PA lawmakers demand Scranton revert ‘Biden Expy’ name, calling it a ‘scar’ following Kids-4-Cash scandal
Several Pennsylvania officials, particularly in the Scranton area where President Joe Biden hails from, are calling on the city to undo its 2021 renaming of a freeway spur in his honor. State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Dallas, appeared to lead the charge with a scathing statement highlighting Biden’s recent pardon of a judge convicted in a “kids-for-cash” scandal wherein he received kickbacks for sentencing juveniles to for-profit prisons. Wilkes-Barre Common Pleas Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr. were convicted in 2008. The former served time in prison, followed by COVID-induced house arrest until Biden’s pardon. Walsh said some of the children affected had been convicted of minor offenses like jaywalking. The Democratic-majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out 4,000 juvenile convictions as a result of the scandal. ECONOMY BORDER & ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AS RESIDENTS LOOK BACK ON NATIVE SON’S FIRST TERM “In light of the recent decision made by the Biden administration to commute former Judge Conahan’s sentence, I implore city officials and Mayor [Paige Gebhardt Cognetti] to remove President Joe Biden’s name from the expressway sign that leads to the heart of the ‘Electric City’s’ downtown area.” In 2021, the mayor and city council unanimously approved the rebranding of the three-quarter-mile Central Scranton Expressway spur off Interstate 81 and its continuance via then-Spruce Street through downtown as the “President Biden Expressway” and “Biden Avenue,” respectively. The President Biden Expressway initially serves as a short bypass of PA-307 into the city, and continues as “Biden Ave” toward northbound US-11, which, in-turn, meets the terminus of the colloquial “Route 9” — the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension. “The children affected by Conahan’s actions of nearly 15 years ago are now adults suffering in their own ‘mental’ prisons due to his deeds of self-fulfillment,” Walsh said in a statement. WV DEMOCRATS RIP BIDEN’S ‘EGREGIOUS’ PUBLIC CORRUPTION PARDON CHOICES: ‘WHAT WE’D EXPECT FROM TRUMP’ “Crimes against children are everlasting, and there is no escape from the irreparable damage these predators caused by their actions.” Walsh argued that the issue is non-partisan but “right versus wrong” and that Biden no longer deserves the commemoration because his pardon “exonerates [Conahan’s] behavior” as a signal to future corrupt public officials. State Rep-elect. Brenda Pugh, R-Luzerne, told WBRE that Conahan’s conduct is a “blight on Pennsylvania” and that Biden’s pardon is “nothing short of a travesty.” “[H]is clemency is a miscarriage of justice,” Pugh said, adding the President Biden Expressway will therefore “forever be a scar reminding people of what happened here [in NEPA].” Meanwhile, Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak made his case directly to Cognetti, writing the mayor a letter saying that reverting “Biden Avenue to Spruce Street” would help restore confidence in city leadership and reaffirm a commitment to governing in the best reflection of city values. “This [pardon] has brought significant negative attention to Scranton, tarnishing the city’s reputation and reflecting poorly on Lackawanna County as a whole,” Chermak wrote. In a Friday interview, Cognetti said that Biden’s commutation of Conahan was a “grave error” that freshly opened “deep and horrific” wounds for Scrantonians and NEPA residents. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP She echoed Gov. Josh Shapiro’s remark earlier this week that Conahan’s sentence was too light in the first place. “[The case] was just the stuff that you think a screenwriter couldn’t make up — how systemic and how deep that scandal went,” Cognetti said. She said she had contacted the White House with her concerns and that she was sad to learn Conahan’s commutation is irreversible. Cognetti noted she is currently mayor in part because of other officials’ public corruption as well. Predecessor Bill Courtright resigned in July 2019 amid a conviction for bribery, corruption and conspiracy. Courtright’s departure led to two brief interim mayors before Cognetti was elected that November as an independent and, in 2021, as a Democrat. Cognetti added that the calls to strip Biden’s name from roadways are not new and continue to be mostly grounded in partisanship. “The president is from here, and there are few communities that can boast of being the hometown of a President of the United States. We will continue to celebrate and be very proud of having a hometown son of Scranton as president.” “The two issues are conflated, I think, for political reasons. And I’d like us to treat these things as what they are. We need to continue to address corruption in government,” Cognetti added. “That’s separate from the president’s legacy of 50 years in office and being the most successful son of Scranton.” BIDEN’S HOMETOWN EXPRESSES HOW IT REALLY FEELS ABOUT ‘BIDENOMICS’ When recently asked about Biden granting Conahan a pardon, Shapiro said that presidents have the “unique and absolute” power to do so, but should wield it “incredibly carefully.” “I study every single case that comes across my desk where there’s a request for a pardon or clemency or worse, or a reduction in sentence. And I take it very seriously,” said Shapiro, who previously served as attorney general. “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. This was not only a black eye on the community because of the scandal, but it also affected families in really deep and profound and sad ways,” he said.
President-elect Trump appoints outspoken conservative as Vatican ambassador: ‘Blessings and responsibilities’
Just five days before Christmas, President-elect Donald Trump announced he is appointing outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote Brian Burch to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. The Vatican, also known as the “Holy See,” is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by Pope Francis. There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the U.S. Burch, a father of nine, is an outspoken supporter of the president-elect. His organization, CatholicVote, a conservative activist group, issued its first presidential endorsement in Trump’s favor this year. Catholic voters across the country swung massively toward Trump in the 2024 election, contributing to his surprise blowout victory on election night. CATHOLIC SWING VOTERS WERE CRITICAL TO DONALD TRUMP’S BLOWOUT VICTORY: ‘HARRIS SNUBBED US’ In his post announcing the nomination, Trump credited Burch for his significant gains among Catholic voters in November, saying that Burch “represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!” “I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” said Trump. “Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country.” “Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud,” the president-elect said. “Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PICKS’ FAMILIES HAVE 1 THING IN COMMON Burch responded to his nomination by posting on X: “To God be the glory.” “Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” said Burch. “I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.” He thanked his family, the CatholicVote team and gave special credit to his recently deceased father who, he said, “taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S.” “The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance,” said Burch. “I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church.” NOTRE DAME HOSTS FIRST MASS SINCE 2019 FIRE, DRAWING CROWDS BY THE THOUSANDS CatholicVote also responded to the announcement, saying the group is “immensely proud” of Burch and that his nomination “is a testament to the importance of Catholics to the United States.” “Under Brian’s leadership, CatholicVote has launched influential campaigns exposing violence against Catholic churches and uncovering government overreach targeting Catholics and pro-life advocates,” the group said. “Beyond his professional work, Brian is a devoted husband and father of nine children. His commitment to family life informs his passion for building a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person and supports the central role of families in society.” The new Trump administration will have several Catholics in high-ranking positions, including Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan. The position of ambassador to the Holy See requires Senate confirmation.
White House pressed on Biden refusing to speak publicly ahead of shutdown
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre volleyed away reporters’ questions on Friday about President Biden’s lack of public appearances amid the ongoing government funding fight as a partial shutdown looms. Jean-Pierre refused to answer why the president has not spoken to the American public about his position, and she instead blamed Republicans, President-elect Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and their “billionaire friends” like Elon Musk for the chaos on Capitol Hill. “Why hasn’t President Biden said anything in the public about this? Don’t the American people deserve to know why millions of federal workers could enter this holiday period without a paycheck?” Jean-Pierre was asked during her daily press briefing. RAND PAUL SUGGESTS REPLACING MIKE JOHNSON WITH ELON MUSK AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE “All Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here and they are the ones who have created this mess. That’s the reality. That’s the fact,” she responded. “This is not the first time we’ve been here. And the president has had this approach before. He understands how Congress works. He’s been around for some time. He understands what strategy works here to get this done.” Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden has held phone calls with Democratic leaders in Congress — Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — but would not say if the president has spoken to the House speaker with regard to the ongoing discussions. “He has been getting regular updates from his team. His team has been in touch with congressional members from both sides of the aisle,” she said. A streamlined version of a bill backed by Trump to avert a partial government shutdown failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night. The bill, which needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass, failed by a vote of 174 to 235. The national debt has soared to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion. Jean-Pierre said Republicans went back on their word and “blew up this deal.” “Republicans need to stop playing politics with a government shutdown. And they are doing the bidding. They’re doing the bidding of their billionaire friends. That’s what we’re seeing at the expense of hard-working Americans,” she said. SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN “There is a bipartisan agreement that Republicans tanked because of what they were directed to do by Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. That’s what happened. That is the reality that we’re in now.” Musk, an outspoken critic of government waste, has weighed in on the spending bill debate and led a conservative revolt against the first 1,547-page bill due to its bloated spending provisions, calling for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats. He supported the newer, slimmer version, which was ultimately rejected by House members. Reporters tried several different ways to try and get Jean-Pierre to comment on the president’s role in the matter, but she continued to sidestep. “The president is the President of the United States, and he is leading,” she told a reporter, to which he responded: “To be clear, the strategy is he is leading by staying in the background?” “The strategy is that Congress, Republicans in particular, need to do their jobs and get out of their own way and focus on the American people, not their billionaire friends. That is what needs to happen. And that’s what the president wants to see,” she replied. Jean-Pierre also warned that a shutdown could disrupt the presidential transition process for the incoming administration. “If there is a shutdown — and I don’t want to get too much into hypotheticals — but this is the reality, transition activities will be restricted with limited exceptions, obviously, such as to prevent imminent threats to the safety of human life or the protection of property,” she said. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Friday that Republicans have a “good plan” to avoid a partial government shutdown. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., added: “I think you come to an agreement, then you get together and sit down and figure out, you know, if we can get across the finish line. And that’s probably what we’re about to do now.”
House passes funding bill with just hours until government shutdown
The House has passed a bill to avert a partial government shutdown on Friday, hours before the midnight federal funding deadline. The bill, which needed approval from two-thirds of the chamber, passed overwhelmingly in a 366 to 34 vote. All Democrats voted for the bill save for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who voted “present.” 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. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER But Trump has stayed noticeably silent on this latest measure – which many House Republicans saw as a tacit sign of approval. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was optimistic after days of uncertainty, telling reporters there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan. “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,” Johnson said. Meanwhile, the national debt has climbed past $36 trillion, and the deficit is over $1.8 trillion. The legislation, if passed in the Senate, would extend current government funding levels through mid-March, a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR), paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry. Johnson bypassed regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as “suspension of the rules.” In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage was raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber, meaning Democratic support is critical. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told reporters he believed Johnson struck an agreement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. A longtime Johnson critic, Massie said he would not vote for the bill. “Trump wanted a debt limit increase, and now we’re bringing the exact same bill to the floor without the debt limit increase,” Massie said. Another Republican lawmaker argued Johnson would not move forward without Trump’s blessing. “We wouldn’t do it if they weren’t,” Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., said when asked if Trump and Elon Musk were supportive of the deal. Trump and Musk led the conservative rebellion against the initial plan to avert a partial shutdown, a bipartisan deal that came from negotiations between the top two Democrats and Republicans in both Congressional chambers. That bill, 1,547 pages, would have extended current government funding levels until March 14. However, GOP hardliners were angered by what they saw as unrelated measures attached to the bill, like a pay raise for congressional lawmakers, health care policy provisions and legislation aimed at revitalizing RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS It was scrapped as Trump and Musk threatened to force out of office any lawmaker who did not support pairing a CR with action on the debt limit. The debt limit is suspended until January 2025 through a prior bipartisan deal, but Trump had pushed for Republicans to act on it now to avoid a messy, protracted fight early in his term. The second iteration of the funding deal was much slimmer, coming in at 116 pages. It excluded the stadium bill and the congressional pay raise, but still included measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and disaster aid funding. It also suspended the debt limit through January 2027. A House vote on the second plan went down in flames, however, after 38 Republicans opposed to raising or suspending the debt limit voted with all but two Democrats to defeat the bill. Johnson huddled with those holdouts Friday morning, along with Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. The bill that passed the House on Friday does not act on the debt limit, but Johnson pledged in that closed-door meeting to raise the debt limit early next year as part of Republicans’ plans for a massive policy and spending overhaul. During their closed-door meeting Friday, House GOP leaders unveiled their CR plan as well as a plan to raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, followed by $2.5 trillion in net spending cuts, multiple people told Fox News Digital. Democrats who left their own closed-door meeting shortly before the vote largely said they would support the bill – which they did. President Biden has said he would sign it into law if it reaches his desk after a Senate vote.
House vote imminent on plan to avert government shutdown after Trump-backed deal tanks
House lawmakers are set to soon vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown after a similar measure backed by President-elect Trump failed on Thursday. Congress is scrambling for a path forward as the clock ticks closer to the federal funding deadline, with a partial shutdown expected just after midnight Saturday if no action is taken. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan. “I expect that we will be proceeding forward,” Johnson said. “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.” DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER Multiple lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the forthcoming legislation would extend current government funding levels through mid-March – a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) – paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry. Johnson’s aim is to bypass regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as “suspension of the rules.” In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage is raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber – meaning Democratic support is critical.
Senate Republicans try to fast-track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown
FIRST ON FOX: Two Senate Republicans are leading the charge to ensure military members are paid during a potential partial government shutdown as Congress inches closer to the midnight deadline on Saturday morning. Three Senate sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, is leading an attempt to “hotline” a bill to make sure all armed services and the coast guard are paid in the event of a partial government shutdown. A hotline is a procedure used by senators usually to pass procedural motions or relatively noncontroversial measures. The practice allows bills or motions to pass with often very little or no public debate at all. TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS Sullivan will take the Senate floor to make a live request for unanimous consent to consider the measure at 6 p.m. The bill is entitled the Pay Our Troops Act. It is cosponsored by Republican Sens. Lisa Murskowski of Alaska, Ted Budd and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Steve Daines of Montana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott of Florida, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and JD Vance of Ohio. A spokesperson for Murkowski told Fox News Digital in a statement, “Senator Murkowski is adamant that our Armed Forces should not worry about their paycheck or their mission to keep Americans safe because of Congressional politics. This is non-negotiable for her.” The effort is extending to the House side again as well, where Fox News Digital was told that Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., is pressing for a vote on the version she introduced in the House. “We’re obviously pushing to keep the government open, but as a backup plan, we need to be providing reassurance to our military,” Kiggans said, adding she’s spoken with House GOP leaders about getting a vote on her bill. One Republican source told Fox News Digital that they expect Senate Democrats to object to the request, noting that they have done so in the past. Republicans previously sought to pass this bill in September 2023, with Sullivan and Cruz requesting it on the floor. However, this effort was blocked by a Democrat objector. At the time, Sullivan said in a statement, “There is precedent–very strong precedent–on this very bill, this commonsense bill that has historically received the strong support from both sides of the aisle and in both Houses.” “Facing an imminent government shutdown in 2013, which ended up lasting 16 days, this bill, the Pay Our Military Act, was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate and unanimously by the U.S. House and signed by the President. Congress recognized then the importance of uninterrupted military pay for our military members and their families.” Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
House Republicans reach new plan to avoid government shutdown after back-to-back defeats
House Republican negotiators have tentatively reached an agreement on averting a partial government shutdown at the end of Friday, sources told Fox News Digital. Two people familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that the deal would include a short-term extension of this year’s federal funding levels, disaster aid funding, and agricultural support for farmers – but under three separate bills. It would also involve an agreement to act on the debt limit next year as part of Republicans’ planned massive conservative policy overhaul via a process called reconciliation. The new strategy comes after President-elect Trump and his allies torpedoed Congressional lawmakers’ initial plans to avert a partial shutdown ahead of the holidays. Trump had called on Republicans to act on the debt limit as part of their talks to avert a government shutdown, a demand that dozens of conservative GOP lawmakers bristled at given their concerns about the national debt – which has exceeded $36 trillion. A plan by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to follow Trump’s directives went down in flames on Thursday evening, after 38 Republicans voted with all but two Democrats to kill that bill. And Trump, along with Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, spearheaded opposition to congressional leaders’ original bipartisan agreement and even threatened to force lawmakers who supported it out of office.
Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’
President-elect Donald Trump filed an amicus brief late Thursday in support of a legal effort by Texas and Missouri to “immediately” stop the Biden administration’s sale of border wall materials, saying the action is “possibly criminal.” Texas and Missouri filed a motion earlier this week in a district court in the southern district of Texas to hold a status conference to determine if the government is in breach of the court’s permanent injunction from earlier this year. That injunction barred the Biden administration from using funds obligated for wall construction for anything other than that purpose. ‘PATTERN OF DISREGARD’: RED STATES SEEK COURT ACTION AGAINST BIDEN ADMIN’S ‘SHAMEFUL’ BORDER WALL DISPOSAL “The Court should issue an order directing the Defendants to immediately stop any ongoing sale of border-barrier materials to private parties pending the Court’s review of Defendant’s conduct, and the Court should swiftly conduct a searching examination of the Government’s conduct, by formal discovery if necessary, to examine the Government’s compliance with the law, the Constitution, and the Court’s injunction,” Trump’s amicus brief states. The Biden administration has been auctioning off border wall parts since at least 2023, with parts listed for sale on auction marketplaces, after it abruptly shut down most border wall construction in 2021. Those auctions have continued, with border officials telling Fox that auctions now occur weekly and have been for some time. However, the practice made news last week, when The Daily Wire published video showing parts being transported and cited Border Patrol agents who said the goal was to clear them out before Christmas. Trump’s amicus brief states that if officials in the Biden administration are “deliberately selling off border-wall materials at a major financial loss to the Government to obstruct the pro-wall policy of Congress and President Trump, such conduct likely constitutes a criminal act, such as a conspiracy to defraud the United States.” “At the very least, the reported conduct raises troubling concerns of potentially criminal behavior,” the filing states. GOP SENATOR MOVES TO BLOCK FEDS FROM DISPOSING OF BORDER WALL MATERIALS AMID AUCTION BACKLASH A Defense official told Fox News last week that the Pentagon has been disposing of excess wall construction in accordance with the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which required the Defense secretary to submit a plan to use, transfer or donate all remaining wall material purchased with Pentagon funds. That plan was submitted in March. The official said border states, including Texas, were first offered that material for purchase before auction. The official also said the materials no longer belong to the U.S. government, adding the Defense Department has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of it. “Through our reutilization, transfer and donation process, nearly 60% of those materials were transferred to authorized recipients, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the states of Texas and California,” the official said. “The remaining 40% was sold to GovPlanet under a competitive sales contract process beginning in June 2024. The material currently being sold through GovPlanet online auctions no longer belongs to the U.S. Government, and DOD has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of material it no longer owns.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS However, those statements have not stopped the outrage from Republicans, who see the auctions as a move to stop the Trump administration from building the wall. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., introduced legislation this week to put a halt to the auctions. Trump, meanwhile, said on Monday he had been working with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others to acquire the materials. “What they’re doing is really an act, it’s almost a criminal act,” he said. “They know we’re going to use it, and if we don’t have it, we’re going to have to rebuild it. And it’ll cost double what it cost years ago, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars because you’re talking about a lot of, a lot of wall.” Paxton said in a statement that Texas is going to court to “prevent any border security materials from being unlawfully sold and to find out the truth about what the federal government may be doing to subvert border wall construction.” ‘STANDING BY TO HELP’: RED STATE REVEALS PLAN TO PURCHASE AUCTIONED BORDER WALL MATERIALS TO STORE FOR TRUMP “President Trump has an overwhelming mandate from the American people to build the wall and I will do everything in my power to prevent any acts of sabotage by the outgoing administration,” he said. Texas has said it intends to do all it can to help the incoming administration build the wall at the southern border when Trump enters office. “The Biden Administration’s latest attempt to block Texas and President-Elect Donald Trump’s efforts to secure the southern border is downright shameful and demonstrates a continued pattern of disregard for the safety of Texas and American families in favor of increasingly disastrous open border policies,” Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Officials said this week they intend to purchase the auctioned off materials, and Buckingham said she intends to store it on state land for the new administration. “I made a promise to use every tool at my disposal from the GLO to secure our border and protect Texans,” Buckingham said in the statement to Fox. “That is why I have offered state leaders and President-Elect Donald Trump the opportunity to store any wall panels his incoming administration may acquire on state land. I will never give up the fight to secure our porous southern border and protect our sons and daughters from violent, criminal illegal immigrants.” Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
Biden heading to Vatican City next month to meet with Pope Francis, Meloni in final overseas trip
The White House announced that President Joe Biden will head to Italy next month for a public meeting with Pope Francis in Vatican City before his term comes to an end. Biden accepted the invitation to visit Vatican City during a phone call with Pope Francis Thursday, according to the White House. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that Biden would meet with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella during the overseas trip. The four-day trip is planned for the second week in January, and the meeting between Biden and Pope Francis will occur in front of an audience on Jan. 10. “President Biden will have an audience with the Pope and discuss efforts to advance peace around the world,” Jean-Pierre said Thursday. “He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world.” Italy’s position as president of the G7 countries, a position that rotates annually, will come to an end in the new year. The G7 is a cohort of the world’s largest advanced economies. BIDEN TRAVELS TO AFRICA WHERE POLICIES WERE ‘OVER-PROMISED AND UNDER-DELIVERED,’ AMID MASSIVE CHINA EXPANSION Biden’s trip to meet with Pope Francis will come shortly after the Vatican begins its Holy Year on Dec. 24, a centuries-long tradition that occurs every 25 years, during which pilgrims travel to Rome to visit holy sites and receive forgiveness. Biden is only the nation’s second Catholic president, after John F. Kennedy. He has met with popes, including Francis, throughout his political career. The trips have also been reciprocated by Francis, who made his first formal visit to the U.S. when Biden was vice president. Biden last met with Pope Francis in June, during which the pair discussed both the war in Israel and the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. The leaders reportedly emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and the need to cement a hostage deal during their talks. They also spoke about the ongoing humanitarian impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the U.S. embassy in Italy. The pair met in 2021 as well, which was only the second time a U.S. president other than Kennedy had met with a pontiff. During the private talk, Biden reportedly lauded Francis’s leadership “in fighting the climate crisis, as well as his advocacy to ensure the pandemic ends for everyone through vaccine sharing and equitable global economic recovery.” MAR-A-LAGO TRUMPS WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT-ELECT OVERSHADOWS BIDEN ON WORLD STAGE One area where the two leaders’ viewpoints notably diverge is abortion, however. Due to Biden’s pro-choice stance, many critics, including Catholic bishops, questioned early on in his presidency whether Biden could continue receiving Holy Communion. But following the June meeting at the Vatican, Biden said that Francis expressed support for Biden to be allowed to continue receiving the sacrament. Biden’s trip in the final month of his presidency is expected to be his last overseas. It will mark a rare occurrence, according to the Associated Press, which noted that the last president to travel overseas during the final month of his presidency was fellow one-term President George H.W. Bush. Bush traveled to Moscow and Paris on diplomatic missions to shore up a nuclear treaty and discuss the Bosnian war that was taking place at the time with France’s then-president, according to historical records from the State Department.
Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas
Top Senate Democrats, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray, D-Wash., made clear they only intend to move forward on the original stopgap spending bill plan that Republicans scrapped after pressure from billionaire Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump. Murray said she is prepared for a partial government shutdown and to stay in Washington, D.C., for the Christmas holiday if Republicans do not return to the original short-term spending bill that was released earlier this week and subsequently killed after Musk and others publicly opposed its provisions. “I’m ready to stay here through Christmas because we’re not going to let Elon Musk run the government,” she said in a Friday morning statement, hours before the government could be sent into a partial shutdown if a bill is not passed. TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to climb rapidly. “Put simply, we should not let an unelected billionaire rip away research for pediatric cancer so he can get a tax cut or tear down policies that help America out-compete China because it could hurt his bottom line. We had a bipartisan deal-we should stick to it,” Murray said. In floor remarks on Friday morning, Schumer said, “if Republicans do not work with Democrats in a bipartisan way very soon, the government will shut down at midnight.” “It’s time to go back to the original agreement we had just a few days ago. It’s time the House votes on our bipartisan CR. It’s the quickest, simplest and easiest way we can make sure the government stays open while delivering critical emergency aid to the American people.” He also said that if House Speaker Mike Johnson were to put the original bill on the House floor for a vote, “it would pass, and we could put the threat of a shutdown behind us.” ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING Murray added, “The deal that was already agreed to would responsibly fund the government, offer badly needed disaster relief to communities across America, and deliver some good bipartisan policy reforms. The American people do not want chaos or a costly government shutdown all because an unelected billionaire wants to call the shots — I am ready to work with Republicans and Democrats to pass the bipartisan deal both sides negotiated as soon as possible.” After Musk and conservatives railed against the 1,547-page bill, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance ultimately condemned it as well, killing whatever chance it had left. Murray’s Friday statement came shortly after it was revealed that House Republicans were planning a new continuing resolution vote in the morning on a different proposal. It is unclear whether negotiations are taking place across party lines or bicamerally, however. DOGE CAUCUS LEADER JONI ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters Friday morning that House Republicans were “very close to a deal” and that a vote could happen in the morning. However, if that deal is not the original stopgap spending bill, it sounds like Murray and Democrats in the Senate would be prepared to oppose it. Murray also is not the only one who saying they are prepared to let the government’s funding expire before the holiday. Several Republicans have expressed their willingness to let it shut down if Republicans are not able to get a better deal. PETE HEGSETH SAYS HE HASN’T HEARD FROM WEST POINT SINCE EMPLOYEE ‘ERROR’ DENYING HIS ACCEPTANCE Trump himself wrote on Truth Social Friday morning, “If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under ‘TRUMP.’ This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!” Congress must pass a measure, and it must be signed by President Biden by midnight on Saturday morning in order to avoid a partial shutdown.