House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is gearing up for a vote on Tuesday on a bill, which, if approved, will avert a partial government shutdown during the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's term.

Given the lack of support from Democrats, Johnson is betting Republicans can muscle through largely by themselves on  the 99-page piece of legislation that would keep federal agencies funded until Sept. 30. 

Congress must act to avoid a partial government shutdown by Friday, March 14. Despite dozens of conservative defections on continuing resolutions over the past two years, Trump on Saturday called for Republicans to unite to support the bill. 

"The House and Senate have put together, under the circumstances, a very good funding Bill ('CR')! All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week," Trump wrote on TRUTHSocial. "Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s ‘financial house’ in order. Democrats will do anything they can to shut down our Government, and we can’t let that happen." 

CONGRESS UNVEILS SPENDING PLAN AFTER TRUMP CALLS ON REPUBLICANS TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

"We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right," Trump added. "VERY IMPORTANT. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" 

Still, some Republicans have already signaled they would not support the CR. 

"I’m not voting for the Continuing Resolution budget (cut-copy-paste omnibus) this week," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., posted to X on Sunday. "Why would I vote to continue the waste fraud and abuse DOGE has found? We were told the CR in December would get us to March when we would fight. Here we are in March, punting again! WTFO." 

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., meanwhile, said he has never voted for a continuing resolution, but he is on board with Johnson's effort. He says he has confidence in Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to make a difference on the nation's debt. "I don't like CRs," Norman said. "But what's the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No."

In a call with reporters on Saturday, House Republican leadership aides outlined how the bill provides for $892.5 billion in discretionary federal defense spending, and $708 billion in non-defense discretionary spending.

The aides emphasized that the bill was "closely coordinated" with the White House – while stopping short of saying Trump backed the measure completely, noting he has not reviewed the specific pages yet.

It includes an additional $8 billion in defense dollars in an apparent bid to ease national security hawks' concerns, while non-defense spending that Congress annually appropriates would decrease by about $13 billion.

There is  also an added $6 billion for healthcare for veterans.

REP. RALPH NORMAN BACKS TRUMP'S PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PUSHES FOR CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS

The White House has requested additional spending in areas that were not present in the last government funding extension, known as "anomalies." Among the anomalies requested by Trump and being fulfilled by the bill is added funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Aides said the funding is meant to meet "an operations shortfall that goes back to the Biden administration."

"That money, most of that, has already been obligated prior to the start of this administration. So that request reflects an existing hole," a source said.

The bill also ensures that spending caps placed under a prior bipartisan agreement, the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), are followed. The FRA mandated no more than a 1% federal spending increase in FY 2025. 

Cuts to non-defense discretionary spending would be found by eliminating some "side deals" made during FRA negotiations, House GOP leadership aides said. Lawmakers would also not be given an opportunity to request funding for special pet projects in their districts known as earmarks, another area that Republicans are classifying as savings.

The bill does not cover the majority of government spending, including Social Security and Medicare. Funding for those two programs is on autopilot and not regularly reviewed by Congress. Still, Democratic leadership issued a statement Saturday saying they were troubled the bill does not take steps to protect those programs and Medicaid, which Republicans are eying to help pay for extending tax cuts passed in Trump's first term.

"We are voting no," a trio of House Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said. 

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, both issued statements blasting the legislation.

Murray said the legislation would "give Donald Trump and Elon Musk more power over federal spending — and more power to pick winners and losers, which threatens families in blue and red states alike." DeLauro, in an X post, called the CR "a power grab for the White House."

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the focus must be on preventing a shutdown because closures have negative consequences all across government.

"They require certain essential government employees, such as Border Patrol agents, members of our military and Coast Guard, TSA screeners, and air traffic controllers, to report to work with no certainty on when they will receive their next paycheck," Collins said. "We cannot allow that to occur."

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is expected to have another busy week back in the Oval Office, including rallying Republican Congressional support to pass a continuing resolution ahead of Friday's government shutdown deadline.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are in the midst of hammering out a stopgap spending bill that would fund the federal government through Sept. 30 or face a shutdown at the end of the week. 

"I am working with the GREAT House Republicans on a Continuing Resolution to fund the Government until September to give us some needed time to work on our Agenda," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. 

"Conservatives will love this Bill, because it sets us up to cut Taxes and Spending in Reconciliation, all while effectively FREEZING Spending this year," Trump added. 

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Negotiators released a 99-page piece of legislation on Saturday that would roughly maintain current government funding levels through the beginning of fiscal year (FY) 2026, which begins Oct. 1. House Republicans have said that they are confident the bill will pass on Republican support alone, Fox Digital previously reported. 

House Republican leadership aides said in a media call on Saturday that the bill was "closely coordinated" with the White House, but noted that Trump has not reviewed this specific bill. 

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House Democrats, meanwhile, are rallying lawmakers to reject the legislation, claiming Republicans are trying to cut Medicare and Medicaid. 

"Republicans have decided to introduce a partisan continuing resolution that threatens to cut funding for healthcare, nutritional assistance and veterans benefits through the end of the current fiscal year," House Democrats said in statement last week. "House Democrats would enthusiastically support a bill that protects Social Security, Medicare, veterans health and Medicaid, but Republicans have chosen to put them on the chopping block to pay for billionaire tax cuts."

CONGRESS UNVEILS SPENDING PLAN AFTER TRUMP CALLS ON REPUBLICANS TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

In addition to the looming shutdown, this week will also include tariffs of 25% on imports of steel and aluminum taking effect on March 12, Trump told the media. 

The president is also set to receive a report on his assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July of last year that left him with an injury to the ear, as well as the assassination attempt in Florida in September that was thwarted. 

"They are giving me a report next week some time, and I do believe I'll be releasing," Trump said on Thursday while speaking with Fox News' Peter Doocy. "I want to release a report. A lot of people have asked that question."

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Trump has also previewed that the administration could announce the creation of a "massive new program for building very large, the largest ships in the world" this week. 

"It'll have to do with incentives, taxes, they'll be coming from all over the world, just like they are with cars, with what we've done with tariffs," Trump said from the Oval Office last week of the upcoming announcement. "And we have at least seven new, major car plants that are going to be starting very shortly because of what we're doing with the tariffs, which will primarily start on April the 2nd."  

On Monday, Trump is expected to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte where a main discussion point will certainly be the ongoing negotiations to reach a cease-fire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.

On Wednesday Trump is expected to welcome Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the leader of Ireland. The President recently declared March Irish- American Heritage Month.

Trump is entering his eighth week back in the White House with at least 87 executive orders under his belt since Jan. 20, which include 45 he signed in his first 10 days. Trump also enters the new work week after delivering his first address to a joint session of Congress last Tuesday, which broke records for length and was celebrated as "historic" by conservative allies. 

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

The onslaught of legal challenges to President Donald Trump's early actions brought by federal workers and advocacy groups have found their way into mostly friendly courts, overseen, for the most part, by sympathetic judges.

These plaintiffs have employed a well-known, pervasive strategy used by both sides of the political aisle, known as forum or "judge shopping"– that is, to have a case tried in a certain district court, and one that falls under the jurisdiction of a U.S. appeals court with a certain political makeup.

This strategy serves a distinct legal purpose. While the Supreme Court is the nation’s highest court, most cases don't make it there. That’s because the Supreme Court hears an average of less than 100 cases annually, according to federal judiciary data. In contrast, the 13 U.S. appeals courts handle an average of more than 50,000 cases per year – meaning that these courts often get to rule on the most pressing legal issues. 

HERE'S WHY DOZENS OF LAWSUITS SEEKING TO QUASH TRUMP'S EARLY ACTIONS AS PRESIDENT ARE FAILING

And while plaintiffs suing the federal government used to have to establish a local, geographic connection to the district where they were filing their lawsuit, Congress broadly moved to lift that requirement more than 30 years ago – allowing the practice to quickly gain prominence. 

As president, Trump "is exercising Article II power to take care that our federal laws are faithfully executed," Mike Davis, the founder and president of the Article III Project, or A3P, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

"That's his constitutional duty. And that includes weeding out waste, fraud and abuse. That’s what he's doing with Elon Musk and with DOGE," said Davis, a former Supreme Court clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch.

But recent years have seen a wave of new efforts to reform the system and stop the process of "judge shopping," with detractors pointing to a spate of recent examples where cases were filed specifically in certain districts in an effort to yield more favorable outcomes.

It's a strategy both Republican and Democrat plaintiffs have used with increasing regularity. Most recently, groups of Democratic-led plaintiffs filed three separate court challenges to Trump's executive order seeking to ban birthright citizenship within the jurisdiction of the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, or the Boston-based appeals court whose bench is composed primarily of Democratic-appointed judges.  

Other groups seeking to overturn Trump's early actions have focused on courts within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has a reputation for liberal decisions. 

Judges on that bench moved unanimously to block the Trump administration's birthright citizenship order from taking force, leaving in place the decision of a Seattle district court, and potentially kicking the matter to the Supreme Court for consideration.

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Other notable examples include a wave of anti-abortion cases filed in the rural Texas town of Amarillo, where the sole federal judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk, is known for his anti-abortion beliefs and for siding on behalf of pro-life groups. (Texas is also under the jurisdiction of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where 75% of the 26 judges on the bench are Republican-appointed.)

Kacsmaryk’s attempt to ban the abortion pill, mifepristone, in 2023 was upheld but narrowed by the Fifth Circuit Court. It was later dismissed completely by the Supreme Court, which noted that the plaintiffs in the case lacked proper standing. 

Still, judicial reform advocates have pointed to this case – and many others – as evidence of the lengths individuals will go to in an attempt to reshape the federal policy landscape by way of case law and legal precedent.

"Allowing plaintiffs to pick their judge is contrary to the bedrock federal court principle of randomly assigning cases to judges through an electronic version of drawing names from a hat," Russell Wheeler, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies program, wrote in an op-ed. 

LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP'S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS

Davis, for his part, told Fox News that his organization, A3P, is currently working with the Senate Judiciary Committee to draft legislation to end the flurry of temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions that have come before single judges.

"The legislation will require a three-judge panel randomly assigned from around the country; a lottery system" to hear various cases and prevent the uptick in forum shopping, Davis said. Federal judiciary leaders and members of Congress have also introduced efforts within the last year aimed at stopping or curtailing the pervasiveness of judge-shopping.

Senate Democrats introduced a bill last spring that would require cases to be randomly assigned within a federal court district, though it has failed to gain traction in the rest of Congress. 

Last March, the U.S. Judicial Conference, the body that sets policy for the federal courts, issued fresh guidance urging courts to assign certain high-profile cases at random in a bid to stop judge shopping and restore public trust in the court system.

"The random case-assignment policy deters judge-shopping and the assignment of cases based on the perceived merits or abilities of a particular judge," Judge Robert J. Conrad, the U.S. Judicial Conference secretary, said in a statement at the time.

Rather, he said, the feature "promotes the impartiality of proceedings and bolsters public confidence in the federal Judiciary."

As the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown approaches and President Donald Trump urges Republicans to support passage of a funding measure, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., has declared that he will oppose the proposal.

"Unless I get a lobotomy Monday that causes me to forget what I’ve witnessed the past 12 years, I’ll be a NO on the CR this week. It amazes me that my colleagues and many of the public fall for the lie that we will fight another day," Massie declared in a post on X.

President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to pass the measure.

CONGRESS UNVEILS SPENDING PLAN AFTER TRUMP CALLS ON REPUBLICANS TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

"The House and Senate have put together, under the circumstances, a very good funding Bill ("CR")! All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week," the president said in a Truth Social post. 

"Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s "financial house" in order. Democrats will do anything they can to shut down our Government, and we can’t let that happen. We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right. VERY IMPORTANT. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

House Freedom Caucus chair Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., is supporting the funding measure.

REP. RALPH NORMAN BACKS TRUMP'S PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PUSHES FOR CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS

"Congress must keep the government open so that DOGE can continue to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in our government. This continuing resolution is necessary to advance President Trump's agenda. I fully support it," Harris declared in a tweet.

The Trump administration's DOGE effort aims to uncover government waste, fraud, and abuse that can be slashed from the federal government.

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"Why would I vote to continue the waste fraud and abuse DOGE has found? We were told the CR in December would get us to March when we would fight. Here we are in March, punting again! WTFO," Massie declared in a tweet.

A House Appropriations Committee press release about the measure indicates that it "Ensures a costly government shutdown does not befall the American people," "Enhances defense investments and includes the largest pay raise for junior enlisted troops in over 40 years" and "Increases funding for air traffic control priorities over FY24." 

"The bill fully funds the program that provides important nutrition assistance to mothers, infants, and children. It includes a more than $500M increase for WIC, as requested by the Trump Administration, for a total of $7.6B," the press release indicates.

The Arkansas state Senate passed a bill to provide age-appropriate firearms safety instruction to students last week and the Arkansas Department of Education will be working with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to develop a plan.

Act 229, also known as House Bill 1117, will require public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools to annually provide students with instruction on firearm safety.

The bill’s sponsors say the idea came from conversations among neighbors.

PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THIS STATE COULD SOON BE REQUIRED TO TAKE GUN SAFETY COURSES

"All of our children play together and invade whatever home happens to be the play of the day. And in that process, they may go into a neighbor's home and discover that unsecured firearm, and how would they react," said Rep. Scott Richardson.

The bill says it will empower the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission to work with the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education to create and approve age-appropriate firearm safety courses. 

Methods discussed in the bill range from videos to online sources and even mentions the possibility of an off-campus, commission-approved firearm safety course in conjunction with a live-fire exercise or sporting event.

Although these are just options being discussed at this time, the bill does state that if an option of live-fire training is approved, parents will have to give consent.

"If an off-campus, commission-approved firearm safety course is provided in conjunction with a live-fire exercise or sporting event, the provider of the off-campus, commission-approved firearm safety course and the public school district or open-enrollment public charter school in which the participating student is enrolled shall obtain prior written approval from the participating student's parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to the participating student," according to the bill.

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The committee will also be responsible for determining the earliest grade appropriate for students to begin receiving the training.

Instruction will begin with the 2025-2026 school year.

FIRST ON FOX: A study published this week details the degree to which the Biden administration infused DEI policies into the federal government in a report the authors say can serve as a resource for the Trump administration to continue to identify and "destroy" the practice. 

The new study, conducted by the Functional Government Initiative and the Center for Renewing America, identified 460 programs across 24 government agencies in the Biden administration that diverted resources to DEI initiatives.

At least $1 trillion of taxpayer money was infused with DEI principles, the study states.

The study lays out DEI infusion across several federal agencies, including the Defense Department's plan to "integrate environmental/economic justice tools" into training, FEMA’s need to "instill equity as a foundation of emergency management," and the Labor Department's push to "embed equity in a sustainable manner that recognizes the multiple and overlapping identities held by workers."

TRUMP TO SHIFT AWAY FROM DEI VISA POLICY THAT ‘SURGED’ UNDER BIDEN, EXPERT SAYS

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 13985, which was aimed at carrying out the stated goal of "advancing equity and racial justice through the federal government."

"This order mandated a whole of government approach to injecting DEI philosophy into the federal budget," the study says. "In alignment with this directive, the Biden administration apparently spent trillions in DEI-related initiatives in a manner and at a speed that has shrouded public awareness of the financial burden."

'DISTURBING': WHISTLEBLOWER FUMES AT BIDEN-ERA AGENCY PROMOTING DEI PROGRAM AS DEPARTMENT'S 'MISSION'

The report outlines how, over the next four years, the amount spent on DEI efforts was "staggering."

"The cumulative budget of these programs exceeds $1.1 trillion," the report says. "However, this figure does not encompass all DEI-related expenditures, nor does it include every program across these agencies. The findings reveal a substantial increase in DEI spending, largely attributable to policy directives under the Biden administration."

"Of the programs identified, 10 are exclusively dedicated to DEI and could be considered for quick elimination; 144 allocate significant resources to DEI initiatives and should be reviewed if those are to be ended; and 306 programs incorporate DEI to varying degrees, though the extent of their DEI focus is indeterminate based on the available documentation."

The report goes department by department and calculates the DEI programs and provides recommendations on how they should be addressed. 

"DEI is deeply rooted throughout all aspects of the federal government, and it needs to be eliminated completely," Center for Renewing America senior adviser Wade Miller told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"Thankfully, the Trump administration has already embarked on a vitally necessary complete audit of each and every government program. We offer, in this report, what we hope are additional resources and tools that the new administration and Congress can use to identify, destroy and permanently remove DEI from the federal government."

FGI spokesman Roderick Law explained to Fox News Digital that the dual study "could both expedite the elimination of DEI from the executive branch and show just how quickly pernicious ideologies can spread inside the government."

"The nature of DEI is both divisive and anti-American," Law added, "so why force it onto the military or the Commerce Department or the EPA? After President Biden lavishly funded and pushed these controversial principles into every possible area of government, our hope is that raising these questions and offering Congress and responsible executive branch officials tools and suggestions can keep it from happening again."

The Trump administration has made it a top priority to rid DEI from the federal bureaucracy and the president has signed multiple executive orders aimed at addressing what it argues is a practice that does more harm than good by ignoring meritocracy. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden's office for comment. 

A California sheriff is pushing back against the media narrative about President Trump’s deportations across the country and says that those opposing ICE raids both in the media and on the streets will cause people to get hurt. 

"It’s all fearmongering," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Fox News Digital. "So the reality right now is that the only people that ICE are going after are people who have already been deported for criminal issues. That's it. The lie that they're doing raids and that they're just going through communities, that is an absolute lie spread by activists and dishonest politicians."

The Associated Press reported last month that volunteers and activists were attempting to disrupt ICE efforts in Los Angeles by warning residents of ICE’s presence with bullhorns and sirens. 

Bianco, who recently announced he is running for governor of California, told Fox News Digital that those who are impeding ICE operations are "guilty of a crime" and could find themselves arrested.

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"It's going to get people hurt because the reality is these people all have federal warrants to be deported," Bianco said. "They've already gone through the process. They've already victimized us in the past. They're not here to make a better life for themselves. They were here to victimize us, and a judge has ordered them removed. That's the only people they're going after."

Bianco also warned of the potential danger to the community that impeding ICE actions could cause. 

TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN

"It's going to cause a confrontation with these federal law enforcement officers and people are going to get hurt," Bianco explained. "Law enforcement is going to get hurt. People are going to get hurt and, more than likely, in some situations, killed, and it is absolutely ridiculous."

Bianco continued, "All of these people, they don't even really know what they're protesting. They're protesting because they're believing dishonest politicians, and they're believing these activist groups, and it's unfortunate. It's very unfortunate."

Trump has continued to make deportations a focal point of his immigration plan and his promised border crackdown appears to be influencing groups of migrants looking to enter the United States illegally.

Despite the increase in criminal illegal immigrants being deported, many of them accused of heinous crimes, many Democrat politicians have pledged to defy his orders and refuse to work with ICE.

"The media should be reporting the truth. The politicians should be telling the truth," Bianco said. "But we know that the only way for these politicians to win is to create this divide. There has to be this emotional divide that separates us from race and with sex and all of these different things, and they believe that that works, and it truly doesn't, and right now it's just placing people in danger."

Missouri residents donating to pregnancy resource centers that do not provide abortions could enjoy significant reductions in their state tax bill if a new GOP bill passes into law.

SB 681, sponsored by state Sen. Jill Carter, a Republican, would establish a 100% tax credit for such donations beginning in 2026, up from a 70% credit for the years 2021 to 2025. Essentially, for every dollar donated, one dollar would be deducted from the taxpayer's annual income tax obligation.

"I think states that are Republican-led are racing to try to figure out how to get more tax dollars back to their communities," Carter told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. "So, we don't want to shift the burden necessarily to the taxpayer, but to incentivize people being able to say, ‘with my own dollars, I want to invest in these women who are community members,’ and in supporting those things that they also value."

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Under Carter's bill, taxpayers can claim up to $50,000 in tax credits each year for donations of at least $100, with any unused credits carrying over to the next year. SB 681 also removes the previous $3.5 million cap on total credits that could be claimed for fiscal years up to 2021. The same bill was introduced in the state House, which passed the tax reform committee last month in a key legislative hurdle. 

"We're trying to help people support the values that they believe in by being able to personally invest instead of government doing it for them," Carter said. "I think that's a strong conservative Republican policy and position."

Carter added that Republicans are "in a really transformative stage right now with politics and policy" when it comes to more pro-life options.

In a written testimony submitted to the state House legislature, Alissa Gross, the CEO of Resource Health Services that runs four pregnancy centers in Missouri and a virtual office in Kansas, wrote, "The impact of the tax credits on our organization has been profound."

"We have seen our budget increase dramatically and in return, our ability to impact more men and women for life as well as build healthy families has been substantial," Gross wrote. "We are so grateful for this opportunity and are hopeful for the increase so our reach can grow into the KC area and beyond."

Written testimony submitted by Cindy Speer, a board member and volunteer client advocate at Oasis Resource Center, wrote that her pregnancy center "just completed a debt-free 5000-square-foot center due in large part to the Missouri tax credit."

"Our next phase is housing for these women, many of whom are unable to afford, let alone find a place for themselves and their baby," Speer wrote. "This would be revolutionary in helping guide these women to become productive citizens who can then become role models for their children."

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Other written testimonies opposing the bill say they didn't want their tax dollars going toward "unregulated, anti-abortion pregnancy centers" that discourage women from having abortions.

The bill comes after Missouri voters enshrined an abortion amendment into their state constitution – becoming the first state to overrule a near-total abortion ban – during the November general election. Abortion providers have recently resumed their services, which had been outlawed since 2022, but a slew of pro-life bills introduced at the start of the legislative session in January are still coming down the pipeline for consideration.

The package of bills includes two proposed constitutional amendments. The first would ban abortion again, allowing exceptions only for medical emergencies, cases involving fetal anomalies, and certain instances of rape or incest, provided patients present the necessary documentation. A public hearing on the measure was held last month.

Other bills under consideration include a proposal to reclassify the abortion drug mifepristone as a Class IV controlled substance, similar to a Republican-led law passed in Louisiana last year. Another proposed amendment aims to make abortion illegal after a fetus reaches viability, typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy. 

Other bills introduced in the state target the timing of abortions, including House Bill 194, which would ban the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Attorney General Andrew Bailey vowed after the election to continue enforcing the abortion ban after fetal viability. 

"Under the express terms of the amendment, the government may still protect innocent life after viability," Bailey wrote. "The statutes thus remain generally enforceable after viability."

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Several other states also passed abortion amendments in November, including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January, titled the "Enforcing the Hyde Amendment," which revokes two 2022 executive orders from the Biden administration that had expanded access to abortion services. By reinstating the Hyde Amendment, the executive order prohibits federal funding for elective abortions, aligning with long-standing policies that prevent taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions.

Health and Human Services Department (HHS) employees have been offered up to $25,000 to part ways with the agency in order to help it downsize under President Donald Trump's plans to shrink the federal workforce.

In the email sent on Friday, the HHS, which is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said it has received authorization from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments.

The OPM "allows agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate," according to the email. This incentive is aimed at those who are in surplus positions or have skills that are no longer needed within their department.

CIA OFFERING BUYOUTS TO ITS ENTIRE WORKFORCE: REPORT 

The payment is available to most employees within the HHS, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Employees also have the option to take the payment if they are eligible for optional or early retirement, according to the OPM's website.

ROUGHLY 75,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AGREE TO TRUMP’S BUYOUT OFFER 

"By allowing employees to volunteer to leave the Government, agencies can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through the use of costly and disruptive reductions in force," the website stated.

There are around 80,000 people currently working for the HHS in some capacity, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The offer becomes available on Monday and forms must be submitted to local HR offices by Friday at 5 p.m.

The HHS is the second-costliest federal agency and accounts for 20.6% of America's budget for Fiscal Year 2025 with $2.4 trillion in budgetary resources, according to USASpending.gov. Most of that money is spent by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

The only agency with more spending power is the Department of the Treasury.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. has "just about" lifted the intelligence pause on Ukraine, adding that his administration has to do anything it can to get Ukrainians serious about making a deal to end the war with Russia.

"You know, I say they don’t have the cards. Nobody really has the cards," Trump told reporters during a gaggle on Air Force One on Sunday evening. "Russia doesn’t have the cards…What you have to do is you have to make a deal, and you have to stop the killing. It’s a senseless war, and we’re going to get it stopped."

On Friday, Fox News Digital learned from three sources familiar with the situation that the U.S. was continuing to share some defensive intelligence with Ukraine to protect it against incoming Russian strikes.

Federal intelligence, the work of the CIA, FBI and human intelligence, and data that helps with offensive Ukrainian strikes against Russia had already been paused.

TRUMP EXEMPTS MEXICO FROM TARIFFS FOR USMCA GOODS UNTIL APRIL 2

When asked during the gaggle if he would consider lifting the intel pause on Ukraine, Trump said the U.S. had.

"We, we just about have. I mean, we really just about have," he said. "And we want to do anything we can to get Ukraine to be serious about getting something done."

Trump also noted that he thinks Ukraine will sign the minerals deal, but he wants them to want peace at the moment.

TRUMP TO PUT TARIFF EXEMPTIONS ON CERTAIN GOODS FROM CANADA, MEXICO

When asked how Ukraine should show it wants peace, Trump said they have not shown it to the extent he thinks they should.

"I think right now they haven’t, but I think they will be, and I think it’s going to become evident over the next two or three days," the president said, adding that we have to have peace over anything. "This week, hundreds of people died in cities in Ukraine, and we got to get it stopped. It would have never happened if I was president."

During the nearly 10-minute gaggle with reporters, Trump fielded questions on a variety of topics, including the types of sanctions or tariffs he may impose on Russia.

EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS 'EMERGENCY MEETING' FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT

The president explained that he and his team had been looking at their options, but his focus was on a few big meetings coming up in Saudi Arabia, which will include Russia and Ukraine.

"We’ll see if we can get something done," Trump said. "A lot of people died this week, as you know, in Ukraine – not only Ukrainians but Russians. So, I think everybody wants to see it get done. We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week."

Trump was also asked what he would say to Americans watching their retirement accounts freefall from their highest in years amid concerns about tariffs.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’

The president told the reporter the tariffs "are going to be the greatest thing we’ve ever done as a country," adding that they will "make our country rich again."

The tariffs, Trump explained, will bring companies and factories back, noting that 90,000 factories in the U.S. had closed since the beginning of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which was in effect from 1994 to 2020.

At the end of his time with reporters, Trump was asked if he was worried about a recession, after hesitating on the same question when asked by FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo.

"Of course you hesitate. All I know is…we’re going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we’re going to become so rich you’re not going to know where to spend all that money," Trump said. "I'm telling you; you just watch. We're going to have jobs. We're going to have open factories. It's going to be great."

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem tapped a new director and deputy director to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as she works to reinstate a culture of results and accountability under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Noem announced the appointments on Sunday, saying Todd Lyons will serve as acting ICE director, and Madison Sheahan will serve as the deputy director of ICE.

"For the past four years, our brave men and women of ICE were barred from doing their jobs—ICE needs a culture of accountability that it has been starved of under the Biden Administration," Noem said. "Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are work horses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest and deport illegal aliens."

In a press release, Homeland Security said Lyons currently serves as the acting executive associate director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

NOEM SENDS MESSAGE TO THOSE CONSIDERING ENTERING US ILLEGALLY: ‘DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT'

He has served in a variety of other roles within ICE, including assistant director of field operations for ERO, where he oversaw all 25 field offices and domestic operations across the U.S. Prior to that, Lyons worked as the ERO field office director (FOD) in the Boston field office, where he oversaw ERO activities in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont.

Lyons started his career in federal service in 1993 as a member of the U.S. Air Force, and in 1999, he went into civilian law enforcement in Florida. Lyons joined ERO as an ICE agent in Dallas, Texas, in 2007.

Sheahan and Noem have worked together in the past, though most recently the new deputy director of ICE has served as the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, where she oversaw a $280 million budget and led a team of over 800 employees across wildlife, fisheries and enforcement divisions.

DHS SECRETARY NOEM APPEARS TO ACCUSE ‘CORRUPT’ FBI OF LEAKING LA ICE RAIDS

She helped establish the Special Operations Group inside the enforcement division, which places priority on public safety through historic partnerships with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies when major events like Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl take place in The Big Easy.

Sheahan also advised Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry in her role.

Prior to that, she worked for then-South Dakota Gov. Noem in various leadership positions, including the state Republican Party and on special initiatives aimed toward advancing Noem’s agenda.

NOEM ENDS BIDEN-ERA USE OF CONTROVERSIAL APP TO ALLOW MIGRANTS TO BOARD FLIGHTS, EXCEPT TO SELF-DEPORT

Sheahan and Lyons did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comments on their new positions.

Noem served as South Dakota governor from January 2019 to January 2025, when she was sworn-in as the nation’s eighth Department of Homeland Security chief. 

She was the fourth member of the Trump administration to gain approval from the Senate, and is leading the department at a time when securing the border and tackling illegal immigration are top priorities for the new administration.

The administration has taken a number of actions to secure the border, including deploying the military, restarting wall construction and ending Biden-era parole programs.

U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that his department "does not do climate change crap," but instead focuses on things like warfighting and training.

The secretary was responding to a post from CNN’s Haley Britzky, who shared a story about the DOD and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cutting programs in the Pentagon that deal with climate change.

"The DOD and DOGE have said they plan to cut climate programs in the Pentagon – but officials & experts are warning that climate efforts at DOD are directly linked to military readiness, and say cuts could put troops and military operations at risk," Britzky wrote.

CNN reportedly reached out to the Pentagon with a list of questions about military readiness, Britzky added.

DOGE INITIAL FINDINGS ON DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEI SPENDING COULD SAVE $80M, AGENCY SAYS

"...Pentagon Spox John Ullyot said ‘Climate zealotry and other woke chimeras of the Left are not part’ of DOD’s mission," Britzky posted.

After seeing the post, Hegseth weighed in.

"John is, of course, correct," the defense secretary wrote. "The @DeptofDefense does not do climate change crap. We do training and warfighting."

DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK'S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY

DOGE, which is being led by billionaire Elon Musk, and the DOD have been working together to slash wasteful spending, DOD spokesman Sean Parnell said in a video posted to social media last week.

He listed some of the initial findings flagged by DOGE, which consisted of millions of dollars given to support various diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including $1.9 million for holistic DEI transformation and training in the Air Force and $6 million to the University of Montana to "strengthen American democracy by bridging divides."

Also, among the findings was $1.6 million to the University of Florida to study the social and institutional detriment of vulnerability in resilience to climate hazards in Africa.

OPM'S SECOND EMAIL TO FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASKS WHAT THEY DID LAST WEEK—AND ADDS A NEW REQUIREMENT: REPORT

"This stuff is just not a core function of our military," Parnell said. "This is not what we do. This stuff is a distraction from our core mission."

"We believe these initial findings will probably save $80 million in wasteful spending," he added. 

Hegseth said his agency would work with DOGE, which has conducted reviews of the Treasury, Labor, Education and Health departments, as well as at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Personnel Management and Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

He added that many DOGE workers are veterans, and it is a "good thing" that they will find deficiencies.

"They care just like we do, to find the redundancies and identify the last vestiges of Biden priorities — the DEI, the woke, the climate change B.S., that's not core to our mission, and we're going to get rid of it all," Hegseth said.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Failed Democratic Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is facing condemnation from conservatives after she appeared on MSNBC to defend a $2 billion initiative under the Biden administration's EPA to purchase green energy appliances for Americans. 

"Stacey Abrams linked Power Forward Communities received $2 billion in tax dollars in 2024 after reporting just $100 in revenue the year before. They were so unqualified that the grant agreement required the NGO to complete ‘How to Develop a Budget’ training within 90 days," EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in comment provided to Fox Digital on Sunday. 

"$2 billion in hard earned tax dollars should not have been doled out to this organization for many reasons, especially if they don’t even know how to put together a budget. The Biden EPA ‘gold bars’ scheme is riddled with self-dealing and conflicts of interest, unnecessary middlemen, unqualified recipients, and massively reduced government oversight. The funds are currently frozen, and the DOJ and FBI are investigating."

Zeldin's response followed Abrams joining MSNBC on Friday to defend the Biden administration granting $2 billion last year to a group called Power Forward Communities. 

BIDEN SENT $2 BILLION TO STACEY ABRAMS-LINKED GROUP IN GREEN ENERGY 'SCHEME,' EPA SAYS

The group is a consortium of housing nonprofits, such as Habitat for Humanity International, United Way Worldwide and Rewiring America. Abrams reportedly "played a pivotal role" in establishing the group, according to a LinkedIn post by Ian Magruder, who works at one of the coalition's partners, Rewiring America, Fox Digital previously reported.

Abrams worked with Rewiring America to bring energy efficient appliances to a Georgia community in 2023 and 2024, she said on MSNBC while defending the billions in funds provided to Power Forward Communities. 

"What is this organization? What is your relation to to it? And what does it do," MSNBC's Chris Hayes asked Abrams during the program. 

‘WASTEFUL AND DANGEROUS’: DOGE'S TOP FIVE MOST SHOCKING REVELATIONS

"In 2023 and 2024, I led a program called Vitalizing De Soto. We worked in a tiny town in south Georgia to demonstrate that by replacing energy-inefficient appliances with efficient appliances, you can lower your cost. And in fact, we accomplished that for 75% of the community. They got appliances that are lowering their bills," Abrams said, explaining one woman in the Georgia town saw her energy costs slashed by half due to the project. 

Abrams continued that the project was so beneficial to Americans, that a coalition of organizations joined forces to call on the EPA under the Biden administration to copy the program and deliver the same results nationwide. 

"Based on that program, a coalition of organizations – famous organizations – came together and said to the EPA, 'If we can do this here, we can do this for millions more Americans. Let us invest the money of America in lowering the cost for Americans.’ And the EPA said, ‘OK, great, go for it.’ And they then granted those dollars to this coalition of organizations who came together, bringing 250 years and $100 billion worth of experience to doing this project," she said. 

The $2 billion was used for the "decarbonization of homes" in low-income communities and paid for new household appliances, such as water heaters, induction stoves, solar panels, EV chargers, and weatherization, according to an April 2024 press release from Power Forward Communities.

LEE ZELDIN LIKENS BIDEN ENERGY 'SCHEME' CONNECTED TO STACEY ABRAMS TO 'THROWING GOLD BARS OFF THE TITANIC'

Power Forward Communities CEO Tim Mayopoulos told Politico last month that Abrams did not receive funds from the EPA grant. 

"Stacey Abrams has not received a penny of this EPA grant," he said last month. "It was never the plan for her to receive any money from this grant. Power Forward Communities has no relationship with Ms. Abrams, other than the fact that she’s one of the people who have advised one of our coalition members in the past." 

Conservatives on social media slammed Abrams over the media interview, as critics asked why the EPA didn't provide rebates to Americans who purchased energy-efficient appliances, while others remarked the initiative was intended to "buy votes" in Georgia, which was a battleground state during the 2024 election cycle. 

Fox Digital reached out to the PR firm representing Abrams for comment on the matter on Sunday afternoon, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Abrams argued in the MSNBC interview that conservatives, such as Zeldin and President Donald Trump, are "angry" over the funds provided to the group because Democrats "know how to serve the American people and lower their prices."

"What they are angry about is that it's going to work, because we know it can work. And in fact, the hypocrisy is that just today, the EPA quietly released funds for one portion of this program, $7 billion, where $100 million of that will go to West Virginia for solar projects. Another $60 million will go to Alaska for solar projects. They know this works. They know it will reduce cost. They are angry about the fact that it is Democrats who know how to serve the American people and lower their prices," she said. 

The interview followed Trump calling Abrams out during his speech to a joint session of Congress last Tuesday. 

"$1.9 billion to recently created decarbonization of homes committee, headed up – and we know she’s involved – just at the last moment, the money was passed over — by a woman named Stacey Abrams. Have you ever heard of her?" Trump said during his speech, with some booing Abrams' name as Trump spoke. 

LEE ZELDIN EXPOSES STACEY ABRAMS’ CLIMATE GROUP FUNDING

The Washington Post ran a fact-check on the remark, giving Trump four "pinocchios" for the comment, arguing Abrams "does not head the consortium; she did not even head one member of the consortium. She was only an adviser. Moreover, the money was delivered nine months before President Joe Biden left office, not at the last moment."

Abrams notably did not distance herself from the project during her interview on MSNBC, instead celebrating her work on Vitalizing De Soto, which she explained led to the creation of Power Forward Communities. 

The EPA hit back in its own fact check following the WaPo story that it "is no surprise that the Washington Post continues to toe the line for the radical left and are quick to defend apparent cronyism instead of actually doing the work to investigate on behalf of the American public."

Fox News Digital's Aubrie Spady contributed to this report. 

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has established the beginnings of a maverick reputation in the Senate – as someone willing to stand against his own party. 

But this hasn't necessarily lined up with his voting record, particularly on key issues, namely preventing biological males from dominating women's and girls' sports. 

Every Democratic senator present, including Fetterman, recently voted to block a bill from moving forward which would have barred men from women's sports.

GOP'S TWO TOP DEM SENATE TARGETS JUSTIFY BLOCKING BILL TO BAR MEN FROM WOMEN'S SPORTS

The measure is supported by the vast majority of Americans, per recent polling by the New York Times and Ipsos. In fact, 67% of Democrats agreed with Republicans that biological males shouldn't be allowed to participate in female sports. 

The bill would require Title IX to treat gender as "recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth," and would disallow any adjustment for it to apply to gender identity. 

After being elected in 2022, Fetterman started ruffling feathers due to his blunt and vocal support of Israel. 

He also made waves in January by meeting with President Donald Trump following his 2024 electoral win. 

TRUMP FDA NOMINEE TURNS VACCINE QUESTION ON DEM, RECALLING CONTROVERSIAL BIDEN DECISION

Recently, he co-sponsored the Republicans' Laken Riley Act, a sweeping immigration enforcement bill, which was ultimately signed into law. 

In addition to backing several Trump Cabinet nominees early on, Fetterman hasn't shied away from publicly criticizing his party, particularly after their behavior during the president's joint address to Congress on Tuesday. 

"A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance. It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained. We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to – and it may not be the winning message," the senator wrote on X after Democratic lawmakers caused disruptions. 

TRUMP'S BIPARTISAN-BACKED LABOR PICK CLEARS LAST HURDLE BEFORE CABINET CONFIRMATION

However, Fetterman's Democratic rebel persona hasn't necessarily been reflected in his voting habits, as was the case with his party-line vote to block the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. 

In 2023, he voted in line with President Joe Biden 97.3% of the time, according to ABC News' 538. 

INSIDE ELON MUSK'S HUDDLE WITH GOP SENATORS: DOGE HEAD TOUTS $4M SAVINGS PER DAY

Last year, he didn't make the list of Senate Democrats who most frequently opposed Biden, as compiled by Roll Call. Those who voted against Biden most often included Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, of Oregon, Peter Welch, of Vermont, and former Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, both independents, also made the list.

Fetterman's office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication. 

Canadians feel "frustrated" with the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s talk of annexing the country along with his tariffs on Canadian goods, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman said Sunday.

Hillman detailed the frustration that Canadians are feeling with their neighbor during an appearance on CBS’ "Face the Nation," saying its citizens "don’t really appreciate it."

"They're getting a little bit frustrated with that kind of rhetoric," Hillman said, referring to Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st state. "But more importantly, Canadians are frustrated with our neighbors."

"Canadians feel under attack – under economic attack," Hillman said about Trump’s tariffs. "And that is causing some challenges for sure across Canadian society."

TRUMP TEASES TARIFFS AGAINST MEXICO, CANADA MAY GO HIGHER IN THE FUTURE

The U.S. began imposing a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico on Tuesday, and an additional 10% levy on Chinese imports as Trump looks to curtail drug trafficking and illegal immigration. 

By Thursday, Trump suspended the 25% tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico covered under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) for one month. 

TRUMP TO PUT TARIFF EXEMPTIONS ON CERTAIN GOODS FROM CANADA, MEXICO

Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs come as Canada is set to elect a new leader who will succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has recently had a contentious relationship with Trump.

Hillman said Canada’s new leader will "prioritize trying to have a good and healthy and productive relationship" with Trump.

"I am sure that that's going to be possible," she said. "Relationships go both ways, but I know that on our side, that's going to be a priority."

The majority of official documents signed by President Joe Biden allegedly used the same autopen signature, reinvigorating concerns over the former president’s mental acuity and if he "actually ordered the signature of relevant legal documents," a report published by an arm of the Heritage Foundation found. 

"WHOEVER CONTROLLED THE AUTOPEN CONTROLLED THE PRESIDENCY," the Oversight Project, which is an initiative within the conservative Heritage Foundation that investigates the government to bolster transparency, posted to X on Thursday. 

"We gathered every document we could find with Biden's signature over the course of his presidency. All used the same autopen signature except for the announcement that the former President was dropping out of the race last year. Here is the autopen signature," the group claimed on X, accompanied by photo examples. 

Autopen signatures are ones that are automatically produced by a machine, as opposed to an authentic, handwritten signature.

'EMBARRASSINGLY WRONG': LIBERAL MEDIA FIGURES ADMIT BEING IN DENIAL ABOUT BIDEN'S MENTAL DECLINE

The Oversight Project posted three examples showing Biden’s signature, including two executive orders and the president’s announcement he was bowing out of the 2024 presidential race. The signature on the two executive orders, one of which was signed in 2022 and the other in 2024, showed the same signature that included what appeared to be a line, followed by "R. Biden Jr."

CRITICISMS MOUNT THAT BIDEN IS A 'SHADOW' OF HIMSELF AFTER DISASTROUS DEBATE: 'NOT THE SAME MAN' FROM VP ERA

Biden’s signature on the document announcing his departure from the 2024 race varied from the other two posted by the Oversight Project, showing a signature that wasn’t as clear as the one on the executive orders. 

Fox News Digital, at random, examined more than 20 Biden-era executive orders documented on the Federal Register’s office between 2021 and 2024 and found each had the same signature. 

LIES ABOUT BIDEN'S AGE, HEALTH DURING HIS PRESIDENCY IS A 'SCANDAL OF EPIC PROPORTIONS,' SCOTT JENNINGS SAYS

Fox News Digital reached out to Biden’s office for comment on the Oversight Project’s findings on the autopen investigation, but did not immediately receive a reply on Sunday. 

Fox News Digital also examined the signatures on President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which are often signed in public or in front of the media, during his first administration and second administration and found the signatures were also the same. 

Biden and his administration, however, came under fierce concern and scrutiny over his mental acuity last year. 

The year 2024 kicked off with Biden in the driver’s seat of the Democratic Party as he keyed up a re-election effort in what was shaping up to be a rematch against Trump. In February of that year, however, Biden’s 81 years of age and mental acuity fell under public scrutiny after years of conservatives questioning the commander in chief’s mental fitness. 

Special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified documents as vice president, announced he would not recommend criminal charges against Biden for possessing classified materials after his vice presidency, calling Biden "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

The report renewed scrutiny over Biden’s mental fitness, which rose to a fever pitch in June 2024 after the president’s first and only presidential debate against Trump. 

BIDEN INSIDER EXPOSES HOW WHITE HOUSE 'GASLIT' THE PUBLIC ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT'S DECLINE

Biden faced backlash for a handful of gaffes and miscues in the days leading up to his ill-fated debate against Trump, including former President Barack Obama taking Biden’s wrist and appearing to lead him off a stage during a swank fundraiser, and also abroad when Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni guided Biden back to a group of world leaders when he appeared to wander off to give a thumbs-up to a parachutist during the G-7 summit. 

When the big debate day arrived, Biden missed his marks repeatedly, tripping over his responses and appearing to lose his train of thought as he squared off against Trump. The disastrous debate performance led to an outpouring from both conservatives and traditional Democrat allies calling on the president to bow out of the race in favor of a younger generation. 

Biden dropped out of the race in July, with the signature on that official document showing it was noticeably different from the signature on his EOs. 

Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Wednesday of last week demanding an investigation be opened into whether Biden’s "cognitive decline allowed unelected staff to push through radical policy without his knowing approval."

"There are profound reasons to suspect that Biden's staff and political allies exploited his mental decline to issue purported presidential orders without his knowing approval," the letter read. 

"Speaker Johnson, for example, reported that staff and elected officials – including former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – tried to prevent Johnson from meeting with Biden," it continued. 

BIDEN RIPPED FOR ‘OLD’ APPEARANCE, ‘WEAK’ VOICE DURING FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: ‘DEEPLY ALARMING’

"Though presidents always have gatekeepers, in Biden's case, the walls around him were higher and the controls greater, according to Democratic lawmakers, donors and aides who worked for Biden and other administrations. Staff limited Biden's ability to speak with others and limited the sources of information he consumed."

The Oversight Project shared Bailey’s letter in its thread investigating Biden’s signature on official documents, in addition to an interview with Speaker Johnson, R-La., when he recounted that Biden didn’t remember signing an order freezing new liquid natural gas exports in 2024. 

"I didn’t do that," the president said, Johnson recounted during an interview with the Free Press’ Bari Weiss in January. 

"Sir, you paused it, I know. I have the export terminals in my state. I talked to those people in my state, I’ve talked to those people this morning, this is doing massive damage to our economy, national security," Johnson said he told the president at the time. 

"I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble – who is running the country?’" Johnson said of the 2024 meeting.

"Like, I don’t know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know," he added. 

The Oversight Project continued in its findings that investigators should determine "who controlled the autopen" during the Biden administration. 

"For investigators to determine whether then-President Biden actually ordered the signature of relevant legal documents, or if he even had the mental capacity to, they must first determine who controlled the autopen and what checks there were in place. Given President Biden's decision to revoke Executive Privilege for individuals advising Trump during his first Presidency, this is a knowable fact that can be determined with the correct legal process?" the Oversight Project posted to X. 

BIDEN HAD NO IDEA HE SIGNED NATURAL GAS EXPORT PAUSE, JOHNSON SAYS

Concerns over Biden’s mental acuity when he was in office, combined with the Oversight Project’s findings, have sparked outrage among conservative social media users as they question if Biden personally signed the executive orders. 

Sunday marks the second deadline in an effort to release the RFK and MLK assassination files, just weeks after the fallout from the highly anticipated release of the Epstein files by the Department of Justice.

In light of President Donald Trump's executive order in January to declassify files on the assassinations of former President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., the director of national intelligence (DNI) and other officials were expected to submit their proposed release plans for the RFK and MLK files on March 9. 

DNI and the attorney general were previously given a Feb. 7 deadline to submit their release plans for the JFK files. 

EPSTEIN FILES DEBACLE SPURS NEW INTEREST IN CONTENTS OF PROMISED RFK, MLK ASSASSINATION FILES

The RFK and MLK release plan deadline comes just weeks after the Justice Department revealed a batch of Jeffrey Epstein files in late February. Many of the documents publicized then had already been released during the federal criminal trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former lover and convicted accomplice. 

The lack of new material prompted an outcry and criticism of the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files – and questions about what the RFK and MLK documents could hold upon their release. 

Gerald Posner, author of "Case Closed," told Fox News Digital at the time that he expects "there will be news in there, but it's not going to be something that turns upside down our understanding of what really happened with those cases."

AG PAM BONDI SAYS FBI DELIVERED 'TRUCKLOAD' OF EPSTEIN FILES AFTER SHE PUT OUT HARD DEADLINE

Trump's declassification executive order came after he promised to declassify the documents upon entering his second term while on the campaign trail, saying at the time, "When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination-related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the truth."

The FBI said in a February statement that it had conducted a new records search in light of Trump's executive order, saying at the time, "The search resulted in approximately 2400 newly inventoried and digitized records that were previously unrecognized as related to the JFK assassination case file."

"The FBI has made the appropriate notifications of the newly discovered documents and is working to transfer them to the National Archives and Records Administration for inclusion in the ongoing declassification process," the agency continued. 

Fox News Digital reached out to DNI and the FBI for additional comment. 

PEDO ACT: LAWMAKER MOVES TO PROTECT EPSTEIN FILES, ACCUSES 'CERTAIN FBI AGENTS' OF TRYING TO DESTROY DOCS

After the Epstein file fallout, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent FBI Director Kash Patel a fiery letter accusing federal investigators in New York of withholding thousands of pages of Epstein documents. 

"I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents," Bondi wrote. "Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein."

Bondi told Fox News' Sean Hannity last week that the DOJ had received a "truckload" of Epstein files from the FBI following the Friday 8 a.m. deadline she had imposed on the agency. 

Fox News' David Spunt and Jake Gibson contributed to this report. 

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced a further wave of contract terminations late Saturday, noting that they also identified thousands of cases where more than $300 million in loans were granted to children.

The announcements come as the Elon Musk-led agency continues to root out waste, fraud and corruption in the federal government. 

DOGE said it identified that the Small Business Administration (SBA) granted nearly 5,600 loans for $312 million to borrowers whose only listed owner was 11 years old or younger at the time of the loan. The loans were issued in 2020 and 2021 – while the world struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic – and it is unclear what they were used for. 

"While it is possible to have business arrangements where this is legal, that is highly unlikely for these 5,593 loans, as they all also used an SSN with the incorrect name," the agency wrote.

"@DOGE and @SBAgov are working together to solve this problem this week," they added.

DOD TELLS CIVILIAN WORKFORCE TO IGNORE ELON MUSK'S REQUEST TO REPORT PRODUCTIVITY

When making the announcement, DOGE shared a post on X from Tuesday when it also revealed that in 2020 and 2021 the SBA issued 3,095 loans for $333 million to borrowers over 115 years old.

The borrowers were still marked as alive in the Social Security database. In one case, a 157-year-old individual received $36,000 in loans, the agency said. The loans included PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan) loans. 

In President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday, he bashed instances where he said millions of people aged over 100 were listed on the Social Security database, with one being as old as 360 years of age.

"I know some people who are rather elderly but not quite that elderly," Trump said. "3.47 million people from ages 120 to 129. 3.9 million people from ages 130 to 139. 3.5 million people from ages 140 to 149. And money is being paid to many of them, and we are searching right now."

MUSK TELLS CABINET THAT DOGE EMAIL WAS 'PULSE CHECK' FOR WORKERS, WARNS US WILL 'GO BANKRUPT' WITHOUT ACTION

DOGE also said they canceled one Department of Agriculture contract worth $10.3 million, which it said was "ironically" initiated for "identifying unnecessary contracts."

The cost-saving agency said the termination was one of 162 nonessential contracts it canceled with a total ceiling value of $205 million and savings of $90 million. The agency did not specify what areas of the federal government the remaining contract terminations were made.

Meanwhile, Musk met with a small group of House Republicans on Wednesday evening to discuss the quest to find as much as $1 trillion in government waste, people familiar with the discussion told Fox News Digital.

"The executive DOGE team is confident, they think they can get $1 trillion," one lawmaker familiar with the meeting told Fox News Digital. 

"Now, we'll see, right? And the thing is, he acknowledged that we're going to make mistakes, but we're going to correct them very quickly."

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump’s speech before a joint session of Congress put the final nail in the coffin of the Democrats' recognition as the political party of compassion – which was first promoted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt 92 years ago – former Reagan speechwriter Clark Judge told Fox News Digital. 

"In the 1930s, thanks to the energy, determination and humanity that FDR projected in his first hundred days and thereafter, particularly in contrast to what was seen as four years of heartlessness and fecklessness in the Hoover administration, the Democratic Party claimed the mantle of the 'compassionate' party, the party of the common man and woman, the party of social justice. A new political era was born," Judge, who served as speechwriter and special assistant to both President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush, told Fox News Digital in an assessment of Trump’s speech last week. 

"On Tuesday night, with the Democrats sitting on their hands through story after heartrending story of overcoming the injustices of economic mismanagement and wokeness, even as a little boy, whose political ‘incorrectness’ went no farther than loving the police even as he struggles with brain cancer, and following a mere month (a third of a hundred days) of President Trump’s rapid-fire reform rivaling FDR’s, that 92-year-old political era came to an end. For good. Forever," he added. 

Trump spoke for about an hour and 40 minutes, notching the longest address a president has delivered before a joint session of Congress, according to the American Presidency Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The longest speech on record was previously held by former President Bill Clinton, when he spoke for one hour and 28 minutes during his State of the Union Address in 2000. 

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"To my fellow citizens, America is back," Trump declared at the start of his speech. 

"Six weeks ago, I stood beneath the dome of this Capitol and proclaimed the dawn of the golden Age of America," he said. "From that moment on, it has been nothing but swift and unrelenting action to usher in the greatest and most successful era in the history of our country. We have accomplished more in 43 days than most administrations accomplished in four years or eight years. And we are just getting started." 

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Guests invited to the speech included "everyday Americans," according to first lady Melania Trump’s office, including families who have lost their loved ones to murders carried out by illegal immigrants, the widow of a slain New York Police Department officer, a teenager who was the victim of AI-generated images passed around at school, and a young cancer survivor named DJ Daniel who stole the show with his dad when Trump made his dream of becoming a cop come true. 

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"Joining us in the gallery tonight is a young man who truly loves our police," Trump told the crowd. "His name is DJ Daniel. He is 13 years old, and he has always dreamed of becoming a police officer. But in 2018, DJ was diagnosed with brain cancer. The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago."

"Tonight, DJ, we're going to do you the biggest honor of them all," Trump said. "I am asking our new Secret Service director, Sean Curran, to officially make you an agent of the United States Secret Service."

Judge, who is the founder of the communications firm the White House Writers Group Inc., continued in his assessment of Trump’s speech that the president’s guests last Tuesday brought "life" to the "callousness of the old order."

"Brilliant speech. Vivid. Great structure and flow. Unusually memorable illustrations. The stories of his well-selected guests in the gallery brought to undeniable life the senseless callousness of the old order and the hope for the nation and its future that the Trump administration’s electric beginning has now demonstrated is achievable," he said. 

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"Great use of humor, too. Particularly clever was the section that climbed the ladder of rising ages in the supposedly active recipients in the Social Security rolls, all the way to the name of a 360-year-old, whoever that turns out to be, or have been. In a moment, wringing waste, fraud, and abuse out of Social Security and much else the government does was no longer code for heartless cutting and became a duty we could all embrace and expect our government to undertake for the benefit of all," he continued. 

Other former presidential speechwriters have weighed in favorably over Trump’s speech, including former President George W. Bush’s chief speechwriter, Bill McGurn, during an appearance on FOX Business’ "Mornings with Maria" on Wednesday.

"I greatly enjoyed just having to listen to it. I thought President Trump did exactly what he needed to do.  It was well received by Republicans, and he played the Democrats against themselves," McGurn said. 

Trump’s director of speechwriting under his first administration, Stephen Miller – who serves as White House deputy dhief of staff for policy under the second administration – shared his criticisms of Democrats on X throughout the speech. 

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Democrats overwhelmingly remained seated throughout Trump’s address, including when he spotlighted various Americans for nonpolitical issues, such as when Daniel was spotlighted by the president, or when Trump remembered the lives of 22-year-old Laken Riley and 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, who were killed at the hands of illegal immigrants. 

Democrats protested during the speech, including holding up signs reading "false," "lies," "Musk steals" and "Save Medicaid." Some female Democratic lawmakers wore pink suits in protest of policies they claim are anti-woman, and other Democrats were heard jeering Trump throughout the speech. 

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Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green generated headlines just as Trump began his speech on Tuesday when he shouted at the president and waved his cane at him while Speaker of the House Mike Johnson demanded order be restored. The Sergeant-at-Arms escorted Green from the chamber. 

Former President Barack Obama’s speechwriters, including Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett, also weighed in on the speech on their podcast on Wednesday, saying Trump crafted a speech that was both a formal address and more relaxed, like his rally speeches. 

"It was a greatest hit speech, peppered with some new stunts and interesting scary moments, but like a lot of what we've heard before, but he's really relishing in it. He's really enjoying his, he's really, he's really enjoying his time up there," Lovett said. 

"I would say it was not surprising in any way," Favreau said of the speech during their "Pod Save America" broadcast. 

"Like it felt what I expected, we said this before in our livestream, like a lot of accomplishments for most of the speech, very little news, new policy," he added. 

David Frum, who was a speechwriter for George W. Bush, railed against the speech in an opinion piece titled, "Trump, by any means possible," published in the Atlantic last week.

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"Eight years later, not even Trump’s staunchest partisans would describe his 2025 address as conciliatory," Frum wrote. "He mocked, he insulted, he called names, he appealed only to a MAGA base that does not add up to even half the electorate. But in 2025, the big question hanging over the nation’s head is not one about oratory, but about democracy. In 2017, Americans did not yet know how far Trump might go. Now they do. They only flinch from believing it."

"Had Trump lost the 2024 election, he would right now be facing sentencing for his criminal convictions in the state of New York. He would be facing criminal and civil trials in other states. He was rescued from legal troubles by political success. Now Trump’s acting in ways that seem certain to throw power away in the next round of elections – if those elections proceed as usual. If they are free and fair. If every legal voter is allowed to participate. If every legal vote is counted, whether cast in person or by mail. Those did not use to be hazardous ‘if’s. But they may be hazardous in 2026," he continued. 

Conservatives and Trump allies have rallied around the speech as "historic" and "inspiring," saying the president is coming through on his campaign promises at a breakneck pace. 

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"In just one month under President Trump, Americans have experienced record results and the renewal of the American Dream with the triumphant return of strong leadership to the Oval Office," U.N. ambassador-designate Elise Stefanik, for example, said in a statement of the speech. "From securing the border, to cutting wasteful spending of our hard-earned taxpayer dollars, to reasserting America First peace through strength leadership to the world stage, President Trump has delivered the most exceptional first month of an American presidency in history. Promises made, promises kept. The American Golden Age is here." 

Judge added in his comment to Fox Digital that Democrats’ behavior on Tuesday evening only made Trump look better as the commander in chief. 

"To be fair, no matter what he did, the president would have looked good, thanks to the Democrats looking so awful. Central casting and Cecil B. DeMille could not have assembled and staged a more perfect cast of the nasty, self-enthralled, leftist elitists that has come to dominate the party’s establishment," Judge added. 

With airline safety being top-of-mind after several deadly or near-death incidents on America’s tarmacs and in its skies, maintenance experts and lawmakers alike are calling for more support for specialized training in jet maintenance.

President Donald Trump has also called for reforming the education system and increasing overall government efficiency, which experts Fox News Digital spoke with said falls in line with their goals as well. Delays and gate changes at airports are also often attributed to urgent maintenance of aircraft.

In the last congressional session, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., unsuccessfully introduced the Aviation Workforce Development Act to expand the "529" qualified-tuition program to include expenses for aviation maintenance and pilot training.

Scott’s hometown of Charleston is notably a hub for the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, and the Senator said that pilot and aviation maintenance jobs are in high demand and provide well-paying careers.

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"Unfortunately, the extensive and expensive training they require has undermined Americans’ ability to tap into this vital industry," Scott said, adding that he plans to reintroduce his bill in Congress soon.

"By giving parents flexibility with the hard-earned money they invest into 529 plans, this commonsense legislation provides a pathway to turn today’s students into tomorrow’s pilots. Affording our aviation sector the workforce necessary to sustain the tremendous growth South Carolina has enjoyed will ensure tourists continue to flock to our great state and will provide South Carolinians with reliable and efficient travel."

Meanwhile, the leader of one of the nation’s largest aircraft maintenance training centers said the challenge to properly staff jobs in the increasingly needed field is one that needs support to continue feeding its "pipeline of skilled professionals."

Jason Pfaff, president of Aviation Institute of Maintenance – a school with 15 campuses nationwide that aims to fill the 13,000 annual job openings in its field of study – said support is needed now for these crucial roles.

"The aviation industry relies on highly trained experts to keep planes safe and operational, yet many people don’t realize the demand for these roles—or the impact they have on air travel," Pfaff said.

He spoke of meeting with a student who felt a social stigma about pursuing an aircraft maintenance career, compared to what her friends were seeking to do in life.

However, that feeling changed when she took a tour firsthand to watch aircraft maintainers do their work.

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With the deadly crash off Hain’s Point, DC into the Potomac River last month, a jet landing upside down in Toronto and several other incidents, Pfaff said that maintenance workers play a crucial role in ensuring safe air travel.

"[The institute] is thrilled to see a renewed focus on trade careers, and we applaud leaders like Senator Tim Scott for championing aviation education. Aviation maintenance isn’t just a job—it’s a high-paying, high-skill career that keeps the world moving. As industry leaders and policymakers, we have a shared responsibility to spotlight the incredible opportunities in this field."

Pfaff noted some jobs in the field earn upwards of $150,000 per year for a person in their 20s and that thousands of applicants are needed – and Scott and others are right to draw attention to the need for such jobs.

Jose-Marie Griffiths, president of Dakota State University in South Dakota, said that higher education is not "one-size-fits-all" and that universities must play a big role in meeting the changing needs of the U.S. job market – whether it be in the industrial sector or otherwise.

"Higher education institutions must adapt to meet the needs of students at different points in their lives and careers," she said.

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In the House, Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, also introduced a bill similar to Scott’s in the last cycle, to increase awareness of tech education opportunities in the same way Pfaff described.

Miller’s bill, if reintroduced, would establish a $1 million grant program for such training in airline maintenance and the similar fields, with the lawmaker saying in a statement that career and technical education "empower students to explore exciting career options, discover their passions, and develop real-world skills that are in high demand."

"A four-year degree is not right for everyone, and our young people should know that they can lead successful careers based on technical expertise. We cannot continue to diminish the role of career and technical education in this country," he said, as nationwide pressure continues to direct students toward standard collegiate postsecondary education.