Dems killed VA sex offender bill before it could get a hearing, Republican says, despite recent incidents
A Virginia Republican lawmaker is blasting Democratic leaders in Richmond, after what she characterized as their hasty dispatching of a fresh piece of legislation she authored targeting sex offenders and people deemed dangerous to children. Delegate Kim Taylor, R-Petersburg, who herself won a “Biden+12” district in what is the state’s most Democratic municipality per-capita, said protecting the public from sexual deviants transcends party lines. “[This] isn’t a partisan issue, it’s a basic duty of any community that values safety and decency,” Taylor told Fox News Digital. “These individuals, with proven histories of predatory behavior, pose a real threat when allowed unrestricted access to public spaces like parks, schools or locker rooms.” TRUMP’S ICE NABS CHILD SEX OFFENDERS AMONG 530 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT IN SINGLE DAY Taylor alleged her bill, HB 2527 – which would have prohibited most sex offenders from “loitering” within state parks and other places where they would be in “proximity to children,” including schools, playgrounds, daycares and the like – was wrongly and quietly terminated. The bill was listed as last referred to the Courts of Justice Committee, but with the legislature adjourned “sine die” – essentially ending the session – barring a rare special session being called, the bill was never heard nor voted on and is considered “dead.” “This should not be about politics, it should be about prioritizing the vulnerable over political gamesmanship,” said Taylor, who added she had also drafted another never-heard bill toughening penalties for sex trafficking. “Time and time and again, Democrats have dismissed or killed commonsense legislation that would protect women and children.” Fox News Digital reached out to Delegates Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, Courts Committee chair, and Marcus Simon, D-Dunn Loring, committee vice chair, for comment. Neither lawmaker returned calls. TED CRUZ QUESTIONS JUSTICE JACKSON OVER SEX OFFENDER CASES Delegate Wren Williams, R-Stuart, who co-sponsored Taylor’s bill, blamed Democrats across Virginia – particularly in the committee leaders’ districts – for “jeopardizing the safety of women and girls by refusing to support commonsense legislation.” Williams said there is a heightened threat from registered sex offenders in public spaces, specifically citing the case of Richard Kenneth Cox – a serial flasher who has recently faced dozens of charges in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Local media reported Cox has faced more than 20 charges in Arlington County alone, including reports reaching back to the 1990s when he was accused of masturbating in front of children. Cox has also had recent encounters with Fairfax County police, including one in November. Bodycam footage aired by FOX5DC purportedly shows Cox claiming a civil rights violation for identifying as a transgender woman – after authorities responded to reports of Cox “lurking” in a Fairfax gym’s locker room. Williams argued that the legislation is urgently needed, and claimed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano “prioritize[s] woke ideology over the well-being of our communities.” Washington’s ABC affiliate reported that the prosecutor had dismissed charges against Cox. “There is no justification for allowing someone like Richard Cox, a convicted sex offender with a disturbing criminal record, to waltz into girls’ locker rooms unchecked,” Williams said in characterizing the case as the poster child for the necessity of Taylor’s bill. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Democrats have repeatedly killed practical bills that would enforce stricter protections and penalties, choosing instead to coddle predators under the guise of tolerance,” he said, calling the overall behavior on the left in Richmond a “betrayal” of women. Fox News Digital reached out to Descano for a response. The prosecutor’s office did tell ABC7 that prosecutors are not involved in cases that are “pro se (without an attorney) misdemeanors.” The outlet later quoted a local attorney who found the indecent exposure nonprosecution “unusual.” The Cox case, however, did draw the attention of other leaders in the heavily Democratic county, as Fairfax Board Chairman Jeffrey McKay reportedly said Taylor’s bill may have been beneficial. Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, criticized McKay to ABC7, claiming Taylor’s bill had “nothing to do with local parks… or recreational facilities,” and suggested a change in policy on “which dressing rooms people can use” would be helpful.
‘Absurd’: White House blasts law firm that helped fuel Russia hoax after challenging Trump order
The White House said a lawsuit filed by a law firm with ties to the FBI’s Russia investigation during President Donald Trump’s first term – known among conservatives as the “Russia collusion hoax” – is “absurd,” after a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting off the firm’s access to federal resources Wednesday. Perkins Coie, the firm that hired the company responsible for composing the so-called “Steele dossier” released in 2017 about Trump’s alleged connections to Russia that was used to obtain a surveillance warrant against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page, filed a motion in a federal court in Washington Tuesday requesting a temporary restraining order to block the Trump administration from rescinding its access to federal resources. U.S. Judge Beryl Howell approved the request Wednesday afternoon. “The Trump Administration is working efficiently to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government,” White House spokesman Harrison Fields said in a Wednesday evening statement to Fox News Digital. “It is absurd that a billion-dollar law firm is suing to retain its access to government perks and handouts.” Perkins Coie and Attorney General Pam Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, appeared before U.S. Judge Beryl Howell Wednesday afternoon. Attorney Dane Butswinkas, who is representing Perkins Coie, said roughly a quarter of the firm’s revenue stems from clients with government contracts, and compared Trump’s order to “a tsunami waiting to hit the firm.” Additionally, Howell said Wednesday that the order “sends little chills down my spine.” Trump signed an executive order March 6 suspending security clearances for Perkins Coie employees until a further review evaluating its access to sensitive information is complete to determine if it aligns with national interests. The order also pulled access to sensitive information facilities for Perkins Coie employees and limits the company’s access to government employees. The order also prevents the federal government from hiring Perkins Coie employees without specific authorization. JUDGE DISMISSES TRUMP’S LAWSUIT ALLEGING INFAMOUS DOSSIER AND ITS ‘SCANDALOUS CLAIMS’ DAMAGED HIS REPUTATION As a result, Perkins Coie’s lawsuit claims that the Trump administration’s executive order is an “affront to the Constitution and our adversarial system of justice” and that the order means the firm’s ability to represent its clients is “under direct and imminent threat.” Likewise, the lawsuit asserts the order violated procedural due process because it failed to give Perkins Coie the opportunity to contest accusations included in the executive order. “The order violates core constitutional protections, including the rights to free speech and due process, and undermines all clients’ right to select counsel of their choice,” a Perkins Coie spokesperson said in a Tuesday statement. “We were compelled to take this step to protect our firm and safeguard the interests of our clients.” Attorneys general from states including California, Arizona, Massachusetts and Rhode Island filed an amicus brief Wednesday voicing support for Perkins Coie “to underscore the bedrock rule of law principles and free speech imperatives at issue in this case.” “Through official action, the President has attempted to exclude certain lawyers and certain viewpoints from reaching a court of law at all,” the coalition of attorneys general wrote in the brief. “It is a menacing message to attorneys nationwide: unless they advance positions or represent clients favorable to the current administration, their livelihood may be at risk and their patriotism will be called into question.” Perkins Coie represented Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee in the 2016 election and former President Joe Biden after Trump challenged Biden’s 2020 election win. Marc Elias, the former chair of the firm’s political law practice, hired opposition research firm Fusion GPS to conduct opposition research into presidential candidate Trump in April 2016 on behalf of Trump’s opponent, Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee. CARTER PAGE FISA WARRANT LACKED PROBABLE CAUSE, DOJ ADMITS IN DECLASSIFIED ASSESSMENT Fusion GPS then hired former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who authored the so-called “Steele dossier.” The document, which BuzzFeed News published in 2017, included shocking and mostly unverified allegations, including details that Trump engaged in sex acts with Russian prostitutes. Trump, who repeatedly denied the allegations included in the dossier, filed a lawsuit in September 2023 against Orbis Business Intelligence, a company Steele co-founded, claiming that the dossier led to personal and reputational damage. A judge tossed the case in February 2024. Meanwhile, Trump said Thursday it was an “honor” to sign the executive order. “What they’ve done, it’s just terrible,” Trump said. “It’s weaponization. You could say weaponization against a political opponent, and it should never be allowed to happen again.” Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Soros-backed judge defends reduced sentence for repeat child molester at debate in state Supreme Court race
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford, a George Soros-backed liberal, defended her decision to significantly reduce a sentence for a convicted child molester who had repeatedly assaulted a five-year-old girl, in a 2020 case during Wednesday night’s heated debate against conservative candidate Brad Schimel. The debate, which was to be the only debate for the high court seat race before the April 1 election, was moderated by ABC affiliate WISN 12 at Marquette University Law School. The winner of the race will determine whether conservatives or liberals will control the state’s high court, as justices are expected to hear cases involving abortion, gender identity and the power behind labor unions. During a debate segment where candidates were asked about the multi-million-dollar ads they’d aired criticizing each other’s judicial records, Crawford – a judge on the Dane County Circuit Court – was questioned by the moderator about a controversial sexual assault case involving a five-year-old girl she had ruled in. SCOTUS TURNS DOWN ABORTION CLINIC BUFFER ZONE CHALLENGE, THOMAS SLAMS ‘ABDICATION’ OF DUTY “In 2020, you did sentence a child sex offender to four years in prison after prosecutors requested 10. Do you regret that sentence?” the moderator asked Crawford. “I don’t regret that sentence, because I followed the law in that case, as I always do,” Crawford responded. “I applied the law, which says that judges have to consider every relevant factor in sentencing, you have to consider both the aggravating and mitigating factors, and the Supreme Court has said you have to order the minimum amount of prison time you believe is necessary to protect the public. That’s what I did in that case and every other case.” “And my goal is always to keep the community safe. And those have been sentences that have been successful, they have kept the community safe,” she said. “Unlike the short jail sentences that Brad Schimmel has entered over and over, where people have gone on to commit new crimes, that’s when you know the sentence has failed.” The moderator then turned to ask Schimel about his record of delaying testing of thousands of sexual assault evidence kits – a central focus of Crawford’s campaign ads against him – nearly a decade ago as the then-attorney general. ‘THE PENDULUM IS SWINGING’: EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HISTORIC SCOTUS TRANSGENDER CASE AMID ORAL ARGUMENTS “Some of the ads people have seen about you, Judge Schimel, nine rape kits tested in your first two years as the Attorney General. Do you regret that?” the moderator asked. Schimel, who currently serves as a judge on the Waukesha County Circuit Court, instead used his answer time to fire shots at Crawford’s decision in the child sexual assault case. “My opponent just revealed the problem in her judgment, that, in weighing all the factors, giving the minimum amount of time to a dangerous offender weighs higher than protecting the community,” Schimel said. “That’s what she just revealed.” “That is not what I said,” Crawford said. “The court requires you to order the sentence necessary to protect the community, and that’s what I’ve done, and that’s what those sentences did.” “HE CANNOT BUY AN ELECTION HERE IN WISCONSIN”: SANDERS SLAMS MUSK IN STATE TRUMP WON BY LESS THAN 1% Crawford, backed by a $1 million donation from progressive philanthropist George Soros and $500,000 from Illinois Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker — a likely 2028 Democratic presidential contender — also traded barbs with Schimel over his million-dollar donations from Tesla CEO and head of DOGE Elon Musk’s political action committees. The high-profile candidates also sparred over abortion, an upcoming state voter ID ballot measure and President Donald Trump. The Wisconsin Supreme Court currently has a 4-3 liberal majority.
Qatar begins supplying natural gas to Syria through Jordan
Qatar will provide 400 megawatts of electricity daily to Syria, where authorities have struggled with power generation. Qatar has begun providing natural gas to Syria through Jordan to tackle the country’s electricity shortage and power cuts, state news agency QNA has reported. In a statement issued on Thursday, Qatar said the initiative comes as part of a deal signed with Jordan and in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. According to the agreement, Qatar will provide natural gas supplies “generating power from 400 megawatts of electricity daily and gradually increase production at the Deir Ali power plant in Syria”. The electricity will be distributed to several Syrian cities, including the capital Damascus, Rif Dimashq, As Suwayda, Daraa, Al Qunaitra, Homs, Hama, Tartous, Latakia, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zur, it added. “This initiative represents a pivotal step towards meeting the Syrian people’s energy needs and reflects a shared commitment among all parties to work together for the benefit of the region,” said Fahad Hamad Hassan Al-Sulaiti, who heads the Qatar Fund for Development, according to QNA. Advertisement Syrian’s interim authorities have struggled to provide electricity to civilians since they removed former President Bashar al-Assad in December, with much of the country’s infrastructure battered by more than 13 years of civil war. Damascus previously received much of the oil used for power generation from Iran, but supplies were cut after al-Assad’s removal. Adblock test (Why?)
Satellite photos show Gaza darkened by Israeli power restrictions
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Satellite photos from NASA show the widespread impact of Israel’s electricity and fuel cutoffs to Gaza.
Sister of Army soldier murdered at Texas base floats potential congressional challenge to Rep Al Green
The sister of Vanessa Guillén, a U.S. Army soldier murdered and dismembered at what was formerly called Fort Hood in Texas, is floating a potential congressional challenge to Rep. Al Green, D-Texas. Mayra Guillén said she was considering running against Green after watching his outbursts during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress last week. After watching Green “disrespect” not only the president, “but our district, state and country, I believe it’s time for me to get into the fight like I did for my sister Vanessa Guillen!” Mayra Guillén wrote on X on March 6. “It’s time to end the propaganda displayed by these politicians, and time to help support [Trump] and his amazing [administration] to Make America Great Again! Al Green I’m coming for your seat.” FAMILY OF MURDERED FORT HOOD SOLDIER VANESSA GUILLEN FILES $35M LAWSUIT AGAINST U.S. ARMY Local outlets, including the Houston Chronicle, picked up her potential congressional run in reports published Wednesday but said Guillén has yet to file the appropriate paperwork for a campaign. Fox News Digital reached out to Guillén for comment Thursday but did not immediately hear back. Green has represented his heavily blue Houston congressional district since 2005 and was unopposed in last year’s election. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., ordered the Sergeant at Arms to remove Green from the chamber when he repeatedly shouted over and wagged his cane at Trump during the president’s first congressional address back in office, and Republicans later voted to censure the long-time Democratic congressman. In 2021, Mayra Guillén founded the “I am Vanessa Guillén Foundation,” an advocacy group intended to give a voice to survivors of sexual violence in the military. MURDERED FORT HOOD SOLDIER VANESSA GUILLEN DESERVES SAME RESPECT AS GEORGE FLOYD, BIDEN MUST ACT, FAMILY SAYS Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Hood, was declared missing in April 2020 from the base outside Killeen, Texas, prompting a months-long search. Authorities eventually said she was murdered and dismembered in an armory room by a fellow soldier, Army Spc. Aaron Robinson, who died by suicide on July 1, 2020, when authorities were closing in on him a day after Guillén’s remains were found. The only person criminally charged in Guillén’s death was Robinson’s girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, who authorities accused of helping him mutilate and hide the body. Aguilar was sentenced to 30 years in prison in August 2023 for accessory to murder. Guillén’s family has said they believe she was sexually harassed during her time at the Texas military base. While Army officials have said they do not believe Robinson harassed Guillén, they admitted in a report a year later that Guillén was harassed by another soldier at the base. Then-U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said during a visit to the Texas base that it had one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault and harassment in the Army, later adding that the patterns of violence were a direct result of “leadership failures.” State and federal lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 honoring Guillén that removed some authority from commanders and gave survivors more options to report abuse and harassment. Army officials disciplined 21 commissioned and non-commissioned officers in connection with Guillén’s death. Fort Hood was renamed to Fort Cavazos in May 2023. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Massie reveals how much campaign cash he’s hauled in since Trump targeted him for ouster: ‘Fundraising record’
Rep. Thomas Massie told Fox News Digital on Thursday morning that he had hauled in $261,000 in campaign donations in recent days since President Donald Trump targeted him for ouster for opposing a government-funding measure. “In less than three days, I’ve received $261,000 through 3,203 individual donations, without sending an email, a text, or a phone call. It’s a fundraising record for me and it’s boosted my current cash on hand north of $1.1 million,” Massie said in a statement. After Trump took a swing at Massie in a Truth Social post on Monday night, the congressman responded in a tweet on Tuesday by soliciting campaign donations. “I’ve drawn opponents in my last three primaries who knew they couldn’t run to the right of me, so they ran to the Trump of me,” Massie said in his statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday. “Overwhelmingly, in each instance, voters in Kentucky rejected them because I have a decade of consistently putting America and my constituents first. None of my opponents received more than 20% of the vote, but that’s because we ran excellent campaigns with the resources needed to win. For instance, my allies and I spent $2,000,000 in my 2020 primary when Trump attacked me for opposing the COVID bailouts. That’s why I’m taking this threat seriously and asking for grassroots donations on X,” Massie noted. TRUMP PLEDGES TO ‘LEAD THE CHARGE’ AGAINST REP. MASSIE, LIKENS HIM TO LIZ CHENEY The amount of money Massie reported raising had climbed since he tweeted on Wednesday that he had reached $205,000. “I’ve received an amazing outpouring of support since I was attacked for voting No on the Biden-$-level CR. In fact, we just hit $205,000 from 2500 grassroots donors! Can you help me send a ‘huge’ message by reaching $250,000 before the 48 hour mark?” Massie said in a Wednesday post on his @MassieforKY campaign account on X. In a post earlier on Wednesday, Massie had announced, “Y’all sent $175,000 to my campaign in the last 36 hours! For the first time, my cash on hand is over $1,000,000. It’s a great start, but I’m going to need more if POTUS makes good on his threat to retaliate for my vote. Please help me set a 48hr record,” he said. When someone on X asked Massie about whether he could use the funds for a Senate campaign, the lawmaker replied, “Yes I could.” The congressman, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade, ran a poll on his @RepThomasMassie X account last month asking people whether, if they were him, they would opt to remain in the House, run for U.S. Senate in 2026, or run for governor in 2027. With the prospect of a partial government shutdown looming, Trump recently pounced on Massie, who had declared his opposition to a government funding proposal. “HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post on Monday night. “He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Chaney before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!). The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???” MASSIE SAYS HE’S A ‘NO’ ON TRUMP-ENDORSED GOVERNMENT FUNDING MEASURE: ‘UNLESS I GET A LOBOTOMY’ Massie sought campaign donations when reacting to Trump’s broadside. “Why don’t more Representatives stand on principle? Because telling the truth can get you in hot water. I’m going to need your help. I will run again because we need at least one person in Congress who won’t cave. Can you show support by contributing now?” Massie said in a Tuesday morning tweet from his campaign account. Trump targeted Massie again in a post on Tuesday afternoon. “‘Congressman’ Thomas Massie voted to delay the Debt Ceiling Bill from the Biden Administration to the Trump Administration (from September before the Election, to June after the Election!), without getting anything for this horrendously stupid move — When Republicans could have gotten EVERYTHING they wanted,” Trump asserted. “He additionally voted to delay the current Budget Disaster from the Biden Administration to the Trump Administration. I was running for Office at the time, doing my thing, and when I heard about this, it was, quite simply, hard to believe — A catastrophic mistake!” the president added. TRUMP-BACKED BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PASSES HOUSE DESPITE MUTINY THREATS CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Now, and virtually on every other vote, he’s a very simple, ‘NO.’ He can’t even approve a Continuing Resolution when he approved them many times during his career as a ‘Congressman.’ Thomas Massie is a GRANDSTANDER, and the Great People of Kentucky are going to be watching a very interesting Primary in the not too distant future!” Massie fired back in a post on X, labeling Trump’s Truth Social post “misleading.” “This tweet from Trump’s account is very misleading. I never voted for a CR that became law. I did vote for a CR under McCarthy that included an 8% cut to all discretionary spending, but unfortunately that CR did not become law. Do research and you’ll find I’ve been consistent,” Massie tweeted. Massie was ultimately the only Republican in the House who voted against passing the Trump-backed government funding measure on Tuesday. Trump later issued another attack against the maverick Republican. “So Massie can vote for Debt Ceiling AND Budget to be put into the Trump Administration, making them both the Republicans problem and responsibility, but can’t give us a simple Continuing Resolution vote allowing us the time necessary to come up with a “GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL??? Republicans only “NO Vote. GRANDSTANDER!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post early on Wednesday. Trump previously attacked Massie ahead of the lawmaker’s GOP primary in 2020, but Massie went on to decisively win that contest in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, earning nearly 81% of the vote, according to the vote totals recorded in
‘This is no drill’: China’s dominance over US shipbuilding sparks bipartisan effort
FIRST ON FOX: China’s dominance over the U.S. in terms of shipbuilding is sending alarms through Capitol Hill, forthcoming legislation suggests. A bipartisan group of military veterans now serving in the House of Representatives – Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C. – are rolling out a bill aimed at revitalizing the flailing U.S. commercial ship sector. “This is no drill. A fundamental pillar of America’s security, our naval supremacy, is under threat from Communist China,” Green told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TOUTS $5 MILLION ‘GOLD CARD’ AS NEW PATH TO CITIZENSHIP Green said China’s Navy was now the largest in the world, surpassing the U.S. with 350 estimated seafaring vessels, compared to 280. “China has used its fleet to erode freedom of navigation, harass civilian ships, and intimidate our allies,” he said. “To maintain our strategic edge, we must invest ‘full speed ahead’ in our maritime industrial base – encompassing commercial shipbuilders, military shipyards, and every link in the supply chain.” The bill would establish a National Commission on the Maritime Industrial Base, and mandate it to launch a probe into the status of American maritime industries, both military and commercial. The goal would be to develop policy and legislative recommendations to revitalize U.S. shipyards. TRUMP DECLARES ‘AMERICA IS BACK’ IN SPEECH BEFORE CONGRESS Kiggans said shipbuilding was the “backbone” of her coastal Virginia district’s economy in a statement to Fox News Digital. “However, due to workforce and supply chain issues, our maritime industrial base is struggling to keep pace with growing global threats. This Commission is a critical step toward identifying the challenges facing our shipyards and strengthening our ability to build and sustain a world-class fleet,” she said. Davis said, “We must collaborate to ensure that both the public and private sectors work together to find solutions that will strengthen our maritime industrial base. Shipbuilding is vital for our national security.” U.S. competition with China has remained among the most bipartisan issues in Congress, even with the current hyper-partisan environment. China has nearly 47% of the global market in shipbuilding, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. South Korea and Japan are second and third, with roughly 29% and 17% of the market, respectively. The U.S. has 0.13% of the market. A single Chinese shipbuilder managed more output by tonnage in 2024 alone than the U.S. has in its entirety since World War II, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which said China’s dominance in the sector was a national security risk.
Trump’s pick for NIH director clears committee, heads to full Senate vote
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted Thursday morning to advance President Donald Trump’s pick to head the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. The vote was strictly along party lines, 12 votes in favor and 11 against, but with the committee having one extra Republican member in the majority, Bhattacharya sailed to the finish line with only GOP support. Bhattacharya now heads to the full Senate for an impending confirmation vote that will be the last hurdle before he becomes the next Director of the NIH. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., expressed concern Thursday over Bhattacharya’s confirmation, saying he feared Bhattacharya would not do enough to help lower the cost of prescription drugs. Sanders and other Democrats have also expressed concern over how Bhattacharya will approach medical research at the NIH, especially considering Trump just imposed a cap on facilities and administration costs associated with NIH research grants. TRUMP NIH APPOINTEE DEFENDS PRESIDENT’S RESEARCH FUNDING CUTS, LAYS OUT NEW VISION FOR FUTURE A physician, Stanford professor of medicine and senior fellow at the university’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, Bhattacharya was a leading voice during the COVID-19 pandemic against lockdown measures and vaccine mandates. Bhattacharya was probed by the Senate HELP Committee roughly a week ago over various issues related to his potential role as NIH director; however, much of the hearing he was forced to defend the president’s decision to put a 15% cap on indirect research costs dispersed by the NIH. Bhattacharya would not explicitly say he disagreed with the cuts, or that, if confirmed, he would step in to stop them. Rather, he said he would “follow the law,” while also investigating the impact of the cuts and ensuring every NIH researcher doing work that advances the health outcomes of Americans has the resources necessary. WHITE HOUSE PULLS NOMINATION OF DAVID WELDON AS CDC DIRECTOR In addition to addressing questions about the Trump cuts, Bhattacharya also laid out what he called a new, decentralized vision for future research at NIH that he said will be aimed at embracing dissenting ideas and transparency, while focusing on research topics that have the best chance at directly benefiting health outcomes of Americans. Bhattacharya added that he wants to rid the agency’s research portfolio of other “frivolous” efforts that he says do little to directly benefit health outcomes. “I think fundamentally what matters is: Do scientists have an idea that advances the scientific field they’re in?” Bhattacharya said last week during his confirmation testimony. “Do they have an idea that ends up addressing the health needs of Americans?” Bhattacharya was notably a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which was a document published in October 2020 by a group of scientists advocating for an alternative approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic. It argued largely against widespread lockdowns and promoted the efficacy of natural immunity to the virus for low-risk individuals, suggesting the vaccine may not be the best course of action for everyone. Prior to his confirmation hearings, Bhattacharya, alongside several other scientists, including Trump’s pick to head the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Marty Makary, launched a new research journal focused on spurring scientific discourse and combating “gatekeeping” in the medical research community. The journal, titled the Journal of the Academy of Public Health (JAPH), is implementing a novel approach aimed at spurring scientific discourse by publishing peer reviews of prominent studies from other journals that do not make their peer reviews publicly available.
Dr. Marty Makary advances out of key committee in bid for FDA confirmation
President Donald Trump‘s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Marty Makary, passed a key committee vote 14-9 on Thursday morning, clearing the way for a full Senate vote on his nomination. If confirmed before the full Senate, Makary will work alongside the nominee for National Institute of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to achieve Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again agenda. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted in favor of Makary’s confirmation following his committee hearing one week ago today. “We now have a generational opportunity in American healthcare. President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s focus on healthy foods has galvanized a grassroots movement in America. Childhood obesity is not a willpower problem, and the rise of early-onset Alzheimer’s is not a genetic cause. We should be, and we will, be addressing food as it impacts our health,” Makary said last week. TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION “Thanks to the courage of President Trump and Secretary Kennedy, we now have a generational opportunity to usher in radical transparency to facilitate more cures, meaningful treatments and diagnostics at the FDA to help people take care of their own health,” Makary added. TRUMP PICKS DR. MARTY MAKARY AS FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONER Makary was grilled by Democrats last week on vaccines, abortion, chronic illness and food safety. When repeatedly asked by Democratic senators on the committee whether he would revoke the approval process for Mifepristone, Makary said any decision on the abortion pill will come down to science. “I have no preconceived plans on Mifepristone policy except to take a solid, hard look at the data and to meet with the professional career scientists who have reviewed the data at the FDA, and to build an expert coalition to review the ongoing data,” he said. Makary, who advocated for natural immunity during the COVID-19 pandemic, flipped a question about vaccine processes around on Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., during his confirmation hearing, telling her to ask former President Joe Biden why he skipped a key step when it came to the COVID-19 booster. “So, if you are confirmed, will you commit to immediately reschedule that FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting to get the expert views?” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., asked Trump’s FDA pick. “I would re-evaluate which topics deserve a convening of the advisory committee members on [Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee] and which may not require a convening,” Makary replied, adding that he was not a part of the decision. When asked again by Murray, he said: “Well, you can ask the Biden administration that chose not to convene the committee meeting for the COVID vaccine booster.” He vowed during his committee hearing to lead his own Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) investigations if confirmed. DOGE has terminated the employment of thousands of probationary HHS employees, including those at the FDA, since Trump took office. “If confirmed, I will do my own independent assessment on personnel. I welcome input on efficiencies at the agency. At the same time, I want to make sure that the scientists and food inspectors and staff, central to the core mission of the agency, have all the resources they need to do their job well,” Makary said last week. Makary has long been a critic of the FDA. He penned an opinion piece in 2021 that called for “fresh leadership at the FDA to change the culture at the agency and promote scientific advancement, not hinder it.” Trump nominated Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor, pancreatic surgeon and former Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marty Makary for FDA commissioner in November. “I am very pleased to nominate Marty Makary MD, MPH, FACS, for FDA Commissioner,” Trump said in a statement. “FDA has lost the trust of Americans, and has lost sight of its primary goal as a regulator. The Agency needs Dr. Marty Makary, a Highly Respected Johns Hopkins Surgical Oncologist and Health Policy Expert, to course-correct and refocus the Agency.” Trump said that Makary will “work under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to, among other things, properly evaluate harmful chemicals poisoning our Nation’s food supply and drugs and biologics being given to our Nation’s youth, so that we can finally address the Childhood Chronic Disease Epidemic.”