Texas lawmaker files bill to reduce “forever chemicals” in sewage-based fertilizer
The bill would require companies to test fertilizer made from sewage sludge for PFAS and meet limits before selling them to Texas farmers and ranchers.
Fox News Politics: Biden’s Early Christmas Gift to Public Workers
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening… – House Weaponization panel releases 17,000-page report exposing ‘two-tiered system of government’ – Kristi Noem boasts outpouring of police, border union support for DHS chief: Current leaders ‘betrayed us’ – Top Senate Dems pour cold water on latest GOP spending bill plans: ‘Ready to stay’ through Christmas The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House. The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness. “Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday…Read more A HOLY EXIT: Biden heading to Vatican next month to meet with Pope Francis, Italian PM Meloni in final overseas trip…Read more ‘POSSIBLY CRIMINAL’: Trump files amicus brief to ‘immediately’ stop Biden sale of border wall, says conduct is ‘possibly criminal’…Read more LEFT-WING ‘LAUNDRY LIST’: Watchdog seeks to halt an 11th-hour Biden DOJ effort to ‘handcuff’ a KY police department…Read more CHRISTMAS RUSH: Top DOGE senator to demand lame-duck Biden agencies halt costly telework talks, citing voter mandate…Read more ‘NO DEALS WITH THE DEMOCRATS’: GOP lawmaker says vote on ‘very similar’ CR expected Friday morning…Read more ‘DOGE SPEAKER’: Mike Lee predicts demise of Johnson speakership, calls for ‘DOGE speaker’…Read more ‘PAY OUR TROOPS’: Senate Republicans attempt to fast track emergency military pay as they brace for shutdown…Read more SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: House Republicans reach new plan to avoid government shutdown after back-to-back defeats: Sources…Read more KILL THE BILL: Here’s a list of the 38 Republicans who defied Trump by voting ‘no’ on the failed spending bill…Read more BUTTIGIEG BUZZ: Buttigieg appearance on New Hampshire talk radio fuels 2028 presidential race buzz…Read more OPEN BORDERS: ICE response team in NYC arrested a Mexican illegal immigrant sex offender who “has been removed from the US on 5 separate occasions”…Read more Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Senate Dems rail against ‘shadow speaker’ billionaire Elon Musk: ‘Not elected to anything’
Senate Democrats labeled billionaire Elon Musk “co-president” and “shadow speaker” among other titles as they reacted to the original stopgap spending deal’s implosion on Wednesday after he and ultimately President-elect Trump came out against it. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Musk “seems to be the guy in charge of the country now,” reacting to his apparent ability to influence the bill’s prompt failure despite it having been agreed upon by bipartisan leaders in Congress. If a measure to provide funding for the government is not passed by Congress and signed by President Biden by midnight on Saturday morning, a partial government shutdown will go into effect. As of Thursday, the U.S. national debt was at $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to climb rapidly. SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN After a 1,547-page short-term spending bill was debuted this week. Musk quickly took to X to trash it, pointing out various seemingly irrelevant provisions as well as its cost and length. He was soon joined by other critics, and Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued their own statement opposing the bill. This led to significant criticism from Democrats unhappy with Musk’s apparent ability to influence Trump and the Republicans in Congress. TOP SENATE DEMS POUR COLD WATER ON LATEST GOP SPENDING BILL PLANS: ‘READY TO STAY’ THROUGH CHRISTMAS “He’s the one who seems to be calling the shots,” Warren told reporters. “Elon Musk is the one evidently in charge of the Republican Party and has blown that deal up. So I don’t know how the Republicans are planning to recover from that,” she said. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., suggested that Musk is “already the shadow speaker of the House,” in a slight against House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. TIM SCOTT’S SENATE CAMPAIGN ARM STAFF REVEALED AHEAD OF CRUCIAL 2026 SWING STATE RACES “I think he’s unelected, and he’s created a whole lot of damage,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. He claimed Republicans in Congress were “busy listening to Co-President Musk and co-President Trump.” “I’m listening to the people of Georgia, especially the farmers who are struggling to get disaster relief. And, we need to make sure that we get that over the finish line,” said Warnock. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., reiterated that Musk is not an elected official. “He doesn’t have any official government job,” he said. ‘MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN’ CAUCUS LAUNCHED BY SEN MARSHALL AFTER RFK JR MEETING “We had a deal with Republicans in the House and now, because of him, the president-elect is on the verge of people losing their jobs and not getting paid over the holidays,” Kelly said of a potential partial shutdown if a bill is not passed by a deadline of midnight on Saturday morning. Despite their Democratic colleagues’ claims, Republicans pushed back on the idea that Trump was being influenced by Musk. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., noted that there are “lots of people around President Trump,” adding that he doesn’t think Musk has control over what the president-elect does. Musk was tapped by Trump, along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead what is called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a proposed advisory board tasked with eliminating government waste.
US says it killed ISIS leader in Syria in ‘targeted’ airstrike
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces had conducted an airstrike that killed ISIS leader Abu Yusif in eastern Syria. One other ISIS operative was also killed in the strike that occurred on Thursday, the agency said in a release on Friday morning. “As stated before, the United States — working with allies and partners in the region — will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute,” CENTCOM Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla said. “ISIS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria.” “We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria,” he said. US GROUP LOOKS FOR KIDNAPPED AMERICANS IN SYRIA AFTER FALL OF ASSAD REGIME The agency said they carried out the targeted airstrike in the eastern province of Deir ez Zor in Syria, noting that it’s part of their ongoing commitment to “disrupt and degrade efforts” by terrorists. ISRAEL’S UN AMBASSADOR INSISTS NATION IS ‘NOT GETTING INVOLVED’ IN SYRIAN REGIME CHANGE They said the area was previously controlled by the Syrian regime and Russian forces before the recent fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Al-Assad fled to Russia earlier this month and ended a nearly 14-year struggle to maintain power in his country. Attacks by the Turkish military on Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have increased since the Syrian president fled to Russia on Dec. 8. Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Ryder said that in light of the instability in the region, as well as al-Assad’s departure, there are 2,000 U.S. troops deployed in Syria. Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
PA lawmakers demand Scranton revert ‘Biden Expy’ name, calling it a ‘scar’ following Kids-4-Cash scandal
Several Pennsylvania officials, particularly in the Scranton area where President Joe Biden hails from, are calling on the city to undo its 2021 renaming of a freeway spur in his honor. State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Dallas, appeared to lead the charge with a scathing statement highlighting Biden’s recent pardon of a judge convicted in a “kids-for-cash” scandal wherein he received kickbacks for sentencing juveniles to for-profit prisons. Wilkes-Barre Common Pleas Judges Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella Jr. were convicted in 2008. The former served time in prison, followed by COVID-induced house arrest until Biden’s pardon. Walsh said some of the children affected had been convicted of minor offenses like jaywalking. The Democratic-majority Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out 4,000 juvenile convictions as a result of the scandal. ECONOMY BORDER & ABORTION DIVIDE BIDEN’S HOMETOWN AS RESIDENTS LOOK BACK ON NATIVE SON’S FIRST TERM “In light of the recent decision made by the Biden administration to commute former Judge Conahan’s sentence, I implore city officials and Mayor [Paige Gebhardt Cognetti] to remove President Joe Biden’s name from the expressway sign that leads to the heart of the ‘Electric City’s’ downtown area.” In 2021, the mayor and city council unanimously approved the rebranding of the three-quarter-mile Central Scranton Expressway spur off Interstate 81 and its continuance via then-Spruce Street through downtown as the “President Biden Expressway” and “Biden Avenue,” respectively. The President Biden Expressway initially serves as a short bypass of PA-307 into the city, and continues as “Biden Ave” toward northbound US-11, which, in-turn, meets the terminus of the colloquial “Route 9” — the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Northeast Extension. “The children affected by Conahan’s actions of nearly 15 years ago are now adults suffering in their own ‘mental’ prisons due to his deeds of self-fulfillment,” Walsh said in a statement. WV DEMOCRATS RIP BIDEN’S ‘EGREGIOUS’ PUBLIC CORRUPTION PARDON CHOICES: ‘WHAT WE’D EXPECT FROM TRUMP’ “Crimes against children are everlasting, and there is no escape from the irreparable damage these predators caused by their actions.” Walsh argued that the issue is non-partisan but “right versus wrong” and that Biden no longer deserves the commemoration because his pardon “exonerates [Conahan’s] behavior” as a signal to future corrupt public officials. State Rep-elect. Brenda Pugh, R-Luzerne, told WBRE that Conahan’s conduct is a “blight on Pennsylvania” and that Biden’s pardon is “nothing short of a travesty.” “[H]is clemency is a miscarriage of justice,” Pugh said, adding the President Biden Expressway will therefore “forever be a scar reminding people of what happened here [in NEPA].” Meanwhile, Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak made his case directly to Cognetti, writing the mayor a letter saying that reverting “Biden Avenue to Spruce Street” would help restore confidence in city leadership and reaffirm a commitment to governing in the best reflection of city values. “This [pardon] has brought significant negative attention to Scranton, tarnishing the city’s reputation and reflecting poorly on Lackawanna County as a whole,” Chermak wrote. In a Friday interview, Cognetti said that Biden’s commutation of Conahan was a “grave error” that freshly opened “deep and horrific” wounds for Scrantonians and NEPA residents. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP She echoed Gov. Josh Shapiro’s remark earlier this week that Conahan’s sentence was too light in the first place. “[The case] was just the stuff that you think a screenwriter couldn’t make up — how systemic and how deep that scandal went,” Cognetti said. She said she had contacted the White House with her concerns and that she was sad to learn Conahan’s commutation is irreversible. Cognetti noted she is currently mayor in part because of other officials’ public corruption as well. Predecessor Bill Courtright resigned in July 2019 amid a conviction for bribery, corruption and conspiracy. Courtright’s departure led to two brief interim mayors before Cognetti was elected that November as an independent and, in 2021, as a Democrat. Cognetti added that the calls to strip Biden’s name from roadways are not new and continue to be mostly grounded in partisanship. “The president is from here, and there are few communities that can boast of being the hometown of a President of the United States. We will continue to celebrate and be very proud of having a hometown son of Scranton as president.” “The two issues are conflated, I think, for political reasons. And I’d like us to treat these things as what they are. We need to continue to address corruption in government,” Cognetti added. “That’s separate from the president’s legacy of 50 years in office and being the most successful son of Scranton.” BIDEN’S HOMETOWN EXPRESSES HOW IT REALLY FEELS ABOUT ‘BIDENOMICS’ When recently asked about Biden granting Conahan a pardon, Shapiro said that presidents have the “unique and absolute” power to do so, but should wield it “incredibly carefully.” “I study every single case that comes across my desk where there’s a request for a pardon or clemency or worse, or a reduction in sentence. And I take it very seriously,” said Shapiro, who previously served as attorney general. “I do feel strongly that President Biden got it absolutely wrong and created a lot of pain here in northeastern Pennsylvania. This was not only a black eye on the community because of the scandal, but it also affected families in really deep and profound and sad ways,” he said.
President-elect Trump appoints outspoken conservative as Vatican ambassador: ‘Blessings and responsibilities’
Just five days before Christmas, President-elect Donald Trump announced he is appointing outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote Brian Burch to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. The Vatican, also known as the “Holy See,” is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by Pope Francis. There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the U.S. Burch, a father of nine, is an outspoken supporter of the president-elect. His organization, CatholicVote, a conservative activist group, issued its first presidential endorsement in Trump’s favor this year. Catholic voters across the country swung massively toward Trump in the 2024 election, contributing to his surprise blowout victory on election night. CATHOLIC SWING VOTERS WERE CRITICAL TO DONALD TRUMP’S BLOWOUT VICTORY: ‘HARRIS SNUBBED US’ In his post announcing the nomination, Trump credited Burch for his significant gains among Catholic voters in November, saying that Burch “represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!” “I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” said Trump. “Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country.” “Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud,” the president-elect said. “Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!” TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PICKS’ FAMILIES HAVE 1 THING IN COMMON Burch responded to his nomination by posting on X: “To God be the glory.” “Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” said Burch. “I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.” He thanked his family, the CatholicVote team and gave special credit to his recently deceased father who, he said, “taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S.” “The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance,” said Burch. “I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church.” NOTRE DAME HOSTS FIRST MASS SINCE 2019 FIRE, DRAWING CROWDS BY THE THOUSANDS CatholicVote also responded to the announcement, saying the group is “immensely proud” of Burch and that his nomination “is a testament to the importance of Catholics to the United States.” “Under Brian’s leadership, CatholicVote has launched influential campaigns exposing violence against Catholic churches and uncovering government overreach targeting Catholics and pro-life advocates,” the group said. “Beyond his professional work, Brian is a devoted husband and father of nine children. His commitment to family life informs his passion for building a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person and supports the central role of families in society.” The new Trump administration will have several Catholics in high-ranking positions, including Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan. The position of ambassador to the Holy See requires Senate confirmation.
Why were border wall materials put up for auction? Here’s what you should know.
Some Texas lawmakers including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick slammed the Biden administration over the auction of wall materials. But the sale was directed by Congress — and Texas has already bought some of it.
White House pressed on Biden refusing to speak publicly ahead of shutdown
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre volleyed away reporters’ questions on Friday about President Biden’s lack of public appearances amid the ongoing government funding fight as a partial shutdown looms. Jean-Pierre refused to answer why the president has not spoken to the American public about his position, and she instead blamed Republicans, President-elect Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and their “billionaire friends” like Elon Musk for the chaos on Capitol Hill. “Why hasn’t President Biden said anything in the public about this? Don’t the American people deserve to know why millions of federal workers could enter this holiday period without a paycheck?” Jean-Pierre was asked during her daily press briefing. RAND PAUL SUGGESTS REPLACING MIKE JOHNSON WITH ELON MUSK AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE “All Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here and they are the ones who have created this mess. That’s the reality. That’s the fact,” she responded. “This is not the first time we’ve been here. And the president has had this approach before. He understands how Congress works. He’s been around for some time. He understands what strategy works here to get this done.” Jean-Pierre said Friday that Biden has held phone calls with Democratic leaders in Congress — Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — but would not say if the president has spoken to the House speaker with regard to the ongoing discussions. “He has been getting regular updates from his team. His team has been in touch with congressional members from both sides of the aisle,” she said. A streamlined version of a bill backed by Trump to avert a partial government shutdown failed to pass the House of Representatives on Thursday night. The bill, which needed two-thirds of the House chamber to pass, failed by a vote of 174 to 235. The national debt has soared to over $36 trillion, and the national deficit is over $1.8 trillion. Jean-Pierre said Republicans went back on their word and “blew up this deal.” “Republicans need to stop playing politics with a government shutdown. And they are doing the bidding. They’re doing the bidding of their billionaire friends. That’s what we’re seeing at the expense of hard-working Americans,” she said. SENATE REPUBLICANS TRY TO FAST-TRACK EMERGENCY MILITARY PAY AS THEY BRACE FOR SHUTDOWN “There is a bipartisan agreement that Republicans tanked because of what they were directed to do by Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. That’s what happened. That is the reality that we’re in now.” Musk, an outspoken critic of government waste, has weighed in on the spending bill debate and led a conservative revolt against the first 1,547-page bill due to its bloated spending provisions, calling for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats. He supported the newer, slimmer version, which was ultimately rejected by House members. Reporters tried several different ways to try and get Jean-Pierre to comment on the president’s role in the matter, but she continued to sidestep. “The president is the President of the United States, and he is leading,” she told a reporter, to which he responded: “To be clear, the strategy is he is leading by staying in the background?” “The strategy is that Congress, Republicans in particular, need to do their jobs and get out of their own way and focus on the American people, not their billionaire friends. That is what needs to happen. And that’s what the president wants to see,” she replied. Jean-Pierre also warned that a shutdown could disrupt the presidential transition process for the incoming administration. “If there is a shutdown — and I don’t want to get too much into hypotheticals — but this is the reality, transition activities will be restricted with limited exceptions, obviously, such as to prevent imminent threats to the safety of human life or the protection of property,” she said. Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Friday that Republicans have a “good plan” to avoid a partial government shutdown. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., added: “I think you come to an agreement, then you get together and sit down and figure out, you know, if we can get across the finish line. And that’s probably what we’re about to do now.”
House passes funding bill with just hours until government shutdown
The House has passed a bill to avert a partial government shutdown on Friday, hours before the midnight federal funding deadline. The bill, which needed approval from two-thirds of the chamber, passed overwhelmingly in a 366 to 34 vote. All Democrats voted for the bill save for Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, who voted “present.” Lawmakers were scrambling for a path forward after an initial bill was tanked by President-elect Trump and his allies on Wednesday, and a later bill approved by Trump failed on the House floor Thursday. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER But Trump has stayed noticeably silent on this latest measure – which many House Republicans saw as a tacit sign of approval. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was optimistic after days of uncertainty, telling reporters there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan. “We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country and for making sure that military and essential services and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays,” Johnson said. Meanwhile, the national debt has climbed past $36 trillion, and the deficit is over $1.8 trillion. The legislation, if passed in the Senate, would extend current government funding levels through mid-March, a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR), paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry. Johnson bypassed regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as “suspension of the rules.” In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage was raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber, meaning Democratic support is critical. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told reporters he believed Johnson struck an agreement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. A longtime Johnson critic, Massie said he would not vote for the bill. “Trump wanted a debt limit increase, and now we’re bringing the exact same bill to the floor without the debt limit increase,” Massie said. Another Republican lawmaker argued Johnson would not move forward without Trump’s blessing. “We wouldn’t do it if they weren’t,” Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., said when asked if Trump and Elon Musk were supportive of the deal. Trump and Musk led the conservative rebellion against the initial plan to avert a partial shutdown, a bipartisan deal that came from negotiations between the top two Democrats and Republicans in both Congressional chambers. That bill, 1,547 pages, would have extended current government funding levels until March 14. However, GOP hardliners were angered by what they saw as unrelated measures attached to the bill, like a pay raise for congressional lawmakers, health care policy provisions and legislation aimed at revitalizing RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. TRUMP-BACKED SPENDING BILL GOES DOWN IN FLAMES AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS It was scrapped as Trump and Musk threatened to force out of office any lawmaker who did not support pairing a CR with action on the debt limit. The debt limit is suspended until January 2025 through a prior bipartisan deal, but Trump had pushed for Republicans to act on it now to avoid a messy, protracted fight early in his term. The second iteration of the funding deal was much slimmer, coming in at 116 pages. It excluded the stadium bill and the congressional pay raise, but still included measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and disaster aid funding. It also suspended the debt limit through January 2027. A House vote on the second plan went down in flames, however, after 38 Republicans opposed to raising or suspending the debt limit voted with all but two Democrats to defeat the bill. Johnson huddled with those holdouts Friday morning, along with Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, and Vice President-elect JD Vance. The bill that passed the House on Friday does not act on the debt limit, but Johnson pledged in that closed-door meeting to raise the debt limit early next year as part of Republicans’ plans for a massive policy and spending overhaul. During their closed-door meeting Friday, House GOP leaders unveiled their CR plan as well as a plan to raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, followed by $2.5 trillion in net spending cuts, multiple people told Fox News Digital. Democrats who left their own closed-door meeting shortly before the vote largely said they would support the bill – which they did. President Biden has said he would sign it into law if it reaches his desk after a Senate vote.
House vote imminent on plan to avert government shutdown after Trump-backed deal tanks
House lawmakers are set to soon vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown after a similar measure backed by President-elect Trump failed on Thursday. Congress is scrambling for a path forward as the clock ticks closer to the federal funding deadline, with a partial shutdown expected just after midnight Saturday if no action is taken. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan. “I expect that we will be proceeding forward,” Johnson said. “We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country, and for making sure that military and essential services, and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays.” DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER Multiple lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the forthcoming legislation would extend current government funding levels through mid-March – a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) – paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry. Johnson’s aim is to bypass regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as “suspension of the rules.” In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage is raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber – meaning Democratic support is critical.