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Tag: lawmaker

Trump funding freeze judge hit with impeachment threat by House lawmaker

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., is threatening to file articles of impeachment against a federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze.

“I’m drafting articles of impeachment for U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr.,” Clyde wrote on X.

“He’s a partisan activist weaponizing our judicial system to stop President Trump’s funding freeze on woke and wasteful government spending. We must end this abusive overreach. Stay tuned.”

SCOOP: KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS DRAWS RED LINE ON HOUSE BUDGET PLAN

U.S. District Judge John McConnell, inset, is under fire by President Donald Trump’s allies after he blocked a federal funding freeze, (Getty)

U.S. District Judge John McConnell filed a new motion Monday ordering the Trump administration to comply with a restraining order issued Jan. 31, temporarily blocking the administration’s efforts to pause federal grants and loans.

McConnell’s original restraining order came after 22 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration’s actions to hold up funds for grants, such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant and other Environmental Protection Agency programs. However, the states said Friday that the administration is not following through and funds are still tied up.

A three-judge panel on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s appeal of the order on Tuesday.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, pictured here, pledged to work up articles of impeachment against U.S. District Judge John McConnell. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

McConnell has come under fire by Trump supporters and conservatives who have accused him of being a liberal activist.

Clyde and others have cited a video of McConnell in 2021 saying courts must “stand and enforce the rule of law, that is, against arbitrary and capricious actions by what could be a tyrant or could be whatnot.”

“You have to take a moment and realize that this, you know, middle-class, white, male, privileged person needs to understand the human being that comes before us that may be a woman, may be Black, may be transgender, may be poor, may be rich, may be — whatever,” McConnell said in the video, according to WPRI.

Elon Musk wrote on X in response, “Impeach this activist posing as a judge! Such a person does great discredit to the American justice system.”

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

Clyde confirmed he was preparing articles of impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“For a federal judge to deny the executive their legitimate right to exercise their authority is wrong,” Clyde told Fox News Digital. “This type of judge, this political activist – this radical political activist – should be removed from the bench.”

Elon Musk has called for that judge and others to be impeached. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

When reached for a response to Clyde’s threat, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island said McConnell “often sits down with members of the media upon request” but did not comment on pending cases.

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Trump’s allies have been hammering the judges who have issued a series of decisions curbing the president’s executive orders.

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., threatened to prepare impeachment articles against another judge earlier this week, U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the U.S. Southern District of New York, for blocking Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury records.

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 13, 2025
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.

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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
Canadian lawmaker wants to target Elon Musk in retaliation to Trump’s tariffs

Potential Canadian prime minister, Jagmeet Singh, warned President Donald Trump and Tesla-founder Elon Musk that Canada will respond to American tariffs with tariffs of its own.

Canadian lawmaker Jagmeet Singh proposed that Canada should “fight back” towards President Donald Trump and Tesla founder Elon Musk with new tariffs targeted at the Tesla founder.

Trump told reporters on Monday that he would soon announce 25% tariffs on all aluminum and steel imports into the U.S. and also plans to announce “reciprocal tariffs” – or tariffs directed at countries that impose duties on U.S. exports.

“Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them,” Trump said to reporters. “If they are charging us 130%, and we’re charging them nothing, it’s not going to stay that way.”

“Every country will be reciprocal,” he added.

Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh warned President Donald Trump and Tesla-founder Elon Musk that Canada will respond to tariffs with tariffs of their own. (CNN)

MEXICO AGREES TO DEPLOY 10,000 TROOPS TO US BORDER IN EXCHANGE FOR TARIFF PAUSE

Trump’s announcement ruffled feathers in Canada, causing the New Democratic Party leader to single out Musk.

“Elon Musk has been very loud. Very vocal attacking our country. We’re not going to let that stand. So if you are going to take a shot at us, we’re going to fight back,” Singh told reporters. “So Elon Musk thinks he can tweet off whatever he wants. Yeah, we’re going to put a tariff on him. I want that to be something that impacts him.”

CNN host Boris Sanchez spoke to Singh on Monday, asking about how Canadians feel about Trump’s talk of bringing Canada in as the 51st state. Singh noted that Canadians are known for being polite, but warned, “don‘t take our kindness for weakness” and said “hell no” to the proposal.

When asked about how he might approach Trump differently than current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Singh argued that he would “fight back” against economic “bully” tactics.

“I believe in being good neighbors and having good relationships, but I believe very firmly Donald Trump only understands force. He‘s acted as a bully in many circumstances, and now he‘s acting as an economic bully. The only language that bullies understand is the language of strength. So we have to show that we‘re ready to fight back,” Singh replied. “We might be smaller. We might be up against a larger opponent, but it‘s going to hurt both of us. It‘s a bad thing to do. It‘s going to hurt Americans. It‘s going to hurt Canadians. We need to show that it‘s the wrong thing to do, and also show that we‘re ready to fight back and defend what we have.”

U.S. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attend the NATO summit at the Grove Hotel on December 4, 2019, in Watford, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

PALANTIR CEO TOUTS ELON MUSK’S DOGE, ABILITY TO HOLD ‘SACRED COW OF THE DEEP STATE’ ACCOUNTABLE

He added how he would do “dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs” and that Trump had started this fight. Included in his plan to hit back, would be to target Musk specifically, because of his comments about Canada becoming the 51st state.

O’Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O’Leary shares whether he’s concerned about President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, the fate of the U.S. penny and the handling of the TikTok sale.

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“We just announced today what I would do is put in place a 100% tariff on Tesla, directly targeting Elon Musk. Elon Musk is proudly touting this idea of the 51st state, so let‘s hit back at Elon Musk,” Singh argued. “I‘ve also said we should shut down the supply of critical minerals. Another move that directly targets Elon Musk and his Tesla company, the batteries that he needs require these critical minerals. We‘ve got tools, and we should be ready to use them.”

He added, “It’s not something that we wanted to do, but if Donald Trump wants to bring this fight, know that we are ready. I’m putting Donald Trump on notice.”

February 10, 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

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“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
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)

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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
Top Arizona lawmaker spotlights ‘adorable moment’ as Trump signed women’s sports executive order

EXCLUSIVE: Arizona’s Senate president, Republican Sen. Warren Petersen, spoke to Fox News Digital after attending President Donald Trump’s signing of the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order, which Petersen called an “incredible” moment for female athletes nationwide.

“I think the impact is huge,” Petersen told Fox News Digital shortly after witnessing Trump sign the highly anticipated executive order to keep biological males out of women’s sports, fulfilling one of his most prominent campaign promises.

“We now have a multi-pronged approach to making sure that only girls play in girls sports and boys cannot play in girls sports,” Petersen said. “We’ve passed laws to do this. We’ve been litigating in the courts, and now we have the executive branch issuing an executive order saying that the way they’re interpreting Title IX is just boys and girls. Boys are boys and girls are girls. And if you violate this title, if you allow boys to play in girls sports, then you’re going to lose federal funding, and you’re going to be investigated. I think it’s great news.”

Citing recent polling, Petersen pointed out that 70% of Americans “want to see girls’ sports protected.”

RILEY GAINES: THE ALL-OUT WAR ON FEMALE ATHLETES ENDS NOW, THANKS TO PRESIDENT TRUMP

Sen. Warren Petersen, right, spoke to Fox News Digital about his experience at President Donald Trump’s executive order signing on Wednesday. (Getty Images)

“I think this is a perfect example of why you’re seeing Democrats with the 31% approval rating,” Petersen said. “I think this is a perfect example of what you saw in Arizona, that we increased our majorities, and we won virtually all of our competitive races. So I’m excited. I mean, President Trump is making girl sports great again and that’s good for America. That’s good for American girls. And girls can now pursue their dreams. It has been absolutely ridiculous that you’ve had girls work their whole lives, set goals, work hard only for some boy to come along and snatch their dreams away from them. In sports, it’s really been unthinkable that we have allowed this to happen to some of our girls and some of the women.”

Petersen, who posted a photo at the event with former NCAA swimmer and girls sports activist Riley Gaines, spoke to Fox News Digital about the “disconnect” between the average American voter and Democrat politicians on the issue of girls’ sports.

RILEY GAINES TEARS INTO WNBA STAR, WHO GAVE CAITLIN CLARK BLACK EYE, FOR WEARING ANTI-TRUMP SHIRT

President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“They’re totally out of touch with their voters,” Petersen said. “They have this really loud, small faction that’s well-funded and well-organized, but it is by far out of touch with what the vast majority of Americans believe. And quite frankly, it’s out of touch with logic and science. The biggest gaslight that we have had to deal with over the last several years are the Democrats trying to convince the rest of America that boys are girls. I mean, that is total lunacy, totally insane. It flies in the face of just common logic and the voters sent a message loud and clear that they’re not going to have it.”

As Trump was signing the executive order, dozens of young female athletes who were in the audience walked up to the table and surrounded Trump after he invited them over in a moment that Petersen called “incredible.”

“I think it was just a feeling of relief, I can’t believe this battle is over,” Petersen told Fox News Digital. “The boys playing in girls sports, you know, stolen titles from our girls and women. That time is over. And I thought it was really an adorable moment. We’re you’re just extremely grateful for this president.”

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President Donald Trump waves after signing an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sporting events, in the East Room of the White House on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“I think this common sense move that he’s making is just, you know, the reason why his his polling is very high right now. And, you know, people are just so sick of politicians making promises saying they’re going to do things…and nobody can say that Trump is not fulfilling his promises because not only is Trump fulfilling his promises, but he’s doing it at a breakneck speed.”

Petersen, who has filed paperwork to run for attorney general in Arizona, told Fox News Digital that he will continue to fight for the “right side” of this issue in his home state.

“I’m the lead defendant in a case to protect the Save Women’s Sports Act in Arizona,” Petersen explained.

“It’s sitting at the Supreme Court right now. We’re going to see that trial all the way through. We have an attorney general who’s completely out of touch with the rest of the Democrats. She wouldn’t defend the law. She thought it was okay for boys to play in girl sports. So I am defending that law. It’s in the Supreme Court. We are going to see that all the way through.”

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

February 6, 2025
Freshman GOP lawmaker targets ‘propaganda’ from top adversary in first bill of congressional career

FIRST ON FOX: Freshman GOP Congressman Abe Hamadeh has introduced his first piece of legislation as a lawmaker aimed at combatting the Chinese communist government’s influence in the halls of Congress.

Hamadeh, who was sworn in to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in Congress last month, introduced a bill that would prohibit China Daily and other CCP-backed publications from House facilities and spoke to Fox News Digital about his reasoning for the move.

“The first day I came into my office, I looked and I had a bunch of newspapers on my desk from the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and included in it was The China Daily,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. “And, you know, I’m looking at it like, ‘Why do we get the China Daily?’ And after researching it, we discovered that this was a Chinese communist owned newspaper that’s a registered foreign agent.”

“And I just find it unacceptable that it’s being passed around the halls of Congress for free, using our internal mail system, using third parties to pass out the propaganda. So, honestly, it was my first welcome to Congress and that’s kind of why I think I honed in on it to be my first piece of legislation because I don’t think we should have foreign propaganda in the halls of Congress.”

BILL MAHER DECLARES CHINA ‘THE NEW ISLAM,’ SAYS LEFT CAN’T BE HONEST ABOUT THE COUNTRY’S THREAT

Abe Hamadeh introduced his first bill in Congress this week (Getty)

The legislation would call on the Chief Administrative Officer of the House to immediately cease the distribution of CCP state-run media material and restrict the spread of the materials on House email while still allowing members to maintain private access if they wish.

Hamadeh told Fox News Digital that the “reason why the Chinese are doing it is because they know that they can influence members of Congress, they can influence their staff.”

USPS SUSPENDS INBOUND PACKAGES FROM CHINA, HONG KONG POSTS

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 19, 2022. (Ju Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

“You see on Capitol Hill, it’s filled with a lot of young staffers who are energetic, but they may not know that this publication is owned by a foreign adversary of ours,” Hamadeh said. “

So, you know, the communist Chinese, it’s information warfare that they’re conducting on us,psychological operations and there’s a reason why they’re passing it out for free. They’re trying to influence the highest echelons of the United States government and it’s unacceptable.”

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Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh with Kayla Mueller’s parents on Jan. 3, 2025. (Kayla Mueller Family)

China Daily has drawn the ire of conservatives over the last few years including criticism from then GO Sen. Marco Rubio, who is now Trump’s Secretary of State, who last year called on mainstream media CEOs to sever ties with the English-language newspaper owned by the CCP.

Rubio said China Daily’s goal is to “subvert U.S. news media by amplifying the goals and ambitions of the party.” The outlet has published several articles claiming the U.S.’s “anti-China” reporting on the persecution of Xinjiang Uyghurs is an “outright lie.”

“I want to get a vote on the record to see what other members of Congress, how they feel about a foreign publication like the China Daily being passed to their offices,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. “Nobody is saying that they don’t have to read the China Daily if they want to read it on their own privately, if they want to pay for a subscription, that’s fine. But to have it passed around through taxpayer dollars is unacceptable and to have them pass it around using our resources is unacceptable.”

Hamadeh told Fox News Digital he hopes to have bipartisan support for his bill to rid Congress of “foreign propaganda.”

“Remember what Joe Biden was so focused on, he got rid of the New York Post at the White House, one of the oldest newspapers in existence in the United States,” Hamadeh said. “He got rid of The New York Post. And yet here we are allowing the China Daily to freely operate in the halls of Congress. It’s unacceptable.”

“We understand that communist China is a threat. I understand it very well in Arizona. My district has all the Taiwanese companies moving into the district away from the sphere of China’s influence for a reason. So, you know, this is a start. There is obviously legislation out there that people are doing at a state level and even at the federal level. Some of them are trying to ban the ability for the communist Chinese to buy our farmlands and to buy land near our key assets like military bases. This is common sense, and that’s why I’m introducing it, because it should be an easy it should be an easy resolution to pass.”

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

February 6, 2025
GOP lawmaker scraps with Democrat in hearing over transgender ‘slur,’ bathroom rights: ‘Not going to have it’

A House Oversight Committee hearing devolved into a fight over words on Wednesday after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., repeatedly used a “slur” to describe transgender people in a hearing on USAID funding.

“USAID awarded $2 million to strengthen trans-led organizations to deliver gender-affirming health care in Guatemala,” Mace said. “So to each of you this morning, does this advance the interests of American citizens paying for trannies in Guatemala to the tune of $2 million, yes or no?”

When Mace’s five minutes were up, ranking member Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., made a point of parliamentary inquiry to the committee chairman to chide Mace for using the word “trannies,” a term “that is considered a slur in the LGBTQ community, and the transgender community.”

“Let me please finish without interruption,” Connolly said, before Mace cut him off and repeated the term several more times.

“Tranny, tranny, tranny, I don’t really care, you want penises and women’s bathrooms, and I’m not going to have it OK, no, thank you – it’s disgusting,” Mace barked back.

SPEAKER JOHNSON ANNOUNCES NEW CAPITOL BATHROOM POLICY IN RESPONSE TO CONTROVERSY OVER TRANS HOUSE MEMBER

Rep. Nancy Mace and Rep. Gerry Connolly (Getty Images)

Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., interrupted and permitted Connolly to finish his thoughts.

“To me, a slur is a slur, and here on the committee, a level of decorum requires us to try consciously to avoid slurs. You just heard the gentle lady actually actively, robustly repeated it,” Connolly said. “And I would just ask the chairman that she be counseled that we ought not to be engaged. We can have debate and policy discussion without offending human beings who are our fellow citizens. And so I would ask as a parliamentary inquiry whether the use of that phrase is not, in fact, a violation of the decorum rules.”

Mace – who recently introduced a bill to ban biological men from women’s spaces on all federal property – snapped back that she wasn’t going to be “counseled by a man over men in women’s spaces or men who have mental health issues dressing as women.” The South Carolina Republican also made headlines last November with her push to ban biological males from women’s bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, inspired by the election of Sarah McBride, D-Del., as the first openly transgender woman elected to the House.

TWO HOUSE DEMS JOIN GOP TO BAN BIOLOGICAL MALES FORM GIRLS’ SCHOOL SPORTS

Elon Musk speaks with President-elect Donald Trump and guests at a SpaceX Starship launch in Brownsville, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)

With a slight smirk, Comer said, “I’ll be honest with the ranking member – I’m not up-to-date on my politically correct LGBTQ terminology.”

“We’ll look into that and get back with you on that. I don’t know what’s offensive and what’s not. I don’t know much about pronouns,” he said.

The hearing, which was about government efficiency and called “Rightsizing Government,” began Wednesday morning and included as witnesses Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Citizens Against Government Waste president Thomas A. Schatz.

WHITE HOUSE TO IMPOSE TARIFFS ON MEXICO, CANADA AND CHINA DUE TO ‘INVASION OF ILLEGAL FENTANYL’

The flag of the U.S. Agency for International Development flies in front of its office in Washington, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The hearing also fell into some confusion when Connolly demanded the committee subpoena the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tech billionaire Elon Musk.

A review of USAID’s recent history shows that it was repeatedly accused of financial mismanagement and corruption long before Trump’s second administration, Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Musk has led the charge against USAID – an independent U.S. agency established during the Kennedy administration to administer economic aid to foreign nations – as he leads DOGE’s mission of cutting government fat and overspending at the federal level.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

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

February 5, 2025
‘Extreme rules’: Top Arizona lawmaker leans on Trump EPA to fight California’s ‘radical’ climate agenda

FIRST ON FOX: One of the top Republican lawmakers in the key swing state of Arizona has sent a letter to President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requesting that the administration “prevent California from dictating the country’s energy policy.”

“California’s radical rules will harm Arizona families by increasing costs, impacting jobs, and limiting consumer choice,” Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said in a letter to the EPA. “By taking swift action, EPA can reverse the Biden Administration’s erroneous approval of California’s extreme rules.”

In the letter, Petersen praised Trump’s reversal of burdensome regulations thus far, saying that his executive orders, including rolling back the EV mandate, are “important energy steps that will help usher in America’s Golden Age.”

However, Petersen warned in his letter that California environmental waivers and regulations create a ripple effect that harms other places in the country, including Arizona.

‘FULL COURT PRESS’: FRESHMAN GOP LAWMAKER REVEALS BLUEPRINT TO FLIP SCRIPT ON GREEN ENERGY MANDATES

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen. (Getty/Fox News Digital)

“Victims of California’s war on fossil fuels include Arizonans who conduct business or make purchases in California,” Petersen wrote. “California’s radical rules also will indirectly affect Arizonans by increasing the cost, and decreasing the availability, of vehicles and products. Even Governor Katie Hobbs has been forced to recognize that California’s extreme policies can negatively impact Arizonans.”

“California’s radical rules raise serious legal concerns relating to equal state sovereignty19 and the major “questions doctrine, among many others. EPA should take immediate action to remove these legal concerns, starting by submitting the approvals for California’s rules to Congress for evaluation under the Congressional Review Act,” he continued. “According to legal experts, ‘Congress can quickly disapprove the waivers and send a resolution to the White House for presidential signature. Ballgame over.’ As those experts note, Congressional Review Act decisions are final and unassailable in court because the Act expressly provides that ‘[n]o determination, finding, action, or omission under this chapter shall be subject to judicial review.’”

SENATE ADVANCES TRUMP’S ENERGY SECRETARY NOMINEE TO FINAL CONFIRMATION VOTE

A person looks out over the ocean with a view of oil platform Esther and container ships off the coast of Seal Beach, California. (Getty Images)

Petersen’s letter continued, “Like it did during President Trump’s first administration, EPA also should revoke California’s ability to independently regulate greenhouse gases.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Petersen said, “Over the past four years, the State of California and the Biden Administration teamed up to impose a radical environmental agenda on the United States, compromising our energy independence, crushing freedom of choice, and endangering our national security.”

“I, like many of my fellow Arizonans and Americans, am thrilled to see the Trump Administration putting an end to these schemes. The State of Arizona looks forward to assisting our new president, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Members of Congress in their efforts to prioritize and protect our country’s interests,” he said.

Petersen, who has filed paperwork to run for attorney general in Arizona, also sent a letter to Arizona’s congressional delegation voicing the same concerns.

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“As President of the Arizona State Senate, I write to urge you to block radical California rules that ban gas-powered cars and leaf blowers,” he wrote.

“These policies will harm Arizona families by increasing costs, impacting jobs, and limiting consumer choice. The Congressional Review Act empowers you to reverse the Biden Administration’s last-minute approval of these extreme policies, which I encourage you to do.”

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

February 1, 2025
‘Newsom-proof California’: Lawmaker proposes bill to strengthen fight against illegal immigration, trafficking

While legislators in the Democratic trifecta are trying to pass bills to “Trump-proof” the state, California Republican Kate Sanchez plans to introduce a bill that would crack down on what may be a “sanctuary state” loophole protecting criminal illegal immigrants involved in sex-trafficking minors.

“It would eliminate all of the unnecessary restrictions for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal law enforcement in order to go after those that have been accused or convicted of sex trafficking of minors, and currently there is a clause that they cannot communicate as openly as possible,” Sanchez told Fox News Digital in an interview.

NEWSOM BILL COULD SPEND TAX MONEY TO DEFEND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TRUMP DEPORTATION PUSH: CA LAWMAKER

California Republican Assemblymember Kate Sanchez discusses her new bill to crack down on sex traffickers that may be covered under a state penal exception. (Fox News Digital Screenshot/AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

These restrictions are part of California’s “sanctuary state” policies, which are designed to limit state and local law enforcement’s involvement in federal immigration enforcement. For her part, the specific provisions that Sanchez wants to amend are found in the California Values Act (SB 54), which was enacted in 2017, that restricts local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect or arrest individuals for immigration enforcement purposes.

There are exceptions in SB 54 for individuals convicted of certain serious or violent crimes. However, sex trafficking is not always classified as a violent felony under California law – making it so that some convicted sex traffickers may not meet the criteria for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities – potentially thwarting deportation efforts.

Sanchez argues this creates a loophole that could allow illegal immigrants who are involved in sex trafficking to remain in the U.S. after serving their sentence. In 2023, Newsom signed Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), reclassifying the trafficking of a minor as a “serious” felony, but other forms of human trafficking may still not be considered violent felonies under state law.

“So, we want to make sure we remove that piece of the penal code and allow them to communicate and do their job fully,” Sanchez said.

‘DEVASTATING’: CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT

President Donald Trump, center, speaks as first lady Melania Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom listen after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Sanchez’s bill may align well with President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan currently underway, but it faces an uphill battle in her state legislature, which is dominated by Democrats. Currently, Democratic assemblymembers – in collaboration with Newsom – are trying to pass a series of bills that would bolster the state’s legal defense against the Trump administration. The State Senate already passed the bills last week.

“It is an uphill battle in Sacramento, but I do feel the tide is turning[.]”

Democrats were set to pass the $50 million special session bill Thursday, but Assembly lawmakers reportedly blocked the package over concerns that there may be changes that need to be made to the immigration-related proposal. At issue is Newsom’s $25 million allocation for nonprofit organizations to defend illegal immigrants from deportation, and whether those funds would be used as well for criminal illegal immigrants.

Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital previously that no funds would go to criminal illegal immigrants.

NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA

Illegal migrants are detained by the U.S. Coast Guard in Southern California. ( USCG Southern California via X)

Newsom called a special legislative session quickly after Trump’s electoral victory to secure additional funding for the state’s legal defense against the administration. Reacting to the development on his TruthSocial account at the time, Trump said, “He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election.”

Sanchez – who says she has been shut out of the legislature’s Hispanic Caucus because she’s a Republican – said the legislature should be focusing on “fireproofing” the state, or rather, “Newsom-proofing California.”

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“Take it for what it’s worth, but I genuinely feel like there are victims and there are people in need that we should be advocating for protecting our most vulnerable, protecting the innocence of our children,” Sanchez said. “It is an uphill battle in Sacramento, but I do feel the tide is turning, and I know we will be looking to our federal counterparts to be helpful in this matter as well.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.

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

January 31, 2025