The Georgia state Senate passed a bill on Monday that they are referring to as "DOGE lite."
Senate Bill 28, Red Tape Rollback Act of 2025, has the goal of reducing costs and increasing accountability for state agencies by having them review and update rules and regulations every four years.
During the vote, Democrats were against the measure, accusing Republicans of trying to bring DOGE to Georgia. "DOGE" refers to the Department of Government of Efficiency, headed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and aimed at shrinking the federal government.
"This is a power grab. Plain and simple, this is DOGE coming to Georgia," said state Sen. Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur) during the debate.
The bill is also aimed at small businesses and requires state agencies to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rules and will solicit the public’s input regarding whether rules are justified and if the government can further reduce those costs.
The vote was split between party lines, but the majority was Republican.
"Now that Donald Trump is president, we need to feign outrage about a commonsense bill," claimed Sen. Greg Dolezal following the vote. "That’s just the state of play in Georgia politics."
Dolezal says there has been some mischaracterization of the bill.
He went on to say before President Trump was reelected that a similar bill passed with bipartisan support last year.
Overall, Senate Democrats believe the bill will be effective in aggressive cost-cutting, much like at the federal level.
The bill will now go to the House for consideration.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., announced his plans to run for Florida governor next year during an interview on Fox News' "Hannity" Tuesday night.
The next Florida gubernatorial election is slated to take place Nov. 3, 2026.
Donalds was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who recently wrote that his fellow Sunshine State resident "would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida."
"I am hearing that Highly Respected Congressman Byron Donalds is considering running for Governor of Florida, a State that I love, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024," Trump's social media post read.
"[S]hould he decide to run, [Donalds] will have my Complete and Total Endorsement," the president added. "RUN, BYRON, RUN!"
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, however, has not signaled support for Donalds. On Monday, DeSantis told reporters that he wants Florida congressmen to be "focused on enacting [Trump's] agenda."
"They haven’t done very much yet," DeSantis said. "They’re not putting his executive orders into place. We’ll see what they do on the spending, but we have such a narrow majority that to be trying to campaign other places and missing these votes I think is not something that’s advisable at all."
DeSantis' comments came amid rumors that his wife, Casey, might toss her hat in the ring to run in the gubernatorial race. The Florida governor dodged a reporter's question about his wife's plans at Monday's press conference.
"People ask me all the time about our wonderful first lady, who has done a fantastic job as first lady of Florida," DeSantis responded. "I will tell you this, you’re talking about somebody like her. I won by the biggest margin that any Republican has ever won a governor’s race here in Florida. She would do better than me."
Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
DOGE leader Elon Musk suggested the United States has a "TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY" following a series of court rulings that have paused or blocked some of President Donald Trump's executive orders, while also saying corrupt judges should be impeached and removed.
In a post on X, Musk lamented judicial rulings that have blocked some of the Trump executive orders, many that have included slashing wasteful government spending and deporting illegal immigrants.
"If ANY judge ANYWHERE can block EVERY Presidential order EVERYWHERE, we do NOT have democracy, we have TYRANNY of the JUDICIARY," Musk wrote.
The post came hours after a federal judge blocked raids by immigration authorities targeting certain places of worship and another gave the Trump administration two days to resume hundreds of millions of dollars in payments for U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) projects across the globe.
On Monday, a federal judge also blocked Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing personal records at the Department of Education (ED) as part of their cost-cutting sweep.
In response to Musk's post, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said: "Corrupt judges should be impeached. And removed. Pass it on if you agree."
He cited the ousting of rivals to El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. Parliamentary leaders in that country recently sacked supreme court judges and an attorney general.
"The only way to restore rule of the people in America is to impeach judges," said Musk. "No one is above the law, including judges. That is what it took to fix El Salvador. Same applies to America."
"Unfortunately, as President Bukele eloquently articulates, there is no other option," he added. "We must impeach to save democracy."
Bukele replied, saying that "if you don’t impeach the corrupt judges, you CANNOT fix the country."
"They will form a cartel, (a judicial dictatorship) and block all reforms, protecting the systemic corruption that put them in their seats," he added.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem is warning illegal immigrants in the U.S. that they should leave the country now or face serious consequences, including losing the opportunity to enjoy freedom and live the American dream.
Noem appeared on "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Tuesday night to discuss her latest initiative, announcing an illegal alien registry that requires fingerprinting.
The secretary said DHS will enforce the Immigration and Nationality Act, which was enacted in 1952 and created several tools to track illegal aliens and compel them to voluntarily leave the U.S.
DHS said the tools include criminal penalties for migrants who choose not to leave the U.S., fail to register with the federal government and get fingerprinted, and fail to notify the federal government of changes to their address.
Noem and DHS hope to convince illegal immigrants that self-deportation is a safer path, not just for them, but also for law enforcement officials.
"President Trump and Secretary Noem have a clear message for those in our country illegally: leave now. If you leave now, you may have the opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. "The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws—we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce. We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans."
The DHS encourages immigrants in the U.S. illegally to visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, where there are instructions on how to register with the federal government.
Noem’s push comes more than a week after she sent a stern warning on behalf of President Donald Trump, to those planning on entering the U.S. illegally.
"Let me deliver a message from President Trump to the world. If you are considering entering America illegally, don't even think about it," she said. "Let me be clear. If you come to our country, and you break our laws, we will hunt you down. Criminals are not welcome in the United States. For too long, weak leadership has left our borders wide open, flooding our communities with drugs, human trafficking, and violent criminals. Well, those days are over."
Noem was the fourth member of the Trump administration to gain approval from the Senate, and is leading the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration.
The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs.
Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
The House of Representatives has adopted a resolution that will eventually become a massive multi-trillion-dollar bill full of President Donald Trump's priorities on the border, defense, energy and taxes.
In a major victory for House GOP lawmakers, 217 Republicans voted in favor of the resolution, with 214 Democrats opposed.
The lone Republican who voted against the legislation was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. The final vote fell 217 to 215 with just one absence, Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., who is undergoing cancer treatment.
The next step is now for the relevant House committees to meet and build their own proposals, which will eventually be returned into the framework and negotiated into a compromise deal with the Senate.
It was a dramatic scene in the House chamber on Monday night as Republican leaders delayed formally ending a vote for roughly 45 minutes as they worked to convince conservative fiscal hawks to support the legislation.
Impatient Democrats called out loud for the vote to be closed as Republicans huddled in varied groups.
Two people on the House floor told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump got involved at one point, speaking to one of the holdouts, Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., by phone.
Reps. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., and Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, could be seen on the phone at other points on the House floor as well, but it's not clear if they were speaking with Trump.
At one point, House GOP leaders appeared to lose confidence that they had enough support and abruptly canceled the planned vote.
Moments later, however, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were rushing back to the House floor and Fox News Digital was told the vote would be held.
Meanwhile, three House Democrats who had been absent early in the day returned for the Tuesday evening vote in dramatic fashion.
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., who had a baby roughly a month ago, returned to the House floor with her infant to oppose the bill. And Rep. Kevin Mullin, R-Calif., who was recently hospitalized for an infection, appeared in the chamber aided by a walker.
House and Senate Republicans are aiming to use their majorities to advance Trump's agenda via the budget reconciliation process.
It's a Senate maneuver that lowers the threshold for passage from two-thirds to a simple majority, but it's used when a party controls both houses of Congress and the White House because it allows that party to pass its policy goals even under the slimmest margins.
And Republicans are dealing with slim margins indeed; with current numbers, the House GOP can afford no more than one defection to pass anything without Democratic votes if all liberals are voting.
On the Senate side, Republicans can lose no more than two of their own in the reconciliation process.
The House resolution aimed to increase spending on border security, the judiciary and defense by roughly $300 billion, while seeking at least $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts elsewhere.
As written, the House bill also provided $4.5 trillion to extend President Donald Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions, which expire at the end of this year.
An amendment negotiated by House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and conservatives on his panel would also force lawmakers to make $2 trillion in cuts, or else risk the $4.5 trillion for Trump's tax cuts getting reduced by the difference.
The resolution also fulfilled Trump's directive to act on the debt limit, raising it by $4 trillion or roughly two years.
A bipartisan deal struck in 2023 saw the debt limit suspended until January 2025. Now, projections show the U.S. could run out of cash to pay its debts by spring if Congress does not act.
The resolution's odds were touch and go for much of the week so far, since House lawmakers returned from a week-long recess period Monday.
Several fiscal conservatives had demanded more assurances from House GOP leadership that Republicans would seek deep spending cuts to offset the cost of Trump's priorities.
Republican lawmakers in more competitive districts are concerned some cuts may go too far, however.
The resolution directs the House Energy & Commerce Committee to find at least $880 billion in spending cuts – which those lawmakers fear will mean severe cuts for federal programs like Medicaid.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed back against fears of such cuts during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
"Medicaid is hugely problematic because it has a lot of fraud, waste and abuse. Everybody knows that. We all know it intuitively. No one in here would disagree," Johnson said. "What we're talking about is rooting out the fraud, waste, and abuse. It doesn't matter what party you're in, you should be for that because it saves your money, and it preserves the programs so that it is available for the people who desperately need it."
White House officials confirmed with Fox News that while billionaire Elon Musk is overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an acting administrator has been appointed to the role.
Amy Gleason, who is a low-profile executive with an expertise in healthcare technology, has been appointed as the acting leader of DOGE, the department responsible for gutting many federal agencies while locating and cutting billions of dollars in government waste.
Gleason’s identity was revealed after a reporter pressed White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on who is actually running DOGE.
CBS News’ Nancy Cordes pointed out to Leavitt that President Donald Trump’s executive order to create DOGE called for the naming of a DOGE administrator. She then asked the president’s spokesperson who is serving as the DOGE administrator.
"So, the president tasked Elon Musk to oversee the DOGE effort," Leavitt said. "There are career officials and there are political appointees who are helping run DOGE on a day-to-day basis.
"There are also individuals who have onboarded as political appointees at every agency across the board to work alongside President Trump's Cabinet to find and identify waste, fraud and abuse, and they are working on that effort every day."
Cordes quickly asked, "So, is Elon Musk the administrator?" as Leavitt twice called on another reporter.
Gleason, 53, worked from 2018 through 2021 for the United States Digital Service, an agency that has been renamed the US DOGE Service, according to her LinkedIn profile. In that role, she worked with the White House on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Gleason returned to the agency after Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order directing the departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services to make healthcare prices transparent.
The order directs the departments to "rapidly implement and enforce" the Trump healthcare price transparency regulations, which he claims were slowed by the Biden administration.
The departments will ensure hospitals and insurers disclose actual prices, not estimates, and take action to make prices comparable across hospitals and insurers, including prescription drug prices.
In addition, they will be required to update their enforcement policies to ensure hospitals and insurers are in compliance with requirements to make prices transparent.
"When healthcare prices are hidden, large corporate entities like hospitals and insurance companies benefit at the expense of American patients," the White House wrote in a statement. "Price transparency will lower healthcare prices and help patients and employers get the best deal on healthcare."
The executive order notes a number of concerns with current healthcare pricing, including that prices vary between hospitals in the same region.
"One patient in Wisconsin saved $1,095 by shopping for two tests between two hospitals located within 30 minutes of one another," according to the statement.
The White House claims one economic analysis found Trump’s original price transparency rules, if fully implemented, could deliver savings of $80 billion for consumers, employers and insurers by 2025.
It added that employers will lower their healthcare costs by an average of 27% on 500 common services by better shopping for care.
"They’ll be able to check them, compare them, go to different locations, so they can shop for the highest-quality care at the lowest cost," Trump wrote in the statement. "And this is about high-quality care. You’re also looking at that. You’re looking at comparisons between talents, which is very important. And, then, you’re also looking at cost. And, in some cases, you get the best doctor for the lowest cost. That’s a good thing."
The White House said American patients are "fed up with the status quo," with 95% saying healthcare price transparency is an important priority. More than 50% said it should be a top priority of the government.
In his first term, Trump took historic action by mandating that hospitals and insurers make prices public.
A lawsuit was filed against the Biden administration in 2023, alleging it did not enforce the prescription drug transparency requirements.
"While the prior Administration failed to prioritize further implementation and enforcement of these requirements, President Trump is delivering on his promises to make the healthcare system more affordable and easier to navigate for patients," according to the statement.
Fox News Digital previously reported the administration's tariffs on China will affect drug costs.
Consumers are more dependent on China for medications for anxiety and other psychiatric disorders, such as antidepressants.
Republicans are mounting pressure on the Justice Department to advance the release of classified documents and records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and other federal secrets.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January for agencies to create plans to distribute the files, as well as documents pertaining to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"On Feb 11 & Feb 19, house oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.," Luna said in a post on X Monday. "The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified."
Luna sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and White House Counsel David Warrington requesting a briefing by Thursday on plans for the release of the documents.
The letter also requests details on when the declassified documents will become available to the task force and the public.
Trump’s executive order instructed the Department of Justice to coordinate with Gabbard, Waltz and Warrington to establish a plan by Feb. 7 for the release of the JFK files, and to create a plan for the release of the MLK and Robert F. Kennedy files by March 9.
Additionally, Luna is pushing the Justice Department to share details regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Meanwhile, Bondi said Friday that Epstein’s client list was awaiting review, and that she was looking over the Kennedy and King files.
"It's sitting on my desk right now to review," Bondi told "America Reports" host John Roberts Friday about the Epstein files. "That's been a directive by President Trump."
A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Luna’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital in response to Bondi’s statements.
Luna isn’t the only Republican lawmaker pushing for the release of these documents. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also said Monday Democrats have undercut her efforts to "crack the Epstein trafficking ring wide open," and vowed that she would receive answers under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel.
"The time for transparency is now," Blackburn said in a Monday post on X.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also said in a Monday X post that the documents belong to the American people, and "it’s about damn time they be given access to it!"
The Office for the Director of National Intelligence also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but told the Associated Press that a plan has been submitted regarding the Kennedy files.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, Trump vowed on the campaign trail that he would declassify all JFK-related documents if he won the 2024 election.
The House’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on March 26.
Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
Republicans are mounting pressure on the Justice Department to advance the release of classified documents and records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and other federal secrets.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January for agencies to create plans to distribute the files, as well as documents pertaining to the assassinations of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"On Feb 11 & Feb 19, house oversight sent a letter to the DOJ asking for status on releasing the Epstein files as well as JFK etc.," Luna said in a post on X Monday. "The DOJ has not responded. Reaching out on X because we can’t seem to get a response from the AG. @AGPamBondi what is the status of the documents? These documents were ordered to be declassified."
Luna sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and White House Counsel David Warrington requesting a briefing by Thursday on plans for the release of the documents.
The letter also requests details on when the declassified documents will become available to the task force and the public.
Trump’s executive order instructed the Department of Justice to coordinate with Gabbard, Waltz and Warrington to establish a plan by Feb. 7 for the release of the JFK files, and to create a plan for the release of the MLK and Robert F. Kennedy files by March 9.
Additionally, Luna is pushing the Justice Department to share details regarding Jeffrey Epstein’s client list. The American financier died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Meanwhile, Bondi said Friday that Epstein’s client list was awaiting review, and that she was looking over the Kennedy and King files.
"It's sitting on my desk right now to review," Bondi told "America Reports" host John Roberts Friday about the Epstein files. "That's been a directive by President Trump."
A spokesperson for the Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Luna’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital in response to Bondi’s statements.
Luna isn’t the only Republican lawmaker pushing for the release of these documents. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also said Monday Democrats have undercut her efforts to "crack the Epstein trafficking ring wide open," and vowed that she would receive answers under newly confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel.
"The time for transparency is now," Blackburn said in a Monday post on X.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also said in a Monday X post that the documents belong to the American people, and "it’s about damn time they be given access to it!"
The Office for the Director of National Intelligence also did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but told the Associated Press that a plan has been submitted regarding the Kennedy files.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. However, Trump vowed on the campaign trail that he would declassify all JFK-related documents if he won the 2024 election.
The House’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on March 26.
Fox News' Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s move to suspend refugee admissions into the United States in response to a lawsuit from refugee aid groups.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office suspending refugee resettlement and ordering the Department of Homeland Security to report back in 90 days on whether resuming resettlement would be in the interests of the U.S.
But District Judge Jamal Whitehead, a Biden appointee, said Trump’s actions were an "effective nullification of congressional will" in setting up the nation’s refugee admissions program.
"The president has substantial discretion ... to suspend refugee admissions," Whitehead told the parties, according to The Associated Press. "But that authority is not limitless."
The case had been brought by refugee groups, including International Refugee Assistance Project, HIAS, Lutheran Community Services Northwest and individual refugees. The groups argued their ability to provide services to refugees had been damaged by the Trump order.
The order was one of a number of orders attempting to limit both illegal and legal immigration, including the use of parole to allow in migrants by the Biden administration. Trump had limited refugee resettlement in his first term, but President Joe Biden made moves to take in more refugees, including by increasing the refugee cap.
"The United States lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular, refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees," Trump said in his Jan 20 order.
"This order suspends the USRAP until such time as the further entry into the United States of refugees aligns with the interests of the United States."
The plaintiffs argued that the suspension is in violation of federal law, and any such change should have been subject to the notice-and-comment period as laid out in the Administrative Procedures Act. They also argued that the suspension, as well as a suspension of funding, was "arbitrary and capricious."
The ruling marks a blow for the Trump administration after a federal judge last week declined to block the suspension in a similar case brought by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The conflicting rulings could mean the case ultimately ends up before the Supreme Court.
Arizona's Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs plans to expand border security operations along the state’s four border counties, placing added focus on disrupting transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).
Hobbs signed an executive order Tuesday to establish Operation Desert Guardian, a joint task force in which the state partners with local law enforcement, sheriffs and the federal government to disrupt TCO operations in the counties of Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise.
"I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking and secure Arizona’s border," Hobbs said. "My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities."
Hobbs added that the operation’s objectives will include identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities along Arizona’s southern border, which stretches about 370 miles, while also combating border-related crimes committed by TCOs. To do so, Hobbs said, the joint task force plans to dismantle TCO supply chains and operating networks.
Operation Desert Guardian’s funding will come from a portion of the state’s Border Security Fund, which has a balance of $28 million.
The operation will also build on the efforts of Task Force SAFE (Stopping Arizona’s Fentanyl Epidemic), a joint operation between U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Arizona National Guard to stop drugs from entering Arizona at ports of entry.
Since its launch in July 2024, Task Force SAFE has intercepted 19 million fentanyl pills, 6,598 pounds of illicit drugs and 237 weapons at the border.
"I have worked productively with the federal government on Task Force SAFE and partnered with local law enforcement to deliver critical border security support, and I look forward to continued partnership on our shared border security priorities," Hobbs said. "With Operation Desert Guardian, I’m confident we can take an important next step in our ongoing work to secure the border."
After President Donald Trump was re-elected to a second term in November, Hobbs said Arizona would not be aiding the incoming administration with its "misguided" plan to launch a mass deportation operation.
She was asked by ABC News whether the Trump administration would bring a reset on the border, and she responded by focusing on current partnerships with the federal government to secure the border.
"I am very hopeful that that partnership can continue, and that the incoming administration will listen to, not only my administration, but the experts here on the ground, the people that are doing the work, about what is most needed, and what we can continue to do that will be most helpful in securing our border," she said.
"What I will unequivocally say is that, as governor, I will not tolerate efforts that are part of misguided policies that harm our communities, that threaten our communities, that terrorize our communities, and Arizona will not take part in those."
State Republicans have a different plan, and, in January, state Senate President Warren Petersen, a Republican, introduced the "AZ ICE Act," which would require sheriff’s departments and the Arizona Department of Corrections to enter into cooperative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The agreements are based on 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers certain immigration functions, including identifying and detaining suspected illegal immigrants.
Petersen’s bill would also require law enforcement to comply with ICE detainers, which are requests that ICE be notified when an illegal immigrant is being released from state or local custody. "Sanctuary" jurisdictions do not comply with detainers.
After Trump was sworn into office Jan. 20, he immediately signed a number of executive orders to tackle border security and illegal immigration.
Some local jurisdictions have pledged their support for the measures, but other officials have promised to either resist or not comply with any planned deportation operations.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., is going viral for her remarks against the deportation of illegal immigrants and her urging Americans to "think about who picked" the food on their tables.
"If you look at the food that's on your table, think about who picked it. If you look at your homes, think about who built them. If you look at your vulnerable elders and your kids, think about who's taking care of them," Jayapal told the crowd.
Jayapal made the controversial remarks during the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ Tax the Greedy Billionaires Press Conference, and critics quickly slammed Jayapal. Some even compared her remarks to advocating for slave labor or indentured servitude, pointing out the mistreatment that illegal immigrants face.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., took to X to criticize Jayapal, calling the remarks a "MEGA WTF moment."
"Rep. Pramila Jayapal just sang praises for illegal immigration – gushing over cheap labor and glorifying indentured servitude," Mace tweeted.
This is not the first time Jayapal has made remarks about the U.S. relying on illegal immigrant labor. In 2023, she was criticized for saying that illegal immigrants were needed to "pick the food we eat," "clean our homes" and "rebuild our communities after climate disasters."
Jayapal also took a swipe at Elon Musk, saying that he "conveniently seems to have forgotten that he was an undocumented immigrant."
The lawmaker was likely referring to a Washington Post report from October 2024 that purported that Musk briefly worked in the U.S. illegally in the 1990s. The billionaire denied the report in a post on X, saying he held a "J-1 visa that transitioned to an H1-B."
In a recent interview, Jayapal slammed President Donald Trump for claiming that "everyone who’s undocumented is a criminal." The lawmaker insisted that the statement "is just not true."
The White House has made it clear that it is going in a different direction than the Biden administration when it comes to illegal immigration.
In January, when asked about the criminal status of illegal immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said "all of them" were criminals because they "illegally broke our nation’s laws."
"If they broke our nation’s laws, yes, they are a criminal," Leavitt said when pressed on the issue again.
FIRST ON FOX: Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. paused a multimillion-dollar contract from the Biden era to create a new COVID-19 vaccine, Fox News Digital has learned.
"While it is crucial that the Department and Health and Human Services (HHS) support pandemic preparedness, four years of the Biden administration’s failed oversight have made it necessary to review agreements for vaccine production, including Vaxart’s," Kennedy said in comment provided to Fox News Digital Tuesday.
"I look forward to working with Vaxart and medical experts to ensure this work produces safe, effective, and fiscal-minded vaccine technology."
Kennedy issued a 90-day stop work order Friday related to HHS' contract with American biotech company Vaxart Inc., which is working to develop a new COVID-19 vaccine that would be taken orally. The stop work order comes as 10,000 individuals were slated to begin clinical trials on Monday.
The trial is only paused, not terminated, with Kennedy and other health officials set to examine the study's initial findings over the next 90 days before deciding on next steps.
The creation of a new COVID-19 vaccine was part of the Biden administration's massive $4.7 billion Project NextGen initiative, which was launched in 2023 and works to streamline the development of new vaccines. The Vaxart vaccine specifically was funded through an agreement with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is a department within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response under the HHS umbrella.
BARDA obligated roughly $460 million to Vaxart's development of the new vaccine, with a total of $240 million already authorized for the preliminary study, Fox Digital learned.
A recent modification to the contract would have allowed Vaxart to invoice BARDA for the remaining roughly $230 million for clinical trials, but the stopwork order prevents the biotech company from invoicing BARDA until further notice. Vaxart, however, can still invoice HHS related to medical monitoring of individuals who took part in an initial round of trials, Fox Digital learned.
The announcement comes just under two weeks after Kennedy was confirmed and sworn in as the nation's 26th chief of HHS. The same day he was sworn in, President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the Make America Healthy Again Commission, which is led by Kennedy to investigate and address "the root causes of America’s escalating health crisis."
The commission initially will focus its investigations into childhood chronic diseases, such as autism.
Kennedy, who ran for president as a Democrat in the 2024 cycle before ultimately dropping out and endorsing Trump, has come under fire from critics for an alleged anti-vaccine stance, which he has repeatedly denied, including during his Senate confirmation hearings earlier in 2025.
"I worked for years to raise awareness about the mercury and toxic chemicals in fish," Kennedy said during his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee in January of his vaccine stance. "And nobody called me anti-fish. And I believe that … that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. All of my kids are vaccinated. I've read many books on vaccines. My first book in 2014, a first line of it is ‘I am not anti-vaccine’ and last line is ‘I am not anti-vaccine.’ Nor am I the enemy of food producers. American farms are the bedrock of our culture, of our politics, of our national security."
COVID-19 vaccines were mandated across the federal government under the Biden administration, while many businesses in the private sector also required employees to get the vaccine, which sparked widespread backlash and protests as some employees lost their jobs for bucking the orders.
Trump signed a few executive orders related to the previous administration's mandates upon his return to the Oval Office in January, including reinstating military members who were fired for refusing the vaccine and another EO that prohibits federal funding for vaccine mandates in schools.
Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content.
Here's what's happening…
-Noem reveals major milestone on border crossings amid Trump's crackdown on illegal immigrants
-Deadline for Musk's ultimatum to federal workers hits, but OPM reportedly says it's voluntary
-Meet the far-left groups funding anti-DOGE protests at GOP offices across the country
EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are getting an update on the Trump administration’s probe of billionaire George Soros’ influence on local radio, a source familiar with planning told Fox News Digital.
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), the 175-strong caucus led by Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, is hosting Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr at its annual closed-door lunch on Wednesday.
The source familiar with the planning said Carr is expected to brief GOP lawmakers on the FCC’s investigation into Soros, including an investment firm he’s linked to purchasing over 200 Audacy radio stations nationwide…Read more
'MAXIMUM MOMENTUM': New bill threatens to cripple 'judicial tyranny' from derailing Trump's agenda at every turn
'WARRIOR ETHOS': Trump Pentagon leadership shakeup aims to change culture from top down, expert says
HERITAGE HEARTLAND: Lawmakers pressure Trump to recognize West Bank as Israeli territory
RIFT AT THE UN: US votes against condemning Russia for Ukraine war as Trump admin chases peace deal
Paul Clement, a former solicitor general and previous potential Trump Supreme Court pick, was tapped by a federal judge Friday to weigh in on the motion to dismiss the corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
U.S. District Judge Dale Ho decided to adjourn the case against Adams until further notice, while also appointing Clement to serve as an independent party.
Ho wrote that bringing in Clement was "appropriate" in this case, "particularly so in light of the public importance of this case, which calls for careful deliberation."
Former assistant U.S. attorney and Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy noted to Fox News Digital that it is "unusual" for courts to entertain amicus briefs in criminal cases and "it is highly unusual to appoint an amicus to assist the court in the manner contemplated in the Adams case."
Clement, a seasoned appellate lawyer who has argued more than 100 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, served as solicitor general under the Bush administration from 2005-2008. He was notably on President Donald Trump's short list of Supreme Court nominees during his first term.
Before taking on the role of the federal government’s top appellate lawyer, Clement served as a deputy solicitor general.
Clement earned his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a master's in economics from Cambridge University.
He went on to earn his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he was the Supreme Court editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Following graduation, Clement clerked for Judge Laurence H. Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as well as for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
He went into private practice after his clerkships, joining Kirkland & Ellis' Washington, D.C., office.
Clement also served as chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights before returning to private practice and working as a partner at King & Spalding in D.C., where he headed the firm's appellate practice.
Clement is currently a distinguished lecturer in law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he initially served as an adjunct professor starting in 1998. He is also partner at Clement & Murphy in D.C.
Clement's advocacy in the high court includes recently arguing Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which effectively overturned the Chevron doctrine. The doctrine previously gave deference to an agency's interpretation of a federal regulation. Clement also litigated against the Obama administration, challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
McCarthy said he thinks "very highly of Paul Clement, who is among the top appellate lawyers in the United States," saying the Adams case "calls for a faithful interpretation" of federal law and "I can’t think of anyone better than Clement to give a judge impartial, solid advice on that issue."
Ho's decision to adjourn the case came just days after U.S. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove asked prosecutors to drop all corruption charges against the mayor.
In the motion to dismiss, Bove said the legal proceedings against Adams were detracting from other Justice Department priorities, such as illegal immigration and violent crime.
Ho appointed Clement to weigh in on the DOJ's motion to drop the case. Among the questions posed to Clement, the court asks, "Under what circumstances, if leave is granted, dismissal should be with or without prejudice."
"The main point of the rule is to protect the defendant’s rights," McCarthy said. "The judge has no authority to order DOJ to persist in prosecuting Adams, or to appoint a ‘special prosecutor,’ but Clement is an excellent lawyer and can give Judge Ho good advice on whether to accept the plea with the ‘without prejudice’ term in it."
Parties are expected to submit briefings by early March, with oral arguments expected shortly thereafter.
The charges against Adams will remain intact until Ho agrees to dismiss them.
Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
FIRST ON FOX: President Trump's Department of Agriculture announced on Tuesday that it is taking steps to ensure that illegal immigrants in the United States are not eligible for food stamp benefits.
"U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today directed the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately clarify and enforce all rules restricting its beneficiaries to U.S. citizens and legal residents only," the department said in a press release.
The press release adds that the directive "enforces" Trump's executive order from February 19 aimed at "ensuring taxpayer resources are not used to incentivize or support illegal immigration."
"The days in which taxpayer dollars are used to subsidize illegal immigration are over," Agriculture Secretary Rollins said in a statement.
"Today's directive affirms that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will follow the law—full stop."
Food stamp fraud has long been an issue that Republicans have warned about including Sen. Joni Ernst who recently debuted a bill designed to tackle overpayments in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), colloquially known as "food stamps."
"Bureaucratic blunders are leaving billions of dollars on the table as Americans are starved to keep up with the ever-growing $36 trillion debt," she told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"SNAP plays an essential role in helping feed families. That’s why we need to strengthen its integrity by holding states accountable for growing error rates, implementing a zero-tolerance policy, and snapping back overpayments."
Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan explained to Fox News last week that illegal migrants are incentivized to come to the U.S. while they are reaping more in benefits than most Americans make in their salaries.
"It is a major driver… how many welfare cards, and food stamps, and social services envelopes you see all around these homes," Homan said. It's been going on for decades."
Fox News Digital's Julia Johnson contributed to this report
Some Canadians are on edge after finding a handful of provincial parks in the country were labeled "state parks" on Google, fanning the flames of their concern surrounding President Donald Trump’s comments that Canada will become the U.S.' "51st state."
"I went to go look for myself on Google Maps, and sure enough, a bunch of the provincial parks had been changed to state parks, and when I went to edit to suggest an edit, I had noticed that the provincial park category had been completely removed from Google entirely," a Canadian TikTok user, Samantha Gietema, told Canadian media outlet Global News.
Canada does not use a state system like the U.S. Instead, it is divided into 10 different provinces. Provincial parks in Canada are public areas designated by a province’s government for the purpose of preservation, tourism and recreation — similar to U.S. state parks.
Google worked to quell concerns shortly after news broke of the maps, explaining to Fox News Digital that no changes had recently taken place to swap provincial park designations to state parks. Instead, the designations have sometimes been used interchangeably across the years within Google’s system, as the two park systems operate similarly.
To avoid confusion, Google is working to update the system to reflect "provincial parks" in Canada, Fox News Digital learned.
"We have not made any recent changes to the way we label parks in Canada — the vast majority of these parks have had their existing labels for several years," a Google spokesperson told Fox News Digital Tuesday. "We're actively working to update labels for parks in Canada to avoid confusion."
The designations have sparked concern among some residents, with one woman telling CTV News that designating Canadian parks "state parks" is "an attack on our Canadian identity."
"I would like to draw attention to this disgusting display of American oppression of Canadian culture and autonomy," the woman, Rachel Deren, told the Canadian outlet.
She added: "We are proud to be Canadian and will remain so despite attempts like this from our ever increasingly hostile neighbours to the south," she added, according to the outlet.
Local media confirmed a handful of provincial parks in British Columbia and Alberta were labeled "state parks" Monday.
The minister of Environment and Parks in British Columbia, Tamara Davidson, told Global News that she also was aware "of the recent concern around the label of ‘state park’ on Google Business listings for provincial parks in B.C."
"I think many people are very aware and are quite sensitive to what is happening with our maps," she said.
Anxiety over the map designation follows Trump repeatedly saying Canada should become the U.S.’ "51st state," citing that the U.S. subsidizes Canada by billions of dollars a year and that if Canada joined the U.S., Trump wouldn’t have to level tariffs on the nation.
"I think Canada would be much better off being a 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada, and I'm not going to let that happen," Trump told Fox News’ Brett Baier in an interview earlier in February. "It's too much. Why are we paying $200 billion a year essentially in subsidy to Canada? Now, if they're our 51st state, I don't mind doing it."
Amid the confusion over the longstanding map designations, the minister of Environment and Parks in British Columbia vowed that Canada would never join the U.S. as its 51st state.
"We understand the concerns this has raised in the context of recent events — and let’s be clear, we will never be the 51st state," Davidson said.
A coalition of religious groups successfully halted new rules under the Trump administration, which allowed federal officials to enter houses of worship in order to enforce immigration laws.
In response to a lawsuit from a group of Quaker, Baptist and Sikh congregations, an Obama-appointed federal judge in Maryland ordered Monday that the Trump administration must revert to Biden-era rules governing immigration enforcement at the locations where the plaintiffs worship. However, the judge's order does not apply to all places of worship nationwide, and it does not pertain to situations involving a warrant.
Hours after President Donald Trump took office last month, his administration rescinded a directive issued under former President Joe Biden that prohibited immigration enforcement action in, or near, certain "sensitive" areas, such as churches and schools.
The coalition of religious groups, representing 1,400 Baptist churches, a California-area Sikh temple serving roughly 30,000, and six Quaker meetings located up-and-down the East Coast, sued Trump on grounds that his Day One directive violated their First Amendment rights to freedom of assembly. The groups said the new permissions created a chilling effect that prevented congregants, even those who are legal citizens, from attending worship services.
"The substantial burden that the [Trump administration] policy is far from speculative and is already occurring," U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang wrote in his 59-page opinion. "The 2025 Policy will significantly affect Plaintiff's expressive association by removing any meaningful limitations on intrusions into places of worship by armed law enforcement officers."
Efforts to reach the Department of Homeland Security were unsuccessful at press time. But according to Chuang's ruling, the Trump administration argued that the purported chilling effect caused by its new directive is not "objectively reasonable," because it only iterates that officers exercise discretion when enforcing immigration laws in certain "sensitive" areas, but it does not require them to do so.
In response to these claims from DHS, Chuang cited a Trump administration press release that stated, "criminals will no longer be able to hide in America's schools and churches to avoid arrest," in an announcement about the policy change. Chuang also cited media reports describing Trump's new directive as something that will "free [federal agents] up to go after more illegal immigrants," and said congregants' reactions were reasonable in light of these narratives and other news reports about ICE detaining legal citizens in their efforts to enforce immigration.
Chuang added that, given the plaintiffs' openness about serving immigrant communities, it would be reasonable to expect that DHS will direct their enforcement actions at the plaintiffs' congregations.
FIRST ON FOX: A top coordinator at a prominent left-wing nonprofit traveled to Chicago over the weekend to attend the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day commemoration, which has been rife with controversy in the past due to Louis Farrakhan's antisemitic speeches at the annual gathering.
Terence Muhammad, who serves on the Hip Hop Caucus' national leadership team as the events and field coordinator, posted several times over the last week on his social media profiles that he was attending Saviours' Day festivities and repeatedly asked his followers to donate to the Nation of Islam if they have been "touched and benefited" by Farrakhan's message.
Farrakhan is infamous for his hateful comments against White people and Jews, which have been closely monitored by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for several years. The ADL, which has called Farrakhan "one of the most prominent antisemites," lists dozens of his quotes on its website, including several from past Saviours' Day speeches. SPLC has classified Nation of Islam as a hate group.
In 2018, Farrakhan said, "The powerful Jews are my enemy" and used an antisemitic trope about Jews controlling the entertainment industry during his 2012 Saviours' Day address.
During a 2013 speech, Farrakhan referred to Jews as "not good people" and said they have "satanic minds." In another 2018 speech, Farrakhan said, "You and I are going to have to learn to distinguish between the righteous Jew and the satanic Jews who have infected the whole world with poison and deceit." He also infamously compared Jews to termites.
Despite Farrakhan's long history of antisemitism, Muhammad promotes Farrakhan on his social media profiles almost daily and includes him on all his social media profile pictures.
"Wheels Up with My Squad Bro," Muhammad wrote late last week on Facebook, including a selfie with a fellow Nation of Islam friend on a plane. "HAPPY SAVIOURS' DAY!! CHITOWN!!"
Muhammad later posted a video in front of Mosque Maryam, the Nation of Islam's national headquarters, hyping up the event and showing where tents were going to be set up.
Muhammad, described as a "key force behind executing many of Hip Hop Caucus’ campaigns, tours, and major events," according to an archived version of the Hip Hop Caucus' website, also shared social media posts from several attendees of the Saviours' Day commemoration on his Facebook, including an undated photo of him and Farrakhan. Several of the photos he shared over the weekend included a caption that said "My squad."
While it is unclear the date of the photo he shared, he has previously posted several photos of himself posing with Farrakhan. In a now-private 2023 Instagram post, which included a Farrakhan photo collage, Muhammad said, "I absolutely love the Honorable Minister Louis FARRAKHAN."
"He is a beautiful, loving, kind, and deeply spiritual Divine Man of God," he added.
In addition to Muhammad, Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Lennox Yearwood, who visited the Biden White House several times, previously referred to Muhammad as one of Farrakhan’s "top soldiers" and thanked Farrakhan for allowing Muhammad to be part of his organization.
"Bless Minister @LouisFarrakhan allowing one of his top soldiers [Muhammad] 2 be w/ me for #MOW50. Much LOVE to the NOI," Yearwood wrote in a now-deleted 2013 post, referring to Farrakhan's Nation of Islam.
"Happy Birthday [Terence Muhammad] You're a blessing to our Movement & our People!" Yearwood wrote in 2016. "Thank you for your love [Louis Farrakhan]."
In a 2014 Facebook post, Muhammad posted a photo of Yearwood and Farrakhan with the caption, "I am that I am(The Good) because I was introduced to a man named the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and a Life giving teaching from the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad. I can move/help my people like I do cause of Rev Lennox Yearwood, CEO/President of the Hip Hop Caucus. I work for these great men.
"I'm holding my heart cause I love this man with all of my heart/soul," Muhammad said in the same 2014 Facebook post, which included a photo of him and Farrakhan. "What's more amazing than anything is that [Farrakhan] knew my name and told me that he loved me too. I will/must continue to fight for our people."
The Hip Hop Caucus has received millions of dollars in grants from left-wing nonprofits, including at least $1 million from the Sixteen Thirty Fund dark money group, and has collaborated with top Democrats in Congress, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. The Hip Hop nonprofit has also collaborated with the Congressional Black Caucus and top environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council.
During the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Muhammad and Yearwood posed for a photo with Michael Regan, the chief administrator of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Joe Biden.
The Hip Hop Caucus previously distanced Yearwood and the nonprofit from Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam when Fox News Digital pressed them last fall, prompting them to say, "The Hip Hop Caucus and Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. have no relationship with the Nation of Islam and condemn the antisemitic statements by Louis Farrakhan."
A Hip Hop Caucus spokesperson responded to the most recent inquiry with an almost verbatim quote, but again failed to address Muhammad's involvement with the NOI.
"The Hip Hop Caucus has no relationship with the Nation of Islam and has condemned antisemitic statements by Louis Farrakhan," a Hip Hop Caucus spokesperson said. "We stand against antisemitism and all forms of hate."
In addition to Muhammad locking down his X and Instagram accounts after Fox News Digital's media inquiry, the Hip Hop Caucus' "team" section is no longer available on its website. Over the weekend, visitors to the website could view all the bios of the leadership team. However, none of the bios were visible on the website Tuesday afternoon.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday, his first trip to the naval installation since being confirmed to his post in January.
Hegseth was expected to receive briefings on all mission operations at the base, including the detention facility where illegal migrants deported from the United States are being housed before being flown to their native countries.
"Arrived at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay on the front lines of the war against America’s southern border," the secretary wrote on X.
He was also expected to meet with troops at the base and aboard the USS Thomas Hudner. Images posted to Hegseth's X account show him meeting and eating with troops stationed at Gitmo.
"These warriors are directly supporting the apprehension and deportation of dangerous illegal aliens," he wrote. "We cannot thank them or their families enough."
The base is best known for detaining terrorism suspects, including those behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Donald Trump authorized the detention of illegal immigrants at the facility shortly after taking office on Jan. 20.
In January, Trump said he wanted to expand immigrant detention centers at Guantánamo to hold as many as 30,000 people.
"Some of them are so bad that we don’t even trust the countries to hold them because we don’t want them coming back, so we’re going to send ‘em out to Guantánamo," Trump said at the time.
Last week, nearly 200 Venezuelan illegal immigrants arrested in the U.S. were flown back from Guantanamo Bay after Venezuela expressed interest in accepting its citizens.
Earlier this month, two Venezuelan flights carried 190 illegal immigrants from the U.S. to the South American nation.
The U.S. government has alleged that Venezuelan illegal immigrants transferred to the naval base are members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Trump has turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the country illegally.
