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House GOP threaten to hold AG Garland in contempt of Congress over recordings of Biden interview in Hur case

House Republicans are threatening to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress over the Justice Department’s failure to produce subpoenaed audio recordings of former Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden as part of the investigation into his handling of classified records.  Fox News Digital obtained a letter that House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote to Garland on Monday.  HOUSE JUDICIARY SUBPOENAS BIDEN GHOSTWRITER AMID CLASSIFIED RECORDS INVESTIGATION “The Department continues to withhold additional material responsive to the Committees’ subpoenas — specifically the audio recordings of Special Counsel Hur’s interviews with President Biden and the transcript and audio recordings of Special Counsel Hur’s interviews with Mr. Zwonitzer,” Comer and Jordan wrote. “The February 27 subpoenas create a legal obligation on you to produce this material.”  Comer and Jordan said they expect Garland “to produce all responsive materials no later than 12:00 p.m. on April 8, 2024.”  “If you fail to do so, the Committees will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings,” they wrote.  Comer and Jordan subpoenaed the Justice Department for a transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden and audio recordings.  Just hours before Hur was scheduled to testify publicly earlier this month, the DOJ produced to the Committees two redacted transcripts of Hur’s interviews with Biden.  BIDEN GHOSTWRITER ESCAPES SPECIAL COUNSEL CHARGES DESPITE DELETING EVIDENCE The Justice Department did not, however, produce the audio recordings of the interviews. Comer and Jordan said the committees “specifically prioritized” the production of those audio recordings.  Meanwhile, Comer and Jordan subpoenaed Zwonitzer last week. The subpoena compels Zwonitzer to turn over all documents and communications with Biden or his staff related to his ghostwriting work on his memoirs “Promise Me, Dad” and “Promises to Keep,” including emails, call logs and more.  The subpoena also compels Zwonitzer to turn over all contracts and agreements related to his work, along with audio recordings of interviews and conversations with Joe Biden and transcripts of those conversations and interviews.  HUR TESTIFIES HE ‘DID IDENTIFY EVIDENCE’ THAT ‘PRIDE AND MONEY’ MOTIVATED BIDEN TO RETAIN CLASSIFIED RECORDS The president has claimed that he did not share classified information with Zwonitzer, but Hur’s report, released last month, states that Biden would “read from his notebooks nearly verbatim, sometimes for an hour or more at a time,” and “at least three times President Biden read classified notes from national security meetings” to Zwonitzer “nearly verbatim.”  HUR TESTIFIES BIDEN ‘WILLFULLY RETAINED CLASSIFIED MATERIALS,’ BUT PROSECUTORS ‘HAD TO CONSIDER’ MENTAL STATE Hur testified earlier this month that Zwonitzer “slid” files of audio recordings and transcripts of conversations with Biden “into his recycle bin on his computer” upon learning that a special counsel had been appointed to investigate the matter. Jordan, during Hur’s public hearing earlier this month, asked whether the ghostwriter tried to “destroy the evidence.”  “Correct,” Hur testified.  Hur did not bring charges after his months-long investigation. 

Harris meets with Guatemala’s president amid record-breaking February migrant surge

Vice President Kamala Harris‘ Monday meeting with Guatemala’s president to discuss “legal pathways” to migration comes on the heels of a Biden administration announcement that last month set a February record for illegal immigrant encounters at the U.S. southern border. White House officials said Harris and Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo will discuss efforts by both nations to reduce illegal immigration to the U.S. The pair is expected to focus on expanding “legal pathways” to migration, including the use of “safe mobility offices.” The offices were rolled out across Central America last year to provide migrants with a place to access legal avenues such as refugee resettlement options and work visas. They have been cast as a key part of the administration’s border strategy, which officials describe as increasing “consequences” for illegal entry while expanding legal pathways and tackling “root causes” of the migration crisis. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS AT SOUTHERN BORDER HIT NEW FEBRUARY RECORD HIGH As part of the much-balleyhooed campaign to tackle root causes of illegal immigration, Harris, who was tasked in 2021 with leading the government’s diplomatic outreach on the issue, is set to announce $1 billion in private sector commitments to invest in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. It brings the total amount committed to Harris’ “Call to Action” to more than $5 billion. Her efforts have led Harris to be dubbed the “border czar” by Republicans, but it is a label the administration has rejected. The White House says that those investments have created more than 70,000 new jobs, provided training for more than a million people and connected more than 4.5 million people to the internet. During their meeting on Monday, Harris is also set to discuss the implementation of Arevalo’s agenda and ways the U.S. can support Guatemala’s efforts to tackle corruption, promote economic development and include indigenous people in the democratic process. Arevalo won the presidency in August after beating the establishment candidate in a landslide. He has promised to fight the country’s established power structure and tackle corruption. His meeting with Harris about immigration comes at an awkward time – on the heels of an announcement from Customs and Border Protection that migrant encounters in February reached a new high for the month. REPUBLICAN SENATORS INTRODUCE BILL TO BLOCK MIGRANTS FROM USING BORDER PATROL APP AS ID AT TSA CHECKPOINTS There were 189,922 migrant encounters along the border in February 2024, an increase of more than 30,000 from the 156,000 encounters in February 2023. The previous February record was 166,010 in 2022. Despite the overall record-high, illegal immigrant encounters between ports of entry dropped from the February 2022 total, meaning the new high is explained in part by large numbers descending on ports of entry.  Monthly encounters at the southern border dropped from a record 302,000 in December to 176,204 in January but did not continue to decline in February, raising the possibility that the border sees another significant surge in the spring and summer months. Illegal immigration has been a top issue for voters, according to multiple polls, and looks set to be a top issue going into the November elections. President Biden has called on Congress to pass reforms and provide more funding, including via a bipartisan Senate package proposed earlier this year. Republicans have said that Biden needs no such package, and instead should restore the Trump-era policies his administration has reversed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expects a school choice ‘revolution,’ with parental rights a key 2024 election issue

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says his state is joining what he views as a “revolution in America right now around school choice,” as a $400 million bill to overhaul public school achievement testing and implement universal school choice advances in the state legislature.  Lee, who is also president of the Republican Governors Association this term, said the issue of school choice resonates nationally beyond just Tennessee during the 2024 presidential election year.  The governor explained in an interview with Fox News Digital that school choice, to him, is “really about freedom,” noting how regarding matters of COVID-19 vaccines, books in public school libraries and classroom instruction, “parents on the left and right have very strong opinions about what that ought to look like.”  “The only way to resolve those differences are [is] to give parents the choice so that they’re not resolved to live with whatever, you know, some teacher or some classroom or some library or some educational school district believes that they ought to be,” Lee said. “Most all of us Americans, not just elected officials, recognize that education is one of the top priorities when it comes to issues and what Americans care about.”  TENNESSEE SENATE PASSES $2B BUSINESS TAX CUT IN BID TO DODGE LAWSUIT “This is not a choice between school choice and public schools. We have a strong commitment in this state toward the improvement of our public school system. The vast majority of our kids are going to be educated in our public schools, even years after a choice initiative like our proposed legislation goes through,” the governor added, responding to criticism that the proposal would divert resources from Tennessee’s underfunded public schools. “We need to have the best public school systems. They need to be funded well. They need to be innovative and creative and part of the part of the legislation.”  Lee said he’s observed an increased understanding among conservatives – but also from Americans more generally – that parents should be given the ability to impact what happens in their children’s education. He credited the pandemic, when remote learning gave parents insight into what gender and racial ideologies were included in public school curricula, as well as the resulting learning loss from keeping kids out of classrooms, as parents seek options to play catch-up several years later.  “I do believe there is a push in this country, especially among conservatives, for understanding how important freedom is – freedom in education, freedom in health decisions, freedom in what we do for our employment,” he said. “We talk a lot about Tennessee being a place where people have access to opportunity and security and freedom. And as it relates to education, that is an Education Freedom Scholarship Act. And that’s what we are really hopeful passes in this state in the next few weeks.”   Despite some objections from state Democrats, Lee’s proposal, known as House Bill 1183, advanced through the state House Government Operations Committee and was recommended to move forward to the state House Finance Subcommittee last week. As Lee enjoys a Republican super majority in both the Tennessee House and Senate, he said he expects a version of the legislation to pass after the final provisions are ironed out between chambers.  The current version in the House would increase payment for teacher health insurance from 45% to 60% – a measure intended to help rural districts retain quality teachers, as well as provide a $75-per-student infrastructure payment toward school facilities and maintenance and increase state funding for students in small and sparsely populated school districts, The Tennessean reported. It also allows for teacher and principal evaluations and state-mandated student testing to happen less often.  A corresponding version of the legislation in the state Senate, SB 0503, is estimated to cost about $250 million less than the House proposal. But the upper chamber’s version would primarily focus on creating the governor’s Education Freedom Scholarship program and opening inter-county school enrollment. It excludes the House bill’s provisions on teacher health insurance, evaluations and changes to testing requirements.  As the governor noted, school choice initiatives passed in states like Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma and Arkansas last year and more recently in Wyoming and Alabama. It’s also gaining momentum in Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia, Lee said, and Florida and Indiana have multiple stages of school choice. Though it varies by state, Lee said they have the same premise that “the parent knows best.”   TENNESSEE GOV. BILL LEE ANNOUNCING STATEWIDE SCHOOL CHOICE PROPOSAL: ‘THERE IS MORE WORK TO DO’ In states like Texas, Lee said, it has cost candidates elections to oppose school choice.  Tennessee has one of the fastest-growing populations and one of the top-performing economies among all 50 states in recent years, Lee acknowledged, stating how the influx of families weighs in on school choice.  “We need to give parents more choices. And when we do, children are going to have much more options to be successful. And at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about,” Lee said. “It’s not really political, even though it’s a very conservative issue. But hey, look at the states that have Democrat governors are passing that choice now as well, because Americans are beginning to believe that this is about children and the future of our country. And we ought to do everything we can to challenge the status quo and get it and get a better outcome.”  Lee said he first proposed school choice legislation five years ago during his first legislative session that passed narrowly for a few of the state’s largest counties and has been working to expand it since.  He announced the statewide initiative in November, an atypical move to provide more time before the start of legislative session for stakeholders and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to weigh in. Long before becoming governor, Lee said he did nonprofit work with an at-risk inner-city youth program. There he met one child whom he met

Trump holds news conference after decisions in two major NYC cases

Former President Trump is expected to hold a press conference Monday afternoon in downtown Manhattan shortly after a New York Appeals Court slashed the bond due in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ case by more than half, and after a trial date was set in the case brought against him by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump is set to hold a press conference at 40 Wall St. at 1:00 p.m.  TRUMP’S $454M JUDGMENT BOND SLASHED BY MORE THAN HALF IN APPEALS COURT RULING The former president and 2024 GOP presumptive presidential nominee said he would abide by the New York Appeals ruling, which requires him to pay $175 million bond in 10 days.  The deadline for Trump to post the initial judgment set by Judge Arthur Engoron of $464 million was Monday at 11:59 p.m. Engoron made the ruling in February, after a months-long non-jury civil fraud trial.  Trump’s press conference also comes after he sat in a Manhattan courtroom for hours Monday morning in a separate case brought by Bragg.  The judge presiding over that case, Judge Juan Merchan, denied Trump’s motion to further delay the hush-money payments trial. Merchan announced the trial will begin on April 15.  TRUMP HUSH MONEY TRIAL TO BEGIN APRIL 15, JUDGE RULES, DENYING MOTION TO DELAY The trial was initially set to begin Monday — March 25 — but Merchan pushed jury selection to mid-April after the Justice Department turned over more than 15,000 records of potential evidence from a previous federal investigation. Merchan wanted to give the defense time to go through those documents.  Bragg indicted Trump on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges. Bragg alleged that Trump “repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election.” The charges are related to alleged hush-money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. In 2019, federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York opted not to charge Trump related to the payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. The Federal Election Commission also tossed its investigation into the matter in 2021.

Missouri AG to investigate left-wing group for potential fraud

FIRST ON FOX: Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey of Missouri filed a petition in state court on Monday to enforce a civil investigative demand, similar to a subpoena, into the advertising materials of left-wing nonprofit group Media Matters for America. “Media Matters has used fraud to solicit donations from Missourians in order to trick advertisers into removing their advertisements from X, formerly Twitter, one of the last platforms dedicated to free speech in America,” Bailey wrote in the petition, first obtained by Fox News Digital.  In November, Media Matters published a report that said X would place ads next to “pro-Nazi” content. Elon Musk, owner of X, filed a lawsuit against Media Matters, saying the group falsely and deceptively manipulated the algorithm on X. In his filing, Bailey said, “through coordinated, inauthentic behavior” in an attempt to “defame the organization and cause advertisers to pull their support from the platform, thus harming free speech,” MUSK THREATENS ‘THERMONUCLEAR LAWSUIT’ AGAINST MEDIA MATTERS “Media Matters has pursued an activist agenda in its attempt to destroy X, because they cannot control it,” Bailey wrote in Monday’s petition.  After Media Matters published its report, companies like IBM, Disney, Apple, Sony, Walmart, among others, pulled their advertisements from the social media platform.  “Missourians will not be manipulated by ‘progressive’ activists masquerading as news outlets, and they will not be defrauded in the process,” Bailey wrote. According to its website, Media Matters is a “progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.” The petition seeks permission from the court to allow Bailey’s office to investigate potential violations of the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which includes “any deception, fraud, false pretense, false promise, misrepresentation, unfair practice or the concealment, suppression, or omission of any material fact” in sales, advertisements and solicitation of charitable funds.   ELON MUSK EXPLAINS WHY HE’S RINGING THE ‘ALARM BELL’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ‘CRUSHING THE COUNTRY’ In a statement to Fox News Digital, Bailey said his office “has reason to believe Media Matters used fraud to solicit donations from Missourians in order to bully advertisers into pulling out of X … so we launched an investigation to get to the bottom of it.” “However, Media Matters has a sordid history of refusing to cooperate with investigations. I’m not going to let this activist group stonewall us,” he said. MISSOURI AG SLAMS SCHOOL’S PROMOTION OF ‘DIVISIVE RACIAL IDEOLOGY’ OVER SAFETY AFTER TEEN’S BRUTAL BEATING “Because Media Matters has refused such efforts in other states and made clear that it will refuse any such efforts, the Attorney General seeks an order from the Court,” Bailey wrote. In November, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also opened an investigation into the group for “potential fraudulent activity” after several companies began dropping their advertisements on X.  Fox News Digital reached out to Media Matters for comment but did not hear back by press deadline. Fox News’ Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report. 

Netanyahu cancels Israeli delegation’s trip to Washington after US fails to veto UN cease-fire resolution

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will no longer send a delegation of top officials to Washington this week after President Biden’s administration failed to veto a U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza on Monday. Netanyahu’s delegation was scheduled to discuss potential compromises for an invasion of Rafah, a final foothold for Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli leader issued an ultimatum to the U.S., warning that he would cancel the meeting if the U.S. did not veto Monday’s U.N. resolution. The U.S. abstained rather than vetoing, allowing the resolution to pass. “The US did not veto today the new text that calls for a ceasefire without the condition of releasing the abductees,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. “This is a clear withdrawal from the US’s consistent position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war. “This withdrawal damages both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages because it gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” it continued. SCHUMER’S ANTI-NETANYAHU SPEECH STRENGTHENS BIBI IN ISRAEL’S WAR TO DEFEAT HAMAS While the resolution did call for the release of hostages, it did not say that this should be a condition for any cease-fire.  National Security Council spokesman John Kirby explained the U.S. decision in a briefing with reporters on Monday. He said the U.S. could not support the U.N. resolution due to its lack of a condemnation of Hamas, but they nevertheless decided not to veto. ISRAEL LAUDS CONGRESS’ BLOW TO UN AGENCY WITH ALLEGED HAMAS TIES AS INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE He also said at the time that he had yet to hear of any cancellation of Israel’s plans from Netanyahu’s government. “We were looking forward to having an opportunity to speak to an Israeli delegation later this week about about exploring viable options and alternatives to a major ground offensive in Rafah. And I’ll let the Israelis speak to whether they’re coming or not. And I saw what Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would do. And I’ve seen some early press reporting in just the last couple of minutes that they have moved forward with that. I can’t confirm it,” Kirby said. Biden’s administration has warned Israel for weeks not to move forward with an invasion of Rafah. The city is now home to roughly 1 million Palestinians who fled from the war elsewhere in Gaza. WHY MIDEAST NEIGHBORS WON’T OFFER REFUGE TO PALESTINIANS STUCK IN GAZA WAR ZONE Netanyahu’s government has said it will take all precautions to protect civilian lives in an offensive, but Biden’s administration has not been satisfied with the plans. Israeli officials say an invasion of Rafah will move forward with or without U.S. support, however.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signs controversial bill to ban social media for children under 14

Florida will have one of the country’s most restrictive social media bans for minors — if it withstands expected legal challenges — under a bill signed by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday. The bill will ban social media accounts for children under 14 and require parental permission for 15- and 16-year-olds. It was slightly watered down from a proposal DeSantis vetoed earlier this month, a week before the annual legislative session ended. The new law was Republican Speaker Paul Renner’s top legislative priority. It takes effect Jan. 1. FLORIDA SENATE PASSES BILL TO BAN SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16 The bill DeSantis vetoed would have banned minors under 16 from popular social media platforms regardless of parental consent. But before the veto, he worked out compromise language with Renner to alleviate the governor’s concerns and the Legislature sent DeSantis a second bill. Several states have considered similar legislation. In Arkansas, a federal judge blocked enforcement of a law in August that required parental consent for minors to create new social media accounts. Supporters in Florida hope the bill will withstand legal challenges because it would ban social media formats based on addictive features such as notification alerts and auto-play videos, rather than on their content.

Trump’s $454M judgment bond slashed by more than half in appeals court ruling

An appeals court slashed former President Trump’s bond payment on Monday, saying Trump must pay $175 million within the next 10 days. Trump had previously faced a Monday deadline to pay a $464 million bond payment that came as a result of civil fraud allegations from New York Attorney General Letitia James. TRUMP VOWS TO FIGHT NEW YORK AG CASE ‘ALL THE WAY UP TO THE US SUPREME COURT,’ AS DEADLINE TO POST $454M LOOMS A New York Appeals Court, hours before the deadline to post the $464 million, lowered that bond considerably. The court ordered that Trump post $175 million within 10 days.  Trump said he will “abide” by the appeals decision and post the $175 million bond.  If Trump does post the $175 million by the new deadline, it would effectively block James from attempts to seize Trump’s assets as he continues to appeal the judgment by New York Judge Arthur Engoron. “Judge Engoron has refused to obey the decision of the Appellate Division relative to the Statute of Limitations. This is a confrontation between a Judge and those that rule above him – A very bad situation in which to place New York State and the Rule of Law! Engoron has disrespected the Appellate Division and its very clear and precise ruling,” Trump posted on his Truth Social Monday. “He should be made to do so, and at the same time, release the GAG ORDER.”  Trump said the appeals ruling Monday is “the 5th time in this case that he has been overturned, a record.”  Trump blasted Judge Arthur Engoron, saying “his credibility, and that of Letitia James, has been shattered.”  “We will abide by the decision of the Appellate Division, and post either a bond, equivalent securities, or cash,” Trump said. “This also shows how ridiculous and outrageous Engoron’s original decision was at $450 Million.”  Trump added, in all capital letters: “I DID NOTHING WRONG, AND NEW YORK SHOULD NEVER BE PUT IN A POSITION LIKE THIS AGAIN. BUSINESSES ARE FLEEING, VIOLENT CRIME IS FLOURISHING, AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE RESOLVED IN ITS TOTALITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU!”  Trump said Judge Engoron and Letitia James “should be forced to explain why he ruled that Mar-a-Lago was worth $18,000,000 when, in fact, it is worth from 50 to 100 times that amount.”  “How did the Attorney General of the State of New York force this Corrupt Judge to do that in order to help her narrative – AND WHY?” he posted.  Meanwhile, a spokesperson for James on Monday said Trump “is still facing accountability for his staggering fraud.”  “The court has already found that he engaged in years of fraud to falsely inflate his net worth and unjustly enrich himself, his family, and his organization,” James’ spokesperson said. “The $464 million judgment – plus interest – against Donald Trump and the other defendants still stands.” Trump, the 2024 presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and his legal team had appealed and requested a stay on his $454 million civil fraud judgment. Trump’s legal team said the initial requested bond was “unprecedented for a private company,” and said to post it in the judgment’s full amount was a “practical impossibility.”  Trump has vowed to fight the case “all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.”  In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Friday, Trump said he can afford to post bond, but is pushing with his legal team to appeal the ruling altogether.  Trump said he has nearly $500 million in cash. His company, Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, is set to become public after a merger Monday. The company will trade on the Nasdaq as “DJT.”  Trump owns more than 78 million shares of the stock, valued at nearly $4 billion.  “That doesn’t mean I’m going to give money to a rogue and incompetent judge – the puppet of a corrupt attorney general who’s failing with violent crime and migrant crime and whose only purpose in life is attempting to get Trump,” Trump told Fox News Digital, referring to Engoron and James.  At this point, however, his shares are frozen. The board of the company can vote to un-freeze those assets if necessary.  Engoron’s ruling came after a months-long non-jury trial stemming from James’ years-long investigation. James, when campaigning to become attorney general, vowed to “get Trump.”  NEW YORK APPEALS COURT ALLOWS TRUMP, SONS TO CONTINUE RUNNING BUSINESS, DENIES REQUEST TO DELAY PAYMENT “We’re definitely gonna sue him, we’re gonna be a real pain in the a–,” James once told a supporter on video. Engoron ruled that Trump and other defendants were liable for “persistent and repeated fraud,” “falsifying business records,” “issuing false financial statements,” “conspiracy to falsify false financial statements,” “insurance fraud” and “conspiracy to commit insurance fraud.”  An appeals court overturned Engoron’s ruling to allow Trump and his sons to continue running the family business as they appeal the decision. James initially brought the lawsuit accusing Trump and the Trump Organization of fraudulent business practices. The court proceedings were contentious, with Engoron repeatedly placing Trump under a partial gag order to prevent him from criticizing court staff. Trump dismissed the trial as a “witch hunt” throughout the process, accusing both Engoron and James of serving as political operatives for Democrats. Trump’s legal team also repeatedly blasted the lack of a jury in the trial. TRUMP BARRED FROM OPERATING BUSINESS, ORDERED TO PAY OVER $350 MILLION IN NY CIVIL FRAUD CASE “There was never an option to choose a jury trial,” a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened.” Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets had been undervalued. Trump’s legal team insisted that his financial statements had disclaimers, and made it clear to banks that they should conduct their own

Congressional diversity and inclusion office shut down by $1.2T government funding deal

A congressional office aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion was shuttered late last week with the passage of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion government spending package. The director of the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Sesha Joi Moon, announced the office would be dissolved as a result of the House passing its legislative funding bill, one of six bills in the overall package, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital late Friday. It is being replaced by the Office of Talent Management. HOUSE PASSES $1.2 TRILLION GOVERNMENT SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN “Since March 2020, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion [ODI] has had the privilege of helping to create and cultivate a congressional workforce that is reflective of the American people at the U.S. House of Representatives [USHR],” Moon said. “Since our inception, we’ve fulfilled this mandate as a non-partisan and non-legislative support office by delivering candidate services, member services, research and data analytics, professional development, and programming through the tenets of service, commitment, collaboration, integrity, and belonging as our core values. “Tentatively effective March 22, 2024, ODI will be dissolved as part of the FY2024 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill. However, while I will off-ramp in coming weeks as part of my long-planned departure, some from the team will continue in the USHR’s commitment to ‘put the people in the people’s house’ by transitioning to the newly formed Office of Talent Management within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.” TERM LIMITS, PREVENTING LEADER ‘MONARCHY’ BECOME TOP CONCERNS IN POST-MCCONNELL GOP House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., lauded the office’s dissolution, pointing out that like most operations of the federal government, it was run on taxpayer funds. He told Fox News Digital, “House Republicans promised to claw back Democrats’ wasteful spending, and this is just another example of how we’re delivering. Americans should not be forced to foot the bill for the radical left’s woke agenda in Washington.” Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for comment. Jeffries’ office referred Fox News Digital to the Democratic minority of the Committee on House Administration, which blamed Republicans for the move. “Instead of doing anything to make life better for the American people, extreme MAGA Republicans have been targeting the Office of Diversity and Inclusion from the beginning of this Congress, pushing an agenda to defund and dissolve the office. Despite the unilateral decision to eliminate the office, Democrats were able to ensure that the functions and staff are preserved under the auspices of the Chief Administrative Officer and will be closely studying how best to enhance these efforts in a future Democratic majority,” a Democratic spokesperson said. The ODI was formed under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during the Trump administration. “Core values” listed on the office’s website include an “unwavering commitment to advancing representation across the House workforce by staying true to its mission and vision” as well as ensuring “the House community is representative of the nation.” HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T ‘CALL THE SHOTS’ ON WHEN IMPEACHMENT IS OVER A source familiar with the decision said many functions it was performing were redundant, arguing the Congressional Administrative Office was already charged with many of the same tasks. In its brief active period, it also left millions in unspent funds each year, according to the source. The $1.2 trillion spending deal, which includes roughly 70% of fiscal year 2024’s discretionary government funding, passed the House 286 to 134 on Friday. It passed the Senate 74 to 24 in the early hours of Saturday morning. Johnson said when the package passed the House, “During the FY24 appropriations process, House Republicans achieved conservative policy wins, rejected extreme Democrat proposals, and imposed substantial cuts while significantly strengthening national defense. The process was also an important step in breaking the omnibus muscle memory and represents the best achievable outcome in a divided government.”

‘Every woman…’: Kangana Ranaut hits back at Supriya Shrinate’s objectionable remark, Congress leader clarifies

Kangana Ranaut, who is BJP candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh, also hit out at Shrinate.