Longest government shutdown in history nears likely end as House moves on funding bill
The end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally in sight, with the House of Representatives set to vote on a federal funding bill later Wednesday evening. House lawmakers are set to take a procedural vote in the 5 p.m. hour on whether to allow debate on the measure. If the legislation survives, a final vote is expected in the 7 p.m. hour. The government has been shut down for 43 days as Democrats and Republicans hotly debated the merits of the GOP’s initial federal funding bill, a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2025 spending levels through Nov. 21. The vast majority of Democrats are still against the legislation, including House Democratic leadership, but GOP lawmakers across several ideologically diverse factions have signaled confidence in a nearly unified Republican vote. THE 5 LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS IN HISTORY: WHAT HAPPENED, HOW THEY ENDED House Freedom Caucus Policy Chairman Chip Roy, R-Texas, said he heard no dissent on the bill from his band of fiscal hawks. “I’m not going to speak for everybody, but I think there’s general support. So you know, I’m unaware of any opposition of significance,” he told reporters Tuesday night. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said, “Nothing’s ever easy around here. But, look, I didn’t notice any dissent … I think the votes will be there on our side.” BILL TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SURVIVES KEY HURDLE BEFORE HOUSE-WIDE VOTE But with a razor-thin majority, House GOP leaders can only afford to lose two Republican votes at most to pass the bill without relying on any Democrats. “I’m very hopeful,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital when asked if Republicans had the votes to pass the bill. “I think you’re seeing just a few Democrats come to their senses. It should be a lot more.” Meanwhile, the shutdown’s effects on the country have grown more severe by the day. Many of the thousands of air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents who had to work without pay were forced to take second jobs, causing nationwide flight delays and cancellations amid staffing shortages at the country’s busiest airports. Millions of Americans who rely on federal benefits were also left in limbo as funding for critical government programs ran close to drying out. At the heart of the issue was Democratic leaders’ refusal to back any funding bill that did not also extend COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. Democrats argued it was their best hope of preventing healthcare price hikes for Americans across the U.S. Republicans agreed to hold conversations on reforming what they saw as a broken healthcare system, but they refused to pair any partisan priority with federal funding. The initial bill passed the House on Sept. 19 but stalled in the Senate for weeks, when Democrats sank the bill more than a dozen times. MIKE JOHNSON SPEAKS OUT AFTER SENATE BREAKTHROUGH ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN However, after weeks of stalemate and the clock running down on their Nov. 21 bill, a new compromise emerged that got support from eight Senate Democrats to carry it across the finish line. The new legislation would extend FY 2025 federal funding levels through Jan. 30, to give negotiators more time to strike a longer-term deal for FY 2026. It would also give lawmakers some headway with that mission, advancing legislation to fund the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration; the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction; and the legislative branch. In a victory for Democrats, the deal would also reverse federal layoffs conducted by the Trump administration in October, with those workers getting paid for the time they were off. A side deal struck in the Senate also guaranteed Senate Democrats a vote on legislation extending the enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., however, has made no such promise in the House. If passed on Wednesday night, the legislation heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for a signature. When asked about the bill on Tuesday, a White House official told Fox News Digital, “President Trump has wanted the government reopened since the first day Democrats shut it down. The action in the Senate is a positive development, and we look forward to seeing it progress.”
WATCH: Hidden camera catches red-state university admins admitting how they ‘cleverly’ disguised DEI agenda
FIRST ON FOX: Undercover video shows administrators at a North Carolina university detailing how they are continuing their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts despite state and federal efforts to roll back the policies. “It shook things up around here, but fortunately for us, this office is not actually under the DEI office at all, so we’re able to just keep going. We just like switched up our, you know, changed the wording of things,” Pascha Miller, Office of Intercultural Engagement assistant director at North Carolina A&T State University, says in a video obtained by Accuracy in Media. The videos, taken in August and September 2024, came months after the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors voted to essentially ban DEI and focus on “institutional neutrality,” Carolina Journal reported. Michael Eccles, the university’s office manager for the Office of Intercultural Engagement, said in the video, “The word ‘diversity,’ we had to change saying ‘diversity’ to competency.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE CAMPUS RADICALS COAST TO COAST “Yes,” Eccles said when asked if he would describe that process as “creative naming,” using the word “cleverly” to describe the method. Austin Horne, assistant director of LGBTA programs and services at the Office of Intercultural Engagement, is also seen in the video going a step further. “The Board of Governors did a statute in May that is really like, attacking DEI jobs and restricting some of our language,” Horne said. “It is very intentionally vague is what, you know, the way I read it. But it’s really leaving it up to you know each university to kind of think about it in their own way and consider how much they want to open themselves up to litigation. But, luckily I think there’s only been one position that wasn’t lost, it was just changed here.” The undercover journalist then pressed Horne. “Just to make sure I understand, so for at least A&T, you’ve not had to like, you’ve just changed or maybe got creative, with some of the language?” the journalist asked. “Yes,” Horne responded. “To get around the legislation?” the journalist asked. “Well, it’s not even to get around the legislation, so what the legislation is, is it’s giving us, I want to say it’s 11 rules for what we can and cannot say when we are speaking on behalf of the university, and so some universities like Charlotte have taken that and said these positions can’t function with these rules in place so we’re just going to get rid of them. Every other public university has said they can function, we’re just going to try and shield ourselves from litigation.” The journalist responded, “Just to appease the politicians?” WATCHDOG: HOW UNIVERSITIES ARE REBRANDING DEI TO SKIRT TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN “Yes, it’s very much, it’s so vague,” Horne said. In another clip, Eccles says, “It’s been a little bit of a challenge, but we’re still pushing through and trying to make sure people get what they need.” Miller says in another clip toward the end of the video, “We don’t use DEI anymore, it’s kind of hard not to use the word ‘diversity,’” then laughs along with the journalist and says, “We try not to, you know, just to be safe.” Fox News Digital has reported extensively on universities this year who appear to be simply rebranding their DEI efforts in order to avoid scrutiny from the Trump administration or state governments. Earlier this year, UNC Asheville severed ties with its dean of students after Fox News Digital reported on a video showing her boasting about DEI efforts still taking place but you “gotta keep it quiet.” Fox News Digital reached out to North Carolina A&T State University for comment. “North Carolina’s universities have been captured by lawbreaking radicals, and they require fundamental reform,” Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, told Fox News Digital. “Any government employee who is caught circumventing laws should never again be allowed to earn a paycheck from taxpayers. And the legislature needs to enact a Kansas-style DEI ban which includes both a reporting mechanism and actual consequences for those who flout the law.”
UC Berkeley’s bloody protest of TPUSA allegedly funded by far-left nonprofit
Last month, a band of demonstrators marched across West Temple Street in downtown Los Angeles in the national anti-Trump #NoKings protests, carrying a banner that read: “DEFEAT TRUMP’S FASCIST TAKEOVER. Stop ICE raids and deportations by any means necessary.” In one corner, four bold letters stood out: “BAMN,” an acronym for “By Any Means Necessary.” The rest of the banner spelled out clues to the group’s full name in smaller print: “Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigration Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary.” That organization – one of 266 groups with combined annual revenues of $2.9 billion identified by Fox News Digital leading the #NoKings protests – would soon reappear at this week’s flashpoint on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. On Monday night, the group proudly broadcast videos on its Instagram channel of its leaders stoking an angry mob on the streets again, this time on the Berkeley campus, staging a protest that turned into a bloody brawl outside a Turning Point USA event, leading to the arrest of several people. ‘NO KINGS’ ORGANIZER DISCOURAGES VIOLENCE FOLLOWING COAST-TO-COAST ARRESTS A flyer circulated before the demonstration urged participants to “End Fascist Turning Point’s Youth-Oriented Campaign of Incitement to Violence!” It announced a rally outside Zellerbach Hall an hour before doors opened for the event. At first glance, the flyer appears like many other activist handouts. But its digital trail tells a deeper story. A QR code printed on the flyer leads to a page on BAMN.com, a domain displayed on the #NoKings banner weeks earlier for the group, “By Any Means Necessary.” On the page, visitors could directly download a “PDF of flyer” and “PDF of poster.” Journalist Andy Ngo, the author of a book on far-left violence and the Antifa network, shared the flyer on social media, warning that “By Any Means Necessary” is a long-standing fixture within the chaotic ecosystem of groups associated with the “anti-fascist” movement. TURNING POINT LEADER DEMANDS REPERCUSSIONS FOR UCHICAGO PROFESSOR ARRESTED AT ANTI-ICE RALLY Fox News Digital examined the metadata embedded in both documents to follow the money on “By Any Means Necessary.” Each file was created on Nov. 9, a day before the protest, and both listed the “owner” as “[email protected].” The email domain, ueaa.net, links to a far-left Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund,” which “By Any Means Necessary” describes as its nonprofit “affiliate.” They act as a seamless entity at protests, from #NoKings to anti-Israel actions after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas terrorists. Ronald Cruz, a licensed attorney in California, is listed in state bar records as a counsel for “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund.” Tax records show it has been federally tax-exempt since March 2022. Cruz didn’t return a request for comment. What’s more, under a label for “Storage Used,” both documents note the files are “Owned by UEAA Legal Defense Fund.” By Any Means Necessary and the United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund didn’t respond to a request for comment. MEET THE RADICAL DC ACTIVIST MOBILIZING GANG MEMBERS, ‘HARDCORE MEN’ TO TARGET FEDERAL TAKEOVER: ‘REAL ENEMY’ On its official “Donate” page, the leaders of “By Any Means Necessary” confirm the connection. They instruct visitors on how to make a tax-deductible donation, enthusiastically noting, “You can make a contribution to our 501(c)(3) affiliate, United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund (UEAALDF)! Money goes toward our legal cases and broader organizing and education.” With one click, visitors are directed to the “UEAALDF website” at “ueaa.net,” legitimizing the activist network under the guise of charity. While the organization’s balance sheet is small, with reported tax-deductible “public support” totaling $99,348 over five years from 2018 through 2022, the most recent year available, the implications are significant. As experts note, the case illustrates how organizations leverage nonprofit status to claim moral and legal legitimacy while allegedly fomenting organized street violence, sectarian division and communal hate, activities outside the boundaries of “charitable” purpose. MILLIONS EXPECTED TO FLOOD STREETS AT ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS TARGETING TRUMP ACROSS ALL 50 STATES In the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance called for closer scrutiny of nonprofits that receive tax benefits while allegedly promoting political violence. The convergence of tax-exempt organizations, campus unrest and politically motivated violence underscores an emerging challenge in the nonprofit sector. Groups like “By Any Means Necessary” allegedly exploit the credibility and financial protections of charitable status while acting as de facto political operatives, often in coordination with broader ideological movements like Students for Justice in Palestine, first established at UC Berkeley by Palestinian American academic Hatem Bazian. The metadata and cross-linked digital trails for the UC Berkeley protest reveal a well-coordinated infrastructure beneath the seemingly spontaneous protests, raising questions about accountability, transparency and the weaponization of the tax code for political warfare. ANTI-ISRAEL RADICALS FROM ‘GLOBAL INTIFADA’ MOVEMENT JOIN ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS The contrast between “By Any Means Necessary” activists marching relatively peacefully in last month’s #NoKings protest and the violent clash their protests helped incite at UC Berkeley this week highlights how some groups exploit nonprofit status to appear charitable one day while allegedly fomenting chaos, sectarianism, hate and violence the next day. The UC Berkeley protests also raise questions about malign foreign influence. On its “Affiliates” webpage, “By Any Means Necessary” includes a link to the website for the “International Trotskyist Committee for the Regeneration of the Fourth International,” which is organizing “militants” who support early 20th century Soviet communist leader Leon Trotsky and the rise of a global “revolutionary Marxism.” The committee includes the Revolutionary Workers League and the Revolutionary Internationalist League, both self-declared communist groups. A flyer, “Victory to the Palestinian Struggle,” includes the logos for “By Any Means Necessary” and the communist groups. The violence at Berkeley prompted Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
Trump makes formal request to Israeli president to pardon Netanyahu
President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning made a formal request to Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption and fraud charges. Trump asked Herzog to consider fully pardoning Netanyahu in a letter that Herzog’s office shared. Trump wrote that Netanyahu has been a “formidable and decisive” leader for Israel in a time of war and has led Israel “into a time of peace.” “Prime Minister Netanyahu has stood tall for Israel in the face of strong adversaries and long odds, and his attention cannot be unnecessarily diverted,” reads the letter. Trump wrote that while he “absolutely” respects the independence of the Israeli judicial system, he believes the case against Netanyahu is a “political, unjustified prosecution.” INSIDE TRUMP’S ULTIMATUM THAT FORCED NETANYAHU TO THE TABLE: ‘YOU CAN’T FIGHT THE WORLD’ Netanyahu is currently standing trial on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases. The trial, which began in 2020, marked the first time a sitting Israeli prime minister testified as a criminal defendant. Trump wrote that “it is time to let Bibi unite Israel by pardoning him, and ending that lawfare once and for all.” NYC LAWMAKER DARES MAMDANI TO MAKE GOOD ON ‘PIPE DREAM’ PLEDGE BY INVITING NETANYAHU Herzog declined to take a position on the matter, with his office issuing its own statement that a presidential pardon request must go through the proper channels, which includes the person who wants a pardon making a formal request. The statement said that Herzog holds Trump in the “highest regard” and “continues to express his deep appreciation” for Trump’s support of Israel and his “tremendous” role in the return of hostages from Gaza. Trump previously urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu during a speech in the Israeli Knesset last month. Fox News’ Yonat Friling contributed to this report.
Scalise reveals post-shutdown GOP battle plan as House readies for intense new schedule
FIRST ON FOX: House GOP leaders are looking to kick off next week in high gear to make up for the six weeks they spent out of session during the government shutdown. With the end of Congress’ 42-day fiscal standoff in sight, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., told Fox News Digital that House lawmakers will be faced with an accelerated schedule to accomplish the GOP’s priorities for this term. “I wanted to rework the schedule to create more time to make up for what happened during the shutdown, and the fact that there were a lot of bills that stacked up that we planned to bring to the floor in October that weren’t able to go,” he said in an interview on Tuesday night. Priorities for next week include legislation to help reduce federal restrictions on liquefied natural gas (LNG), and a bill aimed at expanding refining capacity in a bid to reduce soaring energy costs. MIKE JOHNSON SPEAKS OUT AFTER SENATE BREAKTHROUGH ON GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN Measures aimed at D.C. are also expected to see votes, including a bill that D.C.’s pretrial release and detention processes require mandatory pretrial detention for defendants charged with violent crimes. Another bill expected to get a vote next week would undo local ordinances that Republicans say place burdensome barriers on the Metropolitan Police Department. A largely symbolic measure to denounce socialism in the U.S. is also on next week’s schedule. Lawmakers will be expected to work long into the night in a departure from their traditional day-to-day in D.C. Votes will be scheduled in the evenings when lawmakers have normally departed Capitol Hill for other events. THE 5 LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS IN HISTORY: WHAT HAPPENED, HOW THEY ENDED Scalise also noted the House would have a five-day legislative week from Monday through Friday, rather than the more traditional four days in D.C. More time will also be allotted during the day for House committees to conduct hearings and advance their legislation, something that has not been done on Capitol Hill since Sept. 19. “We’re going to do that for the next few weeks until we catch up on the time that we missed when everybody was back in their districts,” Scalise said. The latter point is critical considering Congress will be reckoning with several key priorities in the coming months. The bill to end the government shutdown, expected to pass the House on Wednesday, kicks the majority of fiscal year (FY) 2026 federal spending to a Jan. 30 deadline. It would also authorize funding for three of Congress’ 12 annual spending bills for FY 2026. However, it will be an uphill battle for both the Senate and House appropriations committees to strike their remaining spending deals by then. “There are nine remaining bills, and we’d like to get all of those done in the next few weeks. And so, [House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla.] and his appropriators will be working overtime as well,” Scalise said. Congress also still has to find a bipartisan compromise on the federal government’s annual defense policy bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). “There have been a lot of negotiations ongoing. I think we’re getting close on the NDAA,” Scalise said. Scalise said Republicans would also be busy at work on a new Farm Bill, legislation that sets agricultural priorities as well as federal food policies for urban, suburban and rural areas across the country, as well as a highway bill — legislation that authorizes policy for surface infrastructure like roads, bridges and rail lines nationwide. “A lot of those bills have been very active in the committee process. They just haven’t gotten a lot of attention nationally during the shutdown. But the committees have been working, especially the chairman, to try to get those bills ready to move,” he said. “And so we will have a lot of big ticket items that are important to our America First agenda ready to go. And that’s why we’re going to just add more floor time to be able to get all of it done by the end of this year.” But in order to get all those “big-ticket items” done, the House will first need to pass the Senate’s bipartisan bill to end the government shutdown. Asked if his chamber had the votes to do so, Scalise said, “I’m very hopeful we will.” “I’m very confident our members are really eager to get back to a full House schedule. Many of them have been working overtime in their districts to mop up the mess Democrats created during the shutdown,” he said.
Kennedy grandson launches campaign to replace longtime Democrat in Congress
John F. Kennedy’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, announced on Tuesday that he’s launching a campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to replace longtime New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is set to retire. Schlossberg, 32, a Democrat, told supporters in an email that he would officially launch his campaign Wednesday, though he made his case to constituents in a campaign video he posted to social media late Tuesday. “This district should have a representative who can harness the creativity, energy and drive of this district and translate that into political power in Washington,” Schlossberg said in the video. Schlossberg blasted President Donald Trump in the campaign video, accusing Trump of corruption and creating what he called a “constitutional crisis.” TRUMP TRASHES NADLER ON HEELS OF DEM’S HOUSE RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT: ‘ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING CONGRESSMEN’ “It’s a corruption crisis,” he said. “The president has made almost a billion dollars this year. He’s picking winners and losers from inside the Oval Office. It’s cronyism, not capitalism.” “It’s a constitutional crisis with one dangerous man in control of all three branches of government,” he continued. “He’s stripping citizens of their civil rights and silencing his critics.” Schlossberg is no stranger to criticisms of the Trump administration, having drummed up a large following on social media with frequent posts weighing in on national issues, including taking aim at his cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. JFK’S GRANDSON SAYS THERE IS ‘NOTHING HEROIC’ ABOUT TRUMP’S DECLASSIFICATION ORDER Last month, he posted on Instagram an image of a Halloween costume for “MAHA Man,” in reference to Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again message, and described it as including such things as measles. Nadler, who currently represents New York’s 12th District, is serving his 17th term in Congress. He announced in September that he will not run for re-election next year, suggesting to The New York Times that a younger Democratic lawmaker in his seat “can maybe do better, can maybe help us more.” The district includes Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Upper East Side and Midtown. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trump says Chicago crime has fallen dramatically despite ‘extraordinary resistance’ from local Democrats
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that violent crime in Chicago has fallen sharply since the start of a federal crackdown known as “Operation Midway Blitz,” crediting the Department of Homeland Security-led effort with driving shootings and robberies down across the Windy City. The president’s Truth Social post claimed that shootings are down 35%, robberies down 41% and carjackings nearly 50% since the operation began several weeks ago. “This has been achieved despite the extraordinary resistance from Chicago and Illinois Radical Democrat leadership,” Trump wrote. The post marks the president’s first public update on the initiative since late October, when DHS confirmed nine arrests, including three illegal immigrants, following what officials described as “one of the most violent days” of the operation. DHS ‘BLITZES’ CHICAGOLAND, NETTING ‘MANY ARRESTS’ AS NOEM ONSITE FOR IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN According to DHS statements obtained by Fox News Digital, agents faced multiple assaults and vehicle rammings during coordinated Oct. 22 raids in the Chicago suburbs of Cicero and Glendale Heights. DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin called it “one of the most violent days we’ve had,” confirming that one agent was injured and several patrol units were damaged. The raids targeted violent offenders and previously deported foreign nationals with criminal records. The operation’s namesake honors Katie Abraham, a Chicago-area resident killed in September in a hit-and-run involving a suspected illegal immigrant. DHS MARKS ‘ONE OF THE MOST VIOLENT DAYS’ OF OPERATION MIDWAY BLITZ WITH SEVERAL ARRESTS “Midway Blitz,” launched in September, is part of a broader DHS initiative aimed at “criminal illegal aliens terrorizing Americans in sanctuary Illinois,” according to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who said suspects who attacked agents “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Trump’s post also reignited tensions with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, both of whom have previously opposed large-scale immigration raids. The president accused them of obstructing enforcement and “encouraging violent resistance against ICE officers.” HUNDREDS OF FEDERAL AGENTS IN CHICAGO CARRY OUT OPERATION TARGETING SUSPECTED TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS Trump said the next phase of “Midway Blitz” will include a “full surge” of federal agents in Chicago and Memphis, claiming the first wave has already delivered measurable results. “As we ramp up more assets, these numbers will continue to drop,” he wrote Tuesday. The Illinois governor’s office and the Chicago mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. The White House directed Fox News Digital back to the President’s comments on Truth Social. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
Republican erupts at Democrat during shutdown hearing: ‘My people aren’t getting paid thanks to you’
Tensions flared at a House hearing to advance legislation aimed at ending the government shutdown on Tuesday night, with two senior lawmakers on opposite sides of the aisle trading barbs over the fallout. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., clashed with Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee repeatedly at the outset of the hearing. Cole accused Democrats of derailing the federal government, while McGovern railed against the GOP’s refusal to attach provisions extending expiring enhanced Obamacare subsidies to its funding bill. “This is the stuff you said you would never do. ‘We would never shut down the government. We would never do this.’ That’s exactly what you’ve done,” House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said a short while later. “You’re putting thousands of people out of work.” McGovern, who said emphatically that his constituents were “getting screwed,” said, “You tried over 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act,” Obamacare’s formal name. ‘THE PANDEMIC’S OVER’: GOP, DEM SENATORS SPAR ON CAMERA OVER COSTLY OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES He said he was getting calls from constituents who were “out of their minds” trying to figure out how to pay for healthcare without the subsidies.” “Well the most immediate crisis in my district are the thousands of workers that you and your colleagues have put out of work, that aren’t getting a paycheck,” Cole said. “They’re the ones that keep the airplanes flying. They’re the ones that do the national weather center. They’re wondering why they’re not getting paid.” McGovern shot back, “You get no calls about healthcare?” “We could have had these debates, we could have had these arguments. Why are they being held hostage?” Cole continued. “The healthcare issue you’re talking about is a subsidy you passed on your own, you said it was COVID-related…The most immediate crisis in my district, you’ve created. My people aren’t getting paid thanks to you and your colleagues.” SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES McGovern, who tried to interject multiple times, said, “So nobody in your district is complaining about healthcare?” Cole conceded, “People complain everywhere about everything, but you asked me what the most important calls I get —” McGovern cut him off with, “—We have a chance to do something about this.” “— is, ‘Why am I not getting paid? Why am I being forcibly furloughed?’” Cole continued. “We have a chance to do something to help millions of people afford their health insurance. And what you’re all telling me is you’re not interested,” McGovern said. House Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., was ignored as she banged her gavel multiple times in an attempt to call order. Cole, meanwhile, said the subsidies “have nothing to do with the work of my committee.” “But you’re willing to hijack my committee,” he continued, before McGovern cut him off again, accusing Republicans of voting to “cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires” in the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” earlier this year. “But you could not extend these for people?” McGovern asked. The House Rules Committee is the final hurdle for most legislation before it sees House-wide votes. Lawmakers on the key panel vote to advance a bill while setting terms for its consideration, like possible amendment votes and timing for debate. The funding bill at hand is expected to advance through the committee on party lines. Democrats on the panel are likely to oppose the measure in line with House Democratic leaders, while Republicans have signaled no meaningful opposition. The vast majority of House Democrats have threatened to oppose the bill over its exclusion of the enhanced Obamacare credits, despite the legislation netting support from eight members of their own party in the Senate. Republican leaders have signaled a willingness to discuss reforms to the system, which they have criticized as flawed. However, they’ve rejected any notion of pairing a healthcare extension with a federal funding bill that is otherwise largely free of partisan policy riders.
Jeffries reveals last-minute move to extend COVID-era subsidies as House shutdown vote looms
Democrats will attempt to attach a three-year extension of expiring Obamacare subsidies to spending legislation that looks poised to end the ongoing government shutdown. Jeffries and a handful of other Democrats at a press conference on Tuesday said the last-gasp effort would be submitted as an amendment. “Before the Rules Committee this evening, House Democrats will give the Republicans another opportunity to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits by introducing an amendment that will extend these tax credits for a three-year period of time,” Jeffries said. SCREAMING MATCH ERUPTS BETWEEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES, MIKE LAWLER AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CHAOS CONTINUES “Republicans have created a healthcare crisis all across America. You now have an opportunity to actually take some action by working with Democrats before the Rules Committee this evening to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credit,” he continued. Democrats have also introduced several other amendments, including a prohibition on blanket firings of federal workers until 2029, a prevention to cuts to Medicaid or Medicare, a restriction to cuts for several federal safety-net programs and more. Those amendments are almost certain to fail. The government entered a 42-day shutdown on Oct 1 when Democrats rejected a Republican-led short-term spending bill over unrelated healthcare demands. Democrats led by Jeffries and Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., demanded Congress first consider extending temporary, COVID-era Obamacare subsidies that lawmakers passed in 2021 as an emergency response to the pandemic. MIKE JOHNSON EYES WEDNESDAY VOTE WITH END OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN SIGHT Now that those subsidies are set to sunset at the end of the year, Democrats have raised alarms that their expiration could leave millions of Americans paying significantly higher healthcare premiums overnight. Republicans rejected those demands out of hand and now look poised to re-open the government without having made any concessions on the subsidies. The short-term spending bill before the House would extend government funding through Jan. 30, 2026 and advances three of the twelve annual spending bills. It also prohibits the Trump administration from conducting mass layoffs to its federal workforce through January 30. DEMOCRATS, LEFT EMPTY-HANDED IN SHUTDOWN, TURN FURY ON SCHUMER Democrats at Tuesday’s press conference framed Democrats’ stand on the Obamacare subsidies as a longstanding prioritization of healthcare issues. “Democrats have been fighting Republicans in a long struggle to provide healthcare to Americans. We have been fighting Republicans when we created Medicare, when we created Medicaid, when we created the Affordable Care Act, and we’re not going to give up that fight,” Rep. Teresa Fernández said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The House of Representatives is set to consider the spending package on Wednesday evening as lawmakers rush back to Washington, D.C. from across the country.
Trump issues ‘complete and total’ endorsement in Lone Star governor’s race
President Donald Trump issued a “Complete and Total” endorsement of Lone Star State Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday. Abbott, a Republican, launched his reelection campaign at an event in Houston on Sunday. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday evening, Trump called Abbott “an exceptional Governor and man,” declaring, “HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!” “Greg Abbott is the strong and highly respected Governor of Texas, a State I love and WON BIG three times, including with 6.4 Million Votes in 2024 (The most Votes in History, BY FAR)!” Trump wrote. ABBOTT DEPLOYS ‘ELITE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD’ AFTER TRUMP CALLS FOR REINFORCEMENTS: ‘EVER READY’ He credited Abbott’s leadership for the successful passage of the Texas mid-decade redistricting bill that will potentially give Republicans an additional five congressional seats in the 2026 Midterm Elections. “Thanks to Greg’s bold and effective Leadership, the wonderful people of Texas will have the opportunity to elect 5 new MAGA Republicans in the 2026 Midterm Elections with the passage of their new, fair, and much improved, Congressional Map — A BIG WIN for Republicans in The Lone Star State, and across the Country! ” wrote Trump. The president went on to tout many of Abbott’s priorities, saying, “As Governor, Greg is also fighting tirelessly to Champion Texas Values, Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Support our Amazing Farmers and Ranchers, Advance MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy Dominance, Promote School Choice, Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Protect our Brave Military, Veterans, and Law Enforcement, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.” “Greg Abbott has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election,” he concluded. TRUMP BACKS HUCKABEE SANDERS AND A BUNCH OF HOUSE REPUBLICANS FOR RE-ELECTION WITH MIDTERMS ON THE HORIZON Abbott responded to the endorsement by calling it an “honor.” “Together, we’ve worked to secure our border and defend the values that keep Texas strong. President Trump has always been a champion for Texas,” wrote Abbott, adding, “I look forward to our ongoing work to build a stronger, safer, more prosperous Texas and America.” Abbott is seeking a fourth term in the Lone Star State. At his campaign launch on Sunday, Abbott outlined a sweeping property tax reform plan, addressing what has become one of the state’s most pressing, hot-button issues. “It’s time to drive a stake through the heart of local property tax hikes for good,” Abbott said. “We are going to turn the tables on local taxing authorities, put the power with the people, and put an end to out-of-control property taxes in Texas.” Despite much speculation of Texas turning purple or even blue in recent years, Abbott has won each of his three previous elections by decisive margins. In 2022, he defeated the once-rising star, former Rep. Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke by over ten percentage points. TEXAS GOVERNOR REVEALS REASON WHY HE AND TRUMP HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER SO CLOSELY In an interview with Fox News Digital in October, Abbott, whose National Guard troops were deployed in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Chicago, revealed the “substantive reason” why he has such a good working relationship with the president: “We both believe in the rule of law.” “President Trump and I have a good, long-standing, working relationship, and there’s a substantive reason behind that. We both believe in the rule of law. We both believe in public safety. We both believed in securing the borders,” he explained. Abbott said that he and President Donald Trump are “operating very closely aligned in ensuring that our country’s going to be safe.” Abbott emphasized that the Trump administration shares a common vision with Texas, making them apt partners. ABBOTT VOWS TO IMPOSE A ‘100% TARIFF’ ON ANYONE MOVING FROM NYC TO TEXAS AFTER ELECTION DAY “What Texas is trying to do is the same thing the United States is trying to do. And that is very simply, carrying out the functions of the federal government. One of them is immigration enforcement, and another is public safety. The National Guard from Texas [is] not there to police the city of Chicago or any other place. They are there to ensure the safety and security of the ability of federal officials to fulfill their constitutional duty to enforce the laws of the United States.” Though he gave no indication of what other collaborations Texas might undertake with the Trump administration in the future, he said that Texas remains ready for whatever is needed. “No one can accurately predict exactly what’s going to happen in the future. What I can predict is how Texas will respond. And that is, whenever the country is in time of need, Texans will step up and help out any way we possibly can.”