What can you get for $9.4 billion?

3G Capital recently purchased footwear giant Skechers for $9.4 billion. 

$9.4 billion could cover your rent for a pretty nice apartment in New York City for more than 40,000 years. 

Yes, it will just be you and the cockroaches by then. 

Or, you could pay the cost of every major disaster in the past four decades – ranging from Chernobyl to Fukushima to Hurricane Sandy. 

'LONG OVERDUE': SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP'S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR

But $9.4 billion isn’t a lot when cast against nearly $7 trillion in annual spending by the federal government. 

And it’s really not much money when you consider that the U.S. is about slip into the red to the tune of $37 trillion. 

Which brings us to the Congressional plan to cancel spending. That is, a measure from Republicans and the Trump Administration to rescind spending lawmakers already appropriated in March. The House and Senate are now clawing back money lawmakers shoved out the door for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid programs under USAID. The original proposal cut $9.4 billion. But that figure dwindled to $9 billion – after the Senate restored money for "PEPFAR," a President George W. Bush era program to combat AIDS worldwide. 

In other words, you may have a couple thousand years lopped off from your rent-controlled apartment in New York City. Of course that hinges on what Democratic mayoral nominee Zorhan Mamdani decides to do, should he win election this fall. 

Anyway, back to Congressional spending. Or "un-spending." 

The House passed the original version of the bill in June, 216-214. Flip one vote and the bill would have failed on a 215-215 tie. Then it was on to the Senate. Republicans had to summon Vice President Vance to Capitol Hill to break a logjam on two procedural votes to send the spending cancellation bill to the floor and actually launch debate. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage in the Senate. But former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., along with Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska and Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted nay – producing a 50-50 tie.

Fox is told some Senate Republicans are tiring of McConnell opposing the GOP – and President Trump – on various issues. That includes the nay votes to start debate on the spending cancellation bill as well as his vote against the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January.

"He used to be the Leader. He was always telling us we need to stick together," said one GOP senator who requested anonymity. "Now he’s off voting however he wants? How time flies."

Note that McConnell led Senate Republicans as recently as early January.

But McConnell ultimately voted for the legislation when the Senate approved it 51-48 at 2:28 am ET Thursday morning. 

Murkowski and Collins were the only noes. The services of Vice President Vance weren’t needed due to McConnell’s aye vote and the absence of Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. She fell ill and was admitted to George Washington Hospital for exhaustion. 

As for the senior senator from Alaska, one GOP senator characterized it as "Murkowski fatigue."

"She always asking. She’s always wanting more," groused a Senate Republican.

Murkowski secured an agreement on rural hospitals in exchange for her vote in favor of the Big, Beautiful Bill earlier this month. However, Murkowski did not secure more specificity on the DOGE cuts or help with rural, public radio stations in Alaska on the spending cut plan.

SENATE TO DEBATE TRUMP'S $9B CLAWBACK BILL AFTER DRAMATIC LATE-NIGHT VOTES

"My vote is guided by the imperative of coming from Alaskans. I have a vote that I am free to cast, with or without the support of the President. My obligation is to my constituents and to the Constitution," said Murkowski. "I don't disagree that NPR over the years has tilted more partisan. That can be addressed. But you don't need to gut the entire Corporation for Public Broadcasting." 

In a statement, Collins blasted the Trump administration for a lack of specificity about the precision of the rescissions request. Collins, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee in charge of the federal purse strings, also criticized the administration a few months ago for a paucity of detail in the President’s budget. 

"The rescissions package has a big problem – nobody really knows what program reductions are in it.  That isn’t because we haven’t had time to review the bill," said Collins in a statement. "Instead, the problem is that OMB (the Office of Management and Budget) has never provided the details that would normally be part of this process."

Collins wasn’t the only Republican senator who worried about how the administration presented the spending cut package to Congress. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss.,  fretted about Congress ceding the power of the purse to the administration. But unlike Collins, Wicker supported the package.

"If we do this again, please give us specific information about where the cuts will come. Let's not make a habit of this," said Wicker. "If you come back to us again from the executive branch, give us the specific amounts in the specific programs that will be cut."

DOGE recommended the cuts. In fact, most of the spending reductions targeted by DOGE don’t go into effect unless Congress acts. But even the $9.4 billion proved challenging to cut. 

"We should be able to do that in our sleep. But there is looking like there's enough opposition," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Fox Business.

So to court votes, GOP leaders salvaged $400 million for PEPFAR.

"There was a lot of interest among our members in doing something on the PEPFAR issue," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. "You're still talking about a $9 billion rescissions package - even with that small modification."

The aim to silence public broadcasting buoyed some Republicans.

HOMELAND SECURITY HALTS $18.5M IN TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR 'RADICAL' PROGRAMS

"North Dakota Public Radio - about 26% of their budget is federal funding. To me, that's more of an indictment than it is a need," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. 

But back to the $9 billion. It’s a fraction of one-tenth of one percent of all federal funding. And DOGE recommended more than a trillion dollars in cuts.

"What does this say for the party if it can't even pass this bill, this piddling amount of money?" yours truly asked Sen. John Kennedy, R-La.

"I think we're going to lose a lot of credibility. And we should," replied Kennedy.

But the House needed to sync up with the Senate since it changed the bill – stripping the cut for AIDS funding. House conservatives weren’t pleased that the Senate was jamming them again – just two weeks after major renovations to the House version of the Big, Beautiful Bill. But they accepted their fate.

"It’s disappointing that we're $37 trillion in debt. This to me was low-hanging fruit," said Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo. "At the end of the day, I'll take a base hit, right? It's better than nothing."

White House Budget Director Russ Vought is expected to send other spending cancellation requests to Congress in the coming months. The aim is to target deeper spending reductions recommended by DOGE. 

But it doesn’t auger well for future rescissions bills if it’s this much of a battle to trim $9 trillion.

What can you get for that much money? For Republicans, it’s not much. 

Republicans were swinging for the fences with spending cuts.

But in the political box score, this is recorded as just a base hit.

President Donald Trump is calling for an immediate end to the trial of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who he said is the victim of "unjust" politically motivated attacks. 

The Brazilian leader is facing an investigation and an upcoming trial accusing him of leading an attempted coup to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, was at the White House for meetings.

He later said in a video posted to social media that "decisions are being made" with respect to possible sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes that the U.S. has been considering.

"I have seen the terrible treatment you are receiving at the hands of an unjust system turned against you. This should end immediately!" Trump wrote in a letter he sent to Bolsonaro, which the president posted on his Truth Social account Thursday evening. 

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"I share your commitment to listening to the voice of the people and I am very concerned about the attacks on free speech – both in Brazil and in the United States – coming out of the current government. I have strongly voiced my disapproval both publicly and through our Tariff policy." 

Last week, Trump threatened a 50% tariff on products from Brazil in a letter to the country's president that cited the ongoing case against Bolsonaro.

In November, Federal Police filed a 884-page report with Brazilian Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet detailing the scheme that alleged Bolsonaro and 33 others participated in a plan to remain in power despite losing to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. They allege it involved systematically sowing distrust of the electoral system among the populace, drafting a decree to give the plot a veneer of legality, pressuring top military brass to go along with the plan and inciting a riot in the capital.

A panel of justices on Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted the charges against Bolsonaro in March, and it ordered the former leader to stand trial. All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges, which included accusations involving a plan to poison Bolsonaro's successor and kill a Supreme Court judge.

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Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.

In his letter to Bolsonaro, Trump said it was his "sincere hope" that the government in Brazil "changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime."

"I will be watching closely," Trump added.

For his part, Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing, telling reporters, "I have no concerns about the accusations, zero." 

TRUMP'S TREASURY DEPARTMENT TARGETS DANGEROUS VENEZUELAN PRISON GANG WITH SANCTIONS ON 6 TOP LEADERS

The Washington Post reported Thursday that, according to four sources familiar with the situation, the U.S. is considering levying sanctions against Judge Moraes, who is leading the case against Bolsonaro. The sanctions, according to the sources who spoke with the Post, would come under the Magnitsky Act, which allops the U.S. to impose sanctions against foreign nationals accused of corruption. 

After Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil over the case against Bolsonaro, his successor, Lula, vowed retaliation. 

"If there’s no negotiation, the reciprocity law will be put to work. If he charges 50 (% tariffs) from us, we will charge 50 from them," Lula said, according to The Associated Press. "Respect is good. I like to offer mine, and I like to receive it."

EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in California's San Francisco Bay at the direction of President Donald Trump. 

The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center.

"This was an idea of the president," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. "He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible."

TRUMP PUSHES TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT PELOSI AND NEWSOM DISMISS IT AS A 'DISTRACTION'

After Trump’s May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit "the Rock" to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison's infrastructure. 

The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening.

Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island’s potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex.

The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. 

If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"So many people remember Al Capone, but this isn’t about the past. It’s about what Alcatraz could be again," Spunt reported from the island. "They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for."

Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from "Alcatraces" after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala's 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means "pelican" or "strange bird."

LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE 'AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS'

Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prison’s operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data.

"This is a terrific facility," Bondi said. "It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive."

Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including "violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens." She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control.

Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use. 

"It’s a federal property. Its original use was a prison. We’re here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again," he said.

The island poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the San Francisco mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts.

The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ’s ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review.

Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative "the stupidest yet" from Trump.

The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken.

After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national historic landmarks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site.

Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom. 

Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished.

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"This is Alcatraz," Burgum said. "The name still means something."

The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

Labour appearing consistent is core to Abbott's second suspension, writes the BBC's Chris Mason.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said Thursday it was adding "enhanced oversight" of agency decisions about new wind and solar projects in an effort to end "favoritism" of these "unreliable" and "subsidy-dependent" energy systems from the previous administration.

The new directive updates review procedures that will require senior leadership at the Interior Department, including the office of the secretary, to conduct a final review of any relevant decisions, including leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations and biological opinions.

"Today’s actions further deliver on President Trump’s promise to tackle the Green New Scam and protect the American taxpayers’ dollars," said acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Adam Suess. 

"American energy dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favoritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment."

DOUG BURGUM EXPLAINS HOW WIND AND SOLAR DO NOT ‘RUN AMERICA’

A source familiar with the DOI's new enhanced oversight directive said the agency had serious concerns the Biden administration gave preferential treatment for permitting to new wind and solar projects, which a DOI press release Thursday described as "unreliable" forms of energy. 

The press release argued that, with the removal of "artificial advantages," the Trump administration is "leveling the playing field" for "dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources, such as clean coal and domestic natural gas."    

"These actions mark a return to commonsense permitting standards that support national security, grid stability and American job creation," the press release says.

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The actions are in alignment with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, "Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources" and other presidential directives, while also serving to implement certain provisions of the newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

The "big, beautiful bill" provisions that the directive supports ask the Interior Department to eliminate right-of-way and capacity fee discounts for existing and future wind and solar projects, which the DOI said Thursday will end "years of subsidies for economically unviable energy development."

"For too long, the federal government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar," Trump's executive order says. "The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape.

"Moreover, reliance on so-called ‘green’ subsidies threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries. Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts to unreliable energy sources is vital to energy dominance, national security, economic growth, and the fiscal health of the Nation."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is applauding a letter sent Thursday by Republican lawmakers to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, urging the agency to stop using taxpayer dollars for experiments on animals conducted in foreign laboratories. 

The letter, signed by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., highlights concerns about the lack of oversight and inadequate standards in certain foreign facilities. 

The bipartisan Cease Animal Research Grants Overseas (CARGO) Act—led by the Republicans along with Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.—seeks to end NIH funding for animal experiments outside the U.S. and ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused for the unnecessary suffering of animals.

Between 2011 and 2021, the NIH issued more than $2.2 billion in grants for controversial research in 45 countries.

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According to the letter, the "research" included genetically altering cats to be born with deformed legs, infecting bats with diseases that were transmissible and fatal to humans, and force-feeding mice human feces.

NIH CLOSES EXPERIMENTATION LABS ACCUSED OF BRUTALLY KILLING THOUSANDS OF BEAGLES FOR 40+ YEARS

Nehls and Scott noted there are little to no inspections at the facilities where research is conducted or where the animals are housed, and there is inadequate auditing of foreign NIH-funded animal studies, resulting in significant gaps in oversight and accountability of how taxpayer dollars are being used. 

"It is deeply concerning that American taxpayer dollars have been used to fund harmful and abusive animal experiments overseas that lack the same oversight and accountability as labs here in the United States," Nehls and Scott wrote in the letter. "…It is a waste of resources that should be allocated to more ethical and effective research practices that do not involve animals."

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said the organization is grateful to Nehls, Scott, Titus and Booker for serving as the lead sponsors of the CARGO Act.

"This effort represents a significant step in halting cruel and wasteful animal experimentation abroad, and it aligns with the Trump Administration’s broader shift toward more relevant, non-animal research methods," Guillermo wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are excited to continue working alongside these dedicated lawmakers to pass the CARGO Act and ensure that taxpayer money is no longer used to support pointless and unethical research."

SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICANS REQUEST BAN ON FEDERALLY FUNDED 'TRANSGENDER ANIMAL' EXPERIMENTS IN 2026 BUDGET

The CARGO Act was introduced following a PETA investigation into Caucaseco Scientific Research Center, a discredited Colombian laboratory with a history of violating animal care standards. 

Caucaseco Scientific Research Center received more than $17 million in U.S. funding, and the Biden administration's NIH encouraged additional funding, even after it was caught confining monkeys in filthy conditions, leaving them to die from infected wounds, and starving mice to the point of cannibalism, according to PETA.

The PETA investigation reportedly led to multiple investigations by local authorities, the rescues of 108 monkeys and 180 mice, and the retraction of a research publication.

"The letter’s request for NIH to immediately cease funding animal experiments in foreign labs is a crucial step toward protecting animals and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly," Guillermo wrote. "PETA remains committed to advocating for legislative and policy changes that prioritize ethical, practical, and non-animal research."

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the United States does not support recent Israeli airstrikes on Syria and called for "dialogue" between the two Middle East powers.

"The United States unequivocally condemns the violence. All parties must step back and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to a lasting ceasefire," Bruce announced at a State Department press briefing Thursday afternoon. 

WHY SYRIA PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN TRUMP’S PLANS FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes in the Syrian capital of Damascus struck the country's Defense Ministry headquarters and an area near the presidential palace, killing three and injuring dozens of others, according to reports. 

The Israeli military said it was intervening to defend the minority Druze population in southern Syria, a community that shares a border with Israel, amid armed skirmishes between local Bedouin Sunni tribes and the recently installed Syrian government.

"We are acting decisively to prevent the entrenchment of hostile elements beyond the border, protect Israeli citizens and prevent harm to Druze civilians," Eyal Zamir, chief of the Israeli Defense Forces' general staff, said during a situational assessment at the Syrian border.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Syria to end the "troubling and horrifying situation."

"This will require all parties to deliver on the commitments they have made, and this is what we fully expect them to do," he added.

TRUMP’S PUSH FOR ISRAEL-SYRIA PEACE GETS MAJOR BACKING AS ACTIVIST BRINGS MESSAGE TO JERUSALEM

"Thankful to all sides for their break from chaos and confusion as we attempt to navigate all parties to a more durable and peaceful solution in Syria," U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack added.

When asked Thursday what prompted the Israeli strikes and whether the U.S. suspected any foreign fighters, like ISIS, of being involved in the conflict in Syria between the Bedouins and the Druze, Bruce said there will need to be continued investigation to figure out exactly why this Israeli airstrike occurred.

Rubio said Wednesday he believed Israel’s strike on the Syrian capital of Damascus was "likely" due to "a misunderstanding."

Bruce on Thursday responded to reporters' questions about what U.S. officials meant when they said "confusion" and "misunderstanding" from Israel were what led to their involvement. 

"This is an ancient rivalry between the Druze and the Bedouins and violence ensued, the Syrians moving to that area to quell and stop that violence. And the Israelis, who see that occurring to the Druze community and their concerns, then entered what they assessed was something larger than what, or even not what it was at all," Bruce said at Thursday's briefing. 

"The good news is, the story is, it stopped, as within the management of that larger conflict. Again, there's still skirmishes and other issues. … The Syrian government is going to have to lead — obviously, there will be other involvement — but lead in to this de-escalation and to the stability."

Despite some claiming they spent money out of their own pockets, several Democrats spent thousands in campaign funds to visit illegal alien and alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, according to reporting by the New York Post.

Democrats rallied around Abrego Garcia after they claimed he was wrongly deported by the Trump administration to his home country of El Salvador in March.

Several Democrats, including representatives Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.; Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Maxine Dexter, D-Ore.; and Glenn Ivey, D-Md., flew to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia’s return.

The New York Post reported that Frost, Garcia, Ansari and Dexter, all of whom made a joint trip to San Salvador to pressure the Trump administration to return Abrego Garcia April 21, paid for the trip through campaign funding, despite all except Garcia claiming they paid out of pocket.  

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES 'SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES' FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

The New York Post wrote that Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings show Frost’s campaign reported spending $1,362 on Salvadoran-Colombian airline Avianca May 8, about a week after his trip to visit Abrego Garcia.

Dexter’s campaign similarly reportedly spent $1,315 on travel with Taca Airlines April 18, despite the representative saying he had self-funded the trip.

Despite telling a local news outlet she had used her own money for the trip, Ansari’s campaign reported in FEC filings that the congresswoman spent $2,616 on travel with Salvadoran airline Avianca the same month she flew to visit Abrego Garcia.

Meanwhile, California Democrat Garcia’s office confirmed he spent $1,982 on another Salvadoran airline, Taca International Airlines, in April, and an additional $502 for "event space rental" at the Hilton San Salvador, the outlet reported.

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Ivey, who attempted to visit Abrego Garcia in late May, spent $291 in campaign funds, according to the Post report.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., the first Democrat to make the trip and who remained an outspoken voice on Abrego Garcia’s behalf, notably did not report any campaign spending for Salvadoran air travel or lodging in mid-April, when he made his trip.

Abrego Garcia, who was returned to the U.S. in June, faces charges of human smuggling and conspiracy.

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According to an indictment, Abrego Garcia played a "significant role" in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Attorney General Pam Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S.

According to police and court records shared with Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Hyattsville in October 2019, at which point he was identified by the Prince George's County [Maryland] Police Gang Unit as a member of MS-13. 

Senators are not thrilled with a top White House official's comments that the government funding process should become more partisan, and fear that doing so could erode Congress’ power of the purse.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought told reporters during a Christian Science Monitor Breakfast Thursday morning that he believed "the appropriations process has to be less bipartisan."

His sentiment came on the heels of Senate Republicans advancing President Donald Trump’s $9 billion clawback package, which would cancel congressionally approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, just a few hours before.

THESE ARE THE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED AGAINST TRUMP'S $9 BILLION CLAWBACK OF FOREIGN AID, NPR FUNDING

Unlike the hyper-partisan bills that have dominated the Senate’s recent agenda, including the rescissions package and the president's "big, beautiful bill," the appropriations process is typically a bipartisan affair in the upper chamber.

That is because, normally, most bills brought to the floor have to pass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, and with the GOP’s narrow majority, Senate Democrats will need to pass any spending bills or government funding extensions to ward off a partial government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who alluded to issues down the line with the appropriations process if Republicans advanced Trump's resicssions package, took a harsh stance against Vought. 

"Donald Trump should fire Russell Vought immediately, before he destroys our democracy and runs the country into the ground," Schumer said. 

Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee also did not take kindly to Vought’s comments.

'LONG OVERDUE': SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP'S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR

"I think he disrespects it," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said. "I think he thinks that we are irrelevant, and I wish I had actually heard the speech, because, you know, again, everything in context."

"But you have to admit that when you look at the quotes that are highlighted in the story this morning, it is pretty dismissive of the appropriations process, pretty dismissive," she continued.

Vought has no intention of slowing the rescissions train coming from the White House, and said that there would be more rescissions packages on the way.

He noted another would "come soon," as lawmakers in the House close in on a vote to send the first clawback package to the president’s desk.

"There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said, ‘I’m voting for a bipartisan appropriations process,’" Vought said. "That may be the view of something that appropriators want to maintain."

Both Murkowski and Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted against the rescissions package, and warned of the cuts to public broadcasting, lack of transparency from the OMB and the possible effect it could have on legislating in the upper chamber.

"I disagree with both those statements," Collins said of Vought’s push for a more partisan appropriations process. "Just as with the budget that the President submitted, we had to repeatedly ask him and the agencies to provide us with the detailed account information, which amounts to 1000s of pages that our appropriators and their staff meticulously review."

Fox News Digital reached out to the OMB for comment. 

Vought’s comments came at roughly the same time as appropriators were holding a mark-up hearing of the military construction and veterans’ affairs and Commerce, Justice and Science spending bills.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said during the hearing that Senate Republicans coalescing behind the rescissions package would only make hammering out spending bills more difficult, and argued that "trust" was at the core of the process.

"That's part of why bipartisan bills are so important," she said. "But everyone has to understand getting to the finish line always depends on our ability to work together in a bipartisan way, and it also depends on trust."

Other Republicans on the panel emphasized a similar point, that, without some kind of cooperation, advancing spending bills would become even more challenging.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said that finding "critical mass" to move spending bills was important, and warned that people have to "quit saying it's gotta just be my way or the highway," following threats Schumer's threats last week that the appropriations process could suffer should the rescissions package pass. 

"People better start recognizing that we're all gonna have to work together and hopefully get these [appropriations] bills to the floor and see what we can move," he said. "But if somebody just sits up and says, ‘Oh, because there's a rescission bill, then I'm not going to work on Appropriations,’ you can always find an excuse not to do something. Let's figure out how we can work forward."

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…

- Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need

- Two Republicans vote against Trump's $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding

- AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC

EXCLUSIVE: An environmental advocacy group accused of trying to manipulate judges organized a years-long, nationwide online forum with jurists to promote favorable info and litigation updates regarding climate issues – until the email-styled group chat was abruptly made private, Fox News Digital found.

The Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) was founded in 2018 by a left-wing environmental nonprofit, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), and pitches itself as a "first-of-its-kind effort" that "provides judges with authoritative, objective, and trusted education on climate science, the impacts of climate change, and the ways climate science is arising in the law."

But critics, such as Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, say CJP is funded by China and left-wing activists for one purpose… READ MORE.

NO MORE GAMES: Trump signs fentanyl bill into law, earning praise from state attorneys general

REIGN OF TERROR: Trump's Treasury Department targets dangerous Venezuelan prison gang with sanctions on 6 top leaders

'DEAR GOD': Democrats storm out of vote on controversial Trump nominee

'DEEPLY INAPPROPRIATE': Exclusive: Army secretary vows 'grievous error' targeting pro-life groups will never happen again

'POLITICAL RETRIBUTION': Civil rights group declares 'state of emergency,' pointing at Trump admin

NOT BACKING DOWN: Powell shares what it would take for him to leave the Fed, book reveals

EUROPE PAYS UP: Trump's NATO deal to arm Ukraine wins over GOP skeptics

BITTERSWEET 16: UK government to lower voting age to 16 before next national election despite strong conservative opposition

'UNACCEPTABLE': Pope demands ceasefire after Gaza's Catholic church is hit in apparent Israeli strike

BYPASSING TERROR: Hamas losing iron grip on Gaza as US-backed group gets aid to Palestinians in need

KREMLIN IRE RISES: Russia threatens West with ‘preemptive strikes’ as NATO looks to deliver Patriots 'as quickly as possible'

POWER PLAY: Ukraine's Zelenskyy names new prime minister for first time since Russia's war began

MILITARY PIVOT: Calls for Trump to dislodge Iran-backed Houthis as terrorist movement continues attacks on commercial ships

THUMBS DOWN: Democrats hit rock bottom as American voters turn away in record numbers from liberal agenda: poll

ANTISEMITISM EXPOSED: Bipartisan House resolution condemns phrase that's created firestorm for Zohran Mamdani

SHOWSTOPPER: Cornyn says he's spoken to Trump about a potential endorsement: 'If he endorsed me, the race would be over'

NAMING NAMES: Karine Jean-Pierre, more top Biden aides to appear in House cover-up probe

MOVING ON: Senate panel advances Trump's former defense attorney Emil Bove toward federal appeals court position

'SUSTAINED PATTERN': Timeline of 'scam artist' Adam Schiff's mortgage fraud allegations stretching back years

BUDGET BATTLE LINES: SCOOP: House fiscal hawks warily accept Senate's $9B Trump spending cuts package

BROADCAST BRAWL: Two Republicans vote against Trump's $9 billion clawback of foreign aid, NPR funding

'SQUAD' GOALS: AOC talks meeting with Zohran Mamdani, ICE activity in NYC

'IT IS DISTURBING': Mamdani sparks firestorm with resurfaced comment on abolishing private property: 'He's a communist'

'CRAZED RHETORIC': ICE mask debate heats up as doxxing and agent assaults surge

'I'M AN IMMIGRANT': Trump's immigration crackdown in LA ignites 'same emotional notes' for Dems, top local GOP leader says

'ROCK BOTTOM': Trump Jr. rips 'communist' Mamdani with dire prediction about NYC if he wins mayoral race

DIRTY DISTRICTS: Big government, big problems: Public corruption highest in places with large bureaucracies, report says

TRUTH COMES OUT: Mamdani sparks social media frenzy with viral clip discussing what happens if he runs out of money

FLYER RELIEF: Noem teases 'next big announcement' that may change airport security rule

'FISCAL WATCHDOG': DeSantis taps Florida's 'most conservative senator' for state CFO

LINGERING QUESTIONS: Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide but ‘likely’ had help, former lawyer claims

VETERAN TAKES FLIGHT: SCOOP: Former CIA officer, Air Force veteran launches GOP campaign for Dem-held Ohio district

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday the cancellation of $18.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants for the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3). 

The grants were designated by the Biden administration to provide taxpayer funds to various organizations that DHS says are "ideologically driven programs" promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and LGBTQ agendas. 

"These cancellations reflect DHS’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. 

ASSAULTS ON ICE OFFICERS SURGE 830% AS DEMOCRATS CAUGHT 'DOXING AND PHYSICALLY ASSAULTING' AGENTS: DHS

"By eliminating wasteful and ideologically driven programs, we are redirecting resources to initiatives that uphold American values, respect the rule of law and effectively combat terrorism and violence."

Some of the cuts include $851,836 to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, which DHS refers to as a DEI organization, and $209,407 to the Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders group, which DHS says promotes radical gender ideology learning to K-12 students while targeting kids as young as kindergarten. 

CP3, which replaced the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention in 2021, was originally designed to be a division within DHS with a mission of strengthening the nation’s ability to prevent targeted violence and terrorism through being guided by public health principles.

KRISTI NOEM CLASHES WITH NBC ANCHOR OVER 'INHUMANE' CONDITIONS AT ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ IN TESTY EXCHANGE

However, the Biden administration, which once touted its commitment to DEI principles, directed the grants toward the controversial organizations. 

This is not the first time DHS has made major spending cuts to radical programs. Last month, Fox News Digital reported the agency uncovered and killed $1.5 million in additional Biden-era taxpayer-funded grants that went toward similar organizations. 

The DOGE-like approach will allow DHS to divert taxpayer funds within the agency, and a spokesperson said the money "will be redirected to efforts that actually protect the American people."

A Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles was charged with orchestrating her own fake ICE "kidnapping" to generate sympathy and solicit donations, the Justice Department announced Thursday.

Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, 41, a resident of South Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, the DOJ said.

Calderon had been living in the U.S. based on a federal law enforcement parole that expired in 2023. She is in federal custody after she allegedly faked her kidnapping.

This comes after local outlet KTLA reported on a news conference held by Calderon’s "loved ones and attorneys," who claimed she had been "kidnapped" by uniformed men in unmarked cars June 25.

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN IN LA IGNITES 'SAME EMOTIONAL NOTES' FOR DEMS, TOP LOCAL GOP LEADER SAYS

The outlet reported that a woman identified as an attorney named Stephano Medina claimed Calderon was cornered in a Jack in the Box parking lot in Los Angeles by men who did not identify themselves but were possibly bounty hunters. Medina claimed Calderon was taken to the border and presented to an "ICE staffer," who demanded she sign self-deportation paperwork.

Medina said that when Calderon refused to sign the paperwork, she was taken to a warehouse until she agreed to sign the document.

Fox News Digital obtained a copy of the criminal complaint against Calderon, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Calderon and others "planned a hoax kidnapping" for their benefit, "including their own pecuniary gain."

The affidavit said that Calderon’s daughter set up a GoFundMe page to raise $4,500 after her mother was "taken by masked men in an unmarked vehicle."

ICE MASK DEBATE HEATS UP AS DOXXING AND AGENT ASSAULTS SURGE

The daughter filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department, which notified Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of Calderon’s supposed kidnapping.

HSI determined Calderon was not in DHS custody and, out of concern for her safety, the agency launched its own investigation to find her. During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number.

According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon’s alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger.

The affidavit states that "when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story," Calderon and others lied to federal agents and "attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts" by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement.

FEDS CHARGE 3 MORE MEN IN MARYLAND MS-13 RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY INVOLVING MURDER: 'REIGN OF TERROR'

According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 in a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others.

She is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges.   

Commenting on the charges, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli thanked HSI and "all federal agents facing unprecedented levels of assaults" for "providing cool heads and professionalism during these difficult times."

Essayli said "dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents."  

ILLEGAL MIGRANT ENTERS PLEA IN CRASH THAT KILLED BOY ONE DAY BEFORE HIS 12TH BIRTHDAY

HSI Los Angeles Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang also decried the scheme, saying, "My office invested valuable time and resources working this alleged kidnapping investigation only to discover that it was a hoax.

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"Diverting critical law enforcement resources is not only reckless and irresponsible, but it also endangers the community," Wang added.  "The real cost of a fraud like this is the amount of fentanyl not seized, child predators not removed from the communities and human trafficking victims not rescued because law enforcement redirected resources to recover the defendant.

"We want to assure the public that allegations of criminal activity will be thoroughly investigated by HSI and our law enforcement partners and that those who engage in fraud and deception will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."   

The White House also chimed in on the development. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital that "the Fake News is so desperate to believe any anti-ICE narrative that they refuse to actually check the facts and instead just echo the lies they’re fed." 

"The truth has come out: this was nothing more than another Fake News Hoax," she added. "Any outlet that participated in this hoax should be ashamed and apologize to their viewers for lying to them. Trust in the media is at an all time low and this is the perfect example why." 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was recently granted access to Medicaid enrollee data, aiding officers tasked with fulfilling the Trump administration's objective of tracking down and deporting illegal immigrants. 

Medicaid, which uses taxpayer dollars to provide health insurance to low-income adults and children, has more than 71 million enrollees as of March 2025.

The information shared with ICE will include home addresses and ethnicities, according to a report from The Associated Press. 

The agreement, brokered between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was signed Monday, according to the report. 

CALIFORNIA SUES TRUMP ADMIN AGAIN, THIS TIME OVER MEDICAID DATA TRANSFER TO DHS

Though the true number of illegal immigrants on Medicaid is unknown, about 1.4 million people currently on Medicaid do not meet citizenship and immigration status requirements for Medicaid enrollment, according to a document from the Congressional Budget Office.

DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital the initiative will ensure illegal immigrants do not receive taxpayer-funded health benefits.

"President Trump consistently promised to protect Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries," McLaughlin wrote in a statement. "To keep that promise after Joe Biden flooded our country with tens of millions of illegal aliens CMS and DHS are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans."

CONGRESSMAN CALLS ON NOEM, DR. OZ WITH PLAN TO 'SWIFTLY REMOVE' 1.4 MILLION ILLEGAL MIGRANTS ON MEDICAID

The deal was signed weeks after California and 19 other states sued the Trump administration for transferring Medicaid data to the DHS. 

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) handed over a trove of individuals’ protected health data obtained from States, including California, Illinois, and Washington, to other federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)," according to court documents. "Millions of individuals’ health information was transferred without their consent, and in violation of federal law."

BLUE STATE GOP LAWMAKERS URGE MAJOR HEALTHCARE CHANGE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

The lawsuit claims the public’s sensitive health data can only be used for purposes that Congress has authorized, accusing the Trump administration of violating federal laws including the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

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The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ron Johnson is demanding the National Archives turn over all records related to former President Joe Biden’s "mental and physical health and cognitive decline," Fox News Digital has learned.

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter Johnson, R-Wis., sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is serving as the acting archivist of the United States.

Johnson, who leads the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said he is now conducting an investigation into "the cover-up of former President Biden’s health and cognitive decline."

"My office has been reviewing the allegations that former President Biden, cabinet members, and his staff covered up his declining mental and physical health over the course of his presidency," Johnson wrote to Rubio, adding that the allegations "raise serious questions about who was making key presidential decisions if the former president was incapable of doing so.

EXCLUSIVE: WHITE HOUSE INVESTIGATING BIDEN USE OF AUTOPEN IN SPRAWLING PROBE OF ‘INCOMPETENT AND SENILE’ FORMER PRESIDENT

"One of these key decisions may have involved the presidential power to grant clemency or pardons — a matter that the White House Counsel’s Office, among other entities, are currently investigating," Johnson wrote.

BIDEN ONLY HAND-SIGNED ONE PARDON DURING FINAL SPREE, AND IT WAS HIS MOST CONTROVERSIAL ONE

Fox News Digital exclusively reported Tuesday that the White House Counsel’s Office, in conjunction with the Justice Department, is investigating Biden’s use of an autopen and already is reviewing more than 27,000 documents turned over by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

"The reporting further suggests that these records represent only a portion of the information in NARA’s possession that may be related to the coverup of former President Biden’s alleged mental and physical decline," Johnson wrote to Rubio, referring to the Fox News Digital exclusive report.

Johnson is now demanding that NARA turn over all records provided to the White House Counsel’s Office referring to or relating to Biden’s mental or physical health or the alleged cover-up, including all communications.

Johnson also is demanding communications between or among any former White House officials, members of Biden’s Cabinet or their staff or other staff relating to Biden’s mental or physical health.

Specifically, Johnson is demanding records belonging to former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, former advisor Mike Donilon, former counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, Biden personal attorney Bob Bauer, Biden senior advisor Anita Dunn, former White House Physician Kevin O’Connor and others.

Johnson gave Rubio until July 30 to turn over the records.

Trump sent a memo in June to the Department of Justice directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the autopen use and to determine whether it was related to a decline in Biden's mental state.

The White House Counsel's Office is investigating Biden's use of an autopen, a machine that physically holds a pen and features programming to imitate a person’s signature. Unlike a stamp or a digitized print of a signature, the autopen has the capability to hold various types of pens, from a ballpoint to a permanent marker, according to descriptions of autopen machines available for purchase. 

Biden used an autopen to sign a slew of documents while in office. He also used an autopen to sign final pardons, including preemptive pardons for members of his family, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Gen. Mark Milley and members and staff of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. He only signed one pardon by hand, for his son Hunter, after vowing to the American people for months he would not pardon Hunter.

TRUMP CLAIMS BIDEN PARDONS ARE ‘VOID,’ ALLEGING THEY WERE SIGNED VIA AUTOPEN

In his final weeks in office, Biden granted clemency and pardoned more than 1,500 individuals in what the White House described at the time as the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president.

Biden, in a recent interview with The New York Times, defended his use of an autopen, saying he "made every decision" on his own.

"We’re talking about (granting clemency to) a whole lot of people," Biden said. 

However, the Times reported that Biden "did not individually approve each name for the categorical pardons that applied to large numbers of people," according to the former president and his aides.

Congressional committees, like the House Oversight Committee, are also investigating the autopen use and Biden's health while in office. 

A senior administration official recognized the simultaneous efforts but stressed that the White House Counsel's investigation is separate from any congressional probes. 

Officials told Fox News Digital the investigation is a "massive effort," and one that they hope to finish "as soon as possible." 

As for Trump, officials told Fox News Digital he does not use an autopen for anything that could be considered official business.

The only time Trump may use the autopen is for unofficial business, including correspondence, letters for birthdays or commissioned records for widely shared documents, his office said.  

EXCLUSIVE: New legislation would create harsher penalties for executives of publicly traded companies who knowingly fail to comply with federal employment eligibility verification laws. 

The proposal comes as federal immigration authorities continue to crack down on alleged violations of immigration laws, including a criminal search warrant that was executed in California earlier this month on a cannabis facility, which resulted in multiple arrests of illegal immigrants and a child labor investigation.

"While liberals like Gavin Newsom pretend to care about human rights, the sad truth is that the Democrats’ open-borders agenda is really about undercutting American wages and ensuring their billionaire donors have a constant supply of cheap, foreign labor," Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said in a statement.

TRUMP 'WORKING ON' DEPORTATION EXEMPTIONS FOR ILLEGAL FARM AND HOSPITALITY WORKERS

"So, let’s make this simple, executives who abuse illegal immigrants with slave wages should be held personally liable and face severe consequences if they’re caught. This cannot be a country built on servitude. American workers must come first," he added.

Specifically, Moreno’s "Strengthening Accountability for Employers Hiring Individuals and Reforming Enforcement Act" (SAFE HIRE Act) would require a company's CEO and chief human resources officer to sign off on their employment practices in annual SEC reports, including confirming that the company verified the legal work status of all employees.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE

In addition, companies will certify in their SEC reports that they have disclosed to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice any "significant deficiencies" that would interfere with their ability to follow federal employment eligibility requirements or of any known violations.

IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES HIGHLIGHT CRIMINAL HISTORY OF MULTIPLE MIGRANTS ARRESTED IN LOS ANGELES

Executives could face up to 10 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine for knowingly making false certifications. Those found responsible for violations involving employing people in the country illegally can face up to 20 years behind bars and a $5 million fine.

"This isn’t about labor laws or penalizing employers – and the federal government has made that clear. They care more about lining the pockets of private for-profit detention centers than the children and families wasting away in their care or the billions spent by taxpayers to hold them in these facilities indefinitely," a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom told Fox News Digital.

It's been against the law to intentionally hire people who cannot work in the country legally since the passage of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

ICE BEGINS NEW, NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO ARREST ILLEGAL ALIENS AT IMMIGRATION HEARINGS

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In Congress, Republicans and Democrats continue to face off on immigration policy, most recently with the passage of the reconciliation bill signed by President Donald Trump, which ramps up resources for Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

The White House is pushing back against criticism of the administration’s handling of files pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein as figures on both sides of the aisle demand their release.

"The fact that Democrats have now seized on this as if they ever wanted transparency when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, which is an asinine suggestion for any Democrat to make. The Democrats had control of this building, the White House, for four years, and they didn't do a dang thing when it came to transparency in regards to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous crimes," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. 

Leavitt then attempted to shift focus, saying that President Donald Trump cared more about other issues, such as the GENIUS Act and the border. This echoed a sentiment expressed by Trump, who said that the Justice Department has "bigger problems" than the Epstein case.

DEMOCRATS CAPITALIZE ON GOP JEFFREY EPSTEIN FALLOUT WITH NEW DEMANDS FOR JIM JORDAN

Additionally, Leavitt told reporters that Trump is not recommending a special prosecutor in the Epstein case, saying that "the idea was floated from someone in the media to the president."
A recent joint Justice Department-FBI memo obtained by Axios showed the department and the bureau concluded they had no evidence of Epstein blackmailing powerful people, keeping a client list or being killed.

Republicans have grown frustrated with what they see as a lack of transparency from the Trump administration. The president has lashed out amid the criticism, claiming that it is a "hoax" and that those on the right concerned about the release of the files were being "duped" by Democrats. 

BONDI SHOULD RELEASE 'CREDIBLE' EPSTEIN FILES, TRUMP SAYS

On Wednesday, Trump said Attorney General Pam Bondi would release "whatever’s credible" related to the Epstein case.

"He's dead. He's gone," Trump said of Epstein. "And, all it is, is the Republicans, certain Republicans got duped by the Democrats, and they're following a Democrat playbook and no different than Russia, Russia, Russia and all the other hoaxes."

The infighting isn’t limited to Republican lawmakers. A source recently told Fox News Digital that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was considering resigning over the handling of the files. However, he has not made any announcements about leaving.

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace and Amanda Macias, and Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich, David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Senators are not thrilled with a top White House official's comments that the government funding process should become more partisan, and fear that doing so could erode Congress’ power of the purse.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought told reporters during a Christian Science Monitor Breakfast Thursday morning that he believed "the appropriations process has to be less bipartisan."

His sentiment came on the heels of Senate Republicans advancing President Donald Trump’s $9 billion clawback package, which would cancel congressionally approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting, just a few hours before.

THESE ARE THE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED AGAINST TRUMP'S $9 BILLION CLAWBACK OF FOREIGN AID, NPR FUNDING

Unlike the hyper-partisan bills that have dominated the Senate’s recent agenda, including the rescissions package and the president's "big, beautiful bill," the appropriations process is typically a bipartisan affair in the upper chamber.

That is because, normally, most bills brought to the floor have to pass the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, and with the GOP’s narrow majority, Senate Democrats will need to pass any spending bills or government funding extensions to ward off a partial government shutdown.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who alluded to issues down the line with the appropriations process if Republicans advanced Trump's resicssions package, took a harsh stance against Vought. 

"Donald Trump should fire Russell Vought immediately, before he destroys our democracy and runs the country into the ground," Schumer said. 

Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee also did not take kindly to Vought’s comments.

'LONG OVERDUE': SENATE REPUBLICANS RAM THROUGH TRUMP'S CLAWBACK PACKAGE WITH CUTS TO FOREIGN AID, NPR

"I think he disrespects it," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said. "I think he thinks that we are irrelevant, and I wish I had actually heard the speech, because, you know, again, everything in context."

"But you have to admit that when you look at the quotes that are highlighted in the story this morning, it is pretty dismissive of the appropriations process, pretty dismissive," she continued.

Vought has no intention of slowing the rescissions train coming from the White House, and said that there would be more rescissions packages on the way.

He noted another would "come soon," as lawmakers in the House close in on a vote to send the first clawback package to the president’s desk.

"There is no voter in the country that went to the polls and said, ‘I’m voting for a bipartisan appropriations process,’" Vought said. "That may be the view of something that appropriators want to maintain."

Both Murkowski and Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, voted against the rescissions package, and warned of the cuts to public broadcasting, lack of transparency from the OMB and the possible effect it could have on legislating in the upper chamber.

"I disagree with both those statements," Collins said of Vought’s push for a more partisan appropriations process. "Just as with the budget that the President submitted, we had to repeatedly ask him and the agencies to provide us with the detailed account information, which amounts to 1000s of pages that our appropriators and their staff meticulously review."

Fox News Digital reached out to the OMB for comment. 

Vought’s comments came at roughly the same time as appropriators were holding a mark-up hearing of the military construction and veterans’ affairs and Commerce, Justice and Science spending bills.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said during the hearing that Senate Republicans coalescing behind the rescissions package would only make hammering out spending bills more difficult, and argued that "trust" was at the core of the process.

"That's part of why bipartisan bills are so important," she said. "But everyone has to understand getting to the finish line always depends on our ability to work together in a bipartisan way, and it also depends on trust."

Other Republicans on the panel emphasized a similar point, that, without some kind of cooperation, advancing spending bills would become even more challenging.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said that finding "critical mass" to move spending bills was important, and warned that people have to "quit saying it's gotta just be my way or the highway," following threats Schumer's threats last week that the appropriations process could suffer should the rescissions package pass. 

"People better start recognizing that we're all gonna have to work together and hopefully get these [appropriations] bills to the floor and see what we can move," he said. "But if somebody just sits up and says, ‘Oh, because there's a rescission bill, then I'm not going to work on Appropriations,’ you can always find an excuse not to do something. Let's figure out how we can work forward."

The Trump administration reversed a Biden-era legal opinion from the Department of Justice on Thursday that permitted taxpayer dollars to be used for ancillary services associated with helping someone obtain an abortion, such as transportation costs. 

The policy was particularly used in aiding unaccompanied minor migrants to get abortions, according to the Trump administration.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Health and Human Services Department took the view that taxpayer dollars – even though prohibited by Congress from being used to pay for abortions directly under the Hyde Amendment – could be used to provide transportation services for patients seeking an abortion. The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), charged with interpreting the laws for the president and executive branch agencies, agreed at the time under the Biden administration.    

However, that interpretation and opinion have been upended after Trump's OLC issued a new one Thursday that bars taxpayer funds from going toward any "ancillary services" that might help someone get an abortion. 

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BANS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM TAXPAYER-FUNDED SERVICES, INCLUDING HEAD START

The 2022 Biden-era OLC opinion formed the basis for HHS's Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to use federal funds to help unaccompanied minors obtain transportation and other services in support of getting an abortion, according to the July 11 opinion released Thursday.

"Current regulations require ORR to ‘ensure that all unaccompanied children in ORR custody… be provided with… access to… family planning services,’ and recognize that ‘transportation across State lines and associated ancillary services’ may be ‘necessary to access’ such ‘family planning services,'" the new opinion stated.

"Where such transportation services are necessary for an individual to obtain an abortion, the associated costs constitute the kind of indirect expense that the post-1993 Hyde Amendment limits," the opinion continues. "Under current circumstances, interstate transportation expenses could dwarf the cost of the abortion procedure itself. It would thus be inconsistent with longstanding congressional policy – as reflected in the Hyde Amendment’s textual bar on ‘expend[itures] for any abortion’ – for HHS to fund such expenses merely because they do not go directly to the person or entity performing the abortion."

FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S PLANNED PARENTHOOD DEFUNDING MEASURE

In 1993, Congress changed the statutory language of the Hyde Amendment, which resulted in years of disputes over the measure's interpretation. 

The new OLC opinion released Thursday argues that the 1993 change expanded the Hyde Amendment to include anything done in service of someone receiving an abortion, not just the abortion itself.

Fox News Digital did not receive a response from the Justice Department prior to publication of this story.

The move to strengthen the Hyde Amendment's protections follows the president's Executive Order 14182, instructing agencies to "end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion."

Morgan McSweeney is paid between £155,000 and £159,999, the Cabinet Office said in a report.

As suspected Maryland MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia stands trial in a high-profile criminal case, three more alleged MS-13 members in the state are being charged with racketeering conspiracy, including murder and drug trafficking.

Commenting on the charges, acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti said the men's actions "furthered MS-13’s reign of terror across communities in Maryland."

The charges, filed against Salvadoran nationals living in Maryland – Maxwell Ariel Quijano-Casco, 24, Daniel Isaias Villanueva-Bautista, 19, and Hyattsville, Maryland man, Josue Mauricio Lainez, 21 – were announced in a Department of Justice statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the three men allegedly killed a homeless man as part of their involvement with MS-13. The DOJ said the three allegedly killed the man on July 4, 2024, in a "retaliatory murder."

The victim was found dead in a blue Dodge Caravan that was parked in a used car lot in Hyattsville the next day.

ABREGO GARCIA REMAINS IN US FOR NOW AS JUDGE TAKES CASE UNDER ADVISEMENT

The department said a nearby surveillance camera caught the murder on video. According to the statement, the video shows the victim wielding what appears to be a pole at Quijano-Casco, who then flees and returns with Villanueva-Bautista, Lainez and another unnamed person. The four approach the blue van where the victim fled, open the door and appear to strike someone inside.

Police arriving at the scene the next day found the victim, who appeared to have been stabbed in the neck.

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ, FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department to request to review the video. Neither agency immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request.

Quijano-Casco and Villanueva-Bautista were arrested by Prince George’s County Police on Aug. 23, according to the DOJ. Quijano-Casco was found in possession of a semi-automatic handgun and about eight grams of cocaine at the time of his arrest. Both admitted that they were present for the altercation where the victim was murdered and Quijano-Casco allegedly admitted to police to stabbing the individual.

PROGRESSIVE DEM REP FACES BACKLASH FOR CALLING ICE 'NAZI THUGS' WHILE DEFENDING MS-13 GANG MEMBER

The three are being charged with racketeering conspiracy, including the July 4, 2024, murder. If convicted, they face sentences of up to life in prison.

In the statement, Galeotti of the DOJ’s Criminal Division said the "senseless murder" was carried out "in exchange for promotions within the gang and drugs."  

Galeotti said, "Their actions furthered MS-13’s reign of terror across communities in Maryland."

U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly Hayes called the killing a "brutal retaliatory murder" that serves as a "chilling reminder of the MS-13 gang’s callous disregard for human life."

She said her office will continue to work with law enforcement to dismantle criminal organizations such as MS-13 that "terrorize our communities."

MOTHER OF DAUGHTER MURDERED BY MS-13 GANG MEMBER SPEAKS OUT IN FAVOR OF NEW BILL

This comes as Abrego Garcia, 29, another Salvadoran national who was living in Maryland, faces charges of human smuggling and conspiracy.

According to the indictment, Abrego Garcia played a "significant role" in a human smuggling ring operating for nearly a decade. Attorney General Pam Bondi described him as a full-time smuggler who made more than 100 trips, transporting women, children and MS-13 gang-affiliated persons throughout the U.S.

According to police and court records shared with Fox News Digital, Abrego Garcia was arrested in Hyattsville in October 2019, at which point he was identified by the Prince George's County Police Gang Unit as a member of MS-13.