New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said Tuesday that the state is going to stockpile abortion medication in preparation for President-elect Trump's return to the White House next week with GOP control of both chambers of Congress.
The governor made comments about protecting abortion drugs like mifepristone during his state of the state address, when he vowed to work with Trump on issues where they share priorities, but also stressed that the state is ready to push back against the incoming administration in areas where they are opposed.
Murphy is one of a handful of Democrat governors who say they are open to cooperation with Trump's administration. But Murphy emphasized that he will not back down from challenging "anti-choice" policies backed by the Republican-led House and Senate in Washington and said the state will stockpile mifepristone "so every woman can access this crucial form of reproductive care."
"I will never back away from partnering with the Trump Administration where our priorities align," Murphy said. "But just as importantly, I will never back down from defending our New Jersey values — if and when they are tested."
New Jersey is the latest Democrat-led state to announce plans to stockpile mifepristone, one of two drugs used in combination to end pregnancies.
Trump, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, said last month he does not plan to restrict abortion drugs, but he also admitted that "things change."
Pro-choice groups have expressed concern that Pam Bondi, who Trump nominated for attorney general, may bring back the Comstock Act, a law passed by Congress in 1873 that banned the mailing of medication or instruments used in abortion.
In June, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled to preserve access to mifepristone. The case sought to restrict access to the drug, including in states where abortion is legal.
Abortion is banned, with some exceptions, at all stages of pregnancy in 14 states, and after about six weeks of pregnancy in three others.
In Murphy's Tuesday state of the state address, which was his second-to-last, he emphasized his reluctance to become a lame-duck governor before his second term ends, unveiling several proposals for the year. The term-limited governor will be leaving office in a year after November's gubernatorial election. New Jersey and Virginia are the only two states regularly scheduled with gubernatorial races this year.
"During this final chapter of our journey, our absolute top priority — as it has been since Day One — is delivering economic security and opportunity to every New Jerseyan," Murphy said.
Other proposals Murphy announced include directing schools to ban cellphones in grades K-12.
"Our children are inundated with screens," he said. "And they are making it incredibly difficult for our kids, not only to learn, but to retain the substance of what they learn."
President Biden on Tuesday signed proclamations to establish the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, which will protect hundreds of thousands of acres of land in California, during his last week in office.
The event was delayed by a week due to the destructive wildfires raging in Southern California, and Biden revealed that he had wanted to do the ceremony in the state, but it had to be moved to the White House.
"We've been carrying out the most aggressive climate agenda ever in the history of the world," the president said in the East Room of the White House, before discussing the national monuments. "Our natural wonders are the heart and soul of our nation."
He said in his second week as president he signed an executive order "establishing the first ever conservation goal to protect 30% of all our lands and waters everywhere in America by 2030 … I call this national campaign America the Beautiful … And over the last four years, we've delivered … putting America on track to meet that bold goal, restoring it, creating new national monuments, conserving hundreds of millions of acres of land and waters all across America, from New England to Minnesota, Texas to Colorado, Arizona, Alaska."
The Chuckwalla National Monument will protect more than 600,000 acres of public land in the California desert near Joshua Tree National Park and the Colorado River, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.
The Sáttítla Highlands National Monument will protect more than 224,000 acres of land in Northern California in the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath national forests and "provides protection to tribal ancestral homelands, historic and scientific treasures, rare flora and fauna, and the headwaters of vital sources of water," according to the U.S. Forest Service.
"Somebody's campaign coffers are struggling right now. So she gon' keep sayin' ‘trans, trans trans’ so that people will feel threatened and child, listen," Crockett said.
Mace erupted in anger.
"I'm no child! Do not call me a child! I'm no child. Don't even start," Mace said, interrupting Crockett. "I'm a grown woman. I'm 47 years old. I've broken more glass ceilings than you ever have… You will not do that. I'm not a child… If you wanna take it outside, we can do that."
"Order! Order! Order!," members could be heard saying.
Crockett later attacked Republicans, accusing them of going after "the most vulnerable in our country."
She said, "Trans people ain't goin' no where. Just like when the racists wanted to make sure that Black people somehow were going to be dismissed in this country. We ain't left either."
Mace later took to X to continue her war of words with Crockett.
"I’m no child. And if I wanted a physical fight, you’d know it. That’s not what this was," she wrote. "I won’t be bullied by someone who wants to take away women’s rights while lecturing about civil rights. I won’t be bullied by someone who thinks being scared of rape is a ‘fantasy.’ This ain’t political, it’s personal."
Mace further attempted to clarify her comments in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"There’s been a lot of speculation about my intentions during a heated exchange on women’s rights earlier today on Oversight," she said in the statement. "Let me be clear: I wanted to take the conversation off the floor to have a more constructive conversation, not to fight. At no point was there any intention of causing harm to anyone. I was just assaulted by a pro tr*ns man a few weeks ago and am still in physical therapy for my injuries. I know firsthand how the Left is capable of doing real physical harm. I will not be bullied into submission, I will not be called names by my colleagues like I was today, I will not be belittled, or invalidated—especially as a rape survivor. I will always stand up for women and push back against left-wing extremism that seeks to silence our voices and dismiss our rights."
Crockett also took to X to address the exchange, writing, in part: "Today, I introduced an amendment to reinstate the Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. My Republican colleague threatened to physically fight me about it. Bless her heart."
Crockett's office also fired back at Mace, claiming it was clear Mace was threatening physical violence against Crockett.
"It was clear that Rep. Mace was threatening physical violence against Congresswoman Crockett as part of her performative, ridiculous meltdown," Crockett's office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Her slur-ridden screed exemplifies exactly why the House Oversight Committee needs to pass Congresswoman Crockett’s amendment to reinstate the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Congresswoman Crockett ignored her obvious, desperate baiting – if Rep. Mace wants to raise money off of the back of a qualified Black woman, she can try someone else."
The brouhaha between Mace and Crockett happened on the same day the House passed a bill banning transgender athletes from participating in women's sports at schools that receive federal funding.
Two House Democrats voted alongside Republicans to pass the Protection of Women and Girls In Sports Act. Reps. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and Vicente Gonzales, D-Texas, were the lone Democrats to vote for the bill when it passed 218 to 206. Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., voted "present."
Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Expect a traffic jam in the Senate soon as the race is on to confirm President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees.
In short, nothing can happen until President-elect Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
Yes, there will be plenty of Trump loyalists attending various inaugural balls around town.
But once the inauguration festivities conclude at the Capitol, the Senate will get down to business. A handful of committees are already angling to schedule "markups" to potentially discharge or send various nominations to the floor. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has already teed up a meeting for 3:15 pm et on January 20 for the nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to be Secretary of State. And if the custom holds, the Senate will confirm at least a few of Mr. Trump’s nominees just hours after he takes the oath of office.
The Senate confirmed Trump’s Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly on the evening of January 20, 2017. The next confirmation didn’t come until January 31, 2017. That was Elaine Chao, wife of former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), to be Transportation Secretary.
In 2021, the Senate confirmed one of President Biden’s nominees shortly after he was sworn-in. Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines was the first Biden nominee confirmed – on the night of January 20, 2021. The first, full cabinet-level vote did not come until January 22, when the Senate confirmed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
So, while everyone is trying to squeeze into their tux on Monday night, look for the Senate to potentially vote on a nominee or two on the evening of January 20th.
Fox is told that the most likely candidates might include Rubio – since he is a known quantity in the Senate and has bipartisan support. Another possibility would be CIA Director nominee John Ratcliffe. The Senate previously confirmed Ratcliffe as the Director of National Intelligence during the first Trump Administration. He is also a known entity in the halls of Congress and served as a Republican congressman from Texas. His hearing is on for tomorrow.
Frankly, the ambitious timetable of approving several of the nominees quickly could be challenging.
The Senate Energy Committee had to postpone Tuesday’s confirmation hearing for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum from Tuesday until Thursday due to delays over paperwork. Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins is not controversial. He is a former GOP congressman from Georgia. But his confirmation hearing for Tuesday was pushed back until next week. Collins may have been one figure who could have been confirmed quickly.
Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi is also one who could secure relatively speedy confirmation. Her hearing is Wednesday and Thursday. So maybe next week for her? Unclear.
But let’s examine the track record of the Senate confirming President Biden’s nominees and place it against expectations for the new Trump Administration.
After Lloyd Austin, the Senate confirmed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on January 25, 2021, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on January 26. Most cabinet officials weren’t confirmed until February or March. The Senate did not confirm Interior Secretary Deb Haaland until March 15, 2021, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra until March 18, 2021, and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh until March 22, 2021.
You get the idea.
Every nominee must go through a hearing. Committees have different rules about how they discharge a nomination to the floor. So that could consume some time as well. Some nominees could be bottled up in committee, depending on opposition or attendance problems. Then there may be debate on the floor.
If Democrats filibuster a nominee, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) may need to tee up a procedural gambit to break filibusters. The process of just initiating a procedural vote to break a filibuster consumes parts of three days alone. If a nominee’s opponents still don’t relent, it’s possible that senators could drag out debate on a nominee for day or two – even though the Senate has broken a filibuster.
In February 2017, Mike Pence became the first Vice President to break a tie to confirm a cabinet official. He did so to confirm former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
In other words, floor time is at a premium. There are various parliamentary "meridians" for when the Senate can take certain procedural votes to advance a nominee. That’s why the Senate took a procedural vote at 7 am on the DeVos nomination in February 2017. The Senate also confirmed then Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price around 2 am one morning.
And we haven’t even gotten to other nominations which are important to the Administration – such as Pete Hoekstra to be Ambassador to Canada or Mike Huckabee to serve as Ambassador to Israel. There are more than 800 positions which require Senate confirmation.
To accelerate things, the Senate could confirm some swaths of non-controversial nominees "en bloc." That means the Senate clears the nominees on both sides to make sure there are no objections. If there are none, the Senate compiles a list and confirms a group of nominees together in one fell swoop.
But this is a long and tedious process. Confirming various positions in the Trump administration is going to take months. It consumes hours of floor time. That’s the most precious commodity in the Senate. Keep in mind that the push to confirm Trump nominees comes as the Senate is trying to work out a time agreement and amendments to pass the Laken Riley Act and a bill to sanction the International Criminal Court over its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This is a monster process. And it will likely consume some early mornings, very late nights and even some weekend sessions before this is settled.
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Here's what's happening…
-GOP senator flips script on Dems for 'hypocritical' grilling of Hegseth: 'So ridiculous'
-Massie removed from powerful House committee after vote against Johnson
-Speaker Johnson announces flags to fly full-staff at US Capitol during presidential inauguration
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, faced a Senate grilling on Tuesday as lawmakers determine whether they will vote in support of the nominee.
Hegseth faced intense questioning from Democrats in his Armed Services Committee hearing, including his previous comments related to women serving in military combat roles, and was also interrupted by protesters who disturbed the hearing at some points.
Trump nominated Hegseth in November, just days after his decisive election win over Vice President Harris, lauding him "as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country."…Read more
'LEAD THE WORLD': Biden issues second AI action during final week in office with executive order fast-tracking US infrastructure…Read more
ANCHORS AWAY: Biden announces names of future aircraft carriers: USS William J Clinton, George W Bush…Read more
FEMA FUNDS: Biden announces $770 checks for residents impacted by California wildfires…Read more
'CASHING IN': 'Incomplete' Hunter Biden report, protection of 'Biden Crime Family' shredded by Comer, IRS whistleblowers…Read more
COZY AT THE WHITE HOUSE: Elon Musk poised to take White House office space: report…Read more
LOUD NOISES: Hegseth interrupted by multiple protesters during Senate confirmation hearing…Read more
ABSENT AGAIN: Michelle Obama to skip Trump inauguration, 11 days after missing Carter funeral…Read more
'I WANT TO KNOW...': GOP Hegseth holdout presses defense secretary nominee on her top 3 issues in military…Read more
'CLOWN SHOW': Dem senator's 'lies and stupidity' at Hegseth hearing roasted on social media…Read more
SPORTS: Two House Dems vote with GOP to ban biological males from girls' school sports…Read more
WHO-DUNIT: Global health agency on chopping block as Republicans threaten to cut off funds…Read more
DOGE HOUSE: House DOGE Caucus eyes federal employees, government regulations in new goal-setting memo…Read more
'SPREAD SO THIN': LA councilwoman whose district ravaged by wildfires looks to hold leaders accountable for empty reservoirs…Read more
BORDER CRISIS COSTS: Oklahoma education superintendent suing for reimbursement of costs of education for illegal aliens…Read more
JUMPING IN: Top lawmaker first Republican to launch gubernatorial campaign in race to succeed Michigan's Whitmer…Read more
Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com
Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams is in line for "a pay day from the taxpayer" under plans to repeal the Legacy Act, a report backed by several peers has stated.
