President-elect Donald Trump, fed up with the U.S.' lagging ship-building capabilities, offered an out-of-character solution to the problem: Outsource production if the U.S. can’t keep up. 

"We’re going to do something with ships. We need ships. And we may have to go a different route than you would normally go," the incoming president suggested to radio host Hugh Hewitt. 

"We don’t build ships anymore. We used to build a ship a day. We don’t build ships anymore. We want to get that started. And maybe we’ll use allies, also, in terms of building ships. We might have to." 

He noted China’s vast outpacing of American shipbuilding capabilities. 

"China’s building, from what I’m hearing, every four days, they’re knocking out a ship. We’re sitting back and watching, and we’ve suffered tremendously."

Trump’s stance is sure to put the domestic shipbuilding industry and labor groups on alert. But it comes as China’s shipbuilding capacity is more than 232 times greater than that of the U.S., and the Navy has for decades struggled to build ships on time. 

And it's a divergence from his campaign promise to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., and trigger a blanket tariff on global imports into the U.S., along with a 60% tariff on all goods imported from China.

China’s navy is the largest in the world, with more than 370 ships and submarines. The U.S.' battle force includes 295 vessels, including 11 active aircraft carriers. In 2017, Congress passed a law requiring the Navy to keep and maintain 355 ships. 

US, IRAQI FORCES UNLEASH AIRSTRIKE ON ISIS TARGETS

Without disclosing details, Trump hinted at a plan to grow the Navy's ship fleet. 

"We’re going to be announcing some things that are going to be very good having to do with the Navy. We need ships. We have to get ships. And you know, everybody said, ‘Oh, we’ll build them.’ We may have to go to others, bid them out, and it’s okay to do that. We’ll bid them out until we get ourselves ready," he said.

The U.S. also lags in nuclear submarines, according to military experts. The U.S.’ nuclear submarines reached a Cold War high of 140, according to Jerry Hendrix, retired Navy captain and senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute, in an op-ed for American Affairs. 

"The bottom line is that the American submarine force, the ‘point of the spear’ of American power, upon which so many military plans depend, is unprepared to meet the current threat environment, and there are no quick fixes. It has taken decades—and a sequence of bad assump­tions and poor decisions—to fall into the current state of unpreparedness," he wrote.

NEW ORLEANS, LAS VEGAS SUSPECTS LATEST IN LONG LINE OF MILITARY RADICALS

The most recent figures show the U.S. submarine flight at 68, only 50 of which are classified in the hunter-killer "fast attack" category. 

Currently, China controls 46.59% of the global shipbuilding market. South Korea comes in second at 29.24%, and Japan third with 17.25%. The U.S. has a relatively insignificant control of the market at 0.13%. And it costs roughly twice as much to build a ship in the U.S. as it does elsewhere in the world. 

Congress' $895 billion annual defense policy bill authorized $33.5 billion for new ships and submarines. 

According to a Navy report last year, several key shipbuilding programs are years behind schedule, in large part due to a lack of workers. 

Trump also called out management of the Navy’s Constellation-class frigate program, blaming Biden-era officers for "playing around and tinkering," adding to costs. 

Speaking with Hewitt, Trump seemed to refer to a deal the Pentagon struck with the American arm of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for the new class of ships in 2020. 

"And they were going and really doing a good job, and the generals, you know, the Biden admirals and generals and all of the people that are involved, they started playing around and tinkering and changing the design, and this, you know, that costs. That costs a lot of money," Trump said.

"But the generals or the admirals went in, and they said, ‘Oh, why don’t we make it a little bit wider? Why don’t we do this? Why don’t we do that?’ And it was designed specifically for speed and other things. When you start making it wider, you start making it slower," Trump continued.

"We had it down, and they made changes. They always have to make changes. You know, these guys get in there, and they think they’re smart, and in many cases, unfortunately, they’re not smart, and they take something, and they make it worse for a lot more."

Then-President Ronald Reagan had a 600-ship goal for the Navy when he assumed office, dedicated to rebuilding the nation's fleet after the Vietnam War. But his administration also terminated a subsidy for shipbuilding that decimated the commercial market, meaning U.S. shipyards were solely dedicated to meeting the needs of the military.

President-elect Trump will meet with Republicans in the Senate on Wednesday as he prepares to take office again at the end of the month and hit the ground running on his agenda. 

The Trump transition team confirmed the meeting with the Senate GOP, who are now in control of the upper chamber, to Fox News Digital. 

The president-elect is being hosted for the huddle by the chairwoman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., her office said. 

MIDWESTERN STATE SENATOR REVIVES DOGE-ALIGNED BILLS AS GOP PREPARES FOR DC TAKEOVER

Trump will be in Washington, D.C., this week for the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away this month at 100 years old after being in hospice care. 

The meeting, which will include Senate Republican leadership, among others, will be held in the Mansfield room of the Capitol at 6 p.m. The room is used for weekly Senate caucus lunches and other large meetings. 

TRANSGENDER BILL BARRING MEN FROM WOMEN'S SPORTS TO GET FLOOR VOTE IN NEWLY GOP-LED SENATE

The group will address plans for a budget reconciliation bill, or two, in the coming months. Trump has said he wants "one powerful Bill," as opposed to the proposal initially put forth by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., for two different reconciliation bills, one addressing the border and another to tackle taxes. 

The reason this process is so integral to Republicans' work in this Congress is that it allows them to bypass the Senate's legislative filibuster, lowering the 60-vote threshold. This way, the GOP can push through legislation with the support of their conference alone. 

REPUBLICANS LOOK TO FINALLY PUSH THROUGH LAKEN RILEY BILL WITH NEW GOP TRIFECTA

"Members of Congress are getting to work on one powerful Bill that will bring our Country back, and make it greater than ever before. We must Secure our Border, [Unleash] American Energy, and Renew the Trump Tax Cuts, which were the largest in History, but we will make it even better - NO TAX ON TIPS. IT WILL ALL BE MADE UP WITH TARIFFS, AND MUCH MORE, FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE U.S. FOR YEARS. Republicans must unite, and quickly deliver these Historic Victories for the American People. Get smart, tough, and send the Bill to my desk to sign as soon as possible. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social this week. 

However, Trump has not ruled anything out, including the two-bill strategy, he told radio host Hugh Hewitt. 

KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

It's unclear exactly which GOP senators will be attending the meeting with Trump on Wednesday night, but Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is planning on going, according to his office. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., will also attend the discussion, telling Fox News Digital in a statement that he was "[l]ooking forward to meeting with President Trump tomorrow. It’s important that we work together to pass a conservative, Pro-American agenda."

Hawaii's Democratic Governor and practicing physician, Josh Green, is visiting Capitol Hill this week to lobby lawmakers against the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. In a Tuesday op-ed for The New York Times, he argued that "our children's lives depend" on preventing Kennedy from leading the agency.

Green, who worked as a physician before entering politics, has continued practicing emergency room medicine throughout his legislative career. In 2019, as Hawaii's lieutenant governor, Green helped spearhead efforts to increase vaccination rates in Samoa amid a measles outbreak in the region. Green arrived in the nation's capital on Sunday evening to begin his meetings that will go until he returns to Hawaii on Thursday. 

"As the only physician governor, I need to explain what are good picks and what maybe aren't so good picks for the cabinet," Green said in a video ahead of his planned trip to Washington, noting that his lobbying against Kennedy is not anything personal or politically motivated. "[RFK Jr's] appointment to be the head of Health and Human Services is not consistent with safety for our children," he said. 

RFK JR. SAYS HE PLANS TO ALSO MEET WITH DEMS IN BID TO GET CONFIRMED AS TRUMP HHS HEAD

During his trip to Washington, Green said that he would be discussing with lawmakers and other leaders to explore "a better place for [RFK Jr.] to be" rather than HHS, calling his potential confirmation "a bad idea."

Questions over the likelihood of Kennedy's confirmation took a turn this week after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R–La., the incoming chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, called out the potential future HHS Secretary for being "wrong" on the issue of vaccines. The criticism follows concerns that Kennedy may seek to get rid of the polio vaccine, after news broke that one of his previous colleagues at Childrens Health Defense, a health-focused nonprofit Kennedy previously chaired, petitioned the government in 2019 to revoke its approval.

Green's criticism of Kennedy has largely revolved around his anti-vaccine views as well, in particular Kennedy's response to a measles outbreak in Samoa, during which the potential future HHS Secretary promoted doubts around vaccine efficacy, according to Green and others, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Those efforts included a letter Kennedy sent to the country's prime minister, as chairman of Children's Health Defense, suggesting that the measles vaccine could have potentially exacerbated the outbreak.

DIET AND NUTRITION EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON HOW RFK JR'S NOMINATION COULD IMPACT HOW WE EAT 

The Democratic governor penned an op-ed published in The New York Times on Tuesday, continuing to drill at Kennedy's anti-vaccine efforts in 2019 amid Samoa's measles outbreak. According to Greene, Kennedy "used misinformation to scare all the people of Samoa away from being vaccinated" and served to "torpedo" the country's vaccination efforts.

"Too much depends on our commitment to truth and the lifesaving power of vaccines to entrust Mr. Kennedy with the direction of these programs. Our children’s lives depend on it," Green wrote.

RFK JR. LOOKS TO REASSURE SENATORS OVER VACCINE COMMENTS 

Kennedy's team has not responded to repeated efforts by Fox News Digital to get in touch, but in 2023, Kennedy said during an appearance in a short film that he "never told anybody not to vaccinate" and that he "didn't go [to Samoa] with any reason to do with that." Furthermore, amid concerns about how Kennedy might approach the polio vaccine, he told reporters on Capitol Hill last month that he is "all for the polio vaccine."

Proponents of Kennedy's nomination have suggested his proposed plans, if confirmed, will be rooted in logic and science.

"I think that Kennedy has aimed to stand for evidence-based changes to policy," said Nina Teicholz, a nutrition expert and founder of The Nutrition Coalition, a New York-based nonprofit organization. 

"Right now, the media is covering RFK Jr. poorly and unfairly, giving him no credit for ideas that are well within the bounds of discussion," added Dr. Vinay Prasad, in an article published by The Free Press. "Many of RFK Jr.'s ideas have a logic."

Fox News Digital reached out to Green's office for comment but did not hear back by publication time.  

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen emphasized that Greenland is not for sale, as President-elect Trump has ramped up calls for the U.S. to acquire the island.

Frederiksen's comments to a Danish TV station come as the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., paid a visit to Greenland on Tuesday. The trip is a personal one and Trump Jr. is not expected to meet with any government officials. 

The Danish prime minister said in an interview that Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede "has been very, very clear – that there is a lot of support among the people of Greenland that Greenland is not for sale and will not be in the future either," according to The Hill.

DONALD TRUMP JR ARRIVES IN GREENLAND AS HIS FATHER SAYS DENMARK ‘GIVE IT UP’

She reportedly told Danish television station TV 2 that Greenland will choose its own future and said, "We need to stay calm and stick to our principles," while praising the U.S. as a key Danish ally. 

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump said he was "hearing that the people of Greenland are ‘MAGA'." The Republican attached a video that purportedly shows a Greenlander asking the U.S. to buy his country.

TRUMP ESCALATES PLANS TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND AFTER RESIDENT PLEADS: ‘DENMARK’S USING US'

Trump's son arrived Tuesday in Nuuk, the Arctic territory's capital. He met with locals, visited cultural sites and shot video for a podcast. The president-elect posted a video showing a plane emblazoned with the word "TRUMP" landing in Nuuk.

"Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland," Trump wrote. "The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!" 

CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING

Trump also spoke with locals over speakerphone in video that supporters shared online.

A source familiar told Fox News Digital on Monday that Trump Jr. is "popping in for a quick day-long trip to shoot some fun video content for podcasting. He will not be meeting with any government officials or political figures."

Trump has previously flirted with the idea of buying the territory from Denmark, claiming it is of vital national security interest to the United States. 

At a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate Tuesday afternoon, the president-elect again said, "Denmark should give it up." 

The newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is preparing to roll out once the Trump administration is sworn in with the stated goal of slashing government waste and providing increased transparency when it comes to government spending.

DOGE is not a Cabinet-level department but rather a blue-ribbon committee outside of the government that will be tasked with examining issues of government spending, waste, efficiency and operations. 

Proponents of DOGE, headed by Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, have suggested that $2 trillion dollars in government waste can be cut from the federal budget through the reduction of spending, eliminating government programs and trimming the federal workforce. 

Although the commission does not have formal authority, it has pledged to work closely with the Office of Management and Budget to reform regulatory recissions, administrative reductions and cost savings.

GOP REP-ELECT OUTLINES HOW DOGE, TRUMP AGENDA WILL GET COUNTRY 'BACK ON TRACK': 'NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL'

In addition to a working relationship with certain government agencies, DOGE will likely suggest executive actions that may be taken by President Trump.

Several House Committees and caucuses have already expressed the intention and willingness to work with DOGE until it ceases operations on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of 1776’s Independence Day, to accomplish the goal of slashing government waste.

"Our national debt has surpassed a staggering $36 trillion and should be a wakeup call for all Americans," House Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fla.) has explained. "We must take action to avoid diving headfirst off the cliff of fiscal ruin. I’m thrilled with President-elect Trump’s appointment of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE, but taking on Crazy Town will be no easy task—they will need partners.

"Our DOGE Caucus, will work closely with the Department of Government Efficiency to help rein in reckless spending and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars."

VIRGINIA DEMOCRATS 'ASKING THE WRONG QUESTION' AMID OUTRAGE OVER DOGE FEDERAL WORKFORCE CUTS, GOP LEADER SAYS

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) intends to establish a new subcommittee next, led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that will oversee Delivering on Government Efficiency. The subcommittee will be tasked with coordinating with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) through investigating wasteful spending, looking at how to reorganize federal agencies with an eye to improving efficiency and identifying solutions to eliminate bureaucratic "red tape."

"It is time to cut red tape, hold the unchecked federal workforce accountable, ensure programs are efficient, & work with @DOGE to tackle waste, fraud, & abuse," Comer posted on X in December.

On the Senate side, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst will chair the Senate Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency Caucus.

"’Iowans elected me with a mandate to cut Washington’s pork!" Ernst said about the DOGE efforts. "From billion-dollar boondoggles to welfare for politicians and trillion-dollar slush funds, my decade-long investigations have exposed levels of abuse that are almost too insane to believe.

'EFFICIENT AND ACCOUNTABLE': GOP-LED DOGE BILL AIMS TO SLASH OUTFLOW OF FEDERAL DOLLARS

"The tables are finally turning, the knives are out, and waste is on the chopping block. As President Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy prepare to take action, the Senate DOGE Caucus is ready to carry out critical oversight in Congress and use our legislative force to fight against the entrenched bureaucracy, trim the fat, and get Washington back to work for Americans.’"

Several historical examples exist in American history, with mixed results and less ambitious goals, of government-led efforts to cut back on unnecessary spending and staffing.

President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1905, set up the Keep Commission, which attempted to "place the conduct of the Government on the most economical and effective basis in the light of the best modern business practice" and has been hailed as the "first of the orderly examinations into [Federal] administrative problems."

DOGE CAUCUS LEADER JONI ERNST EYES RELOCATION OUT OF DC FOR THIRD OF FEDERAL WORKERS

Five years later, President William Howard Taft was appropriated $100,000 by Congress to "inquire into the methods of transacting the public business of the government in the several executive departments and other government establishments, with the view of… changing old methods…so as to attain greater efficiency… and recommend to Congress what changes in law may be necessary."

President Bill Clinton’s administration launched the National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR), led by Vice President Al Gore, with the goal to make the federal government "work better, cost less, and get results Americans care about."

Gore said, "We are turning some of today’s agencies into smaller, sleeker organizations that won’t look like government at all. They will be like private companies, with a real CEO on contract to cut costs, and a free hand when it comes to the remaining government rules."

President Obama signed an executive order in June 2011 establishing the Campaign to Cut Government Waste that created an 11-member Oversight and Accountability Board with a stated mission to give "taxpayers the same ability to track where their dollars are going and to have the same confidence that the dollars are not being lost to waste, fraud, or abuse, not just for Recovery Act dollars, but more broadly."

Steve Davis, president of Boring Co., Musk’s tunneling operation, and Michael Kratsios, former US chief technology officer, are among those leading interviews of potential DOGE employee candidates, according to people familiar with the effort. 

DOGE is believed to have hired roughly 10 individuals so far and is seeking software engineers as well as people with experience in artificial intelligence. Other high-profile names believed to be associated with getting DOGE off the ground include Palantir co-founder and investor Joe Lonsdale, investor Marc Andreessen, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman and former Uber chief executive Travis Kalanick.

For now, DOGE is operating out of glass-walled office space in Washington leased by SpaceX, another Musk-owned company, about four blocks away from the White House.

Some other key areas that DOGE hopes to make progress in, Musk and Ramaswamy have previously outlined, include simplifying the U.S. tax code, auditing the Department of Defense, returning National Institutes of Health money to taxpayers and foreign aid transparency. 

"I expect DOGE to operate in ‘founder mode’ — lean, decisive and led by two great people in Vivek and Elon who are obsessed over every detail," said James Fishback, a Ramaswamy confidant, and the co-founder of investment firm Azoria Partners.

President-elect Trump said on Tuesday that negotiating away the Panama Canal was a "very big mistake" by former President Jimmy Carter – ahead of Carter's state funeral later this week.

Trump said at a press conference that he believes the canal, which he would like the the U.S. to reclaim, is why Carter lost the 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan, who also opposed the treaty Carter negotiated to hand over the canal.

"It's a bad part of the Carter legacy," Trump said.

"He was a good man. I knew him a little bit, and he was a very fine person. But that was a big mistake."

LIVE UPDATES: JIMMY CARTER REMEMBRANCES, FUNERAL SERVICES

"Giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a very big mistake. We lost 38,000 people. It cost us the equivalent of a trillion dollars, maybe more... They say it was the most expensive structure… ever built. And giving that away was a horrible thing. And I believe that's why Jimmy Carter lost the election, even more so than the hostages," he said.

Speaking in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump lamented the fact Carter purportedly "gave" the canal lands back to the Panamanians "for $1." According to reports, no part of the treaty mentioned a $1 sale.

"I thought [giving the canal back] was a terrible thing to do," Trump said.

When reporters pressed Trump on criticizing Carter on the day of his Washington wake, the president-elect said he was a "very fine person" but that his politics left something to be desired.

Trump has also sparred verbally with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino about his plans for the canal.

However, more than a century ago, another Republican – Theodore Roosevelt – celebrated the way the United States spearheaded the canal project in part through some diplomatic maneuvering.

HOW CARTER TRANSFORMED THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY

In the early 1900s, as the Colombian Senate balked at a treaty favoring U.S. control, Panama was in the process of declaring its independence from Bogota – and America quickly recognized the new nation and effectively circumvented the Colombians.

In 1903, President Roosevelt boasted of the accomplishment.

"Fortunately, the crisis came at a period when I could act unhampered [by Congress]. Accordingly, I took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left Congress not to debate the canal, but to debate me," he said. 

Trump’s plans to retake the canal have earned him praise from otherwise regular critics.

Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Sen. John McCain – with whom Trump often sparred – backed the man she otherwise tends to critique.

"Trump is right about the Panama Canal. This is very personal – my dad was born in the Panama Canal Zone."

The elder McCain was born in 1936 at the then-Coco Solo U.S. Navy installation – as a U.S. citizen since the canal zone was controlled by Americans.

The late Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina also expressed reservations about canal negotiations in the 1970s.

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In a letter to then-President Ford, Thurmond warned the Panamanians were cozying up to the Communist Cuban government, and that "any action on the part of the United States that indicates the slightest position of weakness or a willingness to accommodate anti-American sentiment in Panama, would result in many other Latin American countries moving in the same leftward direction."

Thurmond led 35 senators in crafting a resolution opposing what he called the surrender of U.S. sovereignty in the PCZ.

"Any loss of control of the Canal would be extremely detrimental to our vital interests, especially in Latin America. We should make it clear that U.S. vital interests there are not negotiable."

Carter's negotiations led to Panama taking full control of the canal by 1999. His other major diplomatic negotation – peace accords between Egypt and Israel – also remain intact today.

FIRST ON FOX – Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., introduced a bill that would pull federal highway funding from states such as New York that issue driver's licenses and identification cards to illegal immigrants. 

Tenney, who co-chaired the House Election Integrity Caucus amid the 2024 race that ended in President-elect Trump's victory, re-introduced her bill – named the Red Light Act – at the start of the new Congress. 

The proposal says it aims to "withhold federal highway funds from States that provide drivers licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States, and for other purposes." 

"Our nation is grappling with an unprecedented migrant crisis, yet some states, like New York, are incentivizing and rewarding criminals with driver's licenses and identification cards," Tenney said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "In New York, the Green Light Law has given licenses to illegal immigrants, allowing these dangerous individuals to roam freely in our country, brutally attacking, raping, and murdering members of our community. In addition, this law also restricts law enforcement from accessing DMV records, preventing the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws. This legislation ensures states that refuse to comply with our nation's immigration policies are not rewarded with federal funding." 

TRUMP BORDER CZAR BLASTS NY GOVERNOR FOR TOUTING SUBWAY SAFETY HOURS AFTER HORRIFIC MURDER: 'SHAME ON YOU'

Passed by the state legislature in 2019 and signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Green Light Law allows New York to issue driver's licenses to undocumented individuals. As part of a sanctuary policy intended to block deportations, it also directed the state Department of Motor Vehicles to withhold records from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal law enforcement without a court order or judicial warrant signed by a judge for such information. 

Law enforcement leaders have blasted the law as legislating obstruction. 

Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan, a native of upstate New York, floated the idea of blocking vehicles with New York license plates from entering the U.S. from the Canadian border if the state does not repeal the Green Light Law. 

"To me, this is a high priority," Homan told the Buffalo News. "I grew up in New York state, I still own a home in the state. What happens in New York means a lot to me." 

TOM HOMAN TOUTS MAYOR ADAMS' COMMITMENT TO WORKING WITH TRUMP ADMIN ON BORDER CRISIS

"That would be bizarre to me that anyone thinks that stopping our vehicles from coming in and out of our country, keeping New Yorkers in a foreign country, is a smart path forward," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said at an unrelated press conference on Monday, responding to Homan's proposal. "I'd like to sit down and have that conversation." 

Tenney's bill would grant the secretary of transportation authority to withhold 100% of the amount required to be apportioned to a state's federal highway system for fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year afterward. 

The measure also allows the secretary to reapportion the funding to states that repeal any such laws that provide driver's licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the U.S. 

A judge in New York has denied a motion filed by President-elect Donald Trump to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York v. Trump case.

​​Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May 2024.

This is a breaking story. Check back soon for updates.

Fox News' Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump announced the Gulf of Mexico is getting a new name. 

"We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, which has a beautiful ring. That covers a lot of territory," Trump said on Tuesday. "The Gulf of America. What a beautiful name. And it's appropriate."

Trump made the announcement in his first press conference since Congress certified his election win over Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday from Mar-a-Lago. He opened the press event announcing DAMAC Properties will invest $20 billion in new data centers across the country in addition to previewing a bevy of policy issues ahead of his inauguration this month. 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES $20 BILLION IN NEW DATA CENTERS IN POST-CERTIFICATION ADDRESS

The Gulf of Mexico is partly-enclosed sea that borders states such as Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, as well as Mexico.

DONALD TRUMP JR TAKES PERSONAL TRIP TO GREENLAND AFTER PRESIDENT-ELECT FLOATS PURCHASING COUNTRY

Trump did not detail how his administration will go about renaming the body of water, but went on to slam Mexico for the immigration woes in the U.S. under the Biden White House. 

"Mexico has to stop allowing millions of people to pour into our country. They can stop them. And we’re going to put very serious tariffs on Mexico and Canada, because Canada, they come through Canada too, and the drugs that are coming through are at record numbers, record numbers. So we’re going to make up for that by putting tariffs on Mexico and Canada, substantial tariffs," he said. 

BIDEN MOVING TO BAN OIL AND GAS LEASES FOR 20 YEARS IN NEVADA REGION, JUST WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP INAUGURATION

 Trump's pledge is his latest remark regarding land territories, including potentially expanding the U.S. 

MISS. LAWMAKER: 'GULF OF AMERICA' BILL WAS A JOKE

Trump has referred to Canada as the nation's "51st state," while his son and other Trump allies traveled to Greenland this week following Trump repeatedly called for the U.S. to acquire the autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark. 

"As someone who has traveled to some fascinating places across the globe as an outdoorsman, I’m excited to stop into Greenland for a little bit of fun this week," Donald Trump Jr. told Fox News Digital of his trip to Greenland. 

A source familiar told Fox News Digital that Trump Jr. is "popping in for a quick day-long trip to shoot some fun video content for podcasting." Trump Jr. is not meeting with government officials while in Greenland, Fox Digital previously reported. 

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Signman contributed to this report.

The Laken Riley Act passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon, the first piece of federal legislation approved by the 119th Congress after the House agreed to its rules for the term.

All voting Republicans supported the bill, along with 48 Democrats – more than the total left-wing lawmakers who voted for it last year. It passed on a 264 to 159 margin and will now be sent to the Senate.

The bill is named after a nursing student who was killed by an illegal immigrant while jogging on the University of Georgia's campus.

The bill would require federal immigration authorities to detain illegal immigrants found guilty of theft-related crimes. It also would allow states to sue the Department of Homeland Security for harm caused to their citizens because of illegal immigration.

KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Jose Ibarra, who was sentenced to life in prison for Riley's murder, had previously been arrested but was never detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the agency previously said.

The bill passed the House along bipartisan lines last year after it was first introduced by Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.

All voting Republicans plus 37 Democrats voted for the bill by a margin of 251 to 170. All the "no" votes on the bill were Democrats.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said of the Democrats who opposed it last year, "I think they put politics ahead of principle. And we're going to find out where they stand on this now."

"We have every intention of doing, really important, bipartisan work," Johnson said hours before the vote on Tuesday. "We welcome with open arms any Democrat who wants to help us solve these problems because the American people demand and deserve it, it's overdue. And, we'll be looking for that and we'll see how it shakes out."

PRO-ISRAEL DEM COULD TIP SCALES IN KEY SENATE COMMITTEE AS MIDDLE EAST WAR CONTINUES

It was not taken up in the Senate, however, which at the time was controlled by then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

"[T]he Laken Riley Act, sponsored by Rep. Mike Collins, holds the Biden Administration accountable for their role in these tragedies through their open border policies, requires detention of illegal aliens who commit theft and mandates ICE take them into custody, and allows a state to sue the Federal government on behalf of their citizens for not enforcing the border laws, particularly in the case of parole," House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said in his daily House floor lookout.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS REJOICE OVER QUICK SPEAKER VOTE WITH ONLY ONE DEFECTOR

"House Republicans won’t stop fighting to secure the border and protect American communities. When will Democrats finally decide enough is enough?"

The Senate is also poised to vote on the bill this week.

It is one of several border security bills House Republicans have reintroduced this year as they prepare to take over all the levers of power in Washington, D.C. 

Republicans held the House and took over the Senate in the November elections. President-elect Donald Trump will take office on Jan. 20.

Donald Trump Jr. arrived in Greenland on Tuesday as his father, President-elect Trump, made remarks that sparked speculation that the U.S. may seek to acquire the Danish territory.

Trump Jr. landed in Nuuk, the Arctic territory's capital, to meet with locals, visit cultural sites and shoot video for a podcast. The president-elect posted a video showing a plane emblazoned with the word "TRUMP" landing in Nuuk.

"Don Jr. and my Reps landing in Greenland," Trump wrote. "The reception has been great. They, and the Free World, need safety, security, strength, and PEACE! This is a deal that must happen. MAGA. MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!" 

Trump also spoke with locals over speakerphone in video that supporters shared online.

TRUMP ESCALATES PLANS TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND AFTER RESIDENT PLEADS: ‘DENMARK’S USING US'

A source familiar told Fox News Digital on Monday that Trump Jr. is "popping in for a quick day-long trip to shoot some fun video content for podcasting. He will not be meeting with any government officials or political figures."

The trip comes as President-elect Trump seeks to buy the mineral-rich, geographically important territory. 

At a press conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on Tuesday afternoon, the president-elect again said that "Denmark should give it up." 

"We need Greenland for national security purposes," Trump said.

CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING 

American interest in Greenland dates back to the 1800s. 

But Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said last week that the country is not interested. 

"Greenland is ours," he said. "We are not for sale, and will never be for sale. We must not lose our long struggle for freedom."

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Biden’s recent move to award the prestigious Medal of Freedom to progressive megadonor George Soros has sparked criticism both on social media and from one crime expert who spoke to Fox News Digital. 

"President Biden’s decision to award George Soros the Medal of Freedom is a slap in the face to the citizens and crime victims suffering under the policies and politicians he has promoted," Zack Smith, Heritage Foundation legal fellow and co-author of "Rogue Prosecutors: How Radical Soros Lawyers Are Destroying America's Communities," told Fox News Digital after a weekend ceremony awarding the Medal of Freedom to Soros, via his son Alex, who has taken over the family's $25 billion empire. 

"Soros has been a major donor to far-left politicians and has promoted policies that undermine the rule of law in our country. Given Biden’s embrace of these policies and the funding Soros has provided, this looks like nothing more than an effort to reward and keep happy one of the Left’s major donors (and his family).  It cheapens what should be a prestigious award and gives everyday Americans yet another reason to be disgusted by the current Administration’s actions."

The award, the nation’s highest civilian honor, is given to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors, the White House said in a statement.

'FAILED EXPERIMENT': EXPERTS REVEAL WHY SOROS-BACKED POLICIES TOOK BEATING IN DEEP BLUE STATE

Soros, a mega-Democrat donor, runs a web of non-profits that bankroll various candidates around the world who align with his progressive agenda, including his Open Society Foundations. Soros has given over $32 billion to Open Society Foundations since 1984, according to its website. 

The White House said that Soros’ philanthropy across the world has strengthened democracy, human rights, education and social justice.

NFL LEGEND BRETT FAVRE LEFT 'SPEECHLESS' AS BIDEN HONORS SOROS, CLINTON WITH MEDAL OF FREEDOM

Conservatives on social media disagreed and made the case that giving the medal to Soros sent the wrong message given the alleged effects Soros-backed policies have had on crime. 

"Police officers deserve the Medal of Freedom for dealing with violent criminals set free by Soros prosecutors," GOP Sen. Tom Cotton posted on X. 

"George Soros is responsible for the breakdown of American society," conservative lawyer Marina Medvin posted on X. "His goal is the destruction of the West. He supports illegal immigrants, Antifa, Palestinian terror enthusiasts, campus disrupters, etc. Of course this is all wonderful in Biden’s world. So he’s giving Soros the highest civilian honor."

"A travesty that Biden is giving Soros the Medal of Freedom," Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk posted on X. 

"A clear sign Joe Biden lost his mind or he's not in control, for awarding George Soros a Presidential Medal of Freedom," political commentator Richie Greenberg, who led the effort to recall Soros-backed San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office, posted on X.

"Few have risen to the level of criminal justice arch-nemesis as Soros has. This is a slap to countless victims of crime enabled by Soros DAs. Truly disgusting."

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and Open Society Foundations but did not receive a response. 

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also awarded the Medal of Freedom on Saturday, prompting similar outrage from conservatives.

Clinton, the White House said, made "history many times over decades in public service," becoming the first female senator from New York and the first first lady to hold elected office.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report

President-elect Donald Trump railed against the ongoing "lawfare" against him during his first public remarks since Congress certified his decisive election win over Vice President Kamala Harris. 

"They're playing with the courts, as you know, they've been playing with the courts for four years. Probably got me more votes because I got the highest number of votes ever gotten by a Republican by far, actually, by a lot. And, you know, we had a great election, so I guess it didn't work. But even to this day, they're playing with the courts and they're friendly judges that like to try and make everybody happy .. It's called lawfare, it's called weaponization of justice," Trump said Tuesday during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. 

Trump held the press conference, which was his first since Congress certified his election win on Monday, to announce DAMAC Properties will invest $20 billion in new data centers across the country. DAMAC's owner, Hussain Sajwani, said the investment is aimed at facilitating the development of AI and cloud-based technologies.

JUDGE MERCHAN DENIES TRUMP'S REQUEST TO DELAY SENTENCING

Trump took aim at the legal battles he has faced in the last four years during the address, slamming special counsel Jack Smith as well as New York Judge Juan Merchan. 

"I call it the Injustice Department. What they've done is so bad, the whole world has watched that. And, it took work, but it got me a lot of votes, because when explained, we have a judge in New York is a very crooked judge," he said, referring to Justice Juan Merchan who presides over the New York v. Trump case. "I'm under a gag order. I can't even talk about aspects of the case that are the most vital aspects I'm going to do. You know that I'm the president-elect of the United States of America. I'm a former very successful president."

Merchan announced earlier this month that he will sentence Trump in the New York v. Trump case on Jan. 10, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. Trump's legal team filed a motion to delay sentencing, which Merchan denied on Monday afternoon. 

TRUMP FILES MOTION TO STAY 'UNLAWFUL SENTENCING' IN NEW YORK CASE

"Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed," Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning.

"The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again," Cheung continued. 

​​Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case. 

NEW YORK JUDGE SETS TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION

Smith, who led the investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents after his first term in the White House, is set to release a final report on the investigation. Two of Trump's former co-defendants in the classified documents case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, filed an emergency motion on Monday in an effort to block the report's release. 

"These Defendants will irreparably suffer harm as civilian casualties of the Government’s impermissible and contumacious utilization of political lawfare to include release of the unauthorized Report," Nauta and De Oliveira's attorneys wrote in an emergency motion filed on Monday. "The Final Report relies on materials to which Smith, as disqualified special counsel, is no longer entitled access— making his attempt to share such materials with the public highly improper." 

The judge presiding over the case blocked Smith's efforts to release the report on Tuesday. 

Trump slammed Smith as "deranged" during his Tuesday remarks while taking a victory lap that the court cases brought against him since the 2020 election have fizzled out since the 2024 election. Trump has maintained his innocence in the various state and federal cases brought against him, arguing they were examples of "lawfare" intended to hamper his campaign to reclaim the White House. 

NY JUDGE ANNOUNCES UNCONDITIONAL DISCHARGE SENTENCING FOR TRUMP ON JAN 10

"I defeated deranged Jack Smith. He's a deranged individual. I guess he's on his way back to The Hague. And we won those cases. Those were the biggest ones. And, the press made such a big deal out of them. But we did nothing wrong. We did nothing wrong on anything. And the people saw that, you know, when they vote to when you went to Republicans," he said. 

Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President-elect Donald Trump is keeping up his taunts of referring to Canada as the United States' 51st state.

"Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State," Trump argued in a social media post on Monday. 

Trump emphasized that "if Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!"

In recent weeks, the former and now president-elect has trolled the United States' neighbor to the north, musing about it becoming the 51st state, and posting a doctored photo of him standing beside a Canadian flag high atop a mountain.

WHAT TRUMP IS SAYING ABOUT CANADA BECOMING THE 51ST STATE

Additionally, his recent mocking of longtime Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, repeatedly referring to him as "governor," along with his threat to impose massive tariffs on Canada, was likely a contributing factor in Trudeau's resignation announcement this week.

Trump's fixation on Canada comes as he also turns up the volume on his calls for Denmark to sell the sparsely populated but massive North Atlantic island of Greenland to the U.S.

CANADA’S TRUDEAU ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FOLLOWING PARTY PRESSURE AMID CRITICISMS OF TRUMP, BUDGET HANDLING 

However, what if the unlikely expansionist scenario of Canada joining the U.S. actually came to fruition?

Hypothetically, it could be a massive political boon for Democrats at the expense of Republicans.

Canada's modern political history points to the left.

"The Liberals have been in charge of the Canadian federal government for the majority of the time since World War Two," longtime Republican strategist Dave Carney noted to Fox News.

It is likely the voters supporting those governments would vote for Democrats rather than Republicans if Canada became the 51st state.

With a population of slightly more than 40 million, Canada would become the most populous state in the U.S., edging out blue-state California for the honors.

Canada's addition to the U.S. as the nation's largest state could give a big boost to the Democrats in the battle for Congressional majorities and the electoral vote count in presidential elections.

Rich Lowry, editor-in-chief of the prominent conservative magazine National Review, warned in an opinion piece for the New York Post that "Canada would be a blue-state behemoth, matching California in population…and, presumably, in reliably Democratic politics."

"We might think we’d annex Canada and make it more like us, but — with two Democratic senators and a huge tranche of electoral votes for Democratic presidential candidates — Canada would surely make us more like it," Lowry predicted.

Veteran political scientist Wayne Lesperance agreed, noting that "Canada as a state would bring millions of voters more likely to align with the Democrats' agenda and ideology. And with 40 million voters, the new 51st state would be the largest state in the union with a congressional delegation much more likely to oppose Trump and his party's political agenda."

Lesperance, president of the New Hampshire-based New England College, said if Trump "is serious, and does bring a proposal forward, I would expect tremendous support for his initiative…especially from Democrats."

Democratic strategist and political analyst Van Jones, on CNN, said that Canada would "be a huge blue state" and that "if Canada wants to come here and rescue us, I am more than happy."

However, Carney, noting that the likelihood of Canada joining the U.S. is extremely slim, said that it is a great negotiating strategy by Trump when it comes to negotiations with America's northern neighbor.

"He has an ability to use tools that no one would have ever thought of," Carney said. "He has the ability and the willingness to use every tool in his toolbox."

Carney, the top political adviser to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns, added that Trump "uses the soft power of the presidency to get people to pay attention and get what he wants."

FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are pushing to abolish the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) ahead of President-elect Donald Trump taking office later this month.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., is unveiling the bill on Tuesday and already has several co-sponsors in Reps. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., Mike Collins, R-Ga., Bob Onder, R-Mo., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Mary Miller, R-Ill., Keith Self, R-Texas, and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.

Burlison argued that the ATF was an "unconstitutional agency" and that its mission and goals are duplicates of existing state and local regulations. 

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

"The Constitution makes it very clear that when it comes to the federal government, there shall be no laws restricting firearms," he told Fox News Digital. "It's in the purview of the states, and so I don't think it belongs on the federal level."

"But here's the thing I want to reiterate – they don't have the manpower to enforce the laws that they implement. So they go and they solicit help from every local state law enforcement official to help them implement their stupid new rules."

He said assisting the ATF "takes them out of the things they should be prioritizing to keep the community safe."

Burlison said he has not spoken with members of President-elect Trump's orbit on the bill, but added, "I'm sure there's quite a few people in Trump world that would be open to this."

One possible supporter the bill could find is Vice President-elect JD Vance, who previously called for abolishing the ATF and vowed to fight toward that goal in the Senate.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE'S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

The ATF makes federal regulations for firearm handling and storage, gun licenses and other matters. It also assists in law enforcement investigations like the recent New Orleans attack.

The modern iteration of the ATF was formed as a bureau under the Treasury Department in 1972. It was transferred to the Department of Justice in 2003 as a law enforcement agency after laws on gun control and explosives were added to the ATF's purview in the 1990s.

Supporters of the ATF's existence include gun control advocates who argue it does important work to fight gun violence.

However, opponents like Burlison argue its regulations are unnecessary.

ATF Director Steven Dettelbach warned earlier this week that he believes curbing the ATF will result in more unnecessary deaths.

"People who don’t think that law enforcement, including ATF, has anything to do with driving down violent crime are just wrong — it didn’t happen by accident," he told the New York Times.

"What I am concerned about is that people will take their eye off the ball, that they’ll either get complacent or political, or some combination of those things."

The ATF has gotten public blowback for its handling of the infamous standoffs in Ruby Ridge and Waco, Texas, however.

Trump previously promised to fire Dettelbach on his first day in office. He told an audience at a National Rifle Association event that the Biden administration appointee was a "radical gun-grabber."

It is not clear if he would abolish it altogether, however. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Trump and the ATF for comment.

Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the certification of the 2024 presidential election results on Monday, but Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., asserted in a post on Tuesday that the political battle was only beginning.

Blumenthal, who has served in the Senate since 2011, claimed President-elect Donald Trump has tapped "malignly motivated" nominees who are not qualified.

"Now that the Electoral Count is done we can move on? No. Not with Trump planning blanket pardons. Not with dangerously unqualified, malignly motivated Trump nominees. Not with Trump normalizing election denial. The fight is just beginning," the senator declared in the post on X.

WILL CONGRESS WORK WITH TRUMP TO SECURE CABINET NOMINATIONS?

"Enough with the Trump Derangement Syndrome," Karoline Leavitt, who Trump has selected to serve as his White House press secretary, said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

"The American people clearly support President Trump and his policies to secure the border, end inflation, and restore world peace; and President Trump will work with anyone on Capitol Hill who wants to solve these problems and deliver results," she added.

Fox News Digital also reached out to Blumenthal's office to request comment from the senator on Tuesday, but no comment was provided.

SEN. BLUMENTHAL SAYS MYSTERIOUS DRONES SPOTTED RECENTLY ‘SHOULD BE SHOT DOWN, IF NECESSARY’

Trump, who is slated to be sworn in on January 20, has indicated that on his first day back in office he will likely pardon people connected with the Jan. 6 episode, telling "Meet the Press" moderator Kristin Welker late last year that the cases would be examined and there could be exceptions if a person was "radical, crazy."

After President Joe Biden announced a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter last year, Trump declared on Truth Social, "Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!" 

In a March 2024 post, Trump said freeing "January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned" would be among his "first acts" as president.

DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE'LL PARDON JAN. 6 RIOTERS ON DAY ONE: ‘ACTING VERY QUICKLY’

"Pardoning any convicted Jan 6 rioter, particularly anyone who attacked police officers, would disgrace them & endanger democracy," Blumenthal asserted in a tweet on Monday.

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked Special Counsel Jack Smith from releasing his report relating to his now-suspended investigations into President-elect Trump’s alleged 2020 election interference and alleged improper retention of classified records. 

Trump co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira filed an emergency motion to block the reported imminent release of Smith’s final report. 

U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon ruled in favor of Nauta and De Oliveira to "prevent irreparable harm." 

Cannon said Smith is "temporarily enjoined" from "releasing, sharing, or transmitting the Final Report or any drafts of such Report outside the Department of Justice."

The order remains in effect until three days after a resolution is announced from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., is taking the opportunity to renew two key bills aligned with the incoming advisory board known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) now that the GOP controls the Senate. 

DOGE was previously announced by President-elect Donald Trump, who tapped billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the charge in eliminating government waste. 

TRANSGENDER BILL BARRING MEN FROM WOMEN'S SPORTS TO GET FLOOR VOTE IN NEWLY GOP-LED SENATE

The ERASER Act would target regulations by requiring agencies to repeal three rules before issuing any new major rule and ensure that the new rule does not exceed the cost of the repealed rules. The Separation of Powers Restoration Act (SOPRA) would address the Administrative Procedure Act by ending the standards of executive deference and allowing courts to weigh arguments without affording deference to either party. 

REPUBLICANS LOOK TO FINALLY PUSH THROUGH LAKEN RILEY BILL WITH NEW GOP TRIFECTA

"Reining in an out-of-control administrative state has long been one of my top priorities, and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with the incoming Trump Administration to [accomplish] the shared goal of gutting the administrative state and clawing power out of the hands of nameless, faceless bureaucrats and returning it back to the people," Schmitt told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"The ERASER Act would require agencies who wish to enact a new regulation to pull three regulations off the books. And, the Separation of Powers Restoration Act would put a stop to courts’ deference to agency interpretation on regulations and enact a much stricter review, putting power back in the hands of the people, where it belongs … This is a critical, one-two punch to the bloated administrative state."

KAMALA HARRIS MAKES TRUMP'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL WIN OFFICIAL DURING JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is a co-sponsor of the ERASER Act. SOPRA is also backed by co-sponsors Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Rand Paul, R-Ky., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Ted Budd, R-N.C., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.

The bills were debuted by Schmitt in the last Congress but never received consideration on the floor due to Democratic leadership in the Senate. 

NEW SENATOR BERNIE MORENO WANTS A BORDER BILL ON TRUMP'S DESK ON DAY 1, PUTTING DEMS ON RECORD

However, with Republicans leading the upper chamber, and an increased emphasis on government efficiency, it's much more likely the measures will get voted on. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is already expected to tee up votes on a couple other re-introduced GOP bills that never got floor time. 

The Biden administration secured an agreement to implement police reforms in Minneapolis ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration.

The consent decree agreement Monday with the Minneapolis Police Department follows a similar decree that the department agreed upon with Louisville, Kentucky, police last month. The agreements follow the Biden administration's initiation of 12 investigations in 2021, which probed possible "pattern or practice" of civil rights abuses by police departments around the country following the anti-police riots that took place after the death of George Floyd in 2020. 

Both decrees await approval by the courts. The 171-page Minneapolis agreement would overhaul the city's police training and use of-force-policies, while requiring officers to "promote the sanctity of human life as the highest priority in their activities." The decree also mandates that officers must not allow race, gender or ethnicity "to influence any decision to use force, including the amount or type of force used."

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE STAFFING LEVEL PLUMMETS TO HISTORIC 4-DECADE LOW 3 YEARS AFTER GEORGE FLOYD'S DEATH: REPORT

Other elements of the Minneapolis agreement include bolstering protections for protesters, new data collection requirements aimed at reducing racial discrimination, guidelines restricting officers from going after fleeing subjects, new interrogation requirements, a mandate against racial profiling in investigations, traffic stop reforms and more.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division was asked repeatedly during a Monday press conference from Minneapolis whether the Trump administration could derail the agreement.

"I can’t predict the future," Clarke said. "What I can tell you is that the findings we identified in Minneapolis are severe. These are real issues that impact people’s lives. The community wants reform. The city wants reform, the police department wants reform, and the Justice Department stands here today as a full partner in the effort of achieving reform and transformation for this community."

BIDEN DOJ OPPOSES COURT DECISION ALLOWING DEREK CHAUVIN CHANCE TO EXAMINE GEORGE FLOYD'S HEART

Meanwhile, in an email to constituents, Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley said she has no faith that the incoming Trump administration will be a "serious partner" in supporting the recently agreed-upon consent decree.

A similar consent decree agreed upon by the Biden administration and the Loisville police roughly three weeks ago also compels the department to revise its use-of-force policies, places new restrictions around traffic stops and police searches, and challenges how law enforcement deals with protesters. 

A local police union in the city is challenging the reforms, calling on a judge not to approve the agreement. Meanwhile, the conservative Heritage Foundation has argued that the point of the consent decree coming so late in Biden's term is "to bind the Trump 47 Administration and future elected Louisville administrations who may well vehemently and categorically disagree with the Proposed Consent Decree."

Both Minneapolis and Louisville were flash points for debates around police reform after both cities saw the high-profile deaths of Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020. Both cities, and numerous others, saw protesters rampage through the streets following their deaths, leading to multiple fatalities and billions of dollars in damage that year.  

Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department for comment, but they declined to comment.

President-elect Trump addressed the nation for the first time since the certification of his November election victory on Tuesday.

Trump held a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago home just one day after Congress and Vice President Kamala Harris certified his electoral college victory. Trump took the opportunity to announce $20 billion in new data centers across the country.

Trump says the $20 billion will come over a "short period of time" from DAMAC Properties. The company's owner, Hussain Sajwani, detailed that the investment will center around Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana and other Midwestern states.

SCOTT JENNINGS CLASHES WITH CNN HOST OVER CRITICISM OF MUSK’S FOREIGN DEALINGS

Sajwani said the investment is aimed at facilitating the development of AI and cloud-based technologies.