House Republicans push for spending cancellations as Elon Musk and conservatives demand deeper budget cuts
And you thought you had just figured out what “reconciliation” means in Congressional budget terms. Here’s a new vocabulary term: rescissions. You might not be able to spell it. But I can tell you what it does. A “rescissions” bill “rescinds” money which Congress has already allocated, ex post facto. For simplicity, I often describe rescissions legislation as “spending cancellations.” Congress appropriated money. Then, under a recissions bill, Congress claws back dollars it previously appropriated. It’s kind of like a reverse appropriation. And you thought that in elementary school, there were no takebacks. TRUMP SENDS $9.4 BILLION DOGE CUTS PROPOSAL TO CONGRESS, TARGETING NPR, PBS Presidential administrations send “budget requests” to Congress. This is the opposite. An administration can send a “recissions request” to Congress, too. And that’s what Budget Director Russ Vought is doing this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is intent on moving fast. “I’d like to turn it around as quickly as possible,” said Johnson. “There may be multiple rescissions packages coming and we’ll process them as quickly as we can. It’s a big priority for me.” Congressional conservatives and Elon Musk were not pleased with the relative paucity of spending cuts in the Big, Beautiful Bill. Musk told CBS he was “disappointed” in the legislation. “Which increases the budget deficit, not decreases it. And it undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” said Musk about the hallmark of President Trump’s agenda. By Tuesday morning, the world’s richest man incinerated the bill on X and chastised most Republicans in Congress. Musk characterized the legislation as “a disgusting abomination.” He lectured the 215 House Republicans who voted yes, declaring “you know you did wrong.” SCOOP: HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS DRAWS BATTLE LINES AS WHITE HOUSE READIES $9.4B DOGE SPENDING CUTS DOGE initially set a goal of unearthing $2 trillion in spending cuts. It then slashed the threshold to $1 trillion. DOGE finally homed in on about $150 billion in cuts by the end of next year. And many of those cuts aren’t even in effect because Congress has the power of the purse. That’s where Congress comes in with a potential rescissions package. Most Republicans are appreciative of the efforts by DOGE and Musk. “I think this is the beginning and the whole conversation in Congress is changed because of it,” said Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., on Fox. But DOGE evaluated “discretionary” spending. Congress has the “discretion” to spend or not spend certain money each year. That comes through the annual appropriations process. That’s why GOPers are now using their “discretion.” They intend to unwind some of that spending with a rescission plan. But the largest percentage of federal spending – by about two to one – is tied to entitlements like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, plus interest on the debt. That spending is called “mandatory.” House Republicans tried to address that slightly in the Big, Beautiful Bill since it dealt with Medicaid spending. But cuts to federal departments lie in the appropriations realm and falls on the discretionary side of the ledger. However, discretionary cuts via the Big, Beautiful Bill weren’t going to happen. “Much of what DOGE has looked at is the discretionary spending,” said Flood. “This is far more complicated than just doing it in reconciliation.” WHITE HOUSE SENDING $9.4 BILLION DOGE CUTS PACKAGE TO CONGRESS NEXT WEEK And so here we are, with Republicans in Congress looking at the first major rescissions plan since 1993. “The House Freedom Caucus strongly supports these critical rescissions, and we will support as many more rescissions packages the White House can send us in the coming weeks and months,” said the Freedom Caucus in a statement. “There is no excuse for a Republican House not to advance the first DOGE rescissions package the same week it is presented to Congress then quickly send it for passage in the Republican Senate so President Trump can sign it into law.” The law requires the president to spend money which Congress approves. However, there are some loopholes where a President can “impound” money and not spend it. GOP REBELS FIRE WARNING SHOT IN SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: NO DOGE, NO DEAL On CNN, Vought suggested that the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 “allows for a procedure called pocket rescissions later in the year to be able to bank some of these savings without the bill actually being passed.” Vought signaled that President Trump would likely lean on that tool. But he wants to start with an initial rescissions request. A recissions plan requires a simple majority to pass the House. And, believe it or not, a simple majority in the Senate. There’s no 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster. Moreover, the “motion to proceed” to start debate on a recessions package is “privileged.” That means the Senate only needs 51 votes to begin the process. Many “motions to proceed” in the Senate need 60 yeas and can be subject to a filibuster. President Trump formally routed his recissions request to Capitol Hill on Tuesday. It aims to trim $9.4 billion dollars from public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. All of this is money which Musk targeted in his DOGE reviews. But these cuts only count if Congress approves them. “I want make sure you take the first tranche and see if it passes,” said Vought on the targeted set of proposed spending reductions. “The wider you do in terms of a package, the harder it is to pass. And if it doesn’t pass, this is the real world. And we will lose flexibility that we have to use executive tools to find other ways to make the DOGE cuts permanent.” SPEAKER JOHNSON SETS EYES ON CUTTING GOVERNMENT SPENDING, VOWS TO TAKE A ‘BLOWTORCH’ TO THE ‘REGULATORY STATE’ Lawmakers are starting to process the rescissions proposal. Especially since Republicans often talk a good game about slashing spending. “We’ll see if Congress can step up to the plate,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Tex., noting the political consequences of not green lighting the rescissions package. “(Members will have) to go campaign
Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ faces resistance from Republican senators over debt fears
President Donald Trump‘s “Big, Beautiful Bill” is facing criticism, even from within his own party, as some lawmakers remain skeptical about the massive spending package and its potential impact on the nation’s debt, despite it being under consideration by a Republican-controlled Congress. The spending bill, which the House passed late last month and is now in the Senate’s hands, aims to address a number of issues, including tax policy, border security and immigration, defense, energy production, the debt limit, and adjustments to SNAP and Medicaid. However, without a serious overhaul, lawmakers like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is still a “no” on the legislation because it will increase the nation’s debt limit. He is among a group of at least four Republican senators who have expressed concerns over Trump’s bill, because of the package’s projected increase in the national debt. RAND PAUL SAYS HE WOULD SUPPORT ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ IF DEBT CEILING HIKE REMOVED This week, Paul relayed his concerns to media members that the bill will raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. “We have never raised the debt ceiling without actually meeting that target,” he said. “So you can say it doesn’t directly add to the debt, but if you increase the ceiling $5 trillion, you’ll meet that. And what it does is it puts it off the back-burner. And then we won’t discuss it for a year or two.” As of Tuesday, the national debt, which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors, was $36.2 trillion, according to the Treasury Department. Trump pushed back on Paul’s remarks about his bill. TRUMP WARNS RAND PAUL HE’S PLAYING INTO ‘HANDS OF THE DEMOCRATS’ WITH ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ OPPOSITION “Rand Paul has very little understanding of the BBB, especially the tremendous GROWTH that is coming. He loves voting ‘NO’ on everything, he thinks it’s good politics, but it’s not. The BBB is a big WINNER!!!” Trump wrote on TRUTH Social. Meanwhile, the national deficit, which occurs when the federal government’s spending exceeds its revenues, was $1 trillion as of Tuesday, according to Treasury Department data. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the “blatantly wrong claim that the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ increases the deficit is based on the Congressional Budget Office and other scorekeepers who use shoddy assumptions and have historically been terrible at forecasting across Democrat and Republican administrations alike.” SEN. RON JOHNSON PROPOSES ‘LINE-BY-LINE’ CUTS TO PASS TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ The outlook for the federal debt level is bleak, as FOX Business previously reported, with economists increasingly sounding the alarm over the torrid pace of spending by Congress and the White House. Under the terms of the bill, the bill would add over $2 trillion to budget deficits over a decade, according to a recent analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO). All together, the tax cuts and reforms in the package add nearly $3.8 trillion to the deficit over a decade – though spending reductions in other parts of the bill offset some of that to arrive at the $2.3 trillion figure. Elon Musk, who ended his tenure last week as Trump’s lead in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), doubled down on his position Tuesday that the House’s reconciliation package was an “abomination.” WHITE HOUSE STANDS BY TAX BILL AFTER MUSK CALLS IT A ‘DISGUSTING ABOMINATION’ “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk posted on X Tuesday. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.” The Trump administration and some congressional Republicans have pushed back on the estimates of the bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and its impact on the deficit, arguing that economic growth from the tax cuts will stimulate economic activity and lead to more tax revenue than what is projected. SPEAKER JOHNSON CLASHES WITH RAND PAUL OVER ‘WIMPY’ SPENDING CUTS IN TRUMP’S BILL “Hope it does a lot to get some further cuts,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told Fox News about the bill. “We don’t want to bankrupt the country. And what Elon also should recognize is we don’t need more solar and EV credits. That actually makes it worse. He probably knows that, though.” To push back on the criticism, the White House launched a website where Americans can tabulate how much the bill will personally save them. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on May 22 with a narrow 215-214-1 vote that went largely along party lines. If that version of the bill is revised by the Senate, the legislation will have to go back to the House for another vote before it can go to Trump’s desk and become law.
Navy ship USNS Harvey Milk to be renamed as part of Pentagon’s ‘warrior culture’ shift
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the renaming of a U.S. Navy ship named after San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk. The Military Times first reported on a memorandum issued by the Office of the Secretary of the Navy rolling out plans to rename the oiler USNS Harvey Milk. The outlet reported that a defense official said the U.S. Navy was making preparations to strip the ship of its name and that Hegseth had directed Navy Secretary John Phelan to do so. The Military Times also reported the official saying the timing of the announcement during Pride month was intentional. The memo directing the renaming of the ship said the move is meant to mark a shift in culture in the Department of Defense and U.S. Navy in “alignment with president and SECDEF [secretary of defense] objectives and SECNAV [secretary of the Navy] priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture,” according to the outlet. NAVY HALTS DOG AND CAT EXPERIMENTS; PETA WRITES HEGSETH ABOUT US TAXPAYER-FUNDED ANIMAL TESTS Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Defense and U.S. Navy but did not receive a response. In an emailed statement sent to Fox News, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not deny the renaming of the ship but indicated that further name changes may be coming. “Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos,” said Parnell. Parnell said that “any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.” PENTAGON EYES 50% REDUCTION IN PERMANENT CHANGES OF STATION AS MILITARY FAMILIES BRACE FOR MOVING HIGH SEASON The USNS Harvey Milk was named after Milk in 2016 during the Obama administration. The ship completed its maiden voyage in 2024, arriving in San Francisco with much fanfare. According to the Harvey Milk Foundation, Milk was a “visionary civil and human rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States” when he was elected to public office in San Francisco in 1977. The foundation said that Milk enlisted in the Navy in 1951 but resigned in 1955 at the rank of lieutenant junior grade “after being officially questioned about his sexual orientation.” CHINA ACCUSES HEGSETH OF ESPOUSING ‘COLD WAR MENTALITY’ FOR LABELING COUNTRY AS A THREAT: ‘VILIFIED’ The renaming has been soundly condemned by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who called the move a “shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE “As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision,” Pelosi said in a statement. Pelosi claimed that “this spiteful move … is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.”
Man caught scaling Mar-A-Lago wall wanted to ‘marry’ Trump’s granddaughter, ‘spread the gospel’: report
A man detained by the Secret Service early Tuesday morning after attempting to jump the wall at President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago resort, reportedly told law enforcement that he wanted to gain entry to “spread the gospel” to Trump and marry his teenage granddaughter. Anthony Thomas Reyes, 23, was arrested by the Palm Beach Police Department early Tuesday morning after attempting to unlawfully enter the president’s Florida resort, according to booking records from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office. The police report detailing the incident reportedly chronicled how Reyes, who was previously arrested over the New Year’s holiday after once again trying to illegally enter Mar-a-Lago, told officers he wanted to get into Trump’s resort to “spread the gospel” to the president and marry his granddaughter, Kai. TRUMP’S GRANDDAUGHTER POKES FUN AT TIGER WOODS WHILE ASKING SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER ABOUT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP ARREST Reyes was initially arrested on trespassing charges and given a $1,000 bond, but his bond was subsequently raised to $50,000, according to records from the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office. Federal charges could likely follow. The president was in the nation’s capital at the time of the incident. “An adult male was arrested early Tuesday morning by the Palm Beach Police Department for unlawfully entering the Mar-a-Lago Club property in Florida. Shortly after midnight, the individual scaled a perimeter fence and triggered alarms,” the U.S. Secret Service told Fox News Digital. “U.S. Secret Service personnel detained him without incident at the scene. Palm Beach Police officers responded to the scene and took the individual into custody, charging him with occupied trespassing.” WOMAN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB FENCE OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE Reyes’s Tuesday arrest was not the first time he tried to enter the president’s Florida compound, according to the Palm Beach Daily News. Per the arrest report, according to the local outlet, Palm Beach police issued a warning to Reyes for trespassing at Mar-a-Lago on New Year’s Eve, when Trump was present at the property.
Expert speaks out on ‘perfect solution’ to federal hiring issues creating national security concerns
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News Digital sat down with SkillStorm CEO Justin Vianello, who addressed issues the federal government faces hiring workers, sometimes raising national security concerns, and explained what his company is doing to streamline that process. The federal government has struggled for decades with staffing issues in key roles like cybersecurity, tech and other high-skill areas, an issue flagged as far back as 2001, according to the Government Accountability Office. Vianello discussed how SkillStorm is attempting to solve those issues. “If we look at the procurement process and the way it’s been structured, there’s significant delays,” Vianello told Fox News Digital. “So, it can take years to actually get to a point where a solicitation is actually awarded. And then, ironically or paradoxically, post that award, the agency will expect … the particular company to be able to deliver a team in 10 days. So, this process is inefficient and somewhat outdated.” Vianello explained that the current hiring process is “lengthy” and “laborious,” sometimes taking years rather than months and creating delays that teams need to properly mobilize and deploy. MAGA GROUP FIGHTS TO UNDO CARTER-ERA BAN ON MERIT-BASED FEDERAL HIRING “One of the solutions to that issue is to actually allow for an on-ramp time where people can spend between two to four months to custom build teams that have the right skills, that have (the) right certifications that are based in the right locations to rapidly deploy teams and to accelerate IT transformation and automation. And that’s really where the SkillStorm model comes in,” Vianello said. Vianello says the company has spent millions of dollars in recent years building a Performance Acceleration Center for Excellence that is essentially a learning management training system with a customized curriculum and content along with a “stable of trainers” in a position to “rapidly upskill and deploy people.” “How do we leverage that infrastructure to build out a solution for the federal government?” Vianello said. “Well, what we do is we leverage that infrastructure to accelerate and train teams. And the way the model works is we both bring people into our program. We train them for anywhere between 10 and 16 weeks. We pay them while we’re training them. We help them achieve their certification, and then we deploy them. And we recover the investment that we make by billing them hourly.” FLASHBACK: TOP FIVE WILDEST MOMENTS FROM ELON MUSK’S DOGE TENURE AS IT COMES TO AN END That system, Vianello explained, means SkillStorm takes “all the risk up front” and recovers it by billing hourly to the client. “Now this is the perfect solution to being able to custom-build tech teams, create net new talent for the ecosystem and being able deploy these people over time. But the government is gonna have to change the procurement system to not require people to be deployed within 10 days but allow companies to build these teams over two, three, four months.” Another issue, Vianello told Fox News Digital, is the current hiring process can get tied up with security clearances and become a national security risk. “That’s absolutely part of it, but I think there’s a bigger issue here if you look more generally at our model and some of the issues that are facing the market,” Vianello said. “Well, if you look at SkillStorm’s model, SkillStorm has an innovative cost-effective solution to custom-build U.S.-based tech teams for rapid deployment. “Now, we have a student debt crisis in this country, and, at the same time, what are we doing? We’re offshoring our children’s roles to other countries, and we’re using visa holders to take up the place of entry-level tech roles. Now, if we don’t invest in programs like SkillStorm, if we do invest in these outcome-driven, apprenticeship-type programs, where’s the next generation of cybersecurity experts going to come from? “Where’s the new generation of AI innovators going to come from? This is a national security issue that is essential in driving innovation. Right now, there are 500,000 open cybersecurity roles as of January 2025. We are the domestic models, like these apprenticeship models, that can support that gap to make sure that we’re protecting national security.” Former General Services Administration (GSA) head Emily Murphy, who previously spoke to Fox News Digital about the GSA’s work to streamline government in the era of DOGE, said she has “seen firsthand how outdated federal systems have become one of the most serious yet least discussed threats to national security. “Agencies charged with safeguarding cybersecurity and digital infrastructure are losing the talent battle to the private sector, and the slow, outdated process for onboarding cleared workers doesn’t match the urgency of today’s threats.” Murphy explained that the federal government needs a “new pipeline” that “delivers clearance-eligible, project-ready professionals trained on mission-specific tools.” “SkillStorm is doing exactly that, deploying “Stormers,” technologists trained on specific tech platforms, at a significant discount. It’s a smarter, faster way to secure the talent our government urgently needs. Vianello told Fox News Digital SkillStorm and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have similar goals in making government more efficient. “I think DOGE is really focused on IT automation and IT transformation and doing it on an efficient and cost-effective basis,” Vianello said. “We believe, going forward, there’s probably going to be more of a push to less full-time employees and more of a push towards efficient contractors coming in and accelerating project delivery. So, again, this really does come back in our belief. “To the solicitation process, how do we tighten it up? How do we make sure that once an award is made and that technology is implemented, it’s not outdated? Because, if that continues to happen, how are you going to continue to attract technologists, young technologists who want to be part of the change?”
Energy groups celebrate Trump’s latest move to unleash Alaska drilling
Conservative energy leaders are celebrating President Donald Trump’s latest effort to unleash American drilling. The Department of the Interior announced a proposal Monday to rescind President Joe Biden’s restrictions on oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said a Biden-era 2024 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule that restricted energy development for more than half of the 23 million acres on Alaska’s North Slope ignored the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976. “The National Petroleum Reserve (NPR), created by Congress over a century ago to secure America’s energy supply, supports responsible oil development on 13 million acres,” Frank Lasee, president of Truth in Energy and Climate, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO OPEN 13 MILLION ALASKA ACRES TO MINING, DRILLING “President Biden’s drilling ban in Alaska undermined energy security, increasing reliance on foreign oil, raising gasoline prices and fueling inflation through higher transportation costs,” Lasee added. “Resuming drilling puts economic growth and energy independence ahead of climate ideology in a place almost no regular American will ever visit.” TRUMP ENERGY DEPARTMENT CANCELS $3.7 BILLION IN BIDEN-ERA GREEN ENERGY GRANTS Consistent with Trump’s executive orders, the proposed revision reverts to regulations that were in place prior to May 7, 2024, which Lasee called a “commendable” prioritization of “American energy needs and economic well-being while adhering to the law.” “President Biden never should have halted congressionally sanctioned oil drilling in Alaska,” said Sterling Burnett, director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy at the Heartland Institute. “Trump is to be applauded, both for putting Americans’ energy needs and our economic well-being first and for following the law by opening these areas back up for production.” According to the Department of Interior, the 2024 rule provisions lacked “a basis in the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act” and undermined the BLM’s congressional obligation to oversee timely leasing in the region. “President Trump’s move to restore drilling in Alaska’s Arctic region is a bold and necessary step toward reclaiming American energy independence,” Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, said. Trump vowed to unleash American energy on the campaign trail in 2024 and signed executive orders on the first day of his second term to rescind Biden-era climate policies. “By reversing Biden’s disastrous restrictions on 13 million acres, Trump is unleashing the abundant resources that power our economy, lower energy costs and strengthen national security. This is a victory for American workers, consumers and allies who rely on stable, affordable energy,” Isaac added. Steve Milloy, senior policy fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, called the announcement “more good news from the Trump administration in rolling back more of Biden’s war on fossil fuels.” “Promises made. Promises kept. But the Trump administration will need to go further to give investors confidence that the Alaska leases will actually be viable. Radical climate activists will resort to the courts and scare off investors. There likely needs to be a legislative solution to that,” Milloy added. Trump and his Republican allies are seeking to roll back some of Biden’s green energy initiatives through budget reconciliation on Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.” “The National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) was created more than 100 years ago specifically to provide a supply of oil for America’s energy security. That energy security can be achieved by responsibly developing our oil reserves, including in the Gulf of America, our vast shale oil deposits in America’s heartland and, now, thankfully, the 13 million acres of the NPR that are going to be developed,” said Gregory Whitestone, CO2 Coalition executive director. “Continuation of the Biden administration’s drilling ban would have resulted in a greater reliance on foreign supplies of oil (and) increases in gasoline prices and the inflationary spiral across all sectors of the American economy from increased transportation costs,” Whitestone added.
Grassley alleges FBI used biased sources in anti-traditional Catholic memos under Biden administration
The FBI hid the extent of what some lawmakers have called an anti-Catholic operation targeting churchgoers during the Biden administration, despite then-agency Director Christopher Wray telling Congress that the matter was limited to a single 2023 memo, according to documents released Tuesday. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who serves as the Senate Judiciary Committee chair, released documents that he said show the FBI engaged in the investigation of traditional Catholics. During his tenure, Wray characterized the matter as part of a memo prepared by the FBI’s office in Richmond, Virginia. “I’m determined to get to the bottom of the Richmond memo, and of the FBI’s contempt for oversight in the last administration,” Grassley said in a statement. “I look forward to continuing to work with you to restore the FBI to excellence and prove once again that justice can and must be fairly and evenly administered, blind to whether we are Democrats or Republicans, believers or nonbelievers.” FBI TOP BOSS KASH PATEL SAYS BUREAU RAN COVER FOR HILLARY BUT IT ALL ENDS UNDER TRUMP In a letter Tuesday to FBI Director Kash Patel, Grassley presented his findings while expressing frustration at the agency’s handling of the “anti-Catholic” memo under Wray and its alleged lack of transparency. Wray had told congressional lawmakers the memo was a single product by a single field office. Despite Wray’s claims that the memo was a single product, the FBI found at least 13 additional FBI documents and five FBI attachments that used the terminology “radical traditionalist Catholic” and cited the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Grassley said. The FBI told Fox News Digital that it received Grassley’s letter but declined to comment further. During his testimony to lawmakers, Wray didn’t reveal the existence of a second draft product on the same topic. “It was a product by one field office, which, of course, we have scores and scores of these products, and when we found out about it, we took action,” Wray told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the memo in March 2023. ‘RADICAL’ FBI PRACTICES ON DEI ‘ENDANGERED’ AMERICANS, BLACKBURN SAYS IN LETTER DEMANDING ANSWERS FROM WRAY The memo became known when a whistleblower brought it to light. The memo, titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities,” drew instant criticism from Republicans, who demanded immediate answers from the agency. A second FBI memo drafted by the FBI Richmond Field Office for bureau-wide distribution repeated the unfounded link between traditional Catholicism and violent extremism, Grassley said, noting that it was never published due to backlash after the public disclosure of the first memo. The new documents released by Grassley show that the Richmond memo was distributed to more than 1,000 FBI employees nationwide. One email exchange shows the FBI’s field office in Buffalo, New York, expressing concerns about hate groups identified by the SPLC, mentioned in the Richmond memo, being in its area of responsibility. Grassley said the FBI may have relied on “deeply-biased sources” used in the memo. “These letters focused on the preparation of the memo, its dissemination, the use of biased sources such as the radical Southern Poverty Law Center, and later, the FBI’s misleading representations to Congress, including those of former Director Wray,” Grassley wrote. Fox News Digital has reached out to the SPLC.
Dem who wanted Elon Musk ‘taken down’ launches bid for House Oversight leadership position
Rising Democratic Party star Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who sparked controversy earlier this year with remarks about Elon Musk and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, formally launched her bid for ranking member of the House Oversight Committee Tuesday. “These are not normal times — and this cannot be a business-as-usual moment,” Crockett said in a post on X. The House Oversight Committee is responsible for holding the executive branch of the federal government and President Donald Trump accountable in Congress. The committee’s last ranking member, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., died May 21 after battling cancer. He was elected to the position in 2023. “Since the start of the 119th Congress, the late ranking member, Gerry Connolly, led Oversight Democrats in the fight to hold the Trump Administration accountable and it was my distinct privilege and absolute honor to serve alongside him as the Vice Ranking Member,” Crockett said in a letter to her Democratic colleagues. JASMINE CROCKETT AGREES DURING TOWN HALL THAT ‘REPUBLICANS WANT POOR PEOPLE TO DIE’ Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday a special election to replace Connolly in the House. His death May 21 also left a leadership gap on the House Oversight Committee, and House Democrats are now tasked with electing a new leader to challenge Trump. Connolly designated Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., as interim ranking member, and the race is on among House Democrats for the open leadership position. Democratic representatives Robert Garcia of California and Kweisi Mfume of Maryland have announced their own bids to lead the committee. Crockett had signaled her intention to run for ranking member, and the Texas congresswoman’s letter to Democrats Tuesday made her bid official. JASMINE CROCKETT SHARES BIZARRE SONG CLIP CALLING HERSELF ‘LEADER OF THE FUTURE’ “In this moment, Americans are demanding a more strategic, aggressive, and energetic fight,” Crockett said. “Understanding that fierce urgency, I formally announce my candidacy for Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform — with a focus on standing up for American families, defending the Constitution and the rule of law, and ensuring the government serves the people, not the privileged few.” Crockett has risen to the national stage for her viral moments in the House, building name recognition among Democrats and a reputation among Republicans. Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Crockett of “threatening lives” and said she should apologize for her rhetoric against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for saying, “All I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.” Crockett said she was referring to “nonviolent” resistance. Crockett was also criticized this year for calling Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, who is in a wheelchair, “Governor Hot Wheels.” She walked back the comments after her remarks went viral, calling the outrage a “distraction.” And the Texas congresswoman dominated headlines last year when her campaign trademarked the phrase “bleach blonde, bad built, butch body” after a verbal dispute with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. Her viral moments have even caught the attention of Trump, who called Crockett a “low I.Q. person.” “Our country is in an existential crisis driven by an out-of-control Executive with a flagrant disregard for our Constitution, our way of governance, and our very way of life as citizens of a democratic republic,” Crockett said in her letter to House Democrats. “The Administration has refused to respect congressional authority, abide by lawful judicial orders, or respond to public outrage.” “The magnitude of these unprecedented times warrants a resistance and tactics never before seen. We must pull back the curtain on the unmitigated chaos under Trump 2.0 and translate our findings to the American people in a way they can digest,” Crockett added. In the letter, Crockett praised President Joe Biden, touted her own achievements during her first two terms in the House and asked for her colleagues’ support. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., another rising Democratic Party star, said earlier this year she would not seek the top Democratic position on the House Oversight Committee. “It’s actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I’ll be staying put at Energy and Commerce,” Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital in a statement first reported by NBC. Ocasio-Cortez lost her House Oversight bid to Connolly late last year. Connolly had announced his plan to step back as ranking member of the Oversight Committee after just four months on the job due to the resurgence of his esophageal cancer.
Fox News Politics Newsletter: Baraka Sues Trump-appointed Prosecutor
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… Newark Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Ras Baraka filed a lawsuit Tuesday against interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba, accusing her of false arrest and malicious prosecution in connection with his May 9 arrest and charges outside a federal immigration center. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, accuses Habba of acting politically in Baraka’s May 9 arrest outside the Delaney Hall detention center, near Newark Liberty International Airport. Baraka was arrested during a protest outside the facility, after being accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings from law enforcement officials to leave. He was held in custody for several hours before being released. The U.S. attorney’s office said 13 days after it brought charges against Baraka that it was dismissing the case “for the sake of moving forward.” The civil lawsuit filed by Baraka’s attorneys seeks damages for what they described as his “false arrest and malicious prosecution,” as well as the allegedly defamatory remarks Habba made about his case, including on social media. The lawsuit includes screenshots of Habba’s social media posts in question…READ MORE SIGNATURE ISSUE: Trump DOJ investigating Biden pardons to family, death row inmates ‘REALLY SAD’: Boulder terror attack witness describes ‘horrific’ scene at pro-Israel rally LOOKING BACK: Lawmakers, officials warned about terrorist attacks from foreign nationals long before Colorado TERROR UNLEASHED: Mohamed Soliman planned Molotov cocktail attack after gun purchase denial GROWING THREAT: Boulder terror attack suspect showed signs of growing ‘lone-wolf’ radicalization, says former FBI supervisor SERVE AND PROTECT: Boulder antisemitic terror attack spurs response from major cities WARTIME READY: Challenges posed by Trump and Putin push UK to adopt new NATO first defense policy HOMELAND ON EDGE: After Ukraine’s surprise drone assault on Russia, new attention drawn to sensitive sites stateside CRIMEA CHAOS: Ukraine targets bridge linking Russia to Crimea with massive underwater blast, video shows DIVINE PRESENCE: Huckabee condemns efforts to erase Jewish history to the Holy Land as ‘absurd’ ‘BETRAYAL’: US citizen who fought for ISIS in Syria sentenced to 10 years in prison ATOMIC IMPASSE: Ukraine targets bridge linking Russia to Crimea with massive underwater blast, video shows A NATION ON EDGE: After Ukraine’s surprise drone assault on Russia, new attention drawn to sensitive sites stateside ‘AGGRESSIVE AFFRONT’: House Dems urge GOP to condemn DHS for handcuffing Rep Nadler staffer, order Noem to testify ‘PART OF THE DESIGN’: Jasmine Crockett agrees during town hall that ‘Republicans want poor people to die’ FISCAL SHOWDOWN: Rand Paul says $5 trillion debt increase in ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ a deal-breaker ‘HELPING OUT DHS’: Patel’s immigration push at FBI yields 10,000 arrests since January PAPER TRAIL: Liberal city mayor hit with ethics complaint over alleged lavish gifts TAXPAYER WASTE: HHS ends Biden-era COVID-19 testing program that bled taxpayers years after pandemic HOPE UNDER FIRE: DeSantis punches back at Hope Florida controversy, likens ‘lawfare’ to attacks on Trump and nominees PROTECTING CHILDREN: FBI urges public to provide tips on mutilation of children with ‘gender-affirming’ surgeries CAMPUS DECEPTION: Red state dean ousted after admitting on hidden cam she was secretly pushing DEI Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Booker, Cruz spar over threats to US judges in fiery Senate spat
Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas., sparred Tuesday over the uptick in threats made to federal court judges during President Donald Trump’s second term. Their heated standoff comes as federal judges have issued a record number of injunctions against the flurry of executive actions by the president. The testy exchange took place during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing titled “The Supposedly Least Dangerous Branch: District Judges v. Trump.” Cruz, the subcommittee chair, used his remarks at the outset of the hearing to take aim at Democrats on the subcommittee, who he said were “utterly silent” about judicial threats under the Biden administration, including after threats were made against conservative Supreme Court justices. TRUMP TARIFF PLAN FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE AS COURT BATTLES INTENSIFY Cruz took aim at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for “unleashing” protesters who gathered outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh prior to their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – the landmark ruling that overturned a 50-year-old abortion rights precedent – which he later said was ironic given the current “pearl-clutching” stance of Democrats on the panel. His remarks sparked a quick rebuke from Booker, who said, “Something you said is actually dangerous, and it needs to be addressed.” “This implication that there was silence [from Democrats on the panel] at a time there were threats on people’s houses is absolutely absurd,” he continued. “I remember the rhetoric and the comments, the concern from [Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.],” Booker said. “I actually distinctly remember you, chairman, on more than one occasion, condemning those attacks on Republican-appointed jurists.” TRUMP NOMINATES FORMER DEFENSE ATTORNEY EMIL BOVE FOR FEDERAL APPEALS COURT VACANCY “To say things like that just feeds the partisanship in this institution, and it feeds the fiery rhetoric. And it’s just plain not true,” Booker added. In response, Cruz argued the “angry mobs” that appeared outside the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices prior to their decision in Dobbs were in violation of U.S.C. Section 1507. That law prohibits picketing outside the homes of judges or justices’ homes in a way that could influence their decision or otherwise obstruct justice. Despite the protests, Cruz said, the Biden-led Justice Department “prosecuted nobody.” “I really appreciate that you have now shifted the accusation you made earlier,” Booker shot back. “Your accusation was that we were silent in the face of protests at Supreme Court justices’ homes. Again, we joined together in a bipartisan way, not only to condemn that but to pass legislation to extend round-the-clock security protection. So if you’re saying we didn’t criticize –” he started before Cruz interjected. “Did the Biden DOJ go out and arrest a single person under this law?” the Texas lawmaker asked. Booker attempted to respond before Cruz interrupted again, “Did the Biden DOJ arrest even one [person]? Again, the answer is no.” 100 DAYS OF INJUNCTIONS, TRIALS AND ‘TEFLON DON’: TRUMP 2ND TERM MEETS ITS BIGGEST TESTS IN COURT Booker attempted once more to respond before Cruz interrupted again, prompting Booker to raise his voice. “I did not interrupt you, sir, I would appreciate it if you would let me finish,” he told Cruz. “I am sick and tired of hearing the kind of heated partisan rhetoric, which is one of the reasons why we have such divisions in this country,” Booker continued, prompting Cruz to laugh openly in response. “The attacks we see from the president of the United States of America, trolling and dragging judges through is what we should be talking about,” Booker said. “I’m simply taking issue with the claim that you made at the top, that people on the Democratic side of the aisle do not care about the safety and the security of judges and said nothing,” he continued, adding that the notion that his Democrat colleagues said nothing in the face of Supreme Court justice threats “is a patent lie.” WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? The two continued arguing before Cruz said, “Let the record reflect that Spartacus did not answer the question and did not tell us whether the criminal law” under U.S.C. Section 1507 should be enforced, “because he knows the answer is yes.” The hearing comes as the number of threats against federal judges has spiked during Trump’s second term, which has seen hundreds of federal lawsuits filed in courts across the country seeking to either pause or halt the flurry of sweeping executive orders and actions taken by the president. Trump has repeatedly criticized what he called “activist judges,” prompting Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public warning. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The U.S. Marshals Service said last week that it has investigated more than 370 threats against federal judges since Trump’s inauguration in January, which is a sharp rise from 2024, when 509 people were investigated during the entire year. Democrats on the panel used Tuesday’s hearing to renew requests for the Justice Department and FBI to investigate an uptick in anonymous “pizza deliveries” sent to federal judges, which can be used as a threat or warning to let judges know their home address is known.