Trump, Pence shake hands at Carter funeral in first public meeting since leaving office
President-elect Trump and his former vice president, Mike Pence, shook hands at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral on Thursday in their first public interaction in four years. Pence was seen standing up to shake Trump’s hand as the former president arrived inside Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral for the funeral. After the two acknowledged each other and appeared to say a few words, Pence shook the hand of former first lady Melania Trump. Former second lady Karen Pence, who was seated next to her husband, did not stand up, shake Trump’s hand, nor did she appear to acknowledge him. Trump and Pence have not been seen publicly together since the two left the White House on rocky terms four years ago after not seeing eye to eye on the results of the presidential election and what legal recourse Trump had to contest it. FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER REMEMBERED AND PRAISED AS A HUMANITARIAN AROUND THE WORLD Pence briefly ran unsuccessfully for president against Trump in the 2024 presidential primary – dropping out in October 2023 – and did not endorse Trump at any point leading up to the November election. The two have publicly criticized each other over the past few years, including in 2023 when Trump called Pence “delusional” and the former vice president said last year he could not “in good conscience” endorse Trump. JIMMY CARTER MEMORIAL: SUSPECT ACCUSED IN CAPITOL HILL SECURITY BREACH DURING TRUMP VISIT IDENTIFIED All five living men who once occupied the White House – the so-called presidents’ club – President Biden and former Presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama and Trump were in the same room on Thursday for the first time since the 2018 funeral of former President George H.W. Bush. Former Vice Presidents Dan Quayle and Al Gore were also in attendance. Following the funeral, Carter’s remains will be flown to Georgia by the U.S. Air Force aboard Special Air Mission 39 for a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains. Carter, the 39th president, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100 after he was admitted to hospice care in 2023.
House Republicans introduce bill to repurchase Panama Canal after Trump raises concerns of Chinese control
House Republicans on Thursday introduced a bill for the United States to repurchase the Panama Canal after President-elect Trump raised concerns that the critical waterway is under Chinese control. The bill, named the Panama Canal Repurchase Act, was introduced by Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a member of the Select Committee on China and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “President Trump is right to consider repurchasing the Panama Canal,” Johnson said in a statement. “China’s interest in and presence around the canal is a cause for concern. America must project strength abroad – owning and operating the Panama Canal might be an important step towards a stronger America and a more secure globe.” The bill has 15 other Republican co-sponsors: Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Randy Weber, Troy Nehls and Brian Babin of Texas; Mike Collins, Barry Loudermilk and Andrew Clyde of Georgia; Barry Moore of Alabama; Jack Bergman of Michigan; Mike Rulli of Ohio; Neal Dunn and Aaron Bean of Florida; Erin Houchin of Indiana; Abraham Hamadeh of Arizona; and Mike Lawler of New York. PANAMA CANAL CEO DENIES TRUMP CLAIM THAT CHINA IN CONTROL, SAYS END OF CARTER NEUTRALITY TREATY MEANS ‘CHAOS’ If it becomes law, the bill would give the president authority to act in coordination with the secretary of state, to “initiate and conduct negotiations with appropriate counterparts of the Government of the Republic of Panama to reacquire the Panama Canal.” From the date the measure is enacted, the president has 180 days to submit a report to Congress detailing the progress of the negotiations, potential challenges and anticipated outcomes. The U.S. Department of State estimates around 72% of all vessels that travel through the Panama Canal are coming from or going to a U.S. port. Noting the canal’s strategic importance to the United States, Johnson’s office also noted how the waterway is a key transit point for U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Defense vessels. Without access to the canal, ships would be forced to travel 8,000 additional miles around South America. “More than 10,000 ships use the Panama Canal each year, generating billions of dollars of tolls which would economically benefit America,” Johnson’s office said. At a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, Trump was asked if he would assure the world he would not use “military or economic coercion” to gain control of the Panama Canal, as well as Greenland. “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two. But, I can say this. We need them for economic security. The Panama Canal was built for our military,” Trump said. “Look, the Panama Canal is vital to our country. It’s being operated by China. China. And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn’t give it to China. And they’ve abused it. They’ve abused that gift. It should have never been made.” TRUMP: CARTER WAS A ‘VERY FINE’ PERSON BUT PANAMA CANAL MOVES WERE ‘A BIG MISTAKE’ The Panamanian government has denied that China is controlling the Panama Canal, which the United States relinquished on the last day of 1999 under a treaty negotiated decades before by the late former President Jimmy Carter. Johnson’s office referenced China’s growing influence in the region around the Panama Canal. “In 2018, Panama was the first country in Latin America to join the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Belt and Road Initiative, and investments from PRC firms in canal infrastructure has only increased since. Further, PRC companies have managing rights for the two ports on either side of the canal,” the congressman’s office wrote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Two seaports on either side of the Panama Canal have been run for decades by the Hong-Kong-based company Hutchison Ports PPC, the New York Times reported. The newspaper highlighted how the Chinese government has increasingly implemented its national security laws on the island of Hong Kong that can force companies to comply with intelligence-gathering and military operations.
Did moderate Democrats get religion with embrace of Laken Riley Act?
Congressional Republicans campaigned on border security last year. So it should be of little surprise that their initial legislative action of 2025 focused on illegal immigration and tightening up the border. One can argue about whether Congressional Republicans appropriated the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley for political gain. The 22-year-old Riley went for a run last February and never returned. Jose Antonio Ibarra murdered Riley. He entered the country illegally from Venezuela. “He bashed her head in with a rock. This is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. People need to know what this animal did to her,” said Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., the main sponsor of the immigration bill. SENATE DEMS TO JOIN REPUBLICANS TO ADVANCE ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION BILL NAMED AFTER LAKEN RILEY Republicans seized on the episode. To the right, the Laken Riley case symbolized everything which was wrong about the border and the Biden Administration. Days after Riley’s death last year, the House approved the Laken Riley Act. The bill requires federal detention for anyone in the country illegally who is arrested for shoplifting or theft. Republicans argued that Riley would be with us today had such a policy been in place to pick up Ibarra. It will take months for Congressional Republicans to get on the same page when it comes to President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for a combined “big, beautiful bill” on tax policy, federal spending and immigration. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says the aim is to pass that reconciliation package in early April. Approving a border security package by itself would be challenging enough – and that’s to say nothing of the cost. So Congressional Republicans are targeting low-hanging fruit. Hence, the GOP turned to an old standby as their primary legislative effort for the new year: The Laken Riley Act. Progressive Democrats pounced, accusing Republicans of race-baiting. “It is simply an attempt to score cheap political points off of a tragic death,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., during the floor debate. “This is the Republican playbook over and over again. Scare people about immigrants.” A USER’S MANUAL TO CERTIFYING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION “Their bill today is an empty and opportunistic measure,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. “Pick a crime. Paste into it a template immigration law covering convicted criminals and then require detention or deportation of certain persons merely accused of committing the crime or arrested for committing the crime.” “It’s very clear that House Republicans are going to push an anti-immigrant agenda,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. “I personally voted against it because this would open a path for individuals with DACA, to be deported, even if they are just around someone who committed a crime.” Republicans clapped back. “To my Democratic colleagues, I ask you how many more laws with names attached to them do we need to pass before you take this crisis seriously?” asked Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., during a debate on the House floor. The majority of Democratic criticisms emanated from the left-wing of the party and progressives. But there’s an evolution underway in the Democratic Party. A practicality when it comes to border security, immigration and how the party mostly ignored the issue in the last election. And likely paid the price. LAKEN RILEY ACT PASSES HOUSE WITH 48 DEMS, ALL REPUBLICANS Thirty-seven House Democrats voted in favor of the Laken Riley Act when the House approved the initial version of the bill last year. That figure ballooned to 48 Democratic yeas this week when the House approved the 2025 Laken Riley Act in its first legislative vote of 2025. An examination of the vote matrix demonstrates how dozens of moderate Democrats or those representing swing districts voted yes. Six Democrats who voted nay last year flipped their vote to yea this time. That includes Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Penn., Val Hoyle, D-Ore., Lucy McBath, D-Ga., Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Terri Sewell, D-Ala. “I’m concerned about what happened to Miss Riley.” said Morelle, the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee. “I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to other people.” Other yeas came from longtime conservative Democrats like Rep. Henry Cueller, D-Tex. He represents a border district. When asked why he voted aye, Cueller responded, “That’s an easy one. We won’t welcome people that break the law.” Other moderates representing swing districts who voted yes included Reps. Angie Craig, D-Minn., Don Davis, D-N.C., Jared Golden, D-Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash. HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS REVIVE TRUMP-BACKED PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON NONCITIZEN VOTING So were Democrats getting religion after the election? “There was criticism that Democrats didn’t take immigration seriously,” yours truly asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. “Was there regret and that’s why some of these votes changed?” Jeffries attributed it to new members joining the Democratic Caucus. “It’s my understanding that there were approximately eight to ten additional Democratic votes this year as compared to last year. There are 30 new members of the House Democratic Caucus,” said Jeffries. But even though the bill passed the House, there’s always the Senate. And the Senate never considered the Laken Riley Act last year. “The Senate,” lamented Collins. “[The bill] got bogged down and never showed up anywhere. It fell into the black hole of the Senate. Like much of our legislation that we sent over there.” LEARNING CURVE: THE NEW PLAYERS IN CONGRESS But Republicans now control the Senate. Not the Democrats. New Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., made sure his body also made the Laken Riley Act its primary focus for early 2025. “Senate Democrats uniformly opposed (the Laken Riley Act) last year, despite the bill receiving bipartisan support in the House of Representatives,” said Thune. “We’ll see what they do when the new Senate majority brings it up for a vote.” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., who often bucks his party, quickly signed on to the Laken Riley Act. “It’s not xenophobic to want
Americans remember former President Carter’s ‘lifelong legacy’ outside National Cathedral memorial
WASHINGTON – Former President Jimmy Carter will be remembered for his kind spirit, faith and humanitarian efforts, viewers standing outside his funeral at the National Cathedral tell Fox News Digital. Carter died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, the only American president to have reached the century mark. Several memorials have been held for the 39th president, in both D.C. and Georgia, since his passing. Continuing with a long-held tradition, a memorial service was held for Carter at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where Fox New Digital spoke to people gathered outside the funeral about the late president’s lasting legacy. One woman recalled meeting Carter when she was just 7 years old, telling Fox News Digital that the fond interaction sparked her lifelong love for politics. JIMMY CARTER WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD REMEMBER HIM “My mom was a delegate to the ’76 convention representing Arkansas. And he came to Arkansas to campaign, and I met him. And I just remember him being very sweet,” she told Fox News Digital. AMERICANS FLOCK TO THE CAPITOL TO PAY RESPECTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER AHEAD OF FUNERAL: ‘JOB WELL DONE’ “I think that was the beginning of my love of politics and I know he’s just a really good man. And so we wanted to walk down and see if we could pay our respects,” she said. The woman’s husband also reflected on Carter’s legacy. “What I find interesting about President Carter is that he had a very short political career, right. So no more than 8 to 10 years. But then his lifelong legacy was all the humanitarian efforts that he did to help other people. And he made no one a stranger,” another individual told Fox. “I want to have a life that kind of reflects the life that he lived, really just supporting people and being there for them and making sure that everyone felt a part and no one was other.” President Biden declared Thursday to be a National Day of Mourning, meaning many Americans had the day off from work. Several of them spent the morning waiting outside the memorial to pay their respects. “I grew up when he was president, I was basically a kid. But also I followed him over the years for all the work he’s done with the homeless and the house building,” one viewer told Fox. “I had some good friends in Wisconsin who were part of his church. So I thought I would, on my day off, take a walk down and see if I could see anything.” A younger D.C. resident told Fox that while he did not experience Carter as president, he had followed his work during his post-presidency years. “I think he was definitely president before my lifetime. But I think, like I’ve always heard a lot about his post-presidency work and kind of what he’s done after the fact. I think, like that’s been something that’s really been meaningful just with Habitat for Humanity and stuff like that. I think like that generally is something that I’ll be remembering him for.” Following the D.C. memorial, Carter will be transported back to his home state of Georgia, where he will be buried next to his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter. Biden, President-elect Trump and former Presidents Obama and Clinton attended Thursday’s funeral service in D.C., the first time all living presidents have come together since former President H.W. Bush’s funeral in 2018.
‘Get back to work’: House Oversight to take on government telework in 1st hearing of new Congress
FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight Committee is holding its first hearing of the new Congress next week focused on prolonged pandemic-era telework for federal employees, with Chairman James Comer telling Fox News Digital that his priority is to bring federal workers back into office. The hearing, titled the “Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Administration Legacy,” is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. SENATE DOGE LEADER ERNST TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK ABUSE AT FIRST MEETING WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY Martin O’Malley, the former commissioner of the Social Security Administration; Rachel Greszler of the Economic Policy Innovation Center; and president of the board of the Federal City Council Tom Davis are set to testify. O’Malley, before the end of his tenure, locked in telework agreements for 42,000 Social Security employees until 2029. “President Donald Trump and his incoming Administration is set to be greeted by largely vacant federal government office buildings because the federal workforce is still taking advantage of the Biden Administration’s outdated and detrimental pandemic-era telework policies,” Comer told Fox News Digital. “Not only do these telework policies jeopardize the ability of agencies to deliver vital services to the American people, but reports indicate the Biden Administration is now working with federal employee unions to cement long-term guarantees of telework.” Comer told Fox News Digital that President-elect Donald Trump’s “agenda and critical services provided by the federal government should not be hindered or prevented because of unchecked federal workforce unions that are striking deals with the Biden Administration to stay at home.” NATION’S LARGEST LABOR UNION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES REBUKES GOP’S EFFORTS TO END TELEWORK “It’s past time for the federal workforce to get back to work in-person for the American people,” he said. “The House Oversight Committee remains committed to ensuring federal employees show up for the American people they serve.” According to a Senate report authored by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the federal government currently owns more than 7,000 vacant buildings and nearly 2,500 buildings that are partially empty. The report states that government buildings currently average an occupancy rate of 12%. During the hearing, the committee plans to examine how the Biden-Harris administration “failed to return federal workers to the office,” and said that failure could “hinder” the incoming Trump administration’s ability to bring them back, due to long-term guarantees of telework in deals signed with federal employee unions.
Trump chats up Obama while Clintons, Harris, ignore president-elect at Jimmy Carter funeral
President-elect Donald Trump and future first lady Melania Trump paid their respects to former President Jimmy Carter at his funeral in Woodley Park, Washington, D.C., on Thursday, when he and one of his most prominent political foes appeared to put politics aside. Seated at the end of the second row of presidential and vice presidential families, Trump and former President Barack Obama shared several minutes of chatting and chuckling as the rest filed in. Dressed in a dark suit and more subtle blue tie, versus his trademark red “Trump tie,” Trump filed in a little before 10 a.m. ET. As he entered his row, former Vice President Al Gore smiled and quickly stood up and was the first to greet him. CARTER’S DEATH SPURS OUTPOURING OF TRIBUTES FROM STATE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES: ‘A SERVANT’S HEART’ Gore, a Tennessee Democrat, did not have a significant other with him at the ceremony. He has been separated from former second lady Tipper Gore since 2010. Notably absent were former Vice President Dick Cheney and former second lady Lynne Cheney. Trump has notably clashed with his fellow Republican leader, and Cheney notably called him a “coward” during his ex-Rep. Liz Cheney’s doomed 2022 re-election bid in Wyoming. As Trump entered his row, he shared a brief moment with his one-time ally and running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence. The two men’s relationship soured following the Capitol Riot on January 6, 2021, when supporters of Trump threatened to hang the Indiana Republican. JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100 It was unclear what Pence said to Trump, but a rough reading of his lips appeared to say “good to see you.” Former second lady Karen Pence notably remained seated and did not engage when her husband and Gore stood to greet Trump. After the Trumps were seated, Obama arrived without Michelle Obama by his side. Obama paused to share a quick jovial comment with former Vice President Dan Quayle. Quayle – the first of the two Indiana Republican vice presidents of this generation – was seated on the aisle with former second lady Marilyn Quayle, who also sat next to Gore. Soon after, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush arrived. Bush appeared to receive the largest greeting of the living presidents assembled. The Pences, Gore and the Quayles reached over to greet Bush. Meanwhile, Obama and Trump could be seen continuing their conversation unimpeded. When former President Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential runner-up Hillary Clinton arrived, Trump and Obama largely ignored them as they chatted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Former President Bush appeared to be the first to stand up when Hillary Clinton took her seat. Former President Clinton, who was recently hospitalized, appeared lively and healthy at the funeral. Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff arrived next. Trump did not visibly acknowledge Harris, nor Harris to him. Emhoff looked straight ahead as Harris briefly looked over her shoulder and appeared to grimace when she saw Obama conversing with Trump. Emhoff and Harris shared a brief smile before focusing on the somber event once more, as the Clintons could be seen reading through their programs. When President Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived, Trump and Obama did not appear to greet them – as Trump soon began chatting with Melania. Jill Biden sat first, taking President Biden’s program off of his chair so he too could sit. President Biden appeared to wipe a mark from his pantleg and lightly brushed his brow before looking straight ahead. None of the other families appeared to greet the Bidens. Screenshots posted to X also showed outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watching Trump as the president-elect filed in.
Biden’s HHS secretary warns against implications of preemptive pardon for Fauci, others
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra warned against the impact of a preemptive presidential pardon for people like Dr. Anthony Fauci just hours after President Biden said in an interview that he was still considering it. “It sinks my heart to think that we’re going to use the pardon process in a way that will follow the whims of whoever’s in the White House,” Becerra, who previously served as California’s attorney general before taking his post at HHS, said in an interview with The New York Times on Wednesday. Becerra noted that he was speaking from his legal background as opposed to his position in Biden’s Cabinet. “I think we should hold that power, that only a president has, in very high regard,” he continued. “Because otherwise it becomes pedestrian, and it’s used anywhere, and I don’t think that should be the case.” When the HHS secretary was asked directly if he meant that the president should not pardon Fauci, who was Biden’s former chief medical adviser during the pandemic and served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for several decades, Becerra declined to clarify. BIDEN SETS RECORD WITH FIRST-TERM CLEMENCY GRANTS, HERE’S HOW OTHER PRESIDENTS RANK “I won’t try to interpret what you’re hearing; I just told you what I think,” he replied. Becerra’s comments came hours after Biden’s final interview as president with a print publication, during which he said preemptive pardons for Trump’s political targets were still under consideration. President-elect Trump’s nominees for director of the FBI and attorney general, Kash Patel and Pam Bondi, respectively, have previously indicated they are in favor of using the Justice Department to go after people they believe unfairly targeted Trump. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress and some of Trump’s top transition advisers, such as Elon Musk, have argued that Fauci should be prosecuted over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump’s nominee to be the successor to Becerra, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said while he was running for president – before joining Trump’s team – that he would prosecute Fauci if he won the November election and his attorney general determined that crimes had been committed in Fauci’s handling of the coronavirus. During the pandemic, Fauci was accused of working to evade public records laws and lying to Congress in apparent efforts to conceal the origins of the virus. Democrats are split on whether Biden should offer preemptive pardons to public officials who may be politically targeted by Trump. BIDEN COMMUTES 1,500 JAIL SENTENCES, GRANTS PARDONS FOR 39 OTHERS: ‘LARGEST SINGLE-DAY GRANT OF CLEMENCY’ “If we’re serious about stopping Trump’s authoritarian ambitions, we need to act decisively and use every tool at our disposal. Norms and traditions alone won’t stop – Trump has shown time and again that he’s willing to ignore them to consolidate power and punish his opponents,” Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., said in a statement last month calling on Biden to issue a blanket pardon for Trump’s political foes. “The time for cautious restraint is over. We must act with urgency to push back against these threats and prevent Trump from abusing his power.” Legal experts have said that Biden has the authority to issue premptive pardons, citing precedent set by former President Gerald Ford when he granted a blanket pardon to Richard Nixon for any crimes committed while in office, even though Nixon had not been charged with anything after resigning following the Watergate scandal. Fox News Digital reached out to HHS for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Michelle Obama, Dick Cheney among notable absences at Carter funeral
The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter on Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral included every living former president, as well as various dignitaries from around the world. Also notable were some VIPs not in attendance. Former Vice President Dick Cheney was not seen at the funeral inside Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral. The 83-year-old, who has had health issues, was the only living vice president who did not make the trip, as former Vice Presidents Al Gore, Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Dan Quayle were in attendance. Also missing from the ceremony was former first lady Michelle Obama, who was not seated alongside her husband, former President Barack Obama. “Mrs. Obama sends her thoughts and prayers to the Carter family, and everyone who loved and learned from the remarkable former President,” Crystal Carson, a spokesperson for Michelle Obama, told Politico. JIMMY CARTER WAS A MAN OF FAITH AND THAT’S HOW WE SHOULD REMEMBER HIM The outlet reported that Michelle Obama, who would have sat next to Trump at the funeral, had a scheduling conflict and is in Hawaii. Former first lady Hillary Clinton was in attendance alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Also spotted at the funeral were former first ladies Laura Bush and Melania Trump, who sat alongside their husbands. Former second lady Karen Pence was next to her husband and first lady Jill Biden was seated alongside President Biden. AMERICANS FLOCK TO THE CAPITOL TO PAY RESPECTS TO FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER AHEAD OF FUNERAL: ‘JOB WELL DONE’ All five living men who once occupied the White House — the so-called presidents’ club — President Biden and former presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama and President-elect Trump came together for the first time since the 2018 funeral of former President George H.W. Bush. Other notable attendees included Vice President-elect JD Vance, Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Dave McCormick, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, first son Hunter Biden and Ted Mondale, the son of late Vice President Walter Mondale. Following the funeral, Carter’s remains will be flown to Georgia by the U.S. Air Force aboard Special Air Mission 39 for a private ceremony in his hometown of Plains. Carter, the 39th president, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100 after he was admitted to hospice care in 2023. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
GOP firebrands Boebert, Burlison introduce bill to abolish ATF
Hardline conservative Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., and Eric Burlison, R-Mo., have introduced legislation that would abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The one-page bill would eliminate the law enforcement agency, which regulates firearms and prosecutes federal gun crimes, in addition to crimes involving explosives, acts of arson, bombings, acts of terrorism and illegal activity related to alcohol and tobacco products. In statements, the Republican lawmakers argue ATF regulations violate the Second Amendment rights of Americans to keep and bear arms. ABOLISH THE ATF?: REP. BURLISON WANTS TO ELIMINATE ‘DISASTER AGENCY’ HE SAYS HAS BEEN VIOLATING 2ND AMENDMENT “I cannot imagine under any circumstance or administration where the ATF serves as an ally to the Second Amendment and law-abiding firearm owners across America,” said Boebert. “The ATF is emblematic of the deep-state bureaucracy that believes it can infringe on constitutional liberties without consequence,” added Burlison. “If this agency cannot uphold its duty to serve the people within the framework of the Constitution, it has no place in our government.” CONGRESSMAN ERIC BURLISON: IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ‘THE INMATES ARE RUNNING THE PRISON’ The bill to abolish ATF has seven co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, including Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Mike Collins, R-Ga., Bob Onder, R-Mo., Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., Mary Miller, R-Ill., Keith Self, R-Texas and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. ATF did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. MATT GAETZ URGES COLLEAGUES TO ABOLISH THE ATF BEFORE IT STRIPS AMERICANS OF GUN RIGHTS: ‘CANNOT BE TRUSTED’ In a previous interview with Fox News Digital, Burlison argued that the law enforcement responsibilities handled by ATF would be better left to the states. “There’s very few ATF officials,” he said, accusing the agency of “co-opting or commandeering [local] law enforcement to enforce laws” which state lawmakers did not pass. In a statement to Fox News Digital, ATF spokesperson Kristina Mastropasqua said, “ATF provides enormous benefits to the American public through all of its efforts fighting violent crime every day.” Burlison also said the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be abolished.
Bernie Sanders takes heat for blaming California wildfires on climate change: ‘Global warming ate my homework’
As wildfires ravage California, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is facing pushback for promoting climate alarmism. Sanders asserted that “Climate change is real” and that President-elect Donald Trump must tackle the “existential crisis.” “80,000 people told to evacuate. Blazes 0% contained. Eight months since the area has seen rain. The scale of damage and loss is unimaginable. Climate change is real, not ‘a hoax.’ Donald Trump must treat this like the existential crisis it is,” Sanders declared in the post on Wednesday morning. Mike Solana, editor-in-chief of Pirate Wires, mocked the senator’s comments, writing in a post on X, “‘[G]lobal warming ate my homework’ doesn’t work anymore. literally every single politician in california responsible for the catastrophic failure to prepare for this, from water management and controlled burns to the fire department’s budget, is a democrat.” ELON MUSK ANNOUNCES SPACEX WILL PROVIDE FREE STARLINK TERMINALS IN LA AMID RAGING FIRES Conservative commentator and author Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute, noted, “Wildfires, including ones much larger than this, have been happening in California forever.” Nicole Shanahan — who was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential running mate last year before the pair dropped out and supported GOP candidate Donald Trump — was also among those who responded to Sanders’ comments. “State mismanagement is real, Bernie,” she noted. Sanders has long issued such dire warnings. CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES DEVASTATE LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLING 5 AND THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES “Climate change is an existential disaster facing the entire world,” he asserted in a tweet nearly six years ago in February 2019. “We must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. A Green New Deal can save the planet and create millions of new jobs.” Business tycoon Elon Musk has asserted that regulations prevent steps from being taken to avoid California wildfires. “Climate change risk is real, just much slower than alarmists claim. The immense loss of homes in LA is primarily due to: 1. Nonsensical overregulation that prevented creating fire breaks and doing brush clearing. 2. Bad governance at the state and local level that resulted in a shortage of water,” Musk opined in a post on X. Sanders was not the only left-wing lawmaker deploying the climate narrative amid the disaster. “I’m so heartbroken at the devastation that’s continuously inflicted upon our country & the world & elected ‘leaders’ are ignorant, impotent, or just incompetent to doing the smart thing, which is to acknowledge that climate change is real & start to solve it,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, lamented in a post. “California, stay safe. First responders, we thank you for your selflessness. I join the chorus of prayers for all, but as an elected, I want to actually work!” NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP’S CLAIMS ‘PURE FICTION’ AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT POINTS FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY Freshman Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del., the first transgender-identifying member of Congress, described the fire as a climate catastrophe. “I’m praying for the victims of the raging fires around Los Angeles. The loss of life, homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods is devastating. I stand ready to work with my colleagues representing these communities to guarantee they have the resources they need to contain these fires, recover, rebuild, and prevent these climate catastrophes in the future,” McBride declared in a post on X. Trump has declared that California Gov. Gavin Newsom should resign. “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post late Wednesday night. Earlier on Wednesday evening, Newsom noted in a post on X, “People are literally fleeing. Kids have lost their schools. Communities have lost their churches. Families have lost their homes. Some have even lost their lives. And the President-Elect’s response is to politicize it. We’ll continue to focus on what matters: saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires.” The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection currently reports partial containment of the Lidia and Hurst fires, while others are listed at 0% containment on fire.ca.gov. Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report