Rep. Ralph Norman backs Trump’s plan to avoid government shutdown, pushes for Congressional term limits
As President Donald Trump advocates the idea of passing a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. — a member of the House Freedom Caucus who is pushing a Constitutional amendment to term limit federal lawmakers — told Fox News Digital during an interview on Thursday that while he’s not usually in favor of continuing resolutions, he supports passing one in this case. Norman said “what’s different now” is the DOGE effort to find waste, fraud and abuse — the congressman, who noted that Elon Musk, under Trump’s direction, has been discovering “excess spending,” indicated that it will “take time” to sort the good from the bad in the federal government. “We’ve never had that before,” he noted. TRUMP ENDORSES ‘CLEAN’ CR AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN LOOMS Trump has been talking up the idea of a continuing resolution. “Government funding runs out next week, and Democrats are threatening to shut down the Government – But I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda,” the president declared in the post. “Conservatives will love this Bill, because it sets us up to cut Taxes and Spending in Reconciliation, all while effectively FREEZING Spending this year, and allowing us to continue our work to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. VERY IMPORTANT – Let’s get this Bill done!” REPUBLICAN SAYS TRUMP WAS PLAYING GOLF WHEN PRESIDENT-ELECT CALLED HIM TO SWITCH HOUSE SPEAKER VOTE TO JOHNSON Norman said that he thinks during the next six months the “12 appropriation bills for the ’26 budget will be passed on time.” The congressman, who has served in the House since mid-2017, is pushing a proposed Constitutional amendment that would term limit federal lawmakers, blocking them from lingering in the D.C. power bubble for decade after decade, as some politicians do now. Dozens of House Republicans, and even a few Democrats, are backing the proposal, which Norman re-introduced this year. It previously fell short of clearing the House Judiciary Committee in 2023, with several Republicans voting against advancing it. The proposal would limit politicians to three House terms and two Senate terms, though it stipulates that terms held prior to the ratification of the amendment would not be counted. GOP REBELS HEAD TO WHITE HOUSE FOR MEETING TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and more than a dozen other GOP senators are pushing the proposed Constitutional amendment in the Senate. Norman, who indicated that working as a lawmaker in D.C. is not “rocket science,” suggested that people with business experience, who have made and lost money, are equipped for the role.
Pro-Ukraine GOP Rep. Bacon declares ‘real Republicans know that Putin’s Russia hates the West and freedom’
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., who is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and critic of Russia, declared in a post on X that “real Republicans know that Putin’s Russia hates the West and freedom.” “We also know that Ukraine wants democracy, free markets and rule of law. We stand with right vs evil. Reagan, Churchill, Eisenhower… that is our legacy. I won’t walk away from it,” he added. The U.S. has provided significant aid to the Eastern European nation over the last few years since Moscow invaded its neighbor, sparking the Russia-Ukraine war. SCOOP: GOP UKRAINE SUPPORTERS ALARMED AFTER EXPLOSIVE TRUMP, ZELENSKYY MEETING Bacon asserted on CSPAN’s “Washington Journal” that it is in America’s “national security interest for Ukraine to win,” warning that a Russian victory would cause the U.S. to spend “a lot more money.” The congressman has expressed support for helping to arm Ukraine. TRUMP PAUSES AID TO UKRAINE AFTER FIERY MEETING WITH ZELENSKYY The U.S. has “no troops in Ukraine and no one is advocating for that. We want to arm Ukraine so they can defeat this Putin invasion,” he said on X. “What happens if Ukraine falls? Do you think it ends there? China is watching how we handle this too. I’m for helping Ukraine win,” he noted in another post. “They are fighting for their freedom just like we have in our history. I’m for a just peace, not surrender nor slavery,” Bacon declared in another tweet. SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO VOWS DIPLOMACY ATTEMPTS WILL CONTINUE IN EFFORT TO END RUSSIA’S WAR IN UKRAINE CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After someone on the platform asked Bacon approximately how much it would cost to oust Russia from Ukraine, the lawmaker replied, “Read Clausewitz. It’s changing the will of the adversary. Hard to measure. But being weak strengthens the adversaries’ will. It’s more about good vs evil and being on [the] right side of history.”
Noem team demands end to ‘fake news’ reports she spent $650K as governor on credit card — it was $2K
FIRST ON FOX: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem‘s legal team hit a South Dakota media outlet with a cease-and-desist letter demanding that it correct and end its knowingly “false and misleading” reporting that Noem allegedly racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars on a government-issued credit card when she served as governor, Fox News Digital has learned. “On behalf of former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in her personal capacity, I write out of concern that your website continues to publish false and misleading information about my client that you have known to be false since at least July 2024,” an attorney representing Noem in her personal capacity said in a letter to the co-founders of a South Dakota outlet called The Dakota Scout. The letter was obtained by Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Specifically, your website repeatedly, and inaccurately, refers to all charges on credit cards used by the Office of the Governor of South Dakota as charges of my client—allowing a conclusion by multiple commenters on the site and other news outlets that my client violated the laws of South Dakota or stole taxpayer funds for her personal use,” it continued. “We demand that The Dakota Scout immediately cease spreading these false, misleading, and inaccurate statements and take immediate and significant steps to correct past inaccuracies.” The Dakota Scout has for months reported that Noem racked up more than $650,000 in credit card transactions on a government-issued card during her gubernatorial career, which has now grown legs in the state as other outlets publish similar reports. However, receipts reviewed by Fox Digital, as well as outlined in the cease-and-desist letter, show that Noem used her government credit card about 30 times across her tenure as governor for a total of $2,056.72. Noem’s gubernatorial office did spend more than $650,000 via multiple credit cards for official purposes across her years in office, receipts show. Noem served as South Dakota governor from January 2019 to January 2025, when she was sworn-in as the nation’s eighth Department of Homeland Security chief. SENATE CONFIRMS KRISTI NOEM AS TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY The Dakota Scout is a local media outlet covering South Dakota politics and culture that is based out of Sioux Falls and was founded in 2022, according to its website. The outlet, which also has a weekly print edition, has extensively written about credit card expenditures under Noem’s gubernatorial tenure, including headlines, “Noem’s state credit card spending kept secret,” “AG Jackley releases state reimbursements amid scrutiny of Noem’s credit card usage,” “Gov. Kristi Noem credit card secrecy prompts lawsuit,” and “Kristi Noem’s credit card expenses: Search database to see 5 years of charges.” “The monthly totals show that Noem spent nearly $650,000 from the time she took office in 2019 through April of this year,” a report from July stated, characterizing the expenses as solely made by Noem. “The Scout reported last summer that Noem had spent nearly $650,000 on the charge cards,” another article published in February reads. The Dakota Scout obtained credit card expenditures for Noem and her office earlier in 2025 after filing an open records lawsuit against the state auditor in September 2025, the outlet detailed in various articles. The media organization has since launched a database of her office’s credit card transactions across five years. After receiving the receipts for the expenses in February, the outlet noted in its coverage that both “Noem and her staff charged more than $650,000 to state-issued credit cards,” while recent headlines still focus on “Noem’s credit card usage” and “Kristi Noem’s credit card expenses.” “This is fake news,” Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Noem in her personal capacity, told Fox News Digital of the outlet’s reports in recent months. “They’ve been told it’s fake news, and it’s been proven to them, but they’re still at it.” “They’re trying to raise their own profile by attacking Kristi Noem because she’s a major public figure from the state, and now that she’s the Secretary of Homeland Security, she’s an even bigger target,” he said. “She’s busy doing her job and won’t be distracted from securing the border and keeping Americans safe as an important part of President Trump’s Cabinet. These journalists are definitely bringing attention to themselves, but not in the way they imagined.” NOEM SHOWS OFF MUGSHOTS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS: ‘UNBELIEVABLE’ Noem’s then-gubernatorial office sent a letter in October 2024 to The Dakota Scout requesting a correction to its previous report characterizing Noem as personally spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars. The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, detailed that in 2019 Noem did not have a government-issued credit card, that she spent $55.44 on her card in 2020, $841.21 in 2021, $730.19 in 2022, $429.88 in 2023 and $0 in 2024. The grand total comes to $2,056.72 in expenses on Noem’s card specifically. Noem’s gubernatorial office told the outlet in the letter that the office of the state auditor initially provided the outlet with a spreadsheet of monthly official expenses “for several state employees, not just the governor,” which Noem’s office said led to the outlet’s “incorrect conclusion that ‘The monthly totals show that Noem spent nearly $650,000 from the time she took office in 2019 through April of this year.’” The outlet acknowledged that the governor’s office had requested a correction but brushed off the email, including writing “heh” in the response. “I have reviewed your letter. We do not comment on pending litigation. Heh,” read the email, which was sent by The Dakota Scout co-founder, Jonathan Ellis. “I’m certain you will have the opportunity to fully explain your reasoning when you are deposed,” the email, which was reviewed by Fox Digital, added. The cease-and-desist letter sent Thursday demanded that the outlet correct previous headlines and graphics or likely face a lawsuit. NOEM REVEALS MAJOR MILESTONE ON BORDER CROSSINGS AMID TRUMP’S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS “Demand is hereby made that you immediately cease and desist reporting that my client spent hundreds of thousands
House Minority Leader Jeffries calls Rep. Ogles a ‘fraud’ for suggestion to remove Dems from House committees
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said fellow House member Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., “ain’t throwing no one off any single committee” after the Tennessee lawmaker said Democrats who derailed Thursday’s censure vote should be removed from their committee assignments. The House decided on Thursday to censure Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, for his outbursts during President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday. Ten Democrats voted with Republicans to reprimand Green, sending the chamber into chaos as most House Democrats gathered with Green to sing “We Shall Overcome.” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was ultimately forced to call the House into a recess after attempts to regain control were unsuccessful. SCOOP: DEMS WHO DERAILED AL GREEN CENSURE COULD BE STRIPPED OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ROLES Following the outbursts, Ogles filed a resolution suggesting that Democrats who participated in the protests be stripped of their committee assignments – a move Jeffries said “is going nowhere.” Jeffries said he learned of Ogles’ resolution after ending a phone call with New York Attorney General Letitia James. “That resolution is going nowhere. You ain’t throwing no one off of any single committee. These people are malignant clowns,” the leading Democrat said in a video on X. “Andy Ogles is a fraud. A complete and total fraud. You aren’t throwing anyone off of any committee in the House of Representatives. Don’t make me expose you to folks who don’t know you.” DEMS THROW HOUSE INTO CHAOS AFTER 10 MODERATES JOIN GOP TO PUNISH AL GREEN Ogles told Fox News Digital in a brief interview on Thursday that “Every Democrat who disobeyed the Speaker’s orders and remained in the well need to be stripped of their committees.” He also said while they can “lick their wounds” and “act like children” elsewhere, they must “behave on the House floor.” “We can disagree on issues and politics, but we’re gonna respect one another, and I’m tired of this crap,” he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to Ogles’ office for a response.
House education chair backs Trump move to abolish federal agency
EXCLUSIVE: The top lawmaker on the House Education and Workforce Committee is backing President Donald Trump as he readies to potentially abolish the federal Department of Education, but the lawmaker is skeptical Congress could offer support. “I support him in the fact that we need to abolish the Department of Education, return education to the states, especially for K-12, and gain control of the higher-ed institutions and make them work,” Chair Tim Walberg, R-Mich., said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “Whether we can abolish it or not is the question” He pointed out that the Senate’s threshold for most legislation, which is 60, means Republicans could likely be forced to seek Democrat votes if a bill to abolish the department came to Congress. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CANCELS ANOTHER $350M IN ‘WOKE’ SPENDING FOR CONTRACTS, GRANTS “It takes votes. The president can do executive orders, but they’ll be limited in time and scope. The votes aren’t there, I would think, to totally abolish the department in the Senate, at the very least,” Walberg said. However, the Michigan Republican signaled that Congress could still look at what kind of changes they could make. “So what can we do to de-power, to reform, to replace in such a way that, for the time being, we’ll make the system work? I think that’s the question that we have,” he said. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES ‘ENDDEI’ PORTAL FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS TO REPORT DISCRIMINATION Trump is expected to sign an executive order to abolish the Department of Education, something that’s been pushed by conservative Republicans for years. It comes just after his new secretary of education, Linda McMahon, was confirmed by the Senate on Monday. The department was created in its modern-day form in 1980 after then-President Jimmy Carter separated it from what’s now the Department of Health and Human Services. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled his openness to abolishing it in comments to reporters on Thursday. “The more we push control of education down to parents and local school boards and authorities, the better off we are,” Johnson said.
Top Dem governor issues order aiming to help fill ‘critical’ state jobs as DOGE cuts federal bureaucracy
With DOGE scrutinizing the federal workforce for cuts, one potential 2028 Democrat hopeful issued an executive order aiming to fill hundreds of vacancies in his own state government while also focusing on private-sector openings. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro was joined by other dignitaries during a job fair at the state Farm Show complex in Harrisburg to sign the order calling for, among other things, federal bureaucrats to be considered for a plethora of job openings in Harrisburg’s civil service. “The commonwealth recognizes that a workforce of dedicated and talented public servants is the backbone of a responsive government that can ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services for Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said in his order. The executive order seeks to “capitalize on federal layoffs by accepting federal work experience as equivalent to state experience for the state’s top recruitment needs,” according to a separate statement from Shapiro. The statement added there will be an emphasis on veterans and military servicemembers also having direct access to recruiter-contacts, as well as publication of the 23 highest-priority, hardest-to-fill state jobs. “It is imperative that the commonwealth attract and retain qualified employees who are drawn to a career in public service to fill its existing vacancies,” the order reads, citing an estimated 103,700 Pennsylvanians employed by the feds in 2024. Pennsylvania Secretary of Administration Neil Weaver added in a statement that the federal workforce is “one of the most professional and qualified in the world, and we know that many federal jobs have similar duties to jobs performed by Commonwealth employees.” TOP BLUE STATE REPUBLICAN LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE DOGE EFFORT WITH A TWIST “This executive order will help individuals with federal work experience find relevant job opportunities, continue their public service careers, and put their skills to work for the people of Pennsylvania,” Weaver said. While Shapiro’s order aims to encourage qualified federal workers to relocate up I-83 to Harrisburg, a source familiar with his efforts noted that the governor remains committed to an all-encompassing strategy to attract top talent to Pennsylvania’s public and private sectors. SHAPIRO, STITT SAY SLASHING ENERGY DEVELOPMENT RED-TAPE AND BEATING CHINA IN ‘AI ARMS RACE’ ARE TOP PRIORITIES The day before he issued his order focused on state government jobs, Shapiro was in Pittsburgh meeting with private-sector leaders at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, seeking to boost economic growth in western Pennsylvania. There, Shapiro spoke about his energy “lightning plan” to increase jobs while reducing costs, saying, “We haven’t done anything meaningful on energy generation since the [Ed] Rendell administration: It’s time for us to lead again.” Shapiro also held a phone call with tech billionaire Elon Musk in October. The governor said neither of them discussed politics but instead investment in Pennsylvania. In the past, a source familiar with the Shapiro administration’s work suggested he bore the mantle of increasing government efficiency before the Trump-Musk endeavor to cut federal government waste began, given his unofficial and oft-repeated slogan: “Get s–t done.” Conservatives, however, swiftly criticized Shapiro’s order, with the state House minority leader suggesting any vacant government jobs first be deemed necessary to begin with. “While President Trump is using his mandate to lead the federal government in an unprecedented effort to right-size itself in true responsibility to the taxpayers, finding ways to add to our bureaucracy here in Pennsylvania sends us in the wrong direction,” said state Rep. Jesse Topper, R-McConnellsburg. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “When a job becomes vacant in Pennsylvania’s administrative apparatus, the question should first be asked if it is truly needed rather than how quickly it can be filled,” Topper continued, adding that the focus should be on “state-specific ways to get our fiscal house in order.” Meanwhile, a potential 2026 Shapiro opponent said the governor’s order will “make living in Pennsylvania worse.” “He’s already proposed an unsustainable, job-killing $51 billion budget, and yet that’s not enough for him,” said state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg. “Now he wants to continue his spending spree with this grandstanding, desperately trying to draw attention to himself politically. Meanwhile, he doesn’t bat an eye as he destroys Pennsylvania’s economy and ruins the lives and livelihood of our families.” Mastriano notably launched an effort last week to establish Pennsylvania’s own version of the federal Department of Government Efficiency.
GOP senator reveals strategy to push Trump’s policies through Congress: ‘I believe in the agenda’
EXCLUSIVE: Republican Sen. Rick Scott says he’s on a mission to help push President Donald Trump’s agenda through Congress. “I put a lot of effort in, and I believe in Trump’s agenda,” the former Florida governor and two-term senator said in an exclusive national digital interview with Fox News. Scott spoke from the sidelines of a two-day policy summit held at a hotel blocks from the U.S. Capitol that was hosted by Rescuing the American Dream, a public policy group aligned with the conservative senator. A number of members of the Trump administration and of his political orbit, including Attorney General Pam Bondi [who served as Florida attorney general during Scott’s tenure as Sunshine State governor] were guests at the summit. POLL POSITION: WHERE TRUMP STANDS IN MINDS OF AMERICANS Scott noted that “a lot of my friends are working” in the second Trump administration. “I’ve got a lot of friends there.” The senator added that Susie Wiles, co-campaign manager of Trump’s 2024 campaign and the president’s White House chief of staff, “was my first campaign manager” when Scott won the 2010 Florida gubernatorial election. TOP CONSERVATIVE GROUP VOWS TO WORK WITH PRESIDENT DESPITE PAST CLASHES WITH TRUMP Scott, who hosts a weekly steering committee lunch for Senate Republicans, brought Wiles as the featured guest last week. This week, his guest was billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who Trump tapped to steer his recently created Department of Government Efficiency, the controversial group best known by its acronym, DOGE. Scott, a self-made multimillionaire who’s the wealthiest member of the Senate, emphasized that “I’m going to do everything I can because I believe in the agenda.” He said he’s working with his Senate colleagues as well as friends in the House “to get the Trump agenda accomplished.” Scott’s recent efforts appear to be raising his image among fellow Senate Republicans. That image took a hit after the GOP failed to regain control of the chamber in the 2022 midterms, when Scott was leading the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He also frequently clashed with longtime GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell and unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for leader. Scott also ran for Senate GOP leader last year in the race to succeed McConnell, who stepped down. But he says he has a strong working relationship with the lawmaker who won that race, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the longtime Republican from South Dakota. SENATE MAJORITY LEADER SAYS THIS IS THE REASON HE’S WORKING SO WELL WITH TRUMP “I think John Thune is doing a great job,” Scott said. Thune, who spoke at the Scott-aligned policy summit, returned the compliment. “The House has a very narrow majority, and it makes it challenging to do pretty much anything, but Rick has a good relationship with a number of folks in the House,” Thune told the audience. Thune noted that Scott, who holds a weekly dinner with House GOP members and Trump administration officials, “meets with them [House Republicans] on a regular basis. So we’ve got good lines of communication.” Looking forward, Scott emphasized that in order to push the Trump agenda forward, “We’ve got to be very vocal. We’ve got to do op-eds. We’ve got to be on television. We’ve got to be on radio. We’ve got to be talking about why this is good for a normal person.” Trump has been moving at warp speed during his opening six and a half weeks back in the White House with a flurry of executive orders and actions. His moves, many of them controversial, not only fulfilled some of his major campaign trail promises but also allowed the returning president to flex his executive muscles, quickly put his stamp on the federal government, make major cuts to the federal workforce and also settle some long-standing grievances. Trump as of Thursday had signed 85 executive orders since his inauguration, according to a count from Fox News, which far surpasses the rate of any recent presidential predecessors during their first weeks in office. “It’s something the president has the opportunity to do, but that only lasts while he’s president,” Scott noted, as he pointed to the executive orders. He highlighted that “we’ve got to codify these things” and “this country should be run by Congress passing normal laws that help you as an American citizen, and that’s what we ought to do. I appreciate what the president’s doing, but we’ve got to codify these things.” Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report.
Trump says he’d be willing to release reports on assassination attempts against him: ‘Could be suspicious’
President Donald Trump said he still wants answers seven months after an assassination attempt on his life during a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. “I want to find the answers,” the president said during an executive order signing in the White House Thursday. “I’ve told them. … We can no longer blame [former President Joe] Biden for that one. He should have released that a long time ago.” Gunman Thomas Crooks, 20, killed rally attendee Corey Comperatore and critically wounded two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver, in his attempt to kill Trump, who was grazed in the ear by a bullet. SECRET SERVICE KNEW AIRSPACE PROTECTION WOULD END WITH FORMER PRESIDENT ONSTAGE The investigation summary concluded the rally was a “failure for the Secret Service” that warranted “several operational, policy, and organizational changes.” Two months later, Trump survived a second assassination attempt while golfing at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where Ryan Routh allegedly tried to assassinate Trump and remains in federal custody. During a Q&A session with the media Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump told Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy he would be receiving a report about both incidents sometime next week. “I want to release it,” Trump noted. SECRET SERVICE TURNED DOWN LOCAL DRONE ‘REPEATEDLY’ AHEAD OF TRUMP JULY 13 RALLY: WHISTLEBLOWER “[Crooks] had three [cellphone] apps, two of which were foreign, supposedly, and who has the biggest white-shoe law firm in Pennsylvania, even though they don’t live in necessarily a white-shoe area,” Trump speculated. “What’s that all about?” SECRET SERVICE, FBI RESPOND TO TRUMP RALLY VIDEO SHOWING FIGURE ON ROOF MINUTES BEFORE GUNFIRE He added that Routh, 58, allegedly had numerous cellphones. “The other one had seven or six cellphones, and I don’t have six cellphones,” Trump said. “Why would somebody have six cellphones. So, we’re going to be releasing a report on that soon. … It’s a lot of cellphones, and a couple of them had some strange markings on them.” Pointing to a lack of information about the incidents, the president said “it makes me think a little bit.” “I say when you have three apps and two of them are foreign, and you had an FBI that wouldn’t report on it — they didn’t want to say why — I would say that could be suspicious,” Trump said. He also took the time to highlight the Secret Service’s efforts to intercept Routh, who was spotted allegedly aiming a rifle at one of Trump’s security details in bushes. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I want to find out, and I would be willing to release it,” Trump said. “I mean, maybe there’s a reason that we shouldn’t. So, I don’t want to get too far ahead of my skis. But, yeah, I would be very willing to release that. … I want to see that one myself.” Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin contributed to this report.
Censure resolutions: When to double down, and when to turn the page
Could the cover-up be bigger than the crime? So it’s of little surprise that few people even realized that Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, appeared in the well of the House chamber and was formally admonished by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., with a resolution of censure Thursday morning. The House voted 224-198 with two members voting present to censure Green for his antics during President Donald Trump’s speech to Congress Tuesday night. Per the resolution, Green had to present himself in the well as Johnson read the resolution before the House for his infractions and officially castigated him, with a rap of the gavel. TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS But you wouldn’t be alone if you missed it. That’s because a host of Democrats joined Green near the dais. Johnson banged the gavel, imploring Green’s colleagues to stop. They sang “We Shall Overcome,” drowning out Johnson. But the deed was done. Green was censured – even if few really saw it. That’s because there’s a trend in Congress for colleagues to join the censured individual in the well of the House and make a ruckus, almost diluting the discipline. This is why Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., argued that the House should now try to expel Green. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., is prepping a resolution to strip the dozens of Democrats who joined Green in the well from their committees. There’s also a move to relieve Green of his committee assignments. It didn’t used to be this way. There’s an issue of debate about “who fired first.” But discipline in the House over censure has disintegrated markedly in recent years. And so has bipartisan comportment of lawmakers when the president of the other party speaks to a joint session of Congress. Green became the 29th member of the House censured in the institution’s history. But he’s the fourth Democrat censured by the House since 2023. The fifth overall member to be censured if you include the censure of Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., in 2021. You have to go back to 2010 with former Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., to find a member who was censured. Before that? Try 1983. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOOK: SORTING IT OUT The Rangel censure over abuse of office is significant. Rangel was a towering figure in Congress. A Korean War hero who was left to die on the battlefield. Rangel rose from humble roots in Harlem to become Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The House voted to censure Rangel in late 2010 after a lengthy investigation. After the vote, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., asked the New York Democrat to “present himself in the well.” With the entire House present, Rangel, ambled to the front of the chamber, his head hung low, hands folded in front as though he were about to pray. No one said a word. Members from both sides sat in rapt silence as Pelosi read the text of the censure resolution in an uncharacteristically meek tone. Pelosi herself seemed stricken, having to censure her friend and such a vaunted colleague. Pelosi tapped the gavel so lightly at the conclusion of the censure exercise that it almost seemed accidental. The deed was done. That’s not how censures roll in the House anymore. Contrast the censure of Rangel to the 2023 censures of former Rep. and now Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., and you’ll find raucous affairs. Yelling. Shouting. Anything to cover up what the Speaker is reading from the dais. In the case of the 2023 censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the resolution just declared her to be censured but did not require her to appear in the well of the chamber before the full House and the Speaker. TRUMP BLASTS REP AL GREEN AS ‘AN EMBARRASSMENT’ TO DEMOCRATS, SAYS HE ‘SHOULD BE FORCED TO TAKE AN IQ TEST’ The rate of censures is increasing dramatically. Republicans will argue that Democrats “started it.” The House censured Gosar in 2021 for posting an anime video which showed him using a sword to kill Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and harming former President Biden. The measure also stripped Gosar of his committee assignments. In 2021, Democrats and 11 Republicans voted to remove Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., from her committees. They argued she trafficked in conspiracy theories and racism which encouraged violence. But in the case of Al Green, his conduct on the floor reflects a trend of hectoring the president in the House chamber. Taylor Greene and Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., certainly jeered and taunted former President Biden during his speeches to Congress. The former president even briefly engaged them on one occasion. This unfolded under three House Speakers: Pelosi, Johnson and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Yet there was never any effort by the Speaker to have anyone removed on those occasions. That changed when Johnson ordered Green removed on Tuesday. But when did this all start? It goes back to September 2009. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted “you lie” at President Barack Obama as he delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress about health care reform. Wilson specifically accused the president of lying when he declared it was “false” that persons in the country illegally would qualify for health benefits. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE SENATE TRYING TO ADVANCE TRUMP’S AGENDA Bipartisan lawmakers condemned the outburst immediately. Wilson apologized to then-White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. In a statement, Wilson said he “let my emotions get the best of me.” He characterized the episode as a “town hall moment.” By the weekend, Wilson was fundraising off the incident. Pelosi didn’t want to go any further with a punishment. But her members pushed against the Speaker – and prevailed. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., who at the time served as the House Majority Whip, thought Wilson’s off-stage apology wasn’t enough. Clyburn, and fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus, believed the House needed to do something to
A look back at the early days of coronavirus spread
Five years after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, the World Health Organization is still reporting deaths from the virus. More than 3,000 people died in the last month, adding to the more than 7 million deaths since the pandemic began. In the fall of 2019, many of the top stories for U.S. news outlets had to do with China. “I have a good relationship with China. We’ll see what happens, but I’m very happy right now,” President Donald Trump said on Nov. 19, 2019 amid trade negotiations with Beijing. “If we don’t make a deal with China, I’ll just raise the tariffs even higher.” NEW BAT CORONAVIRUS DISCOVERED IN CHINA SPARKS PANDEMIC CONCERNS On the other side of the globe, protesters in Hong Kong were objecting to China’s interference in the region’s government. Trump signed a bill supporting the pro-democracy demonstrations. Back in Washington, the Smithsonian National Zoo’s beloved panda, Bei Bei, was preparing to move to a new habitat in central China, but in the background, a much bigger story was taking place. Also, in the fall of 2019, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were studying how mice responded to SARs and MERs-related coronaviruses. A National Intelligence Director report noted the lab maintains one of the world’s largest repositories of bat samples. It stated, “Teams separately used transgenic mouse models to better understand how the viruses infect humans as well as related vaccine and therapeutics research.” “This laboratory that worked on bat coronaviruses was undertaking work, which on the face of it was quite important for understanding these viruses, but had some risks,” said Stanford microbiology professor David Relman in January 2020. During that time, several researchers at the institute fell ill with cold or flu-like symptoms, but none were severe enough to be hospitalized. “Some of their symptoms were consistent with but not diagnostic of Covid-19,” the intelligence report stated. The intelligence community also noted that it was unclear if those illnesses were linked to the virus that would soon spread around the world. By December, China’s stock market was rising on hopes of a trade deal with the U.S., but the local economy in Wuhan was facing a major threat. Health officials were growing concerned about a new viral pneumonia that was not responding to standard treatments. Twenty-seven cases had been confirmed, seven of which were critical. Most of the patients had a recent history of exposure to wildlife animals at the Huanan Market, where poultry, snakes, bats and other farm animals were sold. Wuhan health officials claimed the wet market was where the virus originated. However, at least 13 of the first 41 hospitalizations had no link to the marketplace, according to an article by Chinese researchers published in the Lancet. “That’s a big number, 13, with no link,” Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University, told Science in January 2020. “The virus came into that marketplace before it came out of that marketplace.” NEW BAT CORONAVIRUS DISCOVERED IN CHINA SPARKS PANDEMIC CONCERNS All U.S. intelligence agencies assess both a natural and laboratory-associated origin remain plausible sources of the virus’ origin. The Energy Department, the FBI and the CIA believe a laboratory-associated incident was the most likely cause of the first human infection. “Laboratory accidents happen everywhere there are humans. Humans are fallible. So, it’s absolutely reasonable to think that some other laboratory also had an accident,” Relman said. In late December, the Wuhan Institute of Virology isolated and identified the virus from patient samples. The information available to U.S. intelligence officials indicates this to be the first time researchers at the institute had access to the virus’ gene sequence. On New Year’s Eve in the U.S., Trump rang in 2020 at his annual Mar-a-Lago party and was optimistic over his negotiations with China. “We’re very excited about trade,” the president said. “I’ll be going, at some point, to Beijing, to be with President Xi. We have a great relationship. And we’ll be doing something reciprocal.” Scientists in Wuhan were growing even more concerned about the new virus. Dozens of individuals with suspected cases had been isolated in a designated hospital. The World Health Organization became aware through a media statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. It warned of a pneumonia of an unknown cause. During the first days of 2020, life around the world and in most parts of China, seemed normal. However, in Wuhan, the Huanan Market had been shut down, and World Health Organization officials were taking a closer look at the cases. “There are many unreported cases in China. There’s also a number of cases in Hong Kong that haven’t been reported,” Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang told Lou Dobbs in January 2020. “What’s happened in Hong Kong and the protest, people don’t want to go out so it has been quiet over the last week or so. But I think that this is really the fear over the contagion.” TRUMP’S ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ COMMISSION TO TARGET AUTISM, CHRONIC DISEASES What was now called the 2019 Novel Coronavirus had claimed its first victim by the time Trump inked phase one of his trade deal with China. “Right now, our relationship with China is the best it’s ever been,” Trump said at the signing ceremony. Cases from outside of China were now accumulating. Thailand and Japan had confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2. Shortly after, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began screening passengers on direct and connecting flights from Wuhan. “The bottom line is this is a very rare virus. The number of people who have been infected or exposed is very small,” Lenox Hill Hospital emergency room Dr. Robert Glatter said as the flight screenings began. Days later, health officials confirmed the first U.S. case in Washington state but insisted the virus was still a low risk to the public. “We’re very happy to say that he is in satisfactory condition and as of this moment is being, is very helpful in us identifying