SCOOP: GOP push for new House committee to probe Biden decline ‘cover-up’ gains steam
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are mounting a push to start a new select committee focused on investigating the Biden administration for allegedly “covering up” signs of the 82-year-old former president’s decline. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., is introducing legislation Thursday that would establish a panel of congressional investigators to “investigate and report upon the facts of President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.’s cognitive and physical health decline and the potential concealment of information from the American public,” according to bill text obtained by Fox News Digital. Republicans have unleashed a tidal wave of scrutiny on the previous Democrat White House as new reports – as well as old concerns previously dismissed by mainstream media – surface about Biden’s mental state while in office and what lengths those closest to him took to allegedly hide it from others. SCOOP: HOUSE GOP MEMO HIGHLIGHTS REPUBLICAN WINS IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Carter’s text calls to investigate former Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Jill Biden as well as whoever took part in keeping the audio tapes of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with Biden from the public. The select committee would also focus on whether Biden allies “concealed” his prostate cancer diagnosis before it was announced publicly last week. Biden’s spokesperson denied prior knowledge of the diagnosis in a statement to the New York Times. The resolution also specifically called for a probe into the use of the autopen in Biden’s White House to sign meaningful legislation. “This is potentially the biggest political scandal of our lifetime, and the American people deserve to know the truth about who was really running the White House during Biden’s tenure as president,” Carter told Fox News Digital of his legislation. “From using the autopen to pardon his own family members to likely concealing a cancer diagnosis, our government must restore trust with the public by fully investigating the former administration’s lies and getting to the bottom of one of the most consequential coverups in history.” Carter, who is currently running for Senate in Georgia, was among several Republicans who demanded Biden take a cognitive test last year. “The American people can no longer be left to wonder about their safety and security because of the President’s deteriorating mental state,” Carter wrote in a June 2024 letter to the White House. MIKE JOHNSON, DONALD TRUMP GET ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL’ WIN AS BUDGET PASSES HOUSE His new resolution comes on the heels of House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., opening his own investigation into revelations surrounding Biden’s cognitive decline. Comer spent much of the last Congress investigating whether Biden and his family unjustly profited from foreign cash. The House Oversight chair sent letters to former senior White House aides, including Biden’s doctor, Kevin O’Connor, announcing a probe into “the role of former senior Biden White House officials in possibly usurping authority from former President Joe Biden and the ramifications of a White House staff intent on hiding his rapidly worsening mental and physical faculties.” Meanwhile, first-term Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., called for a similar select committee on Wednesday.
Pro-life leader praises bill requiring Ten Commandments in Texas schools: ‘A step in the right direction’
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life President and CEO Shawn Carney praised Texas lawmakers for passing legislation that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in the state. The bill, approved by both chambers of the state Legislature and now awaiting Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature mandates that each classroom feature a poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments that is at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and legible from anywhere in the room. If signed, the law would take effect in the 2025–26 school year. SUPREME COURT WEIGHS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DISPUTE OVER PUBLIC FUNDING FOR CATHOLIC CHARTER SCHOOL “This is great,” Carney said. “The Ten Commandments are good. It’s basically the moral code for most people who have ever lived. No matter what their belief system, most people don’t believe we should steal, kill, or commit adultery. “It’s a beautiful thing,” he added. “I’m proud to be a Texan where they’re supporting this, and it’s something that we need in the classrooms.” Carney, who leads what he describes as the world’s largest pro-life organization, operating in 64 countries, linked the legislation to a broader cultural shift. On its website, the group explains it is “an internationally coordinated 40-day campaign that aims to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.” “These are good things – allowing a baby to live is good,” Carney said. “The Ten Commandments are good.” TEACHERS UNION BOSS RANDI WEINGARTEN SHARES HER ‘CONCERN’ WITH SCOTUS CASE ON LGBTQ BOOKS Addressing constitutional concerns, Carney pushed back on the argument that the legislation violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. “We have Moses in the U.S. Capitol. Nobody’s ever raised a stink about that,” he said. “Having the Ten Commandments, something that has been celebrated throughout generations of Americans who have gone before us, having those in the school is just not a big deal.” Carney also emphasized that the historical intent behind the separation of church and state was to protect religious freedom, not to eliminate religious references from public institutions. “Jefferson wanted separation of church and state to protect the Church,” he said, citing recent federal actions he views as infringing on religious liberty. “We saw the Biden administration try to force Catholic doctors to perform abortions or prescribe contraception. We need to protect the Church.” He framed the bill as part of a broader backlash against what he described as a secular, “woke mentality” that he believes has eroded moral clarity. “Our schools are violent. They are places that need the Ten Commandments,” Carney said. “Even if you don’t believe in God, you should be able to learn about God. “There’s been this push that believing in God is archaic,” he continued. “This bill is another step in the right direction.” Although the Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Stone v. Graham (1980), Carney believes Texas’s effort will survive legal challenges. “I do think it’ll survive the legal battles,” he said. “Revisiting this with a new Supreme Court is very wise and something that needs to be done.” Carney also sees the law as a potential model for other states. “Texas has set the bar high,” he said. “This does set a precedent. Most atheists believe in the Ten Commandments. They are the basis of Western civilization.” Looking to the future, Carney hopes the bill encourages greater moral formation nationwide. “The ideal result is that more states do this over the next five or 10 years,” he said. “We need guidance. We don’t do very well on our own. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Ten Commandments point us to good. To discipline. To truth. To love. And to mercy,” he added. “They help us know what’s right from wrong. We all grow in virtue by learning and following the Ten Commandments, no matter our religious background.” Texas would join Louisiana and Arkansas, which have already passed similar laws. Supporters of the legislation say the commandments represent a foundational code of conduct, while critics warn it could face constitutional scrutiny in federal court, FOX 4 reported.
Trump commutes sentence of major political donor in latest round of clemency
President Donald Trump on Wednesday commuted the 12-year sentence of a major political donor who was serving time for a number of offenses, including obstructing an investigation into Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee, the White House confirmed with Fox News Digital. Imaad Zuberi, 54, was a major Democrat supporter before he backed Trump following his 2016 election victory, The New York Times reported. Before pivoting to Trump on election night, he served as a bundler for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, including stints on both of their campaign finance committees. Zuberi donated more than $1.1 million to committees associated with Trump and the Republican Party months after the 2016 election, the Times reported. TRUMP ‘PARDON CZAR’ EXPLAINS KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRUMP AND BIDEN PARDONS The donations secured him invitations to a pair of black-tie dinners celebrating Trump’s inauguration. In 2020, he pleaded guilty to obstructing a federal investigation into the source of a $900,000 donation he made through his company to Trump’s inaugural committee in late December 2016, the report states. Zuberi also pleaded guilty to falsifying records filed with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act to conceal his lobbying work on behalf of Sri Lanka. Zuberi allegedly directed millions of dollars from the Sri Lankan contract to himself and his wife for personal purposes, shortchanging lobbyists, public relations and law firms, and certain subcontractors who were part of the lobbying effort. MAN WHO HAD PRISON SENTENCE COMMUTED BY BIDEN NOW FACING DRUG, FIREARMS-RELATED CHARGES His commutation was one of several on Wednesday, as well as a few pardons. Larry Hoover, who is serving time in a federal supermax prison, also had his sentence commuted. Hoover, the co-founder of the Chicago gang Gangster Disciples, was originally imprisoned for a 1973 murder and later convicted in 1998 for operating a criminal enterprise. Trump also pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who was convicted in two federal criminal cases, including one that contributed to his resignation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
FBI examining COVID-19 origin ‘cover-up’ amid new strain emergence: Bongino
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated Wednesday evening that the bureau is examining issues related to the origin of COVID-19, though he did not confirm the existence of a formal investigation into a cover-up. Bongino made the remarks in a post on X amid growing media attention on a newly identified COVID-19 strain. “As we read and process reports of a new COVID strain emerging, I want you to know that we are actively investigating, in multiple field offices, the cover-up of the origin of the COVID virus, along with associated matters requiring our attention,” Bongino wrote. “The American people deserve answers.” FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR BONGINO: ILLEGAL ALIEN CRIMINALS AND CHILD PREDATORS ARE NEXT IN ONGOING CRACKDOWN He did not identify specific individuals or entities under scrutiny. The FBI has not issued an official news release on the matter, and the scope of the review remains unclear. The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Bongino’s comment represents one of the most direct public statements by a senior FBI official regarding the agency’s continued interest in the pandemic’s origin and the surrounding circumstances. In 2023, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency assessed with moderate confidence that COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab incident in Wuhan, China. Chinese authorities have consistently denied such claims, calling them politically motivated and unsubstantiated. FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR DAN BONGINO: JAMES COMEY ‘BROUGHT SHAME TO THE FBI AGAIN’ WITH ’86 47′ POST Bongino’s post follows the detection of a new COVID-19 variant, provisionally identified by researchers as NB.1.8.1, which has appeared in several U.S. states. Federal health authorities have not designated it as a variant of concern. The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has continued its inquiry into whether early public health messaging downplayed the lab leak theory for diplomatic or political reasons. Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former White House health advisor, has repeatedly denied any effort to conceal information, calling those allegations “entirely false.” DOJ INVESTIGATING ANDREW CUOMO FOR ALLEGEDLY LYING ABOUT COVID DECISIONS, SOURCE CONFIRMS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Bongino has increasingly used social media to communicate bureau updates directly to the public. A former NYPD officer and Secret Service agent, Bongino was appointed deputy director earlier this year by FBI Director Kash Patel.
State Department now scrutinizing all visa holders associated with Harvard
Senior State Department officials tell Fox News all visa holders associated with Harvard University are being scrutinized, not just student visa holders. Along with student visas, the State Department will be conducting a substantive investigation into B-1, or business visas; B-2, or tourist visas; as well as others, officials said. The investigation is aimed at identifying potential security vulnerabilities or other abuses of the visa system. The probe could impact hundreds of people associated with the elite school and could reveal if people entering with claimed connections truly have real connections or more tenuous connections. TRUMP ADMIN ASKING FEDERAL AGENCIES TO CANCEL REMAINING HARVARD CONTRACTS Fox News Digital learned earlier in the day that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is eliminating the student visa program at Harvard University due to “pro-terrorist conduct” at campus protests. The move is a severe consequence in response to what the DHS claims is Harvard’s refusal to comply with its requests for behavioral records of student visa holders. “This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said. “It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard had plenty of opportunity to do the right thing. It refused. They have lost their Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification as a result of their failure to adhere to the law. Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.” TRUMP ACCUSES HARVARD OF BEING ‘VERY SLOW’ TO TURN OVER FOREIGN STUDENT INFO Harvard may no longer enroll foreign students in the 2025-2026 school year, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status to reside in the U.S. before the next academic year begins. “As a result of your brazen refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas rhetoric, and employs racist ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ policies, you have lost this privilege,” Noem wrote in a letter to Maureen Martin, the university’s director of immigration services. Noem offered Harvard 72 hours to provide the information requested for an opportunity to regain its visa program for the next school year. HARVARD SUES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER TERMINATION OF STUDENT VISA PROGRAM She called the move the “direct result of Harvard’s epic failure to comply with simple reporting requirements.” Harvard, meanwhile, asserted the termination was “unlawful.” Last month, Harvard announced it would allow foreign students to accept admission to both Harvard and a foreign university as backup amid the Trump administration’s threats to move to block Harvard’s authorization to host them. Typically, students must accept enrollment at Harvard by May 1 and can’t commit to another university. At least a dozen Harvard students have had their authorization to study in the U.S. revoked over campus protest activity. The Trump administration has already frozen close to $3 billion in federal funding to the university, largely dedicated to research, and launched investigations across the departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services. They claim that Harvard has failed to address campus antisemitism and eradicate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in its policies. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday the U.S. will begin “aggressively” revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields. He also told Congress this week that the State Department had probably revoked “thousands” of student visas by this point and would “proudly” revoke more. “We’re going to continue to revoke the visas of people who are here as guests and are disrupting our higher education facilities,” he said Tuesday. “A visa is a privilege, not a right.” The crackdown on university policies comes after a wave of pro-Gaza student protests and encampments swept schools across the nation since the beginning of Israel’s offensive campaign to eradicate Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks to pressure university administrations to divest from Israel. Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology shutters DEI office following monthslong ‘comprehensive assessment’
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is shutting down its diversity, equity and inclusion office following a comprehensive assessment that began nearly 18 months ago. MIT President Sally Kornbluth announced the closing, or “sunsetting,” of the Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO) last Thursday. “As I’ve said many times, MIT is in the talent business,” Kornbluth’s announcement read. “Our success depends on attracting exceptionally talented people of every background, from across the country and around the world, and making sure everyone at MIT feels welcome and supported, so they can do their best work and thrive.” Among the top priorities listed in the memo, titled “How we support our community,” was a section with the header “Core programs will continue, but we will wind down the central ICEO.” ELITE UNIVERSITY ELIMINATES DEI HIRING REQUIREMENT: ‘THEY DON’T WORK’ “This process began nearly 18 months ago,” a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital, noting that the decision followed a “comprehensive assessment” of the Institute. The ICEO, which billed itself online as a steward of “MIT’s values and their interconnections,” claimed it built “community through care, education, restorative practices, and programming that embraces, celebrates, and helps increase MIT’s diversity in all its forms.” MIT will also eliminate the role of vice president for equity and inclusion, Kornbluth confirmed. Earlier this month, the school became the first in its class to scrap diversity pledges in its hiring and admissions processes – a practice slammed by free speech advocate organization FIRE as functionally serving as “ideological litmus tests.” TRUMP ADMIN ASKING FEDERAL AGENCIES TO CANCEL REMAINING HARVARD CONTRACTS MIT’s decision comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s public feud with nearby Harvard University, including a recent ask to pull all federal funds – amounting to a staggering $100 million in contracts – being funneled toward the Ivy League institution. This comes after Harvard has shown little sway in its standoff with the president over foreign student enrollment and alleged race-based admissions. MIT, however, has been downscaling its DEI infrastructure for some time – and the university spokesperson denied any correlation between ongoing political disputes involving Harvard and the ICEO’s demise.
Musk officially steps down from DOGE after wrapping work streamlining government
Elon Musk is beginning the process of stepping down from his role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The Tesla and SpaceX CEO posted on X on Wednesday night that his time as a special government employee is coming to an end and thanked President Donald Trump for the opportunity to cut down on wasteful spending. “The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk wrote in his post. The White House confirmed to FOX that Musk’s post is accurate and offboarding will begin Wednesday night. Musk has been the public face of DOGE since Trump signed an executive order establishing the office on Jan. 20. DOGE has since ripped through federal government agencies in a quest to identify and end government overspending, corruption and fraud. ELON MUSK SAYS HE ‘FULLY ENDORSES’ TRUMP AFTER GUNFIRE AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY He was officially hired as a “special government employee,” which is a role Congress created in 1962 that allows the executive or legislative branch to hire temporary employees for specific short-term initiatives. Special government employees are permitted to work for the federal government for “no more than 130 days in a 365-day period,” according to data from the Office of Government Ethics. Musk’s 130-day timeframe, beginning on Inauguration Day, was set to run dry on May 30. DOGE is a temporary cross-departmental organization that was established to slim down and streamline the federal government. The group itself will be dissolved on July 4, 2026, according to Trump’s executive order. Musk and Trump have both previously previewed that Musk’s role was temporary and would end in the spring. “You, technically, are a special government employee and you’re supposed to be 130 days,” Fox News’ Bret Baier asked Musk during an exclusive interview with Musk and DOGE team members in April. “Are you going to continue past that or do you think that’s what you’re going to do?” MUSK NOT LEAVING YET, WRAPPING UP WORK ON SCHEDULE ONCE ‘INCREDIBLE WORK AT DOGE IS COMPLETE’: WHITE HOUSE “I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that timeframe,” Musk responded. Trump hinted at Musk’s departure in comments to reporters on March 31 when he was asked if he wants Musk to remain in a government role for longer than the predetermined 130 days. “I think he’s amazing. But I also think he’s got a big company to run,” Trump said in March. “And so at some point he’s going to be going back.” “I’d keep him as long as I can keep him,” Trump said. “He’s a very talented guy. You know, I love very smart people. He’s very smart. And he’s done a good job,” the president added. “DOGE is, we’ve found numbers that nobody can even believe.” More recently, Musk said during a Tesla earnings call on April 22 that he will take a step back from his work as DOGE’s leader. DOGE CHAIN OF COMMAND REVEALED IN COURT FILING, SHOWING MUSK IS NOT THE BOSS “I think starting probably in next month, May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,” Musk said during Tesla’s earnings conference call. “I’ll have to continue doing it for, I think, the remainder of the president’s term just to make sure the waste and fraud that we stopped does not come roaring back, which it will do if it has the chance. So I think I’ll continue to spend, you know, a day or two per week on government matters for as long as the president would like me to do so and as long as it is useful.” “But starting next month,” he added, “I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla now that the major work of establishing the Department of Government Efficiency is done.” Amid Musk’s work with DOGE, Democrats and activists have staged protests against the tech billionaire and his companies, including working to tank Tesla stocks. Musk has been the public face of DOGE for months, but is not an employee of the United States DOGE Service and does not report to the acting DOGE chief, according to a court filing in March that shed additional light on the internal workings of the office. WHO IS DOGE’S NEWLY IDENTIFIED ADMINISTRATOR AMY GLEASON? ‘WORLD-CLASS TALENT’ “Elon Musk does not work at USDS. I do not report to him, and he does not report to me. To my knowledge, he is a Senior Advisor to the White House,” Amy Gleason, the acting administrator of DOGE, wrote in a declaration included in a court filing. Gleason previously worked for the United States Digital Service, which was founded in 2014 by former President Barack Obama as a technology office within the Executive Office of the President. Trump signed an executive order in January that renamed the office to the United States DOGE Service, establishing DOGE. Though Musk has been the public face of DOGE, he “has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself” and is working as a senior advisor to the president, a White House official said in a separate court filing back in February. SENATE REPUBLICAN DOGE LEADER JONI ERNST FACES FIRST DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGER IN 2026 RACE Musk emerged as an ardent supporter of Trump at the height of the election cycle over the summer, officially endorsing Trump after the first assassination attempt against him in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, 2024. “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk posted to X shortly after the attempt, accompanied by footage of Trump raising a fist and shouting “Fight, fight, fight!” after he was left bloodied by the assassination attempt. Musk hosted Trump on X for an expansive interview while on the campaign trail Across Musk’s tenure as a special government employee, Trump has praised the tech billionaire for his efforts to streamline the government and cut it of overspending, including
HHS slams ‘under-tested’ mRNA technology as Trump cuts Moderna’s vaccine funding
President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is terminating awards totaling more than $750 million dollars that were provided to pharmaceutical manufacturer Moderna to help facilitate its production of mRNA-based bird flu vaccines. During President Joe Biden’s final week in office, his administration awarded $590 million to Moderna to help speed up its production of mRNA-based vaccines. The $590 million award followed a separate $176 million award Biden gave to Moderna earlier last year for mRNA vaccine technology. Messenger RNA vaccines are a newer type of vaccine technology, which was utilized by companies like Moderna and Pfizer to develop their COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccine technology was at the center of a lot of criticism amid the coronavirus pandemic for potentially being associated with adverse side effects in some people who took them, such as myocarditis. MILITARY SPOUSE AND MOM OF 5 FIGHTS BACK AS VACCINE DISPUTE BLOCKS FAMILY’S PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION Trump administration officials previously hinted at the potential that this funding could be terminated, citing a lack of oversight during the Biden administration pertaining to vaccine production. “After a rigorous review, we concluded that continued investment in Moderna’s H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable,” HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said. “This is not simply about efficacy — it’s about safety, integrity, and trust. The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public.” TRUMP FDA OVERHAULS COVID-19 VACCINE APPROVAL TO FOCUS ON OLDER POPULATIONS, HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS The announcement reflects a larger shift in federal vaccine priorities, after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced earlier this week that COVID-19 vaccines would be removed from the federal government’s list of recommended vaccines for children and pregnant women. Meanwhile, a report from Senate Republicans released earlier this month suggested the Biden administration withheld critical safety data and downplayed known risks tied to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. In particular, the Senate report focuses on HHS’ awareness of, and response to, cases of myocarditis — a type of heart inflammation — following COVID-19 vaccination. “Rather than provide the public and health care providers with immediate and transparent information regarding the risk of myocarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination, the Biden administration waited until late June 2021 to announce changes to the labels for the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines based on the ‘suggested increased risks’ of myocarditis and pericarditis,” the Senate report states. “Even though CDC and FDA officials were well aware of the risk of myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination, the Biden administration opted to withhold issuing a formal warning to the public for months about the safety concerns, jeopardizing the health of young Americans.” In response to the Trump administration’s funding termination, Moderna put out a press release acknowledging the move, but also touting the “safety profile” observed amid its work on a new mRNA bird flu vaccine. “While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis of the Phase 1/2 study of our H5 avian flu vaccine and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. “These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats.”
National Police Union signals strong support for President Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
The largest police union in the country has issued an endorsement of key provisions of the President Donald Trump-backed “big, beautiful” budget bill. National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Patrick Yoes announced strong support for the bill on Wednesday evening, saying “the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ is more than legislation—it is a promise kept to the public safety officers across the country and a bold step toward an economy that respects, rewards, and uplifts the people who keep it safe.” Yoes expressed strong support for two provisions in the bill, a tax deduction for overtime pay and an increase in the state and local tax (SALT) deductions, which the FOP said are important to the rank-and-file members of the 377,000-member organization. The FOP president praised the leadership of Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson for passing the bill in Congress. DUFFY URGES SENATE TO PASS BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’S $12.5B AIR TRAFFIC SYSTEM FIX The bill passed the House after an all-night debate last week in which Republicans squeezed out a victory in a 215-214 vote. The bill now faces significant opposition from Democrats and some Republicans in the Senate. “President Trump first proposed the elimination of Federal income taxes on overtime while still a candidate, and we are very pleased that a similar provision is included in the ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,’” Yoes said. Regarding the bill’s increase in SALT deductions, the FOP praised portions of the big, beautiful bill that would create a tax deduction for income taxes on overtime earnings for those who earn less than $160,000 per year as well as increase the SALT deduction to $40,000 for all taxpayers earning less than $500,000 per year. SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and their surrounding areas. Republicans representing those areas have framed raising the SALT deduction cap as an existential issue, arguing that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms. BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS THREATEN MUTINY OVER STATE AND LOCAL TAXES IN TRUMP’S ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’ Meanwhile, Republicans representing lower-tax states are largely wary of raising the deduction cap, believing that it incentivizes blue states’ high-tax policies. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., told Fox News that he is hopeful the Senate would address the SALT deductions, positing that the provision would add $385 billion to U.S. deficit spending. Yoes, however, said “the current cap on SALT deductions uniquely and unfairly penalizes law enforcement officers, who often are required to live within a certain distance of the jurisdictions they serve—removing a valuable mechanism that allowed for a reduction in their cost of living.” SPEAKER JOHNSON REACHES TENTATIVE DEAL WITH BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS TO BOOST CAP ON ‘SALT’ DEDUCTION He said the SALT deduction is also “a valuable way of supporting local budgets as law enforcement agencies are facing an array of financial challenges associated with inflated costs of equipment, vehicles, and personnel, especially with respect to the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “These are critical provisions to ensure those in the law enforcement profession have a better quality of life,” said Yoes. “We appreciate that President Trump is always fighting for our nation’s law enforcement officers.”
Deported alleged gang member Abrego Garcia ‘will never be on American streets again,’ DHS says
The Department of Homeland Security doubled down on Wednesday that Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the illegal immigrant and suspected MS-13 gang member deported to his native country of El Salvador, “will never be on American streets again.” The agency’s remarks came amid criticism from U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., who tried to visit Garcia on Memorial Day. Ivey initially posted a video on X about the attempted visit, saying that he represents Abrego Garcia, and that the Salvadoran government stonewalled his efforts. MARYLAND DEMOCRAT IVEY FURIOUS NOT GIVEN ACCESS TO KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA IN EL SALVADOR He urged Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday to present evidence in court that Garcia is an illegal immigrant. Democrats have maintained that Garcia was denied due process when he was deported despite being in the United States for years. “Let us be crystal clear: Kilmar Abrego Garcia will never be on American streets again,” a Homeland Security post on X states. “Advocating for an illegal alien, MS-13 gang member, human trafficker and wife beater over ACTUAL Maryland constituents victimized by illegal alien crime is appalling.” Since his deportation, several Democrats have attempted to visit Garcia in the El Salvadoran prison where he’s being held to conduct wellness checks. DEM IMMIGRATION TALKING POINTS FIZZLE AS DARK PICTURE OF ABREGO GARCIA EMERGES The Trump administration has pointed to evidence that Abrego Garcia was involved with MS-13 and human trafficking. It has also cited court documents detailing Abrego Garcia’s alleged physical abuse of his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura. Meanwhile, Democrats describe him as a “Maryland man” who was not given his due process in court before being deported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “If there is nothing to hide, cut the crap. Let his lawyer and I check on him,” Ivey said in his video message. “I’m the congressman who represents Kilmar and I came all the way down from the United States after we contacted their ambassador, after we made formal requests through our ambassador to the El Salvadoran government, and we came here to visit him today.” Fox News Digital has reached out to Ivey’s office.