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Fetterman says there ‘isn’t a constitutional crisis’ with the Trump administration: report

Fetterman says there ‘isn’t a constitutional crisis’ with the Trump administration: report

A prominent Democrat is arguing that “there isn’t a constitutional crisis” happening right now with the Trump administration.  Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., reportedly made the remark to HuffPost on Wednesday, the same day White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared that “the real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch, where district court judges in liberal districts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally block President Trump’s basic executive authority.”   Just roughly three weeks back in the Oval Office, Trump’s administration has been hit with at least 57 lawsuits working to resist his policies and executive orders.  “When it was [President] Joe Biden, then you [had] a conservative judge jam it up on him, and now we have liberal judges that are going to stop these things. That’s how the process works,” Fetterman told HuffPost, adding that “There isn’t a constitutional crisis, and all of these things — it’s just a lot of noise.”   WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘THE REAL CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS IS TAKING PLACE WITHIN OUR JUDICIAL BRANCH’  “That’s why I’m only going to swing on the strikes,” he also said.  The comments are a contrast to remarks made earlier this week by fellow Democrat Sen. Chris Murphy, who told CNN “this isn’t hyperbole to say that we are staring the death of democracy in the eyes, right now.  “The centerpiece of our democracy is that we observe court rulings. Criminal court rulings, civil court rulings and constitutional court rulings. No one is above the law,” the Connecticut Democrat said Monday. “And whether we like it or not, the courts interpret the law.”  On Wednesday, Leavitt said “We believe these judges are acting as judicial activists rather than honest arbiters of the law.  “And they have issued at least 12 injunctions against this administration in the past 14 days, often without citing any evidence or grounds for their lawsuits,” she continued.  LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EXECUTIVE ORDERS    “This is part of a larger concerted effort by Democrat activists, and nothing more than the continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump,” Leavitt also said.   Leavitt alleged that an “extremely dishonest narrative” has been emerging in recent days with media outlets “fearmongering the American people into believing there is a constitutional crisis taking place here at the White House.”   “Quick news flash to these liberal judges who are supporting their obstructionist efforts: 77 million Americans voted to elect this president, and each injunction is an abuse of the rule of law and an attempt to thwart the will of the people,” Leavitt added.  “As the president clearly stated in the Oval Office yesterday, we will comply with the law in the courts, but we will also continue to seek every legal remedy to ultimately overturn these radical injunctions and ensure President Trump’s policies can be enacted,” she concluded.  Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.  

Comer, Lee roll out bicameral bill to fast-track Trump’s government reorganization plans through Congress

Comer, Lee roll out bicameral bill to fast-track Trump’s government reorganization plans through Congress

FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and Sen. Mike Lee are introducing bicameral legislation Thursday that would fast-track President Donald Trump’s federal government reorganizations plans through Congress, Fox News Digital has learned.  Comer, R-Ky., will introduce the Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 in the House Thursday, while Lee, R-Utah, will roll it out in the Senate. The legislation would ensure Congress takes an up or down vote on the plans submitted to Congress in order to “streamline government operations to better serve the American people.” DOGE SLASHES MILLIONS MORE IN ‘NONSENSE’ CONTRACTS ACROSS SEVERAL FEDERAL AGENCIES It also seeks to renew and extend presidential authority to propose executive branch reorganization plans through December 2026 and restores a reorganization authority that was last in effect in 1984. Congressional aides said the bill aims to “modernize and improve government efficiency.”  Under the bill, Congress must vote on Trump’s proposed reorganization plans within 90 days by using an expedited process that cannot be filibustered. It also expands the president’s authority to include entire executive departments – not just agencies.  The bill does prohibit, however, reorganization that would increase the size of the federal workforce or its expenditures.  “Americans elected President Trump to reform Washington, and his team is working around the clock to deliver on that promise,” Comer told Fox News Digital, adding that the federal bureaucracy “has grown dramatically in size and scope, creating unnecessary red tape.”  “We must cut through the inefficiency and streamline government to improve service delivery and save taxpayers money,” he said, adding that “Congress can fast-track President Trump’s government reorganization plans by renewing a key tool to approve them swiftly in Congress.”  DOGE SLASHES OVER $100M IN DEI FUNDING AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT: ‘WIN FOR EVERY STUDENT’ “The Reorganizing Government Act of 2025 does just that,” Comer said. “We owe it to the American people to make government efficient, effective and accountable.”  And Lee told Fox News Digital that the bicameral legislation allows the president to use his constitutional authority to reorganize federal agencies, “eliminate weaponization” and “right-size the government to better serve the American people.”  “Congress cannot afford to sit on its hands in this fight,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “Reauthorizing presidential reorganization authority is the most comprehensive tool that the president can use to restore good governance to Washington.”  The bill comes amid a significant expansion in the federal government, which GOP lawmakers say has led to “inefficiencies, redundancies, and bureaucratic obstacles.”  Its introduction also comes amid a push from the White House to shrink the size of the federal government.  Trump signed executive orders on his first day in office to do so.  The president also tasked Elon Musk to run the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, to reduce government waste, cut the federal workforce and slash costs.  The Office of Personnel Management offered employees across the federal government the option to resign with full pay and benefits through September in an effort to cut the workforce. Sources say at least 75,000 federal workers have taken the option to resign.  Meanwhile, DOGE has successfully canceled millions of dollars of government contracts that the administration says were a waste of taxpayer dollars.  A senior administration official told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that DOGE has worked with various agencies to cancel several contracts in the Social Security Administration, the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor, and several other areas. 

Senate Democrats rail against RFK Jr. in late-night session ahead of vote

Senate Democrats rail against RFK Jr. in late-night session ahead of vote

Senate Democrats railed against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a late-night session Wednesday ahead of his confirmation vote to potentially become the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).  Kennedy’s confirmation vote is expected around 10:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, but Democrat senators spent the evening before condemning former President Donald Trump’s HHS pick on a number of issues.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., described Kennedy as “obviously unqualified,” “obviously fringe,” and as holding views “obviously detrimental to the well-being of the American people.”  “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not remotely qualified to become the next Secretary of Health and Human Services,” Schumer said. “Robert F. Kennedy might be the least qualified people the president could have chosen for the job. It’s almost as if Mr. Kennedy’s beliefs, history and background were tailor-made to be the exact opposite of what the job demands.” RFK JR NOMINATION TO SERVE AS TRUMP’S HEALTH SECRETARY CLEARS KEY HURDLE IN SENATE Referencing Kennedy and Tulsi Gabbard, the newly confirmed Director of National Intelligence, Schumer accused Republican senators of “rubber-stamping people no matter how fringe they are.” “The HHS is an agency that depends on science, on evidence and impartiality to ensure the well-being of over 330 million Americans. HHS ensures we eat safe food, purchase reliable medication, oversee Medicare benefits and approve the use of lifesaving vaccines. Most importantly, a good HHS secretary makes sure the American people have access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Mr. Kennedy, unfortunately, is not qualified to oversee any of these things,” Schumer said. “He is neither a doctor, nor a scientist, nor a public health expert, nor a policy expert of any kind. If Mr. Kennedy is confirmed given that lack of background, I deeply fear that he will rubber stamp Donald Trump’s war against healthcare, meaning we will see more of the disastrous funding cuts of the last few weeks, meaning that more people will lose health coverage, meaning that the interests of for-profit corporations and Big Pharma will come before the needs of working Americans.”   On the Senate floor, Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., read again the letter from Kennedy’s cousin, Caroline Kennedy, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Australia under the Biden administration.  Her letter, which she released ahead of RFK Jr.’s Senate confirmation hearing last month, said, “Now that Bobby has been nominated by President Trump to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position that would put him in charge of the health of the American people, I feel an obligation to speak out. Overseeing the FDA, the NIH and the CDC and the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services agencies that are charged with protecting the most vulnerable among us is an enormous responsibility, and one that Bobby is unqualified to fill. He lacks any relevant government financial management or medical expertise. His views on vaccines are dangerous and willfully misinformed.”  Caroline Kennedy went on to write, “I have known Bobby all my life. We grew up together. It’s no surprise that he keeps birds of prey as pets because he himself is a predator.” Her letter said, “While he may encourage a younger generation to attend AA meetings, Bobby is addicted to attention and power. Bobby preys on the desperation of parents of sick children, vaccinating his own children while building a following by hypocritically discouraging other parents from vaccinating theirs.”  “My view? Robert Kennedy has spent his considerable talent promoting misinformation to vulnerable people who have motives we all have and that is the well-being of people we love. You know, some of the things that Mr. Kennedy said when he’s attacking vaccines, they’re not based at all on science, but they appeal to people’s distrust of the standard medical profession,” Welch said. “He’s promoting it using the magic of the Kennedy name. The credibility that comes from being a member of one of the most starry political families in the history of our country.”  Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., came to the floor to voice his “strong opposition” to Kennedy.  DOGE SUBCOMMITTEE HOLDS FIRST HEARING SLAMMING $36T NATIONAL DEBT, AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS DECLARE ‘WAR ON WASTE’ “Mr. Kennedy says that he’ll always follow the evidence no matter where it leads. Well, if you look at his record, he hasn’t done that,” Hollen said.  The senator said Kennedy has “no experience, no qualifications in the vast majority” of the wide range of subjects HHS covers, naming how the department “provides quality control for reproductive health services,” “ensures that contraception are covered under the Affordable Care Act, and it makes sure that Americans can have access to over-the-counter options” and also includes programs for early childhood development, the elderly and the disabled.  “I don’t think any of us expect that one Secretary of HHS can know everything. But if you monitored the hearings and listened to Mr. Kennedy’s answers, you can see that Mr. Kennedy knows virtually nothing about all those important subjects,” he said.  Van Hollen quoted former President John F. Kennedy, who said more than 60 years ago that he hoped “that the renewed drive to provide vaccination for all Americans, and particularly those who are young, will have the wholehearted support of every parent in America.” “Unfortunately, his nephew, RFK Jr, has spent decades unraveling that hard won legacy by spreading lies and conspiracy theories about vaccines,” Van Hollen said.  Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also took issue with the notoriety of the Kennedy name. “I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that there are very few people in this country that are less qualified to run this agency than Robert Kennedy Jr.,” Murphy said. “I say that because there are few people in the country who have been so enthusiastic, so public and so impactful in their ability to take some of the wildest conspiracy theories that are out there on the internet about our health system or about our kids, or about our families, internalize them and then disseminate them in a way that

Trump budget bill hits the rocks with GOP rebels, tax hawks ahead of key vote

Trump budget bill hits the rocks with GOP rebels, tax hawks ahead of key vote

The House GOP’s proposal for a massive conservative policy overhaul has already gotten a rocky reception from Republican lawmakers, and with their current majority, Republicans will need to vote in near lock-step to pass anything without Democratic support. “I think it’s probably going to have to be modified in some way before it comes to the floor,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. Other members of the GOP hardliner group also balked at the bill. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., called it a “pathetic” attempt at cutting spending. “We’ll still be accelerating towards a debt spiral,” Burlison said. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN House and Senate Republicans are working to use their majorities to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda via the budget reconciliation process. By reducing the threshold for passage in the Senate from two-thirds to a simple majority, which the House is already at, it allows the party in power to pass budgetary and fiscal legislation without help from the opposition. The first step in the process is to advance a framework through the House and Senate budget committees, which then gives directions to other committees on how much funding they get to implement their relevant policy agendas. The Senate Budget Committee approved its own plan on Wednesday night, while the House counterpart is poised to meet on their proposal Thursday morning. It’s not immediately clear if that bill will pass, however. Four conservatives on the House Budget Committee – Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Ralph Norman, R-S.C., Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., and Josh Brecheen – did not commit to voting for the 45-page proposal backed by GOP leaders that was released on Wednesday morning. Roy said he was “not sure” if the legislation could advance on Thursday morning when asked by Fox News Digital. “We’ll see,” Norman said when asked if the bill would pass out of committee. Clyde and Brecheen similarly would not say how they felt about the proposal when leaving the speaker’s office on Wednesday afternoon. If all four voted against the legislation, it would be enough to block the resolution from advancing to the House floor. Other conservatives also expressed reservations. Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital, “I’m not super happy with it.” “It just doesn’t do enough to address fiscal cuts,” Crane said. The House’s 45-page bill would mandate at least a $1.5 trillion reduction in federal spending over the next 10 years, coupled with $300 billion in new spending for border security and national defense over the same period. It would also raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion – something Trump had demanded Republicans deal with before the U.S. runs out of cash to pay its debts, projected to happen by the spring if Congress does not act. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS And while hardline conservatives wanted deeper spending cuts written into the bill, Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee are uneasy about the $4.5 trillion allocated toward extending Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 – which expires at the end of 2025. “Let me just say that a 10-year extension of President Trump’s expiring provisions is over $4.7 trillion according to CBO. Anything less would be saying that President Trump is wrong on tax policy,” Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., told The Hill earlier this week. A member of the committee, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital, “I have some concerns regarding Ways & Means not being provided with the largest amount to cover President Trump’s tax cuts — especially [State and Local Tax deduction (SALT)] relief and a tax reduction for senior citizens, which are both also priorities of mine.” Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, said he had not read the legislative text but that Smith believed the $4.5 trillion figure was “about a trillion off from where we need to be in order to make it work.” The resolution’s first big test comes at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday. Republicans are aiming to use reconciliation to pass a broad swath of Trump’s priorities, from more funding for law enforcement and detention beds at the U.S.-Mexico border to eliminating taxes on tipped and overtime wages.  The Senate’s plan would advance border, energy, and defense priorities first while leaving taxes for a second bill. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called that plan a “nonstarter” this week, however. House leaders are concerned that leaving tax cut extensions for a second bill could allow those measures to expire before lawmakers reach an agreement.

‘No betrayal’ in Trump move toward Ukraine war negotiations, Hegseth says

‘No betrayal’ in Trump move toward Ukraine war negotiations, Hegseth says

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said President Donald Trump’s move toward negotiations with Russia to end the war with Ukraine was “no betrayal” during a visit to NATO headquarters in Belgium on Thursday. Hegseth replied to a reporter’s question about the U.S. potentially betraying Ukraine after Trump had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about beginning to negotiate peace without Kyiv’s full involvement. “There is no betrayal there,” Hegseth told reporters. “There is a recognition that the whole world and the United States is invested and interested in peace, a negotiated peace.” Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he was president in 2022 the war would not have broken out — vowing to end it if re-elected.  PUTIN VIEWED AS ‘GREAT COMPETITOR’ BUT STILL A US ‘ADVERSARY’ AS UKRAINE NEGOTIATIONS LOOM, LEAVITT SAYS On Wednesday, Trump said he had a “lengthy” call with Putin, which included the Russian leader agreeing to “immediately” begin negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Trump also spoke with Zelenskyy separately. After talks with both leaders, Trump said he would “probably” meet in person with the Russian leader in the near term, possibly in Saudi Arabia. Responding to a separate question, Hegseth referred to the phone calls and pointed to Trump’s ability as a negotiator. “I think you saw from President Trump yesterday, who himself is the best negotiator on the planet, bringing two sides together to find a negotiated peace, which is ultimately what everyone wants,” he said. “So I look forward to the ministerial today with our NATO allies to have honest conversations about where we are.” ‘LET’S DO A DEAL’: ZELENSKYY CALLS TRUMP’S TERMS ACCEPTABLE FOR SECURITY PARTNERSHIP Hegseth also said he believes Trump is the “one man in the world capable of convening the parties together to bring peace.” During his visit to NATO headquarters on Wednesday, Hegseth told allies that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” as Trump works to bring an end to the war. “He intends to end this war by diplomacy and bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table.  And the U.S. Department of Defense will help achieve this goal,” Hegseth said. “We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective. Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.”  Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Greg Norman, along with The Associated Press, contributed to this report.