Here are Trump’s top accomplishments 50 days into his Oval Office return
President Donald Trump has been back in the Oval Office for 50 days, which has included a whirlwind of executive orders, a breakneck pace of gutting and rebuilding agencies within the federal government, and rolling out economic plans the president says will be a boon to U.S. workers and industry. “To my fellow citizens, America is back,” Trump declared in a joint speech before Congress March 4. “Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America,” he continued. “From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started.” Trump has signed at least 89 executive orders in his 50 days in office. Trump signed more executive orders in his first 50 days than any other president signed in their first year going back to the Carter administration in 1977, data compiled by Fox News show. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS Trump’s executive orders have been expansive, addressing issues ranging from ending the practice of biological males playing on girls sports teams, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, to establishing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Amid his executive order and action blitz, Trump and his administration have been hit with at least 102 lawsuits, including repeated lawsuits surrounding DOGE and its chair, Elon Musk. Musk and his DOGE team have been poring through various federal agencies in the search of government overspending, mismanagement and fraud, as well as slimming down the agencies overall through thousands of federal layoffs, including probationary employees who have not secured full-time employment. DOGE’s work has struck the ire of Democrats and federal employees who have staged repeated protests over the audits and firings in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED DURING PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S 7TH WEEK IN OFFICE The president has meanwhile touted DOGE’s findings in public remarks, including rattling off a series of examples during his speech before a joint session of Congress. “Forty-five million dollars for diversity, equity and inclusion scholarships in Burma,” Trump said as he provided examples of federal waste March 4 after thanking Musk for his work. “Forty million to improve the social and economic inclusion of sedentary migrants. Nobody knows what that is. Eight million to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of. Sixty million dollars for indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombian empowerment in Central America. Sixty million. Eight million for making mice transgender.” MEET THE FAR-LEFT GROUPS FUNDING ANTI-DOGE PROTESTS AT GOP OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Trump’s speech marked his first before both chambers of Congress since his return to the Oval Office. Trump spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes, notching the longest address a president has delivered before a joint session of Congress, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The longest speech on record previously was held by former President Bill Clinton, when he spoke for one hour and 28 minutes during his State of the Union Address in 2000. Immigration was a large focus of his address, as well as his first 50 days in office. His administration is touting in March that illegal border crossings have fallen to the lowest levels on record, cratering by 94% since February 2024 under the Biden administration, while massive deportation efforts between multiple law enforcement agencies have removed violent criminal illegal immigrants from the nation. ‘OVERWHELMINGLY POPULAR’: ELON MUSK TOUTS AMERICANS’ DOGE SUPPORT Trump has also honored the American lives lost to illegal immigrant murders, including remembering Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray during his speech on Capitol Hill. Trump signed the Laken Riley Act into law upon taking office in January, which directs Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal immigrants arrested or charged with theft-related crimes, or those accused of assaulting a police officer. He also named a National Wildlife Refuge after Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl from Texas who was sexually assaulted and murdered by two illegal immigrants in June 2024. Trump’s economic policies have also been rolled out at a fast and furious pace, including 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a 10% tariff on imports from China to help end the flow of deadly fentanyl into the U.S., as well as announcing a plan for reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations, which are set to take effect in April. Trump has championed that reciprocal tariffs will open the doors to foreign industries setting up shop in America to avoid the tax on imports to the U.S. NEW REPORT REVEALS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION HIT NEW HIGH DURING BIDEN-ERA CRISIS “They can build a factory here, a plant or whatever it may be, here,” Trump said of the reciprocal tariffs in February. “And that includes the medical, that includes cars, that includes chips and semiconductors. That includes everything. If you build here, you have no tariffs whatsoever. And I think that’s what’s going to happen. I think our country is going to be flooded with jobs.” A handful of businesses and manufacturers, both U.S.-based and those abroad, have announced billions of dollars in investments since Trump took office, including Apple announcing a $500 billion investment in February that will generate 20,000 jobs in the United States and Saudi Arabia, pledging $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years. Businesses also have pledged to increase U.S.-based production efforts since Trump took office, including auto company Stellantis announcing it will make its latest version of the Dodge Durango in Michigan, and will also reopen an assembly plant in Illinois — while Mercedes-Benz pledged to grow its U.S.-based vehicle production. On the international stage, Trump has secured the release of a handful of American hostages
Abbey Gate terrorist, human smuggling ring leaders, cartel bosses among Bondi DOJ’s first-month successes
Attorney General Pam Bondi spent the first month at the Justice Department arresting ISIS-linked terrorists and violent illegal immigrants, dismantling drug cartels and more, telling Fox News Digital she will “continue working day in and day out to deliver on President Trump’s Make America Safe Agenda.” The Justice Department’s core mission under Bondi’s leadership is focused on fighting violent crime while undertaking key initiatives to protect women’s sports; eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion; and fight antisemitism. BONDI WARNS THREE STATES TO COMPLY WITH LAW KEEPING BOYS OUT OF GIRLS SPORTS OR FACE LEGAL ACTION Since taking her oath Feb. 5, under Bondi’s leadership the DOJ has arrested an ISIS-linked criminal in New York who allegedly financially supported ISIS; arrested the ISIS-K attack planner who allegedly orchestrated the attack at Abbey Gate in Afghanistan that led to the death of 13 U.S. service members; and arrested two illegal immigrants accused of running one of the largest human smuggling rings in the United States. In March, the DOJ also secured custody of 29 defendants from Mexico who are facing charges in districts around the country relating to racketeering, drug-trafficking, murder, illegal use of firearms, money laundering and other crimes in the U.S., including Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who had been wanted for and accused of torturing and murdering a Drug Enforcement Administration agent in 1985. This followed a bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and counterparts in the government of Mexico. “This Department of Justice is arresting violent terrorists, dismantling cartel networks, and rooting DEI out of American institutions,” Bondi told Fox News Digital. “We will continue working day in and day out to deliver on President Trump’s Make America Safe Agenda.” Bondi also warned California, Maine and Minnesota to comply with the federal antidiscrimination laws that require them to keep boys out of women’s sports or face legal action. She also vowed that the DOJ will “hold accountable states and state entities that violate federal law.” The Justice Department also sued Illinois and New York earlier in February for defying federal immigration laws, with Bondi warning others that they “stand ready to sue states and state entities that defy federal antidiscrimination laws.” BONDI’S DOJ DAY 1 DIRECTIVES: FIGHT WEAPONIZATION OF JUSTICE, ELIMINATE CARTELS, LIFT DEATH PENALTY BAN Meanwhile, earlier in March, ISIS-K member Mohammad Sharifullah — accused of plotting the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 U.S. military members and at least 160 civilians amid the chaotic Biden administration withdrawal from Afghanistan — was extradited to “face American justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “3 and 1/2 years later, justice for our 13,” Patel wrote on X. Sharifullah is charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death and was expected to make his first federal court appearance in Virginia Wednesday. “This is just the beginning,” a Justice Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Attorney General Bondi is completely dedicated in her mission to refocus the Department of Justice on fighting crime, prosecuting dangerous criminals, holding rogue jurisdictions accountable for flouting federal law, and removing DEI from our institutions.” The spokesperson added: “The DOJ has more to come on all those fronts and more.”
Dems threatening government shutdown over Elon Musk hate, Republicans say
House Republicans are accusing Democrats of waging their opposition campaign against the GOP’s government funding plan over their fury at Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts. “They hate Elon Musk and Donald Trump more than they love their country,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital. “They’re just losing their f—— minds.” Mace was still optimistic that some Democratic lawmakers will vote for the legislation on Tuesday afternoon, “I mean, they voted for every CR under the sun when [former President Joe Biden] was president. That’s what this is — it’s just political games.” First-term Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colo., told Fox News Digital, “It’s either [President Donald Trump] or Elon Musk or a combination thereof, right?” DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY REBUKE PARTY MEMBERS WHO JEERED TRUMP DURING SPEECH TO CONGRESS: REPORT “They’ve had nothing but political losses from November forward. Last week was the worst political loss I think they’ve suffered in a long time,” Crank said, referring to Democrats’ intra-party divisions over some lawmakers’ disruptions during Trump’s speech to Congress. “I guess they’ve got to keep fighting, but what they should do is the right thing: Keep the government open.” Musk and his DOGE work have been met with near-universal condemnation by Democrats, even those who have agreed with the need to cut the federal bureaucracy. Democrats have held Musk up as a political boogeyman, an unelected billionaire who was given too much access to the federal government that he also profits from as a military contractor. But Republicans, with some exceptions, have defended his work as necessary. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., told Fox News Digital that Musk is “doing damage to our government” but denied his work being a factor in his likely decision to oppose the funding bill. “Musk doesn’t live rent-free in my head,” Crow said. “I’m not making legislative decisions based upon Elon Musk and what he does and doesn’t do in any given day… I’m focusing on my constituents.” GOLDMAN SACHS HIGHLIGHTS TARIFF WARS WINNERS AND LOSERS Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., when asked about Musk, did not mention the billionaire at all. Instead, he pivoted to criticize House Republicans for putting a stopgap government funding bill known as a continuing resolution (CR) up for a vote, rather than dealing with a fresh slate of fiscal year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills. “Republicans have said for the longest time, right, that CRs are no longer the way to fund the government. Speaker Johnson promised to do individual spending bills. That was his pitch to his colleagues in order to remain speaker. OK. He’s the one who’s going back on his word to his own colleagues,” Moskowitz said. But Democrats have nevertheless used Musk in their public broadsides against the bill. “It takes away veterans’ healthcare. It takes away critical research funding. Those are the things that House Republicans are willing to do just to give Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s friends continued tax breaks. That’s unacceptable to House Democrats,” House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told reporters on Monday. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., wrote on X, “Trump and Musk are illegally shutting down federal agencies, mass firing federal workers, and freezing congressionally mandated funding. It’s causing massive job losses and economic chaos for my constituents, and the Republican CR would continue this disaster. I will vote no.” The proposed CR roughly freezes government funding at FY 2024 levels through the beginning of FY 2026, on Oct 1. It includes extra funding for defense while cutting nondefense funding by roughly $13 billion. House GOP leadership aides said over the weekend that the bill includes some added funding for veterans’ healthcare — putting them at odds with Democrats’ messaging. Democratic lawmakers normally vote in droves to avert a government shutdown, but this time it’s likely House Republicans will need to share the burden largely on their own. As of Monday night, several Republicans are still undecided on how they will vote, despite Trump making calls to GOP lawmakers who are on the fence.
‘Pro-criminal’: Blue state sheriff unloads on ‘disgusting’ bill targeting the right to self-defense
A California sheriff is speaking out against a bill in the Democrat-controlled capital of Sacramento that he says would essentially make self-defense illegal and believes is emblematic of liberal policies putting people in danger in the state. After Assembly Bill 1333 was introduced in California two weeks ago, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco gained traction on social media with a post reacting to the bill which he says will essentially make self-defense illegal in the state. Los Angeles Assembly member Rick Zbur introduced the bill, which he says aims to narrow the criteria for justifiable homicide, but Bianco told Fox News Digital that the bill will just further embolden criminals. “This Assembly member that has come up with this, If it was his idea, he certainly has absolutely no business being an assembly member representing people,” Bianco said. “And what my knowledge is of how things happen in Sacramento. I’m not giving him an out because he certainly had some talking points for this bill, but these are bills written by special interest groups and the majority of the special interest in Sacramento are pro-criminal.” TRUMP SUPPORTING CALIFORNIA SHERIFF LAUNCHES REPUBLICAN RUN FOR GOVERNOR IN RACE TO SUCCEED NEWSOM Bianco continued, “They want criminals to thrive. It’s just bizarre to me. How you could even have the thought process that says people should not be able to protect themselves is beyond me. Honestly, I don’t understand it. And I’ve never heard a sane, legitimate argument otherwise.” Bianco told Fox News Digital that the bill will make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves from violent criminals. “This is basically saying if someone approaches you and is going to rob you or steal your stuff or harm you, your only option is to run, and they get whatever they want,” Bianco said. “If they’re there to steal your car and or your purse or your wallet or to harm your wife or your kids, your only option is to run away from them. They get to do whatever it is they want, and you just have to run away. And this is like the absolute ultimate display of zero consequence for criminal behavior.” Bianco, who is running for governor of California, told Fox News Digital that he is on the ground talking to Californians every day, and he is yet to run into someone who supports this bill. CA MAYOR DECLARES ‘HOMELESSNESS CAN’T BE A CHOICE,’ SUGGESTS ARRESTING THOSE WHO REPEATEDLY REFUSE SHELTER “There is no one,” Bianco said. There is no one other than the Democrats in Sacramento who think this is a good idea and then the beautiful part of this is based on what I did, a viral video calling it out, calling him out and making people call and demand better, and then other people doing the same thing. We exposed it. So this bill, there’s no way this bill is ever going to pass.” Fox News Digital reached out to Zbur for comment. It is unclear when the bill will be heard on the floor and Zbur has said that he plans to revise the bill to make it more clear. “What this bill is focused on is someone who goes out in public, picks a fight, and when the victim responds, they shoot them and claim self-defense,” Zbur said about the bill, Cal Matters reported. “Hopefully they remove it from the floor like they should, but this is going to happen to every single bill. They need to be put on notice that the light is going to be shined very bright in that dark little pit they call the Assembly floor, in the Senate floor, on these bills that are harming Californians,” Bianco told Fox News Digital. “And I’m going to be holding the flashlight and there is no sane person that thinks this is a good idea.” “There’s no dad that believes that he shouldn’t be able to protect his daughter or his wife. There’s no woman that believes that she should not be able to defend herself against an attacker and for these people in Sacramento, these lawmakers to come up with these types of bills. It’s truly disgusting that they would even think this is okay.”
Texas lawmakers considering bill to ban gender changes on birth certificates
Lawmakers in the Texas legislature are considering a bill that would prohibit people in the state from changing the gender marker on their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity. The measure, Senate Bill 406, is now being debated in the Texas Senate. Last year, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped changing gender on driver’s licenses unless courts intervened, according to FOX 4. The Senate bill would block changes to gender on birth certificates, regardless of whether there is a court order. TEXAS LAWMAKER PROPOSES BILL TO BAN GENDER TRANSITION TREATMENT FOR EVERYONE, INCLUDING ADULTS “This bill is not about restricting anyone’s personal expression. It is about ensuring legal documents reflect accurate statistics,” GOP state Sen. Mayes Middleton, who sponsored the bill, said Monday in a State Affairs Committee hearing. “Right now, the only way to change sex is by court order, and this bill prevents that.” Testifying before the committee, Megan Benton of the group Texas Values said this is “a matter of public safety and public record.” “If a man can legally change his birth certificate to say he is a woman, then it’s possible to get a driver’s license, passport, and social security card that also says he is female,” she said. Several transgender Texans also testified before the committee, saying they believe they are being unfairly targeted. “I’m not a monster. This is not a fetish for me, and I did not decide to be a woman,” Amanda McLaughlin said. Megan Fairbanks asked, “What harm have I caused society?” “I don’t play sports. The only thing I want to do in the bathroom is use the bathroom and touch up my makeup and wash my hands,” Fairbanks said. The Transgender Education Network of Texas’ policy coordinator, Landon Richie, argued that the bill would lead to isolation and incentivize others to discriminate or put targets on the backs of transgender people who he said are already vulnerable. DYLAN MULVANEY REACTS TO GAVIN NEWSOM’S REMARKS ON TRANS ATHLETES PARTICIPATING IN WOMEN’S SPORTS The bill is expected to pass through the Senate and be sent to the House. This comes after state lawmakers passed legislation banning biological men from competing in girls’ school sports. At the federal level, President Donald Trump signed an executive order recognizing male and female as the only genders.
Donald Trump, facing terrible coverage, softens tone and tactics for Elon Musk’s DOGE crusade
Most people think of government workers as part of a faceless bureaucracy with cushy and clearly useless jobs. Now it’s true that the federal workforce is bloated and needs to be trimmed. But the politics of Elon Musk’s mass firings are shifting, prompting President Trump to soften his approach to the DOGE campaign. A major factor in this evolution is the negative media coverage, which Trump follows with great interest. It’s no accident that he said the other day the budget cutbacks should be done with a “scalpel” and not a “sledgehammer.” He’s acutely attuned to the growing backlash against the massive layoffs–which include 80,000 at Veterans Affairs. Many of the stories, on television and in print, follow a formula: Lead off with one person who has been booted or negatively impacted by the Musk bros. That puts a face to the story, an actual saddened person whose life has been upended. Consider this New York Times piece: “At the Veterans Affairs hospital in Pittsburgh, researchers spent months preparing for a clinical trial of a new drug to treat advanced cancers of the mouth, throat and voice box. LATEST TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER WILL SHIFT POWER OVER MANAGING NATURAL DISASTERS OUT OF DC “They were ready last month to start enrolling patients — veterans whose cancer had spread to other tissue and who had run out of treatment options. Then a problem arose. “The hospital was unable to renew the job of a key staff member involved in running the study, a typically routine process thwarted by a hiring freeze imposed under the government-cutting project led by President Trump and Elon Musk. Suddenly, the clinical trial was on hold. “‘They were ready to enroll,’ said Alanna Caffas, the chief executive of the Veterans Health Foundation, which administers the trials. ‘They had the lab kits on site. They had the drug to dispense. But they couldn’t get the clinical research coordinator renewed.’” Here’s a Washington Post report from Texas: “Jaylee Williams needed to find somewhere to deliver her son. The 19-year-old knew more about barrel racing on her horse Bet-n-pep than the complicated metrics of who takes what health insurance. But relief for Williams and her boyfriend, Xander Lopez, came when they realized Medina Regional Hospital — just 15 minutes from their home — accepted Medicaid, the federal-state program that covers medical costs for lower-income Americans. “Provider groups an hour away in San Antonio had refused to take the insurance, she recalled while cradling little Ryker. ‘You never know when something could happen,’ Williams said, with Lopez adding, ‘I have no idea where we would have gone’ without Medina Regional Hospital. But the lifeline that the 25-bed critical-access hospital offered to Williams and Lopez could disappear in Hondo and other communities like it.” That’s because rural hospitals are fearing “massive Medicaid cuts,” since they’re so dependent on the federal-state program. Trump says he will not allow cuts to Medicaid, as well as Medicare and Social Security, but that would be the only way Republicans could save a promised $80 billion. Some 72 million people are on Medicaid. In the Atlantic, Jonathan Lemire says Trump’s shift on DOGE began on Feb. 19. “Jesse Watters, a co-host of the Fox News hit show ‘The Five’…told a surprisingly emotional story about a friend working at the Pentagon who was poised to lose his job as part of the Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to the federal workforce. ‘I finally found one person I knew who got DOGE’d, and it hit me in the heart,’ said Watters, who urged his Fox colleagues to ‘be a little bit less callous.’… “Trump watched the clip and asked advisers if it was resonating with his base of supporters, according to one of three White House officials I spoke with for this story.” Lemire adds that “over the ensuing weeks, the president grew unhappy with the television coverage of cuts affecting his voters, according to two of those officials, while the White House fielded calls from Cabinet members and Republican lawmakers frustrated by Elon Musk.” MUSK VOWS TO TRACE HACKERS BEHIND ‘MASSIVE CYBERATTACK’ CRIPPLING X SOCIAL MEDIA SITE Trump decreed that agency heads should make the layoffs and cutbacks, and Musk should step in only if they fail to take action. The move also may be aimed at the various lawsuits against Trump, since Musk is only supposed to be an adviser and not a government employee. Tensions have been rising behind the scenes (as well as publicly at town hall meetings, to the point that the GOP urged its members to stop holding the events). As the Times reports: “Marco Rubio was incensed. Here he was in the Cabinet Room of the White House, the Secretary of State, seated beside the president and listening to a litany of attacks from the richest man in the world. Seated diagonally opposite, across the elliptical mahogany table, Elon Musk was letting Mr. Rubio have it, accusing him of failing to slash his staff. You have fired ‘nobody,’ Mr. Musk told Mr. Rubio, then scornfully added that perhaps the only person he had fired was a staff member from Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Mr. Rubio had been privately furious with Mr. Musk for weeks, ever since his team effectively shuttered an entire agency that was supposedly under Mr. Rubio’s control: the United States Agency for International Development. But, in the extraordinary cabinet meeting on Thursday in front of President Trump and around 20 others — details of which have not been reported before — Mr. Rubio got his grievances off his chest. Mr. Musk was not being truthful, Mr. Rubio said. What about the more than 1,500 State Department officials who took early retirement in buyouts? Didn’t they count as layoffs? He asked, sarcastically, whether Mr. Musk wanted him to rehire all those people just so he could make a show of firing them again. Then he laid out his detailed plans for reorganizing the State Department. “Mr. Musk was unimpressed.
Trump-backed plan to avert shutdown heads for House vote
A plan to avert a partial government shutdown backed by President Donald Trump is heading for a House-wide vote on Tuesday. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before legislation hits the House of Representatives chamber, advanced the bill along party lines on Monday evening. Tuesday is expected to first see a vote to allow for lawmakers to debate the bill, known as a “rule vote,” followed by a chamber-wide vote on the legislation itself later in the afternoon. It’s a major test for Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., as they seek to corral a House GOP conference that’s been exceptionally fractured on the subject of government funding. DEMOCRATS PRIVATELY REBUKE PARTY MEMBERS WHO JEERED TRUMP DURING SPEECH TO CONGRESS: REPORT As of late Monday evening, the bill’s chances of passing are still uncertain, even despite Trump himself making calls to potential holdouts. Two sources told Fox News Digital that Vice President JD Vance will be on Capitol Hill on Tuesday morning for House Republicans’ regular conference meeting, in an apparent bid to help push dissenters along. In addition to one staunch opponent, there are at least four other House Republicans who are undecided or leaning against the bill. With all lawmakers present, Johnson will likely only be able to lose two Republicans to pass a bill along party lines. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told reporters he was “currently” against the bill during the House’s 6 p.m. ET vote series. “I like the fact that it has less spending, but I hate the fact that they push it over to the war pimps at the Pentagon once again, and that’s kind of my hang-up,” Burchett said, adding that he hadn’t heard from Trump at the time. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., signaled they were undecided, with the latter signaling he was leaning against the bill. “I refuse to paint myself in the corner. I don’t think that’s a smart thing to do. But as it stands right now, it doesn’t make sense to say anything is going to be different in September than it is right now,” McCormick said. The bill is a continuing resolution (CR), which is a rough extension of fiscal 2024 funding levels to keep the government open through the start of fiscal 2026 on Oct. 1. Republicans are largely expected to shoulder the bill alone in the House, despite a significant number of GOP lawmakers who would normally be opposed to extending Biden administration-era funding levels. House GOP leaders are confident, however, that it will pass. Democrats have outnumbered Republicans in anti-government shutdown votes in recent years, but this time their opposition Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has many left-wing lawmakers signaling their opposition to the bill. But what’s lending optimism to Johnson allies is the fact that two of the measure’s most vocal backers are the senior-most members of the hawkish House Freedom Caucus. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the group’s policy chair, told Fox News Digital on Monday morning that a key part of conservatives’ pitch to fellow fiscal hawks is that Trump will likely still move to spend less money than the CR appropriates, including funding that he’s already blocked by executive order. “Step 1 is the CR freezes spending, guys, that’s a win; No. 2, no earmarks; No. 3, no giant omnibus; No. 4, we believe the president can impound,” Roy said of his pitch. Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, R-Md., cited Republicans’ near-uniform vote on their Trump-backed federal budget bill last month. “There were a lot of people in Washington who said we would never pass a debt ceiling increase with only Republican votes, and we did in the House,” Harris said. “I think, similarly, there’s some people who, including some of the Democrats, who think, ‘Well, they’re going to have to come to us, because they can never pass a continuing resolution with only Republican votes.’ And I think we’re going to see the same result [Tuesday].” But with razor-thin margins, Johnson can afford precious little dissent to still pass the bill on party lines. At least one Republican is already opposed: Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a staunch Johnson critic, wrote on X late Sunday, “Unless I get a lobotomy Monday that causes me to forget what I’ve witnessed the past 12 years, I’ll be a NO on the CR this week. It amazes me that my colleagues and many of the public fall for the lie that we will fight another day.” The 99-page legislation was released over the weekend. GOLDMAN SACHS HIGHLIGHTS TARIFF WARS WINNERS AND LOSERS The bill allocates an additional $8 billion in defense spending to mitigate national security hawks’ concerns, while non-defense spending that Congress annually appropriates would decrease by about $13 billion. There are also some added funds to help facilitate Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations. Cuts to non-defense discretionary spending would be found by eliminating some “side deals” made during Fiscal Responsibility Act negotiations, House GOP leadership aides said. Lawmakers would also not be given an opportunity to request funding for special pet projects in their districts known as earmarks, another area that Republicans are classifying as savings. It allows Republican leaders to claim a win on no meaningful government spending increases over fiscal 2025.
Oregon governor declares March 10 ‘Abortion Provider Appreciation Day’: ‘Continue to have your back’
Oregon’s governor has signed a proclamation that will make March 10 “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day,” in an effort to reaffirm her administration’s commitment to “maintaining access to abortion care across the state.” “Here in Oregon, we understand that abortion is healthcare, and providers are appreciated and can continue to provide care without interference and intimidation,” Governor Tina Kotek said in a statement. “To our providers and to the patients who live in Oregon or have been forced to retreat to our state for care, know that I continue to have your back.” Immediately following the November election, officials said Kotek directed the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to partner with OHSU to replace the state’s three-year supply of Mifepristone — a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over 20 years ago for use in miscarriage management and to end a pregnancy. The governor said she continues to work with providers and the OHA to monitor and identify ways to mitigate federal threats to reproductive care. EFFORT TO STOP ‘EXTREME ABORTION ACTIVIST’ RAMPS UP IN PIVOTAL SWING STATE ELECTION “Oregon leads the nation with the strongest protections to access reproductive health care, including abortion. In these uncertain times, I’ll safeguard our values,” Kotek wrote in a post on X. Oregon Senate Republicans shared their reaction to Kotek’s declaration and slammed the governor for focusing on “abortion provider appreciation” over fixing other issues in the state. “Fix crime? Fix schools? Fix affordability? Nah… Kotek declares ‘Abortion Provider Appreciation Day’ instead,” the group wrote in post on X with a meme attached. In 2023, Kotek signed the Access to Reproductive Health Care law, House Bill 2002. The bill protects access to reproductive healthcare and provides state funding to support the work of community organizations and clinical partners to ensure that people across the state have broader access to the reproductive healthcare they need. The bill also allows minors to undergo sex reassignment surgery or obtain an abortion without their parent’s permission. OREGON REPUBLICANS SLAM BILL THAT ALLOWS SEX CHANGE, ABORTION FOR MINORS WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT: ‘A NEW LOW’ Justin Hwang, chairman of the Oregon Republican Party, previously said, “HB 2002 is what happens when progressive politicians and their far-left base put woke ideology ahead of common sense.” “This bill represents a new low for Oregon and an even bigger loss for children and parents,” Hwang told Fox News Digital. “Imagine being a father or mother who finds out that their child has made a life-changing decision without any consent or notification.” GOP LEADERS EXCORIATE OREGON DEMS FOR PASSING ‘MOST EXTREME’ ABORTION, TRANSGENDER LAW ‘IN HISTORY’ According to the governor’s office, reproductive health equity is a long-time priority of Kotek, both from her time as speaker of the Oregon House and during her tenure as governor. The Pro-Life group “Oregon Right to Life” reacted to the governor’s proclamation and said they would not be supporting the measure. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “You may have heard it’s Abortion Provider Appreciation Day—but we’re not celebrating abortion. We’re honoring a brave former abortion worker who chose to walk away from the industry,” the organization wrote in a post on X. According to Oregon Health Authority data, of the 10,075 abortions provided in Oregon in 2023, 1,661 were patients who reside out-of-state, reflecting a nearly 60% increase from the prior year. Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Sean Curran, agent who protected Trump at Butler rally, sworn in as new US Secret Service director
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem swore in Sean Curran on Monday to serve as the director of the U.S. Secret Service. The swearing-in ceremony took place in the Oval Office, where President Donald Trump and Noem joined Curran. “Sean’s brave actions when he risked his life to help save President Trump’s life in Butler, Pennsylvania is a testament to his dedication to the mission of the US Secret Service,” Noem said in a statement. “With his decades of experience, he will return the Secret Service to focusing on its core mission: protecting American leaders and the U.S. financial system.” “I look forward to working alongside Sean to ensure that the Secret Service is stronger than ever before,” she added. WHO IS SEAN CURRAN? HEAD OF TRUMP’S PERSONAL DETAIL TO BE NOMINATED FOR SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR Curran was among the group of agents who rushed to the stage to shield Trump with their bodies during a failed assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler that left two dead and the candidate with an injury to his ear. Curran appeared next to Trump in a series of photos showing the former and future president returning to his feet, blood running down his face and raising a fist, prompting cheers from the audience. Three bystanders were shot. They were firefighter Corey Comperatore, 50, who died from his injuries, David Dutch, 57, and James Copenhaver, 74, both of whom survived. SECRET SERVICE STRUGGLE TO PROTECT PRESIDENTS WON’T SEE ‘IMMEDIATE’ END EVEN WITH MORE MANPOWER: RETIRED AGENT In the aftermath, Trump praised the members of his personal detail and defended them from criticism. “Trump wanted someone he could trust, and they clearly have formed a bond after Pennsylvania,” former Secret Service agent Bill Gage said in January. SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR CHEATLE RESIGNS AFTER MOUNTING PRESSURE IN WAKE OF TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT “Even with all of the mistakes in Butler, the mistakes were from the advance team. The agents assigned to Trump and Curran performed exactly as trained.” Curran maintains a low profile but is often pictured at Trump’s side. He even has fans on TikTok. The attempt on Trump’s life led to intense scrutiny of the U.S. Secret Service and the resignation of Director Kimberly Cheatle. Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
Rashida Tlaib becomes lone House lawmaker opposing cracking down on Mexican cartels’ border tunnel system
The House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at cracking down on Mexican cartels’ use of tunnels underneath the southwestern border to smuggle illegal immigrants and illicit items the U.S. The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in a 402 to 1 vote – with the lone dissenter being Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. Fox News Digital reached out to her office for comment but did not immediately hear back. The bill is led by Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., but enjoys bipartisan support thanks to its lone Democratic co-sponsor, Rep. Lou Correa, D-Calif. NEW REPORT REVEALS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION HIT NEW HIGH DURING BIDEN-ERA CRISIS It’s also backed by six other House Republicans, including Rep. Michael Guest, R-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s subcommittee on border security. The legislation, titled the Subterranean Border Defense Act, would direct U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to submit an annual report to Congress about cartels’ use of tunnels and how U.S. law enforcement was looking to combat it. ‘LEAVE NOW’: TRUMP ADMIN REPURPOSES CONTROVERSIAL CBP ONE APP TO ENCOURAGE SELF-DEPORTATIONS “Since 1990, officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels that have breached the U.S. border with an 80% increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008,” Crane said during debate on the bill. “With border crossings thankfully going down since January, I think it’s safe to assume this will drive threats to our border underground through these tunnels.” Debate on the bill was brief on Monday afternoon, lasting less than 10 minutes. Just Correa and Crane spoke, with no lawmakers rising to oppose the bill. “I believe this bill is an important step in the right direction,” Correa said. He said the legislation if passed “will improve Congress’ efforts to counter illicit cross-border tunnels and hold bad actors accountable.” It’s a rare show of bipartisanship in today’s House of Representatives, with Crane being known as one of the most conservative members of the House GOP. House leaders held the vote under suspension of the rules, meaning the legislation was fast-tracked to a final House-wide vote in exchange for raising the threshold for passage from a simple majority to two-thirds. It’s what House GOP leaders have done for critical legislation that is expected to receive wide bipartisan support.