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
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
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, officially endorsed Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense on Tuesday night, despite expressing some initial uncertainty following their first meeting.
"After four years of weakness in the White House, Americans deserve a strong Secretary of Defense," Ernst told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement.
"Our next commander in chief selected Pete Hegseth to serve in this role, and after our conversations, hearing from Iowans, and doing my job as a United States Senator, I will support President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense. As I serve on the Armed Services Committee, I will work with Pete to create the most lethal fighting force and hold him to his commitments of auditing the Pentagon, ensuring opportunity for women in combat while maintaining high standards, and selecting a senior official to address and prevent sexual assault in the ranks."
President-elect Trump's pick to lead the Department of Defense (DOD) went before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday morning, where he faced questions from both Democratic and Republican members.
Reactions poured in on social media and elsewhere as Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was grilled by Democrats on Capitol Hill following a tense confirmation hearing that often got personal.
"Pete Hegseth is crushing it," Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer posted on X. "It is refreshing to hear someone relentlessly focus on warriors and lethality, without playing Washington’s word-salad game of forcing nominees to talk like social workers who run government agencies."
"The Senate likes to claim that hearings as serious, deliberative acts of policy making and statesmanship, but many Senate Armed Service Committee Democrats’ behavior during Pete Hegseth’s confirmation hearing on Tuesday revealed the sad truth that most Senate hearings, confirmation or not, are kabuki theater," Bradley Devlin, The Daily Signal politics editor, told Fox News Digital.
Ned Ryun, President of 'American Majority', told Fox News Digital that Hegseth handled himself "magnificently."
"He communicated a clear vision for a new day at the Pentagon where the Department of Defense leaves behind the weakness of woke and focuses on deterrence through strength," Ryun said. "And when Democrats attempted to use the anonymously sourced attacks to undermine Pete, he handled those with grace. It really was a fantastic hearing for him and leaves little doubt in my mind that he’ll easily be confirmed."
"They didn't lay a glove on Hegseth today," CNN political commentator Scott Jennings posted on X. "Why do Dems send their dumbest members to this important committee?"
"This hearing has made two things abundantly clear: 1. The left remains fully committed to the disastrous, woke, weak, and failed policies that were soundly rejected in November," the account belonging to former HUD Secretary Ben Carson and his wife Candy posted on X. "It’s actually sad. 2. Pete Hegseth is going to be a fantastic Secretary of Defense. This is how it’s done."
"While Democratic senators distracted with hearsay allegations and character assassinations, Pete Hegseth stayed the course on what the military is about: lethality," Caroline Downey, National Review Staff Writer and visiting fellow with Independent Women’s Forum, told Fox News Digital.
"As the daughter of a West Point graduate and Army Captain who served in Vietnam, I can say that those prime objectives have fallen subservient to progressive political goals," she continued. "The military academies have surrendered to woke ideology, jeopardizing their purpose which is to form upstanding leaders of intellectual, mental, and physical fortitude that can protect and defend the United States. Despite Democratic lawmakers accusing him of forsaking veterans, Hegseth proved that he has always been dedicated to their welfare not just in words but in deeds."
Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said after the hearing that it is important that Hegseth is confirmed "immediately" and allowed to start as soon as possible.
"To me, it's important he gets on the job immediately," Banks told reporters.
"We can't vote on confirming him out of the committee until President Trump is President Trump again. So January 20th, the committee will meet and we'll pass him out of the committee... and hopefully he immediately goes to a vote on the floor because we can't wait," he continued.
Following the hearing, several Senate Democrats expressed a continued unwillingness to support Hegseth and claimed he wasn't qualified.
Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report
FIRST ON FOX: A Kentucky judge declined to immediately sign a police reform consent decree forged by the Justice Department and city of Louisville during a hearing one courtroom participant described as a hasty attempt by the Biden administration to hamstring President-elect Donald Trump.
The Monday hearing was one of at least three instances of ongoing litigation in which the Biden administration is seeking to enshrine progressive policing policies in their 11th hour in a difficult-to-reverse manner.
Federal Judge Benjamin Beaton refused to be a "rubber stamp" for a 240-page reform plan spurred by the 2020 police-involved shooting of Breonna Taylor, Oversight Project counsel Kyle Brosnan said in a Tuesday interview.
Taylor had been killed in a hail of police gunfire after Louisville officers sought to serve a drug warrant at her boyfriend Kenneth Walker’s house, when her beau fired a "warning shot" through the door and struck Officer Jonathan Mattingly in the leg.
Brosnan noted a consent decree is different from other legal agreements — in that they cannot simply be reversed by presidential order or a change of heart by one of the parties involved.
Brosnan characterized the Kentucky decree's reforms as "woke," while his colleague, Oversight Project executive director Mike Howell, previously called them a "laundry list of BLM-type standards" the left has long called for.
The Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund joined the amicus brief filed, as Brosnan noted LELDF’s leader Jason Johnson has "first-hand experience" with consent decrees following the Freddie Gray riots and ensuing investigation.
The consent decree alleged a pattern or practice of racial bias in Louisville policing, including in traffic stops, sexual assault probes or use-of-force.
"And the judge went through each of those topics and said, ‘OK, what is your basis for this?’," Brosnan recounted.
In court, DOJ attorney Paul Killebrew was asked for data on lethal force incidents to better understand patterns alleged in the consent decree.
Killebrew reportedly replied that the DOJ could not provide such information in order to "maintain leverage" in any future litigation.
That dynamic was a theme during the marathon hearing, according to Brosnan.
However, it was not the only opportunity for the DOJ and city to convince Beaton to sign their decree, as the judge gave until Friday for additional documents to be filed, but time is of the essence.
While Inauguration Day is not necessarily a deadline for the Biden DOJ to get the decree approved, it won’t be long after that they will likely run out of time, Brosnan said.
He compared the dynamic to how Trump — early in his first term — fired Obama-holdover acting DOJ chief Sally Yates for refusing to enforce his "Muslim ban."
Outgoing administration officials at various levels will remain in "acting" roles until the Senate confirms incoming nominees.
Therefore, the Biden DOJ effectively has until Pamela Bondi as attorney general or Harmeet Dhillon as head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division are in office to get their decree across the finish line, the attorney said.
Brosnan said there are at least two other police reform consent decrees matriculating through the legal process: in Maryland and Minnesota.
On Jan. 6, the DOJ reached an agreement with Minneapolis — that still requires court approval — to reform the department’s "unconstitutional and unlawful practices" allegedly counter to the Americans With Disabilities Act and 14th Amendment.
In October 2024, the feds sued the Maryland Department of State Police alleging Civil Rights Act violations.
"The United States claims MDSP violated Title VII when it used a certain physical fitness test and a certain written test to hire entry-level Troopers because the tests disqualified more female and African-American applicants than others and were not job related," a court document reads.
Maryland police dispute the allegations.
Monday’s petitioners noted how the last Trump administration began with then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions reexamining Obama-era consent decrees.
"You are well within your power as judge to sort of pump the brakes and wait and see what the new administration has to say here," Brosnan characterized their testimony to Beaton.
"Trump has a right to sort of not be handcuffed by the Biden administration — he won by-and-large because of the crime problems of urban America."
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.
Republicans on the House Ways & Means Committee, the House's chief tax writing committee, pointed out during a Tuesday hearing that if Congress lets President-elect Trump's tax cuts from his first term expire, millions of small businesses in the United States will see a top tax rate that is higher than what small businesses in communist China pay.
Tuesday's hearing launched debate in the new Congress over how to handle Trump's expiring tax credits, key provisions of which are slated to expire later this year. Among those key provisions is a new 20% tax deduction ushered in by Trump in 2017, known as Section 199-A, which provides tax relief for qualified trade or business expenses incurred by taxpayers that are not corporations.
But, if Trump's Section 199-A deduction expires later this year, small business owners could see their top tax rate more than double to 43.4%, which is roughly 20 points higher than what businesses in communist China face, Ways & Means Chairman Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., laid out in a report earlier this month and reiterated during Tuesday's hearing.
"If Congress fails to act … 26 million small businesses will be hit with a 43.4 percent top tax rate, more than 20 points higher than what businesses pay in Communist China," Smith said Tuesday.
Smith's concerns were also echoed by other Republicans on the committee during Tuesday's hearing.
"I guess my colleagues want to go back to when we had higher tax rates than communist China," said Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas. "What's pro-American about that? How are we going to unleash economic growth, job creation, and prosperity with that kind of tax rate? We reduced it to 21% and we're not even in the top quarter of the most competitive tax rates. So, I guess my colleagues want to go back to the highest business tax rate in the free world. It makes no sense."
"The 21% rate in the United States of America – when you add the average state rate across the United States – is at 25%," added Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla. "Our greatest adversary in the world economically – no one is even close – is China at 25%."
Allison Couch, the founder of Ignite Accounting and one of the witnesses present at Tuesday's hearing, referred to 199-A as "the single most beneficial deduction for small business owners."
"Allowing this deduction to lapse when it has been in place for so many years will not feel like a sunset, but a tax increase," said Couch, who also submitted a report into the congressional record during Tuesday's hearing from global accounting firm Ernst & Young, which indicated 25.9 million small businesses in the United States utilize the 199-A deduction.
Other provisions that Republicans and the pro-TCJA witnesses at the hearing called on to become permanent included Trump's beefed up child tax credit, which doubled parents' eligible deduction, his death tax reforms, which doubled the amount heirs could pass on before being taxed, and lower marginal tax rates for individuals, a move that one witness said Tuesday has helped workers earn more take-home pay.
However, Democrats at the hearing argued that an extension of Trump's tax cuts will benefit the ultra wealthy more than anyone else. They also argued that Republicans are ignoring the deficit impact, and not providing adequate solutions for how to pay for the extended cuts, noting that increased deficits could result in increased interest rates, a grater cost burden for middle-class people and less economic growth.
"There's no free lunch here," said Brendan Duke, senior director of economic policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. "The tax cuts will likely be paid for eventually in the form of spending cuts or tax increases down the line. In the meantime, continued, or even higher deficits could mean continued or even higher interest rates. That makes housing, student loans and credit card debt less affordable for working people."
"Republican reliance on tariff taxes to off-set their tax breaks for the super wealthy will continue to shift the tax burden to some of the very type of businesses that [Republicans want to protect]" warned Democratic Texas Rep. Lloyd Doggett. "The biggest loser of their plan overall will be our debt, but the impact that that has on the solvency of Social Security, and Medicare and other investments, is also very critical. So, as we move forward we need to consider all of these impacts and look for a tax code that is mor fair for working Americans and less of a gift to those at the top."
In response to the battle in Congress over the expiring tax cuts, a fiscally conservative political advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity, launched a $20 million campaign to urge lawmakers on Capitol Hill "to protect prosperity" by renewing Trump's tax cuts.
The campaign will include ads in all 50 states as the group says Congress is "facing a countdown to crisis that threatens the family budgets of virtually every American." Notably, Americans for Prosperity, endorsed Trump's presidential contender Nikki Haley prior to Trump becoming the GOP's nominee.
President-elect Trump is giving a shoutout to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for pushing a special legislative session to implement Trump's expected immigration crackdown.
And Trump is urging other governors across the country to follow Florida's lead.
"Thank you Ron, hopefully other governors will follow!" the president-elect said Tuesday in a social media post.
DeSantis is calling for a special legislative session in Florida on Jan. 27, with the goal of putting the state in a position to help implement Trump's pledge of a massive deportation of people who entered the U.S. illegally.
The governor is calling for more law enforcement funding and other reforms, to assist the Trump immigration effort.
"State and local officials in Florida must help the Trump administration enforce our nation’s immigration laws," DeSantis told reporters on Monday.
The governor said "in order to do that effectively, we are going to need legislation to impose additional duties on local officials and provide funding for those local officials. There also needs to be measures to hold people accountable for violating our anti-sanctuary policies and that Florida needs to make sure that we don’t have any lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally."
While Republicans enjoy a super majority in Florida's legislature, some state GOP legislative leaders are calling the request for a special session "premature."
The push by DeSantis and the praise by Trump is the latest sign that the two Republican powerhouses are continuing to mend their relationship after a very nasty showdown during the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race.
DeSantis, a bitter Trump rival in 2023 and early last year, made peace with Trump after the former president trounced his rivals and clinched the nomination, and helped raise funds for Trump during the general election. DeSantis also spoke at last summer's Republican National Convention.
Last month, Trump briefly considered nominating DeSantis as defense secretary if his nominee, Pete Hegseth, had decided to drop out amid a rough patch in his confirmation drive, according to multiple sources. But Hegseth weathered the political storm and on Tuesday had his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
As wildfires rage in California, Republicans in Washington have begun discussing whether to condition federal aid on changes to policies they blame for the blazes.
"It’s part of the discussion right now," Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., told Fox News Digital. "People are unwilling to just stroke a check for something that, quite honestly, they still have a lot of questions. And obviously, the fires are still burning, so we don’t even know what the total is going to be at the end of the day."
The Los Angeles area has been grappling with multiple deadly wildfires in recent days, with nearly 100,000 Californians under evacuation orders.
Officials are far from knowing what the final damage estimates will be, as well as how much additional funding will need to be approved by Congress.
"I think there’s going to be a lot of questions raised about it, but we also want to work cooperatively with, you know, everybody on both sides of the aisle," House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said when asked about conditioning aid. "But I think that’s just the reality. There’s gonna be some questions we’ll be asking."
Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee’s subcommittee on housing and insurance, said it was too early to be discussing possible specific conditions but criticized California’s home insurance policies.
"I think there’s real issues… For far too long, California state laws have been pushing out insurers from that state, making it even harder to get home insurance," Flood told Fox News Digital.
"I think California’s got to do a couple of things. They have to demonstrate that they are going to create an environment where home insurance, housing insurance, is reflected in the risk, that they understand the risk, and they are pricing accordingly. And then, as it relates to forestry management, I think there’s a lot of members of Congress who will wanna say, ‘How did this happen? What kind of policies led to this?’"
Meanwhile, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, who typically are adamant about steep cuts to offset any supplemental government spending, are no different on California’s fires.
"It’s got to be more than paid for. They’ve got to own it," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told reporters. "California has never been exactly the most conservative state in terms of spending. We’ve got to get a pound of flesh on any dollar spent on California, in my opinion."
Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., who also sits on the House Appropriations Committee, told Fox News Digital, "Why would we continue to fund the same policies that caused the problem? I mean, seriously, why would you do that?"
California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., did not explicitly rule out conditioning aid but said people needed help as soon as possible.
"California needs to change the way it approaches issues of water, forest management, and not to mention a lot of other things. I think that absolutely we need to demand those changes take place. At the same time, folks who are suffering, who have lost everything, lost their homes, lost their communities, we need to get them help, and we need to get them help… as soon as possible, and we shouldn’t let anything stand in the way," he said.
Not all Republicans are on board, however. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., whose own home state has seen a fair share of natural disasters, told Huffington Post, "I think we ought to do aid the way we do everybody else."
But the idea has gained traction with the highest levels of GOP leadership — including Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who first floated conditional disaster aid to reporters Monday.
"It appears to us that state and local leaders were derelict in their duty. And in many respects, and that's something that has to be factored in," Johnson said. "I think there should probably be conditions on that aid. That's my personal view. We'll see what the consensus is."
Democrats, meanwhile, have vehemently attacked the idea.
"Conditioning aid for suffering people who have paid beyond their fair share in federal taxes is uniquely reprehensible, even for my colleagues across the aisle," Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., wrote on X.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday. "I just want to say it is outrageous for Speaker Johnson to try to tie conditions onto this disaster relief or to tie disaster aid to unrelated concepts like the debt ceiling. We should not be leveraging the pain and suffering of our fellow Americans to try to force through policy changes."
Families who lost loved ones during the disastrous 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan are throwing their support behind Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth, who Trump tapped to head the Defense Department, underwent questioning from the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, where he faced over four hours of questioning from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
The Abbey Gate Coalition, a group of the parents and families of those who tragically lost their lives in a terrorist attack after President Biden withdrew troops from Afghanistan, penned a letter to senators on Tuesday urging them to confirm President-elect Trump's defense nominee and doubling down on their criticism of the current administration's handling of the deadly event.
"We have been sitting by watching the current administration do nothing but attempt to take victory laps and thumb their noses at the sacrifice that our children made on that fateful day," the letter reads. "They have had no interest in giving us any of those answers that we seek, and have attempted to put Afghanistan in the rear view mirror as was further evidenced yesterday in President Biden's final address on his foreign affairs and his supposed successes.
The coalition has been critical of the Biden administration since the withdrawal, writing in the letter that they have been "stonewalled" by his administration.
"We have been stonewalled at every turn and only given ‘bread-crumbs’ to attempt to make us just go away! We feel that there has been a complete coverup at the department of Defense with the current Secretary of Defense leading the way," the coalition wrote.
The families said that the process for accountability for Afghanistan begins with the confirmation of Hegseth to lead the defense department.
"We ask that you please hear our words and feel the pain that we do, knowing that it was avoidable in respect to what happened to our children," the letter reads.
The Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members defending the Kabul airport during the operation, while hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan allies were left in the country under Taliban rule. Conservative critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said the withdrawal paved the way for adversaries such as Russia to invade Ukraine.
The Taliban claimed control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal.
The families who lost loved ones during the botched withdrawal have previously and repeatedly slammed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over their deaths, including launching a scathing defense attack against Harris — when she was running for president – after the anniversary of the withdrawal last year. Parents and other loved ones claimed that the "administration killed my son" and that they "have not seen any support from you or your administration."
Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly remembered the service members who died, and invited their families to the RNC in Milwaukee in July.
"Look at our faces. Look at our pain, and our heartbreak. And look at our rage. [The Afghanistan withdrawal] was not an extraordinary success," said Cheryl Juels, the aunt of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, at the RNC. "Joe Biden owes the men and women who served in Afghanistan a debt of gratitude, and an apology."
"While Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice, Donald Trump spent six hours in Bedminster with us," said the mother-in-law of Nicole Gee at the RNC. "He allowed us to grieve, he allowed us to remember our heroes. Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names, he knew their stories, and he spoke to us in a way that made us feel understood, like he knew our kids."
California lawmakers called for unity amid the historic Los Angeles wildfires, while at least one fired off letters to Congress calling for federal investigations into Sacramento's fire preparedness and environmental policies.
Republican lawmakers also said at a news conference Monday that any talk of gaveling-in the special session with the express purpose of buttressing the state against President-elect Trump should be quashed.
Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, said he is sending letters to members-designate of the new Trump administration and top oversight lawmakers, suggesting officials in Sacramento will not "get to the truth" on the blazes.
DeMaio said tragedies like wildfires are a rare issue that can unite Republicans and Democrats, adding Californians "stand united in wishing the best to these communities for a speedy recovery."
"But I also believe that Californians also stand united on a very important issue of accountability. Why were we not better prepared for this disaster? All Californians are asking that question."
DeMaio said the legislative special session should include oversight hearings on questions he claimed Gov. Gavin Newsom has not sufficiently answered.
"He's given [questioners] nothing but evasion and yes, frankly, dishonesty," DeMaio claimed. "I do not believe that we are going to get to the truth if we leave the investigation in the hands of Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state and local politicians."
DeMaio said two of his letters have been sent to Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, both of Kentucky, to probe "a number of failures by state and local politicians on these fire disasters."
He added that he will ask President-elect Trump to also sign an executive order requesting federal agencies investigate California’s lack of brush management, public land maintenance and inadequate water supply and infrastructure in the fire-affected areas.
Lawmakers also hammered insurance companies and warned the state’s insurance market could go insolvent if changes aren’t made amid dropped coverages and private companies pulling out of the state.
Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, noted his district weathered the 2019 Paradise fire, and offered the caucus’ condolences and support to those dealing with the crisis in Los Angeles.
"Our thoughts and prayers are going out to those community members and those first responders who are fighting and doing God's work fighting these fires as we speak. I want to make sure that we're doing everything we can to help get people safe, to help people recover," Gallagher said.
"[W]e need to do a whole lot more to combat and prevent catastrophic wildfires in our state," he said, adding that both wildfire prevention and issues with the state insurance market must be addressed in the special session.
Gallagher said that in 2021, he and other lawmakers fought for $1 billion in funding for such issues, and that there has been a major reduction in appropriations since then.
"We're calling for immediate action on recovery to help ensure that these communities recover from this disaster, but also on the real solutions that will help us to be a stronger, more resilient state against catastrophic wildfires."
DeMaio, Gallagher and Sen. Shannon Grove, R-Bakersfield, also voiced concerns about the state’s insurance market.
Grove listed off almost a dozen insurance companies which she claimed either stopped writing Californian homeowners’ insurance, limited renewals or left the state’s market.
She noted homeowners cannot get or refinance a mortgage without proof of insurance and called for "permanently eliminating red tape and expediting cleanup and recovery and rebuild for all Californians affected by wildfires."
For his part, Newsom has reportedly proposed $2.5 billion in additional emergency response and preparedness funding.
Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, said seven of the 15 deadliest California wildfires have occurred over the past 10 years, and that little seems to change in the way of preparedness.
Former Republican Gov. Pete Wilson reopened the Santa Monica Freeway only 66 days after a 1994 earthquake-spurred collapse, she said.
Under Newsom, CalFIRE’s ranks and budget have both nearly doubled to nearly 11,000 members and $3.8 billion. The state’s forest management budget also increased under the potential 2028 presidential candidate.
In a tweet rejecting Republicans’ claims about cuts to fire prevention funding, Newsom’s press office tweeted that it presented a "purposefully misleading graphic that starts when a one-time budget supplemental was injected to respond to the horrific fires in 2019/2020."
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom, as well as the Trump Transition and Comer for response to DiMaio's letters.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., invoked secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth’s daughter during a heated hearing, prompting pushback from conservatives on social media who argued that the comments crossed a line.
"So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime?" the former vice presidential candidate said to Hegseth during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
"That's your definition of cleared. You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife. I am shocked that you would stand here and say you're completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child who had been born two months before? And you tell us you are completely cleared? How is that completely cleared?"
Kaine was commenting on Hegseth’s behavior in earlier marriages, including an October 2017 incident in Monterey, California, in which Hegseth was accused of sexual assault. Hegseth, a former Fox News host, was later cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation, and has since described the incident as consensual. "I was fully investigated and completely cleared," he said of the allegation.
"Senator, her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God," Hegseth responded. "She’s 7 years old, and I am glad she’s here."
"And you cheated on the mother of that child," Kaine responded. "Less than two months after that daughter was born, didn't you?"
Hegseth told Kaine those were "false charges" and reiterated that he was "completely cleared" and "grateful" to the marriage he has to the "amazing woman" behind him.
Kaine persisted, "You've admitted that you had sex at that hotel in October 2017. You said it was consensual. Isn't that correct?"
The two continued to go back and forth on the veracity of the claims against Hegseth, with Kaine pressing the nominee on whether he honored his wedding vow.
"I will allow your words to speak for themselves," Hegseth said at one point.
"As I've acknowledged to everyone in this committee, I’m not a perfect person. I'm not claiming to be," Hegseth said before being cut off by Kaine, who went on to accuse Hegseth of withholding information about the accusation when being vetted by the Trump team.
Kaine ultimately moved on to questioning Hegseth about his relationship with drinking and other allegations that Hegseth has dismissed as "false."
Conservatives on social media, along with Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., at another point in the hearing, took issue with Kaine’s line of questioning, particularly invoking Hegseth’s daughter.
"Senator Tim Kaine really did try to use Pete Hegseth’s 7 year old daughter against him, despicable," conservative commentator Drew Hernandez posted on X.
"IRONY ALERT: Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) tries to lecture Pete Hegseth on adultery," The First TV posted on X. "Reminder that Tim Kaine ran on the same failed presidential ticket as Hillary Clinton, legal wife of Bill Clinton."
"Tim Kaine has a lot to say about Pete Hegseth’s conduct during his marriage," Article III Project senior counsel Will Chamberlain posted on X. "Here’s Tim Kaine campaigning with Doug Emhoff, who – while married – impregnated his nanny and forced her to get an abortion."
Fox News Digital reached out to Kaine’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report
The Biden administration lifted Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021.
The decision, which is reportedly part of a Catholic Church-sponsored deal to free political prisoners in Cuba, was first reported by the Associated Press on Tuesday.
In a certification that Biden issued later Tuesday afternoon, he claimed that the Cuban government "has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period," as well as "provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future."
"The United States maintains as the core objective of our policy the need for more freedom and democracy, improved respect for human rights, and increased free enterprise in Cuba.," a national security memo issued by the White House read. "Achieving these goals will require practical engagement with Cuba and the Cuban people beyond what is outlined in NSPM-5 [National Security Presidential Memorandum 5], and that takes into account recent developments in Cuba and the changing regional and global context."
Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy of Cuba accused the country of "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists."
"The Trump Administration has been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home, and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere," the statement read. "With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice."
The statement referenced Raul Castro, the then-first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and the brother of notorious dictator Fidel Castro. According to the State Department, Cuba was first named a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982, and the designation was rescinded in 2015.
"Cuba maintains close and collaborative ties with designated state sponsors of terror such as Iran and North Korea," the State Department's 2019 report read. "The Cuban regime continues to host ELN leaders associated with now-defunct peace talks to reside in Cuba, despite Colombia’s repeated requests for their extradition. Cuba also continues to harbor multiple fugitives who committed or supported acts of terrorism in the United States."
"The Cuban people are courageously standing up for their freedoms after 62 years of subjugation under a communist dictatorship," Rubio said of the 2021 protests. "This is truly a historic moment, and one that as a Cuban American I’m proud to witness. The people of Cuba have made their voices clear. We must stand in support of the Cuban people’s ongoing efforts to live in a nation free from tyranny and censorship."
Before Tuesday's announcement was made, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, denounced the Biden administration's move, calling it "unacceptable on its merits."
"The terrorism advanced by the Cuban regime has not ceased," Cruz said in a statement. "I will work with President Trump and my colleagues to immediately reverse and limit the damage from the decision."
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department, but officials declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House for confirmation.
Fox News' Caroline McKee contributed to this report.
The Biden administration reportedly plans to lift Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Tuesday, reversing a move made by the Trump administration in 2021.
The Associated Press reported the news on Tuesday afternoon, though the White House has not yet denied or confirmed the reports. The move is reportedly part of a Catholic Church-sponsored deal to free political prisoners in Cuba.
Cuba was given the designation in January 2021, shortly before Biden took office. At the time, the U.S. Embassy of Cuba accused the country of "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists."
"The Trump Administration has been focused from the start on denying the Castro regime the resources it uses to oppress its people at home, and countering its malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere," the statement read. "With this action, we will once again hold Cuba’s government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of U.S. justice."
The statement referenced Raul Castro, the then-first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and the brother of notorious dictator Fidel Castro. According to the State Department, Cuba was first named a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982, and the designation was rescinded in 2015.
"Cuba maintains close and collaborative ties with designated state sponsors of terror such as Iran and North Korea," the State Department's 2019 report read. "The Cuban regime continues to host ELN leaders associated with now-defunct peace talks to reside in Cuba, despite Colombia’s repeated requests for their extradition. Cuba also continues to harbor multiple fugitives who committed or supported acts of terrorism in the United States."
Trump, who will be inaugurated for his second presidential term next week, is expected to reverse Biden's move. His incoming secretary of state, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, is of Cuban descent and has vocally criticized Cuba's communist leaders.
In 2021, Rubio sponsored legislation that supported "courageous Cuban people as they lead historic protests throughout the island against six decades of repression and tyranny from the Castro and Díaz-Canel regime."
"The Cuban people are courageously standing up for their freedoms after 62 years of subjugation under a communist dictatorship," Rubio said of the 2021 protests. "This is truly a historic moment, and one that as a Cuban American I’m proud to witness. The people of Cuba have made their voices clear. We must stand in support of the Cuban people’s ongoing efforts to live in a nation free from tyranny and censorship."
Before Tuesday's announcement was made, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz denounced the Biden administration's move, calling it "unacceptable on its merits."
"The terrorism advanced by the Cuban regime has not ceased," Cruz said in a statement. "I will work with President Trump and my colleagues to immediately reverse and limit the damage from the decision."
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for comment, but officials declined to comment. Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House for confirmation.
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."
After Hegseth wrapped up his hours-long hearing, Fox News Digital compiled the top five moments.
Hegseth became emotional during his opening remarks on Tuesday morning while thanking his wife and other family members for supporting him through the nomination process.
"Thank you to my incredible wife, Jennifer, who has changed my life and been with me throughout this entire process. I love you, sweetheart, and I thank God for you," he said, beginning to choke up.
"And as Jenny and I pray together every morning, all glory, regardless of the outcome, belongs to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," he said. "His grace and mercy abounds each day. May His will be done."
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, married Jennifer in 2013, with the couple sharing a blended family of seven children.
"Thank you to my father, Brian and Mother Penny, as well as our entire family, including our seven wonderful kids: Gunner, Jackson, Peter Boone, Kensington, Luke, Rex ... Gwendolyn. Their future safety and security is in all of our hands," he said.
Democrat Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono was slammed on social media Tuesday during the hearing for asking Hegseth if he would lead a military invasion of Greenland if confirmed as the secretary of defense.
"[The] president-elect has attacked our allies in recent weeks, refusing to rule out using military force to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal and threatening to take, to make Canada the 51st state. Would you carry out an order from President Trump to seize Greenland, a territory of our NATO ally Denmark, by force? Or would you comply with an order to take over the Panama Canal?" Hirono asked on Tuesday.
Trump has said in recent weeks that he hopes to purchase Greenland from Denmark, referred to Canada as the U.S.’s "51st state" and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada’s "governor," and he has also vowed to "demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly and without question."
Hegseth brushed off Hirono’s question during the hearing, saying, "Trump never strategically tips his hand."
"I would never publicly state one way or another to direct the orders of the president," Hegseth responded.
Viewers of the exchange erupted on social media after Hirono’s question, including labeling her the "least intelligent Member of Congress" and others calling the grilling a "clown show."
"Hirono was playing judge, jury, and executioner based on lies and stupidity," Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., wrote in a post on X.
Hegseth’s opening remarks during the hearing were interrupted by a handful of protesters as they shouted at the nominee about the war in Israel and called him a "Christian Zionist" and a "misogynist."
"Veterans are committing suicide and are homeless, but we send money to bomb children in Gaza," one female protester in fatigues shouts as she's escorted from the hearing, Fox News Digital video shows.
At least three protesters were seen being hauled out of the hearing in zip ties or with their hands behind their backs.
"You are a misogynist," one protester shouts at Hegseth.
"Thank you for figuratively and literally having my back," Hegseth said after he was interrupted, returning to his opening statement. "I pledge to do the same for all of you."
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Hegseth about the protesters during his hearing, including the war in Israel that has been ongoing since October 2023.
"Another protester, and I think this one was a member of Code Pink, which, by the way, is a Chinese communist front group these days, said that you support Israel's war in Gaza. I support Israel's existential war in Gaza. I assume, like me and President Trump, you support that war as well," Cotton said.
"I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas," Hegseth responded.
"And the third protester said something about 20 years of genocide. I assume that's our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you think our troops are committing genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan?" Cotton continued.
"Senator, I do not. I think … our troops, as you know, as so many in this committee know, did the best they could with what they had. … And tragically, the outcome we saw in Afghanistan under the Biden administration put a stain on that, but it doesn't put a stain on what those men and women did in uniform, as you know full well, Senator," Hegseth responded.
The nominee was repeatedly grilled by senators regarding his previous comments on women serving in combat roles, including by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
"You say we need moms, but not in the military, especially in combat units. So specific to Sen. Cotton's question, because Sen. Cotton was giving you layups to differentiate between different types of combat, specifically as secretary, would you take any action to reinstitute the combat arms exclusion for female service members, knowing full well you have hundreds of women doing that job right now?" Gillibrand asked.
Her question referred to Hegseth’s 2024 book, which states, "Dads push us to take risks. Moms put the training wheels on our bikes. We need moms. But not in the military, especially not in combat units."
Hegseth pushed back that his argument related to women serving in the military focuses on military standards not eroding.
"Senator, I appreciate your comments. And I would point out I've never disparaged women serving in the military. I respect every single female service member that has put on the uniform, past and present. My critiques, senator, recently and in the past, and from personal experience, have been instances where I've seen standards lowered," he responded.
Ernst, a veteran and Republican who initially did not publicly support Hegseth’s nomination, also questioned the nominee’s views on women in the military, saying he had a platform to make his opinions "very clear."
"I want to know, again, let's make it very clear for everyone here today, as secretary of defense, will you support women continuing to have the opportunity to serve in combat roles?" Ernst asked.
Hegseth again redirected the conversation back to his concerns over ensuring military standards remain high.
"Senator, first of all, thank you for your service. As we discussed extensively as well, and my answer is yes, exactly the way that you caveated it. Yes, women will have access to ground combat roles, combat roles given the standards remain high, and we'll have a review to ensure the standards have not been eroded," Hegseth responded.
Ernst also pressed Hegseth on what efforts he would take to combat sexual assault within the ranks, noting it as one of her top three concerns surrounding the military.
"A priority of mine has been combating sexual assault in the military and making sure that all of our service members are treated with dignity and respect. This has been so important," Ernst said. "Sen. Gillibrand and I have worked on this, and we were able to get changes made to the uniform code of military justice to make sure that we have improvements and on how we address the tragic and life-altering issues of rape, sexual assault. It will demand time and attention from the Pentagon under your watch, if you are confirmed."
"So, as secretary of defense, will you appoint a senior level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response?" she asked.
Hegseth said that, as they had previously discussed, he would appoint an official to such a role.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., hit Hegseth with a handful of personal questions, including the timing of his extramarital affairs, as Hegseth's 7-year-old daughter sat feet away during the hearing.
"I want to return to the incident that you referenced a minute ago that occurred in Monterey, California, in October 2017. At that time, you were still married to your second wife, correct?" Kaine asked, referring to a 2017 accusation of sexual assault against Hegseth. The nominee was investigated and cleared of wrongdoing.
"I believe so," Hegseth responded.
"And you had just fathered a child by a woman who would later become your third wife," Kaine pressed. Hegseth has been married three times.
"Senator, Iwas falsely charged, and I [was] fully investigated and completely cleared," Hegseth said.
Kaine shot back, "So you think you are completely cleared because you committed no crime? That’s your definition of cleared?"
"You had just fathered a child two months before by a woman that was not your wife," he continued before citing that Hegseth's daughter was in the audience. "I am shocked that you would stand here and say you are completely cleared. Can you so casually cheat on a second wife and cheat on the mother of a child who had been born two months before?"
"Senator, her child’s name is Gwendolyn Hope Hegseth, and she’s a child of God," Hegseth responded.
"She’s 7 years old, and I am glad she’s here," he added.
Fox News Digital's Andrew Mark Miller, Aubrie Spady and Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., called out Democratic senators' "hypocritical" line of questioning of Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing.
Hegseth, who President-elect Trump nominated to lead the Pentagon during his upcoming administration, faced a series of intense questions from Democrat senators on the Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
"I think it's so hypocritical of senators, especially on the other side, to be talking about his qualifications," Mullin said of his Democratic colleagues before starting his line of questioning for Hegseth. "And yet your qualifications aren't any better."
The Oklahoma Republican then pointed to Democrats questioning Hegseth on claims, which he has denied, that the defense nominee had showed up to work intoxicated.
Mullin hit back on the claims about Hegseth's character, charging that elected members of the Senate had previously shown up intoxicated to cast votes.
"Senator Kaine, or I guess I better use the senator from Virginia, starts bringing up the fact that, what if you showed up drunk to your job? How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night?" Mullin charged, prompting some audible laughter from individuals in the room. "Have any of you guys asked them to step down and resign from their job? And don't tell me you haven't seen it because I know you have."
The senator continued calling out Democratic members as Hegseth underwent his third hour of questioning.
"And then how many senators do you know have got a divorce for cheating on their wives? Did you ask them to step down? No," Mullin said. "You guys make sure you make a big show and point out the hypocrisy because a man's made a mistake, and you want to sit there and say that he's not qualified. Give me a joke. It is so ridiculous that you guys hold yourself as this higher standard. You forget you got a big plank in your eye."
Before beginning his questioning, Mullin thanked Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, for "loving him through that mistake."
"The only reason why I'm here and not in prison is because my wife loved me too. I have changed, but I'm not perfect," he said.
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is pushing to completely block U.S. funding for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, policy chair for the conservative House Freedom Caucus, introduced the bill on Tuesday and argued the international health body "doesn't serve our interests and doesn't deserve our money."
He also attacked WHO member countries’ current effort to draft an international pandemic preparedness treaty, accusing the organization of a bid to consolidate and further its own influence.
"Taking money from hardworking families struggling with the aftermath of Biden's inflation crisis to send it to a bunch of leftist ‘public health’ tyrants in Geneva is unacceptable," Roy told Fox News Digital.
"I am confident that President Trump will cut the WHO's funding off — as he did last time — but this legislation will ensure that no future administration can restart it."
At least a dozen GOP lawmakers are backing the bill.
A significant number of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, have been critical of the WHO, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump announced he was halting funding to the WHO during his first term in April 2020, a move that drew blowback from the U.S. medical community, Politico reported at the time.
"Fighting a global pandemic requires international cooperation and reliance on science and data," Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association, told the outlet.
However, conservatives in Congress have viewed the organization as a power-hungry group that did not take U.S. interests into account.
The U.S. is currently the biggest contributor to the WHO, according to World Population Review. The organization's website states that 60% of its funding comes from member states.
Roy’s "No Taxpayer Funding for the World Health Organization Act" would stop all contributions to WHO, both committed and other voluntary funding.
A spokesperson for WHO said the body was focused on maintaining its relationship with the U.S. when reached for comment on Roy's bill.
"The WHO Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in December, at a press conference, that the new U.S. administration has not yet taken office and it requires time, like any new government, to do so. As Dr Tedros has said, WHO will do everything to cooperate with the incoming U.S. administration to continue to strengthen global health security," the spokesperson said.
"I would add that the WHO-US partnership, and America’s contribution to global health security more broadly, has protected and saved millions of lives in America and around the world. WHO values greatly its relationship with the US and is committed to maintaining and strengthening it."
