Watchdog seeks to halt 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ Kentucky police over Breonna Taylor incident
EXCLUSIVE: A conservative legal watchdog is expected to file a brief with a Kentucky court to urge a judge against blessing a consent decree forged by Attorney General Merrick Garland and the city of Louisville and Jefferson County, Ky., that would reform police practices after the controversial 2020 death of Breonna Taylor. The Oversight Project is placing its amicus brief on the docket of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky on Friday morning as a judge prepares a schedule to rule on activating the agreement. Oversight Project Executive Director Mike Howell said the consent decree includes a “laundry list of BLM-type standards that have been argued for over the years since George Floyd[‘s death in 2020]” and the riots that followed. “Louisville would be a sanctuary city for gangbangers,” Howell warned, adding he hopes Friday’s addition to the docket gives the court pause before agreeing to any accelerated timeline for approval. PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN Taylor was killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house, when her beau fired a “warning shot” through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg. A hail of return fire followed, fatally wounding Taylor, and five officers were later involved in legal cases where one was found guilty of deprivation of rights under the color of law for reportedly firing blindly through a window amid the chaos. Walker later alleged he mistook the police for intruders and did not hear them announce themselves. Louisville wound up paying Taylor’s family $12 million in a wrongful death settlement. Last week, Garland announced the consent decree with Louisville, saying it will bring about needed systemic reforms to policing to prevent a repeat of what happened to Taylor. Howell said, however, that the decree will only hamstring the police department and also defy the will of Kentucky voters who elected new Republicans on the Louisville council on the issue of law and order. “[The decree] basically limits the ability for officers to react quickly and in a strong way. It’s very heavy on the de-escalation techniques, particularly as it relates to this category of people who they call ‘behaviorally impaired’ or something to that effect,” Howell said. BIDEN ADMIN HIT WITH FOIA SEEKING 25TH AMENDMENT-RELATED COMMS Howell said there is concern over the spiking teenage murder rate – violence committed by suspects aged 11-17 – and that the decree wrongly imposes new standards for dealing with youth offenders as well as stop-and-frisk restrictions. One of the most glaring issues with the agreement is the fact Louisville councilmen, Kentucky lawmakers and the general public will all be prevented from making further adjustments to policing policies for five years, if the judge signs the decree. In a consent decree system, an official monitor appointed by the judge, and not the relevant legislature, is the arbiter of policies that fall under said agreement unless both parties that forged it agree to change them. Howell said, in that regard, the Biden Justice Department and Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, a Democrat, appear to be rushing through the legal process to head off the likelihood a Trump Justice Department will balk at the agreement. “The most basic responsibility of government is to keep our people safe while protecting constitutional rights and treating everyone fairly,” Greenberg said in a statement about the decree. “As mayor, I promised to uphold that responsibility, and I have.” “The Department of Justice saw the action we’ve already taken and our commitment to aggressively implement police reform. As a result of these improvements, we have a consent decree unlike any other city in America.” Greenberg said any decree must build on reforms made in recent years, cannot “handcuff police as they work to prevent crime” and also be financially responsible and have a clear sunset date. “I felt comfortable signing this because our officers will have clear guidance and goals to meet, the DOJ can’t move the goalposts, and our officers can focus on good police work, not paperwork,” added Louisville Police Chief Paul Humphrey. The Oversight Project’s amicus brief is backed by law enforcement advocacy leaders like Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Johnson, whose group promotes constitutional policing and studies similar consent decrees, told Fox News Digital it’s clear the Biden DOJ realizes such an agreement would be “D.O.A.” when President-elect Donald Trump assumes the Oval Office. “Most of these police consent decrees are more of an activist wish list than effective means to remedy constitutional violations by police agencies. The Justice Department is trying to impose burdensome rules that far exceed their authority under law,” Johnson said. He suggested that technical assistance letters, which aim to encourage reforms without imposing a judicial arbiter, are generally preferred in most cases. “But, the activist lawyers in the Biden administration prefer to use a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel. This approach has proven counterproductive time and again — hurting public safety, police morale, and police-community relations more than it helps.” Meanwhile, Howell said he hopes the Kentucky judge will see that Greenberg and Garland are trying to “turn him into a legislature” when it comes to law enforcement practices. Under the consent decree system, the policy changes will be untouchable by a more hawkish Trump DOJ for up to five years, rendering the new administration’s predicted actions in the law enforcement realm moot in Louisville. Criminals will likely endorse the decree, he said, as they will use the encyclopedia of new policing standards to their benefit.
House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’
FIRST ON FOX: The House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government released a more than 17,000-page report detailing its work this Congress, touting their success in protecting Americans against censorship of speech and the weaponization of federal law enforcement agencies, Fox News Digital has learned. Fox News Digital obtained the 17,019-page report compiled by the subcommittee, which falls under the House Judiciary Committee, led by Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “The Weaponization Committee conducted rigorous oversight of the Biden-Harris administrations weaponized government and uncovered numerous examples of federal government abuses,” Jordan told Fox News Digital. “Through our oversight, we protected the First Amendment by investigating the censorship-industrial-complex, heard from numerous brave whistleblowers, stopped the targeting of Americans by the IRS and Department of Justice, and created serious legislative and policy changes that will benefit all Americans.” The report, first obtained by Fox News Digital, states that the “founding documents of the United States articulate the ideals of the American republic and guarantee to all American citizens fundamental rights and liberties. “For too long, however, the American people have faced a two-tiered system of government—one of favorable treatment for the politically-favored class, and one of intimidation and unfairness for the rest of American citizens,” it continues. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the contrast between these two tiers has become even more stark.” HOUSE WEAPONIZATION COMMITTEE: BIDEN ADMIN ‘COLLUDED’ WITH BIG TECH, ‘FACILITATED THE CENSORSHIP OF AMERICANS’ The committee was created to “stand up for the American people,” the report says, highlighting its work to “bring abuses by the federal government into the light for the American people and ensure that Congress, as their elected representatives, can take action to remedy them.” The mission of the subcommittee was to “protect and strengthen the fundamental rights of the American people,” the report said, noting that by investigating, uncovering and documenting executive branch misconduct, lawmakers on the panel have taken “important steps to ensure that the federal government no longer works against the American people.” “This work is not complete, but it is a necessary first step to stop the weaponization of the federal government,” the report states. The committee, from its inception, says it has been working to protect free speech and expand upon the constitutional protections of the First Amendment. JORDAN SUBPOENAS BIG TECH CEOS FOR RECORDS ON ‘COLLUSION’ WITH BIDEN ADMIN TO ‘SUPPRESS FREE SPEECH’ “Throughout the Biden-Harris administration, multiple federal agencies, including the White House, have engaged in a vast censorship campaign against so-called mis-, dis-, or malinformation,” the report states, noting that the subcommittee revealed the extent of the “censorship-industrial complex,” and detailed how the federal government and law enforcement coordinated with academics, nonprofits, and other private entities to censor speech online.” The panel is touting its work, saying its oversight has “had a real effect in expanding the First Amendment.” “In a Supreme Court dissent, three justices noted how the Select Subcommittee’s investigation revealed that ‘valuable speech was..suppressed,’” the report states. BIDEN CAMPAIGN, BLINKEN ORCHESTRATED INTEL LETTER TO DISCREDIT HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY, EX-CIA OFFICIAL SAYS And in a letter to the subcommittee, Facebook and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted that the Biden-Harris administration “pressured” Facebook to censor Americans. “Facebook gave in to this pressure, demoting posts and content that was highly relevant to political discourse in the United States,” the report states. And in another win for the subcommittee, in response to its work, universities and other groups shut down their “disinformation” research, and federal agencies “slowed their communications with Big Tech.” MUSK PROVES HUNTER BIDEN CENSORSHIP CAME FROM COLLUSION AMONG BIDEN CAMPAIGN, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TWITTER The committee also celebrated a “big win” in October after it prevented the creation of a new “GARM,” an advertising association that engaged in censorship and boycotts of conservative media companies. The committee revealed, before it was disbanded, that GARM had been discussing ways to ensure conservative news outlets and platforms could not receive advertising dollars and were engaged in boycotts of conservative voices and Twitter once it became “X” under the ownership of Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the subcommittee also investigated the alleged weaponization of federal law enforcement resources. In speaking with a number of whistleblowers, the subcommittee learned of waste, fraud and abuse at the FBI. “When these whistleblowers came forward, the bureau brutally retaliated against many of them for breaking ranks—suspending them without pay, preventing them from seeking outside employment, and even purging suspected disloyal employees,” the report states, noting that the subcommittee revealed that the FBI “abused its security clearance adjudication process to target whistleblowers.” The report references the FBI’s response, in which the bureau admitted its “error” and reinstated the security clearance of one decorated FBI employee. FBI INTERVIEWED PRIEST, CHURCH CHOIR DIRECTOR AHEAD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO, HOUSE GOP FINDS The subcommittee also was tasked with investigating the executive branch’s actions in “intruding and interfering with Americans’ constitutionally protected activity.” For example, the subcommittee revealed “and stopped” the FBI’s effort to target Catholic Americans because of their religious views; detailed the DOJ’s directives to target parents at school board meetings; stopped the Internal Revenue Service from making “unannounced visits to American taxpayers’ homes;” caused the DOJ to change its internal policies to “respect the separation of powers and limit subpoenas for Legislative Branch employees; and highlighted the “vast warrantless surveillance of Americans by federal law enforcement.” The panel also investigated the federal government’s election interference, highlighting the FBI’s “fervent efforts to ‘prebunk’ a story about the Biden family’s influence peddling scheme in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election.” CIA ‘MAY HAVE ASSISTED IN OBTAINING SIGNATORIES’ FOR LETTER DISCREDITING HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP: HOUSE GOP REPORT The panel also investigated and demonstrated how the 2020 Biden campaign “colluded with the intelligence community to falsely discredit this story as ‘Russian disinformation.’” The report includes a list of hearings the subcommittee held, letters sent by the subcommittee and subpoenas issued by the panel. It also includes depositions and transcribed interviews conducted by the subcommittee. The subcommittee conducted
Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz
An appearance by Pete Buttigieg on Friday morning on New Hampshire talk radio is fueling ongoing speculation that the U.S. Secretary of Transportation in President Biden’s administration may be mulling another White House run in 2028. Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate who is considered a potential contender for the next nomination race, has made numerous radio appearances across the country during his four years steering the Department of Transportation, including a bunch in New Hampshire, which prides itself on being the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state. But with President-elect Trump a month away from returning to the White House, and Democrats scrambling in the wake of November’s election setbacks to find a path out of the political wilderness, Buttigieg’s latest radio appearance in New Hampshire is grabbing increased attention as the extremely early preseason moves in the party’s 2028 presidential primary race will soon start. And the guest segment by Buttigieg on the statewide morning news-talk radio program “New Hampshire Today” is bound to spark more 2028 speculation. HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028 “The only thing I’m sure is next is a little vacation,” Buttigieg said when asked by host Chris Ryan about his plans once his tenure as transportation secretary sunsets on Jan. 20. Buttigieg said he and his spouse, Chasten, “are ready to spend a little time together. I’m ready to be around our three-year-old twins a little more, and I’m determined not to make any life decisions too quickly in the new year.” VANCE IN ‘CATBIRD SEAT,’ BUT HERE ARE THE OTHER REPUBLICANS WHO MAY ALSO RUN IN 2028 “But I will find ways to make myself useful, and maybe that’s running for office, and maybe that’s not. I’ll take the next few weeks and months to work through that,” Buttigieg shared. And he emphasized that “I know what I care about. I care about how communities, like the place where I grew up, find a better future. I care about how to make sure technology makes us all better off and not worse off. I care about how the infrastructure issues and opportunities I’ve worked on can develop. I care about public service. I care about our democracy, and I will find ways to work on that, whatever shape that might take.” Buttigieg, a former naval intelligence officer who deployed to the war in Afghanistan and who served eight years as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was a longshot when he launched his 2020 presidential campaign. But his campaign caught fire, and he narrowly edged Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont to win the Iowa caucuses before coming in close second to Sanders in the New Hampshire presidential primary. But Buttigieg, along with the rest of the Democratic field, dropped out of the race and endorsed Biden as the former vice president won the South Carolina primary in a landslide, swept the Super Tuesday contests and eventually clinched the nomination before winning the White House. WHAT RNC CHAIR WHATLEY TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT THE 2028 GOP PRESIDENITAL PRIMARY During his tenure as Secretary of Transportation, Buttigieg has made a handful of official visits to New Hampshire, most recently earlier this year. And two years ago, in a political trip, he headlined the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s major autumn fundraising gala. Asked in the interview whether he’ll be returning to the Granite State in the near future, he quipped, “I’m sure I’ll turn up before too long.” Buttigieg, in recent years, has also made regular appearances on the Fox News Channel to highlight the Biden administration’s efforts. This year, he served as a high-profile surrogate on Fox News and elsewhere across the media landscape for Biden, and later for Vice President Kamala Harris, on the campaign trail. After his 2020 presidential campaign, Buttiegieg moved from red-state Indiana to neighboring Michigan, which is a key battleground, and now calls Traverse City, Michigan, home. In recent weeks, Buttigieg has fielded calls by some Michigan Democrats urging him to consider a 2026 run for governor, to succeed Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited. “I haven’t made any decisions about, big decisions about my future,” Buttigieg told reporters earlier this month in Detroit, in a line that he would repeat in this week’s New Hampshire radio interview.
House vote on ‘very similar’ spending bill expected Friday morning, GOP lawmaker says
The House is planning to vote on another CR proposal Friday morning to avert the looming partial government shutdown, a GOP lawmaker told reporters on Capitol Hill. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaking to reporters outside Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, said that lawmakers are “very close to a deal” and suggested that a vote could be held at 10 a.m. on Friday. “I do not believe the government is going to be shutting down. You guys will see some great stuff, very similar to President Trump’s plan yesterday,” the congresswoman said. TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS Luna also added that “there will be no deals with the Democrats.” CAPITOL HILL BRACES FOR HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER $36T US DEBT CRISIS However, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told reporters that he is not certain a vote will come as early as Friday morning. “I don’t have any reason to believe there will be a vote at 10 o’clock,” Johnson said. “I know some people would like to get something not on the floor this morning.” Legislation to avoid a partial government shutdown that was backed by Trump failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night. The proposal was hastily negotiated on Thursday after the initial 1,547-page bipartisan deal crumbled after Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy criticized the spending bill that would have extended the government funding deadline until March 14. The bill needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass but failed to even net a majority, with two Democrats voting with the majority of Republicans to pass the bill and 38 GOP lawmakers against. The national debt has climbed to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion.
Timing up in the air for Congress to vote on spending bill as government shutdown looms
GOP lawmakers indicated that the House could vote on another CR proposal Friday to avert the looming partial government shutdown, but the timing still remains unclear. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., speaking to reporters outside Speaker Mike Johnson’s office, said that lawmakers are “very close to a deal” and suggested that a vote could be held that morning. “I do not believe the government is going to be shutting down. You guys will see some great stuff, very similar to President Trump’s plan yesterday,” the congresswoman said. Luna added that “there will be no deals with the Democrats.” TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS However, Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., told reporters that was not certain a vote would come as early as Friday morning. CAPITOL HILL BRACES FOR HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN OVER $36T US DEBT CRISIS “I don’t have any reason to believe there will be a vote at 10 o’clock,” Johnson said. “I know some people would like to get something on the floor this morning.” Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, leaving a Democratic caucus meeting on Friday, also told reporters that Democrats had no update on the timing for a potential vote. Democratic members told reporters that Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was in talks with Johnson to try and reach a deal ahead of the partial government shutdown deadline, but suggested that the GOP put the original bipartisan deal on the floor. 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 late Frisy morning that House Republican negotiators had tentatively reached an agreement that 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. The speaker originally put forward a 1,547-page bipartisan deal that would have extended the government funding deadline until March 14, but the proposal crumbled after Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy criticized the spending bill. A new proposal, backed by Trump, was hastily negotiated on Thursday, but failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night. The bill needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass, but failed to even net a majority, with two Democrats voting with the majority of Republicans to pass the bill, and 38 GOP lawmakers against. The national debt has climbed to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion.
Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, predicted that House Speaker Mike Johnson would not retain the gavel next year and called for either Elon Musk or Vivek Ramaswamy to fill the leadership role. “I don’t think the speaker is going to remain in power,” Lee predicted during a Thursday night appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime.” The senator went on to say if he is correct, the next speaker should be a “DOGE speaker,” a reference to the Department of Governmental Efficiency. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Musk and Ramaswamy to lead the effort to advocate for reduced government spending. “Vivek, Elon if you’re watching, please sign up, America needs you,” Lee said. TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN FAILS HOUSE VOTE In a Thursday morning post on X, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had floated the idea of Musk for House speaker. “Nothing would disrupt the swamp more than electing Elon Musk . . . think about it . . . nothing’s impossible. (not to mention the joy at seeing the collective establishment, aka ‘uniparty,’ lose their ever-lovin’ minds),” Paul posted Thursday morning. This week, with the prospect of a potential partial government shutdown looming, conservatives railed against a 1,547-page government spending measure advocated by House Speaker Mike Johnson. President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance also weighed in, declaring in a statement, “Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling.” Before a vote on Thursday, in which 38 House Republicans and most Democrats rejected a reworked proposal with a much lower page count, Trump lambasted Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tx., claiming that the lawmaker was “getting in the way, as usual, of having yet another Great Republican Victory – All for the sake of some cheap publicity for himself.” “Weak and ineffective people like Chip have to be dismissed as being utterly unknowledgeable as to the ways of politics, and as to Making America Great Again,” Trump asserted in a Truth Social post. TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS Lee spoke highly of Roy after Trump trashed the Lone Star State lawmaker. “There is not a more faithful advocate of conservative policy, constitutionally limited government, or MAGA principles than @ChipRoyTX,” Lee declared in a post on X. “President Trump will not have a more principled, hardworking ally than @ChipRoyTX,” he added. “If a more devoted advocate for the Constitution exists today, I have not met that person.” Roy delivered a fiery speech ahead of the vote on Thursday, in which he blasted the new version of the spending proposal and the Republicans supporting it. “Yes, I think this bill is better than it was yesterday on certain respects,” Roy noted, adding that to “congratulate yourself because it’s shorter in pages but increases the debt by $5 trillion is asinine.” Roy said he was “sickened by a party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility and has the temerity” to suggest the proposal was “fiscally responsible. It is absolutely ridiculous,” he asserted. Sen. Paul, R-Ky., reposted a clip of Roy’s speech, and commented, “We are either fiscally conservative or not. An unlimited increase in the debt ceiling for 2 years is not fiscally conservative and should be rejected.” MASSIE COMES OUT AGAINST JOHNSON RETAINING SPEAKER’S GAVEL: ‘HE DOES NOT HAVE MY VOTE’ In a post on X, Roy noted, “Currently, I’m against raising the debt ceiling without major spending cuts/reform.” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who like Roy, voted against passing the spending proposal on Thursday, suggested that instead of voting on a catchall measure, there should be multiple measures that receive individual votes. “This isn’t complicated. Separate the bills and vote on them individually. one vote on the clean CR one vote on the debt limit one vote on disaster relief one vote on farm bailouts Radical right? Individual bills for each issue,” he posted. Lee agreed with him. “Separate the bills,” he wrote. “Vote on them individually,” he added. “Revolutionary!”
Noem boasts outpouring of police, border union support for DHS chief: Current leaders ‘betrayed us’
Law enforcement organizations and unions nationwide are throwing their support behind Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Department of Homeland Security chief, citing her as the “best leader to restore justice” and tackle immigration woes left over from the Biden administration. “We respectfully urge you and your colleagues in the Senate to confirm Governor Noem without delay. The border security crisis demands immediate attention, and the confirmation of Governor Noem is a critical step in addressing this urgent issue,” International Union of Police Associations Local 6020, Broward Deputy Sheriffs Association, President Donald Prichard wrote in one of the endorsement letters to Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., earlier this month. At least eight police groups or unions have issued letters to Paul, calling on the upcoming chairman of the committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to swiftly confirm Noem to combat the immigration crisis along the southern border, as well as stem the flow of deadly narcotics coming across the border and crack down on crime. Trump announced Noem as his pick for DHS chief shortly after his decisive win over Vice President Kamala Harris in November. The DHS oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. ‘KNOWS HOW TO GET THINGS DONE’: BORDER PATROL UNION RALLIES AROUND NOEM AS DHS CHIEF Law enforcement groups that have endorsed Noem include: the National Fraternal Order of Police, the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers in the U.S.; the National Association of Police Organizations; the International Union of Police Associations; the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association; International Union of Police Associations Local 6020; the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; the Police Officers Association of Michigan; and the National Border Patrol Council. ‘SECURE OUR BORDER’: MASSIVE POLICE ORG CALLS FOR SWIFT CONFIRMATION OF NOEM TO DHS The Police Officers Association of Michigan – the Great Lakes State’s largest law enforcement group – endorsed Noem in a letter to Paul this month, lamenting that, under the Biden administration, police have faced a more difficult job as illegal immigration moved north and rocked the state. “We represented our members as they reported for work every day while others remained home during COVID and as groups of rioters attacked our members with a variety of weapons,” James Tignanelli, the president of the Michigan police group, wrote in a letter to Paul on Dec. 5. “The job has grown even more difficult because the Biden Administration has intentionally failed to enforce our immigration laws. Criminal aliens and deadly fentanyl have crossed our open borders and have increased crime in both rural and urban communities across Michigan. We always had the northern border to patrol. Now, the open border across the south has consumed Michigan as well. The current leadership of the Department of Homeland Security has betrayed us. Claims of ‘the border is secure’ were and are absurd,” he continued. The National Border Patrol Council, a union representing about 18,000 Border Patrol agents, called on Paul and his Senate colleagues to “quickly” consider Noem’s confirmation. TRUMP SELECTS SOUTH DAKOTA GOV KRISTI NOEM TO RUN DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY “On behalf of the men and women of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) who protect our nation’s borders, we are excited to provide our support for President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee, Governor Kristi Noem, to be the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security,” National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez wrote in a letter this month. The union said Noem has already established her ability to “get things done” both at home in South Dakota, and on the national stage when she aided Texas’ “Operation Lone Star” to battle the immigration crisis. ”Governor Noem was the first governor to deploy National Guard personnel to the border in Texas to support Operation Lone Star. This deployment bolstered our resources at a critical time along the border and helped to protect Texans and Americans alike.” GOV KRISTI NOEM REFLECTS ON TRUMP WIN, SAYS DEMOCRATS ‘TRY TO PUT WOMEN IN A BOX’ Noem has repeatedly deployed South Dakota National Guard troops to the southern border in Texas to help stem illegal border crossings as part of Operation Lone Star. “The border is a war zone, so we’re sending soldiers,” Noem said in a press release in February, which marked the fifth deployment of National Guard troops to the border under the Biden administration. “These soldiers’ primary mission will be construction of a wall to stem the flow of illegal immigrants, drug cartels, and human trafficking into the United States of America.” Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes wrote in his letter to Paul that his organization also looks “forward to working with [Noem] to secure our border.” “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employs more law enforcement than any other Federal department, and as such we ask the Committee to expeditiously review and confirm nominees as soon as possible to ensure a seamless transition. We especially encourage the committee to hold the earliest possible hearing on Governor Kristi L. Noem to be the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The FOP supports her nomination, and we look forward to working with her to secure our border,” Yoes wrote. WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT KRISTI NOEM, THE ‘BORDER HAWK’ NOMINATED BY TRUMP TO LEAD DHS Trump, who ran on a pledge to end the immigration crisis at the southern border and crack down on the deadly drug epidemic ravaging communities across the nation, announced his nomination of Noem just days after winning the election. “Kristi has been very strong on Border Security. She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times. She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries. I have known Kristi for years, and have worked with her
Illegal immigrant sexually abused child in the U.S. after being removed from the country five times
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in New York arrested a Mexican-born illegal immigrant who sexually abused a child after being removed from the country five times. According to ICE, the criminal immigrant, 36-year-old Raymond Rojas Basilio, sexually abused an 11-year-old child in the U.S. Rojas committed this crime after being removed from the country five times and then re-entering once again on an unknown date and at an unknown location, without admission by an immigration official. The New York Police Department arrested Rojas on Aug. 28, 2023. He was then convicted of forcible touching of the intimate parts of an 11-year-old victim by the Kings County Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Sept. 20, 2024. The court sentenced him to 60 days of incarceration and six years’ probation and required him to register as a sex offender. DRUNK IMMIGRANT KILLED 7 YEAR OLD MONTHS AFTER HE WAS RELEASED FROM ICE DETAINER New York ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents then arrested Rojas outside his residence in Queens on Dec. 17. U.S. Border Patrol first arrested Rojas, following three separate attempts to unlawfully enter the U.S. near Douglas, Arizona, in May 2002. Border protection officials then arrested Rojas again on Jan. 6, 2012, at Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona, when he attempted to enter the country using a fake Arizona Driver’s License and U.S. birth certificate. Just days later, on Jan. 11, border authorities again removed Rojas after he attempted to enter the country using fraudulent documents at another port of entry in Nogales. New York ICE Field Office Director Kenneth Genalo commented on the arrest, saying: “This criminal has repeatedly shown he has absolutely no regard for our nation’s laws, as evidenced by his repeated attempts to unlawfully or fraudulently enter the United States.” ICE NABS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN ALASKA, WASHINGTON STATE, OREGON, TEXAS WITH CONVICTIONS FOR CHILD EXPLOITATION “As this case illustrates, it only takes one successful unlawful entry to do irreparable harm to a member of our community,” he continued. He said that local “non-cooperation policies” in place had prevented ICE from taking immediate custody of Rojas following his sentencing by the Brooklyn court. “However, due to the diligence of our officers, ERO New York City was able to rapidly apprehend this public safety threat before he could harm any other New Yorkers,” said Genalo. According to the statement, Rojas is currently in ICE custody pending removal to Mexico.
Biden-Harris admin rolls out another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts
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. The action brings the total loan forgiveness approved by Biden to nearly $180 billion for nearly 5 million borrowers. HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL “With the approval of another $4.28 billion in loan forgiveness for nearly 55,000 public servants, the Administration has secured nearly $180 billion in life-changing student debt relief for nearly five million borrowers,” Cardona said. “The U.S. Department of Education’s successful transformation of the PSLF Program is a testament to what’s possible when you have leaders, like President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are relentlessly and unapologetically focused on making government deliver for everyday working people.” The Biden-Harris administration touted the program for creating an “incentive” for public servants to “pursue and remain” in their careers by forgiving borrowers’ remaining balance after they made the 120 qualifying monthly payments. DAD WHO SACRIFICED HIS SAVINGS TO PAY FOR SON’S COLLEGE CALLS STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS A ‘BITTER PILL’ “The relief announced today includes both borrowers who have benefitted from the Administration’s limited PSLF waiver, a temporary opportunity that ended in October 2022, as well as from regulatory improvements made to the program during this Administration,” the release said. During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden pledged to forgive student loans for millions of Americans if elected, but the president has faced continuous legal roadblocks in his attempt to eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in debt. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s first attempt at providing broad-based student loan forgiveness, ruling it was an overreach of the executive branch’s authority under the Constitution, the president and his team began to work on other options to provide handouts. President-elect Trump has not said specifically how he will approach the Biden administration’s student loan handout plans, but he has said he plans to rework the entire education system during his term. Fox News Digital’s Audrie Spady contributed to this report.
Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate
The Senate’s top DOGE Republican will send 24 letters – one to each major federal agency head – demanding a halt to last-minute work-from-home negotiations before President Biden returns to Delaware. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate GOP Policy Committee, made the demand days after crafting legislation for 2025 that would “decentralize” and relocate one-third of the federal workforce outside Washington, D.C. That bill’s lengthy acronym spells out “DRAIN THE SWAMP Act.” Ernst said that not a single government agency’s office space is half-occupied two-plus years on from the COVID-19 pandemic, and she previously called for the Biden administration to sell off unused real estate for taxpayers’ benefit. DOGE CAUCUS LEADER ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR ONE-THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS In her letters, Ernst laid out that 90% of telework-eligible federal employees are still working from home and only 6% report they are working on a “full-time basis.” Additionally, she wrote that public-sector unions are purportedly “dictating personnel policy” without regard to federal directives from the Office of Management & Budget (OMB), which is running up a massive tab and leading to wastes of time, space and money. “The union bosses are rushing to lock in last minute, lavish long-term deals with the lame-duck Biden administration—extending beyond President Trump’s next term in office—guaranteeing that bureaucrats can stay at home for another four years or longer,” Ernst wrote in one letter prepped for Office of Personnel Management director Robert Shriver III. “Apparently, protecting telework perks for public employees is a higher priority than showing up to serve American taxpayers,” she wrote, calling Biden’s submission to union demands “shocking and unacceptable.” She noted it was a similarly liberal president who vociferously opposed unionization of public employees in the first place, as Democrat Franklin Roosevelt wrote in a letter to a union steward declining a 1937 invitation to a national federal employee union convention. “All government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service,” Roosevelt said. TOP DOGE SENATOR DEMANDS ANSWERS ON PLAN TO EXHAUST CHIPS ACT FUNDS BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES “It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with government employee organizations.” “The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress.” Ernst suggested federal workers and their union representatives have forgotten Roosevelt’s warning, citing the last-minute push to ratify collective bargaining agreements and telework privilege pacts before President-elect Donald Trump can begin his oversight endeavors through DOGE. Ernst pointed out situations she said show union bosses and career agency management have the “government wrapped around their finger.” In the letters, she embedded a photo of former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley while he was serving as Biden’s Social Security Administration chief and who was wearing a Captain America T-shirt alongside a purported union official at a party. Ernst cited news reports of O’Malley going to Florida to party with union members before endorsing a contract preventing easy reduction of work-from-home ability. She said O’Malley spent the trip “crooning” Irish ballads on his guitar and drinking alcohol. “This buddy-buddy relationship between the Social Security Commissioner and the union bosses representing his workforce during what is supposed to be a negotiation resulted in a contract unbelievably slanted towards the union and against the interests of taxpayers and the mission of the agency,” she said. In another case, she pointed to Housing & Urban Development employees who may not have deserved the TFUT or “taxpayer-funded union time” they filed for. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP One such worker successfully claimed compensation while in jail. Ernst demanded the agencies report data on TFUT claims and payouts, unused or underused real estate holdings designated for use through collective bargaining, and any cases of each agency permitting unions or their employees to use department property at a discount or for free. “Giving bureaucrats another four-year vacation from the office is unacceptable. Bureaucrats have had enough gap years—it’s time to get them back to work,” she said. Fox News’ Julia Johnson contributed to this report.