Pro-Israel Dem could tip scales in key Senate committee as Middle East war continues
A new addition to the Democrat side on a key Senate committee could bolster U.S. support for Israel as the country’s war against terror group Hamas continues in Gaza. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., is assigned to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (SFRC) in the new Congress, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced Thursday. The Nevada Democrat, who was re-elected in November by a narrow margin in the state that President-elect Donald Trump flipped, is notably the third Jewish woman to ever serve in the U.S. Senate. Rosen is also the co-chair and co-founder of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism alongside Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla. ‘LIVES DEPEND ON IT’: REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR PROMPT TRUMP CONFIRMATIONS IN WAKE OF NEW ORLEANS ATTACK During her time in federal office, Rosen has supported Israel’s right to self-defense, especially amid the ongoing war against Hamas. “At a time when America’s adversaries are looking to upend our global leadership and destabilize our alliances, I’m joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be a strong voice supporting our allies and fighting for freedom, democracy, and justice around the globe,” Rosen said in a statement. “I’ll continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen U.S. global partnerships and counter threats from Iran, Russia, and China. As a member of the committee, I’ll also make sure the United States’ commitment to supporting our democratic ally Israel remains unwavering and unconditional.” MIKE JOHNSON GETS PUBLIC GOP SENATE SUPPORT AHEAD OF TIGHT HOUSE SPEAKER VOTE Outgoing SFRC Chair Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., has long supported Israel, and his departure from the committee would normally leave the Democrat side somewhat unbalanced as several other members have been more critical of the U.S. ally. Current Democrat committee members include Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Chris Coons, D-Del., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. HEALTHY LIVING, PARTY UNITY, AND ‘TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES’: CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS’ NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS Six of the nine current Democrat members recently voted in favor of resolutions aimed at blocking weapon transfers to Israel. Incoming SFRC ranking member Shaheen, Merkley, Schatz, Van Hollen, Kaine and Murphy were among 19 Democrats who favored some or all of the three measures to do this on the Senate floor in November. BERNIE SANDERS PLANS TO SPEARHEAD LEGISLATION ON KEY TRUMP PROPOSAL With Rosen’s addition, there could be a greater potential for bipartisan action from the committee, particularly as it relates to Israel. The committee will be chaired by Sen. James Risch, R-Idaho, in the new Congress.
Trump names latest White House staff picks as Jan. 20 inauguration approaches
President-elect Trump announced his latest staff picks on Saturday night, naming four additional people to serve in the White House in administrative and advisory capacities. Trump, who takes office in less than three weeks, began by naming Stanley E. Woodward, Jr., to serve as an assistant to the president and a senior counselor. Woodward co-founded a law firm called Brand Woodward Law, LP, where he “represented numerous high-profile clients in complex, high-stakes litigation, including multiple federal jury trials,” according to Trump. “Previously, he worked at a multinational law firm where his experience included the representation of multiple international corporations in defense of alleged violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as well as serving as coordinating counsel to companies involved in nationwide federal litigation,” the statement read. AMB. CARLA SANDS: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S FOCUS ON GREENLAND–WHY WE HOPE TO STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIP Next, Trump said that Robert Gabriel, Jr., will work as an assistant to the president for policy. “Mr. Gabriel has served President Donald J. Trump in various roles since his 2015 campaign for the world’s most powerful office,” the statement read. He started in Trump Tower as a Policy Advisor on Mr. Trump’s historic campaign.” “Mr. Gabriel served in the West Wing, for the entirety of the first Trump Administration, as Special Assistant to the President.” Nicholas F. Luna is slated to serve as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for strategic implementation, the president-elect said. His role will involve scheduling and managing external White House communications. JEAN-PIERRE BRISTLES WHEN PRESSED ON PAST ‘DEMOCRACY’ WARNINGS: ‘DO NOT APPRECIATE HAVING MY WORDS TWISTED’ Trump called Luna a “highly respected White House veteran and a Trump-Vance campaign warrior.” “He previously served in the White House as Presidential Trip Director, Personal Aide to the President, Assistant to the President, and Director of Oval Office Operations,” Trump said. “Most recently, he served with great distinction as Director of Operations for Vice President-elect JD Vance.” Finally, Trump said that William “Beau” Harrison will serve as an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for operations. The statement called him a “trusted aide to the President and First Family.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “During President Trump’s first term, Mr. Harrison served as the liaison between the operational elements of the Executive Office of the President and was charged with the coordination and execution of all presidential travel, including dozens of complex international visits,” Trump’s statement added. “He has participated in and led multiple U.S. delegations across the globe in countries, such as North Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and played a critical role in planning each of the historic summits with DPRK Leader Kim Jong-Un.”
Johnson reveals Trump’s wishes on delivering huge policy overhaul in closed-door meeting
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Republican lawmakers on Saturday that President-elect Trump supports a conservative policy overhaul via a single large bill, three sources told Fox News Digital. Trump wants both the House and Senate to have such a bill on his desk by May, the sources said. The president-elect’s buy-in will likely end the growing intraparty friction on how to pass Republican goals next year via a process known as “reconciliation,” which lawmakers plan to use to pass conservative policy and budget changes. House Republicans met behind closed doors in Washington’s Fort McNair on Saturday to discuss the plan. JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’ Reconciliation allows the Senate to bypass its traditional 60-vote threshold in favor of a simple majority, provided the legislation is focused on budgetary and other fiscal matters. Both parties have traditionally used reconciliation to pass broad policy changes in a single bill. But the legislation also goes through a strict assessment where the Senate parliamentarian is tasked with deciding what is and is not relevant to U.S. fiscal matters. Notably, Democrats previously tried to use reconciliation to pass mass amnesty measures, but they were blocked. Republicans might face similar issues with their push to add border security provisions to the bill. They’re also aiming to use it to extend Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, as well as to pass measures on energy and defense. The apparent decision by Johnson on Saturday comes after Congressional Republicans were at odds over whether to pass one or two reconciliation bills. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY It is a process normally used once per year, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., floated a plan last month to split Republicans’ priorities into two bills – one dealing with the border and defense and a second aimed at preserving Trump’s tax policy. The plan was also backed by top Trump adviser Stephen Miller. But that push angered Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee, who warned that two reconciliation bills could be too big a lift, and putting taxes second could imperil remaining GOP tax provisions that are set to expire at the end of this year. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., pointed out on Fox Business Network’s’ “Mornings With Maria” that Congress has not passed two reconciliation bills into law in one year since 1997. “I am saying we need a reconciliation bill that has border, energy, permitting and tax. You put all four of those things together, we can deliver on that,” Smith said. The panel put out a memo last month warning that everyday Americans could see their taxes rise by 22% if Trump’s tax policies expire. But other lawmakers bristled at the idea that two bills were impossible. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital last month, “I think we need to prove to the American people that we can actually defend our borders. The bottom line is, I think they need to be on almost parallel tracks. But I do believe that taxes are much more complicated.” Fox News Digital reached out to Thune and Smith’s offices for comment. Thune’s office responded and declined to comment, and Smith’s office did not immediately respond.
Jimmy Carter’s funeral services begin with trek to childhood home, Atlanta
The week-long state funeral services honoring former President Jimmy Carter, who died at 100 last week, began Saturday morning. The ceremonies will honor Carter’s journey from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to his esteemed role on the global humanitarian stage and as the 39th American president. On Saturday morning, individuals gathered in downtown Plains to place flowers at the base of Carter’s monument. The tribute also featured Habitat for Humanity hard hats adorned with handwritten messages, including one that read, “God bless you, Mr. President,” USA Today first reported. His specific cause of death on Dec. 29 was unclear. Carter’s death followed the passing of his wife Rosalynn on Nov. 19, 2023. She died at the age of 96 with her family by her side at the Carter home in Plains, just days after she had been admitted to hospice care. JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100 Carter was the oldest living president. Here is the order of funeral events: •10:15 a.m.: The Carter family will arrive at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia. Nine current and former Secret Service agents of Carter’s administration will serve as pallbearers, escorting his remains to the hearse. •10:50 a.m.: The motorcade will travel through Plains, pausing briefly at Carter’s boyhood home in Archery. During this pause, the National Park Service will ring the historic farm bell 39 times, symbolizing Carter’s tenure as the 39th President. •10:55 a.m.: The journey to Atlanta will begin. FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER TO SPEND ‘REMAINING TIME’ AT HOME RECEIVING HOSPICE CARE •3:00 p.m.: Upon arrival in Atlanta, the motorcade will stop at the Georgia State Capitol for a moment of silence led by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and members of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia State Patrol troopers, both current and retired, will assemble on the Capitol steps, with those who served on Carter’s security detail during his governorship taking a place of distinction. •3:45 p.m.: An arrival ceremony will take place at the Carter Presidential Center. •4:00 p.m.: A private service will be conducted in the lobby of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. •7:00 p.m.: President Carter will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential Center, allowing the public to pay their respects until 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7. •Jan. 7: President Carter’s remains will be transported to Washington, D.C., where he will lie in state at the U.S. Capitol for national homage. •Jan. 9: A national funeral service will be held at the Washington National Cathedral, with President Joe Biden expected to deliver the eulogy. Biden declared Thursday a National Day of Mourning. JIMMY CARTER EXPECTED TO LIE IN ROTUNDA AHEAD OF STATE FUNERAL SCHEDULED BY BIDEN •Following the Washington service, Carter’s remains will return to Georgia for a private funeral at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Carter will then be laid to rest next to his late wife, Rosalynn Carter, at their residence. Fox News Digital’s Andrea Magolis contributed to this report.
Outrage as Biden set to award Hillary Clinton, George Soros with Presidential Medal of Freedom
Social media erupted in anger Saturday morning with news that President Biden will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and left-wing billionaire George Soros. The award, the nation’s highest civilian honor, is given to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors, the White House said in a statement. Tesla founder Elon Musk led the furious outcry, labeling the decision to award Soros the honor as “a travesty.” Musk shared a video clip of himself on Joe Rogan’s podcast where he said he believed that Soros “fundamentally hates humanity.” “He’s doing things that erode the fabric of civilization. You know, getting DAs elected who refuse to prosecute crime,” he says in the clip. PRESIDENT BIDEN AWARDS MEDAL OF HONOR TO SEVEN ARMY VETERANS Online commentator Blake Habyan wrote, “What a joke — these people have done the exact opposite of what the award is intended for,” while Natalie F Danelishen wrote that the news could be a Babylon Bee story given how unbelievable it is. “Seriously, two of the worst people on earth,” she wrote. Clinton, the White House said, made “history many times over decades in public service” and the first female senator from New York and the first, First Lady to simultaneously hold elected office. After serving as Secretary of State, she became the first woman nominated for president by a major United States political party. As the Democrat nominee, she lost her bid to be the country’s first female president when she lost to President-elect Trump in the 2016 election. However, her tenure as Secretary of State came in for much criticism over her handling of the war in Libya and the attack on United States government facilities in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012. Four Americans died in the attack, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. She also used a private email server for government business. Although FBI Director James Comey said publicly that Clinton mishandled classified information, he declined to recommend prosecution and the Justice Department refused to move forward with the case. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, was bestowed the same honor by former President Barack Obama. Soros, a mega-Democrat donor, runs a web of non-profits that bankroll various candidates around the world who align with his progressive agenda, including his Open Society Foundations. Soros has given over $32 billion to Open Society Foundations since 1984, according to its website. The White House said that Soros’ philanthropy across the world has strengthened democracy, human rights, education and social justice. However, commentators on the right have slammed him for funding progressive district attorneys who have been light on crime, which they say has led to crime waves in Blue cities. Saturday’s ceremony comes just days after Biden awarded former Republican Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Mississippi Democrat Rep. Bennie Thompson with the Presidential Citizens Medal after the pair oversaw the controversial Jan. 6 House Select Committee. The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second-highest civilian medal. Clinton and Soros are among 17 other prominent figures to be bestowed the award, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Those being presented with the honor represent prominent figures in politics, fashion, sport, entertainment and activism. Robert Francis Kennedy, the former Attorney General, will be posthumously awarded the gong, while other notable recipients include actors Denzel Washington and Michael J. Fox, U2 frontman Bono, former basketballer Earvin “Magic” Johnson and soccer star Lionel Messi. “President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else,” a White House statement reads. “These nineteen Americans are great leaders who have made America a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.” SOROS DAS SUFFER 12 BIG DEFEATS, BILLIONAIRE’S AGENDA FACES UNCERTAIN FUTURE Kennedy, the father of former Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is being recognized for combatting racial segregation and as a United States Senator, “sought to address poverty and inequality in the country.” His legacy continues to inspire those committed to justice, equality, and public service, the White House said. José Andrés, celebrity chef and founder of the World Central Kitchen charity group. Bono, frontman for rock band U2 and an activist against AIDS and poverty. Ashton Baldwin Carter (posthumous), 25th Secretary of Defense. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former First Lady and former Secretary of State. Michael J. Fox, Grammy Award-winning actor and advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and development. Tim Gill, entrepreneur, LGBTQ rights advocate. Dr. Jane Goodall, world-renowned ethologist and conservationist. Fannie Lou Hamer (posthumous), civil rights advocate and founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Earvin “Magic” Johnson, legendary retired basketball player and philanthropist who supports underserved communities through his Magic Johnson Foundation. Robert Francis Kennedy (posthumous), former Attorney General and New York Senator. Ralph Lauren, world-renowned fashion designer and cancer research advocate Lionel Messi, soccer’s most decorated player, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who supports healthcare and education programs for children William Sanford Nye, often referred to as “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” a science educator who advocates for space exploration and environmental stewardship. George W. Romney (posthumous), businessman and former Governor of Michigan David M. Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, philanthropist who supports the restoration of historic landmarks and cultural institutions. George Soros, philanthropist and Open Society Foundations founder. George Stevens, Jr., author and playright. Denzel Washington, actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards. Served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years. Anna Wintour, fashion icon and the editor-in-chief of Vogue.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul seeks expanded involuntary commitment laws over violent crimes on subway
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is looking to expand the state’s involuntary commitment laws to allow hospitals to force more people with mental health problems into treatment. This comes in response to a series of violent crimes in the New York City subway system. Hochul said Friday she wants to introduce legislation during the coming legislative session to amend mental health care laws to address the recent surge of violent crimes on the subway. “Many of these horrific incidents have involved people with serious untreated mental illness, the result of a failure to get treatment to people who are living on the streets and are disconnected from our mental health care system,” the governor said. HOCHUL’S CHRISTMASTIME BOAST OF SAFER SUBWAY CAME AMID STRING OF ALARMING VIOLENT ATTACKS “We have a duty to protect the public from random acts of violence, and the only fair and compassionate thing to do is to get our fellow New Yorkers the help they need,” she continued. Mental health experts say that most people with mental illness are not violent and are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to carry out a violent crime. The governor did not provide details on what her legislation would change. “Currently, hospitals are able to commit individuals whose mental illness puts themselves or others at risk of serious harm, and this legislation will expand that definition to ensure more people receive the care they need,” she said. Hochul also said she would introduce another bill to improve the process in which courts can order people to undergo assisted outpatient treatments for mental illness and make it easier for people to voluntarily sign up for those treatments. The governor said she is “deeply grateful” to law enforcement who every day “fight to keep our subways safe.” But she said “we can’t fully address this problem without changes to state law.” “Public safety is my top priority and I will do everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe,” she said. State law currently allows police to compel people to be taken to hospitals for evaluation if they appear to be suffering from mental illness and their behavior presents a risk of physical harm to themselves or others. Psychiatrists must then determine if the patients need to be involuntarily hospitalized. New York Civil Liberties Union executive director Donna Lieberman said requiring more people to be placed into involuntary commitment “doesn’t make us safer, it distracts us from addressing the roots of our problems, and it threatens New Yorkers’ rights and liberties.” Hochul’s statement comes after a series of violent crimes in New York City’s subways, including an incident on New Year’s Eve when a man shoved another man onto subway tracks ahead of an incoming train, on Christmas Eve when a man slashed two people with a knife in Manhattan’s Grand Central subway station and on Dec. 22 when a suspect lit a sleeping woman on fire and burned her to death. NYC MAN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER ALLEGEDLY SHOVING COMMUTER IN PATH OF SUBWAY The medical histories of the suspects in those three incidents were not immediately clear, but New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has said the man accused of the knife attack in Grand Central had a history of mental illness and the father of the suspect who shoved a man onto the tracks told The New York Times that he had become concerned about his son’s mental health in the weeks prior to the incident. Adams has spent the past few years urging the state Legislature to expand mental health care laws and has previously supported a policy that would allow hospitals to involuntarily commit a person who is unable to meet their own basic needs for food, clothing, shelter or medical care. “Denying a person life-saving psychiatric care because their mental illness prevents them from recognizing their desperate need for it is an unacceptable abdication of our moral responsibility,” the mayor said in a statement after Hochul’s announcement. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bernie Sanders hits out at H-1B visa program for replacing American jobs with ‘indentured servants’
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is taking aim at the controversial H-1B visa program, arguing that it replaces “good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad” — just as the program is at the center of a debate within the Republican Party. “The main function of the H-1B visa program and other guest worker initiatives is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad,” Sanders wrote on X. “The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make.” The self-described democratic socialist has a history of opposing the program, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for specialty occupations. It is predominantly used by the tech industry, but has faced criticism mainly from the right that it brings in cheap labor from abroad to replace American workers. TRUMP SAYS HE’S NOT CHANGED HIS MIND ON H-1B VISAS AS DEBATE RAGES WITHIN MAGA COALITION The program recently became part of an intra-Republican debate when Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been tapped by Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, argued for the importance of foreign workers for tech companies. “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla, and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” Musk said on X. That reopened a rift between those on the right over the program and whether it is being used to attract the best talent or being used by companies to bring in cheaper labor, primarily from India, who are tied to their job by the visa. Sanders cited statistics to show that in 2022 and 2023, the top 30 corporations using the program laid off over 85,000 American workers, while hiring over 34,000 H-1B workers, and that 33% of new IT jobs are filled by foreign national guest workers. He also pointed to layoffs at Tesla, one of Musk’s companies. ERIC SCHMITT BLASTS ‘ABUSE’ OF H-1B VISA PROGRAM, SAYS AMERICANS ‘SHOULDN’T TRAIN THEIR FOREIGN REPLACEMENTS’ “If this program is really supposed to be about importing workers with highly advanced degrees in science and technology, why are H-1B guest workers being employed as dog trainers, massage therapists, cooks, and English teachers?” he said. “Can we really not find English teachers in America?” Sanders conceded that there may be labor shortages that could be filled by H-1B workers, but he called for substantially increased guest worker fees in order to pay for opportunities for Americans, as well as other reforms, including increased minimum wages and the ability to easily move jobs. “Bottom line. It should never be cheaper for a corporation to hire a guest worker from overseas than an American worker,” he said. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MOVES TO CHANGE H-1B GUEST WORKER PROGRAM TO PRIORITIZE HIGHER-WAGE APPLICANTS Sanders said that the “economic elite and political establishments” promised in the 1990s that a loss of blue-collar jobs due to free trade agreements would be offset by more white-collar IT jobs. “Well, that turned out to be a Big Lie. Not only have corporations exported millions of blue-collar manufacturing jobs to China, Mexico, and other low-wage countries, they are now importing hundreds of thousands of low-paid guest workers from abroad to fill the white-collar technology jobs that are available,” he said. Sanders comments come days after President-elect Trump, who had railed against H-1B abuse during the 2016 campaign, said that he has always supported the program. “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program,” he told the New York Post.
Speaker Johnson faces year of tight votes and acrimony: ‘A lot of expectations’
While the high-stakes fight to lead the House of Representatives is over, Speaker Mike Johnson’s politically perilous year is just beginning. Winning the speaker’s gavel was no easy feat considering Johnson, R-La., had no Democratic support and could only lose one fellow Republican, thanks to the House GOP’s razor-thin majority. All House Republicans except for Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted for Johnson on Friday afternoon. Two GOP lawmakers who had initially voted for someone other than Johnson, Reps. Keith Self, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, R-S.C., were eventually persuaded to switch their votes after speaking with Johnson and President-elect Trump. Johnson will have to navigate a similarly slim margin over the next few months as he helps carry out what President-elect Donald Trump promised would be a very active first 100 days of his new administration. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY “There’s a lot of expectations and potential pitfalls,” Marc Short, who served as director of legislative affairs during the first Trump administration, told Fox News Digital in an interview late last month. Just the first half of 2025 alone is expected to see at least three separate fiscal fights. Johnson, meanwhile, is set to lose two House Republicans – Reps. Elise Stefanik of New York and Mike Waltz of Florida. Both members are joining the Trump administration at the end of this month. It will reduce his House GOP majority to just 217 seats, compared to 215 for Democrats, which means Republicans will need to vote in lock-step to pass any bills on a party-line vote. Special elections to replace Waltz and retired Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., are set for April. An election to replace Stefanik has not yet been set. Meanwhile, Republicans are gunning to pass two massive conservative policy and spending overhauls via a process called “reconciliation,” which lowers the threshold for passage in the Senate from 60 votes to a simple majority for certain budgetary issues. Both Republicans and Democrats have tried to use reconciliation to pass significant fiscal policy changes that the other side normally opposes, meaning it takes extraordinary levels of intra-party cooperation in both the House and Senate. “There’s huge expectations on budget reconciliation, and that’s really hard, even when you’ve got wide margins. To think you’re going to do it twice in a year with those margins, I think is an enormously high expectation that seems to be unreasonable,” Short told Fox News Digital. “And add onto that another funding bill in three months, plus a debt ceiling fight.” Along with reconciliation bills – which are unlikely to get much, if any, Democratic support – Republicans will also have to grapple with the government funding deadline they just punted to March 14. DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER House and Senate lawmakers passed a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024’s government funding levels in December to give negotiators more time to hash out the rest of FY 2025. Congress will risk plunging the government into a partial shutdown if the House and Senate does not pass another funding extension or set new priorities for the remainder of FY 2025 by then. The next government funding deadline will come at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. That’s not all Johnson will have to focus on during those months, however. A bipartisan agreement struck in 2023 suspended the U.S. debt limit through January 2025 – after which the Treasury Department will be forced to take “extraordinary measures” to avoid a national credit default. The debt limit refers to how much debt the U.S. government can accrue while making expenditures it has already committed to. As of Christmas Eve, the national debt — which measures what the U.S. owes its creditors — fell to $36,161,621,015,445.57, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department. Raising the debt limit is also traditionally a fraught political battle, with both Republicans and Democrats seeking any possible leverage to attach their own policy goals to the negotiations. A recent model produced by the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) projects the Treasury’s “extraordinary measures” will carry the U.S. through mid-June or earlier, giving Congress potentially six months to act.
A user’s manual to certifying the presidential election
The House and Senate will meet on Monday in a Joint Session of Congress to certify the results of the 2024 presidential vote. The Capitol riot and contretemps over certification of the 2020 presidential election converted the quadrennial, often sleepy affair of certifying the Electoral College into a full-blown national security event. Congressional security officials began erecting 10-foot-high fencing around the outer perimeter of the Capitol complex over the past few days. Some of the fences extend beyond the usual “Capitol Square” which includes the Capitol building itself. One such fence was all the way around the outer boundaries of the Russell Senate Park. One of the great ironies in the American political system is that the person who lost the race for the presidency often presides over their own defeat. In this case, Vice President Harris. Harris remains the Vice President until January 20. That also means she continues as President of the Senate. Others have performed this onerous task of certifying their own defeat. Future President Richard Nixon was Vice President when he lost to President John F. Kennedy in 1960. Nixon then certified JFK as the winner in January 1961. Former Vice President Al Gore ceded his election to President George W. Bush after the disputed 2000 election and tumult over which candidate actually won Florida. Gore was then at the Capitol to seal Bush’s victory in January 2001. TRUMP RECLAIMS INFLUENCE OF GOP AS REPUBLICANS FALL IN LINE BEHIND JOHNSON Here’s what the 12th Amendment to the Constitution says about Congress signing off on the election results: “The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted.” This dictates a Joint Session of Congress. This is where the House and Senate meet together, simultaneously, usually in the House chamber. The Speaker of the House presides alongside the President of the Senate: in this case, Vice President Harris. But Harris kind of runs the show. The House and Senate only meet in a Joint Session of Congress to receive the President for State of the Union and to certify the election outcome. And since the House successfully elected a Speaker on Friday afternoon, the House and Senate can convene the Joint Session. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will co-preside over the session atop the dais in the House chamber. Things are different compared to this exercise four years ago. The relatively routine, almost ceremonial, certification of the Electoral College forever changed on January 6, 2021, following the Capitol riot. JEFFRIES CLAIMS ‘NO ELECTION DENIERS’ AMONG DEMS DESPITE 2016 ‘ILLEGITIMATE’ REMARKS WHEN TRUMP WON Capitol Police began restricting vehicular traffic on streets around the Capitol complex early Monday morning. Access to the House and Senate Office Buildings are limited to members, staff and visitors who are there are on official business. There will only be a few access points for pedestrians to the Capitol grounds. Official Capitol tours are suspended. Johnson will call the House to order around 1 p.m. EST on Monday. House Sergeant at Arms Bill McFarland will announce the arrival of Harris and senators as they enter the House chamber. Members of the House Administration Committee and Senate Rules Committee will serve as “tellers” to assist in the tabulation of the electoral votes. DEMOCRATS HAVE MIXED REACTION TO JOHNSON’S SPEAKER VICTORY: ‘HELL HAS FROZEN OVER’ Harris will declare that the House and Senate are meeting in the Joint Session and announce “that the certificates (of election) are authentic and correct in form.” Starting with Alabama, it’s likely that one of the tellers will read the following: “The certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Alabama seems to be regular in form and authentic. It appears therefore that Donald John Trump of the State of Florida received nine votes for President and JD Vance of the State of Ohio received nine votes for Vice President.” And on we go. In late 2022, lawmakers made several changes to the 1887 “Electoral Count Act.” Congress initially passed the Electoral Count Act in response to the disputed election of 1876. Multiple states sent competing slates of electors to Washington. Lawmakers determined there was no formality to tabulating the Electoral College results. Democrat Samuel Tilden prevailed in the popular vote. But President Rutherford B. Hayes won the White House – after a special commission empaneled by Congress presented him with 20 electoral votes in dispute. The 2022 Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act clarified the role of the Vice President in the Joint Session of Congress. President-elect Trump and other loyalists leaned on then-Vice President Pence to assert himself in the process. Many demanded that he accept alternative slates of electors from the states in question. The updated law states that the Vice President’s role is simply “ministerial.” The new statute says the Vice President lacks the power “to determine, accept, reject, or otherwise adjudicate or resolve disputes over the proper list of electors, the validity of electors, or the votes of electors.” VP HARRIS MOCKED FOR FLUBBING OPENING LINE OF PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE: ‘WHAT AN EMBARASSMENT’ The new law also established an expedited judicial appellate process for litigation regarding electoral votes. Finally, the law altered how lawmakers themselves can contest a state’s slate of electors during the Joint Session. The old system required one House member and one senator to sign a petition challenging an individual state’s electoral slate. In 2021, Republicans planned to challenge as many as six swing states. They ultimately questioned two. In 2001, multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus tried to challenge Florida’s slate of electors. But they had no Senate co-sponsor. After Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., made her entreaty to question Florida’s electoral votes, Al Gore – again, presiding over his own loss – asked if the California Democrat had a Senate cohort. Waters replied that she did not and “did not care.” Gore then responded with a statesmanlike proclamation that salved the
President Biden awards Medal of Honor to seven Army veterans
President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, to seven U.S. Army veterans for their heroism during the Korean and Vietnam Wars at the White House on Friday. Private Bruno Orig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Private First Class Charles Johnson, retired General Richard Cavazos, Captain Hugh Nelson, Jr., and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth David were all honored. BIDEN TO AWARD MEDAL OF HONOR TO UNION SOLDIERS IN ‘ONE OF THE EARLIEST SPECIAL OPERATIONS’ IN ARMY HISTORY “These are genuine to their core heroes. Heroes of different ranks, different positions, and even different generations. But heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes who all deserve our nation’s highest and oldest military recognition,” Biden said. Five of the recipients were killed in battle, including Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr. who is the first-ever graduate from The Citadel Military College in South Carolina to receive the Medal of Honor. Nelson was previously awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Cross. 28-year-old Captain Nelson served as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war under the 114th aviation company Air Mobile Light. On the fateful day of June 5th, 1966, near Moc Hoa, a rural district in Southern Vietnam, Nelson was the acting aircraft commander on a search and destroy reconnaissance mission. The armed UH-1B Huey helicopter he was flying was struck by hostile gunfire that made the aircraft virtually uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot were able to crash land the aircraft without lateral controls. ‘WE BELIEVE IN DONALD TRUMP’: MORE THAN A DOZEN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS ENDORSE FORMER PRESIDENT But they crash landed right in the middle of enemy positions. The crash destroyed all the weapons on board. Nelson was the first of his crew to gain consciousness. He quickly saw the enemy was surrounding the crash site. Ignoring his own injuries and enemy fire from 30-feet away, Nelson sprang into action and began evacuating his three wounded crew mates—the crew chief, the door gunner, and co-pilot. The crew chief was pinned down in the cargo compartment and the door gunner was trapped in the Huey. With his bare hands, Nelson ripped off one of the helicopter doors to evacuate himself and his crew while insurgents were firing rounds from 30-feet away. Nelson used his own body as a human shield as he lifted the door gunner to the ground and was killed by the gunfire after being shot between six and 20 times while doing so. Because of Nelson’s sacrifice, the wounded specialist was able to signal support with a smoke grenade. Supporting aircraft responded immediately, preventing the insurgents from advancing on the downed aircraft and successfully rescued the three wounded crew members and Captain Nelson’s remains. Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf at the White House ceremony. She was just 5-years-old and her little brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6-months-old when their father left for Fort Bragg, now named Fort Liberty, to start his tour in Vietnam. The Army notified Nelson’s family that he was killed in battle just one day before his infant son’s first birthday. BIDEN AWARDS LIZ CHENEY, JAN 6 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN A MEDAL: US ‘IS BETTER BECAUSE OF THEIR DEDICATION’ “Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his own life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day,” his Medal of Honor citation reads. “Nelson’s distinctive accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.” Captain Nelson graduated from The Citadel in 1959. Before the fateful battle he served three years in Taiwan. His co-captain who was rescued was Captain Bailey Jones. Jones also graduated from the Citadel, in the class of 1964. Top Army ROTC Cadet at the Citadel, Tomas Fitzpatrick, attended the ceremony on Friday. “The sacrifice of Captain Hugh Nelson is a powerful reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel — honor, duty and respect. As someone who plans to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation, we all strive to lead with the same bravery and commitment,” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick will be joining the Army infantry after graduation in May. The Citadel’s Army ROTC department is one of the largest commissioning sources in the country. 120 Army 2nd lieutenants were commissioned in 2024 alone. “Captain Hugh Reavis Nelson, Jr. exemplified the highest values of courage, selflessness and leadership that we instill in every Citadel cadet. Nelson’s service to his comrades and country remains an enduring inspiration for us all,” Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters said in a statement. “To learn these stories of Americans like Bruno and Wataru, and Fred, and Charlie, Richard, Hugh, Ken, Americans who have not only fought for our nation but who embodied the very best our nation has to offer. Let me also say this today we award these individuals a medal of honor. We can’t stop here because as a nation, it’s up to us to give this medal meaning, to keep fighting, to keep fighting for one another, for each other, to keep defending everything these heroes fought for and many of them died for,” Biden said.