CIA Director Ratcliffe hits back on Dem senator’s group chat allegations: ‘I didn’t say any of those things’
CIA Director John Ratcliffe clashed with a Democratic senator Tuesday over the lawmaker’s description of the Trump administration’s leaked Signal chat – pushing back multiple times before snapping, “I didn’t say any of those things.” The exchange between Ratcliffe and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., happened Tuesday morning during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual “Threats to the Homeland” hearing. Much of this year’s hearing, however, centered on the extraordinary news that more than a dozen of Trump’s top national security officials, including Ratcliffe, had inadvertently included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Golberg in a Signal group chat that discussed plans for a forthcoming strike on the Houthis in Yemen. The news was first reported by Golberg Monday, in a first-person account that sent shockwaves throughout Washington, D.C. TRUMP NOT PLANNING TO FIRE WALTZ AFTER NATIONAL SECURITY TEXT CHAIN LEAK Ratcliffe, especially, was grilled by lawmakers over the Trump administration’s use of the encrypted messaging app to exchange purported classified security information. Senators demanded to know who added Goldberg, a well-known editor and journalist, to the so-called “Houthi PC Small Group,” where he remained unnoticed for several days. Bennet asked Ratcliffe if it was his view that there was nothing wrong with the Signal thread in question, and whether he shared the view of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard that the chat in question did not include any targeting information or battle sequence. Bennet said this was in Ratcliffe’s testimony, before noting, “I’m a little staggered that that is your view, Director Ratcliffe.” “Does the CIA have any rules about [the] handling of classified information?” he asked. “Yes or no?” “Yes,” Ratcliffe responded. He added that he had not previously heard of Goldberg, though he acknowledged “clearly he was added” to the Signal thread by someone in the group. “I don’t know how he was added,” Ratcliffe said, before Bennet interrupted, asking, “You don’t know that the president’s national security advisor invited him to join the signal thread,” referring to national security advisor Mike Waltz. TRUMP REVEALS WHO WAS BEHIND SIGNAL TEXT CHAIN LINK “Everybody in America knows,” Bennet said. Ratcliffe said he does not use the app to share classified information, or to share targeting information. “And your testimony as the director of the CIA, is that it’s totally appropriate” to conduct conversations like this on Signal, Bennet asked. “Is it appropriate?” Ratcliffe began to respond, saying “No, that is not what I—” before the Democratic senator cut him off. He then tried again, challenging Bennet: “Did I say it was? When did I use the word ‘appropriate’?’” TRUMP OFFICIALS ACCIDENTALLY TEXT ATLANTIC JOURNALIST ABOUT MILITARY STRIKES IN APPARENT SECURITY BREACH “Clearly, ‘nothing to see here,’ is what your testimony is,” Bennet said. “It was just a normal day at the CIA where we chat about this kind of stuff over Signal. In fact, it’s so normal that the last administration left it here for us.’ That’s your testimony today.” “No, that is not my testimony,” Ratcliffe fired back. “I didn’t say any of those things that you just related, senator.” The back-and-forth wrapped with a blistering remand from Bennet, who told Ratcliffe of the Signal chat: “This sloppiness, this incompetence, this disrespect for our intelligence agencies and the personnel who work for them is entirely unacceptable. It’s an embarrassment,” he said. “You need to do better. You need to do better.” During the hearing, other Democrats, including Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, called for Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign over the Signal chat in question. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously attempted to brush off the Signal chat, telling reporters Monday that the attacks on the Houthis discussed in the group chat “have been highly successful and effective.” “President Trump continues to have the utmost confidence in his national security team, including national security advisor Mike Waltz,” she said.
Trump administration to shutter HHS’ long COVID office: report
A federal office dedicated to the research of long COVID is set to close following the Trump administration’s decision to slash the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) workforce. Ian Simon, head of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice (OLC), made the announcement in an email on Monday, Politico reported. “The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration’s reorganization coming this week,” the email read, according to Politico. “We are proud of what we have accomplished together, advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID.” Fox News Digital reached out to HHS and Simon for more information, but they did not immediately respond. TRUMP ADMIN LAYS OUT WHO EXACTLY WAS CUT AT HHS IN FACE OF ‘DEMOCRAT HYSTERIA’ It is unclear when the OLC will close nor whether its staff will remain employed by the federal government. The Biden-era office was established as a federal response to the widespread and long-term effects of COVID, which can result in chronic conditions that require comprehensive care. ACADEMIC UNIONS PLAN DEMONSTRATIONS OUTSIDE HHS BUILDING, AT MED SCHOOLS, TO PROTEST TRUMP RESEARCH CUTS The decision to shutter the office comes after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during his confirmation hearing in January that he was committed to continuing funding and prioritizing long COVID research. However, President Donald Trump directed HHS in a presidential action last month to “terminate the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Long COVID.” The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said more than $1.5 billion was approved in the last several years for its Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, which studies the impact of long COVID. The NIH reported in 2023 that 23 million people were affected by the illness, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in 2023 that 6% of American adults suffered from long COVID, down from 7.5% in 2022. “While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form,” the email read.
SCOOP: Jasmine Crockett hit with censure effort for mocking paraplegic Texas governor as ‘Hot Wheels’
FIRST ON FOX: A GOP lawmaker is moving to have Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, formally rebuked by the House of Representatives for appearing to mock Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s disability. Rep. Randy Weber, R-Texas, Crockett’s fellow delegation member, told Fox News Digital he would introduce a censure resolution against the Democratic lawmaker imminently. “The story of our great governor of Texas is one of unwavering resilience and perseverance. Meanwhile, the actions of Jasmine Crockett – stooping to vile levels of discrimination and despicable political attacks – are nothing short of reprehensible,” Weber told Fox News Digital. PAM BONDI ON JASMINE CROCKETT’S COMMENTS: WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES | FOX NEWS VIDEO He said the House should censure Crockett “for the venomous rhetoric she spews as a representative of the Democratic Party.” “It’s painfully obvious she was never taught a single thing about Texas class, as her behavior is a disgrace to everything Texas and the United States stands for,” Weber said. Crockett made the comments during an event held by the Human Rights Campaign over the weekend. JASMINE CROCKETT DESCRIBES DEMOCRATIC DONOR TALK ON SCHUMER ‘REMINISCENT’ OF BIDEN BEING TAKEN DOWN “Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there — come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey,” Crockett said. Abbott has been paraplegic since age 26, according to his campaign website, when a large oak tree fell on him during a jog. Weber’s resolution calls Crockett’s comments about Abbott “discriminatory in nature” and “the latest in a continued series of inappropriate comments expressed by the representative from Texas,” according to a draft copy shared with Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reached out to Crockett’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back. The House voted to censure Rep. Al Green, R-Texas, last month for protesting during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Before the censure could be formally read, however, Democrats derailed House proceedings by gathering around Green and singing, “We Shall Overcome.”
Staffing reductions at Education Department haven’t hit FAFSA office amid Trump cuts, agency says
Staffing reductions have not hit the Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid, despite orders to dramatically cut staff in half and work to dismantle the agency. The Department of Education unveiled plans on March 11 to cut its staff in half, and President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to shutter the agency. But those handling student loan services were not let go, according to a department spokesperson. “No employees working on the FAFSA or student loan servicing were impacted by the reduction in force,” Madi Biedermann, a spokesperson for the Education Department, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. The Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid processes over 17.6 million Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms annually with a staff of roughly 1,400 employees, according to its 2024 report. TRUMP STILL NEEDS CONGRESS’ HELP WITH PLAN TO ABOLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s Education Department said it is further ahead processing FAFSA forms than the Biden administration at this same time last year. The agency announced on March 17 that it had already submitted and processed 8 million 2025-2026 FAFSA forms – a 50% increase in comparison to the previous year. A Gallup poll released in February shows that Americans’ satisfaction with the state of education has declined sharply over the past decade. The poll found that only 24% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of education in the U.S. as of January 2025, compared to 37% in January 2017. Trump’s order to dismantle the Education Department comes after he’s long harped against the agency, claiming on the campaign trail in September that he wanted to cut down on the federal government’s influence over education to “stop the abuse of your taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America’s youth.” On Thursday, Trump said that despite plans to scale down the agency, functions of the department overseeing Pell Grants, student loans, and others that provide services for those with special needs would continue. However, they would move to other agencies. “They’re going to be preserved in full and redistributed to various other agencies and departments that will take very good care of them,” Trump said. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SIGNIFICANTLY DISMANTLED IN NEW TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER A White House fact sheet on the executive order said the directive aims to “turn over education to families instead of bureaucracies” and instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return education authority to the States, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” Supporters of shutting down the agency have cited the “Nation’s Report Card,” the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, released every two years, published Jan. 27. The exam tests fourth- and eighth-grade students and found almost stagnant math scores for eighth graders compared to 2022. Reading scores dropped two points at both grade levels. Meanwhile, the executive order is facing multiple lawsuits from unions, school districts and other groups who argue that eliminating the department is unlawful, as only Congress has the authority to shut down a federal agency. Additionally, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on the courts to step in and block Trump’s efforts to wipe out the department. “The courts must act to uphold the rule of law and stop Donald Trump’s tyrannical power grab,” Schumer said in a statement Thursday. However, McMahon said the department would partner with Congress to move ahead with plans to close the agency. “We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition,” McMahon said in a statement Thursday.
Democrat Jasmine Crockett laughingly mocks disabled Republican: ‘Governor Hot Wheels’
Progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, mocked a disabled, wheelchair-bound Republican governor, calling him “Governor Hot Wheels” during a pro-LGBTQ benefit dinner this weekend. Crockett is already in hot water over other controversial recent comments such as calling for Elon Musk to be “taken down” and for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to be “knocked over the head, like hard.” Speaking at a benefit for the Human Rights Campaign in Los Angeles, Crockett mocked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose legs were paralyzed in a running accident in 1984. “We in these hot a– Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey!” she said, laughing. PAM BONDI ON JASMINE CROCKETT’S COMMENTS: WORDS HAVE CONSEQUENCES | FOX NEWS VIDEO In response, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) slammed Crockett, saying she is indicative of the state of the Democratic Party today. “House Dems’ top spox Jasmine Crockett applauded after attacking Texas Governor Abbott for using a wheelchair,” the NRCC posted on X. “Recent polling shows Crazy Crockett as one of the leaders of the Democrat Party. This is who they are.” Meanwhile, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., responded, “FYI to the new spokeswoman for the Democrat party – Greg Abbott became paralyzed after a huge oak tree fell on him, crushing his spine. But sure, go with ‘hot wheels.’” Conservative women’s sports activist Riley Gaines also chimed in, saying, “Democrats, please keep giving Jasmine Crockett the microphone We’ll never lose an election again.” JASMINE CROCKETT DESCRIBES DEMOCRATIC DONOR TALK ON SCHUMER ‘REMINISCENT’ OF BIDEN BEING TAKEN DOWN Crockett’s rhetoric has garnered significant condemnation from other leaders as well as outrage online in the last several days. On Sunday, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stark warning to Crockett, telling her to “tread carefully” or face possible legal repercussions. Seemingly not heeding Bondi’s warning, an interview clip surfaced on Monday of Crockett advocating for figuratively “punching” another leading Texas Republican, Cruz. In response to a question about how Democrats can win elections, specifically in the red state of Texas, Crockett said, “I think that you punch, I think you punch, I think you OK with punching.” “It’s Ted Cruz,” she went on. “I mean, like this dude has to be knocked over the head, like hard, right? Like there is no niceties with him, like at all. Like you go clean off on him.” FAR-LEFT DEMOCRAT SLAMMED FOR ‘UNHINGED’ THREAT AGAINST PROMINENT GOP SENATOR: ‘INCITING VIOLENCE’ Her latest comments to surface – this time against Abbott – were firmly condemned by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who pointed out her take would have caused national outrage if a Republican had said such a thing. “Crockett’s comments are disgraceful,” said Cornyn. “Can you imagine if a Republican said something like this? It would be on [the] front page of NYT [New York Times] and all over CNN.” Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk also spoke out against Crockett’s comments, saying, “Jasmine Crockett continues to embarrass herself, the state of Texas, and the US Congress by referring to Governor Greg Abbott as ‘Governor Hot Wheels.’” “Gov. Abbott was paralyzed at the age of 26 when an oak tree fell and crushed his spine while jogging. This woman is trash,” said Kirk. DEMOCRAT MAYOR BLASTED FOR VOWING TO MAKE MAJOR CITY ‘SAFE HAVEN’ FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Abbott, who took office in 2015, is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and has made border security one of his top priorities as governor. He launched “Operation Lonestar” in 2021, in which he deployed state officials and the Texas National Guard to the border. His efforts to build fortifications along the border also led to several confrontations with the Biden administration, perhaps most notably including a standoff between federal and state officials at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2024. Abbott has been wheelchair-bound since he was struck by a falling tree while on a jog at age 26.
State Dept says data on Ukrainian orphans is ‘secure’ despite concerns it was lost following Trump funding cut
The State Department said Monday that data tracking tens of thousands of Ukrainian children allegedly abducted by Russian forces remains “secure,” despite concerns it had been deleted or poorly protected following funding cuts to the program by the Trump administration. The data initiative, spearheaded by the Yale School of Public Health Humanitarian Research Lab, was part of a larger program known as the Yale Conflict Observatory, which served to track various war crimes, including those committed by Russia during its war with Ukraine. Yale confirmed last week that the funding for the work it had been doing on the war in Ukraine was “discontinued.” Pages on the Conflict Observatory were removed from the State Department’s website as well. News about the Trump administration cutting funding to the program raised fears that the data had been lost, or was not being adequately protected from tampering, after the State Department indicated it was being held on a database controlled by the primary contractor for Yale’s Conflict Observatory – the MITRE Corporation. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS PROGRAM TO TRACK KIDNAPPED UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IN RUSSIA, LAWMAKERS SAY “The data exists … we know it is secure,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters during a Monday briefing. “Just because something has changed – as this has – [doesn’t mean] that it disappears, or stops, or becomes something that we can’t use.” Bruce refused to comment any further about the federal government’s continued role, or lack thereof, with regard to protecting the data. “I would just remind you that there is a variety of dynamics that are occurring when it comes to the world knowing about those missing children,” she said to reporters. US PEACE TALKS WITH UKRAINE, RUSSIA GET UNDERWAY IN SAUDI ARABIA The data in question was reportedly compiled by Yale researchers to be shared with Europol and the International Criminal Court to potentially bring war crimes charges against Russia following the end of the war, according to The New York Times. About 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia and hidden in its adoption system, Democratic lawmakers warned in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They raised concerns that funding cuts to the Yale program could lead to permanent data loss. The letter also noted that since the war began, more than 700,000 people from Ukraine have been relocated to Russia. During Monday’s briefing, Bruce emphasized the president’s concern over the missing children and said their return from Russia to Ukraine has been part of ongoing U.S.-Russia discussions aimed at ending the war. TRUMP ENVOY DOESN’T BELIEVE PUTIN WANTS TO TAKE OVER EUROPE The State Department declined to provide any comment on this story, and referred all questions about the data to MITRE. In response to Fox News Digital’s questions about the data’s location, a MITRE spokesperson said that the research into Ukrainian children “is currently maintained by a former partner on [the Conflict Observatory] contract.” However, the spokesperson would not indicate which specific partner it was referring to, as there are several. The spokesperson added that, as a result of the Trump administration’s move to cut funding to the Yale program, the research being done there to track abducted Ukrainian children has been halted. “While we are not in a position to comment on the State Department’s decision, we do recognize the importance of HRL’s work and its contributions to international efforts to protect vulnerable populations, including Ukrainian children,” a Yale University spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Yale remains supportive of its researchers pursuing work that sheds light on urgent global issues.”
Democrat decries FBI task force to crackdown on Tesla attacks: ‘Political weaponization of the DOJ’
Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., suggested that the FBI’s launch of a task force to crackdown on Tesla-related attacks represents “political weaponization” of the U.S. Justice Department. The FBI’s task force was created in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and will coordinate investigative activity. “The FBI has been investigating the increase in violent activity toward Tesla, and over the last few days, we have taken additional steps to crack down and coordinate our response,” FBI Director Kash Patel noted Monday in a post on X. “This is domestic terrorism. Those responsible will be pursued, caught, and brought to justice.” KASH PATEL SHARPENS WARNING MESSAGE FOR TESLA ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’ PERPETRATORS AHEAD OF ‘DAY OF ACTION’ Tesla vehicles and facilities have been targeted with vandalism, arson, and even gunshots. But amid the onslaught of crime against the popular electric vehicle manufacturer and its customers, the Rep. Goldman is suggesting that the formation of the task force represents a political maneuver. TESLA TROUBLE IN ONTARIO: DOZENS OF VEHICLES DAMAGED IN ONE LOCATION “This is the political weaponization of the DOJ. Trump uses his official authority to defend his benefactor Elon Musk. The FBI then creates a task force to use our law enforcement to ‘crack down’ on adversaries of Musk’s,” he tweeted when sharing a Fox News Digital article about the task force launch. “Where are the Republicans so opposed to ‘lawfare’?” he asked. Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk, who strongly supported now-President Donald Trump last year ahead of the presidential election, is spearheading an effort to expose waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. He is widely criticized and vilified by the political left. SUSPECTED TESLA ARSONISTS HIT WITH FEDERAL CHARGES IN ACTS OF ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’: AG CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This level of violence is insane and deeply wrong. Tesla just makes electric cars and has done nothing to deserve these evil attacks,” Musk tweeted this month when sharing a post that featured footage of vehicles ablaze in Las Vegas. Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report
Trump admin cuts additional $1M in federal funding for ‘transgender animal’ experiments
First on Fox: President Donald Trump‘s National Institute of Health on Friday quietly cut over $1 million in federally funded research evaluating if rats going through hormone therapy were more likely to overdose on a popular party drug. The DEI-funded NIH grant was first exposed in December 2024 by the White Coat Waste Project, a nonprofit organization that researches and reveals the misuse of taxpayer dollars for animal testing. The nonprofit last year revealed over $10 million in taxpayer money was spent on research creating “transgender animals.” As Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) expose and cut mismanaged federal funds, the Trump administration has now cut nine “transgender animal” research grants unveiled by the White Coat Waste Project. “This is a great victory for taxpayers and animals,” Anthony Bellotti, president and founder of White Coat Waste Project, said. “We’re proud that our blockbuster investigation has prompted the Trump administration to slash millions in DEI funds and other wasteful spending earmarked for creating transgender lab animals through sterilization, hormone therapies, and invasive surgeries and then subjecting them to drug overdoses, open wounds, electroshocks, and other painful and deadly experiments.” $10M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS SPENT CREATING TRANSGENDER ANIMALS: REP. NANCY MACE “Despite the mainstream media’s shameful misinformation campaign, transgender animal experiments are real – and really wasteful,” Bellotti added. “The solution is simple: Stop the money. Stop the madness!” DOGE SAYS SEVEN GRANTS FOR TRANS ANIMAL TESTING CANCELED, AUDITS EXPANDED: ‘SHADY EXPENDITURES HAPPENING’ The University of Pacific Stockton was granted over $1 million for the project, “GHB Toxicokinetics: Role of sex hormone dependent monocarboxylate transporter regulation and potential for altered overdose risk in transgender men and women,” running from April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2025. DOGE cut the program early on March 21. The grant was funded by the NIH’s Support of Competitive Research (SCORE) Program, which aims to increase research at institutions that have “an explicitly stated mission or historical track records in graduating students from groups nationally underrepresented in biomedical research.” The White Coat Waste Project obtained the project’s grant application through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which revealed plans to castrate male rats and inject them with estrogen, remove female rats’ ovaries and inject them with testosterone, and then inject the rats with Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate (GHB). GHB is used as a recreational party drug and is associated with “chemsex” for its euphoric and sedative effects. The project set out to “characterize GHB toxicokinetics and toxicity in the absence of sex hormones and in response to sex and cross-sex hormone therapy in males and females” to determine if hormone replacement increased overdose risk in transgender men and women. The White Coat Waste Project has worked with legislators to inform the public and received recognition from the president in the process. The nonprofit testified before the House Oversight Committee last month during the hearing, “Transgender Lab Rats and Poisoned Puppies: Oversight of Taxpayer-Funded Animal Cruelty.” While delivering opening remarks on the misuse of taxpayer money funding “gender-affirming care” for animals, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., mentioned the latest “transgender animal” research funding cut by the Trump administration. “We spent over $1 million to find out if female rats receiving testosterone therapy were more likely to overdose on a date rape drug,” Mace said last month. “At our House Oversight Committee hearing last month, we exposed cruel, taxpayer-funded transgender animal experiments,” Mace told Fox News Digital in a statement. “We uncovered how NIH wasted over a million dollars studying whether female rats – after having their ovaries removed and being injected with testosterone to mimic transgender men – were more likely to overdose on a date rape drug. President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency are now shutting down these appalling and inhumane experiments the Biden administration chose to fund with your hard-earned tax dollars,” Mace added. Senate DOGE Caucus Chair Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, celebrated the $1 million in federal funding cut for transgender research on animals, thanking Trump and DOGE for eliminating this “wacky pseudoscience.” “Since last year, I’ve exposed how the Biden administration got caught in the woke mousetrap and wasted millions of tax dollars on transgender animal experiments,” Ernst said. “I’m grateful that President Trump and DOGE are eliminating this wacky pseudoscience. Together, we are ending the silly science and ensuring that all studies funded by tax dollars are squeaky clean.”
GOP senator threatens ‘real consequences’ if universities hire illegal immigrants
EXCLUSIVE: New legislation aims to claw back federal funding to colleges and universities if they hire illegal immigrants. The College Employment Accountability Act would stop schools that hire illegal immigrants from getting student aid from the federal government, as well as other federal aid for the entire institution. “American jobs belong to Americans. Those who unlawfully hire illegal aliens undermine our workers and drive down wages. This commonsense bill finally adds real consequences to existing law and will help ensure taxpayer dollars don’t support colleges and universities that hire those in our country illegally,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said about the bill he is sponsoring. KRISTI NOEM, SCOTT TURNER ESTABLISH EFFORT TO END ‘EXPLOITATION OF HOUSING PROGRAMS’ BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The legislation would require universities that receive federal funding to participate in the E-Verify program to ensure the legal status of employees. Additionally, it would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1986 to condition federal aid based on how the institution follows the law. “Colleges and universities that knowingly hire illegal immigrants have no business receiving taxpayer money,” Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., said in a statement. “The College Employment Accountability Act puts an end to this abuse by requiring schools to follow the law or lose access to federal funds. If an institution can’t be bothered to verify the immigration status of its employees as is legally required, it shouldn’t receive the support of American tax dollars.” CONGRESS ‘ENTITLED’ TO ‘REGULATING THE CONDUCT’ OF VISA HOLDERS, EXPERT SAYS AMID DEPORTATION PUSH The bill is meant to be an effort to counter pushes in places like California, where the university system has put a pitch on the back burner to hire students who are in the country without the correct legal documentation, arguing that state government systems did not need to comply with the aforementioned 1986 act, according to LAist. Since the system’s regents pumped the brakes on enacting the policy, it faced legal action with hopes of allowing those students to get jobs on campuses, according to The Center Square. In September, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation to permit the hiring of illegal immigrants for campus jobs statewide, EdSource reported. JUDGE CLAIMS ‘NAZIS GOT BETTER TREATMENT’ THAN VENEZUELANS DEPORTED BY TRUMP The bill would task the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security to track and enforce the law. The proposal is not the first time the GOP senator has cracked down on which universities receive federal funds. Banks recently introduced legislation that would pull funding from schools that do not properly address encampments, which were a popular method of protest as a wave of anti-Israel demonstrations hit college campuses last year.
Anti-Israel protesters interrupt Huckabee hearing, attack Trump nominee’s faith
A series of boisterous protests broke out at the start of the Senate confirmation hearing for Mike Huckabee, the nominee to be U.S.ambassador to Israel. Capitol Police officers forcibly removed several protesters at three separate moments during the few minutes as Huckabee delivered his opening statement. The activists shouted messages like “Jews say no” and “free Palestine” and claimed Huckabee “misuses Christianity to justify ethnic cleansing.” “Israel and U.S. have desecrated the Holy Land, stop the ethnic cleansing,” shouted another protester. IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL WITHHELD DETAILS OF FOREIGN TIES FROM VISA APPLICATION: FEDS “The good news is they’re not members of my family, which might be the case protesting me sometimes,” Huckabee quipped. Later on, a fourth set of protesters interrupted the hearing, prompting an annoyed Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, to sigh and say, “alright, out!” Huckabee is set to answer questions from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, alongside Kevin Cabrera, nominee for ambassador to Panama, and Reed Rubinstein, nominee for legal adviser to the Department of State. Trump nominated Huckabee, a staunch Israel supporter and evangelical Christian who served as governor of Arkansas, to take up the critical post as he works to end the 17-month war in Gaza. Huckabee has described himself as an “unapologetic, unreformed Zionist.” FINDING GOD IN GAZA: FORMER ISRAELI HOSTAGE FOUND FAITH TO HELP HER SURVIVE HAMAS TERROR During his opening statement, he described Israel as “holy ground to Jews, Christians, and Muslims.” It comes as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas fell apart last week and Israel renewed its bombing campaign after it said Hamas was unwilling to negotiate on the next phase of a deal. Huckabee expressed support for Trump’s return to a “maximum pressure” policy on Iran as the regime draws closer to building a nuclear weapon. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and it is better to bankrupt them than it is to bomb them,” he said. Asked about his previous comments supporting Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, Huckabee emphasized that he would be serving at the prerogative of the president. “I have previously supported it. Yes, sir. But it would not be my prerogative to make that the policy of the president.” He was then asked if he supported Israel annexing Gaza. “Once again, it would be the prerogative of the president.” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., pressed Huckabee on whether he agreed with Israel withholding food aid to Gaza. “You don’t believe in collective punishment, do you?” he asked. “I don’t believe in collective punishment. If the Palestinians in Gaza have participated in the holding of hostages and in the torture –” Huckabee said. “There are 2 million people there,” Van Hollen interrupted. “Finance Minister Smotrich suggested. And I’m quoting it might be justified in moral to starve 2 million Palestinians in Gaza as part of a strategy to free the hostages. Simple question: Do you disagree with Finance Minister Smotrich?” “As you know, an ambassador doesn’t get to argue with the people of the country,” Huckabee said.