Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at dismantling the multimillion-dollar birth tourism industry that allows foreign nationals to use America’s immigration system to secure automatic citizenship for their children.
The Ban Birth Tourism Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare inadmissible any foreign national seeking a tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States.
Those births automatically trigger U.S. citizenship for the child, a long-criticized loophole that opens the door to future family-sponsored migration.
Blackburn’s bill, which was read twice and referred to committee, includes a provision to protect legitimate medical travelers. If the primary reason for entry is medical treatment rather than citizenship acquisition, those cases would not be blocked.
"For too long, foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States solely to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children," Blackburn said in a press release.
"The Ban Birth Tourism Act would prevent foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children. As President Trump works to end birthright citizenship, we need to get this bill to his desk."
The push comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on restoring immigration integrity in the president’s second term. During his first term, President Trump repeatedly vowed to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and tourists.
In 2020, the State Department under his administration began denying visas to suspected birth tourists, a move hailed by immigration enforcement advocates.
Birth tourism is far from a fringe phenomenon. According to conservative immigration policy analysts, the industry accounts for at least 33,000 births annually to women on temporary visas. These children, upon turning 21, can legally sponsor their parents for green cards, offering a backdoor into the U.S. immigration system.
A 2015 report by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated the practice generates millions of dollars for companies that specialize in bringing pregnant foreigners, primarily from Russia and China, to the U.S. These firms often charge tens of thousands of dollars for packages that include visa coaching, hospital stays, and luxury accommodations.
In one of the largest federal crackdowns to date, the former Trump administration's Department of Justice in 2019 charged nearly 20 individuals in Southern California for operating extensive birth tourism networks targeting Chinese nationals.
Prosecutors accused the businesses of coaching clients to lie to immigration officials about the purpose of their travel, a tactic common among such operations.
Blackburn’s bill would codify into law the inadmissibility of any traveler seeking to exploit this loophole, ensuring that birthright citizenship cannot be used as a ticket to game the system.
Senate Republicans indicated that they intend to vote this week on whether to nix California's emissions waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has allowed the blue state to adopt stricter vehicle emissions standards than those imposed at the federal level, including a mandate that all vehicles sold in the state must be electric by 2035.
The planned vote sets up a battle between Republicans and Democrats over whether the waiver is a government "rule" subject to the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to get rid of regulations with just a simple majority, as opposed to the typical 60-votes required to pass a bill. Democrats have described the GOP maneuvering as a "nuclear option" aimed at upending formal Senate rules.
"The administration says it's a rule. The GAO has said it's not. The United States Senate is going to be heard from on this issue tomorrow and do something that will avoid, again, what I think and what a lot of people across this country think, would be a catastrophic outcome – and that is an EV mandate that would be imposed, across the United States," Senate Majority Leader Thune said during a press conference from the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon.
The waiver, which gives California officials latitude to make their vehicle emissions standards stricter than those at the federal level, also allows other states to choose whether they want to follow federal standards or California's stricter ones.
"Obviously, the Democrats are going to make a lot of noise," Thune added during the Tuesday afternoon press conference, referring to the party's criticism of Republicans' procedural maneuvering.
"But the truth of the matter is, this has nothing to do with the legislative filibuster," Thune continued. "This is the Congress and the United States Senate submitting to the body the question of whether or not the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, ought to be able to determine for us what it is and isn't a rule."
Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian who interprets and advises on the congressional rules officials must follow, agreed with the Government Accountability Office's determination that California's EPA waiver is not considered a "rule." The discrepancy has led Democrats to claim Republicans are attempting to upend the Senate filibuster, an important tool for the minority party to gain leverage in the legislative process.
However, during Tuesday's short press conference, Thune slammed Democrats for complaining about the GOP's maneuvering around the filibuster, pointing out they have tried to knock it down themselves in the past when convenient for their party's priorities.
"The only people that have attempted to get rid of a legislative filibuster, the Democrats, every single one of them up there that's popping off and spouting off, has voted, voted literally to get rid of the legislative filibuster," Thune said in response to a reporter's question about Democrats' criticism.
"This is a novel and narrow issue that deals with the Government Accountability Office and whether, or not, they ought to be able to determine what is a rule and what isn't, or whether the administration and the Congress ought to be able to make that decision."
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed Washington Sen. Patty Murray during a Tuesday Senate hearing for allegedly "presiding over the destruction" of Americans' health across her more than 30 years in the upper chamber.
"You've presided here, I think, for 32 years. You presided over the destruction of the health of the American people. Our people are now the sickest people in the world," Kennedy said to Murray during a tense back and forth Tuesday morning.
"What have you done about it?" Kennedy shot back. "What have you done about the epidemic of chronic disease?"
As the two continued talking over one another, the subcommittee chair, Republican West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, asked Kennedy to "hold back and let the senator ask the questions."
"Mr. Secretary, I'm asking you a question about child care," Murray continued. "I'm asking you who made the decision to withhold child care and development block grant funding?"
"That was made by my department," Kennedy responded.
Kennedy appeared before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee Tuesday morning to answer questions related to HHS' budget proposal for fiscal year 2026. The hearing comes just after Kennedy joined lawmakers in both a Senate hearing and a House hearing, both of which included fiery exchanges between Kennedy and Democrat lawmakers.
Murray continued in her questioning that the HHS was making vast cuts to scientists at the agency, which Kennedy dismissed, citing that he does not "trust" Murray's information.
"And you said last week, quote, ‘We were not cutting thousands of scientists,'" Murray continued. "'We are not cutting clinical trials.’ But I want you to know, in the last four months, you fired or pushed out nearly 5,000 NIH staff and terminated more than 1,600 NIH grants. That includes more than 240 clinical trials across the country. So whose decision was it to fire scientists and terminate these NIH grants and the clinical trial?"
"Senator, I don't trust your information with all due respect," Kennedy responded, continuing that Murray's previous remarks in a recent hearing were not correct. "You told me what, three days ago or four days ago, that we had cut a clinical trial in your state and… what you said turned out to be completely untrue. And you knew it was untrue because you corresponded with (Director of the National Institutes of Health) Jay Bhattacharya before that."
"You came here to argue with me," Murray added. "I came here to ask you questions about your budget request. Your budget request is asking us to cut dramatically. But I am also making the point that Senator Baldwin made, that what you are doing right now is enacting your budget, that Congress has not passed, by cutting critical funding across the board."
The Washington Democrat previously exchanged barbs with Kennedy Wednesday, when Murray accused him and the Trump administration of delaying critical cancer care for one of her constituents.
"Mr. Secretary, one of my constituents… she's a mom of two from Bainbridge Island in Washington state," Murray said in her opening line of questioning Wednesday. "She has been fighting aggressive stage four colorectal cancer for nearly five years now. Her best hope now is a clinical trial she's participating in at the [National Institutes of Health's] Clinical Center."
"But because of the thoughtless mass firing of thousands of critical employees across NIH and HHS that you carried out, Natalie's doctors at that clinical center have told her they have no choice but to delay her treatment by an additional four weeks."
"I can't tell you that now, Sen. Murray," Kennedy responded. "What I can tell you is that if you contact my office tomorrow, I'll look specifically into that."
However, that answer from Kennedy was "not acceptable" to the senator.
"That is not acceptable," Murray shot back, eventually demanding Kennedy provide her an update on Natalie's case within 24 hours. "I want an answer."
Kennedy added during Tuesday's hearing that Murray's constituent had qualified for the clinical trial "this week," adding that "we shouldn't be talking about patients' private information," with Murray agreeing.
Fox News Digital's Alec Schemmel contributed to this article.
New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Monday for the ambassadorship to France and Monaco.
He was confirmed in a 51-45 vote.
Kushner, the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump, was previously pardoned by President Donald Trump for federal tax evasion and Federal Election Commission violations from 2005, during the mogul’s first term.
In 1985, he founded the Kushner Companies and has long been a philanthropist, particularly to Jewish causes and institutions like Yeshiva University in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
He has also donated to St. Barnabas Hospital in Essex County, New Jersey, which has a wing bearing his family name.
During his May 1 confirmation hearing, Kushner acknowledged his past legal missteps, claiming they sharpened his judgment and better prepared him for both the ambassadorship and life.
"I think that my past mistakes actually make me… better in my values to really make me more qualified to do this job," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Kushner, who just celebrated his 71st birthday, was nominated in November after Trump called him a "tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our country & its interests."
"He was recognized as New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, & served as a commissioner, & chairman, of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, as well as on the boards of our top institutions, including NYU," Trump said.
"Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Seryl, their 4 children, & 14 grandchildren. His son, Jared, worked closely with me in the White House, in particular on Operation Warp Speed, Criminal Justice Reform, & the Abraham Accords."
Trump added that Kushner will help strengthen America’s partnership with "our oldest ally and one of our greatest."
New Jersey real estate developer Charles Kushner will be considered by the U.S. Senate on Monday for the ambassadorship to France and Monaco.
Kushner, the father-in-law of Ivanka Trump, was previously pardoned by President Donald Trump for federal tax evasion and Federal Election Commission violations from 2005, during the mogul’s first term.
In 1985, he founded the Kushner Companies and has long been a philanthropist, particularly to Jewish causes and institutions like Yeshiva University in Washington Heights, Manhattan.
He has also donated to St. Barnabas Hospital in Essex County, New Jersey, which has a wing bearing his family name.
During his May 1 confirmation hearing, Kushner acknowledged his past legal missteps, claiming they sharpened his judgment and better prepared him for both the ambassadorship and life.
"I think that my past mistakes actually make me… better in my values to really make me more qualified to do this job," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Kushner, who just celebrated his 71st birthday, was nominated in November after Trump called him a "tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our country & its interests."
"He was recognized as New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, & served as a commissioner, & chairman, of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, as well as on the boards of our top institutions, including NYU," Trump said.
"Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Seryl, their 4 children, & 14 grandchildren. His son, Jared, worked closely with me in the White House, in particular on Operation Warp Speed, Criminal Justice Reform, & the Abraham Accords."
Trump added that Kushner will help strengthen America’s partnership with "our oldest ally and one of our greatest."
FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa., are demanding sweeping reforms to the federal government’s use of charge cards after thousands of highly questionable charges were uncovered at the Department of Defense, including at casinos, bars and nightclubs using taxpayer dollars.
In a letter addressed to Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, Ernst and Comer called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to launch a comprehensive review of all federal charge card programs.
The demand follows alarming findings from recent audits that point to systemic failures in oversight, including the issuance of nearly two charge cards per federal employee and more than $40 billion in spending last fiscal year alone.
The Pentagon’s inspector general found nearly 8,000 Defense Department credit card transactions at "high-risk locations" – including casino ATMs – over the past year. An additional 3,246 transactions occurred at bars and nightclubs, many of them on federal holidays, Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, the day of UFC 300, Cinco de Mayo and New Year’s Eve.
"It is indefensible for Department of Defense bureaucrats to waste tax dollars at clubs, casinos, and bars, racking up charges on Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, and federal holidays," said Ernst.
The DOD is not alone. Recent GAO reports have found agencies consistently fail to use tools to analyze purchase card data and prevent fraud, the letter notes.
"With Washington $36 trillion in debt, the last thing we need is bureaucrats maxing out their tab and sticking taxpayers with the bill. There should never be more credit cards than federal employees, and I’m working to create accountability government-wide."
The letter also highlighted the illegal practice of "split purchases," where government employees intentionally divide large transactions to stay under the $3,500 micro-purchase threshold – the largest purchase that can be put on a federal charge card. Despite being a clear violation of federal regulations, these practices reportedly continue due to inadequate monitoring and enforcement.
Ernst and Comer's request urges the GAO to investigate criteria for issuing cards, agency compliance with internal controls, the frequency of risky transactions – including at marijuana dispensaries, dating services, and gambling platforms – and whether agencies are appropriately closing accounts after employees leave government service.
In a particularly damning detail, the lawmakers noted that no local purchase card program officials at the DOD could provide examples of analyzing card spending to reduce costs, despite long-standing recommendations from the Office of Management and Budget to do so.
"I’m working to create accountability government-wide. It’s time to cut up the plastic and put a stop to the reckless spending," said Ernst.
The GAO review, if initiated, could affect hundreds of federal agencies covered under the Chief Financial Officers Act and could lead to a sweeping overhaul of how federal employees use government-issued charge cards.
"American taxpayers shouldn’t be stuck paying for federal bureaucrats' splurges on government-issued credit cards. Tax dollars are meant to fund essential government services, not dating apps, nightclubs, or bar tabs," Comer said in a statement.
President Donald Trump's nominees consistently engage with Democrats who challenge them in increasingly viral hearing moments that analysts say are not intended as gifts to the media, but red meat for their base.
The media understands Democrats have little power on a Republican-dominated Capitol Hill, according to Bill D’Agostino, senior analyst for the Media Research Center.
"If you were to watch any given night on CNN or MSNBC evening shows, you'll find a couple of panel discussion segments that are basically just Democratic strategists and the host talking shop," he told Fox News Digital in a Thursday interview.
"The discussion has focused almost entirely on how can Democrats show their voters that they're trying to fight this, that they're trying to make a difference, that they're resisting the Trump administration."
Partisan politics has come to a point, D’Agostino suggested, where constituents send Democrats to Washington to stop Trump at every turn, regardless of ideological alignment or differences.
"Obviously, as the minority party, there's not much action they can actually offer. So instead, their political futures basically rest on how hard they're trying to stop Trump."
One of the most contentious exchanges occurred during FBI Director Kash Patel’s January confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., dug into granular language used by Patel after the Capitol riot in regard to a song released by inmates that featured Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Patel told Schiff he stood by prior testimony that he had had nothing to do with the recording of the song, while the Burbank Democrat grilled him over a comment to former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon about "what we thought would be cool… captur[ing] audio" for the song.
Schiff asked why he said that, and Patel incredulously shot back "that’s why it says, ‘we’ [as opposed to I] as you highlighted." Patel denied participating in the digitizing of the song.
The exchange was compared to former President Bill Clinton’s grammatical comments about the word "is" during the Monica Lewinsky affair.
During Attorney General Pam Bondi’s confirmation, Schiff was at the fore again, demanding she disclose whether she might prosecute former special counsel Jack Smith over his Trump probe. Bondi repeatedly said she wouldn’t answer hypothetical, and dinged Schiff in response for focusing on Smith while his own California is rife with violent crime.
Bondi also snapped back at Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., after a grilling on the Fourteenth Amendment and citizenship, saying, "I'm not here to do your homework and study for you."
During Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s hearing, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., delved into Hegseth’s multiple marriages and allegations of untoward behavior.
Kaine said Hegseth had "casually cheated" on a former wife shortly after his daughter Gwendolyn was born. Hegseth countered that the situation had been investigated and that Kaine’s claims were "false charges."
"You've admitted that you had sex at that hotel in October 2017. You said it was consensual, isn't that correct?" Kaine went on, probing further.
Hegseth also made headlines when he interrupted Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., mid-sentence as she criticized the revolving door among military generals, Pentagon chiefs, and defense contractors.
"I’m not a general, senator," he said, prompting laughter in the gallery.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also had several similar moments, including when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., opened his remarks by speaking about the measles and telling the nominee bluntly, "You frighten people."
Kennedy also rejected a line of questioning from Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., claiming that he had compared the Atlanta-based CDC’s work to Nazi death camps.
Outbursts and grilling continued in recent oversight hearings, including this past week when Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., got into a tiff with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about Salvadoran deportee Kilmar Garcia. At one point, Swalwell informed Noem he has a "bull---t detector."
Mark Bednar, a former top aide to ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was one of many "sherpas" tasked with guiding nominees through the confirmation process, including meetings with senators.
Bednar assisted EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin through his process, which, by comparison to others, was mild.
Zeldin’s hearing actually included some bipartisan joking – like when Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., riffed that Zeldin’s cell phone rang unexpectedly because "the fossil fuel industry" was calling him after a line of questioning on the matter.
Bednar recounted a loud protester in the hall who remained for some time, offering conjecture that the disruptive woman hadn’t yet crossed any legal lines like protesters actually inside hearing rooms like during Kennedy's confirmation.
But Bednar said that many of the other nominees faced Democrats who would rather make a show than "be diplomatic and deliberative over policy."
"I think that is a big indicator to me that the left has no substantive answers for rebuttals to President Trump's agenda or Republicans' agenda. And that, to me, is a sign that if you're a Republican, that that's encouraging -- the public's on your side, and the far left has been unable to formulate a rational, level-headed response, much less not even be able to articulate one."
Fox News Digital reached out to other sherpas but did not hear back.
Meanwhile, Bednar said that it has been interesting to watch the hearing disruptions evolve into larger scenes with similarly little substance or long-term gain.
"I thought I was very rich and pun intended, that Cory Booker delivered a record-breaking speech that the Democrats were basically just grasping for anything to kind of count as a win, even though it didn't really amount to anything," he said, after the New Jersey Democrat held an unofficial filibuster – as there was no legislation being held up – for more than a day.
That speech, however, precipitated several fundraising emails from the left, Bednar said, which bolstered D’Agostino’s claim about playing to the base.
"If it's a session day in D.C., and Republicans are in charge, there's going to be liberal agitators protesting; as the sky is blue," Bednar quipped.
Fox News Digital reached out to Schiff for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
President Donald Trump called himself the "fertilization president" during Women’s History Month, but some experts cited claims that "baby bonuses," such as the $5,000 plan Trump floated, have been tried in the past and had mixed results.
Singapore, Hungary and Australia are three examples of countries where such programs have been instituted.
Singapore has been subsidizing parenthood for decades, with the latest endowment per child reaching S$ 11,000 (US $8,000) as of 2023, but the tiny Asian nation still has one of the lowest birth rates in the world.
Gabriella Hoffman, an official at the Independent Women’s Forum, wrote on social media that baby bonuses did not work in Hungary.
That country, led by Trump-favored President Viktor Orban, also incentivizes its residents to have more kids, including through tax breaks for families with three or more offspring. Hungary’s birth rate rose slightly about a decade ago but returned to and remains close to one.
Australia’s program began in 2004 and indexed to inflation in 2008 what was then an A$ 5,000 (US $3,180) for parents per birth. The government’s self-reported birthrate statistic was about 1.5 as of 2023.
Paula Lantz, a social demographer from the University of Michigan, told the Guardian that in the U.S., the percentage of families having more than one child has dropped and that "there is something else going on" – including non-financial considerations like quality of life effects.
An official at the liberal Center for American Progress told the outlet she had a child a few months ago and that the promised $5,000 credit "wouldn’t do much" even with good insurance and paid occupational family leave.
Andrea Ippolito, founder of maternal health tech platform SimpliFed, told Fox News Digital that while the $5,000 is a "nice boost," the initiative "just lightly scratches the surface of the support that is needed for families, especially in the early years with childcare and healthcare support that is largely missing from the postpartum care experience."
"In order to increase the birth rate, much more is needed to support and ensure that both mom and baby's health is prioritized," Ippolito said. "That means both physical health needs (which are not right now as demonstrated with doubling the preeclampsia rate doubling) and mental health needs."
On the other hand, Emily and Nathan Berning – co-founders of crisis-pregnancy support site LetThemLive.org, said that the baby bonus touted by Trump "is a positive step, but it doesn’t go far enough."
"Financial aid after delivery is helpful, but the real need is stability throughout pregnancy—rent, food, counseling, and emotional support," the Bernings said. "If we want to raise birthrates and protect children, we must act earlier and ensure no woman feels forced into a decision out of fear or isolation."
They touted the benefits of pregnancy clinics that are founded by both pro-life and pro-choice advocates, saying that is how to prioritize "compassion over politics."
Meanwhile, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a proposal for the feds to provide $1,000 in an account for each American child.
The "Invest America Act" would create "a private tax-advantaged account," and Cruz said in a statement last week the investments can be placed in a broad, low-cost fund that tracks the S&P 500, growing tax-deferred until the individual reaches age 18. Distributions after age 18 would be taxed at the capital gains rate.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cruz for any comment on claims from critics that past iterations of the accounts have not been successful.
Fox News Digital also reached out to the White House for comment on criticisms.
The Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission decided to move forward Wednesday with an investigation into U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Cameron due to allegations dating back to July 2023 that the then-Kentucky attorney general and gubernatorial candidate solicited campaign donations from a company his office was investigating at the time.
"What’s happening to me is exactly what they did to President Trump: a shameless weaponization of government to take out political opponents," Daniel Cameron told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. "This is the first major case of Democrat lawfare in the 2026 cycle, and the timing is no coincidence. I’m leading the GOP field by more than 20 points. It’s clear who the left fears most."
The Associated Press reported in July 2023 that an attorney representing Edgewater Recovery Centers said the organization received a call from Cameron followed by a campaign representative to organize a fundraiser.
Cameron’s Kentucky attorney general’s office was investigating Edgewater Recovery Centers at the time, and the AP reported that several Edgewater executives donated $7,600 to Cameron’s gubernatorial campaign.
Fox News Digital spoke on Thursday to a source close to Edgewater at the time who said as soon as details about the transactions and phone calls were made public, there was quick dissipation of any plans for a fundraiser and any campaign funds were returned almost immediately.
Cameron's current U.S. Senate campaign confirmed to Fox that Cameron recused himself from the attorney general's office investigation into Edgewater as soon as the matter came to his attention, canceled the events and refunded checks to the executives.
Sitting Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear called for the investigation back in 2023, and his administration is now moving forward with the probe two years later.
Fox News Digital also reported earlier this week that Beshear's name could be in the mix for a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028.
Fox News Digital reached out to Beshear’s office, but did not receive a response.
The news of the investigation comes as Cameron’s campaign for former Senate Leader Mitch McConnell’s soon-vacant U.S. Senate seat is in full swing. Republican Rep. Andy Barr is the only other declared GOP candidate in the race.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission but did not receive a response.
A vote to force the Trump administration to produce a report on El Salvador’s human rights practices, spearheaded by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., failed by a roll call vote of 45-50 on Thursday.
Kaine, along with co-sponsors Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Alex Padilla of California, all Democrats, cited powers granted by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to put forward a privileged resolution – which required a vote regardless of GOP opposition – to compel the administration to provide such details.
Speaking to reporters when he announced the vote, Kaine said that if passed, it would freeze foreign assistance to the Salvadoran government if the Trump administration were to balk.
"I also send a message to the government of El Salvador," Kaine said during his remarks, breaking into Spanish midway.
"You might think it's cute right now to grab attention by a bromance with President Donald Trump. He's going to be a president for poco más (a short time) – tres años más (three more years)."
Continuing in Spanish, Kaine said the two countries will always have relations, before transitioning back to English to say that the U.S. will not soon forget "you violating the human rights of American citizens – you're wrong."
On the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Senate Democrats are "voting once again to defend illegal immigrant criminals. They seem to like to do that. It’s hard to believe, but it’s true."
"They’re going to come to this floor today, and they’re going to line up to express their blind loyalty and belligerent support for illegal immigrant criminals," said Barrasso, who, as majority whip, is the second-most-senior Republican.
"If President Trump is going to cut secret deals to send people to foreign prisons without due process, every Senator—and the public—needs to understand the details about those deportations, including the human rights record of the nation putting American residents behind bars," Kaine said.
"This information is critical at a time when the Trump Administration has admitted to wrongfully deporting people to El Salvador, and after Trump has said he’s also looking for ways to deport American citizens to the same terrible prisons. Today, we will force a vote on our legislation to put all Senators on record on requiring some accountability from this lawless Administration."
Van Hollen, who took a junket to El Salvador to attempt to bring deported suspected gang member Kilmar Garcia to Maryland – where his family lives – said Trump has failed to comply with the order to facilitate his return.
"We will use this resolution to force accountability," said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, a House supporter of the resolution, although Kaine said it does not require their blessing.
Van Hollen, who took a junket to El Salvador to attempt to bring Garcia to Maryland – where his family lives – said Trump has failed to comply with the order to facilitate his return.
Both Trump and Bukele appeared to agree in an Oval Office meeting last month that returning Garcia would be "preposterous" and that the court order did not quite say what critics said it did.
FIRST ON FOX: Dozens of drones that traipsed over Langley Air Force base in late 2023 revealed an astonishing oversight: Military officials did not believe they had the authority to shoot down the unmanned vehicles over the U.S. homeland.
A new bipartisan bill, known as the COUNTER Act, seeks to rectify that, offering more bases the opportunity to become a "covered facility," or one that has the authority to shoot down drones that encroach on their airspace.
The new bill has broad bipartisan and bicameral support, giving it a greater chance of becoming law. It’s led by Armed Services Committee members Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in the Senate, and companion legislation is being introduced by August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., in the House.
Currently, only half of the 360 domestic U.S. bases are considered "covered facilities" that are allowed to engage with unidentified drones. The legislation expands the narrow definition of a covered facility under current statute to allow all military facilities that have a well-defined perimeter to apply for approval that allows them to engage with drones.
The legislation also stipulates that the secretary of defense delegate authority to combatant commanders to engage drone attacks, cutting down on time to get approval through the chain of command in emergency situations.
"Leaving American military facilities vulnerable to drone incursions puts our service members, the general public and our national security at risk," Cotton said.
For more than two weeks in December 2023, a swarm of mystery drones flew into restricted airspace over Langley, home to key national security facilities and the F-22 Raptor stealth fighters.
Lack of a standard protocol for such incursions left Langley officials unsure of what to do, other than allow the 20-foot-long drones to hover near their classified facilities.
To this day, the Pentagon has said little about the incidents, other than to confirm that they occurred. Whether it knows where the drones came from or what they were doing is unclear.
"As commercial drones become more commonplace, we must ensure that they are not being used to share sensitive information with our adversaries, to conduct attacks against our service members, or otherwise pose a threat to our national security," Gillibrand said.
As defense-minded lawmakers sought more answers, Langley officials referred them to the FBI, who referred them to Northern Command, who referred them to local law enforcement, a congressional source told Fox News Digital last year.
Gen. Gregory Guillot, chief of Northern Command (NORCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said in February that there were over 350 unauthorized drone detections over military bases last year.
"The primary threat I see for them in the way they’ve been operating is detection and perhaps surveillance of sensitive capabilities on our installations," he said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. "There were 350 detections reported last year on military installations, and that was 350 over a total of 100 different installations of all types and levels of security."
Guillot said that regulations on UAV countermeasures created "significant vulnerabilities that have been exploited by known and unknown actors."
He advocated for what the new legislation would do: expand Section 130i of Title 10, which pertains to the protection of "certain facilities and assets from unmanned aircraft."
"I would propose and advocate for expansion of 130i [authorities] to include all military installations, not just covered installations," Guillot said during the hearing. "I’d also like to see the range expanded to slightly beyond the installation, so they don’t have to wait for the threat to get over the installation before they can address it, because many of these systems can use side looking or slant range, and so they could … surveil the base from outside the perimeter. And under the current authorities, we can’t address that."
The White House is shutting down accusations from Democrats and anti-Trump "resistance" that nearly 14 million people will lose insurance coverage under Republican Medicaid reform proposals as part of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" — with Republicans calling foul on the data spin and saying Dems are using it as a scare tactic.
The infighting comes as Democrats and Republicans are going head-to-head over Medicaid spending levels, which has emerged as a prominent wedge between the parties amid the release of new analysis suggesting millions of people would lose their health insurance in order to foot the bill for Trump’s tax cuts.
While Democrats have merged data from two new reports from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to back up claims that nearly 14 million would lose coverage, the White House and Republicans are objecting, as not all the policy proposals evaluated were actually included in Republicans' legislation, and far fewer people would actually face insurance loss.
Instead, Republicans argue that their proposed reforms to implement work requirements, strengthen eligibility checks and crack down on Medicaid for illegal immigrants preserve the program for those who really need it.
"President Trump is protecting Medicaid for every eligible American who relies on it by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse within this program," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a Tuesday statement to Fox News Digital. "By taking commonsense measures to strengthen Medicaid, we will ultimately improve care for those who this program is intended to serve: pregnant women, the disabled, seniors, and low-income families."
"The President has repeatedly said that he will save Medicaid to ensure it remains a reliable and sustainable lifeline for generations to come," Desai said.
A series of calculations from the CBO have recently emerged evaluating multiple different Medicaid proposals — further pitting Republicans and Democrats against one another on Medicaid reform.
Much of the CBO's Health Analysis Division consists of Democrats or Democrat donors, however, according to conservative government research nonprofit American Accountability Foundation, putting its standing as a nonpartisan organization into question, Fox News Digital.
"The CBO likes to call itself ‘nonpartisan’ in an attempt to disguise its role as an undercover leftist think tank," AAF President Tom Jones said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "In fact, the CBO is institutionally progressive, with 84% of its professional healthcare staff members being registered Democrats. These same staff members, who are on record donating to radicals like Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton, ‘score’ legislation and present it to the American people like it’s sacrosanct."
The CBO declined to comment to Fox News Digital on these claims.
The first new CBO analysis, commissioned by Democrats and released Thursday, failed to examine the exact proposals Republicans are considering and instead, took a shot in the dark at what Republicans might introduce, according to experts.
That’s because Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., requested the CBO evaluate various policies that Republicans could have suggested. However, most of the policies analyzed are not identical to the ones that Republicans have actually put forward, experts said.
"That was Democrats trying to guess what Republicans were going to do," Ryan Long, a senior research fellow at the Paragon Health Institute, told Fox News Digital Monday.
Michael Cannon, the director of health policy studies at the Washington-based libertarian-leaning Cato Institute think tank, voiced similar sentiments about the initial CBO report.
"The first thing to know is that this is not a Republican proposal that CBO was examining," Cannon told Fox News Digital Monday about the initial CBO analysis. "They’re similar to Republican proposals, but these were proposals, ideas that the Democrats asked CBO to examine for the purposes of criticizing those proposals, using them as a CBO score as a cudgel against Republicans."
While Democrats labeled the first scorekeeper’s report as proof that Republican policies would lead to "catastrophic" Medicaid cuts and force millions of people off their coverage, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said in a post on X that Democrats sought to "fear monger" Americans.
Ultimately, the CBO report released Thursday evaluated five different initiatives that would rein in Medicaid spending, freeing up billions of dollars in spending but jeopardizing healthcare coverage for up to 8.6 million people.
Additional analysis from the CBO released Monday claimed that an additional 5.1 million Americans could lose their coverage if the measure fails to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that will expire in 2034, and includes a provision to fully implement the Marketplace Integrity Rule that seeks to crack down on eligibility verification.
Although neither of these proposals is included in the Republican legislation, Democrats have added the numbers from these two CBO reports and have asserted that roughly 13.7 million people would go uninsured under Republican policies.
Meanwhile, the latest CBO analysis released Tuesday examining Medicaid proposals included in the GOP measure found that adding work requirements, new eligibility checks and removing illegal immigrants from Medicaid would result in 10.3 million people losing coverage, and would leave 7.6 million people without insurance.
CBO declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital on its recent reports.
Additionally, Cannon pushed back against accusations that any of the proposals would actually cut Medicaid funding. While federal Medicaid spending is set to increase by 4.5% annually, the proposals CBO evaluated would simply curb that growth to at least 3% annually.
But ultimately, Cannon said the report is a mechanism Democrats are using to ignite fears among Republicans as they seek a legislative victory of their own.
"Democrats want to beat up Republicans, of course they do," Cannon said. "They want to win elections, and they think if they can scare people, they can do it… they don't want Republicans to get a political win, like tax cuts, and so this is their best weapon to stop tax cuts. They’re making the most of it, so that's what's going on with that CBO score."
The tension between Republicans and Democrats over Medicaid funding stems from a larger battle over Trump’s budget package that is making its way through Congress.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is seeking to get the measure over the finish line in the House by Memorial Day.
Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled a portion of the measure Sunday that tackled Medicaid, as the panel follows through on requests to find $880 billion in spending cuts to foot the bill for other Trump priorities.
Specifically, the committee’s proposal put forth policy initiatives, including a new 80-hour-per-month work requirement on certain able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64 that receive Medicaid.
The measure also puts limits on how much states spend on expanded Medicaid populations established through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which permitted states to increase their Medicaid coverage to those who make up 138% of the poverty level.
Likewise, states that issue Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants are in jeopardy of reduced federal Medicaid reimbursement funding under the measure. That would require the state to pick up additional costs.
Still, Democrats claimed that the effort would seize healthcare coverage from "millions of Americans."
"This is not trimming fat from around the edges, it’s cutting to the bone," Pallone said in a statement Sunday night. "The overwhelming majority of the savings in this bill will come from taking healthcare away from millions of Americans. Nowhere in the bill are they cutting ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ — they’re cutting people’s healthcare and using that money to give tax breaks to billionaires."
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Democrats are attempting to "scare" Americans.
"Democrats are pedaling incorrect reports that include policies that aren’t even in the bill," Guthrie told Fox News Digital Monday.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Angry protesters disrupted a Tuesday hearing on Capitol Hill during which Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testified about how the agency's 2026 budget aligns with President Donald Trump's agenda.
Kennedy did not even finish his opening statement when multiple protesters disrupted his testimony, yelling that the HHS secretary is killing people "with hate."
"RFK kills people with hate!" a protester blurted out, startling Kennedy, who quickly turned behind him to see where the commotion was coming from. "RFK kills people with hate!" the chant continued, with more voices joining in. "RFK kills people with hate!"
Multiple people were eventually escorted out of the room, during which the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., paused the hearing.
"Members of the audience are reminded disruptions will not be permitted while the committee conducts its business. Capitol Police are asked to remove the individuals from the hearing room," Cassidy said amid the commotion.
"That was a made-for-C-SPAN moment," Cassidy quipped after things settled down.
The Wednesday hearing with the Senate HELP Committee came a few weeks after HHS released its budget for fiscal year 2026. Kennedy was testifying to share how the budget aligns with Trump's priorities.
"When my team and I took the helm at HHS we set out with clear goals," Kennedy said shortly before he was interrupted.
"First, we aim to make America healthy again with a special focus on the chronic disease epidemic. Second, we committed to delivering more efficient, responsive, and effective service to over 100 million Americans who rely on Medicare, Medicaid and other programs. Third, we focus on achieving these goals by cutting costs for taxpayers and intend to do more – a lot more – with less."
United States Capitol Police (USCP) confirmed to Fox News Digital that seven people were ultimately arrested following the disruption at Kennedy's hearing. Among those arrested was Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen, who was arrested for obstruction.
USCP added that some of the arrestees were also charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer, but they could not confirm how many of the other six were charged with these more severe crimes.
The White House is shutting down accusations from Democrats and anti-Trump "resistance" that nearly 14 million people will lose insurance coverage under Republican Medicaid reform proposals as part of President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" – with Republicans calling foul on the data spin and saying Dems are using it as a scare tactic.
The infighting comes as Democrats and Republicans are going head-to-head over Medicaid spending levels, which has emerged as a prominent wedge between the parties amid the release of new analysis suggesting millions of people would lose their health insurance in order to foot the bill for Trump’s tax cuts.
While Democrats have merged data from two new reports from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to back up claims that nearly 14 million would lose coverage, the White House and Republicans are objecting, as not all the policy proposals evaluated were actually included in Republicans' legislation, and far fewer people would actually face insurance loss.
Instead, Republicans argue that their proposed reforms to implement work requirements, strengthen eligibility checks and crack down on Medicaid for illegal immigrants preserve the program for those who really need it.
"President Trump is protecting Medicaid for every eligible American who relies on it by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse within this program," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a Tuesday statement to Fox News Digital. "By taking commonsense measures to strengthen Medicaid, we will ultimately improve care for those who this program is intended to serve: pregnant women, the disabled, seniors, and low-income families."
"The President has repeatedly said that he will save Medicaid to ensure it remains a reliable and sustainable lifeline for generations to come," Desai said.
A series of calculations from the CBO have recently emerged evaluating multiple different Medicaid proposals – further pitting Republicans and Democrats against one another on Medicaid reform.
The first new analysis, commissioned by Democrats and released Thursday, failed to examine the exact proposals Republicans are considering and instead, took a shot in the dark at what Republicans might introduce, according to experts.
That’s because Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., requested the CBO evaluate various policies that Republicans could have suggested. However, most of the policies analyzed are not identical to the ones that Republicans have actually put forward, experts said.
"That was Democrats trying to guess what Republicans were going to do," Ryan Long, a senior research fellow at the Paragon Health Institute, told Fox News Digital Monday.
Michael Cannon, the director of health policy studies at the Washington-based libertarian-leaning Cato Institute think tank, voiced similar sentiments about the initial CBO report.
"The first thing to know is that this is not a Republican proposal that CBO was examining," Cannon told Fox News Digital Monday about the initial CBO analysis. "They’re similar to Republican proposals, but these were proposals, ideas that the Democrats asked CBO to examine for the purposes of criticizing those proposals, using them as a CBO score as a cudgel against Republicans."
While Democrats labeled the first scorekeeper’s report as proof that Republican policies would lead to "catastrophic" Medicaid cuts and force millions of people off their coverage, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee said in a post on X that Democrats sought to "fear monger" Americans.
Ultimately, the CBO report released Thursday evaluated five different initiatives that would rein in Medicaid spending, freeing up billions of dollars in spending but jeopardizing healthcare coverage for up to 8.6 million people.
Additional analysis from the CBO released Monday claimed that an additional 5.1 million Americans could lose their coverage if the measure fails to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits that will expire in 2034, and includes a provision to fully implement the Marketplace Integrity Rule that seeks to crack down on eligibility verification.
Although neither of these proposals is included in the Republican legislation, Democrats have added the numbers from these two CBO reports and have asserted that roughly 13.7 million people would go uninsured under Republican policies.
Meanwhile, the latest CBO analysis released Tuesday examining Medicaid proposals included in the GOP measure found that adding work requirements, new eligibility checks and removing illegal immigrants from Medicaid would result in 10.3 million people losing coverage, and would leave 7.6 million people without insurance.
CBO declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.
Additionally, Cannon pushed back against accusations that any of the proposals would actually cut Medicaid funding. While federal Medicaid spending is set to increase by 4.5% annually, the proposals CBO evaluated would simply curb that growth to at least 3% annually.
But ultimately, Cannon said the report is a mechanism Democrats are using to ignite fears among Republicans as they seek a legislative victory of their own.
"Democrats want to beat up Republicans, of course they do," Cannon said. "They want to win elections, and they think if they can scare people, they can do it… they don't want Republicans to get a political win, like tax cuts, and so this is their best weapon to stop tax cuts. They’re making the most of it, so that's what's going on with that CBO score."
The tension between Republicans and Democrats over Medicaid funding stems from a larger battle over Trump’s budget package that is making its way through Congress.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is seeking to get the measure over the finish line in the House by Memorial Day.
Meanwhile, the House Energy and Commerce Committee unveiled a portion of the measure Sunday that tackled Medicaid, as the panel follows through on requests to find $880 billion in spending cuts to foot the bill for other Trump priorities.
Specifically, the committee’s proposal put forth policy initiatives, including a new 80-hour-per-month work requirement on certain able-bodied adults between the ages of 19 and 64 that receive Medicaid.
The measure also puts limits on how much states spend on expanded Medicaid populations established through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which permitted states to increase their Medicaid coverage to those who make up 138% of the poverty level.
Likewise, states that issue Medicaid coverage to illegal immigrants are in jeopardy of reduced federal Medicaid reimbursement funding under the measure. That would require the state to pick up additional costs.
Still, Democrats claimed that the effort would seize healthcare coverage from "millions of Americans."
"This is not trimming fat from around the edges, it’s cutting to the bone," Pallone said in a statement Sunday night. "The overwhelming majority of the savings in this bill will come from taking healthcare away from millions of Americans. Nowhere in the bill are they cutting ‘waste, fraud, and abuse’ – they’re cutting people’s healthcare and using that money to give tax breaks to billionaires."
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., said Democrats are attempting to "scare" Americans.
"Democrats are pedaling incorrect reports that include policies that aren’t even in the bill," Guthrie told Fox News Digital Monday.
Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
Trump administration "border czar" Tom Homan fired back at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after she responded to questions Tuesday about the potential of being investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for holding a webinar meant to help migrants deal with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
When asked by Fox News Digital about Ocasio-Cortez saying she had yet to hear from DOJ or even know if she truly is under investigation, Homan said to check with the department itself.
The DOJ did not respond to an earlier related inquiry on the matter.
"I wish she'd do her job. She's a legislator, right? Why doesn’t she pass some legislation… and actually improve this country like President Donald Trump is already doing?" Homan later added.
"I'm doing my job: the border is secure. We arrested three times more criminals than [former President Joe] Biden did. We're doing our job. She should try doing her job."
Earlier, he answered in the affirmative when pressed on whether Democratic lawmakers who were accused of storming an ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, should face consequences.
"Yes," he added when asked if they should face censure or removal of their committee assignments.
Another reporter followed up by asking about a specific warning from Ocasio-Cortez on the matter.
"You lay a finger on [New Jersey Congresswoman] Bonnie Watson Coleman or any of the representatives that were there – you lay a finger on them, and we’re going to have a problem," Ocasio-Cortez said on Instagram.
Homan was on Capitol Hill Wednesday at the invitation of Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, to speak with his large House GOP group about immigration and border security.
Three Democratic members of Congress from New Jersey – Coleman, Robert Menendez and LaMonica McIver – joined protesters and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this week outside the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark. Baraka was notably arrested at the site.
In response to that question about AOC's warning, Homan turned around and laughed loudly before quipping, "I’m extremely intimidated."
At the time of her first brush with Homan over the webinar, Ocasio-Cortez told a Queens town hall crowd, "I’m using my free speech rights in order to advise people of their constitutional protections. To that I say: ‘Come for me, do I look like I care?’"
Homan said after the event, "I'm working with the Department of Justice and finding out where is that line… So maybe AOC is going to be in trouble now."
The Democratic trio, along with party leaders, have consistently argued that the lawmakers had a right to be at Delaney Hall as federal officials. Republicans, meanwhile, are mulling possible consequences.
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced a bill aimed at criminalizing pornography and defining what is obscene and what is not.
Lee and Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., introduced the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA) for all states, which, if passed, would make it illegal to transmit obscene content across state lines while also making it easier to prosecute.
"Obscenity isn’t protected by the First Amendment, but hazy and unenforceable legal definitions have allowed extreme pornography to saturate American society and reach countless children," Lee said in a news release. "Our bill updates the legal definition of obscenity for the internet age so this content can be taken down and its peddlers prosecuted."
The IODA attempts to clarify the definition of obscenity in all states and gives updated descriptions that are suited to modern content.
Specifically, the new definition removes the current law’s dependence on ever-changing and elusive public opinion and replaces it with practical standards that make obscenity identifiable, according to Lee’s team.
Lee and Miller could not be reached by Fox News Digital for comment on their proposed bill.
The current legal definition of obscenity originated from a 1973 Supreme Court case, and the standards are subjective and vague, making it difficult to apply to any material.
Because the pre-internet standards are so vague, they often present challenges in court when it comes to defining what is obscene and ultimately allow "criminals to evade prosecution," the press release said.
Lee’s IODA defines "obscenity" within the Communications Act of 1934 and "appeals to the prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion."
The bill also "depicts, describes or represents actual or simulated sex acts" intended to "arouse, titillate or gratify" a person’s sexual desires. Adding to that, the bill identifies obscene material as that which "lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value."
The IODA also removes the "intent" requirement, which only prohibits the transmission of obscene material for the purpose of abusing, threatening or harassing an individual.
"The Interstate Obscenity Definition Act equips law enforcement with the tools they need to target and remove obscene material from the internet, which is alarmingly destructive and far outside the bounds of protected free speech under the Constitution," Miller said.
"I’m proud to lead this effort in the House with Sen. Lee to safeguard American families and ensure this dangerous material is kept out of our homes and off our screens."
The state of Maine has continued to go against President Donald Trump's executive order of keeping biological males out of girls' and women's sports.
The back-and-forth has been highly publicized and even included a war of words between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills.
The Department of Education also launched a Title IX investigation into the state, while the Department of Agriculture froze federal funding, a decision that was reversed by a federal judge.
The state of Maine dropped its lawsuit against Trump once the funds were unfrozen, but there seems to be no clear resolution yet. And Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., ripped Mills for her actions against Trump.
Tuberville appeared on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" and was asked if there are any repercussions for states that defy the order.
"Well, if it’s a federally funded entity, it is. And of course, this Maine governor, who is a complete idiot, is fighting against the president of the United States," Tuberville said. "He told her, you cannot use federal funding, ‘Oh yeah we are going to do that anyway, we don’t care what you say, you’re not the boss.’ Yeah, he’s the president of the United States. Cut their funding off, cut them at the knees, make it hurt.
"We hate it for the athletes up there, we hate it for kids who actually want to get an education but make them hurt. And as I’ve said before, there are entire teams across the country that are women’s teams that are made up of transgender boys, entire track teams. It is a disaster and it’s picking up speed."
Tuberville added that there wasn't much for Trump to do due to state funding, but ripped the "woke" governors.
"These governors need to stand up and grow some and stand up for the women in this country, but they’re not going to do it. They are so woke, they are so over the top with all this nonsense that, ‘Oh yes, we’ve got to be nice everybody.' How about being nice to women for once? Although you can’t define a woman."
The U.S. Justice Department announced a lawsuit on April 16 against the state of Maine for its continued defiance of Trump’s executive order to keep biological males out of girls' and women’s sports and alleged violations of Title IX.
The Justice Department accused the state of "openly and defiantly flouting federal anti-discrimination law by enforcing policies that require girls to compete against boys in athletic competitions designated exclusively for girls," according to a complaint obtained by Fox News.
Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday a "hold on all DOJ political nominees," as he is demanding answers from the Trump administration over a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family, which the Democrat is calling a "grave national security threat."
"News of the Qatari government gifting Donald Trump a $400 million private jet to use as Air Force One is so corrupt that even Putin would give a double take. This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat," Schumer said on the Senate floor.
"So, in light of the deeply troubling news of a possible Qatari-funded Air Force One, and the reports that the Attorney General personally signed off on this clearly unethical deal, I am announcing a hold on all DOJ political nominees, until we get more answers," he added.
A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital in response that "Senator Schumer and his anti-law-and-order party are prioritizing politics over critical DOJ appointments, obstructing President Trump’s Make Safe Again agenda," and that "Cryin’ Chuck must end the antics, stop Senate stonewalling, and prioritize the safety and civil rights of Americans."
Trump has defended the U.S. preparing to accept a jumbo jet gift from Qatar's royal family to serve as a temporary Air Force One as Boeing failed to roll out a new Air Force One fleet in a timely manner.
"We're very disappointed that it's taking Boeing so long to build a new Air Force One," Trump said Monday morning. "You know, we have an Air Force One that's 40 years old. And if you take a look at that, compared to the new plane of the equivalent, you know, stature at the time, it's not even the same ballgame."
Reports spread Sunday morning that the Trump administration was expected to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from Qatar's royal family. ABC News reported that Trump would use the jet until the end of his term, when it would be given to his presidential library.
In his speech Tuesday, Schumer said he is calling on the Justice Department’s Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) Unit to disclose all actions by those working as Qatari foreign agents in the U.S. "that could benefit President Trump or the Trump Organization."
"Since Attorney General Bondi took charge, the Department of Justice has not been doing its job when it comes to FARA. The FARA Unit needs to enforce the law, and inform the public about all activities not just on this luxury plane deal, but all deals involving foreign countries in the Middle East and President Trump, his family, and the Trump organization," he said.
"Second, with regards to this half-a-billion-dollar private jet deal, the American people deserve to know the facts. President Trump has told the American people that this is a ‘free jet.’ Does that mean the Qataris are delivering a ready-on-day-one plane with all the security measures already built in?" Schumer continued.
"If so, who installed those security measures, and how do we know they were properly installed? Why would we take the risk of trusting any foreign country to do this sensitive work? If not, what security modifications would be needed to ensure a foreign-sourced Air Force One is safe to use? If this is, as President Trump promised, a ‘free jet’, will the Qataris pay for those highly sensitive installations or will American taxpayers have to cover those costs?" Schumer wondered aloud on the Senate floor.
"The Attorney General must testify before both the House and Senate to explain why gifting Donald Trump a private jet does not violate the emoluments clause – which requires congressional approval – or any other ethics laws," Schumer declared. "Until the Attorney General explains her blatantly inept decision and we get complete and comprehensive answers to these and other questions, I will place a hold on all political nominees to the Department Of Justice."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tx., has introduced a proposal for the federal government to provide $1,000 in an account for every American child.
The "Invest America Act" would create "a private tax-advantaged account with a $1,000 seed investment from the federal government for every American child at birth," according to a press release.
People would also be able to add funds to the account.
"Each Invest America account will be open to contributions from individuals, family members, friends, and businesses up to $5,000 annually," the release states. "The account investments can be placed in a broad, low-cost fund that tracks the S&P 500, growing tax-deferred until the individual reaches age 18. Distributions after age 18 would be taxed at the capital gains rate."
Cruz's proposal comes as the U.S. national debt is more than $36.2 trillion, and is likely to keep climbing.
"Every child in America will have private investment accounts that will compound over their lives, enhancing the prosperity and economic participation of the vast majority of Americans. When people years from now talk about the changes created by Republican efforts this Congress, this is one of the landmark achievements they will talk about," Cruz said, according to the press release.
The House Ways and Means Committee is slated to markup "The One, Big, Beautiful Bill" on Tuesday. The legislation under consideration includes a pilot program for providing $1,000 in "MAGA accounts" for children born during a certain period of time.
"What is powerful is enabling every child in America to have an investment account and a stake in the American free enterprise system," Cruz noted, according to Semafor.
On border security, support for Israel and diplomacy with President Donald Trump, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has bucked the Democratic Party on key issues since assuming office in 2022.
A string of media reports emerged this month detailing Fetterman's alleged cognitive decline and waning support within the Democratic Party. A New York Magazine report sparked questions about Fetterman's mental stability. Subsequent reports by the Associated Press, detailing an outburst during a union meeting, and by Politico, which indicated he is losing traction among Pennsylvania Democrats, were slammed by several of his Capitol Hill colleagues as a coordinated smear campaign.
In an era of partisan politics, Fetterman has embraced bipartisanship with newly elected Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa. When McComrick was elected in November, the Pennsylvanians traded jabs for joint dinners as Fetterman built his reputation for being willing to reach across the aisle. Fetterman also met with Trump's controversial Cabinet picks and worked with Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., to pass the Laken Riley Act this year.
While Fetterman, who suffered a stroke during his 2022 Senate campaign, shut down questions about his mental fitness amid the relentless reports, it's not the first time a Democrat has been targeted after falling out of line with the party.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., faced the ire of the Democratic Party earlier this year when he joined Fetterman in voting to pass the Republicans' spending bill and avoid a government shutdown. Schumer, currently Senate minority leader, was slammed by progressive Democrats while the future of party leadership hangs in the balance.
Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., was once a Democrat but later registered as an independent. While she continued to caucus with her party, Sinema ruffled liberal feathers by opposing efforts to eliminate the filibuster rule and opposed former President Joe Biden’s "Build Back Better" plan.
In 2022, Sinema said she was leaving the party, adding that "nothing will change about my values or my behavior."
Sinema became the first senator to switch parties since the late Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter – then Republican – famously announced that "my change in party will enable me to be re-elected" in 2009.
Soon after Sinema came now-former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin. Long seen as a moderate thorn in the side of the increasingly liberal Democrats, Manchin often clashed with his former party on environmental issues, given the Mountain State’s reliance on the fossil fuel industry.
Things came to a head in Charleston when then-Gov. Jim Justice held up his bulldog Babydog backward in the legislative chamber and told actress Bette Midler – who had trashed the state over one of Manchin’s such votes – to "kiss her heinie."
Former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party until her comments and behavior drew the ire of party elders like Hillary Clinton. The anti-interventionist Gabbard, who had appeared in the Moscow media, was anonymously slammed by Clinton in 2019 when she said that "somebody who is currently in the Democratic primary" was a "favorite of the Russians." An advisor later said Gabbard was the figure in question.
Since then, Gabbard has gone on to make a full partisan 180, becoming a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
During Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s, D-Calif., historic speakership, another Democrat famously bucked the party and ultimately retired soon after trying to proverbially oust the queen.
North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler became disaffected by the liberal progression of the party and mounted an unsuccessful challenge to Pelosi’s leadership role after Democrats suffered massive losses in the 2010 midterms.
Shuler, a former then-Washington Redskins quarterback, had been the leader of the moderate Blue Dog Democrat caucus when he took aim at the speakership.
Fetterman's office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
