Happy New Year 2025

Tag: floor

Democrat lawmaker freezes on House floor after suffering adverse reaction to medication

Rep. John Larson, D-Ct., appeared to freeze mid-remarks on the House floor on Monday. In the middle of impassioned remarks aimed against President Donald Trump and his team, including Elon Musk, Larson took a long pause and when he resumed speaking his speed was noticeably slower. The lawmaker was also slurring his words.

Following the incident, Larson’s D.C. office put out a statement expressing the congressman’s gratitude to those who reached out and clarifying a possible reason for the lawmaker’s long pause.

“Congressman Larson appreciates the well wishes from everyone who has reached out. This afternoon, he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution,” Larson’s office wrote in a statement.

“He later participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged. The Congressman remains in touch with his staff and in good spirits.”

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., arrives for the House Ways and Means Committee “Hearing with the IRS Whistleblowers: Hunter Biden Investigation Obstruction in Their Own Words” in the Longworth House Office Building on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED DURING TRUMP’S 3RD WEEK IN OFFICE

The 76-year-old lawmaker’s office, however, did not provide details on what the medication was or why the congressman was purportedly taking it. Larson also reportedly skipped two House votes held on Monday night, according to Axios.

American voters have grown increasingly concerned over lawmakers’ ages. The issue of age in politics is not new, as former President Ronald Regan combated questions about his age when running for re-election in 1984. Reagan famously joked about the issue in a debate against former Vice President Walter Mondale.

“I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” Reagan joked during the debate, eliciting laughs from the audience and Mondale.

Republican candidate Ronald Reagan, left, and Democrat Walter Mondale debate before the 1984 presidential election. (Corbis via Getty Images)

MEET THE YOUNG TEAM OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS SLASHING GOVERNMENT WASTE AT DOGE: REPORT

However, the 2024 election brought age back into the spotlight as many questioned then-President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities. When the president dropped out of the race in July 2024, some Democrats tried to flip the age question onto Trump, but this mostly fell flat.

Additionally, just days before Larson’s incident, Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who will turn 83 later this month, left the Capitol in a wheelchair as a precautionary issue after falling twice.

“Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work,” a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., concludes a news conference in the U.S. Capitol after the senate luncheons on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

FORMER GOP LEADER MCCONNELL FALLS WHILE EXITING SENATE CHAMBER AFTER TURNER CONFIRMATION VOTE

The average age of America’s lawmakers is changing, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. In January, Pew reported that the average age of voting members in the House and the median age in the Senate had dropped. The House’s median age went from 57.9 years in the 118th Congress to 57.5 years in the 119th, while the median age in the Senate went from 65.3 to 64.7 years.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Pew shows that the majority of the House in the 119th Congress is made up of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, with the younger generation slowly outpacing the older one. Baby Boomers are no longer the largest generation in the House, now accounting for just 39% of the legislative body. Their numbers have also dropped in the Senate, despite Baby Boomers still making up a majority of the chamber.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is the only Gen Z lawmaker in Congress. Members of Frost’s generation are not yet eligible to run for Senate, where the minimum age to serve is 30 years old.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 11, 2025
‘Put down the bong’: Senator lashes out at UK prime minister on Senate floor

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., launched a unique attack against U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer over a plan to relinquish a military base in the Indian Ocean, cautioning the British leader to “put down the bong.”

“Because the United Nations wants the United Kingdom to feel guilty, they want to give our military base and their military base to Mauritius,” Kennedy said on the floor of the Senate. “Now, the prime minister of the United Kingdom can stop this, and Marco Rubio, our new Secretary of State, is against it. And I haven’t talked to him directly, but I think President Trump is against it.”

At issue is the fate of the Chagos Islands, a British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean that currently hosts a U.S.-U.K. joint naval base at Diego Garcia.

UN DEMANDS BRITAIN END RULE OF CHAGOS ISLANDS IN 6 MONTHS

Split image of Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Getty Images)

But a ruling by the International Court of Justice in 2019 that was backed by the United Nations found that the U.K. had no claim to the islands, spurring an October announcement that the U.K. had cut a deal to hand over sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius

While the deal calls for the base to remain under American and British control for another 99-years, the plan to hand over the territory has received push back in both the U.K and the United States.

Kennedy let it be known that he was one of those critics, calling the plan to give up control of the islands “bone deep down to the marrow stupid.”

PRESTON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 6: Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives an interview during a visit to Springfields (Preston Lab), National Nuclear Laboratory facility on February 6, 2025 in Preston, England. (Photo by Oli Scarff – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

UN COURT TO RULE ON BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY OVER CHAGOS ISLANDS

“The United Kingdom is our friend. I went to school there for a while. I love them and I want to see the prime minister do well, but he needs to put down the bong. He needs to put down the bong,” Kennedy said. “This makes absolutely no sense, and it’s going to be a big part of his legacy if he gives away this island and our military base to, in effect, what will eventually be China.”

The Louisiana senator then suddenly changed gears, arguing that he did not “mean any disrespect,” while still urging Starmer to reconsider.

Members of the Chagossian community gather with banners and placards outside parliament to protest against the government’s decision to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius, on October 7, 2024. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I shouldn’t have said the bong part, I take it back,” Kennedy said. “Please Mr. prime minister, don’t do this. Don’t do this. We’ll stand with you in telling the United Nations, who’s so upset with you, to go fill out a hurt feelings report because we’re not doing it. We’ll stand with you.”

The prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Prior to joining Fox News, Michael worked for the Washington Examiner, Bongino.com, and Unbiased America. He has covered politics for more than eight years.

February 9, 2025
House Republican introduces transgender lawmaker as ‘the gentleman … Mr. McBride’ for floor speech

Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., referred to Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del. — who identifies as a transgender woman — as “Mr. McBride.”

“The chair recognizes the gentleman from Delaware, Mr. McBride, for five minutes,” Miller said in the House chamber on Thursday.

“Thank you, Madam Speaker,” McBride replied, before proceeding to deliver a speech.

While McBride did not respond to Miller’s comment, when Miller next recognized Rep. Nanette Barragán, D- Calif., to deliver a speech, Barragán began by saying, “Thank you, Mr. Speaker.”

TRANSGENDER CONGRESS MEMBER ‘MYSTIFIED’ THAT GOP ‘PRIORITIZES’ TRANS ATHLETE BANS IN GIRLS SPORTS

Left: U.S. Rep. Mary Miller hosts the Illinois Republican Party Delegation Breakfast in Oak Creek, Wisc., on July 16, 2024; Right: Rep. Sarah McBride at the Human Rights Campaign Greater New York Dinner held at New York Marriott Marquis on Feb. 1, 2025 in New York, N.Y. (Left: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Right: Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to McBride’s office to request a comment from the lawmaker on Friday — a spokesperson pointed to McBride’s full floor speech, which is featured in a post on the @Rep_McBride X account.

“This morning, I delivered my first speech on the floor of the house,” the Feb. 6 tweet begins.

During the speech, the Democrat declared, “Piece by piece, department by department, the Trump administration is defunding critical federal services, purging employees, consolidating power, and cutting and gutting programs that Delawareans rely on. They are trying to decimate the federal government and sell it for parts to line the pockets of donors at the expense of working people.”

SPEAKER JOHNSON MAKES CLARIFICATION AFTER STATEMENT REGARDING TRANSGENDER HOUSE MEMBER

“They do not want to make government more efficient. They want to prove that government can’t work, by making it not work,” McBride asserted.

Miller, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, declared in a post on X that she had “refused to deny biological reality” on the chamber floor.

FIRST OPENLY TRANS REP-ELECT CLAIMS GOP SPOTLIGHTING TRANSGENDER ISSUES AN ‘ATTEMPT TO DISTRACT’ VOTERS

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“President Trump restored biological truth in the federal government, and I refuse to perpetuate the lie that gender is open to our interpretation. It is not,” the Republican added.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 7, 2025
Trump’s Small Business Administration nominee advances to Senate floor

The Senate’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee voted Wednesday by a 12–7 margin to advance the nomination of President Donald Trump’s pick for the Small Business Administration (SBA) administrator to the Senate floor.

Kelly Loeffler, a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years, appeared before the committee on Jan. 28 and pledged to donate her annual $207,500 salary to charity.

Loeffler and her husband, Jeff, created a Fortune 500 financial services and technology company together.

“Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News Jan. 28. “Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.”

TRUMP CABINET NOMINEE LOEFFLER PLEDGED TO DONATE SALARY IF CONFIRMED

Kelly Loeffler is a prominent business executive and philanthropist who served as a senator from Georgia for two years. (Dustin Chambers/Reuters)

Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits.

Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief.

Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants.

On Jan. 27, the Office of Management and Budget released a memo ordering a pause on all federal grants and loans aiming to eradicate “wokeness” and the “weaponization of government” to improve government efficiency.

LEAVITT PUSHES BACK ON MEDIA’S ‘UNCERTAINTY’ ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

Small Business Administration nominee Kelly Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. (Rod Lamkey, Jr./The Associated Press)

The White House pulled the memo on Jan. 29, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the move didn’t equate a “recission of the federal funding freeze.”

Markey asked Loeffler whether she believed the move was lawful or not, amid concerns from members of Congress that the Trump administration attempted to circumvent Congress and withhold funds.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I fully agree with President Trump’s decision to stop wasteful spending,” Loeffler told Markey. “It resulted in a landslide victory that many Americans were waiting for relief against excessive government spending.”

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

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

February 5, 2025
Trump’s commerce pick with crypto ties advances to Senate floor

‘Kudlow’ panelists Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., unpack the president-elect’s economic team picks and ideas.

The Senate Commerce Committee moved to advance the nomination of billionaire banker Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department to the Senate floor on Wednesday.

The nomination advanced out of committee on a party line vote other than Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who gave Lutnick a “yes” vote along with Republicans.

Lutnick, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump and CEO of investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, will be charged with ushering in new crypto and tariff policy for the Commerce Department, if confirmed.

He’ll also take the lead on a new executive order from Trump establishing a sovereign wealth fund for the U.S. government.

The no-nonsense CEO is best known for leading Cantor through the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he lost his brother and more than 600 coworkers in the attacks on the North Tower. Lutnick has been praised for his charitable work through Cantor Fitzgerald’s Relief Fund, which helps support families impacted by acts of terrorism, natural disasters and other emergencies.

HOWARD LUTNICK, TRUMP COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK, SAYS IT’S ‘NONSENSE’ THAT TARIFFS CAUSE INFLATION

The Senate Commerce Committee moved to advance the nomination of billionaire banker Howard Lutnick to lead the Commerce Department to the Senate floor on Wednesday. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Lutnick, who is supportive of strong tariffs, promised in his confirmation hearing to “use any and all authorities at its disposal to implement the president’s trade agenda.”

He claimed it’s “nonsense” to suggest tariffs cause inflation.

“The two top countries with tariffs, India and China, do have the most tariffs and no inflation,” Lutnick noted.

“A particular product’s price may go up,” he conceded, while arguing that levies would not cause broad inflation. “It is just nonsense to say that tariffs cause inflation. It’s nonsense.”

Lutnick also said he prefers “across-the-board” tariffs on a “country-by-country” basis, rather than ones aimed at particular sectors or products.

“I think when you pick one product in Mexico, they’ll pick one product. You know, we pick avocados, they pick white corn, we pick tomatoes, they pick yellow corn. All you’re doing is picking on farmers.”

“Let America make it more fair. We are treated horribly by the global trading environment. They all have higher tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and subsidies. They treat us poorly. We need to be treated better,” Lutnick said. “We can use tariffs to create reciprocity.”

Lutnick will be charged with ushering in new crypto and tariff policy for the Commerce Department, if confirmed.

Lutnick said it’s ‘nonsense’ to suggest tariffs cause inflation.

TRUMP’S BILLIONAIRE COMMERCE SECRETARY PICK VOWS TO SELL ALL HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS IF CONFIRMED

He said Trump was of a “like mind” that tariffs need to be simple. “The steel and aluminum had 560,000 applications for exclusions. It just seems that’s too many.”

Lutnick’s ties to the dollar-pegged cryptocurrency Tether also came under scrutiny during his hearing. Lutnick’s firm Cantor has around 5% ownership of Tether, valued at $600 million, the Wall Street Journal recently reported. Lutnick told lawmakers that his company had no equity in Tether, but had a convertible bond.

GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE

“I believe U.S. dollar stablecoins should be audited, should be completely backed by U.S. treasuries 100%,” Lutnick said during his hearing.

He has promised to sell all of his business interests if confirmed for the role.

February 5, 2025
Las Vegas gamblers shocked by President Trump visit to casino floor

President Donald Trump shocked gamblers in Las Vegas when he unexpectedly dropped by a casino floor on Saturday.

Prior to the surprise visit, Trump had addressed thousands of supporters at the Circa Resort and Casino in Sin City on Saturday afternoon. Photos and video show Trump strolling around the casino floor after the speech, while surrounded by security.

The crowd began chanting “USA! USA!” as Trump walked past the slot machines. The president was also seen briefly interacting with enthused gamblers.

TRUMP VOWS TO DELIVER ON ‘NO TAX ON TIPS’ CAMPAIGN PROMISE DURING LAS VEGAS SPEECH: ‘100% YOURS’

Las Vegas gamblers were shocked by President Trump’s visit to the casino floor on Saturday. (Pool)

The president also naturally walked up to a craps table where a game was in progress, telling a player to “throw the dice.”

When journalists shouted questions at Trump, a craps player scolded the press pool and told them, “I’m rolling here.” Trump told a gambler that he was “doing a good job” before leaving.

TRUMP NOMINATES HEAD OF HIS PERSONAL SECURITY DETAIL, SEAN CURRAN, TO LEAD SECRET SERVICE: ‘A GREAT PATRIOT’

The crowd chanted “USA! USA” to Trump during his visit on the casino floor. (Pool)

Trump also said thank you to staff workers holding water trays, shortly after his speech focused on reducing federal taxes for hospitality workers with his “no tax on tips” campaign promise.

“Any worker who relies on tips [as] income, your tips will be 100% yours,” Trump said to a cheering audience during the speech.

President Donald Trump delivers remarks on his policy to end taxes on tips in Las Vegas on Saturday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Nationwide, over four million workers depend on tip income, including an estimated 700,000 single moms…here in Nevada…think of it, a quarter of the typical restaurant workers’ pay comes from tips. I didn’t know that,” he added.

Fox News’ Sarah Tobianski and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

Andrea Margolis is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Readers can send story tips to [email protected].

January 25, 2025