Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva dead at 77
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., died of lung cancer-related issues on Thursday morning, his office announced in a statement. In Congress, the southern Arizona Democrat was most known for his work on the House Natural Resources committee. “From permanently protecting the Grand Canyon for future generations to strengthening the Affordable Care Act, his proudest moments in Congress have always been guided by community voices,” the statement read. “He led the charge for historic investments in climate action, port of entry modernization, permanent funding for land and water conservation programs, access to health care for tribal communities and the uninsured, fairness for immigrant families and Dreamers, student loan forgiveness, stronger protections for farmers and workers exposed to extreme heat, early childhood education expansion, higher standards for tribal consultation, and so much more,” the statement continued. “Some of these victories seemed out of reach when he first came to Congress, but with support from community, colleagues, allies, and staff, he helped make them real.” The southern Arizona Democrat was 77 years old, and he had served in Congress since 2003. While receiving treatment, he had undergone local scrutiny for missing dozens of votes on Capitol Hill, KOLD reported. ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN RAÚL GRIJALVA SAYS HE HAS CANCER, BUT PLANS TO WORK WHILE UNDERGOING TREATMENT There was an outpouring of condolences for the late congressman. “First and foremost, as someone who lost their father recently, I want to express my sincerest condolences to the Grijalva family,” Arizona state Rep. Alma Hernandez, D-Tucson, told Fox News Digital. “Losing a parent is beyond one of the hardest experiences one can face. Outside of this political world we are all normal human beings. May the family find peace in the memories that they lived with the Congressman.” BORDER STATE LAWMAKER REVEALS WHAT ‘DRASTIC’ CHANGES CAN BE SOLIDIFIED WITH MAJOR CONGRESSIONAL ACTION “A genuinely devastating loss,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., posted to X. “Raúl Grijalva stood as one of the biggest champions for working people in all of Congress. His leadership was singular. He mentored generously and was an incredible friend. I will always be grateful for his lifelong courage and commitment.” “Sydney and I are saddened to hear about the passing of our friend Rep. Raúl Grijalva. He was a champion for those in need and dedicated his life to fighting for all Arizonans. He will be missed,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., posted to X. “The Congressman was always very kind to me— he had a great sense of humor. As a fellow animal lover, we often found ourselves working together on animal protection issues,” Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., posted. To his daughters Adelita, Raquel, and Marisa, and his wife, Ramona, I send my deepest condolences. May [he] rest in peace.” “Arizonans today lost a dedicated public servant. Raul was a fearless champion of the causes he believed in and he never forgot where he came from,” Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., posted. “While we often disagreed about public policy, he welcomed me into our congressional delegation warmly and always treated me with respect and dignity. Laura and I are praying for his wife Ramona, his 3 children, and all of his family and friends during this difficult time.” “AZ lost a giant today. Congressman Raul Grijalva dedicated his life to fighting for the people of Arizona. From standing up for working families, Indigenous communities, and clean air and water — Raul leaves a legacy that is unmatched. I am thinking of his family and loved ones,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes posted. The Democrat represented a deep blue district, leaving the door wide open for a competitive primary.
White House video rips Senate Dems with their own words for ‘hypocrisy’ over looming shutdown
FIRST ON FOX: The White House compiled a highlight reel of Senate Democrats in recent years railing against potential government shutdowns as an attack on democracy, as the same Democrats this week flirt with rejecting a Trump-backed federal funding bill that would avert a looming shutdown. “This is a democracy, and in a democracy, hostage tactics are the last resort for those who can’t win their fights through elections, can’t win their fights in Congress, can’t win their fights for the presidency, and can’t win their fights in the courts,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in a clip included in the White House video. “To hold these people hostage instead of just letting them do their jobs, which they want to do while we work out our differences. So wrong.” declared Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a 2019 video, referring to furloughed federal employees. A Trump administration official told Fox News Digital Thursday that Democrat “hypocrisy” and “hatred for Donald Trump” has “overpowered” the party’s common sense. DEM HEARD SCREAMING AT COLLEAGUES DESPITE SCHUMER’S UNITY CLAIM AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS “Last week, Democrats refused to stand for a child battling brain cancer and Angel Moms,” a Trump administration official told Fox News Digital. “Now, their hypocrisy and hatred for Donald Trump have overpowered a commonsense, reasonable funding measure that their party has historically endorsed. This isn’t principled opposition; it’s a vitriolic response to their contempt for President Trump and the undeniable momentum on Republicans’ side.” The more than two-minute video included clips from Sens. Schumer, Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jack Reed, Corey Booker, Tim Kaine, Chris Murphy, Adam Schiff and Amy Klobuchar railing against previous shutdowns or threats of government shutdowns. The Trump administration official added in comment to Fox Digital that Democrats’ threats of a shutdown are “purely political theater” and attempts to grandstand. “Make no mistake: Democrats’ threats of a Schumer Shutdown are purely political theater,” the official said. “As President Trump works to fulfill his mandate to the American people, Senate Democrats are grandstanding against a measure to keep the government open — one that supports veterans’ benefits and military pay increases.” SENATE REPUBLICANS COIN ‘SCHUMER SHUTDOWN’ AHEAD OF CRITICAL VOTE ON TRUMP SPENDING BILL The House passed a Trump-backed federal funding bill Tuesday, largely along partisan lines in a 217 to 213 vote. The bill would fund the federal government through the end of September. The bill is now in the Senate’s hands, presenting Democrats in the upper chamber with the option of either passing the bill or triggering a government shutdown Friday at midnight. Senate Democrats are reportedly at odds on how to proceed, sources told Fox News Digital this week. “They’ve been debating what to do, and there’s been people who feel strongly on both sides,” a Democratic source familiar told Fox News Digital, in reference to several lengthy Senate Democratic caucus meetings in the past couple days. Though many Senate Democrats have remained mum on the contents of their recent meetings, multiple lawmakers, such as Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., posted videos to social media stating they planned to vote against the continuing resolution. SCOOP: TRUMP CRAFTS PLAN TO CUT SPENDING WITHOUT CONGRESS AFTER SHUTDOWN IS AVERTED “This is a shutdown bill that’s bad for the economy — let Trump shutdown whatever he wants,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said Sunday. “Hurting everyday folks to use money for tax breaks for the uber-rich. Hell no!” Meanwhile, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., was heard by the media screaming inside a private lunch with Senate Democrats on Thursday, which lasted more than an hour. Gillibrand also was included in the White House highlight reel, where she slammed the 2019 government shutdown as risking children “going to bed hungry.” “If this shutdown continues indefinitely, 39 million Americans will risk not having enough food. They will lose their SNAP benefits in February, so that means American children will be going to bed hungry. It’s unacceptable,” she said in the video clip. Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.
Trump praised for getting NATO allies to bolster defense spending: ‘really staggering’
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte lauded President Donald Trump’s efforts to push NATO allies to increase defense spending, amid efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Trump has long advocated for NATO allies to ramp up defense spending to between 2% and 5% gross domestic product — and has made it clear that European nations need to shoulder greater responsibility for the security of their continent. “You’re starting to hear the British prime minister and others all committing to much higher defense spending,” Rutte told reporters Thursday at the White House. “We’re not there. We need to do more, but I really want to work together with you . . . to make sure that we will have a NATO which is really reinvigorated, under your leadership. And we are getting there.” “When you look at Trump 47, what happened the last couple of weeks is really staggering,” Rutte said. ‘MAKE NATO GREAT AGAIN’: HEGSETH PUSHES EUROPEAN ALLIES TO STEP UP DEFENSE EFFORTS Rutte’s comments come as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen put forth an $841 billion proposal on March 4 for European Union nations to bolster defense spending. Likewise, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged in February to boost his country’s defense spending to 2.5% of its gross domestic value. That is an increase from the 2.3% the U.K. currently spends, and amounts to a nearly $17 billion increase. Still, Rutte emphasized the need to strengthen the defense industrial base in both the U.S. and Europe, and cautioned they were falling behind Russia and China in defense production. As of 2023, the U.S. spent 3.3% of its GDP on defense spending — totaling $880 billion, according to the nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based Peterson Institute for International Economics. More than 50% of NATO funding comes from the U.S., while other allies — like the United Kingdom, France and Germany — have contributed between 4% and 8% to NATO funding in recent years. NATO comprises more than 30 countries and originally was formed in 1949 to halt the spread of the Soviet Union. TRUMP REMAINS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT ODDS OF ACQUIRING GREENLAND: ‘I THINK IT’LL HAPPEN’ Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also encouraged NATO allies to beef up defense spending during a trip to Brussels in February. “NATO should pursue these goals as well,” Hegseth said. “NATO is a great alliance, the most successful defense alliance in history, but to endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe’s defense.” Pledges from European and allied nations to increase defense spending coincide with negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Nations including the U.K. and France have proposed deploying troops to ensure that Ukraine is protected from future Russian aggression under a peace negotiation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Direct aid to Israel should be phased out to ‘reduce US leverage,’ influential conservative groups argue
A new report from the conservative Heritage Foundation calling for the U.S. to phase out direct aid to Israel in favor of a “strategic partnership” is facing backlash from pro-Israel advocates. But the report’s authors tell Fox News Digital they’ve been misunderstood. The “best thing” for Israel would not be to leave them at the mercy of U.S. policymakers who can choose to withhold direct aid, they say. “Our goal is actually to reduce U.S. leverage over Israel. I don’t want to force them to do stuff,” said Victoria Coates, deputy national security advisor to President Donald Trump during the first administration and co-author of the report. “We want them to do stuff because we have a strong partnership and they have confidence that the United States is their best partner, but we don’t want that to be because we bought and paid for them,” she explained in an interview with Fox News Digital. TRUMP SOFTENS GAZA STANCE, SAYS PALESTINIANS WILL NOT BE EXPELLED FROM THE WAR-TORN TERRITORY A current memorandum of understanding [MOU] signed in 2016 stipulates that the U.S. provides Israel $3.8 billion in foreign military financing per year until 2028. Congress allocated a supplemental $9 billion in 2024 for Israel’s war against Hamas. The memorandum must be renegotiated in 2026, which Heritage argues will allow Israel’s relationship with the U.S. to evolve from “primarily a security aid recipient” to that of a “true strategic partnership.” The Heritage plan calls for a new MOU that increases Israeli aid to $4 billion from fiscal year 2029-2032, and requires all of it be spent on equipment made in the U.S., before decreasing that number by $250 million per year until it ends in FY 2047. But the call to wind down military aid raised some eyebrows when it was first reported by Jewish Insider on Tuesday. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said it was, “wrong, dangerous, and gives comfort to those who seek [Israel’s] destruction.” House Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter had been slated to headline an event at the Heritage headquarters Wednesday to discuss the report, but they abruptly withdrew the day before. An Israeli embassy spokesperson said the ambassador would not be able to attend due to a “miscommunication regarding the format for the event,” but “looks forward to future engagement” with Heritage. Still, the idea of reorienting the Israeli relationship got the backing of Jonathan Schanzer, executive director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish pro-Israel think tank. “It’s a legitimate debate that I think needs to unfold,” Schanzer told Fox News Digital. “What happened over the last year with the Biden administration withholding military assistance to Israel… must not happen again. “I believe that is the impetus for the discussion that is now taking place. There does need to be discussion about making sure that America’s closest ally in the Middle East does not find itself in a position where it’s begging for the assistance that it expects.” Biden halted arms transfers to Israel last year amid frustrations over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war on Gaza. “There is a legitimate debate about whether this is healthy for Israel to continue down the path of total reliance on the U.S.,” Schanzer asserted. GOP LAWMAKERS PUSH TRUMP TO RECOGNIZE WEST BANK AS ISRAELI TERRITORY “Some are trying to cast us as alt-right isolationists. It’s so disingenuous as to be laughable,” said Coates, who last year authored a book entitled ‘The Battle For The Jewish State: How Israel – And America – Can Win.’ She claimed the plan was “non-controversial” among the Israeli officials Heritage had circulated it to. “The Biden administration used their control of Israeli resupply to try to coerce their behavior,” she said. Once Trump leaves office, “we can’t assume we’ll have another friendly president to this alliance, and if we have started a process like this now, we’ll be all the further along to having a more equal footing between Israel and the United States.” Coates said the goal was for the U.S. to have the same sort of relationship it has with Israel as it does the United Kingdom. “We want to continue to invest in joint programs, the way we do with the U.K. Do joint exercises, station stuff in the country which gives them a lot of confidence, but not necessarily direct aid. “Given the scale of their economy, they don’t actually need $4 billion a year from us.” The report also calls for an increase in spending on U.S.-Israeli joint programs, like developing missile, rocket, and projectile defense capabilities for both nations, to $2.25 billion. Beginning in 2039, the plan calls for a $250 million per year increase in the amount of weapons the U.S. sells to Israel, until Israel is buying $2.25 billion worth of U.S.-made defense goods by 2047. Heritage also calls for an increase in intelligence sharing and joint counterterrorism measures, establishing a cybersecurity partnership, loosening export controls and establishing “high-level economic dialogue.” It also said the U.S. should condition aid to Palestinians on “robust deradicalization and disengagement programming in Palestinian territories to undo decades of antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda.” In response to the backlash against the report, Coates added: “The outburst of antisemitism here in the United States, you know, the attacks on Israel, showed that there’s a lot of work to do here.” “Rather than trying to tear us down for contributing, you know, maybe, maybe we should look more to getting after the substance of these issues, instead of instituting a circular firing squad.”
In lawsuit settlement, Texas Tech’s med school promises it won’t consider race in admissions
George Stewart sued Texas Tech University Health Science Center and five other medical schools claiming they rejected him in favor of lesser qualified students of color.
Paxton investigates Dallas for alleged sanctuary city policies
Attorney General Ken Paxton said a recent statement by Dallas’ interim police chief raised concerns that the city might be violating a state law against so-called sanctuary city policies.
Texas AG announces probe into Dallas over its sanctuary polices: ‘The law is not optional’
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is launching a probe into the city of Dallas over the region’s sanctuary city policies that protect illegal immigrants. On Thursday, Paxton announced the investigation, as well as a formal request for city and Dallas Police Department records concerning the police department’s refusal to comply with state and federal immigration laws. “The law is not optional. Local governments do not have the authority to disregard state and federal immigration laws,” Paxton said in a statement. “The people of Texas expect law enforcement agencies to uphold public safety, not to implement sanctuary policies that put our communities at risk.” CALIF POLITICIAN PATCHES GAPING BORDER HOLE WITH 400 FEET OF RAZOR WIRE USING HER OWN CASH “My office will take all necessary legal actions to ensure compliance with state law and hold accountable any local entity that defies its legal obligations,” he added. Paxton’s office has requested all policies, training materials and communications related to Dallas’ enforcement or non-enforcement of immigration laws, including any records reflecting decisions to decline cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He cited Dallas Interim Police Chief Michael Igo, who said that his agency “is not assisting any federal agency on detaining people that are either documented or undocumented in the City of Dallas.” HOMELAND SECURITY, TEXAS AGENTS ARREST AROUND 90 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Paxton said the chief’s remarks “raise serious concerns” that the city and police department are possibly violating Texas law, which prohibits local entities from adopting sanctuary city policies that limit immigration enforcement. In a statement to Fox News Digital, the city of Dallas said: “We are reviewing the letter received from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and will respond at the appropriate time.” Fox News Digital has reached out to the Dallas Police Department. Texas has taken a hard stance against illegal immigration, particularly during the Biden administration. The state deployed authorities to its border with Mexico and took on a campaign of bussing migrants to Democratic-run cities to bring attention to the flow of illegal immigrants into the U.S.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to where we stand with a potential government shutdown
Things are getting dicey as we hurtle toward a potential government shutdown tomorrow night as time slips off the clock. But Democrats are REALLY torn – as badly as I’ve ever seen any party torn – about what approach to take. On the one hand, they don’t want to shut down the government. They fear that will imperil already skittish federal workers. And it could lead to additional cuts from Elon Musk and DOGE if federal workers aren’t on the job. THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO WHERE WE STAND TO AVOID A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN On the other hand, they want to be seen as fighting for their base and rallying against President Donald Trump and Musk. But it is often the darkest before the dawn. And we’re getting close to the stage where lawmakers realize they must make a decision: Either go to the mat, or try to salvage something before the 11:59:59 p.m. ET deadline. There are rattlings now that Democrats may ask for votes on a universe of amendments – none of which would pass. But at least Democrats could try to save face – and tell their loyalists that they had fought for their values and tried to stand up to the president and Musk. They could also make the case that a shutdown is worse than keeping the government open. DEM DIVISIONS ERUPT OVER TRUMP SPENDING BILL TO AVOID SHUTDOWN, DESPITE SCHUMER’S CLAIM FOR UNITY Fox is told senators would be interested in votes on the following subjects: While Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., appears to be the only Democrat willing to vote for the GOP interim spending bill, it’s POSSIBLE that a vote on a set of amendments COULD unlock a few Democratic votes to break a filibuster on the bill. A test vote would likely come tomorrow morning. That’s why they need to potentially broker a deal today. Multiple Senate Democrats were utterly silent as they left a lengthy Senate Democratic Caucus. None of the senators approached by Fox were willing to talk – even though some are quite loquacious under other circumstances. That includes Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Chris Coons, D-Del., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc. In fact, Fox even asked several of the Democrats whether they have been told not to say anything. Several of them replied, “No comment.” Quiet on Capitol Hill usually means something is up, and that lawmakers are trying to broker a deal, and it could be very fragile. It also means that lawmakers are completely beside themselves and fuming inside. TRUMP CRAFTS PLAN TO CUT SPENDING WITHOUT CONGRESS AFTER SHUTDOWN IS AVERTED Don’t underestimate the latter as a potential avenue out of this political cul-de-sac. Former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, used to say that “nothing good ever happens when the House has been in session for more than three consecutive weeks.” Members grow angry. Antsy. Tempers are short. As Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., noted this morning, the Senate has been in session for 10 consecutive weeks. That includes three all-night sessions and weekend sessions. This period is the longest stretch of consecutive weeks for Senate activity in 15 years. The Senate is scheduled to be out of session next week for the first time this year. If the government shuts down, that recess could be trashed. Senators have barely seen their family members and loved ones all year long. It’s been a frenetic pace. That’s why the decision about funding the government and getting people out of the Capitol could be made by the most powerful people in Washington: the Senate spouses. This is far from settled. But they are already getting late in the game if they are to avoid a shutdown tomorrow night.
Maine judges’ mass recusal in trans sports case raises unanswered questions, legal expert says
Federal judges in Maine said they were compelled by their code of ethics to recuse themselves from a case brought forth by Maine GOP state Rep. Laurel Libby. Libby, R-Bangor, is challenging her censure in the state legislature, which was issued in response to her opposition to transgender athletes competing in women’s high school sports. Judges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, the state’s sole federal court district, announced Wednesday that they would all be recusing themselves from Libby’s case, forcing it to be moved to a court in Rhode Island. While the judges did not initially state any reasons explaining their mass recusal, Chief Judge Lance Walker said in a statement Wednesday evening that it was the result of a potential conflict of interest. “The Judges of the District of Maine independently concluded that they are compelled by the Code of Conduct for United States Judges to recuse themselves because an employee of the District of Maine is involved in or directly impacted by the controversy underlying this litigation,” Walker said. “The case will remain in the District of Maine but has been specially assigned to judges in the District of Rhode Island.” TRUMP ADMIN CUTS FUNDING TO MAINE UNIVERSITIES AS STATE DEFIES ORDER TO BAN TRANS ATHLETES FROM WOMEN’S SPORTS While Walker’s explanation shed some light on the reasoning behind the mass recusal, it failed to specify the exact nature of the conflict of interest. A Fox News Digital analysis of public records found that the transgender high school athlete at the center of Libby’s censure lawsuit – filed after she posted a photo of the athlete competing before transitioning – shares a last name with someone working in the U.S. District Court system for the District of Maine. “It seems like there was a reasonable explanation for those judges to recuse, that they all did have a close relationship with someone related to the athlete,” said Carrie Campbell Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network. Severino said, when asked about the possible familial link: “My concern now is – how has this next judge been chosen? Because there are lots of questions about whether this judge is actually able to be impartial in the case.” RILEY GAINES, LAUREL LIBBY RIP GAVIN NEWSOM, HAKEEM JEFFRIES OVER EXCUSES FOR TRANS ATHLETES IN WOMEN’S SPORTS Due to the judges’ recusal, Biden-appointed Judge Melissa DuBose of the District of Rhode Island will now oversee the case. During DuBose’s confirmation hearing in March 2024, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., questioned DuBose over comments she made to a journalist about going through a “Marxist phase” at a certain point in her life. “Senator, I have never been a Marxist and I am not [currently] a Marxist,” DuBose said. In 2021, DuBose signed a letter alongside a slew of other Rhode Island judges, ensuring the LGBTQ community, racial minorities “and all under-represented communities” that “Rhode Island’s courts are their courts.” The letter followed a rally of thousands on the state House steps protesting police brutality. SCHOOL DISTRICT BANS TRANS ATHLETES FROM GIRLS’ SPORTS AS STATE DEFIES TRUMP, SPARKING LOUD PRO-TRANS CHANTS Severino said it was “hard to imagine” that DuBose would be able to provide a fair trial in Libby’s case, which centers on highly contentious LGBTQ issues. “It’s not clear to me how it was decided it was going to go to Rhode Island, as opposed to another jurisdiction nearby. There are other adjacent states the case could theoretically go to,” Severino pointed out. “Now that it has been moved, there are further concerns about the ability of this judge to be impartial.” Libby declined to comment for this article, citing ongoing litigation. Maine House Speaker Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, who is a defendant in Libby’s case, also cited the same reason for not wanting to comment. Maine House Clerk Robert Hunt, another defendant, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Dem AGs sue over Trump administration’s Department of Education layoffs
The attorneys general of 20 Democratic states, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, slapped the Trump administration with a lawsuit after the Department of Education (DoED) cut nearly half its workforce this week. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday against Secretary Linda McMahon, the Department of Education, and President Donald Trump, claims that the president does not have authority to dismantle the department and that cuts will cause “immense damage” to their states’ educational systems. The DoEd, which Trump has said he would close “immediately,” announced on Tuesday that it would be shrinking its workforce from around 4,133 to around 2,183 employees. Remaining workers impacted by the reductions will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21. Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Communications, U.S. Department of Education, told Fox News Digital in response to the lawsuit that the reductions were “strategic, internal-facing cuts that will not directly impact students and families.” OHIO COLLEGE ‘ILLEGALLY FORCING STUDENTS’ TO SHARE BATHROOMS WITH OPPOSITE SEX: WATCHDOG SECRETARY OF EDUCATION LINDA MCMAHON PRAISES DEPARTMENT FOR TAKING STEPS TO ELIMINATE ‘BUREAUCRATIC BLOAT’ “President Trump was elected with a mandate from the American public to return education authority to the states,” Biedermann told Fox News Digital. “The Department of Education’s reduction in force (RIF) was implemented carefully and in compliance with all applicable regulations and laws. They are strategic, internal-facing cuts that will not directly impact students and families.” Biedermann also said that no employees working on the FAFSA, student loan servicing, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title funds, the Office of Special Education Programs, or the Rehabilitation Services Administration who serve children with disabilities were impacted. “The Office for Civil Rights will continue to investigate complaints and vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws,” Biedermann said. “This administration may claim to be stopping waste and fraud, but it is clear that their only mission is to take away the necessary services, resources, and funding that students and their families need,” James, New York’s attorney general and a vocal Trump critic, said in a statement on Thursday. “This outrageous effort to leave students behind and deprive them of a quality education is reckless and illegal.” The lawsuit comes just days after the Trump administration formally stripped James of her security clearances. The other blue states suing the administration include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia. The suit points to former President Ronald Reagan’s attempts to close the department, claiming that the efforts reflect “the uncontroversial understanding that only Congress may abolish an agency it created.” McMahon, during her confirmation hearing in February, acknowledged that the administration would need Congressional approval in order to eliminate the department. “The federal government does not control education, the states do, local school boards do. This is about opportunity,” McMahon told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham amid the workforce cuts. “That is why so many people are so mad about it, because they’re just taking opportunity away from kids who don’t have it.” Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report.