Reckoning looms for politicians as longest government shutdown persists
A reckoning is coming. Or shall we say “reckonings.” And they’re coming, whether the government reopens soon or remains shuttered. If the government stays closed, voters will likely torch both parties for not hammering out a deal. Air traffic delays are stacking up. Those problems only intensify as we near Thanksgiving and Christmas. That’s to say nothing of multiple missed paychecks for federal employees, stress, economic consequences and no SNAP benefits for the needy. SCHUMER, DEMS UNVEIL ALTERNATIVE SHUTDOWN PLAN, ASK FOR ONE-YEAR EXTENSION TO OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES Some of those concerns will dissipate if lawmakers address the shutdown quickly. But there will be a reckoning if the shutdown drags deeper into November. There are likely specific reckonings for both political parties. For Republicans, it’s a resistance by GOP leaders to address spiking healthcare subsidies. Yes. The GOP is making a compelling argument that healthcare subsidies are only necessary because Obamacare is a problem and health care prices skyrocketed. So, Republicans are back fighting against Obamacare. In fact, the entire government shutdown is not about spending levels and appropriations. It’s a re-litigation of the touchstone law passed under President Obama in 2010. And Republicans, despite multiple campaign promises and dozens of efforts to kill the law over a six-year period, failed at nearly every turn. Despite issues with Obamacare, Democrats annexed the public’s concern about healthcare costs and linked that to government funding. Democrats appear like the party trying to address the issue as premiums spike. And Republicans, despite promises that they’ll get to it, are inert on the subject. They’re even championing efforts to lambaste Obamacare — much the same as they did in 2010 when Congress passed the law. Republicans are latched on to the concept that the subsidies are “pumping money to insurance companies,” as Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., put it on Fox. Lankford also characterized those who benefited from Obamacare as a “select group.” It works out to about 24 million people. That’s 7% of the U.S. population. So, maybe that burns the GOP politically. Maybe it doesn’t. A major reckoning looms for the Democrats, too. It’s possible that a coalition of Democratic senators may break with the Democratic Party and support a new GOP plan to reopen the government on a temporary basis. Nowhere is it written that Democrats — who made the shutdown about health care — are guaranteed an outcome on Obamacare subsidies. Yes, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have said they’ll address the health care issue after the government is open. But that’s not necessarily a fix. TRUMP URGES SENATE REPUBLICANS TO REDIRECT FUNDS FROM OBAMACARE-BACKED INSURERS, PAY AMERICANS DIRECTLY So Democrats are fuming. Therefore, it’s a distinct possibility that Democrats will refuse to fund the government in an effort to extract a concession on Obamacare subsidies and walk away empty-handed. Such an outcome will spark an internecine firestorm inside the Democratic Party. Progressives felt that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., rolled them back in March when he and a squadron of other Democrats helped the GOP crack a filibuster to avoid a shutdown. It’s doubtful that Schumer will help this time. But Senate Republicans hope to coax just enough Democrats to overcome the filibuster on a pending test vote and then fund the government through late January. That’s the reckoning for the Democrats. No outcome on health care. And getting the screws put to them by members of their own party. Again. Progressives will be apoplectic. And House Democrats will seethe — not so privately — at Senate Democrats. The Senate’s test vote on the new GOP proposal could come as early as Sunday evening. The revised package would also fund the Department of Agriculture and Department of Veterans Affairs, plus Congress until Sept. 30, 2026. Fox is told Republicans believe they are in range of persuading Democrats who are sweating the shutdown to join them. Fox is told that air traffic control and flight delays are contributing to the Democrats’ consternation. That said, it is believed that the Senate GOP leadership is reluctant to force a vote related to the retooled, spending bill without a guarantee it could break a filibuster. The last thing the Senate needs is another failed procedural vote after repeated failed test votes over the past six weeks. REPUBLICANS TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO BASHING OBAMACARE AS SHUTDOWN ENTERS DAY 39 Let’s game out the timing for a moment: By the book, if the Senate breaks the filibuster late Sunday, it’s doubtful the chamber can take a final vote on the package until Monday or Tuesday. But Fox is told there is a distinct possibility that Democrats could yield back time to expedite the process in the interest of quickly reopening the government. By the same token, angry liberal senators could bleed out the parliamentary clocks and attempt to amend the bill to their liking — presumably with Obamacare provisions. The Senate must break yet another filibuster to finish the bill. Then it’s on to final passage. That only needs a simple majority. And even if some Democrats voted to hurdle the filibuster, they might not support the underlying plan at the end. However, that’s not a problem if GOP senators provide the necessary votes. Then it’s on to the House. The House’s disposition is unclear on this legislation. However, it’s hard to believe that most Republicans wouldn’t take this deal. Reps. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash.; and Jared Golden, D-Maine, are among moderate Democrats who may be in play to vote yes if the GOP loses a few votes. Golden was the lone House Democrat who voted for the old interim spending bill Sept. 19. Golden has since announced his retirement. Another big question: Would the House swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., before or after the vote? Democrats will bray if Johnson fails to swear in Grijalva before a possible House vote And, as we say, it’s always about the math. Swearing in Grijalva puts
Newsom tells Texas crowd taking back House is ‘the whole thing’ for Democrats in 2026
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told a crowd in Texas Saturday that Democrats winning back the House of Representatives in 2026 is “the whole thing.” Newsom, 58, continued to ride high over the weekend, four days after California’s Proposition 50 — to redistrict the state’s congressional map in favor of Democrats — passed in a landslide. Newsom also couldn’t resist taking a jab at his frequent foe, President Donald Trump. “He is an historic president, however historically unpopular,” he told the crowd in Houston. “And he had a very bad night on Tuesday.” OBAMA CALLS NEWSOM’S CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING MOVE A ‘RESPONSIBLE APPROACH’ TO GOP TACTICS Along with Prop 50 in California, Democrats also won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani handily beat Democrat-turned-independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral election. Proposition 50 was a response to Texas’ legislature redistricting its congressional map in favor of Republicans over the summer. On Tuesday after Proposition 50 passed, Newsom called on other Democrat-led states to follow suit. “We need to see other states, their remarkable leaders that have been doing remarkable things, meet this moment head-on as well,” he said in a late-night news conference on Tuesday. “We can de facto end Donald Trump’s presidency as we know it, the minute Speaker Jeffries gets sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives. It is all on the line.” NEWSOM SET TO RALLY TEXAS DEMS WITH VICTORY LAP DAYS AFTER PROP 50 PASSES: ‘CALIFORNIA STEPPED UP’ He continued his celebration on Saturday, telling the crowd, “There were lines around the block two hours after polling had stopped because people wanted to be heard, not just seen. They wanted to send a message. But, as I said, we cannot rest until we take it back. “There is no more important race in our lifetimes than the House of Representatives, and taking back the House and getting speaker [Hakeem] Jeffries sworn in next November. It’s the whole thing. It’s the whole thing. “And, so, that starts today,” he continued. “It started on Tuesday. “We can shape the future here in Texas. We can shape the future all across the South and across the United States of America. You have that power.” Trump and the GOP have spearheaded an effort to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections. Although he hasn’t announced his intentions to run for president, Newsom has been widely seen as a possible frontrunner for Democrats in the 2028 presidential election. While two other Democratic blue state governors with likely national ambitions in 2028, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, are mulling new maps in their states to create one or two more blue-leaning congressional districts, Newsom has been the most visible leader so far in the redistricting wars and the first Democrat to succeed. Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Republicans turn their attention to bashing Obamacare as shutdown enters day 39
Amid a 39-day government shutdown, Republican after Republican took to the Senate floor on Saturday to blast the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, calling the program a failed approach to addressing the country’s health care needs. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., went as far as to say the current system might need replacing. “You were promised when Obamacare passed in 2010, President Obama said that every family in America who participated in this thing would have a $2,500 savings in premium reductions. It’s been like a 100% increase. This thing is unsustainable,” Graham said. FLASHBACK: TED CRUZ PREDICTS BALLOONING OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES NOW AT CENTER OF SHUTDOWN FIGHT “We’re going to replace this broken system with something that is actually better for the consumer to meet the goal of lowering health care costs,” Graham added. Graham wasn’t the only Republican voice to speak out against Obamacare. “I hate to report that folks on the other side refused to acknowledge the very obvious damage being done across the board by Obamacare,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., said. “The problem we have in healthcare is we’ve largely driven free-market principles out of healthcare. That’s because of the faulty design of Obamacare. It’s got to be fixed.” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a former health care executive and longtime critic of the program, joined in. “It’s all caused by Obamacare. When the government gets involved in things, they often go up in price,” Scott said. Notably, Republican criticisms of Obamacare on Saturday went beyond the front-and-center issue holding up consideration of government funding. Where Republicans have advanced a short-term spending package meant to keep the government open through Nov. 21, Democrats have rejected it 14 times, demanding that lawmakers first consider extending COVD-era emergency tax subsidies for Obamacare plan holders. Republicans, who maintain the temporary subsidies and their expiration have nothing to do with government spending, have largely focused their attention on the shutdown itself instead of engaging in a debate over the COVID-era assistance. They’ve said they will negotiate on the subsidies when the government reopens. But President Donald Trump changed the picture on Saturday morning in a post to Truth Social by arguing that lawmakers should restructure the enhanced subsidies so that they go directly to the policyholders instead of insurance companies who currently receive the tax credit payments. TRUMP URGES SENATE REPUBLICANS TO REDIRECT FUNDS FROM OBAMACARE-BACKED INSURERS, PAY AMERICANS DIRECTLY After Trump’s suggestion, lawmakers began blasting Obamacare’s structure. “Obamacare costs the federal government closer to $150 billion a year. That’s right. We’re spending $150 billion of your tax-earned dollars supplementing other people’s health care,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said. “When they sold this to the American people, they said it would cost $40 or $50 billion, but we’re triple that. That’s $400 million a day,” he added. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, echoed those comments, arguing that Obamacare had missed the mark on its original design. “It’s clear that Obamacare has failed to deliver on its promises,” Ernst said. “The answer isn’t throwing more money into a broken system. What we need to do is fix what’s broken. We can end that waste.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS DIVIDED OVER OBAMACARE AS GOP EYES FIX AFTER SHUTDOWN Like Ernst and Marshall, Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio., also took to the floor, calling for Congress to evaluate the source of climbing health care costs. “So, I hope we want to get at the costs and the cause of what’s affecting the unaffordability of healthcare in this country. Healthcare has increased since Obamacare started by 6% a year while overall inflation has been 3% or less,” Husted said. “I hope we will reopen the government and begin serving the American people while we continue the very important conversation of how we make healthcare more affordable,” he added. Although Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has kept the Senate in session over the weekend while lawmakers attempt to break the gridlock, it’s unclear when lawmakers will next consider spending legislation.
Senate in limbo as Thune eyes long haul until shutdown ends
The Senate is in for a rare weekend session as the chamber remains in limbo while lawmakers try to find a way out of the government shutdown. Behind the scenes, appropriators are cooking up a trio of spending bills to attach to the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), along with an extension to the bill that would, if passed, reopen government until December or January. But the package was not ready for primetime Saturday, and no votes were held. Instead, Senate Republicans spent hours railing against Obamacare and Senate Democrats’ desire to extend the expiring premium subsidies on the floor. When the package does hit the floor, Senate Democrats, as they’ve done 14 times previously, are likely to block it. It all comes as the upper chamber is scheduled for a week-long recess to coincide with Veterans Day. DEMS BLOCK GOP BILL ENSURING FEDERAL WORKER, MILITARY PAYCHECKS CONTINUE DURING SHUTDOWN Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., now wants to keep lawmakers in town until the shutdown ends. When asked if there would be a vote on the plan, Thune said it would be ideal to have the package on the floor, but “we’ve got to have votes to actually pass it.” Republicans are reticent to put the CR out again just to see it fail. “I’ve been talking all morning with some of the folks that are involved with the meeting, and I think we’re getting close to having it ready,” Thune said. “We just need to get the text out there.” The spending package, however, is just one piece of the puzzle to reopening the government. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus, freshly emboldened by sweeping Election Day victories earlier in the week, are sticking by their newly released plan that would extend the expiring Obamacare subsidies by one year and create a bipartisan working group to negotiate next steps after the government reopens. But Senate Republicans immediately rejected the idea; Thune called it a “non-starter,” while others in the GOP were angered by the proposal. Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said he would appeal to President Donald Trump and his administration to slash funding from “pet projects” in blue states and cities to pay federal workers as the shutdown drags on. SCHUMER, DEMS UNVEIL ALTERNATIVE SHUTDOWN PLAN, ASK FOR ONE-YEAR EXTENSION TO OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES “The idea that you’ve got a bunch of kamikaze pilots trying to burn this whole place down because they’re emboldened by an election where Democrats won in Democrat areas is totally insane,” he said. Senate Democrats were largely unsurprised that Republicans rejected the offer, however. “I know many Republicans stormed out of the gate to dismiss this offer, but that’s a terrible mistake,” Schumer said. Thune and his conference have, throughout the course of the 39-day shutdown, said they would only deal with the subsidies after the government reopened and have offered Schumer and Senate Democrats a vote on a bill addressing the healthcare issue once the closure ends. “I’m not surprised,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said. “They don’t want to help people with their healthcare.” But Republicans countered that a simple extension of the enhanced subsidies, which were modified under former President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic, would funnel money straight to insurers. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., has been in talks with Senate Democrats on a path forward, particularly through jump-starting government funding with the impending trio of spending bills. THUNE SAYS ‘WHEELS CAME OFF’ AS REPUBLICANS MULL NEXT SHUTDOWN MOVE After Schumer unveiled Democrats’ plan, she charged that “since Obamacare came into effect, look who’s gotten rich? It’s not the people.” “They’re talking about the people’s premiums and have … they have taken it to the companies that are actually making the money off of it? They’re not,” Britt said. “So, I look forward to hearing why in the world they want to continue these profits and not actually help the people they serve.” Senate Democrats, however, contend that their offer was fair. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., argued that there were some in the caucus that wanted to do a multi-year extension, while others wanted to go beyond just the enhanced subsidies. He reiterated his frustration that the core of the issue, from his perspective, was that neither Schumer nor Thune would sit down and negotiate. “We made a really simple, really scaled-down offer that could get the government up and operating and [is] really good for them politically,” he said. “I just still don’t understand why they won’t accept the offer.”
Pelosi earned more than $130 million in stock profits, return of 16,930%, during time in Congress: report
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and husband Paul Pelosi have raked in more than $130 million in stock profits over the course of her congressional career, a report said. That’s a return of 16,930% over nearly four decades representing California, according to the New York Post. The figure comes as Pelosi, 85, announced this week she will not be seeking re-election after completing her current term in 2027. Fox News Digital has reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREEN PRAISES NANCY PELOSI’S ABILITY TO GET HER AGENDA PASSED, WISHES GOP COULD DO THE SAME Before entering office in 1987, Pelosi and her husband reported between $610,000 and $785,000 in stocks in their portfolio, the Post said, citing a financial disclosure form. Those stocks reportedly included Citibank and companies that are no longer publicly traded. Over time, that portfolio has soared in value to $133.7 million today, the Post reported, citing estimates from Quiver Quantitative. The newspaper said the profit of 16,930% exceeds the 2,300% that the Dow Jones had during the same time period. NANCY PELOSI’S CRITICS CELEBRATE RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT The Pelosis are now worth an estimated $280 million, according to the Post. Pelosi announced Thursday that she would not be seeking re-election. “There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.’ I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I’ve always honored the soul of Saint Francisco — ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.’ The anthem of our city,” Pelosi said in a video. “That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans to be the first to know I will not be seeking re-election to Congress,” she said. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative as we go forward.” Pelosi has been a power player in U.S. politics for decades, having served as House speaker from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023. Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Rachel Wolf and Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
Biden claims ‘Democratic Party is back’ after election, says late son ‘should have been the president, not me’
Former President Joe Biden told Nebraska Democrats Friday their party “is back” after a series of sweeping election wins last week and also accused President Donald Trump of destroying the Constitution and cutting health care and food assistance for millions of Americans. Biden, 82, speaking at the Nebraska Democratic Party’s Ben Nelson Gala in Omaha, also urged Republicans to end the ongoing government shutdown and said his late son, Beau Biden, should have been president instead of him. “The Democratic Party is back. That’s not hyperbole,” Biden said. “Did you see the election results?” CHUCK TODD SAYS BIDEN’S PRESIDENCY WAS SO ‘WEAK AND INEFFECTIVE’ IT MADE PEOPLE GO BACK TO TRUMP Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J. and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., won gubernatorial races in their respective states, while democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani scored a stunning victory to become New York City’s next mayor. The wins came a year after former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to Trump. Harris was propelled to the top of the 2024 Democratic presidential ticket after Biden backed out of the race following a blistering debate performance against Trump. “Well, the American people are sending a message, a message to Trump and to his crowd,” Biden said, accusing the president of trampling on democracy and working for the rich. “I just want you to know you work for us, Mr. President. We don’t work for you,” Biden said. “You work for us, not just billionaires and millionaires. You know, this is democracy. And the fact of the matter is that there are no kings in democracies. None. None. But you act in a way that embarrasses the nation.” Biden said Trump and the GOP were cutting healthcare programs and driving up costs, adding that more than 300 rural hospitals in America, including two in Nebraska, are expected to shut down. BIDEN PRAISES LATE-NIGHT HOSTS SPEAKING OUT AGAINST TRUMP ‘KNOWING THEIR CAREERS ARE ON THE LINE’ “Folks, I’ve never said this my whole career. I think it’s immoral. It’s un-American. It’s flat-out wrong,” Biden said. Biden, who had a bandage on his head, referred to his own battle with cancer and praised the healthcare workers who have been treating him. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer earlier this year. “I know what cancer research means. Cancer. It’s every family. It hit my family hard, just as so many of yours,” Biden said. “When the love of my life, my oldest son, the attorney general of the state of Delaware, who should have been the president, not me, volunteered to go to Iraq for a year, didn’t have to, came back with Stage 4 glioblastoma because he lived in a burn pit just like those guys did on 9/11, and he died.” Biden also took aim at Trump’s plans to build a new ballroom at the White House after bulldozing the East Wing, calling it “the perfect symbol of his presidency.” “When I left the presidency, President Trump was going to take a wrecking ball to the country, but I had no idea it would be an actual wrecking ball,” Biden said. “Anyone see what he’s done to the East Wing of the people’s house? Trump has taken a wrecking ball not only to the people’s house, but to the Constitution, to the rule of law, to our very democracy.” He also accused Trump of “deliberately making hunger worse” and claimed “one in five children go to bed hungry every night.” He mocked Trump for holding a “Great Gatsby” themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago while cutting food aid for millions, saying it showed “who he is.” “On Friday, everyone dressed up like the rich folks they are from the roaring twenties, and on Saturday he cut assistance to 40 million Americans,” Biden said. The White House did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.
Social media erupts after far-left mayor gives victory speech in foreign language: ‘Humiliating’
Newly re-elected Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey is facing backlash from conservatives for giving a victory speech in Somali and saying that Minneapolis welcomes Somalians. In a video of the speech posted online, Frey can be seen leading chants in Somali as the crowd responds and applauds. Popular conservative influencer Paul Szypula ripped into the progressive mayor, writing, “The pandering here is insane.” “Mayor Jacob Frey, as he won reelection, spoke almost a minute in Somalia then said Minneapolis belongs to Somalia,” said Szypula. MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR’S RACE ADVANCES TO RANKED CHOICE VOTING AFTER NO CANDIDATE REACHES 50% In a second round of nonpartisan ranked-choice voting, Frey narrowly defeated a challenge from socialist Minneapolis state Sen. Omar Fateh. Fateh is the first Somali American and first Muslim to serve in the state senate. Fateh had the backing of the Twin Cities’ chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and “Squad” member Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who represents Minneapolis in the U.S. House of Representatives. Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn., who was former Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate last year and is up for re-election next year, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., endorsed Frey’s campaign this year. While speaking with a crowd of Somali residents after his victory, Frey repeatedly thanked the crowd in Somali. ILHAN OMAR ERUPTS AT OWN PARTY FOR RENEGING ON SOCIALIST CANDIDATE’S ENDORSEMENT: ‘INEXCUSABLE’ “To the great people of Minneapolis, and I say that very intentionally, because no matter where you are from, Minneapolis should be a place where you are proud to call home,” he said. He then proceeded to list off a number of Somalian regions, saying, “Whether you are from Bosaso or Mogadishu, whether you are from Hargeisa or Garowe, whether you are from Beledweyne or southwest, Minneapolis is a place where you come to seek prosperity, where you come to raise your family.” “Here is what this election means, this election means this is a moment for unity, where the entire Somali community can come together and say, ‘This is our people, this is our city, we are united behind each other,” he said. Conservative pundit Gerry Callahan slammed Frey’s speech, saying, “This is an American politician, raised in America, educated in America, ostensibly representing Americans, prostrating himself in front of bunch of foreigners. Could be the most humiliating thing I’ve ever seen.” Podcaster Matt Walsh also chimed in, writing, “As I have said many times now, politicians in this country should be required by law to speak English when addressing the public in an official capacity. There should never be a time when Americans can’t understand what their elected leaders are saying.” MINNEAPOLIS BECOMES FIRST MAJOR US CITY TO ALLOW MUSLIM CALLS TO PRAYER AT ALL HOURS Nick Sortor wrote, “I don’t know how large ICE’s presence in Minneapolis is, but it needs to be much, MUCH larger.” Fox News Digital reached out to Frey’s team for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. This is not the first time Frey has garnered criticism over Somali-language political messaging. He was also widely criticized in September for releasing a campaign ad in Somali. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, commented on the ad, saying, “This must be stopped.” Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., also reacted to the ad, posting a disapproving gif. Kari Lake simply wrote, “WTAF?” which is an acronym for “what the actual f—.” Having entered office in 2018, Frey was elected to his third term as Minneapolis mayor on Tuesday. He is best known for marching with protesters during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots, which were particularly destructive in Minneapolis, the city in which George Floyd died. Frey was also seen kneeling and weeping by Floyd’s casket at a memorial service.
Dem House hopeful vows to help working class despite record of hiking taxes
FIRST ON FOX: A Tennessee Democratic state representative running for Congress, who has been likened to Zohran Mamdani, claims she is running to make life better for the working class, but her voting record tells a different story. Tennessee state Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-District 51, who is running to replace outgoing Congressman from Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, Mark Green, voted no last year on a bill that would have resulted in a $400 million tax cut for certain Tennessee small businesses, including potential refunds of up to $1.5 billion. Behn also rallied against Republican’s H.R. 1, the so-called “one, big beautiful bill,” which extended Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts that, without, could’ve meant a nearly $4,000 increase for taxpayers in her district. Meanwhile, earlier this year, Behn voted against a statewide budget bill that would have added tens-of-millions to the state’s rainy day fund, which would have effectively padded the state’s coffers so that in times of low-revenue taxes won’t need to be increased so much. That same budget bill would have also allocated millions for volunteer fire departments, senior centers, emergency medical services, teacher bonuses and other public safety funding. TRUMP LOOMS LARGE OVER SPECIAL ELECTION PRIMARY IN DEEP-RED CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT “A pissed-off social worker, Aftyn has seen firsthand how broken systems fail the very people they’re meant to protect,” Behn’s campaign website reads. “She’s now running for Congress after the so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ passed — a giveaway to the wealthy that codified the largest transfer of wealth from working people to the rich in American history.” However, according to estimates from the Tax Foundation, if Trump’s 2017 tax cuts had expired, residents in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, whom Behn wants to represent, would have seen an increase in their taxes of approximately $3,717 per taxpayer. “To win, Democrats need to focus on what really matters: making life more affordable for working people,” Behn said after the bill’s passage. “Washington Republicans did the opposite by passing this #BigBullsh–Bill. Gutting healthcare and giving handouts to billionaires.” TENNESSEE SUED OVER LIMITED ACCESS TO EXECUTIONS AS MEDIA DEMAND TRANSPARENCY Even the New York Times has admitted that independent analyses showed Trump’s 2017 tax cuts “have consistently found that a large majority of Americans would owe less because of the law.” Last year, Behn also voted against a bill that the Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee estimated would provide over $1.5 billion in tax refunds for small business owners in the state. It also would have reduced a combined yearly tax burden for Tennessee business owners of about $400 million. Simultaneously, Behn voted against Tennessee’s 2025-2026 fiscal year budget that included a big increase to the state’s rainy day fund, which is used by state governments during periods of low revenue. The same budget bill also included community funding for services like volunteer fire departments, emergency medical services and rescue squads, senior centers, teacher bonuses, school security and more. During Behn’s time in the state legislature, she also worked to repeal the grocery tax in Tennessee, claiming it would put money back into the pockets of hard-working Tennesseans year-around. However, according to Republicans, the move would create a business enterprise tax, raising taxes on small businesses by about $800 million. Fox News Digital reached out repeatedly to Behn’s campaign for comment but did not hear back. “Aftyn Behn’s policies would skyrocket the cost of living even more for hardworking Tennesseans,” Behn’s Republican opponent, Trump-backed Matt Van Epps, said. “Aftyn has repeatedly voted against tax cuts and proposed new taxes, taking more money from your pocket. I’ll always fight to lower taxes and bring down costs so that working families can get ahead.” In local media reports, Behn has been compared to New York City mayor-elect and self-proclaimed socialist Zohran Mamdani and the Dickson County Democratic Party described Behn as “our very own AOC of TN,” in a reference to U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. “His message is one of helping working families across New York, my message is one of helping working families across Tennessee,” Behn said about Mamdani during the appearance on CNN. “We need to go back to pocketbook issues, especially in states like Tennessee where people are living unaffordable lives and suffering as a result of Republican policies.”
Trump urges Senate Republicans to redirect funds from Obamacare-backed insurers, pay Americans directly
President Donald Trump has urged Senate Republicans to abolish Obamacare and reroute federal health care spending directly to individual Americans. In a Truth Social post Saturday morning, Trump wrote: “I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over.” DEMOCRATS HOLD THE GOVERNMENT HOSTAGE OVER SUBSIDIES AMERICANS DON’T WANT “In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare.” The post marks Trump’s latest push to revive his long-running campaign against the Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare, a centerpiece of former President Barack Obama’s domestic legacy. PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LOWERING HEALTHCARE COSTS, BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS DOING IT Trump and Republicans have renewed their criticism of the program amid the government shutdown, arguing it drives up costs and enriches insurance companies at taxpayers’ expense. Trump spent much of his first term trying to repeal the law. Obama and Democrats argue it made health care more available and affordable for millions of Americans. Congress remains deadlocked over government funding, with health-care programs and insurer subsidies among the major budget sticking points fueling the shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday told reporters Thursday that he would not commit to holding a vote on extending COVID-19 pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of this year without congressional action. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., had been floating a vote on such an extension in exchange for Democrats voting to end the shutdown. The issue of enhanced Obamacare subsidies has been a matter of debate within the GOP, with some Republicans in more moderate districts calling for at least a year-long extension to give lawmakers time to create a new healthcare deal in its place. Trump also once again called on Republicans to end the filibuster, the procedural rule that requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. “Unrelated, we must still terminate the Filibuster!” Trump wrote.
Patriot or ‘Pathetic RINO’? Maverick Republican Thomas Massie trades ‘America First’ label for ‘America only’
Rep. Thomas Massie — a Republican fiscal hawk facing a President Donald Trump-backed primary challenger in Kentucky — has previously described himself as “America First,” but now he says he thinks that he’s “America only.” “I am tired of sending money overseas,” he told Fox News Digital during an interview on Thursday. “I am tired of favoring foreign beef over U.S.A.-grown beef,” he continued. “I’m ready to be America only. And I think all congressmen should be that way.” Massie gave Trump a mixed review, saying that the president is America First on “some” fronts. REP THOMAS MASSIE REMARRIES AFTER WIFE’S DEATH LAST YEAR: ‘PLEASE PRAY FOR US’ “But when it comes to the beef, he is not America first. When it comes to sending money overseas to Ukraine and Israel,” Massie said, “I think he needs to get back to his campaign promises and put America first. Because we’re not gonna make America great again by sending our money overseas.” Massie noted that his “biggest disagreement” with both the Trump administration and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is the increase in spending. “I mean, I thought we were conservatives. Why are we spending more this year than Joe Biden spent in his last year? Actually, we’re spending about $200 billion dollars more,” he said, adding that the consequence “is inflation and higher interest rates.” “And people are feeling that. You can’t gaslight them,” Massie added. “You can’t tell them that things are getting cheaper when they’re not getting cheaper.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House spokesman Kush Desai accused Massie of “Fake Math.” TRUMP SAYS MASSIE IS ‘GONNA BE HISTORY’ AS ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ JUMPS FINAL HURDLES TO PASSAGE “Here are the facts: President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut Act cut mandatory spending by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, and the budget deficit from April to September of this year is down a staggering 40% compared to last year, when Joe Biden was president,” Desai declared in the statement. “Instead of Fake Math, Thomas Massie should reflect on how he betrayed his voters and hardworking Americans when he voted with every Democrat against the biggest tax cut for working families in American history, including no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security, no tax on overtime pay, increased child tax credits, and permanence for the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts,” he added. Massie said his other disagreements with what has been happening in D.C. are “secondary” to the spending issue. “I would say, we need to follow through on some of our campaign promises. For instance, release the Epstein files,” he said. MAVERICK HOUSE REPUBLICAN IN TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS TOUTS RECORD CAMPAIGN CASH HAUL Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have been spearheading a bid to force a House vote on a proposal that would compel the release of materials pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein. Their discharge petition has amassed 217 of the 218 signatures needed to force the vote, but Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, who has said she will sign on, has still not yet been sworn in to office more than six weeks after winning a special election in Arizona. Johnson “has tried every which way he can to avoid this vote,” Massie claimed, asserting that the speaker has not sworn in the Democrat because she “represents the 218th signature I need to force a vote on releasing the Epstein files.” Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. RAND PAUL PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR MASSIE AGAINST TRUMP-BACKED CHALLENGER: ‘I’M GOING TO HELP HIM’ Massie, who owns cattle himself, said the president has “sort of gut punched the cattle ranchers and… livestock farmers” in the U.S. During remarks aboard Air Force One last month, Trump indicated the U.S. was considering buying beef from Argentina to drive down prices. Days later Reuters reported that a White House official indicated that the administration was quadrupling the nation’s low-tariff imports of beef from the South American nation. Increasing the tariff rate quota to 80,000 metric tons will allow Argentina to send greater quantities of the product to America at a lower rate of duty, according to the outlet. The president has Massie in his political crosshairs — he has repeatedly reviled the congressman on Truth Social. In a post on Monday, Trump referred to Massie as “a Weak and Pathetic RINO” — a pejorative acronymn that stands for “Republican in name only.” He also called the congressman “a totally ineffective LOSER,” while expressing his support for primary challenger Ed Gallrein, who Trump is backing in the race. SCOOP: TRUMP-BACKED FORMER NAVY SEAL LAUNCHES GOP PRIMARY CHALLENGE AGAINST MASSIE Even as the president tries to convince voters in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District to reject Massie, the lawmaker said that he does not regret endorsing Trump ahead of the 2024 election, noting that former Vice President Kamala Harris would have been a total “disaster.” Massie initially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary, but DeSantis dropped out and backed Trump, and Massie later endorsed the Republican juggernaut as well. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “And I’m glad that President Trump won,” he said. Trump has “done a lot of good things,” he said, adding that many of them have been carried out via executive order, and he thinks Congress should vote on more of the issues so that the president’s moves are not simply “temporary actions.” Asked whether he’d have any interest in potentially running for president himself, Massie said that he is not interested.