Radical new DOGE transparency powers could hit Congress after Elon Musk exit
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is pushing to grant Congress vast new oversight powers over real-time federal spending to pick up where Elon Musk left off with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). A new bill that Roy is introducing on Wednesday would give lawmakers access to Treasury Department invoices larger than $25,000 in real time. It would also grant lawmakers the ability to see payments to individual recipients of federal benefits and federal employees, according to bill text previewed by Fox News Digital. HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT It comes roughly a week after Musk announced he was stepping away from his federal government role – followed by his criticism of congressional Republicans’ spending legislation on the way out the door. “DOGE lifted up the hood of federal government spending and put on full display the massive programs and inefficiencies wasting American taxpayer dollars,” Roy told Fox News Digital. “Billions were splurged on waste, fraud and abuse – but also on programs that clearly do not align with the core values of the American people. Regardless of which party controls the White House, the mission of DOGE in identifying wasteful spending must continue.” He said his legislation would give Congress “the best tools available to identify this ridiculous spending in real time and allow us to reform government spending well into the future.” Fiscal hawks like Roy are already looking to the next steps even as Congress begins consideration of a $9.4 billion spending cut proposal sent by the White House on Tuesday. MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, ‘BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE The mechanism, known as a rescissions package, gives Capitol Hill 45 days to approve the blockage of funds – which were previously greenlit by Congress – while lowering the Senate’s threshold for passage on it from 60 votes to 51. The package, which Republican leaders signaled could be the first of several, targets federal funding to NPR, PBS and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). House GOP leaders said that package would get a vote next week.
Key SCOTUS parental rights cases draw McMahon, Moms for Liberty to rally on court steps
Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the conservative group Moms for Liberty took to the Supreme Court steps Tuesday to recognize the 100-year anniversary of a landmark case that they said gave parents more control over their children’s education. But advocates who spoke at the event are also anticipating decisions in two other pivotal cases that could affect the conservative-led parental rights movement. Rosalind Hanson, who is part of a group of plaintiffs in Mahmoud v. Taylor, told Fox News Digital in an interview after the rally that she is optimistic about a forthcoming decision from the high court on the key religious liberty case. She said it came from Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland refusing to allow parents to opt their elementary school children out of being exposed to books containing gender and sexuality concepts. “We are not trying to change the curriculum,” Hanson said. “We are not trying to say what you teach.… The majority of states across the country have said you can have an opt-out for these very sensitive issues and topics, especially because of the religious component, but also because of the age appropriateness.” SUPREME COURT LIKELY TO SIDE WITH PARENTS IN LETTING THEM OPT OUT OF LGBTQ STORYBOOKS, EXPERT SAYS Montgomery County Public Schools attorneys argued to the Supreme Court that courts have long held that “mere exposure to controversial issues in a public-school curriculum does not burden the free religious exercise of parents or students.” Still, the attorneys stood by the school system’s decision to incorporate what they described as a “handful of storybooks featuring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer characters” for use in language arts lessons. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case in April, and a decision is expected in the coming weeks. Also on Moms for Liberty’s radar is United States v. Skrmetti, one of the most closely watched cases of the court’s term. The case arose from the Biden administration suing over a bill Tennessee passed in 2023 to ban puberty blockers and hormone therapy as treatments for minors who identify as transgender. The Supreme Court is now poised to decide within the next few weeks if states can restrict such medical treatments for minors. MARYLAND MOM TAKING FIGHT TO OPT CHILD OUT OF LGBTQ STORY BOOKS BEFORE SUPREME COURT Scarlett Johnson, who has a leadership role in Moms for Liberty, called the case a “big one” and told Fox News Digital she also urges members of her group to advocate legislation that “will protect children from the puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for minors regarding the issue of gender identity.” McMahon, meanwhile, reflected on Pierce v. Society of Sisters, a landmark decision issued 100 years ago that struck down Oregon’s law requiring all children to attend public school. McMahon called it “one of the most impactful education-related cases in American history” but said the parental rights movement remains necessary. WATCH LIVE: MOMS FOR LIBERTY RALLY WITH LINDA MCMAHON AT SUPREME COURT “Special interest and progressive activists still try to agitate for the government to override moms and dads in education,” McMahon said. “Whether it’s through ideological indoctrination, sexually explicit curriculum, or hiding health and safety risks from parents, the progressive left always wants to come between you and your kids.” The speakers’ remarks could be heard clearly over livestreams online, but in person in front of the Supreme Court building, they were drowned out entirely by a single protester screaming profanities and bashing a string of officials, including McMahon, Justice Clarence Thomas and President Donald Trump. Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., elicited laughs when she thanked the protester, who was holding a sign reading “Let’s TACO ‘bout tariffs,” a reference to an acronym Democrats’ adopted for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” “I’d also like to thank our lone protester for highlighting the mental health crisis in our country. Bless your heart, as we would say in the South,” Cammack said.
Former Navy SEAL whose nonprofit helps catch child sex traffickers sets sights on US Senate seat
Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL who indicated that his anti-human trafficking organization works to train law enforcement and set up operations that lead to the arrest of those seeking to “buy or sell kids for sex,” is running for U.S. Senate. “That is our primary goal,” Hudson, who founded Covenant Rescue Group with his wife, told Fox News Digital during an interview on Monday, noting that he maintains his law enforcement credentials with the Blount County Sheriff’s Office and that the nonprofit is also involved in training authorities about targeting people who traffick adults for sex. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., announced a gubernatorial bid, leaving the Yellowhammer State’s upcoming 2026 Senate contest wide open. In a post on X, Hudson declared that he is “running for U.S. Senate in Alabama to help secure the border, crush the woke agenda, and defend our Christian values.” FORMER NAVY SEAL MOUNTS SENATE BID TO ‘CRUSH THE WOKE AGENDA’ AS TUBERVILLE SEEKS GOVERNORSHIP Republicans are currently divided over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that cleared the House chamber last month. When asked whether he would vote for the measure if he were in the U.S. Senate now, Hudson indicated that, based on what he knows about it, he would support passage in order to avoid tax rate increases due to the expiration of the “Trump tax cuts.” Fox News Digital also asked Hudson about his positions on U.S. aid to Ukraine and Israel, and whether he believes America should remain in NATO. “I’m not for any new unnecessary wars,” he said, after noting that he has gone to war for the U.S., lost friends and shot people on America’s behalf. “I am for whatever is gonna increase national security,” he said, noting that “if that means positively supportin’ some of our allies, absolutely.” TRUMP ALLY TUBERVILLE ANNOUNCES RUN FOR ALABAMA GOVERNOR He said that U.S. involvement with NATO is not a problem but indicated that the issue concerning NATO is the matter of whether America is being treated fairly. He indicated other nations in the alliance should do their part and America should not shoulder the “full burden.” “I think we should remove as much government out of people’s lives as possible,” he said when asked if there are any federal entities he believes should be abolished, describing “decreasing the size of government” as “vitally important.” House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., has spoken highly of Hudson. HOUSE REP. ELI CRANE SAYS THERAPY DOGS SHOULD BE MANDATORY AT HEARINGS AFTER JOKE ABOUT DEMS’ MENTAL STABILITY “Really glad to see men like Jared jumping into one of the toughest fights on earth. I served with Jared at Team 3. He is a very good man, who loves the Lord and his family,” Crane noted in a post on X. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, has also thrown his hat into the ring in the U.S. Senate race. The state’s gubernatorial and U.S. Senate contests will take place in 2026.
Trump’s DHS says Biden released ‘barbaric’ illegal immigrant now accused of heinous crime
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had issued a detainer in Massachusetts for a criminal illegal immigrant charged with raping a child with force in a crime that was captured on video. Lorenzo Lopez Alcario, a 30-year-old Guatemalan national accused of tying up and brutally sexually assaulting a young girl in a video that was ultimately found by the girl’s mother, had the ICE detainer placed on him this week, according to a press release from DHS. The press release states that Alcario first entered the United States illegally on an unknown date before being arrested in 2017 in Arlington, Virginia, for drug possession. Later that year, in September, Alcario was ordered by a judge to be removed by the United States and was deported by aircraft on Sept. 28, 2017. AOC FUNDRAISES ON TRYING TO ABOLISH ICE AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION However, according to DHS, Alcario re-entered the United States in June 2022 and was released into the country by the Biden administration despite his criminal history and previous deportation. In a statement, Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin made the case that Alcario should never have been allowed back into the United States and that the ICE detainer is aimed at ensuring Alcario does not victimize anyone else in the future. TENNESSEE REP SAYS NASHVILLE MAYOR’S ICE POLICIES AMOUNT TO ‘AIDING AND ABETTING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION’ “Lorenzo Lopez Alcario is a pedophile illegal alien from Guatemala who should’ve never been in the U.S. in the first place,” McLaughlin said. “Despite his previous criminal charges and deportation, President Biden released this barbaric criminal into American communities in 2022. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE lodged a detainer to ensure this criminal illegal alien will not be allowed to terrorize American citizens and will deport this child predator to prevent further victims.” ICE has been active in Massachusetts in recent weeks, including via Operation Patriot, which resulted in the arrest of nearly 1,500 illegals, including murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and child sex predators, in the deep blue sanctuary city-heavy state. Sources at ICE told Fox News that 790 of those arrested had criminal convictions or charges and 277 had final removal or deportation orders. The sources said that all the targeted criminals were roaming the streets of Massachusetts cities freely before being apprehended. Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.
Massive Russia sanctions package stalls as Trump pushes for Ukraine peace talks
Senators are growing antsy to move ahead with a massive sanctions package against Russia, and the only thing standing in the way is President Donald Trump. In the midst of the extremely partisan budget reconciliation process, nearly the entire upper chamber has coalesced behind the sanctions package from Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., which would slap up to 500% “bone-breaking” tariffs on countries buying energy products from Moscow. UKRAINE-RUSSIA PEACE TALKS YIELD NO CEASEFIRE, ZELENSKYY WARNS PUTIN SHOULD NOT BE ‘REWARDED’ The measure is designed to place Russia’s war machine into a chokehold by imposing duties on oil, gas, uranium and other exports largely purchased by China and India, which account for nearly three-quarters of Moscow’s energy business. Trump has pushed for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, which have so far not yielded an end to the three-year conflict, and has begun to sour on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reluctance to find a peaceful end to the ongoing conflict. He recently questioned “what the hell happened” to the Russian leader. The latest round of negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, ended without a ceasefire, and Putin’s recent demands for large chunks of territory in exchange for peace have been nonstarters for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. A successful surprise drone attack by Ukraine and fears of a retaliatory strike by Russia have lawmakers growing increasingly anxious to sanction Russia into oblivion, but the president has yet to give Graham — a top ally of Trump’s — and Blumenthal’s bill his blessing. “If President Trump asked me my opinion, I would tell them, ‘let’s go now,’” Sen. John Kennedy, R-L.a., one of the 82 co-sponsors of the bill, told Fox News Digital. US READIES RUSSIA SANCTIONS OVER UKRAINE, UNCLEAR IF TRUMP WILL SIGN, SOURCES SAY And Graham, who traveled to Ukraine with Blumenthal to meet with Zelenskyy during the Senate’s Memorial Day recess, wants to see his sanctions levied against Russia by as early as next week when world powers gather in Italy for the upcoming G7 Summit to “deliver an unequivocal message to China.” “The theme of this engagement was that we appreciate President Trump’s earnest efforts to bring about peace and entice Putin to come to the table,” Graham said in a statement after meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. “It is our view Putin is not responding in kind, he is not interested in peace and that he plans to continue to dismember Ukraine.” Blumenthal believed that Trump “has been played” by Putin and accused the Russian leader of being “totally unserious” about the negotiations with Ukraine. The lawmaker confirmed to Fox News Digital that he and Graham would hold a briefing for all 100 Senators on the current state of affairs in Ukraine on Wednesday. He said there was “no question” that Trump’s input would be significant for the bill’s fate, but noted that even House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-L.a., came out in support of levying strict sanctions on Russia, which suggested a bicameral desire to inflict monetary pain on Moscow and its allies. “We have 82 senators, evenly divided, bipartisan, which I think speaks volumes,” Blumenthal said. “If it’s given a vote, it will pass, and obviously President Trump’s views will matter as to whether it’s given a vote.” TRUMP WARNS PUTIN IS ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE’ AFTER DECLARING THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT HAS ‘GONE ABSOLUTELY CRAZY’ Still, Senate Republican leadership is waiting for a green-light from the White House before making any decisions to put the bill on the floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., countered on the Brian Kilmeade Show on Fox Radio that his team and the White House were working together to make sure that the sanctions package “from a technical standpoint” hit the mark of what the president wanted to do. “We’re trying to give [President Trump] as much space and room as necessary for him to try and negotiate the best possible outcome and get a peaceful solution in Ukraine,” Thune said. “And if the sanctions contribute to that, then yeah, we’re available and ready to move.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, lawmakers don’t see the sanctions package as undermining any ongoing efforts from the White House to broker a peace deal. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-S.C., believed that the legislation would instead act as a “real enabler” for the Trump administration. And Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va, similarly believed that the sanctions bill could give Trump a “stronger hand” in negotiations. “These are sanctions that would be very punishing to the Russian economy,” he told Fox News Digital. “And we think the president can say, ‘Look, this is going to be very serious, but it can be avoided if we reach an accord right now that’s a cease fire.’”
Trump says Xi is ‘very tough’ and ‘extremely hard to make a deal with’
Chinese President Xi Jinping is “very tough” and “extremely hard to make a deal with,” President Donald Trump admitted Wednesday. Trump made the statement on his Truth Social platform, clarifying that he still “likes” the Chinese leader. The statement comes as Trump is expected to hold a phone call with Xi sometime this week to discuss tariff negotiations. “I like President XI of China, always have, and always will, but he is VERY TOUGH, AND EXTREMELY HARD TO MAKE A DEAL WITH!!!” Trump wrote. White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett revealed plans for Trump to speak with Xi on Sunday. ‘NO REASON’ FOR NEW NUKES: TRUMP FLOATS DISARMAMENT TALKS WITH CHINA, RUSSIA “President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi. That’s our expectation,” Hassett said Sunday during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” Trump’s plans for a call come after he leveled tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods following the president’s reciprocal tariff plans in April, when China retaliated against the U.S. with tariffs of their own. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS 5 TRUMP TARIFF EXECUTIVE ORDERS China and the U.S. reached a preliminary trade agreement last month, which Trump said China violated in a Truth Social post on Friday. “I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation, and I didn’t want to see that happen. Because of this deal, everything quickly stabilized and China got back to business as usual. Everybody was happy! That is the good news!” Trump wrote. “The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US. So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!” he added. Trump’s administration is holding trade talks simultaneously with countries across the globe. They requested many of those countries to submit their best trade deal offers by Wednesday. Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report
Elise Stefanik unveils new PAC as New York governor’s race buzz grows
House Republican Leadership Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is unveiling a new political fundraising machine Wednesday as she continues to generate buzz as a potential 2026 New York gubernatorial candidate. Stefanik is eyeing a potential bid for the governor’s mansion in Albany. She told a Republican crowd in Staten Island Monday she was “strongly considering” entering the race. Her new state political action committee, Save New York, appears aimed at further cementing her status as a heavyweight in Empire State GOP politics. MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE “Kathy Hochul is the worst bovernor in America, and she is leading a failed Democrat Party. After years of failed single-party Democrat rule in New York, it has never been more clear that we need strong, commonsense Republican leadership in New York,” Stefanik said in a statement. She said Save New York “will focus on supporting Republican candidates and campaigns in local elections this November to build the groundwork for 2026.” MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, ‘BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE “I am proud of the strong support my political team has developed over the past decade due to the generous support from New York voters and donors who have built our political apparatus into a fundraising and political juggernaut to deliver policies that benefit hardworking New York families,” Stefanik said. The New York Republican has been a key ally to President Donald Trump since his first term in the White House. Trump had appointed her ambassador to the United Nations in his second term, and she was poised to sail through the confirmation process before concerns about the House GOP’s razor-thin majority forced Stefanik to bow out of contention. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., appointed Stefanik chairwoman of House GOP Leadership after she gave up her role as House GOP Conference chair for the Trump administration. In the House, she’s been a leader on issues like antisemitism on college campuses, playing a key role in Republicans’ investigation of anti-Israel protests on Ivy League campuses. Stefanik is one of two House Republicans considering a bid for New York governor. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., one of three House GOP lawmakers representing districts former Vice President Kamala Harris won in 2024, has openly toyed with his own gubernatorial effort. Trump recently endorsed Lawler for re-election in his House district.
Could this top Trump ally break Republican’s 2-decade losing streak in this key state?
EXCLUSIVE: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, headlining a local GOP fundraising dinner in this MAGA stronghold in Democrat-dominated New York City, sent a likely hint of things to come. “Are we ready to fire Kathy Hochul next year?” said the six-term congresswoman from a largely rural, red-leaning district in Upstate New York, drawing loud cheers at the Staten Island GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Hochul, blue-state New York’s Democrat governor, is running for re-election next year for a second four-year term. And Stefanik, who is a member of the House GOP’s leadership, is the most high-profile Republican to seriously consider taking on Hochul in the 2026 elections. NEW YORK GOV HOCHUL FACING PRIMARY CHALLENGE FROM HER OWN LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Pointing to next year’s battle, Stefanik said the eventual GOP nominee taking on Hochul “needs to be the toughest fighter, who has taken on the media, who has taken on the radical left, who has taken on the naysayers, and who is a proven winner.” It sounded like Stefanik, who early in her congressional tenure was seen as an establishment Republican but who has become a top ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA champion, was talking about herself. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING, ANALYSIS, OPINION ON ELISE STEFANIK Stefanik, in a national exclusive interview with Fox News Digital ahead of her appearance at the Staten Island GOP event, said she’s “proud to be” one of Trump’s top supporters in the House. “I stepped up to deliver President Trump’s agenda that is unleashing American energy [independence], securing the border, cutting taxes for New Yorkers, specifically the state and local tax deduction,” she touted. “I am very close to President Trump. I chaired his campaign in New York. I was the first Republican member to endorse him.” Stefanik highlighted that she and the president “talk about a lot of different things. He’s paying close attention to New York. He knows that New York state needs new leadership, strong Republican leadership.” And Stefanik said she “would be honored to have his support” if she pulls the trigger and launches a 2026 Republican gubernatorial campaign in the Empire State. It’s been 23 years since a Republican won a gubernatorial election in heavily blue New York. You have to go all the way back to former Gov. George Pataki’s second re-election victory in 2002. But Hochul will likely face a very competitive re-election. MORE POLLING PROBLEMS FOR THIS BLUE-STATE DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR FACING RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR Hochul was the state’s lieutenant governor when, in August 2021, she was sworn in as New York’s first female governor after three-term Democrat Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned in disgrace amid multiple scandals. She defeated then-Rep. Lee Zeldin by just over six points in 2022 to win a full four-year term. But Zeldin’s showing was the best by a Republican gubernatorial nominee since Pataki won re-election to a third term in 2002. Meanwhile, Trump, who lost New York by 23 points in the 2020 presidential election, trimmed his deficit by 10 points last November. While Hochul’s approval ratings in a recent Siena College poll were holding slightly in positive territory, the survey indicated a majority of New Yorkers would still prefer someone else to win the 2026 election for governor of the Empire State. According to the poll, which was conducted May 12-15, 36% of registered voters in New York state said they would vote to re-elect Hochul to a second four-year term, with a majority (55%) saying they wanted someone else. Stefanik, in her Fox News Digital interview, reiterated her argument that Hochul is “the worst governor in America.” And she highlighted that “we need a candidate who will speak and reach out to New Yorkers of all political stripes. I’ve done that in my congressional district. When I first ran for Congress, I was the underdog. No one in my family is political. I grew up in a small-business family. I flipped a district from Democrat to Republican, and we’ve won it by double digits ever since.” If she decides to launch a gubernatorial campaign, Stefanik may not have the GOP primary to herself. Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, who’s in his second term representing a key swing congressional district that covers a large swath of New York City’s northern suburbs, is mulling a 2026 GOP run for governor. “I think Kathy Hochul is the most feckless, incompetent governor in America,” Lawler said in a Fox News Digital interview in April. Lawler has said that he’ll make a decision on whether to run for governor or for re-election this month. But Trump last month endorsed Lawler for re-election, a likely sign that the president would rather have the congressman seek re-election as the House GOP fights to protect its razor-thin majority in the chamber rather than seek the governor’s office. Another Trump supporter, Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, has also mulled a run for governor. Asked about a potential GOP primary for governor, Stefanik said, “I think Republicans will work it out. We know how important it is to unify again.” “I work very well with all of my colleagues, including those who are considering, but I think we’ll work it out on the Republican side,” she added. But the Democratic Governor’s Association (DGA), in a memo, argued, “The Republican nomination in New York will be decided by one person: Donald Trump.” And the DGA argued that the GOP race “has already grown fractious and messy.” Stefanik was interviewed about an hour after news broke that Hochul would face a primary challenge from her own lieutenant governor. New York Lt. Gov. Anthonio Delgado on Monday announced his bid to try and oust his boss as the Democrats’ nominee in next year’s election in a rare move by a lieutenant governor to primary challenge a sitting incumbent. Delgado, in a video announcing his candidacy, took a jab at his boss, saying, “What we need right here in New York is bold, decisive, transformational
Elon Musk warns excessive spending will plunge US ‘into debt slavery’
Billionaire business tycoon Elon Musk, who issued a scathing rebuke of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the House Republicans who voted for it, is sounding the alarm about America’s profligate spending, warning that it will plunge the nation “into debt slavery.” “This immense level of overspending will drive America into debt slavery!” Musk declared early on Wednesday in a post on X. His warning comes as the U.S. national debt is more than $36 trillion. WHITE HOUSE STANDS BY TAX BILL AFTER MUSK CALLS IT A ‘DISGUSTING ABOMINATION’ “Interest payments already consume 25% of all government revenue. If the massive deficit spending continues, there will only be money for interest payments and nothing else! No social security, no medical, no defense … nothing,” he declared in another post. President Donald Trump has been supporting the proposal that cleared the House last month, but on Tuesday, Musk blasted both the measure and those who voted for it. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk asserted in a post on X. HOUSE REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR SPENDING CANCELLATIONS AS ELON MUSK AND CONSERVATIVES DEMAND DEEPER BUDGET CUTS When Fox News’ Peter Doocy brought up Musk’s critique on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that “the president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill. It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s stickin’ to it.” Musk is pounding the drum on the importance of tackling America’s debt and spending problems. GOP SENATORS EXPRESS ‘CONCERNS,’ ‘SKEPTICISM’ OVER TRUMP’S SPENDING BILL AFTER MUSK RANT “Mammoth spending bills are bankrupting America! ENOUGH,” Musk declared in a tweet.
House Republicans push for spending cancellations as Elon Musk and conservatives demand deeper budget cuts
And you thought you had just figured out what “reconciliation” means in Congressional budget terms. Here’s a new vocabulary term: rescissions. You might not be able to spell it. But I can tell you what it does. A “rescissions” bill “rescinds” money which Congress has already allocated, ex post facto. For simplicity, I often describe rescissions legislation as “spending cancellations.” Congress appropriated money. Then, under a recissions bill, Congress claws back dollars it previously appropriated. It’s kind of like a reverse appropriation. And you thought that in elementary school, there were no takebacks. TRUMP SENDS $9.4 BILLION DOGE CUTS PROPOSAL TO CONGRESS, TARGETING NPR, PBS Presidential administrations send “budget requests” to Congress. This is the opposite. An administration can send a “recissions request” to Congress, too. And that’s what Budget Director Russ Vought is doing this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is intent on moving fast. “I’d like to turn it around as quickly as possible,” said Johnson. “There may be multiple rescissions packages coming and we’ll process them as quickly as we can. It’s a big priority for me.” Congressional conservatives and Elon Musk were not pleased with the relative paucity of spending cuts in the Big, Beautiful Bill. Musk told CBS he was “disappointed” in the legislation. “Which increases the budget deficit, not decreases it. And it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” said Musk about the hallmark of President Trump’s agenda. By Tuesday morning, the world’s richest man incinerated the bill on X and chastised most Republicans in Congress. Musk characterized the legislation as “a disgusting abomination.” He lectured the 215 House Republicans who voted yes, declaring “you know you did wrong.” SCOOP: HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DRAWS BATTLE LINES AS WHITE HOUSE READIES $9.4B DOGE SPENDING CUTS DOGE initially set a goal of unearthing $2 trillion in spending cuts. It then slashed the threshold to $1 trillion. DOGE finally homed in on about $150 billion in cuts by the end of next year. And many of those cuts aren’t even in effect because Congress has the power of the purse. That’s where Congress comes in with a potential rescissions package. Most Republicans are appreciative of the efforts by DOGE and Musk. “I think this is the beginning and the whole conversation in Congress is changed because of it,” said Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., on Fox. But DOGE evaluated “discretionary” spending. Congress has the “discretion” to spend or not spend certain money each year. That comes through the annual appropriations process. That’s why GOPers are now using their “discretion.” They intend to unwind some of that spending with a rescission plan. But the largest percentage of federal spending – by about two to one – is tied to entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, plus interest on the debt. That spending is called “mandatory.” House Republicans tried to address that slightly in the Big, Beautiful Bill since it dealt with Medicaid spending. But cuts to federal departments lie in the appropriations realm and falls on the discretionary side of the ledger. However, discretionary cuts via the Big, Beautiful Bill weren’t going to happen. “Much of what DOGE has looked at is the discretionary spending,” said Flood. “This is far more complicated than just doing it in reconciliation.” WHITE HOUSE SENDING $9.4 BILLION DOGE CUTS PACKAGE TO CONGRESS NEXT WEEK And so here we are, with Republicans in Congress looking at the first major rescissions plan since 1993. “The House Freedom Caucus strongly supports these critical rescissions, and we will support as many more rescissions packages the White House can send us in the coming weeks and months,” said the Freedom Caucus in a statement. “There is no excuse for a Republican House not to advance the first DOGE rescissions package the same week it is presented to Congress then quickly send it for passage in the Republican Senate so President Trump can sign it into law.” The law requires the president to spend money which Congress approves. However, there are some loopholes where a President can “impound” money and not spend it. GOP REBELS FIRE WARNING SHOT IN SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: NO DOGE, NO DEAL On CNN, Vought suggested that the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 “allows for a procedure called pocket rescissions later in the year to be able to bank some of these savings without the bill actually being passed.” Vought signaled that President Trump would likely lean on that tool. But he wants to start with an initial rescissions request. A recissions plan requires a simple majority to pass the House. And, believe it or not, a simple majority in the Senate. There’s no 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster. Moreover, the “motion to proceed” to start debate on a recessions package is “privileged.” That means the Senate only needs 51 votes to begin the process. Many “motions to proceed” in the Senate need 60 yeas and can be subject to a filibuster. President Trump formally routed his recissions request to Capitol Hill on Tuesday. It aims to trim $9.4 billion dollars from public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. All of this is money which Musk targeted in his DOGE reviews. But these cuts only count if Congress approves them. “I want make sure you take the first tranche and see if it passes,” said Vought on the targeted set of proposed spending reductions. “The wider you do in terms of a package, the harder it is to pass. And if it doesn’t pass, this is the real world. And we will lose flexibility that we have to use executive tools to find other ways to make the DOGE cuts permanent.” SPEAKER JOHNSON SETS EYES ON CUTTING GOVERNMENT SPENDING, VOWS TO TAKE A ‘BLOWTORCH’ TO THE ‘REGULATORY STATE’ Lawmakers are starting to process the rescissions proposal. Especially since Republicans often talk a good game about slashing spending. “We’ll see if Congress can step up to the plate,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex., noting the political consequences of not green lighting the rescissions package. “(Members will have) to go campaign