A Florida state lawmaker has introduced a bill to ban illegal migrants from being admitted to some public colleges and universities.

Republican state Sen. Randy Fine proposed the legislation the day after GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis called for a special legislative session to help push President-elect Trump's immigration agenda.

"Is it fair to allow an illegal immigrant to take a spot that could be taken by a Floridian or an American? I would argue no," Fine said.

Fine’s bill would ban public colleges and universities with an acceptance rate under 85% from admitting students who are in the country illegally, which would include the University of Florida, Florida State University, the University of Central Florida and Florida International University.

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There are an estimated 1.2 million illegal migrants living in Florida, according to the Pew Research Center.

Migrant students in the U.S. illegally can currently qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Fine also recently proposed a bill that would require high school graduates with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, status to pay out-of-state tuition.

During the 2023-2024 school year, about 6,500 migrant students who were in the U.S. illegally qualified for a waiver from paying out-of-state tuition at the state’s public colleges and universities, according to the nonprofit Florida Policy Institute.

Three states prohibit students in the U.S. illegally from enrolling in at least some colleges, while half of states allow these students to qualify for in-state tuition, according to the National Immigration Law Center.

DeSantis scheduled the special session to begin the week after Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration to fund efforts to address illegal immigration, including for detention and relocation. The governor has said the state must work to support Trump's promises to tackle illegal immigration and ensure that "we don’t have any lingering incentives for people to come into our state illegally."

Trump, in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, thanked DeSantis for calling a special session, saying "hopefully other Governors will follow!"

But the governor has faced criticism from the legislature's Republican leaders, who described his call for a special session as "premature" and "irresponsible."

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Fine is among the Republican lawmakers who have vowed to support Trump and his agenda but have criticized the governor's push for a special session as rushed.

"This was not accompanied with a robust bill package for us to consider," Fine told reporters. "You want to call a special session? Give me the bills you want me to vote for."

Fine, who joined the state Senate in November, is resigning from the legislature, effective March 31, so he can run for the U.S. House seat that is expected to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who was nominated by Trump to be his national security advisor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The House Oversight Committee found that prolonged pandemic-era telework has been "detrimental" to government agencies and new employee training, and it laid out in a new report proposed recommendations for the Trump administration to bring federal workers back to unused and vacant federal office buildings. 

Fox News Digital obtained the House Oversight Committee’s report on the Biden-Harris administration’s policy of keeping federal workers in a telework, work-from-home format, even after COVID restrictions were lifted across the country and private-sector workers returned to in-person work settings.

'GET BACK TO WORK': HOUSE OVERSIGHT TO TAKE ON GOVERNMENT TELEWORK IN 1ST HEARING OF NEW CONGRESS

The report, titled "The lights are on, but everyone is at home: Why the new administration will enter largely vacant federal agency offices," is 41 pages and was prepared by Republicans on the committee.

During the last Congress, the committee investigated the extent of federal telework and remote work, the degree of oversight over its use and its impact on mission outcomes. The committee found that American taxpayers wasted "billions to pay for owned and leased federal office space that remains largely vacant." 

The report states that "physical and anecdotal evidence suggests the [Biden] Administration’s self-reported telework data exaggerates in-office attendance." 

"But even the self-reported data is striking: of the 2.28 million federal civilian employees, approximately 228,000 are never required to show up to the office, and nearly all of the other 1.1 million employees technically-eligible for telework are engaged in telework," the report states. "Further, telework-eligible employees at several agencies collectively spend less than half their work hours in the office—below the Administration’s own RTO target." 

The report added, "American taxpayers are wasting billions to pay for owned and leased federal office space that remain largely vacant. The Biden-Harris Administration did little to reduce the federal footprint despite maintaining massive telework levels."

The committee also found that the Biden-Harris administration worked with federal labor unions and their allies to maintain "unsupportable high telework levels," which investigators say undermine the ability of the incoming Trump administration to reduce them. 

"The lights may be on in federal buildings, but too many federal bureaucrats continue to work from home," House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., told Fox News Digital in a statement. "The House Oversight Committee’s investigation into prolonged pandemic-era telework reveals the Biden-Harris Administration has ceded too much authority to the federal union bosses, allowing their preference to work from home to take precedence over fulfilling agencies’ missions and serving the American people." 

Comer also told Fox News Digital that President Trump "was elected in a landslide to bring accountability to Washington." 

"Our report not only identifies the many problems with massive federal telework but also proposes solutions to get federal employees back to their offices, dispose of unused and vacant federal property, and prioritize the needs of the American people over the wants of federal bureaucrats," Comer said. "We look forward to working with President Trump and his administration to ensure the federal bureaucracy is fully accountable to the American people."

Comer and committee investigators said the Trump administration should base telework and remote work policies "on achievement of mission outcomes, not employee preferences or union demands." 

They also recommended establishing automated systems for tracking the use of telework and creating "clear, measurable metrics to evaluate its costs and benefits." 

Comer also recommends the Trump administration impose "more frequent and timely reporting requirements on agency-level telework" to better inform executive branch officials and members of Congress. 

Meanwhile, Comer also recommends using the White House and central management agencies to implement an enterprise-wide approach to telework that prioritizes the public interest. He said the administration should "not permit a telework bidding war among agencies looking to attract federal workers that transfer between them based on which will let them stay home the most." 

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The House Oversight Committee’s report comes just hours before it holds its first hearing of the new Congress. 

The hearing, titled "Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Administration Legacy," is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m.

Former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley, Federal City Council Board of Directors President Tom Davis and Rachel Greszler of the Economic Policy Innovation Center are set to testify.

O’Malley, before the end of his tenure, locked in telework agreements for 42,000 Social Security employees until 2029. 

"It’s past time for the federal workforce to get back to work in-person for the American people," Comer told Fox News Digital last week, upon announcing the hearing. "The House Oversight Committee remains committed to ensuring federal employees show up for the American people they serve."

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According to a Senate report authored by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the federal government owns more than 7,000 vacant buildings and nearly 2,500 buildings that are partially empty. 

The report also states that government buildings average an occupancy rate of 12%. 

During the hearing, the committee plans to examine how the Biden-Harris administration "failed to return federal workers to the office" and that failure could "hinder" the incoming Trump administration’s ability to bring them back due to long-term guarantees of telework in deals signed with federal employee unions.

Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is bracing himself for the hot seat as he prepares to sit through the often-arduous confirmation hearing process on Wednesday with the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as he vies to lead the State Department under the next Trump administration. 

Though Rubio is not expected to get off easy in front of the panel of his colleagues posed to pressure him on everything ranging from the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and a trade war with China, which Trump has threatened to drastically increase, he is expected to pass through more smoothly than other candidates Trump has slated for his Cabinet.

In an excerpt of Rubio's remarks obtained by Fox News Digital ahead of his address to the Senate body, he highlights the security threats that have emerged following the end of the Cold War and the belief that democracy could succeed across the globe and international free trade was the way of the future.

"While America far too often continued to prioritize the ‘global order’ above our core national interests, other nations continued to act the way countries always have and always will, in what they perceive to be in their best interest," the remarks read. "And instead of folding into the post-Cold War global order, they have manipulated it to serve their interest at the expense of ours."

"The postwar global order is not just obsolete; it is now a weapon being used against us," he added. 

Senate Democrat Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois already threw his support behind his Republican peer and on Monday said, "Sen. Rubio and I share many similar views on foreign policy and, as a result, have worked closely together in the Senate to move forward with legislation regarding human rights around the world."

SENATE DEMOCRATIC WHIP DECLARES SUPPORT FOR RUBIO CONFIRMATION: 'MANY SIMILAR VIEWS ON FOREIGN POLICY'

"I believe Senator Rubio has a thorough understanding of the United States’ role on an international scale, has served with honor on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and is a good choice to lead the State Department. I plan to vote yes on his nomination when it comes before the Senate," Durbin said in a statement after a meeting in which they discussed security issues involving Russia’s threat in the Baltic Sea and the NATO alliance. 

Trump announced his nomination of Rubio for the top diplomatic job in November, which the senior member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said was not only a "tremendous honor" but a "tremendous responsibility."

"The job of the secretary of state is to execute on the foreign policy set by the elected president of the United States. And I hope to have the opportunity to do it, if my current colleagues here in the U.S. Senate confirm me so," he told reporters on the Hill. 

But Rubio's commitment to execute the wishes of the executive office could also prove to be his most difficult hurdle, not only during Senate questioning but also in taking up the job should he be approved by the upper chamber. 

Trump has repeatedly made clear he expects unwavering loyalty from Cabinet members, advisers in the White House and even military leaders, and reports this week suggest the incoming administration may be planning on clearing house in the National Security Council to ensure the president is only surrounded by those who support his agenda, according to an Associated Press report. 

While Rubio and Trump see eye-to-eye on issues like U.S. support for Israel, remaining tough on China and opposing dictatorial powers in Latin America – all of which are unlikely to garner much opposition from Democrats in the Senate – there are issues that could prove tricky for the three-term senator to navigate.

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Rubio and Trump have a history of exchanging barbs, particularly during the 2016 presidential race.

The duo have long patched up their hostilities in large part because Rubio has more closely aligned himself behind Trump, a move that has meant he is no novice when it comes to walking the political tightrope between appeasing Trump and pursing issues important to him.

This balancing act became evident on the campaign trail when Rubio was asked about controversial comments made by the Trump camp when it came to U.S. support for Ukraine and how to end the now three-year war.

"I’m not on Russia’s side, but unfortunately the reality of it is that the way the war in Ukraine is going to end is with a negotiated settlement," Rubio said in a September interview with NBC’s "Meet the Press." 

Rubio dodged questions on whether he backed comments made by Vice President-elect JD Vance when he suggested Ukraine cede land to Russia and agree to a demilitarized zone along the current front lines.

Instead, he said, "I would be comfortable with a deal that ends these hostilities and that, I think, is favorable to Ukraine, meaning that they have their own sovereignty, that they don’t become a satellite state or a puppet state."

Rubio also backed Trump after concern mounted over the now-president-elect’s position on NATO when he said he would encourage any nation, including Russia, to "do whatever the hell they want" to any NATO nation not fulfilling their defense spending commitments.

"Donald Trump is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations," Rubio told CNN’s Jake Tapper in February. "He doesn’t talk like a traditional politician, and we’ve already been through this. You would think people would’ve figured it out by now."

That said, Rubio in 2019 also helped reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would prohibit any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval, a move that Trump threatened during his first term and which remained a top concern that was echoed by Trump's former NSC adviser, John Bolton, during the latest presidential race. 

Rubio’s unwavering outward loyalty to the incoming president could be tested if he is questioned about the president-elect’s expansionist rhetoric, like acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal through the use of the U.S. military. 

Fox News Digital could not reach Rubio’s office for comment on where he stands on U.S. intervention in Greenland, which is technically under the protection of NATO so long as it remains a territory of Denmark, as well as the Panama Canal, which the U.S. gave back to Panama in 1999 but which Trump has accused China of taking over.

FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat senator admitted Tuesday that he would support Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's confirmation again if the vote was held today despite Austin's many controversial actions and repeatedly grilling Trump's SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth over his qualifications earlier in the day.

"Would you vote for Lloyd Austin if there were a vote on him today?" Fox News Digital asked Blumenthal on Tuesday. 

"I would support General Austin as Secretary of Defense," Blumenthal responded. "I did when he was nominated. I would support Secretary Mattis that was nominated by President Trump during his first term. I would not support this nominee because [Hegseth] lacks the financial management skills, the character and confidence, as well as the moral compass."

During the hearing, Blumenthal told Hegseth, "I don't believe that you can tell this committee, or the people of America that you are qualified to lead them. I would support you as the spokesperson for the Pentagon. I don't dispute your communication skills, but I believe that we are entitled to the facts here."

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Austin has been widely criticized by conservatives, as well as some Democrats, for presiding over the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as several other perceived missteps during his tenure, including a situation where he was forced to directly apologize to President Biden for not informing him that he was hospitalized. 

"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin oversaw the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal, let the Chinese make rapid advancements to catch up to our defense capabilities, went MIA for days leaving the Pentagon without a leader, prioritized DEI policies over defense needs, and allowed Biden’s policy of appeasement," GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X on Tuesday. "We need a DECISIVE leader who can focus the Department of Defense on its mission of protecting America. We need Pete Hegseth."

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., an Army veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, unsuccessfully handed Austin articles of impeachment in 2023, blaming him for a "25,000-plus recruitment shortage" and saying there were "8,400 people who were unconstitutionally purged from the military … you've got pronouns and DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] being taught at our military academies when we need to be focusing on what the next threat is and how we mitigate it."

"Not only do I believe that you should have resigned ... I myself perceive this as a dereliction of duty, and I take that very seriously," Mills told Austin during the hearing before recounting what he believed were Austin's failures during the Afghanistan withdrawal. "Political optics was placed above the true military strategy, where we should have held Bagram Air Base, held the detention center … not shut down and entrap Americans by taking over HKIA (Hamid Karazai International Airport), the commercial airspace and abandoning thousands of Americans."

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Conservatives on social media also brought up a controversy from 2010 when Blumenthal was first running for Senate, where he suggested on multiple occasions he had served in Vietnam when he had not. Blumenthal, who received several draft deferments before serving in the Marine Corps. Reserve,  ultimately acknowledged that he had "misspoken" about his record but described those instances as few and far between.

"Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, who lied about serving in Vietnam to get elected, berating combat vet Pete Hegseth is a bit hard to take," Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X on Tuesday.

"Reminder: Sen. Blumenthal lied for his entire adult life about fighting in a war that he did not," Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. Blumenthal made the case that Tuesday’s hearing was about Hegseth’s record and not his. 

"The people of Connecticut have always been clear about my record of military service, which is why they overwhelmingly elected me three times to the United States Senate," Blumenthal said. "This hearing was about Pete Hegseth’s record of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement that showed him to be unqualified and unprepared to command 3.4 million Americans who protect our nation’s security."

Fox News' Michael Lee contributed reporting.

President-elect Donald Trump's selection to be attorney general in his new administration faces the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning at a confirmation hearing. 

Trump tapped former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ) in late November after former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., withdrew from consideration. 

The Wednesday hearing begins at 9:30 a.m., and Bondi will be questioned by both Republican and Democrat members of the committee.

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"I hope that the Democrats give the same … courteous consideration to [her] that Republicans did of [Attorney General Merrick] Garland," Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Fox News Digital ahead of the hearing.

"[A]nd I hope people stay within their timeline, because we've got to move right along," he added.

Members of the committee include Grassley and Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, John Cornyn of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, Ted Cruz of Texas, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Katie Britt of Alabama and Mike Crapo of Idaho. 

Also on the committee are ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as Democrat Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Chris Coons of Delaware, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Alex Padilla of California, Peter Welch of Vermont and Adam Schiff of California.

Durbin met with Bondi last week but emerged from their discussion with remaining concerns.
"In today’s meeting, I raised concerns with Ms. Bondi regarding her record – one in which she served as a personal attorney to President-elect Trump, was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election, and has echoed the President-elect’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents. In addition, Ms. Bondi has a long track record of opposing fundamental civil rights, including reproductive rights, voting rights, and LGBTQ+ rights," he said in a statement.

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"The role of the Attorney General is to oversee an independent Justice Department that upholds the rule of law and is free of undue political influence. Given Ms. Bondi’s responses to my questions, I remain concerned about her ability to serve as an Attorney General who will put her oath to the Constitution ahead of her fealty to Donald Trump," he added.

The ranking member is likely to question Bondi during the hearing on these same subjects. 

On Monday, Durbin outlined several concerns he has with Trump's pick.

"The obvious concern with Ms. Bondi is whether she will follow the bipartisan tradition of the post-Watergate era and oversee an independent Department of Justice that upholds the rule of law. Ms. Bondi is one of four personal lawyers to President-elect Trump who he has already selected for Department of Justice positions. She was a leader in the effort to overturn the 2020 election. She has echoed the President[-elect]’s calls for prosecuting his political opponents, and she has a troubling history of unflinching loyalty to the president-elect," he said in floor remarks.

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The attorney general hopeful met with Grassley in early December, after which he said in a statement, "Pam Bondi is a well-qualified nominee with an impressive legal career, including eight years as Attorney General of the State of Florida and nearly two decades spent as a prosecutor. Bondi is prepared to refocus the Justice Department (DOJ)’s attention where it ought to be: on enforcing the law and protecting Americans’ safety."

The Judiciary chair promised the committee would "move swiftly to consider her nomination when the 119th Congress convenes in January."

SCHUMER DIRECTS DEMS TO PUT PRESSURE ON TRUMP NOMINEES AHEAD OF CONFIRMATION HEARINGS

Trump praised Bondi in his November announcement, writing in part, "For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans - Not anymore."

"Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again," he continued. "I have known Pam for many years — She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!"

Since being picked by Trump, Bondi has received several influential endorsements. Recently, 60 former Democrat and Republican attorneys general urged senators to confirm her in a letter. Further, dozens of former Justice Department officials called on the Judiciary Committee last week encouraging them to confirm Trump's choice.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced Tuesday a plan to offer free tuition for certain degree programs at state and city colleges.

The governor announced the education proposal during her state of the state address, in which she also vowed to give students free meals at schools, make it more difficult for hedge funds to buy homes, cut taxes for middle-class earners and expand the child tax credit.

Under the free tuition plan, New York residents between the ages of 25 and 55 who enroll in associate degree programs in nursing, teaching, technology, engineering and other fields at colleges operated by the State University of New York and the City University of New York would have their tuition covered.

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The state would also cover the cost of books and other college fees.

"When my dad got a college education, our whole family got a shot at a better life — and I want every New Yorker to have that opportunity," Hochul said in a statement. "Under my plan, every New Yorker will have the opportunity to pursue a free degree at SUNY and CUNY community colleges to help fill the in-demand jobs of tomorrow."

Other states have similar tuition programs, and several others offer various discounted tuitions for state colleges.

New York residents already receive discounted tuition at the vast network of state and city colleges, which consists of nearly 90 schools, and a program that already provides free tuition at the institutions for residents who make less than $125,000 a year.

Hochul also said she wants to address the problem of smartphones in K-12 schools by creating a statewide standard for distraction-free learning in the state.

Additionally, Hochul said she will work to address crime, expand mental health treatment services and to strengthen security in the New York City subway system after a surge in violent crimes on the subway. This would include plans to add police patrols on overnight trains and install barriers and better lighting on platforms.

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The governor's proposals will be debated in the Democrat-controlled state legislature.

She is expected to face a contested Democratic primary election next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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."

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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.

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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."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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." 

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He added, "Over the past four years, I'm proud to have kept my commitment to protect more land and water than any president in American history." 

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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. 

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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.

Them's fightin' words. 

The House Oversight Committee devolved into chaos on Tuesday after Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., challenged Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to a fight. 

"If you wanna take it outside, we can do that," Mace said.

The squabble was sparked when Crockett said "child, listen" during a back-and-forth about civil rights, women's rights and transgender rights.

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"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."

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The two talked over each other as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., attempted to control the chaos as he slammed his gavel. 

"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. 

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"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."

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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.

A USER’S MANUAL TO CERTIFYING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Let history be our guide:

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 SPEAKER’S LOBBY: THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO ELECTING A HOUSE SPEAKER

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.

THE POLITICAL FIRESTORM THAT'S ABOUT TO SINGE CAPITOL HILL

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.

'WASTE LESS, SAVE MORE': DOGE CAUCUS MEMBER ROLLS OUT EXPANSIVE BILL PACKAGE AHEAD OF TRUMP INAUGURATION

"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." 

DEM SENATOR'S 'LIES AND STUPIDITY' AT HEGSETH HEARING ROASTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 'CLOWN SHOW'

"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?"

THE TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM PETE HEGSETH'S SENATE CONFIRMATION HEARING

"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.

WATCHDOG SEEKS HALT TO 11TH HOUR BIDEN DOJ EFFORT TO ‘HANDCUFF' KY POLICE OVER BREONNA TAYLOR INCIDENT

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."

PROPOSED CHICAGO POLICE RESOURCE CUTS COULD LAND CITY IN COURT UNDER CONSENT DECREE, OFFICIALS WARN

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.

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"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. 

TRUMP DETAILS STRATEGY TO GET NECESSARY VOTES WITH ONE-BILL APPROACH TO BORDER, TAXES

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.

TRUMP TASKS BLUE STATE REPUBLICANS WITH ‘HOMEWORK’ AS GOP PLOTS MASSIVE CONSERVATIVE POLICY OVERHAUL

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."

PLANNED PARENTHOOD CHAPTER PROVIDED HARRIS CAMPAIGN WORKSPACE, BREAKING TAX LAW: IRS COMPLAINT

"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. 

TRUMP FLOATS DESANTIS AS DEFENSE SECRETARY REPLACEMENT SHOULD HEGSETH FALTER

"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."

CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING ON THE TRUMP TRANSITION AND INAUGURATION

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.

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But a broad cross-section of Republicans are already blaming the Democratic stronghold state’s policies and management for exacerbating the issue.

"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. 

POWER GRID FAULTS SURGED RIGHT BEFORE LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES BEGAN: EXPERT

"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.

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The coalition has been critical of the Biden administration since the withdrawal, writing in the letter that they have been "stonewalled" by his administration.

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"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.

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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. 

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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. 

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"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."

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"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.

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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."

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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.

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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.