Trump promotes Freedom Haulers Initiative to fast-track military veterans into trucking jobs
President Donald Trump on Thursday formally kicked off an administration initiative designed to fast-track military veterans into trucking jobs while removing illegal immigrant commercial drivers from America’s roadways, arguing the effort will improve highway safety and create new employment opportunities for former service members. Speaking at the White House alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and trucking industry leaders, Trump promoted the “Freedom Haulers Initiative,” which streamlines the commercial driver’s license (CDL) process for veterans with heavy vehicle experience gained during military service. “Today, we’re taking action to get illegal alien truck drivers off the American roadways and replace them with proud American veterans,” Trump said. “It’s about time.” TRUMP TAPS VETERANS TO FIX ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKING PROBLEM PLAGUING US ROADWAYS Under the initiative, qualified veterans with heavy-vehicle experience gained during military service can apply to waive the CDL road-skills test, allowing them to avoid duplicating training they received in the military. Certain veterans in participating states may also qualify for a waiver of the written knowledge test. Veterans without military truck-driving experience will be eligible for expedited training that administration officials said could be completed in several weeks. Trump said 34 states have joined or are working to implement the Even Exchange Program, including Indiana, Wyoming, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida and Maryland, and called on the remaining states to participate. The president paired the promotion with his administration’s ongoing crackdown on commercial drivers who do not meet federal English-language requirements or who were issued licenses while in the country illegally. OUT OF CONTROL, UNQUALIFIED ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKERS ENDANGERING KIDS ON US ROADS, INSIDER WARNS: ‘JUST MADNESS’ Trump said the administration has removed more than 24,000 non-English-speaking commercial drivers from behind the wheel and worked with states to cancel more than 28,000 commercial driver’s licenses he said were unlawfully issued to illegal immigrants. He also pointed to several fatal crashes allegedly involving illegal immigrants while arguing for the policy change. Duffy said the initiative eliminates unnecessary barriers for veterans transitioning into civilian careers while prioritizing highway safety. “These are great-paying jobs. They’re anywhere from $80,000 to $100,000-plus a year,” Duffy said. “…illegals are out. American patriots are in.” ILLEGAL TRUCKER CASES FUEL GOP PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON CDL MILLS AS DEMS LARGELY SILENT Collins said the Department of Veterans Affairs will also expand access to CDL training by allowing eligible veterans to use GI Bill benefits and by accelerating enrollment in existing training programs. “Let’s put veterans in the seats, making jobs safer and better for all Americans,” Collins said, noting that roughly one in 10 truck drivers nationwide already are veterans. Werner Enterprises President Nathan Meisgeier announced his company will hire 1,400 veterans over the next year as part of the Freedom Haulers Initiative, calling military veterans a natural fit for the trucking industry. “This administration’s Freedom Haulers campaign will have a direct and powerful impact on our ability to bring even more veterans into our workforce,” Meisgeier said. Army veteran Ricky Washington, who transitioned into commercial trucking after serving for three decades in the Army and Army National Guard, said the profession offers former service members another opportunity to serve the country. “The trucking industry is more than just a sector of our economy — it’s the backbone of our commerce,” Washington said. “It is a place where service members, veterans [and] military spouses can find a purpose, a community and a way to continue keeping our great nation moving forward.”
House panel demands classified briefings on noncitizen voting, alleged Chinese election interference
The House committee charged with overseeing American elections is demanding more information on allegations of noncitizens voting in federal races. The Committee on House Administration is requesting classified briefings on foreign interference in U.S. elections after President Donald Trump raised such concerns during a speech earlier this month. “Reports of noncitizens casting illegal ballots continue to emerge, undermining election integrity and public confidence in American elections,” wrote Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis. “To inform potential legislative reforms, the Committee therefore requests a Member-level, classified briefing from DHS on the number of non-citizens registered to vote across the country and cyber vulnerabilities present in current voting systems. Please contact the Committee by August 13, 2026, to set up a briefing to be held in the month of September. The Committee also requests that any relevant documents be provided alongside the briefing.” HOUSE REPUBLICANS CONFRONT NJ GOVERNOR OVER 6,600 NON-CITIZENS REGISTERED TO VOTE IN ALLEGED SOFTWARE FAILURE The classified briefing requests were sent to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin, FBI Director Kash Patel and acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte. In the letters, Steil cited Trump’s claim that DHS discovered roughly 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote as well as recent revelations that New Jersey mistakenly added 6,600 noncitizens to its voter rolls in 2023 and 2024. TRUMP ACCUSED CHINA OF AN ‘ELECTION SECURITY NIGHTMARE’ BUT THEN UNDERCUT HIS OWN WARNING Steil also pointed to Trump’s comments in his speech on Chinese-led “cyberattacks on election infrastructure.” The committee’s release said there were “serious concerns about the security of American elections.” The briefing requests come less than 100 days before the November midterm elections, which will decide which party controls both houses of Congress for the latter half of Trump’s final term in the Oval Office. Republicans have long raised concerns about the security of American elections, which Democrats have argued are attempts to undermine people’s faith in those elections. It is already a federal crime to vote in elections as a noncitizen, but the GOP is pushing for further guardrails such as proof of citizenship in the voter registration process and a federal voter ID standard at the polls. To date, no evidence has been found that noncitizens have swayed the outcome of any federal election.
Dem senator swipes credit for bill he opposed amid heated re-election bid: ‘Disturbing pattern’
Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., is touting his advocacy for federal investment in Georgia military infrastructure despite having ultimately voted against the bill that secured the improvements. Most recently, Ossoff highlighted new construction for an elementary school at Fort Benning, improved conditions at Fort Stewart, pay raises for military personnel and improvements to Georgia’s foster care system — all a part of the annual military funding bill known as Military Construction and Veteran Affairs (MilCon-VA). At the time of its initial passage, Ossoff quickly released a press statement. FOX NEWS POLL: AN EARLY LOOK AT THE GEORGIA SENATE RACE “U.S. Senate passes Sen. Ossoff’s Bipartisan Bill that provides most funding for Georgia military construction in 15 years,” his website announced. When reconsidering it for final passage, Ossoff opposed the package. Notably, Ossoff, as the ranking member on the Senate Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veteran Affairs, voted in favor of the bill in committee and as a standalone bill but opposed its final passage later that year when it was bundled together with other government funding legislation. When asked about the voting record, his office reaffirmed the federal support secured in Georgia. “Let’s be clear: Georgia’s massive 2026 military construction budget, the highest in 15 years, is a direct and undeniable result of Senator Ossoff’s work as the senior Democrat on the Military Construction subcommittee,” an Ossoff campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement. “Senator Ossoff makes no apology for having tried to stop Mike Collins from doubling premiums for more than a million Georgians and throwing 300,000 off their health insurance,” the spokesperson added. The spokesperson was referring to Ossoff’s Republican challenger, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., and caps on federal health subsidies Republicans had championed at the time of MilCon-VA’s passage. Like many Democrats, Ossoff has struggled to oppose legislation championed by President Donald Trump while at the same time making his case for re-election in one of the country’s most competitive Senate seats. Ossoff won in 2021 with a 50.6% to 49.4% victory over incumbent Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga. In the case of the elementary school, Ossoff said he had been calling for those investments for years. “I have been working for years now for a replacement for Dexter Elementary. That’s really important for those families down there in Columbus,” Ossoff said. “I’m just a bit concerned by the lack of attention in this year’s base budget, so we’ll work together on that.” Ossoff made similar remarks about improvements to Fort Stewart, citing concerns in press releases about lead exposure affecting newborns’ health on the base, mold contamination and flooded living areas. Ossoff released findings in a seven-page report about the base’s conditions. SEN BLUMENTHAL, REP. TAKANO: CONGRESS CAN FUND VETERANS’ CARE WITHOUT TAKING BENEFITS FROM DISABLED HEROES “Our military service members and their families make huge sacrifices for the country, and it’s a travesty how they’re being treated by privatized housing contractors in Georgia and nationwide,” Sen. Ossoff said. “The stories in this report should shock our conscience, and I will continue exposing the mistreatment of military families in privatized housing and working to protect them and improve conditions.” Notably, the package Ossoff ultimately voted against contained $8 million for Fort Stewart and $127.4 million to replace the Dexter Elementary School. A veteran lawmaker ripped Ossoff for highlighting wins he didn’t participate in. “Last year, he tried to take credit for my veterans housing bill, legislation he had absolutely nothing to do with. A politician who tries to erase a veteran’s work for political gain has forfeited the trust of the people he seeks to represent,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said in a statement, referring to a bill he introduced last year. Ossoff highlighted the bill on his website, calling it a “bipartisan bill backed by U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff” and announcing that “Sen. Ossoff brings Republicans and Democrats together to protect veterans from foreclosure.” Ossoff was not a sponsor of the bill and, because it passed unanimously in a voice vote, did not cast a vote for it either. DEM SENATOR ACCUSED OF BEING ‘NOWHERE TO BE FOUND’ ON CRUCIAL ISSUE IMPACTING KIDS IN SWING STATE “Ossoff’s disturbing pattern of taking credit for work he didn’t do and claiming victories he didn’t support demonstrates both gross incompetence and a complete lack of integrity,” Van Orden said.
US Navy plans major torpedo stockpile overhaul as military shifts to two-war strategy
The U.S. Navy is poised to overhaul its torpedo inventory under the newly-approved congressional budget as the military shifts toward a “two-war” strategy. Lawmakers made it clear that the U.S. needs to build quantities of undersea weapons sufficient to maintain two major regional conflicts simultaneously, according to Naval News. Manufacturers are now focused on building up supplies of the U.S. MK-48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) heavyweight torpedoes and MK-54 lightweight torpedoes to meet the minimum base requirements set by the new budget. US DRAINS CRITICAL MISSILE STOCKPILES IN IRAN WAR AS YEARSLONG REBUILD LOOMS The Navy has not clarified the exact number of undersea weapons that would entail, but it is based on internal estimates about potential conflicts with a near-peer forces. The Navy is also required to build up a plan to massively increase torpedo production should it become necessary during war or peacetime. The overhaul comes as the U.S. military is already scrambling to refill stockpiles of missiles and other weapons depleted in the war against Iran. HEGSETH DISMISSES ‘FOOLISH’ US STOCKPILE CONCERNS AS IRAN CONFLICT TESTS MUNITIONS Defending Israel and the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar from Iranian counterstrikes during the recent 12-day exchange of strikes cost the U.S. and Israel between $1.48 billion to $1.58 billion, according to an analysis by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). The monthslong conflict has burned through a significant number of America’s offensive and defensive missile systems. The U.S. had roughly 632 Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors before June 13, the day Israel began its offensive in Iran. About 540 interceptors remain in its arsenal based on JINSA’s calculations of interceptor deliveries and use, according to the report. THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT AMERICAN WEAPONS SYSTEMS NATO IS EAGER TO HAVE The U.S. has used up 14% of its global stockpile of prized THAAD missile interceptors. America’s THAAD system accounted for nearly half of all interceptions due to the “insufficient” capacity of Israel’s Arrow interception system. It would take three to eight years to replenish the THAAD interceptors used in the 12-day war at current production rates. Patriot interceptor production is more robust than THAAD, according to the report, but the U.S. is providing a number of Patriot interceptors to Ukraine. So, it’s unclear how many remain in the stockpile. Fox News’ Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Senator targets alleged China-linked Singham network in fiery floor speech
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., took to the Senate floor Wednesday to call out Neville Roy Singham, saying the communist tech tycoon’s vast nonprofit network is helping China wage “political warfare” against the U.S. Singham, a 72-year-old American who sold his tech company for $785 million in 2017 and now lives in Shanghai, has funneled $278 million into the broad network of nonprofits since 2017, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. These groups regularly organize and participate in anti-ICE, anti-Israel and pro-Iran demonstrations. “From his Shanghai office, which he shares with a CCP propaganda outlet whose avowed mission is to ‘tell China’s story well,’ Singham began funding a complex network of left-wing NGOs and nonprofits that advance the interests of the Chinese Communist Party,” Banks said. SEE IT: GOP SENATOR FLIPS SCRIPT ON AGITATORS TIED TO PRO-CCP, SINGHAM NETWORK “Code Pink, that radical organization that chases me and other senators throughout the halls of Congress, used to, on occasion, condemn CCP human rights abuses,” he added. “After Singham started lavishly funding the group—and married its co-founder—Code Pink stopped criticizing the Chinese government and started defending it.” Code Pink, which was co-founded by Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, regularly confronts lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and publicly states that “China is Not Our Enemy.” Evans and Singham have not responded to Fox News Digital’s repeated requests for comment. Fox News Digital obtained footage of Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., being targeted by Code Pink on Wednesday over the conflict in Iran. Scott pushed back, questioning whether the group was bothered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. TRUMP WELCOMES NETANYAHU TO WHITE HOUSE AS RAGING IRAN WAR THREATENS TO SOUR US-ISRAEL RELATIONSHIP The Code Pink agitators did not respond to Scott’s question. Banks’ floor speech also addressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s call to combat the far-left political terrorism that has taken root across the globe and in the U.S. Rubio spoke to more than 60 countries at a summit in Washington, D.C., earlier this month, saying that networks are coordinating across multiple countries, providing training instructions and using encrypted communication to foment unrest. He said that international cooperation is critical to disrupting the financing of dangerous organizations, and that some are working with hostile foreign states. JIM BANKS, GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY BEHIND DOJ PROBE INTO ALLEGED CCP-LINKED FUNDING NETWORK “For far too long, however, our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot – a blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left,” Rubio said. “Even today, the very idea that far-left terrorism could be a serious threat is treated as a right-wing fever dream, or worse, as a dangerous fascist conspiracy.” Singham currently faces a grand jury investigation in the Southern District of New York, a probe which was authorized by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. The grand jury investigation focuses on Singham’s finances, and seeks to uncover any financial crimes that have taken place as he funds his pro-CCP network of nonprofits. Singham has not been charged to date. Earlier this year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a meeting in New York with Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon, where he urged the firm to cooperate with the Justice Department’s investigation into Singham’s financial network, according to sources familiar with the discussion. One source familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital the exchange was amicable rather than adversarial, adding that Solomon signaled Goldman Sachs was prepared to cooperate with the Justice Department’s probe. “All distributions from Mr. Singham’s donor-advised fund were made to legally recognized nonprofit organizations, as determined by the IRS,” a Goldman Sachs spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “No distributions have been made from the account since August 2023, and it was closed in early 2024.”
Embattled Seattle police chief relieved of his duties by democratic socialist mayor, Black protest planned
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson reportedly relieved embattled Police Chief Shon Barnes of his duties Wednesday night following mounting criticism over his absence from the city and the department’s delayed public response to a mass shooting, a run-in with a reporter and questions over his frequently being out of the city. Barnes was asked to resign during a meeting with the democratic socialist Wilson after he abruptly left a silent vigil for the victims of Sunday’s Bite of Seattle shooting, five sources told FOX 13 Seattle. It is unclear if Barnes accepted Wilson’s call for resignation or was ultimately fired. Barnes had canceled a series of scheduled interviews earlier Wednesday and later began texting people about his dismissal, according to the report. The mayor’s office and Seattle Police Department had not publicly confirmed the change or announced who would lead the department next. SEATTLE POLICE CHIEF SNAPS OVER CHICAGO HOME QUESTIONS, ABSENCE FROM CITY AFTER MASS SHOOTING Barnes was feeling the heat from the media for his alleged frequent weekend absences, reportedly due to the fact he is originally from Chicago, where his family still resides. “Those reports are wrong, do you understand?” Barnes told a reporter during a tense exchange earlier in the week. A staffer stepped between Barnes and the reporter as the chief defended his commitment to the city. The confrontation followed criticism of Barnes’ absence when gunfire erupted Sunday evening outside the Seattle Center Armory during the Bite of Seattle festival. Seven people were struck, including three who died and four who were hospitalized. THIRD SUSPECT EMERGES IN DEADLY SEATTLE MASS SHOOTING, ONE ALLEGED GUNMAN FOUND DEAD Barnes was in Dallas attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives’ annual conference when the shooting occurred. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis eventually led the department’s first public briefing several hours after the gunfire, a delay that drew criticism from residents and local officials seeking information about the attack. Barnes appeared alongside Wilson at another news conference Monday and defended being out of town during the crisis. “I wish that I had a crystal ball, and we could schedule gun violence, but we can’t,” Barnes said. Notably, amid the reports of Barnes’ ouster by Wilson, there is an 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. local) protest planned at Seattle City Hall by Black community leaders, including the Seattle NAACP, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and the MLK Coalition, according to posts on X. SOCIALIST MAYOR KATIE WILSON SILENT AMID PROTESTS OVER ‘HUMAN DUMPING GROUND’ AHEAD OF US WORLD CUP MATCH Barnes had been expected to address questions about his travel and residency during one-on-one interviews with local media Wednesday. Those interviews were abruptly canceled, and the department released portions of his calendar instead. Hours later, Barnes attended the 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. local) vigil at Seattle Center before leaving for his meeting with Wilson. The reported removal represents a sharp reversal for Wilson, who had previously announced that she would retain Barnes and work with him to emphasize professionalism, accountability, compassion and community partnership within the department. Barnes was appointed and sworn in just a year ago by Wilson’s predecessor after a nationwide search, bringing on the police leader from the Midwest to the Great Northwest. Barnes previously led the police department in Madison, Wisconsin, and held law enforcement leadership positions in Chicago, as well as Greensboro and Salisbury, North Carolina. After arriving in Seattle, Barnes promoted a data-driven strategy he called “Seattle-Centric Policing,” which identified precinct-level crime priorities and emphasized cooperation among officers, businesses, schools, government agencies and community organizations. Barnes’ departure leaves the department facing another leadership transition as detectives investigate one of the city’s deadliest recent acts of gun violence. A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged in connection with the shooting, while police continue seeking evidence and other people believed to have been involved. Fox News’ Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
Sen Chuck Schumer unveils anti-corruption agency aimed at Trump and future presidents
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Thursday morning that he is introducing legislation to create a new federal agency tasked with investigating alleged corruption involving President Donald Trump and future presidential administrations. During Public Citizen’s “Combating Corruption” event, Schumer unveiled the new bill, calling it the “biggest, boldest and broadest proposal ever put forward to revitalize our anti-corruption institutions.” It would establish the Anti-Corruption Bureau, a new agency that would have subpoena power and could investigate the Trump administration even once Trump leaves office. The bill would also allow citizens and state attorneys general to file lawsuits “to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption.” WATCH: SCHUMER’S ANTI-CORRUPTION SPEECH DERAILED AFTER HECKLER BRANDS HIM ‘GENOCIDAL MANIAC’ “The idea is simple. If Donald Trump or one of his lackeys, sons or cronies uses government influence to steal from you, you deserve your day in court. Our bill has provisions that give priority to state attorneys general and to larger, more severe cases of corruption to ensure that frivolous suits don’t get in the way of justice,” Schumer said. The Anti-Corruption Bureau would be led by seven board members who would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. To address possible bias, the board would be capped at three members from each party, with the seventh being nonpartisan. The bill, if passed, would also represent a huge shake-up to the federal bureaucracy, since the Anti-Corruption Bureau would replace the Office of Government Ethics, the Federal Election Commission and the Office of Special Counsel, The Washington Post reported ahead of Schumer’s speech. More broadly, the bill would ban presidents and vice presidents — as well as their spouses and adult children — and many other senior administration officials from seeking or accepting gifts worth more than $50,000, the Post also reported. REPUBLICANS TARGET TRUMP’S CRYPTO EMPIRE WITH NEW PLAN, DEMS SAY IT FALLS SHORT The bill would empower the Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate violations dating back to Jan. 20, 2025 — the first day of Trump’s second term — and would establish a 10-year statute of limitations, according to the Post. Schumer said the bureau would be given “a self-sustaining funding source to guarantee its independence, much like the Federal Reserve.” Trump has repeatedly targeted Federal Reserve officials, including by considering whether to remove former Chair Jerome Powell before his term expired and attempting to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook. None of those attempts were successful. “What if Trump tries to commandeer [the Anti-Corruption Bureau] to go after his political opponents?” Schumer said. “This would come at a steep price. Our bill explicitly prohibits weaponizing the bureau.” Schumer rattled off a number of supposed conflicts of interest Trump has been accused of having, including his solicitation of private donations for the White House ballroom project and his family’s various crypto ventures. “Trump has raked in at least $2.2 billion since taking office 18 months ago. Together, the Trump family has made at least $4 billion in that time,” Schumer said. “How does a president and his family secure billions in profits just after a year and a half in office? How? By exploiting the information, access and influence that only the president of the United States can have.” Throughout Schumer’s remarks, he emphasized that while Trump was the genesis of the legislation, it would not solely apply to him. TRUMP FAMILY PROFITS FROM BLOCKBUSTER DEAL IN CENTRAL ASIA DESPITE BACKLASH DUE TO ‘PROOF PROBLEM’: EXPERT “Trump has created obnoxious new ways to undo government ethics that no one ever imagined the president would attempt. But picture if our next president is an even more devious or competent crook. The bill isn’t just about this moment. It’s about restoring American’s trust in government long term,” Schumer said. He also suggested that Republicans are privately frustrated by Trump’s alleged abuses of office and that they would “welcome this type of legislation.” The bill’s first cosponsors include Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J.; Alex Padilla, D-Calif.; and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Schumer said.
WATCH: Schumer’s anti-corruption speech derailed after heckler brands him ‘genocidal maniac’
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wanted to talk about alleged corruption committed by President Donald Trump and his family, but instead was interrupted by a protester calling out his “diabolical record.” Schumer was just getting started with his speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to make a “major anti-corruption announcement,” when an audience member seated in the front row tore into the Senate’s top Democrat. “You talk about corruption, how can you talk about corruption when you back genocide? What can be more corrupt than genocide? This is part of the same con of you and Trump playing off of each other,” the protester said. REPUBLICANS TARGET TRUMP’S CRYPTO EMPIRE WITH NEW PLAN, DEMS SAY IT FALLS SHORT The disruptor then noted that Schumer and other congressional Democrats were “put on notice” by the Center for Constitutional Rights in 2023 for “aiding and abetting” Israel in its war against Hamas. Critics of that conflict have long pointed to the Jewish State for going above and beyond in their quest to snuff out the terrorist organization by leveling cities in Gaza, withholding food, aid and electricity and targeting civilians. Schumer tried to regain control of the moment and told the audience member, “Thank you for your diatribe. Now let’s continue. Let’s continue.” But he wasn’t successful. “You should be questioned about your diabolical record,” the audience member said. “It’s amazing that you can show your genocidal face in public.” REPUBLICANS FALL IN LINE WITH TRUMP ON IRAN WAR DESPITE RISING COSTS AND US DEATH TOLL “Mr. Senator. Mr. Senator. Shame on Public Citizen for not allowing questions to this genocidal maniac,” he said as he was escorted out. Schumer has been a vocal supporter of Israel, voting to send aid and weaponry to the country during the conflict. But over the last several months, Senate Democrats have broken from him on a handful of occasions, and in growing numbers. Earlier this year, Senate Democrats showed their slow creep away from Israel following the release of photos of starving children in Gaza. GOP BLOCKS SCHUMER’S EFFORT TO GROUND TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR TRUMP’S QATARI AIR FORCE ONE Forty Senate Democrats voted to halt arms sales and military bulldozers to Israel as an act of protest against Trump’s war in Iran in April. The two resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., combined would have blocked nearly $500 million in arms and equipment sales to Israel. One resolution would have halted the sale of roughly $295 million in Caterpillar bulldozers, while the other would have stopped the sale of nearly $152 million worth of 1,000-pound bombs. Meanwhile, despite the disruption, Schumer did get his point across: to announce the push for legislation to create a new anti-corruption agency. “This bill is the biggest, boldest and broadest proposal ever put forward to revitalize our anti-corruption institutions,” Schumer said.
Capitol sex scandals spark push to ban House lawmakers from sleeping with staffers
FIRST ON FOX: New legislation being dropped on Thursday is seeking to bar House lawmakers from having sex with staffers after a series of exposés rocked Capitol Hill. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., is expected to introduce a pair of bills aimed at better defining the relationships lawmakers can have with employees of the House of Representatives, Fox News Digital is told. One is a House resolution that would bar House lawmakers from having sex with any employee of the chamber. The other would block those lawmakers from living with House employees, except for married couples cohabitating. CAPITOL HILL SEX SCANDALS TRIGGER NEW PUSH TO REDRAW THE LINE FOR LAWMAKERS Mace told Fox News Digital, “If you’re a member of Congress, your priorities should be serving your constituents and this country, not fooling around with staff.” And while the sex ban would apply to all members, regardless of gender, she made clear it was aimed at male lawmakers who she argued were abusing their power over female staff. “Congress is not your personal dating pool. If you can’t do your job without hitting on staff, find another job and leave the women you work with alone,” Mace said. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKER WELCOMES HOUSE ETHICS PROBE INTO SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HIM On her second bill banning lawmakers from living with staff, she said, “No staffer should ever be coming home at night to the person who signs their paycheck. It’s inappropriate, it’s a conflict of interest, and it should have been banned decades ago.” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is the latest member of Congress whose reported past trysts with Hill aides were made public. Gallego previously had sexual relationships with two House staffers, the New York Post reported. Gallego’s defenders have argued that he would not have run afoul of any rules because he was unmarried at the time and the staffers did not work for him. GONZALES RESIGNS IN WAKE OF RENEWED EXPULSION THREAT AFTER SCANDAL Before that, sexual misconduct and rape allegations against former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., derailed his then-promising gubernatorial campaign and forced him to resign from Congress. Swalwell has denied those accusations but admitted to making unspecified personal mistakes in a public statement where he also apologized to his wife. On the other side of the aisle, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, was forced to resign his seat after scrutiny piled up over an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide. And Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is being probed by the House Ethics Committee over sexual harassment allegations himself, which Edwards has denied, Axios reported. Mace’s bills are the latest response from Congress over the slew of scandals. Reps. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., Jeff Crank, R-Colo., Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., have all endorsed limits on what relationships House members can have with staff. Cammack and Crank have also introduced legislation imposing limits on such conduct.
Can Fauci hide behind the Fifth? Game-changing Biden pardon may not provide complete cover, experts say
Dr. Anthony Fauci‘s refusal to answer more than 100 questions during Wednesday’s fiery Senate hearing has sparked a legal showdown over whether a witness granted a sweeping presidential pardon can still invoke the Fifth Amendment. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced after the hearing that he plans to pursue contempt proceedings against Fauci following the repeated invocations of the Fifth Amendment and his refusal to answer lawmakers’ questions. “We’re going to have a vote next week on contempt,” Paul said. “I think there’s another legal question that the courts may have to decide upon, and that is whether or not a presidential pardon offers you complete immunity.” RAND PAUL SEEKS CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER FAUCI INVOKES FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES Former President Joe Biden issued Fauci, who served as the chief architect for the government’s COVID-19 guidelines, a full and unconditional pardon for all actions taken between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025. Biden’s broad pardon protected Fauci from prosecution for the actions being investigated by the committee, leaving only the possibility of charges if he lied under oath. Abhishek Kambli, a former Justice Department official who now represents former Trump advisor Peter Navarro in his contempt of Congress case, told Fox News Digital that the issue presents a novel legal question about whether Fauci can invoke the Fifth Amendment at all. “Obviously, if he tells the truth, then he would be protected by that blanket pardon, since the past conduct that he reveals he’s fully immunized from,” Kambli told Fox News Digital. Kambli questioned whether the Fifth Amendment privilege properly applies if truthful testimony could no longer expose Fauci to prosecution for the underlying conduct. “His theory is that it’s a witch hunt and that they’re looking for perjury traps to charge him with, so that’s why he needs to invoke the Fifth Amendment,” Kambli said. But Kambli said the argument becomes more difficult to sustain if lawmakers are asking straightforward factual questions. “I think it gets a little problematic,” Kambli said of Fauci invoking the Fifth Amendment for common knowledge questions like what day of the week it is. FAUCI PLEADS FIFTH WITH ‘ZERO LEGAL JUSTIFICATION’ AS CRITICS ERUPT AND DEMAND CONTEMPT CHARGES “If it’s just factual questions that he should know the answer on, it’s hard to see how he would walk into a perjury trap if he’s just telling the truth, because perjury also requires that you knowingly made a false statement,” Kambli said. “If he had an incorrect recollection, that was an innocent mistake that typically wouldn’t lead to a perjury charge.” Kambli said federal law distinguishes between witnesses who ignore a congressional subpoena and those who appear before Congress but refuse to answer questions. In the latter case, he said, prosecutors generally do not have to prove the witness intentionally violated the law. Instead, the central question is whether the witness had a valid legal basis for refusing to answer, such as a legitimate claim under the Fifth Amendment. “The issue is [the witness] is already protected if he tells the truth, and it’s only if he knowingly lies about something material that he can be charged,” Kambli said. “So the issue becomes whether the Senate can make a referral to DOJ based on that.” George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said the legal issues surrounding Fauci’s testimony are more complicated than either side suggests. “The only risk that he faced would come from any false statements that he made in the hearing in dealing with these questions,” Turley told Fox News Digital. “That would likely be viewed as sufficient, particularly since some questions could extend to statements and conduct from after the pardon grant.” Turley also pointed to Fauci’s decision to deliver an opening statement before invoking the Fifth Amendment, suggesting it could raise additional legal questions. “There are also questions about the questions limited to the period of his pardon as well as his decision to give an opening statement before invocation. Those are possible grounds for contempt. It would raise novel issues, though there is precedent from the Lois Lerner matter,” Turley said. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM FAUCI’S HEARING: PAUL BOOTS LAWYER, MORENO ERUPTS AS CONTEMPT VOTE LOOMS Turley was referring to former IRS official Lois Lerner, who declared her innocence in a voluntary opening statement before invoking the Fifth Amendment during a 2013 congressional hearing. House Republicans argued Lerner waived her right to invoke the Fifth Amendment when she made statements about the very subject under investigation. Although the House held Lerner in contempt, the Justice Department later declined to pursue criminal contempt charges. But Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom, argued Paul’s position is stronger than Fauci’s. “He can’t be prosecuted by the federal government for any actions he took during the period the pardon covers,” von Spakovsky said. “However, if he lies while under oath at his hearing today about any of those prior actions, he could be prosecuted for perjury.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER While von Spakovsky acknowledged that Biden’s pardon of Fauci covers only federal charges, it does not shield Fauci from facing state charges. But he noted no state has accused Fauci of violating state law, at least not yet. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday announced a state investigation into Fauci, following his testimony on Capitol Hill. “The possibility of a state prosecution is almost nonexistent because states generally cannot prosecute federal officials acting within the scope of their duties and Fauci would argue that everything he did over COVID was carried out in his official slot as head of NIAID,” von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital. “The only reason for him to take the Fifth is because he doesn’t want to admit, based on his personal diaries, that he lied repeatedly to the public and Congress when he was head of the NIAID,” von Spakovsky said. If Paul’s contempt resolution clears