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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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 political wounds of the rancorous election he had just lost to President W. Bush.
"The chair will advise that rules do care," pronounced Gore.
His takedown of Waters triggered an outpouring of bipartisan applause in the House chamber.
A question emerged about Ohio’s slate of electoral votes when Congress began certifying the 2004 election in January 2005. But this time, late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, and former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., joined forces to compel the House and Senate to debate and vote separately on Ohio’s electoral slate. But both the House and Senate rejected their petition.
The 2022 law made it tougher to challenge a state’s electoral certificates. Now it requires one-fifth of all House members and one-half of all Senate members to challenge what the states send in.
The outcome of the 2024 election is not in dispute. There’s no expectation of anyone forcing additional Congressional reviews of the Electoral College. And despite additional precautions, Capitol security officials are not anticipating rallies and certainly no violence, unlike 2021.
In 2021 – after the riot and two near fistfights on the House floor – Pence certified the outcome of the electoral vote just before 4 a.m. EST on January 7. This year’s exercise should be wrapped up in about an hour or so. Vice President Harris will announce that Donald Trump won the election "for a term beginning on the 20th day of January 2025." She will then dissolve the Joint Session.
And two weeks later at noon, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts swears-in Donald John Trump on the West Front of the Capitol for his second term.
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.
"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.
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.
"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.
President-elect Trump successfully rallied House Republicans on Friday to re-elect House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. — overcoming deep intraparty divisions and quieting concerns over Trump’s ability to unify the party following the spectacular collapse of a government spending bill late last month.
That bill, which saw 38 Republican defectors and threatened a partial government shutdown, touched off fears that Trump's once-ironclad grip on the Republican Party could be waning — concerns that were quickly put to rest Friday evening after Trump managed to secure the majority votes for a House speaker whose party holds just a razor-thin majority in the chamber and who faced vehement opposition from House Freedom Caucus members.
Three Republicans originally voted against Johnson and seven other members remained silent. Republicans' razor-thin majority allowed Johnson just one GOP defector, and after the first round of voting, it was unclear if, or how, the party could overcome the odds.
In the end, all but one holdout changed their vote, with many crediting Trump directly as a sign of his continued influence in the party.
At least two of the Republican holdouts who reversed course to back Johnson as speaker said they did so after multiple conversations with Trump.
Trump spoke by phone with both Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas, after they had initially voted for people other than Johnson for speaker.
Self, one of the two holdouts who changed his "no" vote on Johnson to a "yes" vote, told reporters on Friday that he came to the decision after multiple phone conversations with the president-elect.
"This was all about how we make the Trump agenda successful," Self told reporters of his decision to back Johnson. "We have to be strong as a Republican conference in order to make the Trump agenda as successful as possible. That's what this was all about."
Norman also later confirmed to reporters that he spoke with Trump. "He just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected," Norman said. He added that Trump did not change his vote but rather a "commitment that things are going to change" from Johnson.
Sources told Fox News on Friday that the president-elect was in "constant communication" with House Republicans throughout the process.
The eleven Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus, who had sparred with Johnson over various provisions in the government spending bill late last month, did not mince words. In a letter Friday night, members said their decision to back Johnson was solely due to their support for the president-elect.
The letter, authored by Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said they supported Johnson "because of our steadfast support of President Trump, and to ensure the timely certification of his electors."
"We did this despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months," the letter said. "Now, Speaker Johnson must prove he will not fail to enact President Trump’s bold agenda."
Johnson, for his part, thanked Trump directly in a post on X.
"Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda," he said. "Let’s get it done."
Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., claimed that there are "no election deniers" in the Democratic Party, despite previously claiming on social media that the 2016 presidential election was "illegitimate."
After Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was re-elected to the top House post for the 119th Congress on Friday, Jeffries addressed lawmakers.
"There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle," Jeffries said while speaking on the House floor on Friday, prompting applause from the Democratic members in the chamber.
Despite claiming that members of his party don't deny election results, Jeffries himself claimed on X, previously known as Twitter, that President-elect Trump's 2016 election victory wasn't legitimate.
"The more we learn about 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes," Jeffries wrote in February 2018. "America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE President in the Oval Office."
Jeffries again made a similar claim several years later.
"Keep pouting. History will never accept you as a legitimate president," Jeffries wrote to Trump in a 2020 post. A screenshot of the post was shared by Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska following the speaker's vote on Friday.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump as the Democratic nominee in 2016, also said that Trump was an "illegitimate president" after his election win that year.
"He knows he’s an illegitimate president," Clinton said of Trump during a CBS News interview. "I believe he understands that the many varying tactics they used, from voter suppression and voter purging to hacking to the false stories — he knows that — there were just a bunch of different reasons why the election turned out like it did."
Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., did not attend Trump's 2017 inauguration due to claims that his presidency was not legit.
"He was legally elected, but the Russian weighing-in on the election, the Russian attempt to hack the election and, frankly, the FBI’s weighing-in on the election, I think, makes his election illegitimate, puts an asterisk next to his name," Nadler told CNN in 2017.
Additionally, several Democratic representatives challenged the results of the 2016 election in their states following Trump's win.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly held onto the gavel in a nail-biter vote on Friday afternoon.
Republicans eager to swear in President-elect Trump later this month and capitalize on their control of the House, Senate and White House avoided the same fate of the past two drawn-out speaker elections.
After some wrangling by both Trump and Johnson, ultimately Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to defy leadership and vote against Johnson.
Here’s a look at the top moments of the first vote of the 119th Congress:
Johnson appeared to be on a path to defeat when five Republicans sat silently as their clerk called their names for a vote. Three others — Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas — voted against Johnson.
Massie voted for House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Norman voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Self voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
At the end of the vote, the names of those who refused to vote on first mention were called again. Reps. Andy Harris, R-Md.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, ultimately voted for Johnson.
Trump then got on the phone with both Norman and Self and urged them to switch their vote for Johnson, both congressmen confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Two people who spoke with Fox News Digital said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after they voted against Johnson.
Mace would not comment, but Fox News Digital saw her and Johnson share a hug on the House floor after they and others were in the side room with the holdouts.
Mace was also seen in intense talks with Norman off the House floor earlier.
Massie was irreconcilable — he'd long had his mind made up that Johnson was not the right person for the job. But Johnson could only afford to lose one vote and hold on to the gavel.
Johnson, too, huddled with Self and Norman. House leaders did not formally end the vote while figuring out a path forward.
About an hour after voting for others, the pair of defectors switched their votes, granting Johnson his wish.
Self said he switched his vote in order to help further "the Trump agenda."
"The Trump agenda is most important. Trump agenda is most important, and we need to shore up processes in the House to make sure we have the strongest negotiating team for the reconciliation package that will come. So again, this was all about making the Trump agenda more successful," said Self.
Norman said he spoke with Trump, but was ultimately persuaded to change his mind due to the promises he got from Johnson to make "real change."
Trump "just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected," Norman said.
He said Johnson didn’t offer him a quid pro quo but "a commitment that things are going to change."
The House of Representatives has adopted new rules that would make it harder to trigger a vote to oust a speaker.
House lawmakers voted 215-209 along party lines to set the chamber's rules for the 119th Congress.
Among them was a measure to raise the threshold for calling a "motion to vacate the chair" – which sets off a House-wide vote to depose the sitting speaker.
Ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., agreed to lower the threshold to just one person in order to win over holdouts and clinch the speaker's gavel in January 2023, at the start of the 118th Congress.
But the 119th Congress is now raising that number from one to nine – and amending the rule further, to specify that nine members of the sitting majority party must be the ones to call for a vote.
It sparked fury among Democrats, who accused Republicans of eroding the significance of the minority party.
"Their proposed changes would, for the first time in American history, shield the Speaker from accountability to the entire chamber by making it so that only Republicans can move to oust the speaker," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee.
"This makes it clear that they have no intention of working together to find common ground. Instead of electing a Speaker of the House, they have decided to elect a Speaker of the Republican Conference—held hostage by their most extreme members."
McCarthy was notably ousted by eight House Republicans and all House Democrats after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., called for a motion to vacate the chair in October 2023.
The one-vote threshold hung over Johnson like the sword of Damocles for over a year after he won the speaker's gavel later that same month.
The change is the product of negotiations between the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and the more pragmatic Republican Main Street Caucus.
Other changes in the new House Republican rules package include substituting some non-gendered family language like "child" and "parent" to more gendered language like son, daughter, mother, and father.
It also limits the House Speaker's ability to bypass traditional chamber processes to rush a bill to the House floor via a mechanism known as "suspension of the rules."
Johnson's use of the suspension measure to pass critical legislation with Democratic support angered GOP hardliners in the House GOP Conference.
Under the new package, Johnson will only be able to put a House bill up for a vote under suspension on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
FIRST ON FOX:Newly-minted Arizona Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh was sworn in to the U.S. House Friday, revealing to Fox News Digital that he honored the life of ISIS victim Kayla Mueller by using her family’s Bible during the ceremony in Washington, D.C.
"This year will mark 10 years since the tragic loss of Kayla Mueller, a beacon of selflessness and courage whose legacy continues to inspire Americans across the nation. Kayla’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have borne the unimaginable pain of losing their daughter and endured years of uncertainty surrounding her fate," Hamadeh told Fox News Digital. "Their strength and resilience are the foundation of Kayla’s extraordinary spirit."
A humanitarian worker from Arizona, Mueller was abducted by terrorists while leaving a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Aleppo, Syria, in 2013. She was held hostage for 18 months, when she was believed to be repeatedly tortured and raped by ISIS militants, including then-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Mueller’s parents, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have previously praised President-elect Trump for carrying out a military mission in 2019 that killed al-Baghdadi and spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention.
"The Trump team gave us empathy we never received from the Obama administration. Kayla should be here. If Donald Trump had been president when Kayla was captive, she would be here today," Carl Mueller said.
Hamadeh cited the Muellers’ 2020 RNC address in his comment to Fox Digital, reflecting on how the young woman’s mother read a letter her daughter wrote while imprisoned, which stated: "I have been shown in darkness light and have learned that even in prison, one can be free."
"What a powerful thing to write in the face of such horror. Kayla’s unshakable faith and inner strength were a reflection of the values instilled by her remarkable parents," Hamadeh said.
"As I take the oath of office, I am profoundly honored to fulfill my promise to the Muellers and the American people by being sworn into Congress using Kayla’s family Bible. It serves as a testament to her unwavering belief in light over darkness and freedom over oppression."
Hamadeh, 33, is an Army veteran and former Maricopa County prosecutor who won his election to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District during the 2024 cycle. The Trump-backed candidate, the son of Syrian immigrants, joined Fox News Digital in November for his first interview since winning the election, celebrated the GOP's successes nationwide and previewed his top priorities.
"I know election integrity is the top of my list as well, because without secure elections, we can't have a republic. And, so, I know that's going to be top priorities — election integrity, border security, as well as making sure we increase our energy independence — because that's going to help reduce inflation rather quickly once we start growing the economy," Hamadeh told Fox Digital at the time.
"[Trump] does have a mandate from the American people," Hamadeh added. "The last time a Republican won the popular vote and Electoral College was 2004 with an incumbent president, President George W. Bush. You know, the last time it was a non-incumbent, I believe, was 1988 under George H.W. Bush. And he was still at least the VP at the time. So, this was a historic mandate. And President Trump, I'm going to support him all the way in Congress and make sure that we're going to change our country around very quickly."
"Kayla’s memory calls on us to live with purpose and courage, and I will carry her legacy with me as I fight for the freedoms and values she so deeply cherished. I am eternally grateful to Carl and Marsha Mueller for entrusting me with this sacred honor and for their enduring faith in our country’s ability to uphold the principles Kayla embodied," he said.
Hamadeh's swearing-in ceremony follows a tragic terrorist attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that left at least 14 dead and dozens injured when a truck plowed through crowds of people on Bourbon Street.
Authorities confirmed an ISIS flag was recovered in the suspect's car and reported that the individual was "inspired" by the terrorist organization. But they believe he acted alone in carrying out the attack.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump announced via Truth Social Friday night his picks for Deputy Special Presidential Envoy, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, and spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.
Trump's former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus will serve as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, Roman Pipko will serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, and Tammy Bruce will serve as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.
In a post Friday afternoon, Trump announced Ortagus will work under Steven Witkoff, a New York real estate tycoon selected for Middle East envoy in November.
"Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson," Trump wrote in the post. "These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens."
Ortagus, an active U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, served as spokesperson at the Department of State from 2019 to 2021, where she was a member of Trump's Abraham Accords team.
Previously, she worked at the Department of the Treasury as a financial intelligence analyst and served as Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2010 to 2011.
She is also the founder of Polaris National Security and the host of "The Morgan Ortagus Show" on Sirius XM.
Pipko, who was born and raised in Estonia, represented U.S. interests in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Russian American Enterprise Fund.
"Roman has represented American companies, negotiating projects in Mongolia, Africa, Russia, Western Europe, and his native Estonia, in cooperation with U.S. Government Agencies, and has worked with Foreign Governments on the enforcement of U.S. sanctions," Trump wrote. "As a legal immigrant, he has lived the promise of America, and I trust that he will advance American interests in his new role."
Pipko is a graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School.
Bruce will be joining Marco Rubio, nominee for United States Secretary of State, as State Department spokesperson.
Bruce, a political analyst, received her bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Southern California.
"After being a liberal activist in the 1990s, [she] saw the lies and fraud of the Radical Left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on Radio and Television," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "As one of the longest serving News Contributors, Tammy has brought TRUTH to the American People for over two decades. I know she will. bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit to her new position as State Department Spokesperson.
Democratic lawmakers had mixed reactions to Republican Rep. Mike Johnson being re-elected as speaker of the House for the 119th Congress.
Lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill Friday to vote for a speaker before the new Congress commenced. Johnson won the speaker race during the first round of voting, but not all GOP lawmakers were originally in support of his candidacy.
During the first round, three Republicans voted for candidates other than Johnson. However, after a short meeting in the GOP cloakroom with Johnson, Republican holdouts Ralph Norman and Keith Self changed their vote for the first round, securing the speakership for Johnson.
While it remained uncertain whether the Republican holdouts would change their votes, Democrats began reacting on social media.
"The GOP Civil War is in full swing. And it’s only Day 1," House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a post on X shortly before two of the GOP holdouts changed their votes.
"Welp, it only took a few minutes for the GOP to run this train right off its tracks — not voting for their own Speaker of the House," Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said in a post on social media. "Was hoping we could leave the dysfunction in 2024 and work for the American people! But we’re headed to a round two of Speaker votes."
But the sentiment changed after Johnson won the gavel in just one round. One Democrat credited Johnson for securing the speakership in a single vote after it took Republican lawmakers four days to elect a speaker in January 2023.
"To his credit Mike Johnson learned from the 15 round debacle of 2 years ago. Instead of trying to jam his conference with a quick second round he held the vote open while some backroom arm twisting & hand wringing took place. The result: 2 changed vote, enough to win the gavel," Rep. Hank Johnson, R-Ga., said.
"This fight is over, but keep your popcorn close."
"Hell has frozen over (literally - it’s snowing in DC)! With just one vote, we have a Speaker - for now!" Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., said on X.
Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky said, "now that we have a Speaker, let’s get to work."
After Johnson won the speakership vote, other Democrats congratulated him.
"Congratulations to Mike Johnson on earning re-election as Speaker of the House," Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., posted on social media. "There are several vetted, bipartisan bills in the docket that he could immediately bring to the floor to help Americans: afford housing, pay for Rx drugs, secure the border."
Democratic lawmakers voted unanimously for Representative-elect Hakeem Jeffries of New York.
"215 @HouseDemocrats stand united behind our Leader @RepJeffries. First round. Every round," Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said in a post on X after the vote.
EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump slammed Judge Juan Merchan for denying his request to dismiss the charges against him in New York v. Trump, telling Fox News Digital Democrats "just want to see if they can get a pound of flesh because every case has failed."
Merchan denied Trump’s request to toss his guilty verdict in New York v. Trump, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and set his sentencing for Jan. 10—just ten days before he is sworn in as 47th President of the United States.
Merchan said there would be no imposition of a sentence including incarceration, jail time, a fine, or probation, but rather, likely, a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
"Every major legal pundit, including Andy McCarthy, Jonathan Turley, Gregg Jarrett, and Eli Honig, has stated strongly there was no case, there is no case and this was just a witch hunt," Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Friday. "The judge is corrupt and I am still under a gag order, I am not allowed to speak about the thing he least wants me to talk about."
Trump said Merchan is "a totally conflicted judge who is doing the work for the Democrat Party because every other case has failed."
"I did absolutely nothing wrong," Trump continued. "This is a political witch hunt by Biden and the DOJ."
He added: "They want to see if they can get a pound of flesh because every case has failed including deranged Jack Smith’s, who is on his way back to the Hague after having lost every case."
Trump told Fox News Digital that "nobody has ever gone through what I go through—this is a disgrace."
The president-elect went on to call Merchan "the most conflicted judge in the history of jurisprudence."
"There has never been a judge as conflicted as this one," Trump said. "There was no case. He created a case out of nothing because he wanted my political opponent to win."
Merchan imposed a gag order over Trump during the trial and has refused to lift that order.
Merchan’s gag order bars Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses with regard to their potential participation or about counsel in the case—other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg—or about court staff, DA staff, or family members of staff.
One issue Trump has been barred from speaking about relates to Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, who sits as the president for Authentic Campaigns—a company that has done political work for top Democrat clients like President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan launched an investigation into Loren Merchan’s work for the Democrat-affiliated firm. Loren Merchan received more than $7 million in compensation from her work for Vice President Harris in 2020.
Meanwhile, cases brought against Trump in all other jurisdictions have been dismissed or are paused indefinitely.
A federal judge in Florida this summer dismissed the case brought against Trump by now-former Special Counsel Jack Smith related to his alleged improper retention of classified records. The judge, Jude Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida, dismissed the charges, ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel.
Smith’s case against Trump related to alleged 2020 election interference was also dismissed last month, and he closed his office.
Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges across both of Smith’s cases against him.
And last month, a Georgia court of appeals disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her team from prosecuting Trump in her 2020 election interference case.
The court did not toss Trump's indictment entirely, but Willis and the assistant DAs working in her office now have "no authority to proceed."
"There is no way such corrupt people can lead a case and then it gets taken over by somebody else," Trump told Fox News Digital last month, reacting to the ruling. "It was a corrupt case, so how could it be taken over by someone else?"
"The case has to be thrown out because it was started corruptly by an incompetent prosecutor who received millions of dollars through her boyfriend—who received it from her—and then they went on cruises all the time," Trump said, referring to Willis' relationship with a former prosecutor on her team, Nathan Wade.
"Therefore, the case is entirely dead," Trump said. "Everybody should receive an apology, including those wonderful patriots who have been caught up in this for years."
Meanwhile, Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital that the order by Merchan "is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence."
"This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed," Cheung told Fox News Digital. "President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts."
Cheung added: "There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead."
Republicans in the House of Representatives cheered the re-election of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during the first round of votes Friday, after successfully avoiding the lengthy speaker vote process former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., endured ahead of the 118th Congress in early 2023.
"Congratulations to my friend @SpeakerJohnson! We’re fired up and ready to work with President Trump to Make America Great Again!" House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote on X after the successful vote.
Johnson was elected to serve as speaker again by a vote of 218-215-1, with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., the only Republican who opposed Johnson's election.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said on X: "Congratulations to @SpeakerJohnson on his re-election to lead our conference through the 119th Congress. Under his leadership, House Republicans are ready to work with President @realDonaldTrump to fix our economy, secure our borders, unleash American energy, and lower taxes for hardworking families. The American people are counting on us, and the @HouseGOP will deliver."
Initially, it looked like Johnson would fall short of the necessary votes to be elected on the first ballot after Republican representatives Keith Self of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina first voted for different candidates. However, the two ultimately switched their votes for Johnson before the tally was officially closed.
Several Republicans pointed out their ability to get it done on the first ballot after it took 15 ballots in 2023 to elect McCarthy.
"Victory on the first ballot. As the Chairwoman of the unified House Republican Conference, I can say proudly, that we are ready to govern," House GOP conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said on X.
In his own post, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., wrote, "First day. First ballot. Time to get to work on behalf of the American people."
While Johnson was able to win re-election on the first ballot, it didn't come without significant uncertainty. A number of Republicans, including members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, did not initially cast votes when their names were called, putting Johnson's speakership at risk.
Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.; Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Mike Waltz, R-Fla., did not vote at first during the roll call.
After the initial roll call, each of the representatives voted in favor of Johnson, to the surprise of some.
"Today, we voted for Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House because of our steadfast support of President Trump and to ensure the timely certification of his electors," Harris wrote on X afterward.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a member and former chairman of the HFC, said on X, "While I maintain my reservations about Speaker Johnson’s leadership record, today I voted in support of President Trump’s Agenda.
"We will hold Speaker Johnson accountable to accomplish the Republican Agenda. He must: - Secure our southern border - Institute commonsense House rules - Cut unbridled federal spending - Eliminate harmful and costly regulations - Reverse insane Biden policies like Green New Deal handouts - Implement a Congressional stock trade ban. We have a mandate from the American People. These policies are necessary to save our Country."
"Congratulations, @SpeakerJohnson. I look forward to working with you to accomplish the legislative goals of President Trump in the coming days," Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another HFC member, wrote on X.
- Federal courts will not make criminal referrals to DOJ over separate ethics complaints against Justice Thomas
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., was re-elected to lead the House of Representatives on Friday.
The Louisiana Republican won along party lines during the first round of voting, a stark contrast to his predecessor’s drawn-out, 15-round battle in 2023.
It comes despite saber-rattling by some conservatives who threatened to withhold support from Johnson in protest of his handling of government funding and several other issues in the 118th Congress…Read more
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JABBAR'S 'WAR': New Orleans terrorist chose Bourbon Street for maximum carnage: timeline…Read more
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'GLOBAL THREAT': Diplomat says New Orleans terror attack injured Israeli reservists on leave from Hamas war…Read more
OLD TEXTS: Las Vegas suspect's ex-girlfriend shares days-old texts of him bragging about Tesla Cybertruck…Read more
GLOBAL THREAT: ISIS increasingly unopposed following US withdrawal from Afghanistan, collapse of Syria…Read more
'MEDIEVAL CRIMES': Iran executes over 1,000 prisoners in 2024, highest total in 30 years, report says…Read more
'HARDWORKING PATRIOTS': Trump taps team to work with US Treasury nominee Scott Bessent…Read more
MASSIVE SUPPORT: Significant majority believe Trump will 'control illegal immigration'…Read more
'PUT ASIDE OUR PRIDE': Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to vote for Johnson after seeking to oust him from speakership last year…Read more
'AMERICA IS BACK': Trump reacts to Johnson winning speaker vote….Read more
SHAMPOO, ABORTION & TAXES: Shampoo rules and immigrant care: A look at some 'draconian' state laws, tax hikes taking effect in 2025…Read more
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Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com
Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., received attention after falling at the U.S. Capitol Friday, Fox News has learned.
Foxx, who chairs the House Education Committee, reportedly fell on a staircase on the GOP side of the Capitol shortly after the House voted to re-elect Rep. Mike Johnson as speaker of the House.
The congresswoman, 81, was bleeding after the incident and was being treated by Capitol medical personnel.
The congresswoman appeared to have a bloody nose, but it is unknown if she suffered any serious injuries.
Foxx was seen walking after the incident and was reportedly being guided by medical attendants to the Capitol physician's office.
The congresswoman assured that she was OK after the fall with a humorous post on social media.
"Thank you to everyone for your prayers – just a few small cuts, and I’m doing just fine," Foxx wrote in a post on X. "I’m a mountain woman, and we’re tougher than a $2 steak."
U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett protested the nonvoting status of the Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories Friday— sparking mixed reactions after she accused the U.S. in House floor remarks of having a "colonies problem."
The exchange occurred after Plaskett, a Democrat, stood after the first roll call vote to note what she said was a parliamentary inquiry.
Plaskett then asked the House clerk why she and other delegates from the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia were not asked to participate in the House speaker vote.
Combined, she noted that the delegates excluded represent some four million Americans and what she said was "the largest per capita of veterans in this country."
Speaking over Republican cries of "order!" that could be heard in the background, the House clerk then explained to Plaskett that delegates-elect and the resident commissioner-elect are not qualified to vote in the House speaker election.
"Representatives-elect are the only individuals qualified to vote in the election of a speaker, as provided in Section 36 of the House Rules and Manual," the clerk said.
That response prompted an impassioned response from Plaskett. "This body, and this nation, has a territories and a colonies problem," she said, prompting some Democrats to give a standing ovation.
Republicans, for their part, began booing.
"What was supposed to be temporary has now effectively become permanent," she said. "We must do something about this problem."
Her mic appeared to have been cut off shortly thereafter.
Plaskett has served as a non-voting delegate to the U.S. Virgin Islands since 2015, during which time the chamber has voted to elect seven separate House speakers.
President-elect Trump's bid to toss his conviction in his New York criminal hush money case was denied on Friday.
New York Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump's request to vacate the verdict in the case based on the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision.
Sentencing is set for January 10 at 9:30 a.m, with the president-elect having the option to appear in person or virtually. But Merchan said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison.
Merchan wrote in his decision that he is not likely to "impose any sentence of incarceration," but rather a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20.
Merchan noted that he is still reviewing the other motions filed by Trump to dismiss the case.
He also rejected the DA’s suggestion that he preserve the verdict, but end proceedings as it would deny Trump’s right to a path to appeal.
"Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence," Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. "This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed. President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts."
Cheung added: "There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead."
Last month, Merchan also denied Trump attorneys' request to dismiss charges on the basis of presidential immunity.
The ruling comes after President-elect Trump and his team in July requested Merchan overturn his guilty verdict in New York v. Trump, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that presidents have immunity for official acts.
Merchan ruled that the evidence presented in the trial was related "entirely to unofficial conduct and thus, receive no immunity protections."
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree stemming from the yearslong investigation related to alleged hush money payments run by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance initiated the investigation, and Bragg prosecuted Trump.
After an unprecedented six-week trial in New York City, a jury found the president guilty on all counts.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a former president has substantial immunity for official acts committed while in office.
In the formal motion in July, Trump attorney Todd Blanche pointed to the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, and argued that certain evidence of "official acts" should not have been admitted during the trial.
Trump attorneys, last month, officially requested to "immediately" dismiss charges against the president-elect in New York v. Trump, declaring the "failed lawfare" case "should never have been brought."
Trump attorneys said the case "would never have been brought were it not for President Trump’s political views, the transformative national movement established under his leadership, and the political threat that he poses to entrenched, corrupt politicians in Washington, D.C. and beyond."
Trump lawyers said that "wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts and his preparations to wield the full Article II executive power authorized by the Constitution pursuant to the overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024."
Bragg, in November, requested to Judge Juan Merchan that the case be stayed until the end of Trump’s second term, but Trump attorneys noted that the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department concluded that "the categorical prohibition on the federal indictment of a sitting president…even if the case were held in abeyance…applies to this situation."
They added that Bragg's "ridiculous suggestion that they could simply resume proceedings after President Trump leaves Office, more than a decade after they commenced their investigation in 2018, is not an option."
