GOP leadership says national security package must include stricter border policies to pass Senate
Senate Republicans are vowing to block the passage of President Biden’s $106 billion national security package out of the upper chamber unless it includes increased security and asylum reforms at the southern border. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged Democrats to negotiate with Republicans on stricter border policies to stop the influx of migrants into the United States. Republicans have been arguing for weeks that the current national security package lacks a proper strategy. “I called the president last week to make sure he understood that there wouldn’t be a bill without a credible effort to get on top of our disastrous southern border situation,” McConnell told reporters Tuesday after the GOP’s weekly luncheon resumed following the Thanksgiving recess. “I hope that made the point, because I think on our side, I’ve been the most enthusiastic supporter of the underlying bill, but this has to be part of it,” he said. SCHUMER TO SEND BIDEN’S $106 BILLION SUPPLEMENTAL PACKAGE REQUEST TO SENATE FLOOR AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., called the White House’s border security “a complete and utter failure” and said “there is no way” a supplemental will make its way out of the House and Senate “if it doesn’t address the national security crisis at our border.” “We will insist on it,” he said. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., a member of the appropriations committee, slammed Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for scheduling federal nominations this week instead of roll calls on appropriations bills. “He’s squandering good time and resources,” she said. The White House’s supplemental request, which was sent to Congress in October, includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel (with $10.6 billion allocated for military aid), $13.6 billion for some border security provisions, and significant investments in Indo-Pacific security assistance, totaling around $7.4 billion. Additionally, there’s $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. The supplemental request only proposes more money to speed up the processing of migrants, but no policy reforms, setting up a showdown between Congress and the president. SEN MARSHALL URGES GOP TO SAY ‘HELL NO’ TO SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST WITHOUT TIGHTER BORDER SECURITY Meanwhile, Schumer blamed Republicans for the package’s “holdup” in a Dear Colleague letter sent on Sunday night. “The biggest holdup to the national security assistance package right now is the insistence by our Republican colleagues on partisan border policy as a condition for vital Ukraine aid. This has injected a decades old, hyper-partisan issue into overwhelmingly bipartisan priorities,” Schumer said in the letter. On Tuesday, Schumer reiterated that point in a press conference following the caucus’ luncheon. Schumer said “a handful of Republicans have dangerously tried to link Ukraine aid” to border security. Negotiations between Democrat and Republican senators continued over the Thanksgiving recess, and Schumer told reporters, “Republicans are making it difficult” for a bipartisan aid bill. McConnell also said Tuesday he received a call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thanksgiving. The minority leader said, “It’s important we don’t pressure the Israelis into a point where they can’t achieve their goal” in Gaza. McConnell has been a staunch supporter of tying Israel and Ukraine aid together in the supplemental – another sticking point for a faction of GOP lawmakers who want the two voted on separately. Schumer also wants Israel and Ukraine to remain in one package. Schumer called an all-senators classified briefing on the situation in Ukraine this week.
Biden campaign allies Pelosi, Gov. Cooper float message Trump is ‘coming for your health care’
President Biden’s campaign board members former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democrat North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper called former President Trump’s call to replace Obamacare an “assault.” Pelosi and Cooper, respectively the chair and a member of the Biden campaign’s National Advisory Board, spoke to the press on a Tuesday conference call regarding Trump’s pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) if elected president in 2024. Pelosi began by calling the former president’s comment a “dire threat to the health and well-being of America’s families.” TRUMP BLASTS AMERICAN LEADERS AS NO US CITIZENS ARE AMONG HAMAS HOSTAGES RECENTLY RELEASED “This weekend, the former president reminded us that he is hellbent on destroying the Affordable Care Act. In doing so, he’s making an assault on the financial and health security of America’s families,” Pelsoi said. Pelosi repeated claims that Trump’s calls to repeal Obamacare — officially known as the ACA — were an “assault” and that the leading 2024 GOP contender is “coming for your health care” “When he says he’s going after our health care, believe him,” the Democrat said, suggesting that under President Biden’s leadership, “healthcare is more affordable and accessible than ever before.” In a continued pointed conversation around the former president, Cooper added that “Donald Trump is great at reading the room full of conspiracy theorists, but clueless in reading the room of everyday Americans who need health insurance.” The Democrats made more claims on behalf of Biden’s re-election efforts, suggesting that if elected, Trump would “hurt millions of Americans” and we need to “preserve our democracy.” “Donald Trump is clearly speaking in autocratic tones, and he has a lot of followers who prefer an autocracy over a democracy as long as their guy’s in power,” Cooper continued. Over the weekend on TruthSocial, Trump said he was heavily looking at “alternatives” to Obamacare — the white whale from his first administration. “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare. I’m seriously looking at alternatives,” Trump wrote. IF MANCHIN RUNS FOR PRESIDENT, WILL HE BE A SPOILER AND THROW THE ELECTION TO TRUMP? “We had a couple of Republican Senators who campaigned for 6 years against it, and then raised their hands not to terminate it,” he continued, referencing the late Senator John McCain, R-Ari., who blocked Trump’s repeal efforts in 2017. “It was a low point for the Republican Party, but we should never give up!” Trump’s post comes as he aims to take back the White House from Biden in the 2024 presidential election. The former president is the front-runner in the GOP field that has been whittling its numbers down after several debates. Still, for Trump to get his rematch with Biden, he will have to go through several high-profile Republicans, including his former protégé Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and his former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed reporting.
Kansas scraps ‘ugly as sin’ license plate redesign rebuked by public
Kansas has had enough problems with some outsiders seeing it as flyover country, so perhaps it didn’t need a new license plate that many people saw as ugly and drab. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that in response to criticism of a new navy blue and deep gold plate, she had slammed the brakes on its production — only six days after her office unveiled the design. Facing a threat that the Republican-controlled Legislature would intervene, she promised an eventual public vote on several possible designs. The now-disfavored design was mostly gold with a navy strip across the top, navy numbers and no art. It was a sharp break with the current plate, which is pale blue with navy letters and numbers and features an embossed representation of the state seal, mostly in white. Those plates have deteriorated over the years, and many are difficult for law enforcement to read, according to the state Department of Revenue, which issues them. HOMEMADE LICENSE PLATE ON STOLEN CAR LEADS TO CALIFORNIA WOMAN’S ARREST Starting in March, motorists would have been required to buy a new plate for 50 cents when they renewed a vehicle’s annual registration. To avoid using the new plate, they would have had to opt for a specialized one and pay an additional $45. Kelly initially praised the new design as promoting the state’s optimism. The bottom featured the first half of the state motto, “To the stars,” in navy blue script. The second half of the motto is, “through difficulties,” perhaps an apt description of the opposition she would immediately face after introducing the plate, despite her administration’s professed good intentions. Kris Kobach, the state’s Republican attorney general, tweeted that the design closely resembled a New York plate known as “Empire Gold.” A driver quoted by Fox4 television in Kansas City was reminded of the black and gold colors of the University of Missouri, once the arch-nemesis of the University of Kansas in a tame version of the states’ border fighting before and during the Civil War. KANSAS HIGHWAY PATROL PROHIBITED FROM UNFAIR STOPS AND SEARCHES FOR OUT-OF-STATE DRIVERS With legislators set to reconvene in January, Republicans were prepared to mandate a pause and public comment. Lawmakers earlier this year authorized spending up to $9.8 million on producing new plates, and tapping leftover federal coronavirus pandemic relief dollars to cover much of the cost. Even a Democratic legislator responded to the new design by tweeting, “Absolutely not.” The Kansas Reflector’s opinion editor deemed it “ugly as sin” in a column under a headline calling it “slapdash and dull.” And dull isn’t good for a state long associated in the popular mind with the drab-looking, black and white parts of the classic movie, “The Wizard of Oz,” its sometimes spectacular prairie vistas notwithstanding. “I’ve heard you loud and clear,” Kelly said in a statement issued Tuesday by her office. “Elected officials should be responsive to their constituents.”
Massachusetts Gov. Healey unveils climate blueprint for coastal communities
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey unveiled a new strategy Tuesday that she said will help the state’s 78 coastal communities work together to better cope with the challenges brought on by climate change. One element of the “ResilientCoasts” initiative is grouping distinct geographic regions that share similar landscape characteristics and face similar climate hazards, dubbed “coastal resilience districts.” Massachusetts has more than 1,500 miles of coastline that spans salt marshes, beaches, rocky shores, dunes, ports and harbors, as well as residential and commercial areas. The program’s goal is to help the communities within each district come up with tailored policies and strategies to address the impacts of climate change, and to pursue federal funds. MASSACHUSETTS INITIATES $5 MILLION GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR HOMELESS FAMILIES Other goals of the strategy announced Tuesday include creating nature-based solutions for coastal erosion — including flood protection — streamlining the permitting process, and making sure future resiliency projects take into consideration the latest projected rise in sea level. “Climate change poses a very real threat to our coastal way of life, but it also presents a unique opportunity for us to build communities that are safer and more equitable,” Healey said. Many of those who live in the flood plain are also some of the state’s most vulnerable. Of the nearly 2.5 million people living in coastal communities in Massachusetts, about 55% live in areas that include communities of color, low-income populations and with residents facing language barriers, according to the administration. Massachusetts could see sea level rise by up to 2.5 feet by 2050 compared to 2008 if global emissions aren’t dramatically reduced, with both tidal and storm-related flooding projected to increase, according to the administration. The initiative is the latest effort by the state to confront the effects of climate change, including strategies to bring the state closer to its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. MA DENIES REQUEST TO DUMP OVER 1M GALLONS OF DEFUNCT NUCLEAR PLANT’S WASTEWATER INTO CAPE COD BAY Alison Bowden, interim state director of The Nature Conservancy, said Massachusetts needs to take action to protect habitats, shorelines and ecologically vital landscapes. “We can make a significant difference in protecting our coastal areas against sea level rise and erosion,” Bowden said. That rise could come at a hefty cost. By 2070, statewide average costs to coastal structures could be more than $1 billion per year, according to Healey. The total value of structures in the state’s flood plain for a hundred-year storm is about $55 billion, of which about $40 billion is residential, $12 billion is industrial and $2.5 billion is commercial.
Riley Gaines, women leaders to testify before House panel on protecting girls’ sports from Biden policies
FIRST ON FOX: A House Oversight subcommittee will be hosting NCAA swimming champion Riley Gaines and other women leaders in a hearing next week, Fox News Digital has learned. House Oversight Subcommittee on Health chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., announced on Tuesday that Gaines, Heritage Foundation senior legal fellow Sarah Parshall Perry, and former Oberlin College head women’s lacrosse coach Kim Russell will be attending next week’s hearing titled “The Importance of Protecting Female Athletics and Title IX.” The hearing — set for Tuesday, December 5 at 2 p.m. — will delve into the Biden administration’s proposed rules changes to Title IX to expand the definition of sexual discrimination to include gender identity. RILEY GAINES SAYS ‘TRANSPHOBE’ ACCUSATIONS CARRY ‘LITERALLY NO WEIGHT’ The proposed Title IX rules change would mean a school or college could not ban transgender athletes from competing. McClain told Fox News Digital that “Congress must do everything it can to protect women’s sports.” “The Biden Administration is putting women’s safety, privacy, and opportunities at risk by dismantling Title IX,” McClain said. “We look forward to hearing from Riley Gaines and other witnesses firsthand about how these rules changes harm fairness and protection for women in women’s sports across the country,” the congresswoman continued. Gaines has been a vocal supporter of women’s sports and has pushed back against male-to-female transgender athletes from competing against women. The two-time Olympic trial qualifier torched the Biden administration’s Title IX rule change proposal in June, calling the “rewrite” of the policy protecting women “an abomination.” “The rewrite of Title IX is an abomination. It’s equating sex to gender identity, which means men would live in dorm rooms with women,” Gaines said during the June 21 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. “Men would have full access to bathrooms, changing areas, locker rooms,” she continued. “Men could join sororities, which we’re seeing happening. It’s happening at the University of Wyoming. Men can take academic and athletic scholarships away from women.” “In this new rewrite, it’s actually sexual harassment if you misgender a trans-identified individual. It’s sexual harassment that if you’re in a dorm room and you’re a woman and you feel uncomfortable sharing this room and you complain and asked to be moved — you’re guilty of sexual harassment.” The House hearing comes just weeks after two longtime Kappa Kappa Gamma alumni were removed from the organization for advocating the sorority admit only biological women only. After being affiliated with Kappa Kappa Gamma for over 50 years at the University of Wyoming, Patsy Levang and Cheryl Tuck-Smith found out they were expelled from the sorority after fundraising and supporting a lawsuit that aimed to remove transgender member Artemis Langford. Levang, a past Kappa Kappa Gamma National Foundation president, said she was saddened by the decision to be removed from the organization. “My heart was saddened when the current six council members voted me out. However, I will not be quiet about the truth,” she said in a press release released by the Independent Women’s Forum. Tuck-Smith said she was also disappointed and added that she will educate people on the “dangers” of diversity, equity and inclusion. Fox News Digital’s Joshua Q. Nelson contributed reporting.
Border agents across US asked to virtually process migrants amid surge at southern border: report
U.S. Border Patrol agents along the northern and coastal borders are being asked to help their colleagues at the U.S.-Mexico border by expediting the virtual processing of illegal immigrants, according to a memo. The memo, obtained by the Daily Caller, said that as of Monday, the USBP had more than 19,100 migrants in custody. “We need Northern/ coastal sectors to ramp up their virtually processing support over the weekend,” the message states. “In general, USBP [U.S. Border Patrol] did a good job managing in-custody numbers throughout the Thanksgiving week, however, the in-custody numbers have now increased due to an average number of low bookouts versus encounters.” BORDER PATROL SAYS IT’S PAUSING SOCIAL MEDIA TO DEAL WITH MIGRANT SURGE Virtual processing involves agents meeting with migrants on a video call. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Much of the Border Patrol’s resources have been directed to sectors in Texas, Arizona and California. On Monday, the CBP announced that it will temporarily suspend and reduce vehicle processing at ports of entry in Texas and Arizona, in response to a surge in migrant encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border. Vehicle processing operations at Eagle Pass International Bridge 1 in Eagle Pass, Texas will be temporarily suspended and vehicle processing will be reduced in Lukeville, Arizona. WHITE HOUSE, SENATE DEMS REJECT GOP BORDER SECURITY PROPOSALS: ‘TOTAL NON-STARTER’ The U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector in Arizona reported having 15,300 illegal crossings last week, marking the highest weekly total ever. “At this time, all available personnel are needed to address the unprecedented flow,” John Modlin, chief patrol agent of the Tucson Sector, posted to X on Sunday. “The social media team will return once the situation permits.” The actions are being taken to allow CBP to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody. Migrants at the southern border hit the highest-ever number for October last month, with more than 240,000 people encountered, officials announced earlier this month. There were 240,988 encounters at the border in October, CBP said. That’s higher than the 231,529 recorded in October last year and the 164,837 encountered in 2021. In Oct 2020, there were just 71,929 encounters. The number is down from the 269,735 encounters in September, which marked the highest monthly total ever. FY 23 saw a record 2.4 million encounters overall. Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Dem governor withdraws electric vehicle mandate in stunning blow to environmentalists
Democratic Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is withdrawing his plan to mandate future electric vehicle (EV) purchases after the proposal received bipartisan pushback from lawmakers on a key legislative panel. Lamont ultimately pulled the proposal just four months after unveiling it and characterizing it as “decisive action to meet our climate pollution reduction targets.” In July, Lamont unveiled the proposal, tethering Connecticut’s emissions standards to those set in California, which mandates that every passenger vehicle sold is electric by 2035, the most aggressive target of its kind nationwide. “Common sense has prevailed,” Connecticut Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly said in a statement. “The Governor’s decision to withdraw the regulations is a reasoned approach to address the growing concerns raised by working and middle-class families. Adopting California emission standards which ban the sale of gas-powered cars is a substantial policy shift which must be decided by the General Assembly.” “There are too many questions regarding the capacity of our electric grid, the cost and location of grid improvements, and the negative impact on urban, rural and working poor families,” Kelly added. “More than 90% of our pollution comes from outside the control of Connecticut. We need a national – and international – approach to improve our air quality. A state-by-state strategy will only prolong the attainment of cleaner air.” NEW REPORT UNMASKS TRUE COSTS OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATES: ‘REMAIN MORE EXPENSIVE’ Kelly is one of the Republican members of the Connecticut General Assembly’s 14-member bicameral Legislative Regulation Review Committee, which is tasked with approving regulations proposed by state agencies. The GOP minority leader and other Republicans on the panel led opposition to the proposed EV mandate over the last several months. After Democrats on the committee voiced concerns with the regulations, Lamont ultimately pulled the proposal from the agenda of a committee hearing Tuesday, when lawmakers were set to vote on it. BEIJING-BACKED GREEN ENERGY FIRM IS EXPANDING IN US, POSING SERIOUS NATIONAL SECURITY RISK: REPORT “This is a prudent step,” said Connecticut state Sen. John Kissel, the panel’s GOP co-chair. “The people’s elected representatives are the ones who should be making this decision. Something so life-changing – something that will take our choice away – needs to be decided by the full state legislature.” “Ask anyone on a Main Street anywhere in Connecticut those questions,” he added. “They will tell you that they – the people – should get to decide. It should be the people’s choice. The people of Connecticut deserve credit for speaking out. I thank my colleagues on the committee – and the governor – for withdrawing these regulations.” Another Republican on the panel, state Sen. Paul Cicarella, said Democrats realized “there was no plan to implement” the EV mandate proposed by Lamont. In addition to the EV mandate mirroring California’s regulations, under Lamont’s proposal released in July, 75% of trucks and buses would need to be electric by 2035. The passenger car mandate was enabled by a bill passed by the Connecticut legislature in 2003 that ties the state’s clean air rules to California’s program. The latter mandate impacting trucks and buses was enabled by the 2022 Connecticut Clean Air Act. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency reinstated California’s authority under the Clean Air Act to implement its own emission standards and electric vehicle sales mandates, allowing other states to also adopt California’s rules. The state then approved its 2035 mandate, which states such as New Mexico and New Jersey have followed. BIDEN’S AMBITIOUS EV PLANS COULD MAKE US MORE DEPENDENT ON CHINESE SUPPLY CHAINS, EXPERTS WARN Lamont’s decision to halt the proposal marks a setback for the EV industry and is an unexpected blow to environmentalists who have advocated for such mandates nationwide. Democrats have dominated control of the Connecticut General Assembly for years and maintain a large majority in both the state Senate and House of Representatives. “The Committee’s failure to advance these regulations aligns Connecticut’s environmental policy with that of Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia rather than Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and the dozen other states we’ve been proud to call our clean air partners,” Charles Rothenberger, climate and energy attorney with Connecticut-based Save the Sound, told Fox News Digital. “Unfortunately, we will now lose one more critical year in which the environmental, health and economic benefits of this program are not enjoyed by Connecticut’s residents,” Rothenberger said. “And there will be less consumer access to cutting-edge, low-cost clean vehicles as these vehicles are shipped elsewhere.” The Sierra Club Connecticut, Conservation Law Foundation, Acadia Center, Union of Concerned Scientists, Nature Conservancy, Environment Connecticut and Connecticut League of Conservation Voters also ripped Lamont’s action Tuesday. “It is outrageous that members of the regulations review committee overstepped their bounds to roll back environmental progress and block important clean air regulations,” said Lori Brown, executive director of the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters. “If our state fails to move forward, it will be due to partisan politics and not what is best for the people of Connecticut.” MORE THAN 3,000 AUTO DEALERS SIGN LETTER OPPOSING BIDEN’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE The environmentalists also blamed the fossil fuel industry for waging a lobbying campaign in Connecticut to block the mandate from passing the committee. But energy industry and right-leaning groups in the state praised the failure of the proposal to move forward as a win for consumers. “This is a victory for consumers who would have paid a big price tag for the state’s efforts to ban gas-powered cars and trucks in the future,” said Connecticut Energy Marketers Association President Chris Herb. “However, the battle may not be over. It’s unclear what could happen next, but CEMA will continue to be vigilant in our opposition to this reckless policy. This is too much too fast, and we are not ready for an EV-only future.” According to the group, the plan may effectively be killed, replaced with a watered-down version or be put up for a vote in the state legislature. “This is a victory for Connecticut’s people,
Fox News Politics: Raising the steaks
Welcome to Fox News’ Politics newsletter with the latest political news from Washington D.C. and updates from the 2024 campaign trail. Subscribe now to get Fox News Politics newsletter in your inbox. What’s happening: -Former President Carter and all living first ladies attend funeral of Rosalynn Carter -Legislation to be introduced expelling Rep. Santos from Congress -Religious leaders call on Congress to protect Jews and Israel A lead United Nations agency overseeing food and agriculture policy is expected to issue a road map in the coming weeks which will call on the West, including America, to dramatically reduce its meat consumption. The UN’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) will publish its so-called global food systems’ road map during the upcoming COP28 climate summit in Dubai which will kick off on Thursday and extend nearly two weeks until mid-December. FAO’s first-of-its-kind document will recommend nations that “over-consume meat” to limit their consumption as part of a broader effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ‘WEAKNESS’: Iran shows off new military technology, sparking more calls for Biden to take action …Read more CRISIS OF FAITH: GOP AGs blast Biden HHS for plan they say would effectively ban Christian foster parents …Read more BLAME GAME: Biden shifts blame away from administration after admitting prices ‘still too high’ …Read more CALL TO ACTIVISM: AOC lauds pro-cease-fire ‘activism,’ says US enables human rights abuse by Israel …Read more HUNTER BIDEN SUBMITS: Hunter Biden submits to House Oversight Committee testimony …Read more ‘HELL NO’: Sen. Marshall is spearheading a standalone aid to Israel bill and tighter border security provisions …Read more ‘UNWAVERING COMMITMENT’: Religious leaders call on Congress to take steps to protect Jews, Israel …Read more SIGHTS TRAINED: California Dem looks to make George Santos the first Republican expelled from Congress …Read more MAJOR ENDORSEMENT: Influential conservative group AFP jumps into presidential race …Read more TWO NEW DISTRICTS: Georgia Senate GOP proposes map with 2 Black-majority districts …Read more SENATE SHOWDOWN: Sen. Lee takes a side in Ohio’s competitive GOP Senate primary …Read more BIDEN’S POLLING BLUES: Biden’s polling position worse than Obama’s 12 years ago …Read more Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.
Senate and House to negotiate military spending budget this week with several diversity initiatives gutted
Democrat and Republican lawmakers will hash out the next fiscal year’s military spending budget, also known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), during this week’s formal House-Senate conference. The ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., managed to score a victory before Congress broke for Thanksgiving recess to get the conference scheduled. A Wicker aide previously told Fox News Digital that if the conference process hadn’t started before the recess, “it wouldn’t have happened this year” due to other priorities. The chambers will convene on Wednesday, according to the Senate schedule. According to a Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) aide, top negotiators for the NDAA include Wicker, SASC Chairman Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., House Committee on Armed Services (HASC) Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and SASC ranking member Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash. SENATE AND HOUSE HEADED FOR SHOWDOWN OVER DEFENSE BILL In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, which was first reported by Punchbowl, Wicker said Monday, “There are a number of things that need to be fixed” in the NDAA. “But things are moving,” he added. The Senate approved its version of the annual military defense bill with bipartisan support in July in an 86-11 vote, granting authorization for $886 billion over the next year to bolster national defense, right before the chamber’s five-week August recess. Notably, in the Senate’s version, military personnel will see a 5.2% pay increase, and it includes $9.1 billion to foster competitiveness with China, investments in advancing military drone technology, and $300 million in aid to Ukraine. ONLY 4 DEMS VOTE WITH GOP TO PASS DEFENSE POLICY BILL ROLLING BACK ABORTION POLICY, ‘WOKE’ INITIATIVES The Senate’s bill avoids addressing the issues of abortion and transgender services. However, it does acknowledge the concerns expressed by Republicans about what they call an excessive influence of progressive policies within the Pentagon. As such, Senate Republicans were able to get provisions in the policy that prevent mandating the inclusion of preferred pronouns in official correspondence as well as a proposed hiring freeze on “new diversity, equity, and inclusion positions.” “Military readiness depends on the guarantee of equal opportunity, without the promise of an equal outcome, because warfare is a competitive endeavor and the nation’s enemies must know that the United States Armed Forces is led by the best, brightest, and bravest Americans,” the bill text reads. “The tenets of critical race theory are antithetical to the merit-based, all-volunteer, military that has served the country with great distinction for the last 50 years.” SENATE GREENLIGHTS MILITARY DEFENSE SPENDING BILL, PAVING WAY FOR HIGH-STAKES CLASH WITH GOP-LED HOUSE Just two weeks prior to the Senate’s passage, the House approved its version of the bill, which incorporated several Republican amendments aimed at dismantling the Pentagon’s abortion policy for service members seeking procedures out of state as well as restricting transgender-affirming treatments. President Biden has previously indicated he would not sign a package filled with hardline GOP priorities like what’s included in the House’s version.
US Dept of Education opens investigation of Harvard over antisemitism on campus
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is opening an investigation into Harvard University following antisemitism on campus in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war, Fox News has learned. In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital dated Tuesday, Kristi R. Harris, Chief Attorney for the OCR Boston Office said that the OCR will be opening an investigation into whether Harvard “failed to respond to alleged harassment of students based on their national origin (shared Jewish ancestry and/or Israeli) in a manner consistent with the requirements of Title VI.” “Please note that opening the complaint for investigation in no way implies that OCR has made a determination on the merits of the complaint. During the investigation, OCR is a neutral factfinder, collecting and analyzing relevant evidence from you, the University, and other sources, as appropriate,” the letter says. “Our goal is the prompt resolution of the complaint,” Harris wrote, noting that the complaint can be resolved before the conclusion of the investigation or through mediation with the university. UNIVERSITY PRESIDENTS FROM HARVARD, MIT TO TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS ON RAGING ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUSES The letter was addressed to a Harvard alum, who spoke with Fox News Digital on condition of anonymity, and who previously filed a complaint with OCR alleging the Ivy League school discriminated against students on the basis of national origin by not appropriately responding to incidents of harassment last month. The complaint came in response to a first-year Israeli student at Harvard Business School reportedly being shoved and accosted by pro-Palestinian protesters amid a “die in” demonstration held in October at the Massachusetts campus in reaction to Israel’s retaliatory strikes against the Gaza Strip. The FBI and Harvard police received a complaint saying the Israeli student had his phone ripped from his hands and was “assaulted both physically and verbally,” according to The Washington Free Beacon. Harris’s letter says complainants may also have a right to file a private suit in federal court whether or not OCR finds a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national original in any program or activity actively receiving federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education. “Please be advised that the University must not harass, coerce, intimidate, discriminate, or otherwise retaliate against an individual because that individual asserts a right or privilege under a law enforced by OCR or files a complaint, testifies, assists, or participates in a proceeding under a law enforced by OCR,” the letter says. “If this happens, the individual may file a retaliation complaint with OCR.” OVER 1,600 JEWISH ALUMNI DEMAND HARVARD CRACK DOWN ON ANTISEMITISM IN SCATHING LETTER Fox News Digital reached out to Harvard for comment, but they did not immediately respond. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The investigation was revealed the same day it was announced that college presidents from Harvard, MIT and the University of Pennsylvania will be testifying on Capitol Hill about rampant antisemitism on their campuses that followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks. Dr. Claudine Gay, President of Harvard University, Ms. Liz Magill, President of the University of Pennsylvania and Dr. Sally Kornbluth, the President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are expected to testify on Tuesday, Dec. 5, before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, chaired by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C. Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.