Sen. Chuck Grassley released from hospital after infection treatment, will return to work next week
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was released from a hospital after receiving treatment for an unspecified infection, his office said Thursday. Grassley, 90, was hospitalized on Tuesday in the Washington D.C. area, and was receiving “antibiotic infusions,” his office said. He is expected to be back at work next week. GOP LAWMAKERS HAIL TRUMP’S ‘BIG VICTORY’ IN IOWA; SOME CALL FOR DESANTIS, HALEY TO DROP OUT No other details were released. Grassely was first elected to the Senate in 1980, and has been re-elected seven times. He is the oldest member of the Senate. He earned that distinction after the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in September.
Trump to sit down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in New Hampshire, days before the first-in-the-nation primary
Former President Donald Trump will sit down exclusively with Fox News’ Sean Hannity in the Granite State Thursday night, just days before New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary. The interview will air Thursday on Fox News Channel at 9 p.m. ET. Trump, who solidified his standing as the frontrunner in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race after winning the Iowa caucuses Monday night, now has his sights set on New Hampshire. Trump traveled to the Granite State this week after he dominated his GOP opponents in Iowa by winning 98 of 99 counties. He collected 20 delegates in the state. TRUMP DOMINATES POLLING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND BEYOND AFTER IOWA CAUCUSES VICTORY Based on polling, Trump could see similar results after Tuesday’s primary. He leads opponents by double digits. A daily tracking poll released Thursday morning by Suffolk University, the Boston Globe and NBC10 Boston shows Trump with 50% support among those likely to vote in the New Hampshire primary Jan. 23. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, stands at 36%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at just 6%. TRUMP HOLDS DOUBLE-DIGIT LEAD IN NEW HAMPSHIRE GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AS HALEY EDGES UP IN LATEST POLL In that same poll, 4% of respondents said they were undecided, with 1% saying they would back a different candidate altogether. Another poll released hours earlier from Saint Anselm College also had Trump with a 14-point lead over Haley, with DeSantis in single digits. While Trump is ahead by double digits in most New Hampshire polls, one recent poll shows Trump and Haley neck and neck. A poll from American Research Group Inc. released Tuesday shows Trump and Haley tied at 40% among the state’s likely Republican primary voters. DESANTIS CAMPAIGNS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, BUT MOST OF HIS STAFF DECAMPS IN SOUTH CAROLINA Independents can vote in the Republican primary in the state, which could be beneficial to Haley, who some have cast as a more moderate Republican option. Moderate voters in the Granite State are highly influential, and the state’s independents — who can vote in either major party primary — have long played a crucial role in New Hampshire’s storied presidential contest. Nevertheless, according to the RealClearPolitics Average between Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, Trump holds a double-digit lead over Haley and DeSantis. And beyond New Hampshire, Trump holds an even stronger lead. In Nevada, which holds its primary contests in early February, Trump sits at 69%, which is 58.5 points ahead of DeSantis, who has 10.5% of the vote, according to the RealClearPolitics Average from Sept. 29 through Jan. 8. And in Haley’s home state of South Carolina, which votes Feb. 24, Trump is up 30.2 points at 52%, with Haley in second place at 21.8% and DeSantis polling at 11%, according to that RealClearPolitics Average from Oct. 18 through Jan. 3.
Republicans move forward with Mayorkas impeachment amid emotional testimony; Dems decry ‘MAGA spectacle’
Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee pushed forward with their efforts to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after emotional testimony from two victims of the border crisis, and Democrats moved to have their own hearing and slammed what they said was a “MAGA spectacle” from the majority. Republicans on the committee all voted to push forward with the impeachment of Mayorkas, who Republicans have blamed for mishandling the ongoing crisis at the southern border. A markup on the impeachment is expected before the end of the month. “The Secretary has consistently willfully and systematically refused to follow the laws passed by Congress, abused his authority, and breached the trust of Congress and the American people on numerous occasions,” the 18 Republicans said after the hearing. HOUSE HOMELAND GOP CALLS FOR MAYORKAS WRITTEN TESTIMONY; DHS SLAMS ‘BAD-FAITH’ IMPEACHMENT PUSH “The result of his failure to fulfill his oath of office has been a border crisis that is unprecedented in American history – a crisis that has cost the lives of thousands of Secretary Mayorkas’ fellow Americans,” it said. The hearing itself, the second impeachment hearing, focused on the victims of crime and featured testimony from Tammy Nobles, whose daughter was killed by an illegal immigrant MS-13 gang member, and Josephine Dunn, who lost her daughter to fentanyl poisoning. “This is not a political issue. This is a safety issue for everyone living in the United States. This could have been anyone’s daughter. I don’t want any other parent to live the nightmare that I am living,” Nobles said. “In my humble opinion, Mr. Mayorkas’ border policy is partially responsible for my daughter’s death,” Dunn said, arguing that Arizona has become a “fentanyl superhighway” into the U.S. But amid that testimony was a fierce political back-and-forth between Republicans and Democrats over the testimony of Mayorkas himself and potential additional hearings. Mayorkas had expressed willingness to testify in-person but had said he couldn’t attend this hearing. Republicans have said the lack of specificity amounts to stonewalling and that they have been trying to get him to testify at a border-specific hearing since August. DHS pushed back on those claims, accusing Republicans of “playing politics.” “It’s abundantly clear that they are not interested in hearing from Secretary Mayorkas since it doesn’t fit into their bad-faith, predetermined and unconstitutional rush to impeach him. Last week, the Secretary offered to testify publicly before the Committee; in the time since, the Committee failed to respond to DHS to find a mutually agreeable date,” spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said ahead of the hearing. REPUBLICANS, DEMS SPAR AT MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING AS STATE AGS DESCRIBE IMPACT OF MIGRANT CRISIS “Secretary Mayorkas can object all he wants, but the paper trail is clear–he has consistently, tacitly refused to show up,” the majority responded on X, formerly known as Twitter, after accusing Mayorkas of “indefinite delays.” On Thursday, the White House weighed in, accusing Republicans of “choosing to play extreme, far-right politics” and of “attempting to scapegoat a Cabinet secretary who is actively working to find solutions to a problem Congressional Republicans have spent years refusing to actually solve.” Democrats on the committee moved on Thursday to request a minority-led hearing, arguing that House rules require such a hearing in an impeachment inquiry. Republicans argued that it is not necessary because they have their own witness at the hearing. Ranking member Bennie Thompson accused Republicans of having “predetermined the outcome.” HOUSE HOMELAND DEMOCRATS BACK MAYORKAS, SLAM GOP ‘SHAM’ AHEAD OF IMPEACHMENT HEARING “This isn’t a real impeachment. It’s a MAGA spectacle, paid for [with] American tax dollars for Republican political gain,” he said. The fight is the latest flash point in the battle over the narrative of the border between Republicans and the Biden administration. Republicans have pinned the crisis on the Biden administration, saying its “catch-and-release” policies, reduced interior enforcement and rollback of Trump-era border policies have sparked the historic surge to the border, leaving Border Patrol agents overwhelmed and unable to stop the influx gotaways and fentanyl. The administration has said it is dealing with a hemisphere-wide crisis and needs more funding and immigration reform from Congress. It has also pointed to what it says are a record number of removals since May, greater than in all of fiscal 2019, and record seizures of fentanyl at the border.
Feds suggested banks search transactions for terms like ‘Biden,’ ‘Antifa’ and more after Jan. 6: Source
EXCLUSIVE: Federal investigators asked banks in January 2021 to search private financial transactions using terms beyond “Trump” and “MAGA,” including “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Antifa,” and more, a source familiar told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital on Wednesday reported that the Treasury Department’s Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, distributed materials to financial institutions that outlined “typologies” of “various persons of interest” and provided the banks with “suggested search terms and Merchant Category Codes for identifying transactions on behalf of federal law enforcement.” A source familiar told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the search terms, like “MAGA” and “Trump” were generated by a bank and used to help them identify suspicious transactions when reviewing customer transactional information. The source said those terms were shared by FinCEN with other banks to help those banks to comply with their own suspicious activity reports. But beyond the terms identified by the House Judiciary Committee, the unnamed bank generated other terms, which FinCEN shared with other banks, the source told Fox News Digital. The source said the additional search terms included: “White Power,” “Camp Auschwitz,” “Antifa,” “Proud B,” “Storm the,” “Capitol,” “Goyper Army,” “Threepers,” “boogaloo,” “civil war,” “last sons,” “kill,” “shoot,” “gun,” “death,” “murder,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Pelosi,” “Schumer,” and “Pence.” The source said the distribution of the search terms, including “MAGA” and “Trump” was done during the Trump administration. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
DeSantis pushes back on media narrative he’s ‘skipping’ New Hampshire after campaigning in South Carolina
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back on the media narrative that he is “skipping” New Hampshire as his campaign shifts resources and attention to South Carolina, where he is polling stronger and has racked up several endorsements. “I had the morning available. And yeah, we were planning to maybe sleep in and rest. So, I’m like, ‘You know what? Let’s use that time,’” DeSantis told Fox News’s Alexis McAdams on Thursday in response to his move to campaign in South Carolina following the Iowa caucuses before then flying to New Hampshire. “So, we went to South Carolina, knocked out a couple events and then did what we were planning to do in New Hampshire,” DeSantis continued. “That was somehow caricatured as ‘skipping’ New Hampshire when it wasn’t. It was adding South Carolina in addition to that.” Fox News confirmed this week that the DeSantis campaign was in the process of moving the majority of its staff from Iowa to South Carolina rather than New Hampshire, where polling shows former President Trump with 50% support among those likely to vote in the primary. DESANTIS REGRETS SHUNNING MEDIA EARLY IN CAMPAIGN: ‘I SHOULD HAVE GONE ON ALL THE CORPORATE SHOWS’ McAdams asked DeSantis if he was surprised at how well Haley is doing in New Hampshire, polling at 33%, according to the RCP average, and DeSantis responded, “She’s not doing that well, trust me.” “She got media attention, then she got scrutiny,” DeSantis said. “She cannot beat Donald Trump in New Hampshire, and she definitely can’t beat him in her home state of South Carolina.” HALEY ARGUES DESANTIS ‘IS INVISIBLE’ – EMPHASIZES ‘IT’S TRUMP WE’RE GOING AFTER’ DeSantis, who finished in second place in Iowa, sees the shift in resources to South Carolina as a chance to take down Haley on her home court and knock her out of the race. “When Nikki Haley fails to win her home state, she’ll be finished and this will be a two-person race,” DeSantis campaign communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement. “We’re wasting no time in taking the fight directly to Haley on her home turf.” DeSantis is currently polling at 11% in South Carolina compared to 6% in New Hampshire, according to the RCP average. Trump is currently polling at 52%. A source in DeSantis’ political orbit told Fox News this week that “it’s all about South Carolina.” “They’re not completely giving up on New Hampshire. They are pursuing both states, but they’re really looking ahead to South Carolina,” the source added. The DeSantis campaign has touted his endorsements in South Carolina, noting that he has earned more than Haley in the state. “Despite South Carolina being Nikki Haley’s home state, DeSantis has already built up an impressive grassroots organization,” a campaign spokesperson recently told Fox News Digital. “He has endorsements from 74 current and former elected officials, while Haley has just 14. This includes 19 state legislators for DeSantis, compared to Haley’s 11.” DeSantis is to visit New Hampshire for at least three stops on Friday before campaigning Saturday and Sunday in South Carolina. The Florida governor told reporters it’s “most likely” he’ll return to New Hampshire late Sunday or Monday, on the eve of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary. New Hampshire residents vote in the primary on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Indiana House unanimously passes bill defining anti-Semitism in education code
The Indiana House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill Thursday that defines antisemitism as religious discrimination in the state education code, repeating a 2023 vote after a similar bill died in the state Senate. Backers hope the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and ensuing war in Gaza have spurred renewed support for the bill this legislative session. State lawmakers across the country are expected to use annual legislative sessions for various symbolic and policy proposals centered on the war. Indiana House Republicans included the bill, House Bill 1002, as one of their five priorities for the 2024 session. The legislation — largely aimed at higher education — would define antisemitism as religious discrimination and “provide educational opportunities free of religious discrimination.” CORNELL UNIVERSITY SLAMMED FOR ‘WINDOW DRESSING’ STATEMENT AFTER ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUS At a committee hearing this month, lawmakers heard passionate testimony from dozens of people, including high schoolers, undergraduate and graduate students in Indiana. Advocates for the bill said instances of antisemitism have increased at college campuses in Indiana since the Oct. 7 attack, when militants stormed into Israel from Gaza, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and capturing around 250 people. Supporters of the legislation say a working definition of antisemitism in the state education code has been wanting long before October. Opponents of the bill worry it will be used to silence support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel. The language of the bill currently says antisemitism “does not include criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country.” Critics say the provision is vague and will not adequately protect students, faculty and others who are critical of Israel military operations in Gaza, where more than 24,000 people have been killed since Oct. 7. About 30 people gathered outside of the House chamber Thursday to protest the measure, and one protestor was removed from the gallery before the vote. Yaqoub Saadeh, 21, president of the Middle Eastern Student Association at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, said the legislation will infringe on academic freedom and his ability to speak out against Israel. “I don’t need to feel like as a student I’m going to be either censored or attacked or harassed,” he said. The House unanimously passed a bill with the same language during the 2023 legislative session. The 2024 bill now goes to the Senate, where it failed to get a committee hearing last year. House Speaker Todd Huston, a Republican, told reporters Thursday he was “thrilled” about the unanimous vote. “We feel good about what the House has done and we’ll leave it up to our Senate colleagues,” he said. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, a Republican, has said his caucus would take a look at the bill should it pass to his chamber. “The world’s a little bit of a different place than it was even last year,” he told reporters at a press conference Jan. 11. In at least eight statehouses across the country, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers — sometimes working together — have introduced measures to define antisemitism. Some of the measures were introduced after the Oct. 7 attack. Others were on the agenda before that: Arkansas passed such a law early last year and one chamber of legislatures in both Georgia and South Carolina did, too. Bills are also pending in at least Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey and South Dakota. Lawmakers have also introduced scores of resolutions condemning the Oct. 7 attacks and supporting Israel. Some have pushed bills that would go further. For example, a measure being pushed in Florida would require students who “promote a foreign terrorist organization” to pay out-of-state tuition at public universities. New Jersey lawmakers have proposed reimbursing state residents who left Israel after the attacks. HARVARD SUED FOR VIOLATING JEWISH STUDENTS’ CIVIL RIGHTS, ALLOWING ‘ANTISEMITISM CANCER’ TO GROW ON CAMPUS In Iowa, a resolution to reaffirm support for Israel passed by voice vote Thursday in the House, as other states have done. The Republican-led act condemned Hamas, saying Israel should “oppose any pressure to enact a ceasefire before the State of Israel has secured its safety.” State Rep. Sami Scheetz, an Arab American of Syrian and Palestinian descent whose district includes Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said the resolution will not change the outcome of the conflict. Scheetz said he voted against the resolution that the “hyper-partisan” Republican majority brought without any consultation with Democrats. “This is not justice that will lead to a lasting peace,” Scheetz said, citing statistics on the more than 24,000 Palestinians killed and millions displaced. “Republicans in the Legislature stood for partisanship and exclusion instead of peace, justice and nonviolence for all.” Iowa passed a law in 2022 to enshrine the definition of antisemitism in the state code. Thursday’s resolution in the House includes a call for law enforcement to “remain vigilant” in protecting Israeli Americans.
Los Angeles County DA Gascón running for re-election amid concerns about crime rather than reform
In 2020, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón was elected amid a wave of calls for reforms by promising to make the criminal justice system more fair and equitable and holding police accountable. In the years since, he’s faced two recall attempts and scathing criticism from police groups, crime victims and some of his own prosecutors for his progressive policies that critics say make Los Angeles County less safe. Many have pointed to his refusal to charge guns, gangs and other sentencing enhancements against criminals. In response to his policies, multiple cities have issue “no confidence” votes against Gascón. LOS ANGELES DA GASCON PROMOTES PUBLIC DEFENDER WHO CALLED LAPD ‘BARBARIAN’ AND AN ‘OCCUPYING ARMY’ Since taking office just over three years ago, Los Angeles County now has a “major public safety crisis,” Jonathan Hatami, a child abuse prosecutor under Gascón, told Fox News Digital. “A lot of people are feeling fear in many things,” said Hatami, who is running to unseat his boss. “Because of these policies, there is a large group of individuals who have committed repeat offenses over and over again.” Gascón, 69, now faces a much different election climate as concerns remain about how to combat crime. In the years since taking office in December 2020, Los Angeles County has seen the smash-and-grab robbery trend grow as well as follow-home robberies and other organized retail thefts. In Los Angeles, while violent crimes like murder and rapes are down slightly, property crimes, such as burglary and auto theft, have increased. LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE GASCON CREATING RACIAL JUSTICE ACT SECTION On Thursday, Gascón was scheduled to face off in a debate with 10 other candidates to become the head of the nation’s largest district attorney’s office. Many are running to the right of him, but Gascón has also found opposition from disenchanted liberals who simply want criminals prosecuted. “I call myself a bleeding heart liberal, anti-gun and voted for Gascón because I thought he was going to be sensible and make reforms like he promised,” said one former supporter, who wanted to remain anonymous because she is involved in Democrat party politics, told the New York Post last year. The key to unseating Gascón is to run on the issues but also not come off as right-wing, Dep. District Attorney Eric Siddall said, given the liberal dominance of Los Angeles County politics. “I know it’s different this time,” Siddall said. “If the right candidate goes against him in the general election, someone that is more of a moderate, not an extremist, someone that is not promising to roll back the clock — I don’t think he has a chance in November.” Aside from low morale among prosecutors, Gascón’s office is in a state of general confusion among the deputy district attorneys, and even defense lawyers, about how cases are being settled, Siddall said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Gascón.
James Carville says third-party candidate going to get ‘a lot of f—ing votes’ in 2024
Democrat strategist James Carville says a third-party candidate in the presidential race will get “a lot of f—ing votes” in 2024. “The third party is going to get a lot of f—king votes in 2024. I’m just telling you,” Carville said. “Unless something really changes, and it’s hard for me to see the change.” Carville made the comments on a recent episode of his “Politics War Room” podcast while speaking about the Iowa caucuses, which he did not view as overly impressive for former President Trump, who garnered 51% of the vote. UPENN, WHICH HOSTS BIDEN’S THINK TANK, SEES CHINESE DONATIONS SOAR, INCLUDING FROM CCP-LINKED SOURCES Carville said that the figure against what he views as “not overly impressive opponents” shows “substantial doubts among more than a sliver of the Republican Party” for Trump. He said the same is true for President Biden among Democrats. “It’s just hard for me not to see an uninspiring election with the third party doing really well,” Carville said. BIDEN HAS BEEN SECRETLY MEETING WITH DONORS TO EASE CONCERNS, INCLUDING HIS AGE AND ENERGY: REPORT The strategist later said he feared such a scenario would take away votes from Biden and Democrats. “I don’t know that, but it’s my great fear,” he added. He predicted if a third-party candidate ran in 2024, they’d get a “sh–load more” than 3% of the vote. Carville has been outspoken about several concerns with regard to Biden. He previously said that leading Democrats told him to stop discussing the president’s tough road to winning reelection while harping on his less-than-stellar poll numbers and popularity. “Nobody is saying, ‘James, you’re wrong,’” he said in October. “They’re saying, ‘James, you can’t say that.’”
Youngkin says holding fentanyl dealers accountable is ‘just common sense’ after Virginia Dems sink bill
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, told Fox News Digital imposing harsher penalties on fentanyl dealers “is just common sense” after Virginia Senate Democrats voted down a bill in committee that would have done just that. Several Virginia state Senate Democrats voted down the measure Wednesday to throw the book at fentanyl dealers as the nation sees a spike in opioid overdoses, predominantly involving fentanyl. Youngkin told Fox News Digital Thursday that five “Virginians on average die every day from a fentanyl overdose,” and “we are facing an overwhelming challenge.” VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS VOTE DOWN BILL THAT WOULD SERVE HARSHER PENALTIES TO DRUG DEALERS “Any person who knowingly and intentionally distributes fentanyl should be charged and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Youngkin declared. “We cannot continue to let makers and dealers get away with murder. “This should not be a Democrats versus Republicans issue. The fentanyl crisis affects us all. Holding fentanyl makers and dealers accountable is just common sense.” Youngkin and Virginia Republicans made the bill a priority. The bill would have expanded how a drug dealer could face a murder charge in a purchaser’s death. The GOP pitched the bill as a criminal deterrent amid the rise in fentanyl overdoses, while the committee Democrats who voted the measure down argued for a substance abuse treatment approach and voiced skepticism of harsher punishments. “I think the policy difference that we’re encountering in committee here is what’s the right way to attack this? And do we attack it the way we attacked things in the ’90s?” Virginia state Senate Democratic leader Scott Surovell, the committee head, said. Virginia Senate Republican leader Ryan McDougle said in an interview the bill aimed to overturn a 2014 court decision limiting how far removed a dealer could be from the death of a user and still face a felony murder charge. Additionally, the committee’s sinking of the bill came a week after a new report found a record number of high school-aged teens died from drug overdoses in 2022, according to a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Boston researchers found that an average of 22 adolescents, ages 14 to 18, died each week in the U.S. from drug overdoses in 2022. The death rate for drug overdoses among teens is more than double what it was in 2018, according to the study, “The Overdose Crisis Among U.S. Adolescents.” A total of 1,125 teens died of a drug overdose or poisoning in 2022, making it the third-leading cause of death for teenagers across the country, behind gun-related injuries and motor vehicle crashes, the report said. “Fewer teens than ever are actively using drugs, and yet more teens than ever are dying,” senior author Dr. Scott Hadland, chief of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard Medical School, told Fox News. Fox News Digital’s Bryan Llenas and the Associated Press contributed reporting.
Top conservative group hammers House Republicans for passing short-term funding bill
EXCLUSIVE: A prominent conservative group is coming out against the just-passed short-term spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown at the end of this week, arguing Americans are “exasperated” with the level of federal spending. “Congress has backed itself into a corner — unable to pass responsible spending bills or secure our border, and opting again for a short-term CR that fails to solve any of the problems facing our country. As usual, taxpayers will foot the bill for Washington’s recklessness,” Ryan Walker, vice president of Heritage Action, said in a statement. “Congress has 40 more days to fight for separate funding bills that will roll back inflation-fueling spending and force the Biden administration to reverse the flow of illegal immigration. They cannot waste this time.” In the statement, which was sent to Republican members, Walker noted that the bill passed on Thursday is the third government funding extension this Congress has passed, as a deal on fiscal year 2024 spending continues to elude negotiators. HOUSE, SENATE RELEASE BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINES LOOM “The American people are exasperated with the Swamp’s dysfunction that puts them last,” he said. “[O]ur government has wasted opportunity after opportunity, and moved the goal posts with a third short-term CR that accomplishes very little for the people.” The group called for government funding to adhere to “statutory caps.” It comes after the conservative House Freedom Caucus pushed for the next fiscal year’s spending levels to stay at $1.59 trillion, the cap set by ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and President Biden during debt limit negotiations last spring. HOUSE GOP ERUPTS IN DIVISION OVER CALL TO PUSH JOHNSON OUT OF SPEAKERSHIP: ‘WORKING FOR JOE BIDEN’ But a side deal made at the time and that is being honored now by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would include an additional $69 billion side deal for non-defense discretionary spending — something GOP hardliners have rebelled against. “Conservatives have been consistent and resolute in our calls for meaningful spending cuts and serious efforts to end the lawless catastrophe at our country’s borders,” Walker said. “The government can and should be funded at levels that adhere to statutory caps — without the backroom side deals that will lead to an increase in spending over Pelosi-era levels. And handing billions to Biden’s border agencies without forcing changes to their policies would be unconscionable.” The House of Representatives on Thursday voted to advance a short-term government funding extension known as a continuing resolution (CR). The bill now goes to President Biden’s desk, where he will have to sign it before the end of the day on Friday to avert a partial government shutdown. JOHNSON CAUGHT BETWEEN WARRING HOUSE GOP FACTIONS: ‘DRIFTING TOWARD MOB RULE’ It passed 314 to 108 and nearly split the House GOP in half — 107 Republicans voted for its passage, while 106 opposed. Hours before the vote, House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., met with Johnson to persuade him to add a border security amendment to the CR. Good told reporters Johnson was “considering it,” arguing, “The Senate will be forced to consider, are they willing to fund the government and secure the border, or they refuse to fund the government because they don’t want to secure the border.” But Johnson immediately put the rumors to rest. His spokesman, Raj Shah, posted on X minutes after Good spoke to reporters, “The plan has not changed. The House is voting on the stop gap measure tonight to keep the government open.” Adding such an amendment would have almost certainly led to a showdown with congressional Democrats — and subsequently a government shutdown.