Senators back Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor ahead of expected gubernatorial bid
Entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, who is expected to launch a gubernatorial bid in the Buckeye State, is racking up support from U.S. senators. GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee both expressed their support for Ramaswamy in posts on Monday. “If @VivekGRamaswamy runs for governor of Ohio (and I hope he does) he will not only win—he will transform Ohio for the better,” Lee declared in a tweet. “The results will benefit Ohioans—and Americans—for generations I’m honored to have worked with @VivekGRamaswamy, and I support him wholeheartedly.” TOP JD VANCE POLITICAL ADVISORS TO STEER RAMASWAMY RUN FOR OHIO GOVERNOR “It’s been such a pleasure getting to know @VivekGRamaswamy and work with him. He has a servant’s heart and a brilliant entrepreneurial mind. The people of Ohio would be well served by his leadership, and if he chooses to run, he’ll have my full support,” Blackburn noted in a post. Ramaswamy retweeted each of the lawmakers’ posts, thanking them. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a former Florida governor, endorsed Ramaswamy for Ohio governor last week. “I’ve had the privilege of working closely with @VivekGRamaswamy and he is totally focused on trying to save our country. He is a business guy who understands what’s needed to grow jobs, make government efficient and help families prosper. He would be a fantastic Governor and I hope he runs for Governor of Ohio. If he runs, he has my full support and endorsement.” Scott noted in a tweet. Ramaswamy retweeted Scott and thanked him. MIKE LEE FLOATS ALLOWING PRIVATE PARTIES TO TARGET DRUG CARTELS FOR PROFIT Ramaswamy has not yet made an announcement, but has been hinting about his plans. During an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Ramaswamy stated that he would seek elected office. “Ohio was the epicenter of the Industrial Revolution. Toledo was the glass capital, Akron was the rubber capital, Youngstown & Cleveland led in steel, Dayton in computing, Cincinnati in consumer products. In 1950, 6 of the 15 wealthiest U.S. cities were in Ohio. There’s no reason we can’t be a frontier state again,” he declared in a tweet. The Ohio gubernatorial race will take place in 2026. VIVEK RAMASWAMY EXPOSES ‘NATIONAL SECURITY RISK’ AS STUDENTS FALL BEHIND IN SCHOOL CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Current Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican who has held the role since early 2019, is not eligible to run again next year. Last year, Trump announced Elon Musk and Ramaswamy as his picks to spearhead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, but on inauguration day, Ramaswamy noted in a post on X, “It was my honor to help support the creation of DOGE. I’m confident that Elon & team will succeed in streamlining government. I’ll have more to say very soon about my future plans in Ohio.” Ramaswamy launched a White House bid in 2023, but dropped out and endorsed Trump in 2024.
White House expecting ‘spike’ in federal resignations as at least 20K take buyouts
The White House is expecting a “spike” in federal resignations ahead of a Thursday deadline for a buyout offer, Fox News Digital has learned. Nearly all federal employees were offered a buyout as part of President Donald Trump’s plan for government employees to physically work out of their offices, following years of remote work stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Government employees have until Thursday to take the offer, with the Trump administration expecting an influx of resignations in the next two days. “The number of deferred resignations is rapidly growing, and we’re expecting the largest spike 24 to 48 hours before the deadline,” a White House official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFERS BUYOUTS TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING REMOTE WORKERS: ‘DEFERRED RESIGNATION’ Axios reported earlier Tuesday that roughly 20,000 federal employees have taken the offer, accounting for about 1% of the federal government’s workforce. The White House official told Fox News Digital following the report’s publication that the 20,000 figure “isn’t current.” TRUMP TO SIGN MEMO LIFTING BIDEN’S LAST-MINUTE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS The Office of Personnel Management, which operates as the federal government’s human resources department, notified roughly 2 million federal employees Jan. 28 that they would be required to work out of their respective offices five days a week, or they could leave their roles through the equivalent of a buyout offer. Those who choose to take the offer will retain all pay and benefits and be exempt from in-person work until Sep. 30. “We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and, therefore, our government will get smaller and more efficient,” Trump told reporters of the plan in late January. “And that’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades.” The buyouts do not apply to positions such as military personnel, the U.S. Postal Services, or positions related to immigration enforcement and national security. The White House previously has said it anticipated 5% to 10% of the federal workforce to resign. ‘GET BACK TO WORK’: HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS The buyout deadline comes as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by tech billionaire Elon Musk, has taken a hatchet to various government agencies and departments, as the team works to cut overspending and alleged corruption within the highest echelons of the U.S. government. The United States Agency for International Development is the latest agency to land under DOGE’s microscope. Hundreds of USAID employees reported they were locked out of the agency’s computer system, while its headquarters in Washington, D.C., was closed on Monday. On X, Musk has railed against the organization as rife with “marxists” and is operating as a “criminal organization.” “USAID is a criminal organization,” Musk posted to X on Sunday. “Time for it to die.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “USAID was a viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America,” he said in another message.
Tulsi Gabbard scores key committee Republican’s support ahead of pivotal vote
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., came out in support of Tulsi Gabbard to be director of national intelligence (DNI), just hours before her crucial committee vote. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the senator said, “American intelligence officers around the globe deserve our respect and support. I appreciate Tulsi Gabbard’s engagement with me on a variety of issues to ensure that our intelligence professionals will be supported and policymakers will receive unbiased information under her leadership.” ELON MUSK DUNKS ON TOP DEMOCRAT OVER ‘HYSTERICAL REACTIONS’ TO DOGE “I have done what the Framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security, which is my top priority as a former Marine Corps intelligence officer. Having now secured these commitments, I will support Tulsi’s nomination and look forward to working with her to protect our national security,” he added. Gabbard will need the support of all Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in order to advance to the floor for a confirmation vote. TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FATE TO BE TESTED WITH KEY COMMITTEE VOTE That is assuming she does not get the votes of any Democrats. No Democrats on the committee have endorsed her for the role. The committee vote is set to take place on Tuesday afternoon, and with confirmed support from Young, in addition to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, James Lankford, R-Okla., and John Cornyn, R-Texas, Gabbard’s nomination appears to be on relatively good footing to advance. RFK JR NOW CLOSER TO LEADING AMERICA’S HEALTH DEPARTMENT AFTER SENATE COMMITTEE VOTE Before Young revealed his support, he faced external pressure to get behind Gabbard. For example, Trump-aligned billionaire Elon Musk took to X over the weekend, calling the senator a “deep state puppet” in regard to his uncertainty about Gabbard. The post has since been deleted. CRUCIAL MODERATE GOP SENATOR BACKS TULSI GABBARD AHEAD OF COMMITTEE VOTE The two later had a phone call, and a spokesperson for Young told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senator Young and Mr. Musk had a great conversation on a number of subjects and policy areas where they have a shared interest, like DOGE.” Musk also posted on X, “Just had an excellent conversation with [Young]. I stand corrected. Senator Young will be a great ally in restoring power to the people from the vast, unelected bureaucracy.”
Tulsi Gabbard explains why she won’t call Edward Snowden a ‘traitor’ ahead of tough committee vote
Tulsi Gabbard appears to be seeking to assuage senators’ concerns about her nomination in a new opinion piece explaining why she thought “traitor” was too harsh a word for Edward Snowden. Gabbard, President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence (DNI), did not endorse Snowden’s whistleblowing actions during her confirmation hearing, but her refusal to call him a traitor left some Republicans unsettled. She admitted that Snowden’s release of classified information to the media “harmed our national security” but also “revealed illegal and unconstitutional government programs that conducted mass surveillance of millions of Americans’ data.” Gabbard elaborated in a Newsweek op-ed. “Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a ‘traitor,’ here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason.” TOP SENATE INTELLIGENCE DEM GRILLS GABBARD IF EDWARD SNOWDEN IS ‘BRAVE’: ‘VERY TROUBLING’ “Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels, such as the Inspector General or the Intelligence Committee, instead of leaking to the media,” she wrote. Gabbard struck a different tone as a Democratic member of the House, when she introduced a resolution with former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., calling for all charges to be dropped against Snowden. She also put forth a bill that would have offered additional whistleblower protection for people like Snowden. ‘WARRIOR WHOSE VOTE CANNOT BE BOUGHT’: HUNDREDS OF VETS POUR OUT IN SUPPORT OF TULSI GABBARD FOR DNI “If it wasn’t for Snowden, the American people would never have learned the NSA was collecting phone records and spying on Americans,” she said on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2019. Snowden, who now lives in exile in Russia, leaked classified documents about global surveillance programs that pitted national security concerns against privacy concerns. If confirmed as DNI, Gabbard said she would not protect those who go outside authorized whistleblower channels to leak classified information, but she would also establish a hotline directly to herself for whistleblowers. Gabbard added that she would institute proper oversight to protect against illegal intelligence collection programs and conduct security clearance reform to minimize access to highly classified intelligence. She also promised to end “weaponization” of the intelligence community and pointed to the Iraq War as a prime “failure of intelligence.” “This disastrous decision led to the deaths of thousands… And it led to the rise of ISIS, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other Islamist Jihadist groups, and the emboldening of Iran.” TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FATE TO BE TESTED WITH KEY COMMITTEE VOTE During her confirmation hearing, Gabbard was also pressed on her past meetings with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, her previous Section 702 of FISA stance and her views on Russia. While Intel Committee Chair Tom Cotton, R-Ark., has continued to promote Gabbard for the role. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., initially a skeptic, announced Tuesday morning he would support Gabbard’s confirmation in a committee vote after receiving written assurances about her perspective on whistleblowers. Gabbard will likely need the support of every single Republican on the committee, assuming no Democrats vote in her favor. None of the Democratic senators have said they will vote to advance her nomination. She clinched support from other GOP skeptics – Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, after her hearing. Gabbard still has not won the support of Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and John Curtis, R-Utah. Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
Trump Health Secretary nominee RFK Jr clears Senate Finance Committee confirmation vote
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will advance to the next step in his effort to become Donald Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary. The vaccine skeptic and environmental crusader who ran for the White House in 2024 before ending his bid and endorsing Trump sustained his bid for a cabinet position in the 47th president’s administration. The 27-member panel of 14 Republicans and 13 Democrats on the Senate finance committee approved Kennedy’s advancement by a party line vote of 14-13. Kennedy’s controversial nomination has progressed slowly as the president’s other choices have been moving through the upper chamber and several have been confirmed and sworn in. Even Trump’s controversial Defense Secretary pick, Pete Hegseth, made it past committee and ultimately was confirmed with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS Kennedy survived back-to-back combustible Senate confirmation hearings last week, where 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. TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR. SURVIVES HEATED HEARINGS 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 vaccine for children. While no Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee were expected to vote to confirm Kennedy, the spotlight was on Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana physician and chair of the Senate Health Committee. Cassidy issued a last minute endorsement indicating a party line vote for Kennedy. HEAD HERE FOR LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE “Your past of undermining confidence in vaccines with unfounded or misleading arguments concerns me,” Cassidy told Kennedy at the end of Thursday’s confirmation hearing. Cassidy’s office confirmed Sunday evening that the senator and Kennedy had been speaking earlier that day. The 71-year-old Kennedy, a scion of the nation’s most storied political dynasty, launched a long-shot campaign for the Democrat presidential nomination against President Joe Biden in April 2023. But six months later, he switched to an independent run for the White House. 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. Trump announced soon after the November election that he would nominate Kennedy to his Cabinet to run HHS. 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. “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,” Kenendy said Thursday as he pointed to chronic diseases. “And I am in a unique position to be able to stop this epidemic.” With Republicans controlling the Senate by a 53-47 majority, Kennedy can only afford to lose the support of three GOP senators if Democrats unite against his confirmation on the floor of the chamber.
JD Vance to attend AI summit in Paris, French official says
U.S. Vice President JD Vance will attend a two-day high-level summit focusing on artificial intelligence in Paris next week, his first scheduled trip abroad since taking office, a French diplomatic official said Tuesday. The AI Action Summit on Feb. 10-11 will gather heads of state and top government officials, CEOs and other actors involved in the tech sector, which has been shaken up by galloping advances. Vance has not made any official foreign trips since his inauguration last month. The White House had no immediate comment. VP VANCE CALLS ON US ‘TO DO A BETTER JOB’ WITH AVIATION SAFETY AFTER ‘INCREDIBLY HEARTBREAKING’ DC PLANE CRASH The French diplomatic official spoke on condition of anonymity as the list of top attendees has not been made official yet. China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang is among those expected to attend the summit, which will be co-presided over by French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The summit will take place at the Grand Palais, last year’s Olympic venue for the fencing and taekwondo competitions. A dinner with top officials and CEOs is also scheduled at the Elysee presidential palace. Vance’s trip comes after U.S. President Donald Trump last month talked up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership of OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. Meanwhile, Chinese AI model DeepSeek’s emergence has shaken up the tech sector, offering companies access to the technology at a fraction of the previous cost and providing the potential to push other AI companies to improve their models and bring down prices. Vance in the past has acknowledged some harmful AI applications, but said at a July Senate hearing that he worries that concern is justifying “some preemptive overregulation attempts that would frankly entrench the tech incumbents that we already have.”
House delays key vote on Trump budget bill after conservative fury over spending cuts
A key vote to advance a massive conservative policy bill has been delayed, putting House Republicans behind in their ambitious schedule to enact President Donald Trump’s agenda. The House Budget Committee had initially aimed to go through and approve the legislation this week, but a source familiar with planning told Fox News Digital that is no longer the case. It comes after conservatives on the panel rejected multiple offers by House GOP leaders on where to set a baseline for cutting federal spending, urging senior Republicans to seek deeper cuts ahead of negotiations with the Senate. “I guess they want to get the resolution out. I do, too. I want to get it out of committee, have an up or down vote. But if you set that floor too low, that’s all that’s going to be achieved,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who sits on the House Budget Committee, told Fox News Digital on Monday. “I have no confidence that they would exceed whatever level we put in there.” SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN Norman is one of several members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus who sits on the budget committee. With just a razor-thin majority in the House – and by extension, on committees – Republicans can afford dissent from just one or two members to pass anything along party lines. It’s a significant hurdle facing the GOP as they seek to use their House and Senate majorities to pass a sweeping conservative policy overhaul via the budget reconciliation process. By lowering the threshold for Senate passage from 60 votes to 51 out of 100, the maneuver allows the party in power to skirt its opposition to advance its agenda – provided the items included relate to budgetary and other fiscal matters. The House of Representatives already has a simple majority threshold. Republicans are hoping to use reconciliation to pass a broad swath of Trump’s policy goals, from more funding at the border to removing taxes on tipped and overtime wages. But conservatives have also demanded that any reconciliation bill also reduce the national deficit by pairing new spending with extreme cuts in federal dollars going elsewhere. The first step in the reconciliation process is getting the bill through Congress’ budget committees, which then directs other committees to find areas for cuts and policy changes under their specific jurisdictions. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said that guidelines for spending cuts would be a “floor” not a “ceiling.” Fox News Digital was told that GOP leaders initially presented what amounted to a $300 billion floor for cuts, paired with $325 billion in new defense and border spending. BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS Conservatives later rejected another offer that amounted to a rough total of $900 billion in spending cuts, with about $300 billion in new spending, Fox News Digital was told. Norman said he wanted the floor set to $2 trillion or $3 trillion. Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., another Freedom Caucus member on the budget panel, said he was optimistic about reaching a deal, but that there were “a lot of conversations about starting the process from the most conservative position possible.” “The Senate is not as interested in fiscal responsibility, so we recognize the need to set parameters for authorizing committees that encourage that… from the beginning,” Cline said Monday. Johnson said he wanted the bill to advance through committee this week with a goal of passing an initial House version by the end of February. Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. The speaker said on “Fox & Friends” Monday morning of reconciliation talks, “Republicans are working right now to negotiate what that looks like. We don’t want to blow a hole in the deficit by extending the Trump-era tax cuts, for example, but we’re definitely going to get that extended. So we got to find those savings.”
New DNC vice chair sets social media ablaze after ‘radical’ posts exposed: ‘Learned absolutely nothing’
Newly elected Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg, a 24-year-old gun control activist and emerging voice in the Democratic Party, is the DNC’s first Gen Z vice chair. He has the digital footprint to prove it. “Are you ready to go on the offense? We have to win back our young people. I’m the only candidate in this race for any of these positions that is under 30. We had a 20-point shift to the right of our young people. We must show our young people we give a damn about them, that we support them, and we invest in them,” Hogg said at the DNC’s Winter Meeting. Yet, Hogg could be backed into a defensive position as he assumes his new role as vice chair. NEW DNC VICE CHAIR PREVIOUSLY CALLED FOR ICE TO BE ABOLISHED “I have raised over $11 million in the past year to support the future of our party because I don’t just tweet,” Hogg said. “I don’t just talk the talk. I also walk the walk, and I knock the knock on doors around this country.” Hogg’s old posts have gone viral as conservative activists have sounded the alarm about his past policy positions and rhetoric against conservatives. In 2022, he rallied around several left-wing positions, including “legalizing all drugs” and “supporting a 100% tax after your first billion.” “How radical you ask? I don’t think anybody should have over $1 billion in assets there should be a 100% tax after your first billion,” Hogg posted on X in April 2022. “I think we need to do what Australia did in regards to guns. We need universal healthcare Free college for all Legalize all drugs.” DNC LAMBASTED FOR ‘BEYOND PARODY’ LEADERSHIP VOTE THAT INCLUDED SINGING, GENDER RULES: ‘CAN’T STOP LAUGHING’ Months later, he said he would prefer to own a Porsche than have kids, claiming it is better for the environment. “Like me? I’m never planning on having kids. I would much rather own a Porsche and have a Portuguese water dog and golden doodle,” Hogg posted on X in September 2022. “Long term it’s cheaper, better for The environment and will never tell you that it hates you or ask you to pay for college.” Hogg also acknowledged in 2022 that “any politician doing anything with me is in effect committing political suicide.” Conservatives on X are calling out the irony of the DNC now electing him to a leadership position. Many have pointed to Hogg’s progressive views on masculinity as a turnoff to young male voters. In 2021, Hogg called to “abolish ICE” and “defund the police not USPS.” Upon accepting the new DNC leadership position, X users are calling out Hogg for his 2022 post that said, “We have enough straight white men in power. It’d be nice to see some people who actually look like our country and not privilege.” DEMOCRATS ELECT NEW CHAIR WHO BRANDED TRUMP A ‘TRAITOR’ AS PARTY AIMS TO REBOUND FROM DISASTROUS 2024 ELECTION X users also argued Hogg’s nomination proves the Democratic Party is out of touch with its electorate. Conservatives have also trolled Hogg’s nomination, arguing that “He will help Republicans win for years to come.” Hogg garnered national attention in 2018 as a co-founder of March for Our Lives, a student-led organization launched by survivors of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Since 2018, Hogg has become a voice of young Democrats in the mainstream media as he continues his advocacy work. After graduating from Harvard in 2023, Hogg co-founded Leaders We Deserve, a political action committee promoting young progressive candidates for state and federal office. Fox News Digital reached out to the DNC and David Hogg.
Trump handed ‘opportunity to save Medicare’ after Biden admin’s final blow to seniors: expert
President Donald Trump was handed the “opportunity to save Medicare” after the Biden administration rolled out its final Medicare Advantage proposal early in January that experts say underfunds the insurance plan after already facing rate cuts in previous years. “This is Trump’s opportunity to save Medicare,” former Republican New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, who is also a former nurse and was chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission until 2019, told Fox News Digital in January. “Medicare Advantage is Medicare for 34 million Americans who choose it. Those seniors are experiencing disruption with their healthcare as a result of two years of cuts — if Trump ensures MA gets funded in line with projected medical cost trends in 2026, he’ll be fixing Joe Biden’s mistake and giving seniors the healthcare they deserve right before the GOP’s midterm elections.” Medicare Advantage plans are private health insurance plans that contract with Medicare and are used by roughly 34 million Americans. The program mostly enrolls adults older than the age of 65, but also offers benefits to people of all ages with disabilities. Traditional Medicare, conversely, is a federal health insurance program for adults older than the age of 65, as well as younger individuals with disabilities. The Biden administration previously had made cuts to Medicare Advantage rates, including in April 2024, when experts said enrollees would face an additional $33 a month for out-of-pocket costs, or $396 a year, due to the cuts. Critics at the time said the cuts would be especially devastating to seniors living on fixed incomes who are already coping with ongoing inflation issues. DON’T LET BIDEN SNEAK IN MORE MEDICARE CUTS ON HIS WAY OUT THE DOOR Roughly two weeks before leaving office, the Biden administration rolled out its final regulation affecting Medicare Advantage, which did not outright cut rates as it did for 2024 and 2025, but increased the average benchmark payment to Medicare Advantage plans by 2.2%. The proposal, however, seemingly works as another cut and underfunds Medicare Advantage because the proposed rates are still lower than the current rate of inflation, Buerkle said, with the consumer price index showing a 12-month inflation rate of 2.7%. The proposal also comes on the heels of the Biden administration finalizing a 1.12% cut for fiscal year 2024 and a 0.16% cut for fiscal year 2025. TRUMP PUTS BIDEN ON DEFENSE FOR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE CUTS “Underfunding for Medicare Advantage will result in higher premiums, more out-of-pocket costs, and higher deductibles for the 34 million Americans who choose Medicare Advantage,” Buerkle told Fox News Digital. “This, on top of the inflation that the Biden Administration caused by their flagrant spending creates a difficult situation for those seniors on a fixed income.” The proposal is not yet locked in, as the newly minted Trump administration has until April 7 to finalize its policy for fiscal year 2026. “Medicare Advantage saved the federal government $144 billion over the last decade,” Buerkle said. That is because Medicare Advantage plans “use taxpayer dollars more efficiently than traditional Medicare,” she said. “By managing the care for 34 million seniors, MA plans are able to offer more benefits for the same price as original Medicare. Senior satisfaction rate is high, too, with 96% of seniors reporting their satisfaction with their MA plan. So, making sure MA is funded appropriately is a gift to taxpayers,” Buerkle said. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services touted the proposal when it was released in early January, saying the health plan will continue providing affordable care, while “being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.” The agency “has worked to ensure that people with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D have access to stable and affordable offerings,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Today’s Advance Notice continues CMS’ efforts to provide access to affordable, high-quality care in Medicare Advantage while being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. We are also continuing implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, ensuring people with Medicare Part D have more affordable coverage for their medications.” Former Republican Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindall, who served as an advisor to the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush’s administration, published an op-ed for Fox Digital in December 2024, warning against the Biden administration issuing any last-minute Medicare Advantage cuts ahead of Trump taking back the Oval Office. “Over the past two years, the administration has implemented a series of changes that have effectively reduced funding for Medicare Advantage,” he wrote. “These cuts are disguised as ‘payment adjustments,’ but the reality is clear: they are cutting funding for a program that seniors overwhelmingly support. The results? Higher premiums, reduced benefits, and narrower provider networks for many Medicare Advantage enrollees.” Jindall added that Medicare Advantage can be improved to better serve seniors and other enrollees, but he argued “the left” has resisted improving the system in favor of promoting a government-focused program. “Members in both parties have called for modifying the calculation of risk adjustments, to improve a system that can be gamed and often rewards companies for documenting patient acuity rather than actually improving outcomes,” he wrote. “But, the left does not want to improve Medicare Advantage — they want to undermine the program to advance their long-term goal of centralizing more health care under the government’s control.” A Trump administration official told Fox Digital that staffers are reviewing Biden administration proposals and polices skeptically but that no policy has been set in stone related to Medicare Advantage. Trump joined House Republican lawmakers in Florida on Jan. 27, when he vowed not to cut Medicare or Social Security. “I will not sign any bill that cuts even a single penny from Medicare or Social Security for our great seniors. We don’t have to do that. We don’t have to do that. We’ll not touch those benefits in any way, shape or form. I want to use that because during the campaign, they had these fake ads that Trump is going to cut Social Security,” he said. BIDEN-HARRIS MEDICARE CUTS
Elon Musk dunks on Sen Chuck Schumer, declaring ‘Hysterical reactions’ demonstrate DOGE’s importance
Elon Musk, who President Donald Trump tasked with spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) effort, declared in a social media post that “Hysterical reactions” demonstrate the importance of DOGE’s work. He made the comment in response to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. “An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government,” a post on Sen. Schumer’s @SenSchumer X account reads, echoing remarks the lawmaker made during a press conference. RUBIO SAYS ‘NO CHOICE’ BUT TO BRING USAID ‘UNDER CONTROL’ AFTER AGENCY TAKEOVER: ‘RANK INSUBORDINATION’ “DOGE is not a real government agency. DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions. DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law. DOGE’s conduct cannot be allowed to stand. Congress must take action to restore the rule of law,” Schumer’s post continued. Musk described the effort to slash government waste and bureaucracy as a one-time opportunity. “Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters,” he wrote in response to Schumer. “This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like this. It’s now or never. Your support is crucial to the success of the revolution of the people,” he asserted. USAID CLOSES HQ TO STAFFERS MONDAY AS MUSK SAYS TRUMP SUPPORTS SHUTTING AGENCY DOWN The business magnate has called DOGE “the wood chipper for bureaucracy.” “If the Treasury Secretary does not remove DOGE’s access to the Treasury payment systems at once: Congress must immediately act,” another post echoing the sentiments Schumer conveyed during the press conference reads. “That is why @RepJeffries and I will work together on legislation to stop unlawful meddling in the Treasury Department’s payment systems. We must protect people’s Social Security payments, Medicare payments, and tax refunds from any possible tampering by DOGE or other unauthorized entities.” MUSK RIPS ‘FRAUDULENT’ TREASURY HANDOUTS AS REPORTS MOUNT DOGE HAS ACCESS TO FEDERAL PAYMENT SYSTEM CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Musk declared in a post, “Doge has not looked at, nor is there any interest in, private financial data. What would we even do with it? The outgoing payment review process just looks at potential fraud and wasteful spending to organizations. Corrupt politicians are the ones complaining. I wonder why?”