Were undercover sources from other DOJ agencies present on Jan. 6? Grassley, Johnson demand answers
EXCLUSIVE: Senate Republicans are demanding answers on whether confidential human sources from Justice Department agencies beyond the FBI were used on Jan. 6, 2021, while also questioning whether Inspector General Michael Horowitz thoroughly reviewed classified and unclassified communications between handlers and their sources, warning that without that review, there may be a “major blind spot” in his findings. Horowitz last week released his highly anticipated report that there were more than two dozen FBI confidential human sources in the crowd outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but only three were assigned by the bureau to be present for the event. Horowitz said none of the sources were authorized or directed by the FBI to “break the law” or “encourage others to commit illegal acts.” But now, Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., are demanding further information from Horowitz, writing to him in a letter exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital that it is “unclear” if his office reviewed the use of confidential human sources by other DOJ components during the Capitol riot. DOJ IG REVEALS 26 FBI INFORMANTS WERE PRESENT ON JAN. 6 “This IG report was a step in the right direction, but Senator Johnson and I still have questions the Justice Department needs to account for,” Grassley told Fox News Digital. “The American people deserve a full picture of whether Justice Department sources from its component agencies, in addition to the FBI, were present on January 6, what their role was, and whether DOJ had knowledge of their attendance.” Grassley told Fox News Digital that Horowitz and his team “must redouble its efforts to make sure it has reviewed all relevant information and provide a sufficient response to our inquiry.” Johnson told Fox News Digital he believes the report made public last week “may have only provided a fraction of the story regarding the presence and activities of confidential human sources or undercover federal agents in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.” “I urge the Inspector General’s office to be fully transparent about their work to ensure that Congress and the public have an accurate and complete understanding about what it actually reviewed,” Johnson said. DOJ INSPECTOR GENERAL DOES NOT DENY FBI INFORMANTS WERE AMONG JAN 6 CROWD In their letter to Horowitz, Grassley and Johnson noted that the inspector general’s office received more than 500,000 documents from the Justice Department and its components as part of its investigation. “According to the report, your office obtained: CHS reporting, thousands of tips provided to the FBI, investigative and intelligence records from the FBI case management system, emails, instant messages, and phone records; contemporaneous notes of meetings and telephone calls; chronologies concerning the lead-up of events to January 6; after-action assessments; training materials and policy guides; and preparatory materials for press conferences or congressional testimony as well as talking points,” they wrote. Grassley and Johnson told Horowitz “it is vital” that his office “more precisely explain what records it sought and received from all DOJ component agencies.” Grassley and Johnson are demanding answers on whether Horowitz obtained evidence on whether other DOJ component agencies had tasked or untasked undercover confidential human sources in the Washington, D.C., area or at the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. TRUMP SAYS WRAY RESIGNATION ‘GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA,’ TOUTS KASH PATEL AS ‘MOST QUALIFIED’ TO LEAD FBI They are also asking if all communications were obtained between DOJ component agency handlers and confidential human sources or undercover agents present in the D.C. area, and whether he has received classified and unclassified non-email communication platforms used by the FBI. Grassley and Johnson are also demanding Horowitz share all FD-1023 forms, or confidential human source reporting documents, used in the investigation with them. As for his initial report, Horowitz “determined that none of these FBI CHSs was authorized by the FBI to enter the Capitol or a restricted area or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6.” The report revealed that the FBI had a minor supporting role in responding on Jan. 6, 2021 – largely because the event was not deemed at the highest security level by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Horowitz, though, said the FBI took significant and appropriate steps to prepare for that role. According to the report, there were a total of 26 confidential human sources in the crowd that day, but only three of them were assigned by the bureau to be there. One of the three confidential human sources tasked by the FBI to attend the rally entered the Capitol building, while the other two entered the restricted area around the Capitol. If a confidential human source is directed to be at a certain event, they are paid by the FBI for their time.
Senate passes bill to stop shutdown, sending it to President Biden’s desk
Senators voted to pass a new version of a stopgap spending bill early Saturday morning after the midnight deadline for a partial government shutdown came and went. The Senate advanced the third version of a short-term spending bill by 85 to 11, and it will now head to President Biden’s desk, who has already signaled that he will sign it. An original agreement on a short-term spending bill was released earlier in the week, totaling 1,547-pages and including a number of policy provisions and disaster aid. But soon after its release, billionaire Elon Musk and other conservative critics publicly blasted the measure, ultimately resulting in it being condemned by President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. SENATE DEMS RAIL AGAINST ‘SHADOW SPEAKER’ BILLIONAIRE ELON MUSK: ‘NOT ELECTED TO ANYTHING’ “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief,” Trump and Vance said in a lengthy statement opposing the bill on Wednesday afternoon. The initial spending measure would have extended government funding levels for fiscal year 2024 through March 14 and provide over $100 billion in disaster aid for those affected by storms Helene and Milton in the U.S. Southeast earlier this year. There was also a $10 billion provision for economic assistance to farmers in the bill. Meanwhile, as of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and was continuing to climb rapidly. SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN The size of the bill, along with several of its other provisions, including a cost of living raise for lawmakers, prompted the public reaction from Musk and others. “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” he wrote on X. After heading back to the drawing board, House Republicans emerged on Thursday with a new proposal. The revised measure would have extended current funding levels for three months and included a debt limit suspension for two years, per the request of Trump. Additionally, it had economic relief for farmers and about $110 billion in disaster aid. But the bill failed on the House floor Thursday night as Democrats united against it and a significant group of Republicans opted to oppose it as well. TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS “Old bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid for), $0 increase in the national credit card. New bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid for), $4 TRILLION+ debt ceiling increase with $0 in structural reforms for cuts. Time to read the bill: 1.5 hours. I will vote no,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, wrote on X ahead of the vote. Roy was one of 38 House Republicans that opposed the stopgap bill. By Friday morning, there appeared to be no agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together on a new bill. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the government would go into a partial shutdown at midnight if Republicans did not return to the original stopgap bill. “I’m ready to stay here through Christmas because we’re not going to let Elon Musk run the government,” Murray said in a statement. TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor that the original bill would pass in the House if Speaker Mike Johnson brought it to the floor for a vote. The third measure, which ultimately passed the House and Senate, was similar to the one that failed the night prior. The bill included economic relief for farmers and disaster aid for those affected by recent storms. However, the final stopgap bill did not include a suspension of the debt ceiling, which Trump had requested himself. The House passed the short-term spending bill with 366 yes votes, surpassing the necessary two-thirds.
Brief government shutdown ushered in before Christmas as Senate works to advance House bill
A partial government shutdown began at 12:01 on Saturday morning after Congress failed to pass a stopgap spending measure before the deadline and send it to President Biden’s desk. However, the Senate is actively working through amendment votes and other considerations in order to send the measure to Biden. The stopgap bill is expected to be passed in the Senate in the coming hours. The partial shutdown comes only days before Christmas and New Year’s. As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and was continuing to climb rapidly. During a partial government shutdown, federal agencies and non-essential services are stopped, but some functions that are considered “essential” will continue. Certain national security functions, such as border patrol, law enforcement and disaster response, will remain active during the shutdown. However, because the Senate is expected to move the bill forward imminently, the disruption to government function will be minimal, if at all noticeable. An original agreement on a short-term spending bill was released earlier in the week, totaling 1,547-pages and including a number of policy provisions and disaster aid. TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS But soon after its release, billionaire Elon Musk and other conservative critics publicly blasted the measure, ultimately resulting in it being condemned by President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. The initial spending measure would have extended government funding levels for fiscal year 2024 through March 14 and provide over $100 billion in disaster aid for those affected by storms Helene and Milton in the U.S. Southeast earlier this year. There was also a $10 billion provision for economic assistance to farmers in the bill. TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES The size of the bill, along with several of its other provisions, including a cost of living raise for lawmakers, prompted the public reaction from Musk and others. After heading back to the drawing board, House Republicans emerged on Thursday with a new proposal. The revised measure would have extended current funding levels for three months and included a debt limit suspension for two years, per the request of Trump. ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING Additionally, it had economic relief for farmers and about $110 billion in disaster aid. But the bill failed on the House floor Thursday night as Democrats united against it and a significant group of Republicans opted to oppose it as well. By Friday morning, there appeared to be no agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together on a new bill. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the government would go into a partial shutdown at midnight if Republicans did not return to the original stopgap bill. DOGE CAUCUS LEADER JONI ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS “I’m ready to stay here through Christmas because we’re not going to let Elon Musk run the government,” Murray said in a statement. The House managed to pass a third version of the spending bill on Friday. It was similar to the second version, including both economic relief for farmers and disaster aid, but did not have the debt ceiling suspension that Trump had been adamant about. The bill received broad bipartisan support in the House and the green light from Biden, as the White House said he’d support it. Even Schumer released a statement after the House’s passage, saying he was “confident” it would pass the Senate.
Biden considers commuting the sentences of federal death row inmates: report
As President Biden’s term comes to an end, he is reportedly considering commuting the sentences of most, if not all, of the 40 men on the federal government’s death row. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the move would frustrate President-elect Trump’s plan to streamline executions as he takes office in January. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who oversees federal prisons, recommended that Biden commute all but a handful of egregious sentences, the sources said. The outlet reported that possible exceptions could include Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the 2013 Boston Marathon bomber who killed three and wounded more than 250; Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people in the 2018 attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh; and Dylann Roof, who in 2015 killed nine at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. TRUMP EXPECTED TO END BIDEN-ERA DEATH PENALTY PAUSE, EXPAND TO MORE FEDERAL INMATES Those who could see their death sentences commuted to life in prison include an ex-Marine who killed two young girls and later a female naval officer, a Las Vegas man convicted of kidnapping and killing a 12-year-old girl, a Chicago podiatrist who fatally shot a patient to keep her from testifying in a Medicare fraud investigation and two men convicted in a kidnapping-for-ransom scheme that resulted in the killings of five Russian and Georgian immigrants. TRUMP VOWS TO CREATE COMPENSATION FUND FOR VICTIMS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIME The move came after Biden, a lifelong Catholic, spoke with Pope Francis Thursday. In his weekly prayer, Pope Francis asked for the commutation of America’s condemned inmates. A decision from the president could come by Christmas, some of sources said. The outlet noted that the biggest question is the scope of the commutation of the death row inmates. Biden is the first president to openly oppose capital punishment, and his 2020 campaign website declared he would “work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.” In January 2021, Biden initially considered an executive order, sources familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, but the White House did not issue one. Six months into the administration, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal capital punishment to study it further. The narrow action has meant there have been no federal executions under Biden.
Here’s what’s different in the new spending legislation approved by the House
House lawmakers voted Friday to approve a newly negotiated spending bill that included many of the same components of the earlier legislation — but without the debt limit provision that had sparked consternation among many in the party. Republican leaders shared the text late Friday, shortly before lawmakers approved the spending legislation, 366-34. Lawmakers were scrambling for a path forward after an initial bill was tanked by President-elect Trump and his allies on Wednesday, and a later bill approved by Trump failed on the House floor Thursday. HOUSE PASSES SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN The bill, unlike the version rejected Thursday night, removes a debt limit extension sought by President-elect Donald Trump, which would have included a two-year suspension of the debt limit. That version failed to garner support among Democrats, who were more broadly opposed to the idea, and from fiscal conservatives within the Republican Party. The new legislation includes provisions such as $10 billion in aid to farmers and agriculture subsidies included in the earlier version of the bill — which were considered must-pass provisions by many lawmakers. It also includes $100 billion in disaster aid for U.S. residents, including victims of devastating hurricanes in some U.S. states. “We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country, and for making sure that military and essential services, and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters before Friday’s vote. The bill now heads to the Senate for a vote.
The 34 House Republicans who voted against a bill to avert a partial government shutdown
Over 30 House Republicans voted Friday against a bill to avert a partial government shutdown. Lawmakers scrambled to reach consensus on a spending package ahead of the looming partial government shutdown deadline Friday. An initial 1,547-page bipartisan deal that would have extended the government funding deadline until March 14 was released Tuesday night, but the proposal crumbled after Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy criticized the spending bill. A more condensed, Trump-backed version was brought to the floor Thursday night but failed to pass. In a last-minute vote Friday, the House succeeded in passing a funding bill with 34 Republicans voting against the legislation and zero Democrats voting against it. One Democrat, Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, voted present. HOUSE PASSES FUNDING BILL WITH JUST HOURS UNTIL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Among those who voted against the bill was Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who told Fox News Digital, “I don’t know why we’re giving Joe Biden $100 billion to play with in 30 days. “Oddly enough, it didn’t have what Trump wanted most of all.” Other House members who voted against the bill: WHITE HOUSE PRESSED ON BIDEN REFUSING TO SPEAK PUBLICLY AHEAD OF SHUTDOWN Rep. and Sen.-elect Jim Banks, R-Ind. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. Asked why she voted against the bill, Boebert told Fox News Digital, “I’m just ready for president Trump to be back.” Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga. Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz. Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas Rep. Glenn Grothman, R-Wis. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz. Rep. Greg Lopez, R-Colo. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga. Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis. Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas After passing in the House, the bill will head to the Senate for a vote. President Biden signaled his intention to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
Aurora, Colorado, police say home invasion ‘without question’ Tren de Aragua gang activity
Aurora Police have confirmed that several members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) were involved in an “incredibly violent” armed home invasion and kidnapping that left two victims seriously injured in an apartment complex this week. “I will say without question, in my opinion, that this is TdA activity. Some of these individuals have been identified as TdA gang members,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said. “It’s something that we are working very close with our partners in HSI [Homeland Security Investigations] and DHS [Homeland Security] to establish their relationship with gangs.” Chamberlain said authorities have little way of confirming that a suspect is a member of TdA since gang members do not typically broadcast their affiliation. “It is a real challenge to try to say, ‘Hey, 100%, you are a gang member,’” he said. TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN NYC APARTMENT NEXT TO DAYCARE FACILITY Chamberlain said it was not a “big step” for him to identify them as members of the notorious Venezuelan gang. “But when you look at the circumstances of this, when you look at the events of this, when you look at the individuals involved in this, when you look at the veracity and the violence involved in this, again, it is not a big step for me to say that they are TdA gang members,” he said. The gang members allegedly forced their way into a couple’s apartment at the Edge at Lowry Apartments in the Denver suburbs and bound, beat, stabbed and kidnapped the victims, leaving them hospitalized. The perpetrators also allegedly stole jewelry from the victims. SANCTUARY CITY DENVER SPENDING A WHOPPING $356 MILLION ON MIGRANTS: STUDY While the department cannot yet confirm whether all 19 of the suspects detained in the incident are TdA members, Chamberlain said he could categorically confirm that several are part of the gang that has been terrorizing Aurora residents in recent months. WATCH: Chamberlain said one of the detained TdA members was also involved in the violent apartment takeover in Aurora earlier this year. According to Chamberlain, this was not an isolated incident. He said the TdA members and their affiliates have regularly mistreated the couple and were extorting them for $500 every two weeks. He believes the couple were not the only victims being intimidated and extorted by the gang members. Chamberlain also said Aurora Police are fully cooperating with ICE, DHS and Homeland Security Investigations to determine the identities and potential gang affiliation of those involved in the incident. A total of 19 suspects were detained for questioning, three of whom have since been released and eight of whom are now in ICE custody. He said eight are still under investigation. “Those pending charges range from everything from second-degree kidnaping, aggravated robbery, first-degree assault, extortion and burglary,” he said. Police have not released the names of the 16 arrested individuals. The police chief reiterated that authorities did not conduct a “mass sweep” for the suspects, but instead went door to door to thoroughly investigate all parties involved. During a press conference, Chamberlain emphasized that Aurora Police would respond to calls and help any victim in trouble “regardless of immigration status.”
Fox News Politics: Biden’s Early Christmas Gift to Public Workers
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’ – Kristi Noem boasts outpouring of police, border union support for DHS chief: Current leaders ‘betrayed us’ – Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House. The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness. “Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday…Read more A HOLY EXIT: Biden heading to Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis, Italian PM Meloni in final overseas trip…Read more ‘POSSIBLY CRIMINAL’: Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’…Read more LEFT-WING ‘LAUNDRY LIST’: Watchdog seeks to halt an 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ a KY police department…Read more CHRISTMAS RUSH: Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate…Read more ‘NO DEALS WITH THE DEMOCRATS’: GOP lawmaker says vote on ‘very similar’ CR expected Friday morning…Read more ‘DOGE SPEAKER’: Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’…Read more ‘PAY OUR TROOPS’: Senate Republicans attempt to fast track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown…Read more SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans reach new plan to avoid government shutdown after back-to-back defeats: Sources…Read more KILL THE BILL: Here’s a list of the 38 Republicans who defied Trump by voting ‘no’ on the failed spending bill…Read more BUTTIGIEG BUZZ: Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz…Read more OPEN BORDERS: ICE response team in NYC arrested a Mexican illegal immigrant sex offender who “has been removed from the US on 5 separate occasions”…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Senate Dems rail against ‘shadow speaker’ billionaire Elon Musk: ‘Not elected to anything’
Senate Democrats labeled billionaire Elon Musk “co-president” and “shadow speaker” among other titles as they reacted to the original stopgap spending deal’s implosion on Wednesday after he and ultimately President-elect Trump came out against it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Musk “seems to be the guy in charge of the country now,” reacting to his apparent ability to influence the bill’s prompt failure despite it having been agreed upon by bipartisan leaders in Congress. If a measure to provide funding for the government is not passed by Congress and signed by President Biden by midnight on Saturday morning, a partial government shutdown will go into effect. As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to climb rapidly. SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN After a 1,547-page short-term spending bill was debuted this week. Musk quickly took to X to trash it, pointing out various seemingly irrelevant provisions as well as its cost and length. He was soon joined by other critics, and Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued their own statement opposing the bill. This led to significant criticism from Democrats unhappy with Musk’s apparent ability to influence Trump and the Republicans in Congress. TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS “He’s the one who seems to be calling the shots,” Warren told reporters. “Elon Musk is the one evidently in charge of the Republican Party and has blown that deal up. So I don’t know how the Republicans are planning to recover from that,” she said. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., suggested that Musk is “already the shadow speaker of the House,” in a slight against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES “I think he’s unelected, and he’s created a whole lot of damage,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. He claimed Republicans in Congress were “busy listening to Co-President Musk and co-President Trump.” “I’m listening to the people of Georgia, especially the farmers who are struggling to get disaster relief. And, we need to make sure that we get that over the finish line,” said Warnock. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., reiterated that Musk is not an elected official. “He doesn’t have any official government job,” he said. ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING “We had a deal with Republicans in the House and now, because of him, the president-elect is on the verge of people losing their jobs and not getting paid over the holidays,” Kelly said of a potential partial shutdown if a bill is not passed by a deadline of midnight on Saturday morning. Despite their Democratic colleagues’ claims, Republicans pushed back on the idea that Trump was being influenced by Musk. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., noted that there are “lots of people around President Trump,” adding that he doesn’t think Musk has control over what the president-elect does. Musk was tapped by Trump, along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead what is called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a proposed advisory board tasked with eliminating government waste.
US says it killed ISIS leader in Syria in ‘targeted’ airstrike
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had conducted an airstrike that killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif in eastern Syria. One other ISIS operative was also killed in the strike that occurred on Thursday, the agency said in a release on Friday morning. “As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute,” CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said. “ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria.” “We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria,” he said. US GROUP LOOKS FOR KIDNAPPED AMERICANS IN SYRIA AFTER FALL OF ASSAD REGIME The agency said they carried out the targeted airstrike in the eastern province of Deir ez Zor in Syria, noting that it’s part of their ongoing commitment to “disrupt and degrade efforts” by terrorists. ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE They said the area was previously controlled by the Syrian regime and Russian forces before the recent fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Al-Assad fled to Russia earlier this month and ended a nearly 14-year struggle to maintain power in his country. Attacks by the Turkish military on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have increased since the Syrian president fled to Russia on Dec. 8. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Ryder said that in light of the instability in the region, as well as al-Assad’s departure, there are 2,000 U.S. troops deployed in Syria. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.