Montana judge temporarily blocks rules banning transgender people from changing sex on state documents
A rule banning transgender people in Montana from changing the sex designation on their birth certificates and driver’s licenses will be temporarily blocked following a state judge’s ruling. District Judge Mike Menahan on Monday ruled that the ban would be blocked while the case proceeds through the courts. Under state law, transgender people born in Montana are blocked from changing the sex designation on their birth certificate, and transgender residents are prevented from changing the sex on their driver’s licenses without an amended birth certificate. Two transgender women filed the case in April on behalf of themselves and others who have been unable to obtain documents “that accurately reflect their sex,” the complaint said. MONTANA SUPREME COURT BLOCKS BAN ON TRANSGENDER SURGERIES, PROMPTING OUTCRY FROM GOP LAWMAKER, SUPPORTERS The state had argued that sex is binary, either male or female, and that being transgender is not a protected class of people who could have their constitutional rights to privacy violated. Menahan said it was not necessary at this point in the litigation to determine whether transgender Montanans constitute a special class on the basis of their transgender status, and disagreed with the state’s argument that discrimination on the basis of transgender status is not discrimination on the basis of sex. TRANSGENDER WOMEN ARE ‘EVERY BIT AS ‘BIOLOGICALLY FEMALE’ AS CIS WOMEN,’ BISEXUAL, TRANS STATE LAWMAKER CLAIMS “If the challenged state actions discriminate against transgender individuals on the basis of their transgender status, they also necessarily discriminate on the basis of sex,” he wrote. The ruling comes days after the Montana supreme court temporarily blocked a state law banning transgender surgeries for minors, saying the law likely violates Montana’s constitutional right to privacy. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Key Trump ally comes out against massive emergency spending plan: ‘This bill should not pass’
Billionaire and key Trump ally Elon Musk came out in opposition to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposed bill to keep the government funded on Wednesday. Musk attacked the bill on social media, arguing the 1,547-page document is full of “pork.” The legislation is designed to avoid a Friday government shutdown and fund the government through March. “This bill should not pass,” Musk wrote bluntly on X. Republican congressional leaders have defended their plan for a stopgap spending bill, arguing it would allow President-elect Trump to have a greater influence on spending when the question comes up again in the spring. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT Vivek Ramaswamy, another ally of Trump, expressed skepticism of the bill Tuesday night, but did not oppose it outright. “Currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government through mid-March. Expecting every U.S. Congressman & Senator to do the same,” Ramaswamy wrote on X. Trump himself has not weighed in on the budget battle, but several GOP lawmakers had expressed skepticism of a large funding package earlier this week. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER “We talked with the speaker up until this weekend, the only discussion was ‘How long is this clean CR going to be?’ And suddenly we find out – I heard rumors over the weekend – they’re negotiating with a health care package that included PBM stuff,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital before the bill released on Tuesday. “PBM stuff” refers to a provision in the bill lessening the influence of pharmacy benefit managers. Johnson has given lawmakers three days to read the bill, setting up a vote for Friday. He has argued that the bill’s massive bulk is due to natural disasters and other incidents that must be paid for but are out of the government’s control, rather than the omnibus spending plans of previous years. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY The bill includes $100 billion in disaster relief for Hurricanes Milton and Helene, as well as $8 billion for the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The GOP currently holds just a one-seat majority in the House, meaning Johnson will likely have to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill. The legislation must also pass the Senate by the Friday deadline to avoid a shutdown. Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Trump says US subsidies to Canada make ‘no sense,’ suggests Canadians want ‘to become the 51st State’
President-elect Trump continued with his trolling of Canada early Wednesday, slamming U.S. subsidies to its northern neighbor and again claiming that Canadians supposedly want to become the 51st U.S. state. In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote: “No one can answer why we subsidize Canada to the tune of over $100,000,000 a year?” “Makes no sense! Many Canadians want Canada to become the 51st State. They would save massively on Taxes and military protection,” Trump wrote. The post comes amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Canada over the incoming president’s plans to impose 25% tariffs on Canada for failing to address trade and immigration issues. TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON POLITICAL TURMOIL IN THE ‘GREAT STATE OF CANADA,’ TROLLS ‘GOVERNOR JUSTIN TRUDEAU’ Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago in an effort to discuss the issue. Sources say that Trump became animated when it came to the U.S. trade deficit with Canada, which he estimated to be more than $100 billion. TRUMP MAKES A BLIZZARD OF NEWS, SHOWS RESTRAINT AT PRESSER, EVEN WHILE SLAMMING MEDIA Trump reportedly suggested to Trudeau that if tariffs on Canada would kill its economy, then perhaps Canada should become the 51st U.S. state. Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Canadian imports, meanwhile, as unnerved Canada, which is highly integrated with the U.S. economy. About 60% of U.S. crude oil imports are from Canada, and 85% of U.S. electricity imports as well. Canada is also the largest foreign supplier of steel, aluminum and uranium to the U.S. and has 34 critical minerals and metals that the Pentagon is eager for. Nearly $3.6 billion Canadian – or $2.7 billion U.S. – worth of goods and services cross the border each day. Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FBI warns New Jersey residents not to shoot down drones or point lasers at aircraft
The FBI field office in Newark urged New Jersey residents this week not to shoot down drones or point lasers at manned aircraft, taking to social media to warn against the dangerous — and possibly deadly — activity, which comes amid an uptick in reported drone sightings along the U.S. East Coast. The drone sightings have prompted a collective sense of panic among residents, who have taken to social media to share photos and videos of believed drones captured in the darkened U.S. skies. The shared sense of fear-mongering has also prompted some vigilante-like responses, with some social media users documenting efforts to take matters into their own hands, including via laser beam. In the statement, released by the FBI and New Jersey State Police, authorities expressly warned against such activities, citing an increase in pilots of manned aircraft in the area who have been hit in the eyes with lasers after being misidentified as a drone by someone on the ground. ‘DRONE’ SIGHTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST SPARK ‘UNFOUNDED’ PANIC, SAYS EXPERT Officials said there is also a concern that people on the ground could also mistakenly fire weapons at what they believe to be an Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, but is in fact a manned aircraft. “FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking,” the authorities said in the statement. “However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS.” They also noted how easy it can be for an individual on the ground to mistake a manned aircraft for a UAS. “Misidentification often occurs when UAS are mistaken for more familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets or stars,” they said. “To improve accuracy and prevent false sightings, a variety of tools and techniques can be used to assist with the visual identification of suspected UAS. Accurate identification is critical for maintaining safety and ensuring appropriate responses to UAS activity.” MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES The statement from the FBI field office and state police comes as New Jersey residents and lawmakers have voiced frustrations about the uptick in drone sightings and what they view as a lack of answers they have been given by the federal government in response. Still, U.S. officials have sought to emphasize that the aircraft in question are not, in fact, a national security threat. Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, stressed to reporters during a briefing Tuesday that the drones are any sort of government asset, and ruled out the notion that they were any part of “experimental program” being tested by the U.S. In a joint statement Monday, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense said that, while they “recognize the concern” from the general public, there is no evidence that the drones are “anomalous” or a threat to public safety or to U.S. national security. Separately, senior officials from the CIA, FBI, and DOD traveled to Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon to brief lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee on the uptick in drone sightings. It is unclear, however, how far these efforts have gone to thwart the rise in public concerns. The FBI said Monday that it has received more than 5,000 reports of alleged drone sightings in the last “few weeks” — reflecting the rise in panic from some residents, including many who have taken to social media to document their sightings on social media. Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, R-Conn., used an interview on “Fox News Sunday” to call on more federal agencies — including the Federal Aviation Administration — to share more information about the drone sightings with the public. “The FAA in particular, which is the agency of jurisdiction through the domestic skies, ought to be out Saturday morning saying, ‘Let’s show you a picture at the number of aircraft, commercial and private and military, that go over New Jersey in any 24-hour period,’” Himes said. “Just putting information out there to fill that vacuum would be helpful,” he added.
Mike Lee looks to halt welfare for illegals going on under Biden with key budget process
FIRST ON FOX: Republicans are looking to stop welfare and other benefits from going to illegal immigrants paroled into the U.S. — and they are angling to pass it through the budget reconciliation process, bypassing the Senate’s 60-vote legislative filibuster. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is introducing the “America First Act” on Wednesday, which would change the requirements outlined in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act to explicitly exclude people in the country illegally, including those granted asylum, those who are paroled into the country or people being withheld from deportation. FARM STATE REPUBLICANS APPEAR SKEPTICAL ABOUT RFK JR AMID HIS QUEST FOR HHS CONFIRMATION These individuals would not be eligible to receive welfare benefits, including participation in programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or certain housing benefits. The bill is also being introduced in the House of Representatives by Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas and Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. RFK JR. SAYS HE PLANS TO ALSO MEET WITH DEMS IN BID TO GET CONFIRMED AS TRUMP HHS HEAD Many bills have met their doom in the Senate as a result of the legislative filibuster, which can block measures that fail to reach 60 votes on a cloture motion. However, when a policy is passed through budget reconciliation, which Republicans are set to use in the new Congress to pass key priorities of President-elect Donald Trump, it can be advanced with just a simple majority. ELIZABETH WARREN WANTS ANSWERS FROM TRUMP OVER ELON MUSK ‘CONFLICTS OF INTEREST’ This is how Lee, Roy and Arrington are hoping to get their legislation over the finish line. The Utah senator is currently negotiating to have the policy included in the upcoming budget reconciliation package, where it would act as a “pay-for” for other items, such as border security. Lee’s office pointed to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) July report on the “Effects of the Immigration Surge on the Federal Budget and the Economy.” As the senator’s team highlighted, the CBO revealed, “The immigration surge adds $0.3 trillion to outlays for federal mandatory programs and net spending for interest on the debt over the 2024–2034 period in CBO’s projections.” DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM The Republican bill would additionally remove eligibility of these outlined non-citizens for various educational, healthcare and housing benefits, disaster aid or tax credits. The White House did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
Democratic Party chair frontrunner acknowledges ‘we’re getting our butts kicked right now’
A top contender in the race to become the next Democratic National Committee chair acknowledged after last month’s elections that “we’re getting our butts kicked right now.” Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party chair Ken Martin, a DNC vice chair who has led the association of state Democratic Party chairs, says the marching order for his party is “win the U.S. House back, win the Senate back and, of course, win the presidency in ’28.” But Martin, considered a DNC frontrunner, emphasized that equally important is “making sure that we are growing our party and contesting in every public policy arena throughout this nation, from school boards to the mayorships, to country boards, to city councils to state legislative races.” Democrats suffered major setbacks up and down the ballot in the 2024 elections as former President Trump recaptured the White House and the GOP flipped the Senate and held onto its fragile majority in the House. KAMALA HARRIS POLLSTER SAYS DEMOCRATS NEED NEW PLAYBOOK TO CONFRONT TRUMP The aggressive strategy of President-elect Trump’s campaign and Republicans up and down the ballot of appearances on podcasts and other non-traditional media is credited, in part, for the gains they made in winning the support of working class, minority, younger and low-propensity voters. Current DNC chair Jaime Harrison is not seeking another four-year term steering the national party committee. The next chair will be chosen by the roughly 450 voting members of the national party committee when they meet Feb. 1 at National Harbor in Maryland for the DNC’s winter meeting. REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR SPELLS OUT THE PARTY’S 2026 GAME PLAN Another top contender is Ben Wikler, who has steered the state Democratic Party in battleground Wisconsin since 2019 and, like Martin, is well known by the voting members. Also considered competitive is Martin O’Malley, the former two-term Maryland governor and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate who served as commissioner of the Social Security Administration the past year, Also running are James Skoufis, a New York state senator who launched his long shot bid last month, and former Department of Homeland Security official Nate Snyder, who announced his uphill climb for chair last week. Fox News Digital interviewed Martin, Wikler and O’Malley ahead of last week’s meeting of the DNC’s executive committee, which was the first time the panel had gathered since November’s election. TRUMP ALLIES TURN UP THE HEAT ON HOLDOUT GOP SENATORS Martin said if he becomes chair, the first thing he would do is “figure out a plan to win. And we need to start writing that plan, making sure we’re looking underneath the hood. How much money do we have at the party? What are the contracts? What contracts do we need to get rid of? And, frankly, bringing all of our stakeholder groups together, that’s the biggest thing. “We don’t have a lot of time,” Martin emphasized. “There’s elections bearing down on us in New Jersey and Virginia in just 10 months, so we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Martin has repeatedly pledged he’ll “contest every race in every zip code.” “It absolutely is realistic,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’m not going to take a scarcity mindset when we just spent close to $2 billion on a presidential election. … There’s enough resources around for the DNC to actually start contesting races up and down the ballot.” Even though he says he’s won commitments of support from nearly half the voting members he needs to become the chair, Martin said, “I’m not taking anything for granted. I certainly am proud of the support I’ve seen so far. But I’ve got a long ways to go.” But, he added, “I’m clearly ahead right now. I like where we’re at.” Wikler, in his interview, highlighted that “the goal for the Democratic Party should not be to win 47 seats or 51 seats in the Senate. We should be aiming bigger because we know the values of the Democratic Party around a country that works for working people and around freedom and dignity and respect for everyone. Those are deeply shared values across the country. “I think a lot of change is needed in order to grow stronger, get our message to everyone and enlist support from everyone who thinks that this country should work for folks who have to work to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table.” Wikler said the party needs to show voters “that we’re fighting for them against those who would try to rig the economy for those at the very top and deliver that message in places where people aren’t paying attention to politics much, but they know what they’re struggling with in their own lives. “That means communicating in clear language in a way that shows people that we see them. And with our actions showing that we’re fighting for them to bring costs down and make sure that working people have a fair shot in this country,” he added. Wikler pointed to the success of Democrats in his home state, a crucial battleground, as a reason he’ll be competitive in the chair race. He said the party is “united in its desire to win elections. And, in Wisconsin, we have some of the most closely fought, intense elections. We’ve had to learn to deal with everything that Republican candidates and campaigns throw our way. And I think the energy around it, figuring out how to get stronger and bigger and reach more people in more places, will give me a path to winning the DNC chair’s race and then working to unite this party to fight and win up and down the ballot.” O’Malley, who turns 62 next month, is the oldest of the candidates running for chair. He said he’s running for DNC chair “because I love my country, and the only way we’re going to save the Republic is if the Democratic Party gets itself battle ready as quickly as possible.” “I have had the
Trump makes a blizzard of news, shows restraint at presser, even while slamming the media
I’m not thrilled that Donald Trump has renewed his attack on the “corrupt media.” Fresh off his $15-million victory over ABC and George Stephanopoulos, Trump yesterday sued the Des Moines Register and gold-standard pollster Ann Selzer over a bad survey. She projected him losing by 4 points, and he won the state by 13 points. He called this “brazen election interference.” Trump is also pursuing legal action against CBS for the “60 Minutes” blunder in substituting a crisper Kamala Harris response to a different question than was asked. But the network can argue that this was normal television editing. Trump is unlikely to win those suits, but he doesn’t care. Just putting his perceived opponents through the ordeal and considerable expense of defending themselves is reward enough. A KINDER, GENTLER TRUMP? PRESIDENT-ELECT TAKING A MORE MODERATE STANCE Most legal experts say ABC could have won its suit, involving Stephanopoulos’ repeatedly saying Trump was found liable for “rape,” as opposed to “sexual abuse,” in the E. Jean Carroll suit, because of the malice standard for a public figure. Trump would have to prove the network knowingly showed reckless disregard for the truth. But ABC would have endured the embarrassment of turning over emails, texts and cell-phone records. What surprised me, though, was that the president-elect shifted to attack mode just days after saying he had “tamed” the press and was getting better coverage. So much for the cease-fire. But some of Trump’s more positive aspects were on display during the hourlong presser, a seriousness of purpose that I saw in our New York interview two weeks before the election. I’ve known Donald Trump for more than three decades, interviewed him twice this year, and now that we’re done with the sometimes incendiary rhetoric of the campaign, he sounds different. With apparently boundless energy at 78, he deliberately speaks a bit more slowly and softly, while moderating his positions on a number of divisive issues. He knows how to deflect questions he shouldn’t answer, such as “Will you retaliate against Iran.” He threw in phrases like “maybe it was my fault,” deflating any superhuman image. He recently admitted it would be hard to get grocery prices down. The incoming president was asked whether Republican senators who oppose his nominees should be primaried. His response was carefully composed. TRUMP THREATENS MORE LAWSUITS AGAINST MEDIA AS ABC TO PAY $15 MILLION TO SETTLE CASE “If they are unreasonable, I’ll give you a different answer. An answer that you’ll be shocked to hear. If they’re unreasonable, if they’re opposing somebody for political reasons or stupid reasons, I would say it has nothing to do with me. I would say they probably would be primaried, but, if they’re reasonable, fair, and really disagree with something or somebody, I could see that happening.” Of course it’s Trump who determines what’s reasonable or fair. Asked about the parade of Silicon Valley executives who have come or are coming to Mar-a-Lago – the leaders of Meta, Amazon, Google, Apple and others – Trump noted they were “very hostile” in his first term (“and maybe that was my fault, but I don’t really think so”). It doesn’t hurt that Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are kicking in a million bucks for his inauguration. “One of the big differences” is that “everybody was fighting me” in the first term. Now, “everybody wants to be my friend. I don’t know, my personality changed or something.” That was tongue in cheek. What was striking about the press conference was how much news Trump made on a wide range of subjects, some of which barely got mentioned. He weighed in on the bogus Duke rape accuser, who finally admitted that she lied back in 2006, saying life would never be the same for the lacrosse players who did nothing wrong. He talked about how the Biden team was not leveling with the public about the drones. He described the “sickness” of those who positively view the alleged murderer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. He backed the polio vaccine. He defended Pete Hegseth. He talked Venezuela and Syria and Turkey and North Korea and Bibi. He ruminated about TikTok. There was a sense of deja vu, a stark reminder of how Trump was a round-the-clock source of news in the first term, even when he was talking to reporters he disliked, sometimes denigrating them or counterpunching against their coverage. The contrast with the soon-to-be Former Guy, who made no news on the weekends that he usually spent in Delaware or at Camp David, could hardly be greater. So beyond the full-throated attack on the media, long his favorite foil, the Incoming Guy actually showed restraint and nuance and was clearly enjoying himself. Now maybe Trump has just been in a bad mood the last couple of days. After Judge Juan Merchan refused to toss out the hush money conviction on grounds that his private actions were not covered by the recent Supreme Court ruling on official acts, the incoming president yesterday posted this: SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE’S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY’S HOTTEST STORIES “Merchan, who is far worse and even more corrupt than [Jack] Smith in his fight for my hopeless political opponents, just cannot let go of this charade. Is it because of his conflicts and relations that he keeps breaking the Law? This has to stop!… “In a completely illegal, psychotic order, the deeply conflicted, corrupt, biased, and incompetent Acting Justice Juan Merchan has completely disrespected the United States Supreme Court, and its Historic Decision on Immunity. But even without Immunity, this illegitimate case is nothing but a Rigged Hoax.” Now there’s the Donald we all came to know during the trial.
Spate of health scares and violent threats highlight growing vulnerabilities for lawmakers on Capitol Hill
Members of Congress are vulnerable. They’re not super men and women. They are of flesh and bone like anyone else. A series of unconnected events in recent days spoke to the vulnerabilities of those who work on Capitol Hill as health scares impacted three well-known Congressional figures. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell during the weekly Senate lunch last week. DC Fire and Rescue came to the Capitol to evaluate the GOP leader after he cut his face and sprained his wrist. He was spotted later wearing a brace on his arm which stretched across his hand and thumb. He was initially “cleared to resume his schedule.” However, McConnell did not appear at the Capitol later in the week and his office said he was working from home. He suffered a concussion last year after falling at a hotel and was out for two months. McConnell also froze up at several news conferences – both in Washington and in Kentucky. He fell at his home in 2019, fracturing his shoulder. DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM The 83-year-old McConnell leaves his position as the top Republican in the Senate in early January, but will remain in the chamber. McConnell is the longest-serving leader of either party in Senate history. McConnell did not appear at what is presumably the final Senate GOP leadership news conference of the year Tuesday. He also didn’t attend a ceremony with the other top bipartisan, bicameral Congressional leaders to light the Capitol menorah for Hanukkah. McConnell isn’t the only prominent lawmaker to stumble lately. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., was hospitalized in Germany after a tumble that resulted in her hip needing to be replaced. She was there with other lawmakers for the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. PLANES, STARS AND HOBBYISTS: LAWMAKERS INSIST NOTHING ‘NEFARIOUS’ IS HAPPENING IN NJ SKIES “I was right next to her,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. “She likes to wear high heels. Very high. She was on one of her last steps on this marble staircase that didn’t have a railing, and she lost her footing and fell to the ground.” McCaul later said he spoke to Pelosi on the phone. “She had a lot of energy. Very spunky,” McCaul said of the former Speaker. FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI INJURED, HOSPITALIZED WHILE TRAVELING TO LUXEMBOURG Retired Rear Admiral Barry Black isn’t a senator, but frankly, his commanding, rumbling bass is better known than the voice of many senators. Always sporting his signature bow tie, Black has served as Senate Chaplain since 2003. He suffered a subdural hematoma and bleeding on the brain last week and has been hospitalized. “Chaplain Black is one of the most beloved individuals in the entire Senate. Every day we gavel into session, he is always here to start us off in prayer, delivered with his profound sense of wisdom, grace, and eloquence,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. The only thing more resonant than Black’s powerful vocal instrument are his words. Black artfully weaves friendly, pastoral counsel into his daily intercessions. He prayed that senators “not permit fatigue or cynicism to jeopardize friendships” in 2019 ahead of the first impeachment trial of President-elect Trump. During the 2013 government shutdown, Black gently chided senators who shuttered the government – even though U.S. Capitol Police remained on the job and were injured during a wild car chase and shootout which locked down the Congressional complex. “Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable,” prayed Black. There’s not a lot which is reasonable on Capitol Hill, and perhaps the most unreasonable thing heard over the past week came from U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger. MCCONNELL WARNS RFK JR. TO STEER CLEAR OF THE POLIO VACCINE While the chief was just the messenger, Manger informed a Senate committee that his department recorded a staggering 700 individual threats of violence lodged against lawmakers in November alone. More horrifically, Manger said there were a record 55 “swatting” calls made against lawmakers at their homes. “Swatting” is where someone phones in a fake distress call. Police then dispatch the “SWAT” team to the address, generally rattling the intended targets. “It used to be that if you know when you went home, you might be able to relax a little bit while,” Manger testified to the Senate Rules Committee. “Those days are gone.” Threats were called in on Thanksgiving Day to the entire Connecticut House and Senate delegation. Some lawmakers face more problems than others. “I’m sadly the record holder possibly for swatting calls,” lamented Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. And these faux threats sometimes result in utter calamity for innocent bystanders. Rome, Ga., bomb squad member David Metroka was racing to join the rest of his team at Greene’s house when he crashed into a car driven by Tammie Pickelsimer. She later died at a hospital. APPARENT SWATTING CALL AT REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE’S GEORGIA HOME LEADS TO DEADLY CAR ACCIDENT In fact, the threat to Greene’s residence wasn’t even unfolding in real time. It was emailed to local police and wound up in a junk email folder. Officers found the message several days later and dispatched the bomb squad. How do lawmakers protect themselves in such a supercharged environment? “I’m a gun owner,” said Greene. “It’s extremely important to be able to defend myself if need be.” Lawmakers have long faced threats. Some of the most tragic, chaotic moments in recent Congressional history have involved violence. January 6. The shooting of former Reps. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and Ron Barber, D-Ariz. The Congressional baseball practice shooting, which nearly killed House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La. And then there is something else which spooked everyone who works on Capitol Hill, especially lawmakers who have been targeted before: A recent cold-blooded assassination in Midtown Manhattan. “I find it troubling that there have been public figures who either have
Trump names Herschel Walker, Nicole McGraw to ambassador positions before issuing warning to GOP senators
President-elect Trump dropped his most recent round of ambassador nominations on social media Tuesday night, before issuing a warning to Senate Republicans about any potential deals with Democratic lawmakers. The Republican leader began by nominating Herschel Walker as his choice for U.S. ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Walker, a staunch Trump ally, ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022 as a candidate from Georgia. “I am pleased to nominate Herschel Walker as United States Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,” Trump’s post began. “Herschel has spent decades serving as an Ambassador to our Nation’s youth, our men and women in the Military, and athletes at home and abroad.” Trump went on to call Walker, a former National Football League (NFL) player, a “successful businessman, philanthropist, former Heisman Trophy winner, and NFL Great.” The president-elect also commended Walker’s previous work in the first Trump administration. TIDE TURNS FOR HEGSETH AS TRUMP’S DEFENSE SECRETARY NOMINEE GOES ON OFFENSE “During my First Term, he served as Co-Chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. Herschel has traveled to over 400 Military installations around the World, removing the stigma surrounding mental health,” Trump added. “He represented the United States at the 1992 Winter Olympics as a member of the U.S. bobsled team.” “Congratulations Herschel! You will make Georgia, and our entire Nation, proud, because we know you will always put AMERICA FIRST!” Trump followed up his post about Walker to announce Nicole McGraw as his pick for U.S. ambassador to Croatia. The president-elect described McGraw as a “philanthropist, businesswoman, and World renowned art collector.” GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR? “Nicole has brought fine art to the People through her work leading CANVAS Art Charities, and raised Millions of Dollars for neglected and abused children as a Board Member of Place of Hope,” Trump wrote. “She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Art History and Studio Art. Congratulations Nicole!” After issuing the nominations, Trump ended with a note warning Senate Republicans not to make deals with Democrats to “fast track” nominations this month. “To all Senate Republicans: NO DEAL WITH DEMOCRATS TO FAST TRACK NOMINATIONS AT THE END OF THIS CONGRESS,” Trump wrote. “I won the biggest mandate in 129 years. I will make my appointments of Very Qualified People in January when I am sworn in.”
Lawmakers eye ‘low hanging fruit’ for government efficiency after first DOGE Caucus meeting
Some lawmakers in the new Congressional DOGE Caucus are eyeing a crackdown on federal agencies work-from-home policies when Republicans take over the levers of power in Washington DC next year. The group’s name is an acronym for Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency, coinciding with the Department of Government Efficiency – also DOGE for short – a new advisory panel commissioned by President-elect Trump and led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The caucus held its first meeting on Tuesday, which lawmakers described to Fox News Digital as largely “organizational.” DOGE Caucus co-chair Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital the room was full of interested lawmakers. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN “We had 29 sign up to come, so we met in a small conference room. But it was packed – we had over 60 members attend,” Bean said. That included three Democrats – Reps. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., Val Hoyle, D-Ore., and the first Democrat to join the DOGE Caucus, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla. Documents given to attendees and shared with Fox News Digital encouraged lawmakers to think of what kind of DOGE goals would be “worthwhile lifts,” “quick wins,” “lower priority,” and “low-hanging fruit” and other ways to organize and prioritize initiatives. Asked about what some “low-hanging fruit” for the panel would be, Bean said, “People going back to work.” REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ FIRST DEMOCRAT TO JOIN CONGRESSIONAL DOGE CAUCUS “We have a problem,” Bean said. “[Federal workers] do a large amount of work from home. Which, that’s a debate – whether or not they’re productive working from home. But if they are working from home, we have between a 6 and 15% occupancy of billions of square foot of commercial buildings that we are spending billions on to upkeep and whatnot. Do we still need that much space if people aren’t using their offices?” That was echoed by Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, who also attended the meeting. “You know, when you take out security, you’ve got one percent of the federal government workers who are going in to work on a regular basis, and we’re paying for 100% of them all to have office space,” Van Duyne said. “There’s lots of low hanging fruit. I just hope we can identify what those are.” Bean also dismissed accusations from critics of Musk and Ramamswamy’s DOGE push that it was a way for Republicans to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits “That is not the intent,” Bean emphasized. “It is not the intent [to be] cutting benefits, of either health or [veterans] or Social Security. But those benefits…have limited shelf life, unless we make reductions elsewhere. So the purpose is not to cut those things, but to safeguard them.” REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY Other lawmakers who attended said they came away enthusiastic about the group’s cost-cutting and efficiency goals. “It was a good introductory meeting of the caucus, kind of challenging us all to think about our expectations and how we can help, you know, take ideas and move them in to bill form and work through the normal committee process to do that,” Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., said. “I’ve even gotten a lot of ideas from constituents…I think this is a really great grassroots effort.” House GOP Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore, R-Utah, another DOGE Caucus co-chair alongside Bean and Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said “there’s a billion and a half ideas, and we need to make it so it’s actually actionable for Vivek and Elon.” Both Bean and Moore indicated that the next steps for the caucus would be to split up into working groups targeting various aspects of DOGE’s mission. The next caucus meeting is expected in January, Bean said.