Inheritance tax hits chopping block as more than 200 Republicans push for repeal
FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are mounting a massive effort to repeal the federal inheritance tax, colloquially known as the “death tax.” Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, is leading more than 170 House Republicans on the “Death Tax Repeal Act,” which is also backed by the House’s top tax writer, Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo. An inheritance or estate tax is levied upon the beneficiary who receives assets upon a person’s death. Republicans have long criticized the estate tax as a needless financial burden on grieving families, particularly hitting small family-owned businesses. It comes as Republicans work on extending President Donald Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, whose provisions expire at the end of this year. Among the measures sunsetting in 2026 is a doubling of the estate tax exemption. SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN Supporters of the federal estate tax point out that it affects a relatively small number of estates. Penalties are triggered for estates worth roughly $13.9 million at the time of death, according to the latest IRS data. A counterpart bill in the Senate is being led by Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and is backed by 44 senators. Both Feenstra and Thune argued it was an unnecessary tax that unfairly affected family farms and small businesses in their home states of Iowa, South Dakota and elsewhere. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS “The death tax is an egregious double tax that unfairly targets American family farms and small businesses and directly threatens long-held farming traditions in rural Iowa and across the country,” Feenstra told Fox News Digital. “It is ridiculous that the federal government sends grieving families a massive tax bill when a loved one passes away.” He said it amounted to “double taxation.” “Family farms and ranches play a vital role in our economy and are the lifeblood of rural communities in South Dakota,” Thune told Fox News Digital. “Losing even one of them to the death tax is one too many. It’s time to put an end to this punishing, burdensome tax once and for all so that family farms, ranches and small businesses can grow and thrive without costly estate planning or massive tax burdens that can threaten their viability.” If Republicans fail to extend Trump’s tax cuts before the end of this year, the estate tax would affect any estates worth roughly $7 million or more, according to Modern Wealth Law. House Ways & Means Committee Republicans shared a memo late last year that said everyday American households could see taxes rise by over 20% if the tax cuts expired. Feenstra and Thune’s bill would abolish the tax altogether, however.
Alabama’s What is a Woman Act, to ‘codify common sense,’ primed for gov’s signature
Alabama Republican Gov. Kay Ivey is set to sign a new bill that she says answers a simple question: What is a woman? The bill from state Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Leeds, and Sen. April Weaver, R-Alabaster, would adjust state law to explicitly define “man,” “woman,” “boy,” “girl,” “father,” “mother,” “male,” female” and “sex.” It cleared the legislature in Montgomery on Wednesday. Ivey is expected to sign the bill later Thursday; remarking, “In Alabama, it does not take a biologist to answer the question: What is a woman?” KETANJI BROWN JACKSON REFUSES TO DEFINE THE WORD ‘WOMAN’ During Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, the jurist told Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn she could not define the term “woman.” “In this context – I’m not a biologist,” Brown Jackson said. “There are only two genders: Male and female,” Ivey told Fox News Digital. “The What is a Woman bill by Rep. Susan Dubose and Sen. April Weaver is now heading to my desk. I look forward to signing it into law to codify common sense!” The law would require the government to collect vital statistics to identify a person’s sex at birth and “delete obsolete or unnecessary definitions and make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.” “For purposes of state law, a ‘female’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to produce ova, and a ‘male’ is an individual whose biological reproductive system is designed to fertilize the ova of a female,” a draft of the bill published on a government site read. WOMANHOOD IS NOT A GAME OF SEMANTICS, ATTORNEY SAYS Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter told Fox News Digital on Thursday the Yellowhammer State is one that “refuses to back down from commonsense conservative values.” “We believe boys should play against boys and girls should play against girls. We believe that men have no business using the girls’ restroom,” said Ledbetter, R-Rainsville. Ledbetter said every human is made in the image of God and their gender is defined by Him. “I am proud that the House has passed Rep. Susan Dubose’s ‘What Is a Woman Act’ and look forward to Governor Ivey signing it into law,” he said. The bill does have its opponents, including the ACLU of Alabama. “We oppose House Bill 405. The ‘What is a Woman’ Act seeks to answer a question that is contextualized by far more than biological gender norms that this bill seeks to codify,” a statement from the group read. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The bill establishes a stringent assertion of the definition of a man or woman that completely cuts transgender people out of the picture. This bill attempts to place antiquated gender assumptions as a rule of law.” The group added that the legislation will make it more difficult for transgender people to “authentically” live life. Democrats, including state Reps. Barbara Drummond of Mobile and Napoleon Bracy of Pritchard, also objected to the bill only being slated for 10 minutes of floor debate. The Blackburn-Jackson incident and ensuing public debate also led conservative commentator Matt Walsh to produce a documentary on the matter called “What is a Woman?” When the issue first came up in the Jackson hearing, Blackburn said the jurist being unable to give a “straight answer” about “something as fundamental as what a woman is” underscores the dangers of progressive education. Blackburn suggested that biological male athletes should not be allowed to compete against women.
Dems spar over DOGE cuts with Trump education nominee Linda McMahon
Democratic lawmakers on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee sparred with President Donald Trump’s Department of Education nominee Linda McMahon on Thursday over cost-cutting efforts underway by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an agency led by tech billionaire Elon Musk. “I believe the American people spoke loudly in the election last November to say that they want to look at waste, fraud and abuse in our government,” said McMahon, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Pressed by Democrats, including Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, if she would follow through with cuts suggested by the “DOGE brothers,” McMahon said she can be counted on to follow congressional statute “because that’s the law.” TRUMP EDUCATION NOMINEE LINDA MCMAHON SAYS SHUTTING DOWN DOE WOULD ‘REQUIRE CONGRESSIONAL ACTION’ Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., also asked if McMahon believes DOGE should have access to “private student data,” suggesting that their probes “should frighten everyone.” “It is my understanding that those employees have been onboarded as employees of the Department of Education, and therefore, they operate under the restraints of utilizing access of information,” McMahon said. “That’s not my understanding,” Murray shot back. “That’s my understanding,” McMahon responded. Murray said it was “deeply disturbing” that DOGE staffers aren’t “held accountable” and that it should “frighten everyone” if they have access to students’ private information. INTO THE RING: TRUMP EDUCATION CHIEF PICK MCMAHON TO TESTIFY ON CUTTING ‘RED TAPE’ AMID DOGE SWEEPS The Department of Education canceled over $100 million in grants for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training as part of a broader cost-cutting effort led by DOGE, Fox News Digital previously reported. DOGE announced the termination of 89 DOE contracts, totaling $881 million, including $101 million allocated for DEI programs focused on educating educators about oppression, privilege and power, in a post Monday on X. “Your tax dollars were spent on this,” Musk wrote of the DOE spending. DOGE reported that the Department of Education spent an additional $1.5 million on a contractor to “observe mailing and clerical operations” at a mail center, a contract that was also terminated in the dramatic spending audit. At one point, moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine raised the terminated contracts as she asked about fears from some educators that grants for tutoring might be on the chopping block. “There are many worthwhile programs that we should keep,” McMahon said in response to Collins. “But I’m not yet apprised of them. I want to study them. I’d like to get back and talk to you more and to work with you.” DOGE has been on a tirade to cut spending within the DOE, including terminating three grants in early February, one of which funded an institution that had hosted faculty workshops on “Decolonizing the Curriculum.” Trump’s early executive orders launched a federal review of DEI practices in federally funded educational institutions. McMahon testified during Thursday’s hearing that she has “not” had any conversation with Musk about the Department of Education.
Trump’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ commission to target autism, chronic diseases
FIRST ON FOX: President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday establishing the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which will be led by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Fox News Digital exclusively learned. The commission will be chaired by Kennedy and will be “tasked with investigating and addressing the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis, with an initial focus on childhood chronic diseases,” the White House explained of the commission to Fox Digital. Kennedy was confirmed as the nation’s leader of the U.S. Health and Human Services on Thursday, and is expected to be sworn in later in the afternoon. He will chair the upcoming mission, which will work to “restore trust in medical and scientific institutions and hold public hearings, meetings, roundtables” to receive input from health leaders. The commission, Fox Digital learned, will focus on four policy directives to reverse chronic disease, including: providing Americans transparency on health data to “avoid conflicts of interest in all federally funded health research;” prioritizing “gold-standard research on why Americans are getting sick” in all federally-funded health research; working with farmers to ensure food is healthy, as well as affordable; and expanding health coverage and treatment options “for beneficial lifestyle changes and disease prevention.” The commission will initially focus on childhood chronic diseases, such as autism and fatty liver disease, and also investigate adult chronic diseases, such as asthma and the U.S. average life expectancy compared to other nations. RFK JR. VOWS HE WON’T TAKE CHEESEBURGERS AWAY, JUST HIGHLIGHT HEALTH ISSUES: ‘MY BOSS LOVES’ THEM Within 100 days of the commission’s founding, it is expected to publish “an assessment that summarizes what is known and what questions remain regarding the childhood chronic disease crisis, and include international comparisons.” Within 180 days, it’s expected to “produce a strategy, based on the findings of the assessment, to improve the health of America’s children,” Fox Digital learned. SENATE CONFIRMS ROBERT F KENNEDY JR. TO SERVE AS TRUMP’S HEALTH SECRETARY Kennedy and Trump vowed on the campaign trail to “Make America Healthy Again,” including directing their focus on autism among youths in recent years. The commission will investigate chronic conditions for both adults and children, including those related to autism, which the White House said affects one in 36 children. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS Trump in recent months has cited autism stats while previewing his second administration, balking at the number of children currently diagnosed compared to just 25 years ago. “When you look at, like, autism from 25 years ago, and you look at it now, something’s going on,” Trump said in December 2024 ahead of his inauguration. “Think of this: 25 years ago, autism, 1 in 10,000 children. Today it’s 1 in 36 children. Is something wrong? I think so, and Robert and I, we’re going to figure it out.” Trump also vowed while on the campaign trail in June that he would “establish a special Presidential Commission of independent minds who are not bought and paid for by Big Pharma, and I will charge them with investigating what is causing the decades-long increase in chronic illnesses.” TRUMP INNER CIRCLE SHARES MCDONALD’S MEAL AS DONALD JR. JOKES ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN STARTS TOMORROW’ The Republican-controlled Senate voted 52–48 on Thursday to confirm Kennedy. His confirmation hearings before the Senate in late January included a few outbursts from protesters, as well as Democrats grilling him over his vaccine stances. Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2024 cycle before ultimately dropping out and endorsing Trump, clarified to the Senate that he is not “anti-vaccine.” “I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish. And nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that … that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I’ve read many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, a first line of it is ‘I am not anti-vaccine’ and last line is ‘I am not anti-vaccine.’ Nor am I the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security,” he said during his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee in January.
Shapiro latest Democrat suing ‘unconstitutional’ Trump admin
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro sued President Donald Trump‘s administration on Thursday to unfreeze federal funds. Pennsylvania is now one of at least 24 states and the District of Columbia with lawsuits challenging Trump’s allegedly “unconstitutional” federal funding freeze. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed agencies to halt federal funding on January 27. Pennsylvania state agencies have been unable to access $1.2 billion in federal funds with an additional $900 million requiring federal review, according to the lawsuit. Shapiro is seeking to unfreeze those funds. The lawsuit names Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and OMB Director Russell Vought in their respective capacities. “The federal government has entered into a contract with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, promising to provide billions of dollars in Congressionally approved funding that we have committed to serious needs – like protecting public health, cutting energy costs, providing safe, clean drinking water, and creating jobs in rural communities. With this funding freeze, the Trump Administration is breaking that contract – and it’s my job as Governor to protect Pennsylvania’s interests,” Shapiro said. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION APPEALS FEDERAL JUDGE’S ORDER TO UNFREEZE FEDERAL FUNDS The Trump administration has called the legal challenges to Trump’s executive orders “an attempt to undermine the will of the American people.” The White House on Thursday dismissed Shapiro’s lawsuit as an extension of the “Left’s resistance.” “Radical Leftists can either choose to swim against the tide and reject the overwhelming will of the people, or they can get on board and work with President Trump to advance his wildly popular agenda. These lawsuits are nothing more than an extension of the Left’s resistance — and the Trump Administration is ready to face them in court,” White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields said. WHITE HOUSE STILL COMMITTED TO FREEZING ‘WOKE’ FUNDS DESPITE RESCINDING OMB MEMO Shapiro said federal funding could jeopardize Pennsylvania projects, including “reclaiming abandoned mine land, capping and plugging orphan wells, and lowering consumer costs.” Meanwhile, the Commonwealth is incurring debt on federally approved projects. Pennsylvania has joined at least 23 states and Washington, D.C., who have sued the Trump administration to unfreeze federal funds. Federal judges have issued a temporary restraining order to block the funding freeze in states with litigation against the Trump administration. Because Pennsylvania did not sue the Trump administration to unfreeze funds, they were not impacted by the order releasing funds. “While multiple federal judges have ordered the Trump Administration to unfreeze this funding, access has not been restored, leaving my Administration with no choice but to pursue legal action to protect the interests of the Commonwealth and its residents,” Shapiro said. Shapiro is suing the Trump administration to reap the benefit of the federal judge’s order. Democratic groups quickly came out in support of Shapiro’s lawsuit. “We strongly support Governor Shapiro’s action to protect Pennsylvanians, support communities and cut costs by challenging this funding freeze. Blocking these critical funds is an unacceptable attack on Pennsylvania families, communities and economic stability. These funds were legally approved by Congress and are crucial to supporting working families, rural communities and public safety initiatives across the commonwealth,” the Pennsylvania House Democrats said in a statement. Evergreen Action, a progressive climate action organization, applauded Shapiro for standing up for Pennsylvanians. “Pennsylvania and its communities, businesses, and local governments must regain access to their funds immediately and be freed from this chaos and uncertainty. We are grateful for the governor’s leadership and hope these critical funds are soon able to reach the people who need them most,” Evergreen Action Deputy State Policy Director, Julia Kortrey, said.
Impeachment threat hits judge who blocked Trump federal funding freeze
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is threatening to file articles of impeachment against a federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump‘s federal funding freeze. “I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.,” Clyde wrote on X. “He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned.” SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans. McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. However, the states said Friday that the administration is not following through and funds are still tied up. A three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of the order on Tuesday. McConnell has come under fire by Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist. Clyde and others have cited a video of McConnell in 2021 saying courts must “stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot.” “You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever,” McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI. Elon Musk wrote on X in response, “Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system.” BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS Clyde confirmed he was preparing articles of impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday. “For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “This type of judge, this political activist – this radical political activist – should be removed from the bench.” When reached for a response to Clyde’s threat, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said McConnell “often sits down with members of the media upon request” but did not comment on pending cases. Trump’s allies have been hammering the judges who have issued a series of decisions curbing the president’s executive orders. Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., threatened to prepare impeachment articles against another judge earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. Southern District of New York, for blocking Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury records.
New poll shows what Americans think of Trump’s record setting first 3 weeks
President Donald Trump took to social media on Thursday morning to showcase his frenetic pace since reentering the White House on Jan. 20. “THREE GREAT WEEKS, PERHAPS THE BEST EVER,” the president touted. Trump has signed 64 executive orders since his inauguration, according to a count from Fox News, which far surpasses the rate of any presidential predecessors during their first weeks in office. While Trump is never shy about advertising his accomplishments, new polling indicates Americans are divided on the job the president is doing so far in his second administration. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS COVERAGE OF TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS Trump stands at 48% approval and 47% disapproval in a national survey conducted for AARP. The poll is the latest to indicate an early split when it comes to public opinion regarding Trump. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLLING Some surveys, including Pew Research, indicate Trump’s approval ratings are slightly underwater, while others, including a poll from CBS News/YouGuv, suggest the president’s ratings are in positive territory. Trump’s poll position among Americans stands in stark contrast to his first term in office, when he started out underwater in surveys and remained in negative territory for all four years in the White House. “His approval rating is higher than it was at any point in time during his first term,” veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse told Fox News. Newhouse, pointing to the president’s frenetic pace since returning to power, noted that Americans are “giving him positive marks right now, based not just on the perception of what he is going to do, but what he has done already.” The surveys are in agreement when it comes to the massive partisan divide over Trump. The AARP poll indicates Trump holds a net approval of 83 points with Republicans, a net disapproval of 76 points among Democrats and that he is underwater by 19 points among independent voters. THE TRUMP POLICIES AMERICANS LOVE, AND HATE “Trump’s ratings are stronger among men, white voters, and those without college degrees. He is seen more negatively by women, Hispanic and Black voters, and those with college degrees,” the survey’s release highlighted. While Trump’s approval ratings for his second term are a major improvement from his first term, his numbers are below where his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, began his single term in office. Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House, with his disapproval in the upper 30s to low to mid 40s. However, Biden’s numbers sank into negative territory in the late summer and autumn of 2021, in the wake of his much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and amid soaring inflation and a surge of migrants crossing into the U.S. along the nation’s southern border with Mexico. Biden’s approval ratings stayed underwater throughout the rest of his presidency. Fox News’ Mary Schlageter contributed to this report
Trump Agriculture pick confirmed as president racks up Cabinet wins
President Donald Trump secured two more Cabinet confirmations on Thursday, including his pick to lead the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Brooke Rollins. Rollins was easily confirmed by the Senate shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as Trump’s Health secretary. Most recently, Rollins has served as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) think tank, which she co-founded after Trump’s first term. In Trump’s first administration, she was his director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council. TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION The newly elected president announced his selection of Rollins for USDA chief in November, recalling she did “an incredible job” during his first term. “Brooke’s commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none,” he said. DOGE ‘PLAYBOOK’ UNVEILED BY GOP SENATOR AS MUSK-LED AGENCY SHAKES UP FEDERAL GOVERNMENT “As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country. Congratulations Brooke!” The USDA nominee had a hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee last month, before advancing past the key hurdle. DEM LOOKS TO CODIFY NEW AG BONDI’S DESIRED CRACKDOWN ON ‘ZOMBIE DRUG’ XYLAZINE The committee decision to move her nomination forward was unanimous, giving her bipartisan backing going into her confirmation vote. Rollins is now the 16th Cabinet official confirmed to serve in Trump’s new administration. With the help of the Republican-led Senate, Trump has managed to confirm his picks at a pace far ahead of either his first administration or former President Joe Biden’s. TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE At the same point in his first term, Trump only had 11 confirmations and Biden had seven. Neither had 16 confirmed until March during their respective administrations.
Ways and Means chair calls for de-weaponization, overhaul of IRS after ‘lawless’ behavior
FIRST ON FOX: House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith is calling for a complete overhaul of the Internal Revenue System, demanding the agency be de-weaponized, and telling Fox News Digital that “business as usual at the IRS is unacceptable.” Smith, R-Mo., wrote a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell on Thursday, calling for ongoing oversight of the agency to ensure it takes steps to “rebuild trust” with Americans after “lawless and politically motivated behavior.” HOUSE GOP DEMANDS ‘IMMEDIATE ACTION’ ON ALLEGED RETALIATION AGAINST IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS “The story of the last two years at the IRS is one of both failure and outright weaponization of the agency driven in part by the Democrats’ decision to prioritize hiring 87,000 new IRS agents to audit working families over providing basic customer services,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “There are too many examples of problems at the IRS to count.” In the letter, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital, Smith lays out concerns at the agency, including its alleged retaliation against the two IRS whistleblowers who brought claims of corruption and preferential treatment for Hunter Biden — Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler. Smith also pointed to the IRS’s support for $80 billion in mandatory funding that prioritized “aggressive audits over customer service,” the “failure to take aggressive action against tax-exempt organizations that have caused antisemitic chaos on college campuses, in American cities, and those that may be supporting terrorism” and more. “Aggressive oversight of the IRS continues to be a top priority for the Committee, and the election results made it clear that the American people are looking for accountability,” Smith wrote. “President Trump has shown in his first three weeks that he meant what he said during the presidential campaign.” HOUSE GOP PROBES WHETHER SPECIAL COUNSEL OFFICE HELPED RETALIATE AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN WHISTLEBLOWERS Smith said the government “has not been working effectively for the American people, and it needs to change.” “We will be watching closely to make certain that the IRS timely complies with all laws, executive orders, direction from the secretary of the Treasury, and requests from the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance,” Smith said. Smith told Fox News Digital that the agency has “acted outside its authority by refusing to apply the law when it hurts Democrats, like in the case of delaying the unpopular $600 Venmo reporting law, and by promoting Democrat interests without authorization, like when it turned a tiny feasibility study into a massive Direct File program costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.” “We know that the IRS has retaliated against the two brave investigators that blew the whistle on preferential treatment for Hunter Biden,” Smith said, pointing to Shapley and Ziegler. “Business as usual at the IRS is unacceptable,” Smith told Fox News Digital. “The acting commissioner needs to clean things up quickly to meet the expectations of the committee and the American people have of the agency.”
Senate confirms Robert F Kennedy Jr. to serve as Trump’s Health secretary
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary in President Donald Trump‘s cabinet. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 52-48 nearly entirely along party lines to confirm Kennedy. The final showdown over his controversial nomination was set in motion hours earlier, after another party line vote on Wednesday afternoon which started the clock ticking toward the confirmation roll call. Kennedy, the well-known vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump, needed a simple majority to be confirmed by the Senate. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote against Kennedy’s nomination. McConnell, the former longtime GOP Senate leader, suffered from polio as a child and is a major proponent of vaccines. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS “I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles,” McConnell said after the Kennedy vote. The president’s political team, in a social media statement after the Senate vote, wrote, “Congratulations @RobertKennedyJr !” Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings late last month, when Trump’s nominee to lead 18 powerful federal agencies that oversee the nation’s food and health faced plenty of verbal fireworks over past controversial comments, including his repeated claims in recent years linking vaccines to autism, which have been debunked by scientific research. During the hearings, Democrats also spotlighted Kennedy’s service for years as chair or chief legal counsel for Children’s Health Defense, the nonprofit organization he founded that has advocated against vaccines and sued the federal government numerous times, including a challenge over the authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children. ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. LIVE ON FOX NEWS ‘THE INGRAHAM ANGLE’ 7PM ET TONIGHT With Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee voting not to advance Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a physician and chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement before the committee level vote, giving Kennedy a party-line 14-13 victory to advance his confirmation to the full Senate. Cassidy had emphasized during Kennedy’s confirmation hearings that “your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” which left doubt about his support. However, after speaking again with the nominee, Cassidy rattled off a long list of commitments Kennedy made to him, including quarterly hearings before the HELP Committee; meetings multiple times per month; that HELP Committee can choose representatives on boards or commissions reviewing vaccine safety; and a 30-day notice to the committee, plus a hearing, for any changes in vaccine safety reviews. HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE “These commitments, and my expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again, is the basis of my support,” the senator said. Earlier this week, another Republican senator who had reservations regarding Kennedy’s confirmation announced support for the nominee. “After extensive public and private questioning and a thorough examination of his nomination, I will support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.,” GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced on Tuesday. Another Republican who was on the fence, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, also voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination. Murkowski noted that she continues “to have concerns about Mr. Kennedy’s views on vaccines and his selective interpretation of scientific studies,” but that the nominee “has made numerous commitments to me and my colleagues, promising to work with Congress to ensure public access to information and to base vaccine recommendations on data-driven, evidence-based, and medically sound research.” Former longtime Senate GOP leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, a major proponent of vaccines, also voted to advance Kennedy’s nomination. Kennedy, whose outspoken views on Big Pharma and the food industry have also sparked controversy, has said he aims to shift the focus of the agencies he would oversee toward promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including overhauling dietary guidelines, taking aim at ultra-processed foods and getting to the root causes of chronic diseases. The push is part of his “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. “Our country is not going to be destroyed because we get the marginal tax rate wrong. It is going to be destroyed if we get this issue wrong,” Kennedy said as he pointed to chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.” The 71-year-old scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination against then-President Joe Biden in April 2023. However, six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House. Trump regularly pilloried Kennedy during his independent presidential bid, accusing him of being a “Radical Left Liberal” and a “Democrat Plant.” Kennedy fired back, claiming in a social media post that Trump’s jabs against him were “a barely coherent barrage of wild and inaccurate claims.” However, Kennedy made major headlines again last August when he dropped his presidential bid and endorsed Trump. While Kennedy had long identified as a Democrat and repeatedly invoked his late father, former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, and his late uncle, former President John F. Kennedy – who were both assassinated in the 1960s – Kennedy in recent years built relationships with far-right leaders due in part to his high-profile vaccine skepticism. After months of criticizing him, Trump called Kennedy “a man who has been an incredible champion for so many of these values that we all share.” Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS. Minutes after Thursday’s confirmation, the Democratic National Committee criticized the Senate vote in an email headlined “Republicans Confirm Unqualified Conspiracy Theorist