Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Dems

House Dems organize rapid response task force and litigation group to combat Trump agenda

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., sent House Democrats a letter Monday announcing the formation of a rapid response team and litigation group to “push back against the far-right extremism” since President Donald Trump took office.

In the “Dear Colleague” letter, Jeffries wrote, “I write with respect to our ongoing effort to push back against the far-right extremism that is being relentlessly unleashed on the American people.”

Jeffries characterized the political landscape as “a multifaceted struggle to protect and defend everyday Americans from the harm being inflicted by this administration.”

The letter states House Democrats have as a result officially established a Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group chaired by Colorado Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse.

DEMS FLIRT WITH GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN THREAT DESPITE PAST FUROR OVER SPENDING CLIFF

House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, right, sent House Democrats a letter Monday announcing the formation of a rapid response team and litigation group to “push back against the far-right extremism” since President Donald Trump took office. (Getty Images)

Jeffries said that Democrats would continue to be “committed to driving down the high cost of living for everyday Americans.” He criticized House Republicans for continuing to “launch far-right attacks on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public safety and the education of our children,” saying the American people were “counting” on Democrats to stop them.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House, Jeffries’ office and Neguse’s office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS HOUSE WILL MATCH TRUMP’S PACE AS DEMOCRATS ARE LEFT ‘FLAILING’

Jeffries responded to a Fox News inquiry about the task force, saying, “It’s been an ongoing effort to push back against far-right extremism.”

Jeffries told Fox that “not a single thing that [Republicans have] actually done is a matter of law right now” and said such actions suggest Republicans are “in disarray.”

The letter states House Democrats have as a result officially established a Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group chaired by Colorado Democrat Rep. Joe Neguse, pictured here. (Getty)

Jeffries, along with House Democrat colleagues, have unveiled efforts to resist the president’s agenda since Trump took office in mid-January.

Just last week, House Democrats announced legislation that seeks to secure the personal data of Americans amid the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) spending sweep.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT LEAVES CONGRESSIONAL DOGE CAUCUS, SAYING MUSK IS ‘BLOWING THINGS UP’

The legislation, titled the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, was revealed Thursday to “shield the American people from this out-of-control power grab, permanently, and make sure that the financial, personal, medical, and confidential information of the American people is protected.”

Elon Musk’s DOGE team has spent the last several weeks identifying “wasteful” spending within various governmental agencies.

Elon Musk’s DOGE team has spent the last several weeks identifying “wasteful” spending within various governmental agencies. (House of Representatives/Getty)

DOGE became the target of various lawsuits in the weeks following its establishment. A federal New York judge on Saturday ruled to block DOGE officials from accessing personal data such as social security numbers and bank account numbers.

Trump’s Justice Department railed against the order, calling it an “anti-Constitutional” ruling.

Vice President JD Vance also called the ruling unconstitutional on X, saying it was an example of judicial overreach.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power,” Vance wrote Sunday.

Fox News’ Kelly Phares, Tyler Olson, Aubrie Spady, and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Haley Chi-Sing is a Writer for Fox News Digital. You can reach her at @haleychising on X.

February 11, 2025
Lori Chavez-DeRemer: The little-known Trump nominee who may need to rely on Dems to cross finish line

President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Labor, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., has left Republicans in the Senate with some questions over her pro-union stances, but at the same time, she has generated some interest from pro-labor Democrats.

In particular, the moderate Republican will need to explain to Republicans her support for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), a controversial piece of legislation that was proposed a few years ago.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters that “support for the PRO Act is not something that most Republicans have tolerated in the past, but I think she’s attempted to address that, and my hope is that she can further clarify her position on some of those issues when she goes through the hearing process.”

SCHUMER REVEALS DEM COUNTER-OFFENSIVE AGAINST TRUMP’S DOGE AUDIT

Trump’s nominee for labor secretary could see Democrats help her get over the finish line. (Reuters | Getty Images)

The Protecting the Right to Organize Act was championed by Democrats and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters upon introduction. But others, such as most Republicans and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, opposed it.

The legislation would effectively kill state-level laws that prohibit employers and unions from requiring workers to pay union dues as a condition of their employment.

Chavez-DeRemer will have her hearing in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) on Wednesday.

One committee member she’ll have to answer to is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has already said he doesn’t plan to support her.

“Her support for the Pro Act, which would not only oppose national right to work, but it would preempt state law on right to work. I think it’s not a good thing, and it’d be sort of hard for me since it’s a big issue for me to support her. So I won’t support her,” the senator previously told reporters.

TRUMP’S KEY TO CABINET CONFIRMATIONS: SENATOR-TURNED-VP VANCE’S GIFT OF GAB

Paul plans to vote against the nominee. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

This puts Chavez-DeRemer in a difficult position, as she will need to rely on Democrats to help her advance out of the HELP committee favorably if Paul follows through on his commitment to voting against her.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., who is far from the most pro-union Republican in the upper chamber, is full speed ahead in favor of Trump’s pick as Chavez-DeRemer gears up for her hearing and eventual committee vote.

In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, he explained that he and Teamsters President Sean O’Brien were involved in Trump’s selection of her for the key Cabinet role. Mullin further detailed the significance of union members in Trump’s winning 2024 election coalition.

He claimed Democrats have “come to us and actually said this is actually a really good pick” because it puts them in a difficult position and is hard to vote against with her support among labor unions.

INSIDE SEN TOM COTTON’S CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TULSI GABBARD’S ENDANGERED DNI NOMINATION

Mullin is a close ally of Trump. (Markwayne Mullin for Senate)

The senator didn’t give away any names of Democrats that might see her appeal, however.

Paul previously predicted he wouldn’t be the only one unwilling to back her in the Republican conference.

“I think she’ll lose 15 Republicans and she’ll get 25 Democrats. She’s very pro-labor, she might get all the Democrats. Who knows? So, we’ll see,” he said.

If his vote leaves her nomination tied at the committee level, it could still be reported and scheduled for a floor vote, but without a favorable recommendation. In this case, she would need to amass 60 votes in the full Senate to move on to confirmation.

LEADER THUNE BACKS SENATE GOP BID TO SPEED PAST HOUSE ON TRUMP BUDGET PLAN

Chavez-DeRemer is a former Republican congresswoman. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

With her appeal among labor groups, Chavez-DeRemer may manage to put together a 60-plus bipartisan coalition to be confirmed.

While Paul predicted more than a dozen GOP defectors, Mullin said the real number is likely much smaller.

“I haven’t heard from any other Republicans that are a ‘no.’ Rand is the only one,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I don’t think his numbers are accurate, even close,” the Oklahoma Republican added.

A representative for Chavez-DeRemer did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.

Follow Julia’s reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to [email protected].

February 11, 2025
NY GOP fumes Dems ‘could give a s—’ about democracy as Stefanik seat targeted in new bill

A controversial New York state election reform bill is coming up for a vote Monday.

Critics call it a naked attempt to keep U.N. ambassador-nominee Elise Stefanik’s North Country congressional district without a representative until November, while Democratic sponsors say it will save local and taxpayer resources.

The bill, which would allow Gov. Kathy Hochul to postpone elections or combine them with upcoming general elections, was marketed by Democrats as a cost-saving measure that helps ensure more voters will cast ballots in specials.

However, New York Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said that for all Democrats’ claims about President Donald Trump being a threat to democracy, the truth is belied in their own legislation.

“It’s all about the outcome, not process, democracy, voter participation – they could give a s—. They could give a s—,” said Ortt, R-Niagara Falls.

TOUGH DECISIONS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES AFTER BONDI’S FUND-WITHHOLDING ORDER

“I can’t shame them; they have none… 800,000 folks [in Stefanik’s soon-to-be-former district] will not have a representative in Congress ‘til November. That’s a disgrace for a party that says it cares about democracy,” he said, predicting Hochul will use the law to its maximum extent when enacted.

Ortt said the bill has two different provisions – one for federal elections and one for state legislative elections and ruminated how they could benefit Democrats.

He pointed out that state Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn, is likely to seek an open seat on New York City Council in the politically-moderate, majority-Jewish Borough Park area.

Felder caucused with Senate Republicans from 2013-2018, which gave the GOP a slim, technical majority in Albany for part of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s term.

Ortt said Democrats stand to potentially lose Felder’s Senate seat, which explains the reported two-tiered changes in the bill.

Meanwhile, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said 44% of New York state voted for Trump and the legislation shows his opposition is still smarting about it.

GOP RIPS HOCHUL’S INFLATION REFUNDS

Senate GOP Leader Rob Ortt (Reuters)

“No, they don’t accept that result,” said Barclay, R-Oswego.

“So they’re going to do everything they can, including depriving 800,000 people of a say in the budget [or] the SALT (tax deduction for high-taxed states) bill.”

Barclay noted that if Stefanik’s seat remains vacant when the Farm Bill is voted on later this year, a significant portion of New York’s agricultural lands will lack representation.

But Democrats remained united, with Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins saying in a statement that New Yorkers currently face “unprecedented challenges, including the strain on our democracy and our high cost of living.”

“[T]his legislation is a common-sense approach that saves taxpayer dollars while maximizing voter turnout,” said Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers.

Currently, Hochul has 90 days to call a special election once Stefanik, or Felder, resigns.

The bill’s text suggested the current special elections framework in Albany is an operational and financial drag on counties and taxpayers – additionally citing “voter confusion and fatigue.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Therefore, giving the governor the power to potentially consolidate elections is pertinent.

As NY1 reported, the bill also does not mandate Hochul – or any governor – combine special and general or primary elections, but now gives her the power to do so.

Some in Stefanik’s district, however, believe Ortt’s claims may have substance.

“By holding up a special election, they’re keeping the North Country from having congressional representation at a critical moment,” state Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, told Plattsburgh’s NBC affiliate.

Stec is one of several Republicans vying for the seat, along with Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino, Assemblyman Chris Tague of Schoharie, and author Liz Joy, who previously ran against Democratic Rep. Paul Tonko in the neighboring Capital Region district.

A spokesman for Stewart-Cousins told NY1 that state Democrats will not “be lectured to by a party that openly celebrated the release of violent felons that attempted to overthrow a presidential election and have opposed every single voting reform that increases voter participation.”

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].

February 10, 2025
‘DOGE boys’: Dems fume over spending cut spree at rally outside Trump’s next potential target

Democratic lawmakers are fuming over the “DOGE boys” and their recent crackdown on federal spending, holding a rally outside the newly formed cost-cutting department’s potential next target: the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has been working with federal agencies to identify and cut wasteful spending. Most recently, the group began probing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for potential fraud — a move that wasn’t welcomed by Democratic lawmakers who warned that the SSA could be the next agency on the target list.

On Monday, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Ma., Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Ma., and Rep. Sarah Elfreth, D-Ma., gathered for a rally outside the SSA headquarters in Baltimore to criticize DOGE’s efforts.

“Every time you hear DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, you just remember it is the department of government evil,” said Mfume, a Maryland-based Democrat.

DOGE CANCELS FUNDING FOR FAUCI MUSEUM EXHIBIT

Rep. Kweisi Mfume at a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 8, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla)

Fox News Digital previously reported that according to Just Facts, a nonprofit research institute, SSA disbursed roughly $2 billion in fraudulent or improper payments in 2022, which it calculated was enough “to pay 89,947 retired workers the average annual old-age benefit of $21,924 for 2023.”

Democrats, however, have claimed that Americans’ Social Security benefits could be targeted.

ELON MUSK EMBRACES X PLATFORM AS KEY TOOL IN DOGE TRANSPARENCY AMID ONSLAUGHT OF ATTACKS FROM DEMS

“We have one simple message, which is: Elon Musk, keep your hands off our Social Security,” Van Hollen told the crowd.

Sen. Van Hollen told Musk to ‘keep your hands off our Social Security.’ (Getty Images)

“Over the last 21 days, we have seen Elon Musk conducting illegal raids on federal agencies with his DOGE crew,” the senator said. “This is a recipe for corruption by the DOGE boys.”

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Ma., speaking during the rally, claimed that “the intention of this administration is to make us feel demoralized, to make many of us feel frightened, to incite fear, to silence people.”

Many of DOGE’s targets have ranged from canceling a number of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies to consolidating duplicative agencies and programs.

Angela Alsobrooks, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate from Maryland, and Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., are seen while greeting voters on the state’s primary election day at Lewisdale Elementary School in Chillum, Md., on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (Tom Williams)

DOGE, as of the end of January, said that it was saving the federal government $1 billion a day, mostly by “stopping the hiring of people into unnecessary positions, deletion of DEI and stopping improper payments to foreign organizations, all consistent with the President’s Executive Orders.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The efforts have been widely rejected by Democratic lawmakers, who have been gathering outside government agency headquarters in protest of the DOGE agenda.

Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller and Eric Revell contributed to this report.

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 10, 2025
Dems flirt with government shutdown threat despite past warnings of consequences

Democratic lawmakers are fueling concerns of a partial government shutdown, warning they may withhold support for any plan in protest of President Donald Trump’s shakeup of the federal government.

Left-wing leaders who have warned of the catastrophic consequences of government shutdowns in the past are now publicly signaling it could be a possibility – and they are already positioning to blame Republicans.

“What leverage do we have? Republicans have repeatedly lectured America, they control the House, the Senate and the presidency. It’s their government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters when asked about what concessions he would seek in exchange for Democratic help to avert a partial shutdown. “We are in the governing season, and so we’re ready to work together on any issue. But I’m also confused about the leverage that we allegedly have in the face of such an overwhelming mandate that was given to Republicans by the American people, according to them.”

BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘PURGE’ OF ‘MINORITY’ FEDERAL WORKERS

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is among the Democrats flirting with a government shutdown standoff amid GOP infighting. (Getty/Fox News Illustration )

Meanwhile, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., suggested a partial shutdown could even aid in stopping the work of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which Democrats have repeatedly raised alarms over. “This is on them. This is about whether or not they can get the votes. They are the majority. And if they cannot govern, then that’s for the American people to see,” Kim told NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” referring to Republicans.

“I’ve worked through multiple government shutdowns. I will be the last person to want to get to that stage. But we are at a point where we are basically on the cusp of a constitutional crisis, seeing this administration taking steps that are so clearly illegal. And until we see a change in that behavior, we should not allow and condone that, nor should we assist in that.”

KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., signaled one point of opposition was Trump and his allies’ support of allowing Trump to direct less federal spending than what was authorized by Congress, which Democrats argue runs afoul of the Constitution’s separation of powers.

“We will meet with folks, and we will try to find common ground where it is possible. But what we will not do is engage in an effort that gives Donald Trump money to direct our federal government that he has no plan to utilize or implement,” Aguilar said at a press conference last week. “If we’re going to pass law, we need to know that the law is followed. And it doesn’t appear that House Republicans are in a position to push back against Donald Trump to protect vital funding that supports our communities.”

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told CNN that Democrats should seek a “very high” price in exchange for their votes.

Democrats could use the government funding standoff to protest President Donald Trump’s policies. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

In past fiscal standoffs, Democrats had used the specter of a government shutdown to force Republicans back to the negotiating table.

Jeffries said during the previous round of government funding talks in late December, “If the government shuts down, holiday travel will be impacted…Border security and border patrol agents will not be paid. TSA agents will not be paid. Small businesses will be hurt in every single community in this country.”

“This reckless Republican-driven shutdown can be avoided if House Republicans will simply do what is right for the American people and stick with the bipartisan agreement that they themselves negotiated,” Jeffries said at the time.

Government funding has long been a thorny issue within the House Republican conference.

GOP leaders have relied on Democratic support to pass every federal funding bill that has been signed into law since taking the House majority in January 2023.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar previously said a shutdown would be a “disaster.” (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Despite now having the Senate majority as well, Republican leaders’ razor-thin margins mean House GOP lawmakers would need to vote nearly in lock-step to pass any one bill without Democrats.

The House has about 15 days left in session before the government funding deadline on March 14.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Democratic lawmakers have also previously painted shutdowns as “catastrophic” for the economy and federal workforce.

Aguilar said during a January 2024 press conference, “House Democrats are in lock step that we need to avoid a government shutdown, which would be a disaster for our economy and a disaster for hardworking American families.”

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]

February 10, 2025
Maxine Waters, House Dems ripped for ‘unhinged’ clash with security guard at Education Dept

Conservatives on social media blasted Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., after she and other Democrats protesting President Donald Trump attempted to enter the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., while accosting a security guard in the process.

Thirty House Democrats attempted to enter the Department of Education building on Friday morning to meet with acting Education Secretary Denise L. Carter regarding Trump’s plans to significantly downsize or even eliminate the department, but they were stopped by security.

Video of the Democrats attempting to convince the visibly uninterested security guard to let them in quickly spread on social media, sparking strong pushback from conservatives.

Waters and other Democrats could be seen on video berating the security guard, repeatedly asking for his ID, and telling him to look at the camera, so viewers could see his face.

‘STUNNING AND BRAVE’: DEM SENATOR MOCKED AFTER HYPING ALL-NIGHTER STUNT IN PROTEST OF TRUMP NOMINEE

“This is hilarious,” author Justin Hart posted on X. “The Democrats have octagenarians going around town trying to intimidate federal workers for some reason or another.”

“Absolutely pathetic theater from House Democrats at the Department of Education, down to claiming the security officer is a modern day police officer in the Deep South blocking school integration,” Newsbusters managing editor Curtis Houck posted on X.

“The quote at the end is my favorite,” Daily Signal investigative columnist Tony Kinnett posted on X. “Three years ago, Democrats wanted to hear NOTHING from parents concerned about their kids’ schools. They sent the FBI after parents. Now they’re claiming to represent them. Hilarious.”

“I can’t stop watching this,” Congressional Leadership Fund Communications Director Torunn Sinclair posted on X. “It’s so funny. Democrats are floundering.”

“Unhinged Maxine Waters is annoying AF,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted on X. “This deranged behavior is like a scene ripped straight out of Flowers in the Attic.”

EXPERTS REVEAL HOW TRUMP CAN KEEP CAMPAIGN PLEDGE TO ELIMINATE DEPT OF EDUCATION: ‘SCALING DOWN ITS SIZE’

House Democrats were blocked from entering the Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., on Friday. (Fox News)

“Trump has completely broken the Democrat party,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted on X. “They are in total shambles.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Waters’ office for comment.

An aide made it inside the building and explained to security that lawmakers were there. Members then tried to go inside the building, and at that point, the doors were locked, Fox News was told.

The Nation’s Report Card, which assesses how American students are performing in various subjects, showed seven out of 10 fourth graders are not proficient readers, which is a worse score than the last report card in 2022. The report card noted that reading scores showed “no significant change” since 1992.

Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who served in Trump’s first administration, slammed the department and called for a revamp in an opinion piece.

“A complete reset begins with ending the failed experiment resident in the Department of Education. The bureaucrats have focused on mandating DEI, when students needed the focus to be on ABC and 123,” DeVos wrote. “President Trump and Congress should take their corrosive power away and instead block grant all necessary education funding directly to the states.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

President Donald Trump speaks about the economy during an event at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 25. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

On the campaign trail, Trump suggested several times that eliminating the department entirely was on the table.

“One thing I’ll be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education work it needs back to the states,” Trump said in a 2023 campaign video.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].

February 7, 2025
House lawmaker makes fun of Dems, asks for therapy dogs

A House lawmaker Thursday jokingly suggested making therapy dogs a permanent fixture in committee hearings after voicing his concern about the “mental stability” of Democrats a day earlier.

On Wednesday, as Republicans on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform discussed wasteful government spending, Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., asked about bringing in therapy dogs for his Democratic colleagues amid back-and-forth sparring between both sides.

Crane asked committee Chair James Comer, R-Tenn., about bringing in the animals.

GOP LAWMAKER SCRAPS WITH DEMOCRAT IN HEARING OVER TRANSGENDER ‘SLUR,’ BATHROOM RIGHTS: ‘NOT GOING TO HAVE IT’

Rep. Eli Crane at a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Thursday, where he mentioned three beagles in the chamber. (House Committee on Oversight and Reform)

“I’m worried about their mental stability,” said Crane.

On Thursday, the committee met to discuss taxpayer money funding “gender-affirming care” for animals. The hearing, “Transgender Lab Rats and Poisoned Puppies: Oversight of Taxpayer Funded Animal Cruelty,” featured a witness from the White Coat Waste Project.

In attendance were three beagles that were allegedly part of experiments conducted on the watch of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

WEST POINT DISBANDS GENDER-BASED, RACE CLUBS IN TRUMP’S DEI SWEEP

A beagle sitting on the floor during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing Thursday. (House Committee on Oversight and Reform)

“It was just yesterday in an Oversight hearing that I asked Chairman Comer if we could get some therapy dogs up here because of some of the meltdowns that were going on,” Crane said. “I had no idea I’d walk into this hearing today and see three beautiful beagle puppies.

“And I have noticed that my mood has already improved. So, thank you guys for bringing them,” he added. “I think we should make it mandatory.”

At Thursday’s hearing, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., laid out how public funds were being used for animal experiments.

“Last year, the White Coat Waste Project exposed more than $10 million in taxpayer funds that were spent creating transgender mice, rats and monkeys,” Mace said. “These DEI grants funded painful and deadly transgender experiments that forced lab animals to undergo invasive surgeries and hormone therapies at universities across the country.”

A pair of beagles at a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Thursday. (House Committee on Oversight and Reform)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Before yielding to ranking member Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, Mace said wasteful government spending on animal cruelty is a “nonpartisan issue.”

“The U.S. government spends in excess of $20 billion a year conducting experiments on animals,” Mace said. “We spent over $1 million to find out if female rats receiving testosterone therapy were more likely to overdose on a date rape drug. That’s what your taxpayer dollars were being spent on.”

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.

February 7, 2025
Russell Vought confirmed to head government’s leading budget office after Dems hold 30-hour protest

Despite Democratic tactics to delay the confirmation vote, the Senate confirmed Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Republicans backed Vought’s nomination, arguing he proved a qualified candidate for the role since he previously held the position during President Donald Trump’s first term. Democrats, however, raised multiple concerns about his nomination and said his views on the Impoundment Control Act, which reinforces that Congress holds the power of the purse, disqualified him from the role.

Democrats held a 30-hour-long protest against Vought’s nomination, delivering speeches in the middle of the night on Wednesday in an attempt to delay the confirmation vote.

The Senate, in a chaotic final floor vote on Thursday evening, voted to confirm Vought to lead the OMB.

SENATE DEMOCRATS SPEAK ALL NIGHT AGAINST TRUMP OMB NOMINEE, DELAYING CONFIRMATION VOTE

Russell Vought repeatedly told lawmakers during two confirmation hearings that he believes the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg)

Democratic Senators repeatedly injected themselves during the confirmation vote, protesting the nomination until the last second.

“No debate is permitted during a vote,” Republican Sen. Ashley Moody told the lawmakers.

The Office of Management and Budget is responsible for developing and executing the president’s budget, as well as overseeing and coordinating legislative proposals and priorities aligned with the executive branch.

Vought appeared before the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for confirmation hearings, where he defended statements asserting that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional.

TRUMP HEALTH SECRETARY NOMINEE RFK JR CLEARS SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE CONFIRMATION VOTE

The law, adopted in 1974, stipulates that Congress may oversee the executive branch’s withholdings of budget authority. But Vought encountered criticism from Democrats for freezing $214 million in military aid for Ukraine in 2019 — a decision that ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment.

Russell Vought also faced scrutiny for his views on social issues from Democrats, particularly given his ties to Project 2025 that the Heritage Foundation released in 2023.

“You’re quite comfortable assuming that the law doesn’t matter and that you’ll just treat the money for a program as a ceiling … rather than a required amount,” Senate Budget Committee ranking member Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said Wednesday. “Well, the courts have found otherwise.”

In the 1975 Supreme Court ruling Train v. New York, the court determined the Environmental Protection Agency must use full funding included in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, even though then-President Richard Nixon issued orders to not use all the funding.

Even so, Vought told lawmakers that Trump campaigned on the position that the Impoundment Control Act is unconstitutional — and that he agrees with that.

Vought’s statements on the issue left Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., “astonished and aghast” during one confirmation hearing.

“I think our colleagues should be equally aghast, because this issue goes beyond Republican or Democrat,” Blumenthal said on Jan. 15. “It’s bigger than one administration or another. It’s whether the law of the land should prevail, or maybe it’s up for grabs, depending on what the president thinks.”

Vought also faced questioning from Democrats on his views regarding abortion as an author of Project 2025, a political initiative conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation released in 2023 that called for policy changes that would implement a national ban on medication abortion.

Russell Vought told lawmakers that he would uphold the law and carry out President Donald Trump’s policies. (Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Other proposals included in Project 2025 include eliminating the Department of Education, cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and reducing funding for Medicare and Medicaid.

“You have said that you don’t believe in exceptions for rape, for incest, or the life of the mother,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said during a confirmation hearing on Wednesday. “Is that your position?”

“Senator, my views are not important,” Vought said. “I’m here on behalf of the president.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump repeatedly has stated that he backs abortion in certain instances, and stated that “powerful exceptions” for abortion would remain in place under his administration.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.

February 7, 2025
Minnesota GOP takes control of House after Dems’ weekslong boycott, pledges to ‘check’ Walz’s ‘extreme’ agenda

Republicans in Minnesota’s progressive-dominated government have notched a temporary majority in the House through a power-sharing agreement reached Thursday after Democrats refused to show up to work for several weeks.

“So, 23 days as of yesterday, none of the Democrats have come into work,” Republican leader and now House Speaker Lisa Demuth told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday. “They completely boycotted the session and prevented the work from getting started here in Minnesota.”

The arrangement comes after a weeks-long saga beginning in December 2024 when a district court judge ruled that Democratic House Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson did not meet the residency requirements to represent Minnesota House District 40B, rendering him ineligible to take office.

The decision temporarily tipped the balance of power in the Minnesota House, giving Republicans a 67-66 majority until a special election could be held.

‘SCARED’ AND ‘TRAUMATIZED’: WALZ’S SUPPORT FOR TRANS WOMEN IN MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRISON ‘ENDANGERING’ INMATES

Minnesota state Republicans will have the “advantage” after a power-sharing agreement was reached Thursday. (Getty Images/Minnesota)

Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday a special election will be held on Tuesday, March 11, which could bring back a 67-67 tie.

As such, House Democrats boycotted the legislative session beginning Jan. 14, protesting what they perceived as an “abuse of power” by Republicans attempting to leverage their temporary majority to advance their policies. This stalemate effectively denied the House the quorum needed to conduct official business, leading to the state GOP threatening Democratic lawmakers with recall efforts.

Demuth said the organizational agreement reached with Democrats taking effect when the Minnesota House convenes Thursday afternoon ensures she will serve as the Republican speaker for a full two-year term, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming special election.

Currently, with a 67-66 Republican majority, the GOP holds committee chair positions and a one-vote advantage on all committees. If the election results in a 67-67 tie, committee leadership will be shared between Republicans and Democrats, alternating control over schedules and agendas. The Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee will remain under Republican control, with a 5-3 GOP majority, for the full two-year period, she said.

“We definitely have an advantage,” Demuth said. “And I think it’s important to recognize that the reason that there is a special election that needed to be called is because the Democrats had a candidate that lied and cheated and couldn’t take office.”

WALZ EDUCATION APPOINTEE WHO CALLED FOR THE US GOVERNMENT TO BE ‘OVERTHROWN’ UNDER GOP FIRE: ‘INSURRECTION’

Gov. Tim Walz “has not contacted” Republican state legislative leaders during the long stalemate and been “very partisan” in his dealings overall, Minnesota Republicans claim. ( Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Demuth said Republicans – who have been gaveled in by the state secretary every day despite the stalemate – are looking forward to addressing the state’s budget and other key issues once lawmakers convene Thursday.

“We need to stop the fraud in the state of Minnesota,” Demuth said. “And according to test scores, our test results for our K-12 education, specifically in fourth and eighth grade, continue to plummet under the leadership of Gov. Walz, and so [the Democrats] have prevented all of that work to even begin.”

Demuth criticized the governor for his lack of engagement during the legislative standoff, noting that “he has not contacted me at all as caucus leader during this time.” She said he issued a press statement suggesting that “Republicans need to start working with Democrats,” but argued that his statement was “very partisan” and ultimately “a disservice to Minnesotans.”

MN GOP VOWS RECALL EFFORTS AS DEM LAWMAKERS THREATEN TO SKIP WORK FOR TWO WEEKS

Minnesota House Republicans say they are committed to being a check on the power and policy priorities of liberal Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Minnesotans need us to do the work. It’s not Republican or Democrat, but when you have a party that stayed out to prevent the work, you have a governor that isn’t even encouraging his own party to show back up, he’s really doing a disservice to the people of Minnesota,” said Demuth, whom the Minnesota Star Tribune noted becomes the state’s first Black House speaker.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

During the first week of the Democrats’ boycott, Walz told lawmakers, “Just work together on a power-sharing agreement,” the AP reported. “That’s the way it’s going to end up. And I think that can work out really well.”

The Republican State Leadership Committee provided a statement to Fox News Digital in which it congratulated Demuth for securing the House leadership role, adding in part, “Voters have made it clear they want Minnesota House Republicans to be a strong check on Tim Walz and his extreme liberal agenda.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party for comment.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

February 6, 2025
Minnesota Republicans notch deal securing temporary majority after Dems refused to show up for work

Republicans in Minnesota’s progressive-dominated government have notched a temporary majority in the House through a power-sharing agreement reached Thursday after Democrats refused to show up to work for several weeks.

“So, 23 days as of yesterday, none of the Democrats have come into work,” Republican leader and now House Speaker Lisa Demuth told Fox News Digital in an interview Thursday. “They completely boycotted the session and prevented the work from getting started here in Minnesota.”

The arrangement comes after a weeks-long saga beginning in December 2024 when a district court judge ruled that Democratic House Rep.-elect Curtis Johnson did not meet the residency requirements to represent Minnesota House District 40B, rendering him ineligible to take office.

The decision temporarily tipped the balance of power in the Minnesota House, giving Republicans a 67-66 majority until a special election could be held.

‘SCARED’ AND ‘TRAUMATIZED’: WALZ’S SUPPORT FOR TRANS WOMEN IN MINNESOTA WOMEN’S PRISON ‘ENDANGERING’ INMATES

Minnesota state Republicans will have the “advantage” after a power-sharing agreement was reached Thursday. (Getty Images/Minnesota)

Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday a special election will be held on Tuesday, March 11, which could bring back a 67-67 tie.

As such, House Democrats boycotted the legislative session beginning Jan. 14, protesting what they perceived as an “abuse of power” by Republicans attempting to leverage their temporary majority to advance their policies. This stalemate effectively denied the House the quorum needed to conduct official business, leading to the state GOP threatening Democratic lawmakers with recall efforts.

Demuth said the organizational agreement reached with Democrats taking effect when the Minnesota House convenes Thursday afternoon ensures she will serve as the Republican speaker for a full two-year term, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming special election.

Currently, with a 67-66 Republican majority, the GOP holds committee chair positions and a one-vote advantage on all committees. If the election results in a 67-67 tie, committee leadership will be shared between Republicans and Democrats, alternating control over schedules and agendas. The Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee will remain under Republican control, with a 5-3 GOP majority, for the full two-year period, she said.

“We definitely have an advantage,” Demuth said. “And I think it’s important to recognize that the reason that there is a special election that needed to be called is because the Democrats had a candidate that lied and cheated and couldn’t take office.”

WALZ EDUCATION APPOINTEE WHO CALLED FOR THE US GOVERNMENT TO BE ‘OVERTHROWN’ UNDER GOP FIRE: ‘INSURRECTION’

Gov. Tim Walz “has not contacted” Republican state legislative leaders during the long stalemate and been “very partisan” in his dealings overall, Minnesota Republicans claim. ( Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Demuth said Republicans – who have been gaveled in by the state secretary every day despite the stalemate – are looking forward to addressing the state’s budget and other key issues once lawmakers convene Thursday.

“We need to stop the fraud in the state of Minnesota,” Demuth said. “And according to test scores, our test results for our K-12 education, specifically in fourth and eighth grade, continue to plummet under the leadership of Gov. Walz, and so [the Democrats] have prevented all of that work to even begin.”

Demuth criticized the governor for his lack of engagement during the legislative standoff, noting that “he has not contacted me at all as caucus leader during this time.” She said he issued a press statement suggesting that “Republicans need to start working with Democrats,” but argued that his statement was “very partisan” and ultimately “a disservice to Minnesotans.”

MN GOP VOWS RECALL EFFORTS AS DEM LAWMAKERS THREATEN TO SKIP WORK FOR TWO WEEKS

Minnesota House Republicans say they are committed to being a check on the power and policy priorities of liberal Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Minnesotans need us to do the work. It’s not Republican or Democrat, but when you have a party that stayed out to prevent the work, you have a governor that isn’t even encouraging his own party to show back up, he’s really doing a disservice to the people of Minnesota,” said Demuth, whom the Minnesota Star Tribune noted becomes the state’s first Black House speaker.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

During the first week of the Democrats’ boycott, Walz told lawmakers, “Just work together on a power-sharing agreement,” the AP reported. “That’s the way it’s going to end up. And I think that can work out really well.”

The Republican State Leadership Committee provided a statement to Fox News Digital in which it congratulated Demuth for securing the House leadership role, adding in part, “Voters have made it clear they want Minnesota House Republicans to be a strong check on Tim Walz and his extreme liberal agenda.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz’s office and the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party for comment.

Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate.

February 6, 2025