine dose. BIDEN CLEMENCY ANNOUNCEMENT GETS MIXED REVIEWS ON CAPITOL HILL: ‘WHERE’S THE BAR?’ Another petition filed on behalf of ICAN in 2021 addresses 13 childhood vaccines containing aluminum adjuvants. According to the petition, a peer-reviewed study found discrepancies between the aluminum levels in these vaccines and the amounts listed on their FDA-approved labels. The petition calls on the FDA to verify and publicly release documentation proving the accuracy of the aluminum content or halt distribution until resolved — an issue critics say should not be controversial for products injected into infants. “Currently, political labeling (pro-vaccine, anti-vaccine) is inadequate to encompass the realities of medical ethics, regulatory capture, and the influence of corporate money on health policy,” Siri said. “We must be able to raise valid questions about vaccine safety, efficacy and policy without fear that any deviation from the mantra ‘safe and effective’ will be smeared with epithets and outrage.” ‘OF COURSE I SUPPORT THE PARDON OF MY SON,’ JILL BIDEN TELLS REPORTER In the days since media outlets have reported about Siri’s petition, both Trump and RFK Jr. have said they support the polio vaccine, without specifying which one. RFK Jr. has expressed his skepticism of some vaccines, while supporting the use of others, in interviews during his 2024 presidential campaign run as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) slogan. “Mr. Kennedy believes the Polio Vaccine should be available to the public and thoroughly and properly studied,” Katie Miller, the transition spokeswoman for Kennedy, said in response. Meanwhile, Trump said “everything should be looked at,” adding that he’s a “big believer in the polio vaccine,” during a Mar-a-Lago press conference Monday morning. Fox News Digital reached out to the New York Times for comment but did not receive an immediate reply.
Farm state Republicans appear skeptical about RFK amid his quest for HHS confirmation
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be asked to explain some of his beliefs about farming and food production by Republicans who are protective of the agricultural industry in their states. This could stand in the way of a smooth confirmation if he doesn’t manage to address their concerns. “They’ve got to be able to use modern farming techniques, and that involves a lot of things, not only really sophisticated equipment, but also fertilizers and pesticides. So, we have to have that conversation,” Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., told reporters. “I’m always going to stand up for farmers and ranchers.” ELIZABETH WARREN WANTS ANSWERS FROM TRUMP OVER ELON MUSK ‘CONFLICTS OF INTEREST’ Hoeven told Fox News Digital he would need certain assurances from Kennedy to support him. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told reporters he wants Kennedy “to understand that when I started farming in 1960, we raised 50 bushels of corn to the acre. Now, we raise on an annual average about 200 in Iowa. A lot more than that. “And you can’t feed 9 billion people on the face of the earth [if] we don’t take advantage of genetic engineering.” Before meeting with Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Tuesday, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told reporters he planned to ask him about pesticide use. Afterward, it seemed Kennedy addressed any concerns, because Tuberville wrote on X, “Our meeting reaffirmed what I already knew: RFK Jr. is the right man to make sure our food is safe, bring transparency to vaccines and health care, and Make America Healthy Again.” DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM While some Republicans are worried about the agricultural implications of Kennedy’s positions, his food safety stances are providing some level of appeal to certain Democrats, whose votes he could potentially need to be confirmed. A number of Democratic senators told Fox News Digital their interest was piqued by Kennedy’s thoughts on food regulations, but none said they had meetings scheduled yet. TOM COTTON DEMANDS DOD RECORDS ON BORDER-WALL MATERIAL SALES BE PRESERVED “His approach to food and nutrition is more direct and perhaps might be more successful than continuing the way we’ve been doing it,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., told Fox News Digital. “I’m definitely looking forward to him coming in and testifying.” A representative for Kennedy did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
GOP senator moves to block feds from disposing of border wall materials amid auction backlash
FIRST ON FOX: A top Republican senator is introducing legislation to block the federal government from disposing of border wall materials after a controversy over the auctioning of border wall parts made headlines again. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., is introducing legislation to prohibit the use of federal funds “to deconstruct, dismantle, or otherwise render inoperable any segment of the physical barrier along the international border between the United States and Mexico.” The bill would also bar the use of funds “to auction, sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of any materials or supplies purchased or otherwise acquired by the Federal Government for the purpose of constructing, maintaining, or reinforcing a physical barrier along such border.” ‘STANDING BY TO HELP’: RED STATE REVEALS PLAN TO PURCHASE AUCTIONED BORDER WALL MATERIALS TO STORE FOR TRUMP The bill comes in response to the ongoing controversy over the auctioning of border wall materials by the Biden administration. The Biden administration abruptly ended border wall construction in January 2021 after 450 miles had been built during the first Trump administration. The auctioning of border wall parts began in 2023 with parts listed for sale on GovPlanet.com, an online auction marketplace. The Defense Department’s logistics agency told media outlets the excess material had been turned over for disposition by the Army Corps of Engineers and was for sale. Those auctions have continued, with officials in Arizona telling Fox News Digital that auctions have been occurring weekly for some time. The practice made headlines last week when The Daily Wire published video showing unused wall parts being transported on flatbed trucks in Arizona even though the materials could be used by the next Trump administration. A furious President-elect Trump called the moves “almost a criminal act” and called on President Biden to “please stop selling the wall.” TRUMP CALLS FOR END TO BORDER WALL AUCTIONS: ‘ALMOST CRIMINAL ACT’ The president-elect also said he is working with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas leaders to reacquire the materials. “What they’re doing is really an act, it’s almost a criminal act,” he said. “They know we’re going to use it, and if we don’t have it, we’re going to have to rebuild it. And it’ll cost double what it cost years ago, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars because you’re talking about a lot of, a lot of wall.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS A defense official told Fox News last week that the Pentagon has been disposing of excess wall construction in accordance with the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the defense secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased with Pentagon funds. That plan was submitted in March. The official said that border states, including Texas, were given preference for materials and that the materials no longer belong to the U.S. government, adding the Defense Department has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of it. “Through our reutilization, transfer and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GovPlanet online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DOD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns.” Hagerty’s bill would supersede any existing law, including the NDAA. His office says the NDAA provision was intended to encourage border wall construction. Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin and Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
RFK Jr. says he plans to also meet with Dems in bid to get confirmed as Trump HHS head
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told Fox News Digital he plans to meet with Senate Democrats, in addition to Republicans, as he looks to shore up support for confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in President-elect Trump’s incoming administration. Asked by Fox News Digital whether he would be meeting with Democrats on the Hill as well, Kennedy, a former Democrat himself, said, “Oh yeah.” ELIZABETH WARREN WANTS ANSWERS FROM TRUMP OVER ELON MUSK ‘CONFLICTS OF INTEREST’ However, the former independent presidential candidate didn’t say which Senate Democrats he would meet. “I don’t know,” he said when asked by reporters. Kennedy kicked off his Capitol Hill meetings for his HHS bid on Monday, meeting with several Republicans. No Democratic senators were included in a list of dozens of lawmakers that he was set to meet with at the beginning of the week. DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM Last month, Trump announced Kennedy as his HHS pick. The two were initially running against each other in the 2024 election before Kennedy dropped out and endorsed Trump. Kennedy’s confirmation could face several obstacles, particularly when it comes to vaccines, agriculture and abortion. TOM COTTON DEMANDS DOD RECORDS ON BORDER-WALL MATERIAL SALES BE PRESERVED He has been an outspoken skeptic of vaccinations, which some Republican and Democrat senators have pointed to as a concern. Kennedy is also pro abortion rights and has supported abortion access throughout his life, which has left some Republicans with questions, as HHS has some authority over regulations that apply to abortion and those who provide them. JUDGES BACKING OUT OF RETIREMENT AHEAD OF TRUMP TERM LEAVE GOP SENATORS FUMING His critiques of the food industry and farming have given him some appeal with Democrats, but at the same time, Republicans representing agricultural states have stressed that they want to protect farmers and ranchers from certain burdensome policies and regulations. It’s unclear what exactly the coalition supporting Kennedy will look like in the Senate, whether he will have the support of all Republicans or if some Democrats will be needed to get him over the finish line.