Month: February 2023

Biden demands gun reforms while brushing bipartisan calls for border security, both sides claim ‘common sense’

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

President Joe Biden has demanded Congress take action to enact "common sense" gun reforms after a shooting rampage in Mississippi Friday left six dead. The demand came as he is turning a "blind eye" to Republicans and others who are calling for "common sense" changes to secure the border, a Republican lawmaker claimed.

"We need—need—commonsense gun law reforms," Biden said in a statement on Friday, after suspected shooter Richard Crum, 52, is believed to have used a shotgun and two handguns to carry out a shooting rampage that spanned three different locations across Tate County, Mississippi.

The president added: "That includes requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, fully closing the boyfriend loophole to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, requiring safe storage of guns, and eliminating immunity for gun manufacturers who knowingly put weapons of war on our streets."

Biden’s words came as Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-ND, has accused him of avoiding the southern border and failing to "acknowledge the catastrophe at the southern border and makes common sense reforms to stem the tide."

BIDEN RESPONDS AFTER SERIAL SHOOTING IN TATE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI LEAVES 6 DEAD; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

"For two solid years, President Biden has avoided the southern border, turned a blind eye to agents overwhelmed by the influx in illegal crossings, and glossed over the devastating impacts on our nation," Cramer said in a statement published Feb. 10. "The administration must act to address the urgent humanitarian and crime crises it created. These bills acknowledge the catastrophe at the southern border and makes common sense reforms to stem the tide."

Senator Katie Britt, R-AL, similarly suggested Biden was failing to act to secure the border.

"There is an unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis at our southern border," Britt said. "This is a direct, avoidable result of the Biden Administration’s dangerously weak policies. Hardworking parents across our nation want their children to grow up in safe, strong communities so that they can reach their full potential and live their American Dream. This legislation would help secure that dream for families in every corner of our country."

Britt is leading two pieces of legislation aimed at securing the border: the "Keep Our Communities Safe Act," which calls for the end of the Obama-Biden catch-and-release policy, and a resolution acknowledging the state of the southern border constitutes a crisis.

More recently, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., who was elected as a Democrat, has also introduced bipartisan legislation to secure the border.

MCCARTHY, IN ARIZONA, SAYS 'NO ONE BELIEVES' BIDEN ADMIN'S CLAIM BORDER IS SECURE, CARTELS ARE IN CONTROL

Her bill would eliminate federal restrictions and grant the Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) the authority to conduct maintenance projects at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Arizona’s ports are our first line of defense to stop dangerous drugs and individuals from entering the United States, and a key driver of our local economy. Our legislation builds on the historic investments strengthening America's port infrastructure in my bipartisan infrastructure law by cutting red tape and allowing local CBP leadership to make repair decisions that work for their officers, without waiting for Washington," Sinema said on Feb. 15.

The legislation was co-introduced with Sen. James Lankford R-Okla., who described it as a "straightforward solution."

"During my visits to the southern border, it is evident that CBP needs to repair ports between the US and Mexico. Bureaucratic red tape has blocked CBP from making those simple fixes to increase border security and better manage trade. This bill is a straightforward solution that will ensure our CBP officers have the resources they need to keep the country secure," Lankford said.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Thursday visited Cochise County, Ariz., with Reps. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

Cochise County is located in southeast Arizona, bordering New Mexico and Mexico.

The four Republicans are freshman members who flipped Democratic seats in the most recent midterm elections.

"The new majority in Congress, we’re gonna fight to fix this problem. No longer will the Democrats be able to ignore the issue and act like it’s not happening," McCarthy said Thursday. "We will have hearings on the border. It’s the responsibility of all members to attend. Those who come to testify will come from both sides of the aisle."

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT 156,274 IN JANUARY AS BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS NEW BORDER MEASURES ‘ARE WORKING’

Mark Morgan, a former acting CBP commissioner in the Trump administration, told The Hill that addressing the crisis is "really common sense," according to FOX 4.

"It’s really common sense. It’s what leaders do. They go to the heart of the crisis, whether it’s a hurricane or tornado, a terrorist attack, it doesn’t matter," Morgan said.

He added: "When you physically see it up close and personal, it changes your understanding. It changes your perspective."

Biden's Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claims the southern border is under "operational control." Republicans have called for his impeachment. 

McCarthy said Republicans in the House will continue to push legislation aimed at securing the border.

"We’ve got a lot of ideas inside Congress. It’s different than the Congress before," McCarthy said Thursday, according to WDAF.

The shooting in Mississippi ended Friday afternoon when officials ultimately found Crum at his home and apprehended him. He was charged with one count of murder but is expected to face additional charges.

BIDEN ADMIN ANNOUNCES $231M FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION EFFORTS, INCLUDING RED FLAG LAWS

"Enough," Biden said after the incident. "We are 48 days into the year, and our nation has already suffered at least 73 mass shootings. Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough. Gun violence is an epidemic, and Congress must act now."

He continued, "Jill and I are mourning for the six killed in today’s violence in Tate County, Mississippi — as we have for far too many Americans. We grieve with their families and with Americans nationwide as gun violence claims yet more lives. We are also praying for the recovery of those injured in this horrendous attack and for survivors who will carry both grief and trauma with them for the rest of their lives."

The suspect’s motives are not known at this time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Finger-pointing flies from lawmakers over Ohio train derailment and spill

Posted on (Updated by Emily Brooks

Lawmakers are doling out blame and demanding answers on the train derailment in Ohio.

Legislators from both parties are expressing frustration and asking for more to be done, though Republicans in particular have put Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg directly in the hot seat. 

“Secretary Buttigieg is nowhere to be found on this issue. It really is a remarkable thing that he hasn't gone to East Palestine to see what happened there,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said on Fox Business this week. “He hasn't come to Congress to explain what happened. For whatever reason, the Secretary seems to fill his days with politics. I know he has aspirations, but he actually has a day job.”

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) floated impeaching Buttigieg over how he has handled the derailment.

"I hope he does resign, and if he doesn't, there's a long list of impeachment criteria,” Davidson told conservative outlet Real America’s Voice Thursday. “I never would have thought we'd see a point where we need to impeach a Secretary of Transportation, but daggon, how many failures have to happen on his watch before we call it?"

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week that the White House has “absolute confidence” in Buttigieg.

The derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, on Feb. 3 released chemicals, including toxic vinyl chloride, into the surrounding community, prompting a temporary evacuation. 

State and federal authorities have said that the area’s air and water are now safe, but residents remain fearful and concerned. 

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are questioning Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about why it isn’t providing emergency assistance. 

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), who represents East Palestine, led a letter signed by the entire Ohio congressional delegation urging FEMA to provide assistance.

Johnson also told The Hill in a written statement that there may be room for congressional or administrative action once investigations on the issue are complete. 

 “Congress and the administration must take a close look at the findings to determine what policies to modify and/or implement to better prevent anything like this from happening again,” he said. 

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has called on Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) to declare an emergency, though DeWine’s office has said that it was told by FEMA that it was not eligible for assistance. 

A FEMA official told reporters Friday that the agency “continues to have ongoing conversations with the governor’s office” on the state’s support needs. Administration officials also emphasized a commitment from Norfolk Southern to pay for cleanup and other costs.

Beyond the issue of FEMA, Republicans have sent mixed messages on water quality.

The state has said testing indicated that municipal water in East Palestine is safe, but DeWine has also told residents to drink bottled water out of an “abundance of caution.”

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) has also said that he would drink bottled water; He posted a video on Thursday showing what appeared to be chemicals in a creek, saying there were “dead worms and dead fish all throughout this water.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, traveled to East Palestine and posted a video of himself drinking water that he said came from its taps — saying that he was helping the mayor of East Palestine get the word out that the tap water is safe to drink. 

“What's clear is there is a lot of work to do. I thank the first responders and personnel on site for all their efforts thus far. I will work in a bipartisan effort to ensure our freight rail system is as safe as possible and prevent tragedies like this from occurring again,” Nehls said in a statement.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), too, has criticized the administration’s timeliness. 

“It is unacceptable that it took nearly two weeks for a senior Administration official to show up,” he said in a statement on EPA Administrator Michael Regan’s visit to the area. 

DeWine, for this part, called on Congress to take action if it is true that the railroad was not required to notify the state about the chemicals on the train because they were not considered high hazardous materials, Fox 19 reported.

Vance supported the call for labeling the materials as hazardous, though he said that the responsibility lies not only with Congress but also with the Transportation Department. 

“I don’t want to let Congress off the hook here because Congress can legislate a solution to this problem and that’s exactly what I'm going to try to do. We should have some legislation coming out here to that effect in the next few days, but look, the Department of Transportation can act on this issue too. This is a regulatory problem and a legal problem,” he told reporters this past week. 

House Republicans turn southern border into second campus

Posted on (Updated by Emily Brooks

Republicans are turning the U.S.-Mexico border into something of an extension campus for the House of Representatives.

A two-week recess kicked off a flurry of hearings and visits to the border by multiple GOP-led House committees, with more in the works.

Republicans are looking to place blame on the Biden administration for drug trafficking, national security and the humanitarian crisis as migrant encounters at the southern border remain near record highs.

And they think being on location will help build up public disapproval of Democratic policies.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday visited the border in Cochise County, Ariz., with four freshman House Republicans who flipped Democratic-held seats in 2022: Reps. Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), and Derrick Van Orden (Wis.).

Speaking from the property of a rancher with the border fence in the background — the location found by GPS coordinates rather than an address —  McCarthy said the GOP activity at the border is aimed at forcing Democrats to pay attention.

“The new majority in Congress, we're gonna fight to fix this problem. No longer will the Democrats be able to ignore the issue and act like it's not happening,” McCarthy said. “We will have hearings on the border. It’s the responsibility of all members to attend. Those who come to testify will come from both sides of the aisle.”

The House Energy and Commerce Committee investigations and health subcommittees held a joint field hearing in McAllen, Texas, on Wednesday, arguing President Biden’s border policies have contributed to a public health crisis with fentanyl deaths.

Next Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing near the border in Yuma, Ariz. 

Members of the House Homeland Security Committee will go to El Paso, Texas, next week as part of a “border boot camp,” with a focus on educating freshman members on daily operations of Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Department of Public Safety, according to a committee source. It plans to hold a hearing at the border in March.

Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the new chair of the Homeland Security Committee, wants to hire full-time staff members based on the U.S.-Mexico border. After being selected as chair last month, he told reporters that those staffers will be “sending us real time updates” on issues at the border.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee, which held a hearing in Washington about the border earlier this month, also plans to travel south for oversight activity in the future.

Border hawks are pleased to see Republicans there in person.

“It's really common sense. It's what leaders do. They go to the heart of the crisis, whether it's a hurricane or tornado, a terrorist attack, it doesn't matter,” Mark Morgan, the former chief operating officer and acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection during the Trump administration, told The Hill. “When you physically see it up close and personal, it changes your understanding. It changes your perspective.”

Morgan, who is now a visiting fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, talked about the emotional impact of seeing in person Border Patrol agents interact with migrants. And he criticized White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre for commenting last year that “it’s not like somebody walks over” the border.

“That is exactly what they do all day long,” Morgan said. "Had she spent 30 seconds at the border — 30 seconds — she would have seen … It would have changed her understanding; it would have changed her perception.”

But Democrats see the activities as little more than publicity stunts.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), whose district encompasses parts of Cochise County, paid his own visit to the border Thursday and criticized the tenor of Republicans' focus on the border.

"I don't see this thing as serious, what McCarthy's doing, parachuting in, doing the photo-op, hanging out with the one rancher and Sheriff [Dannels], taking their word as Bible and moving on,” Grijalva told The Hill on Thursday.

Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels is a favorite witness on border issues for the GOP and a frequent guest on Fox News, but he has been accused by Democrats and immigration advocates of espousing an anti-immigrant agenda.

"I would have gone to the cities and the communities that are on the border. I would have him go and sit down with the people in Douglas, sit down with the people in Nogales, sit down with the people in San Luis and Somerton, sit down with the people in Naco, sit down with the people in Sasabe, sit down with the people that do business on that border, sit down with the families that have been there multi-generationally, sit down with them and talk about their needs and their perception of the border," Grijalva said. 

A White House spokesman on Wednesday dismissed McCarthy’s trip, saying “House Republicans should spend less time on partisan publicity stunts and more time working on solutions.”

And House Judiciary Committee Democrats will not attend next week’s hearing in Yuma.

Ranking member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement subcommittee ranking member Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said in a joint statement Thursday that there was “no consultation” with Democrats on the hearing, and that many Democratic members had already committed to other congressional delegation trips.

They called it “a brazen act of political grandstanding,” adding, “as a result, Democrats, who have been to the border regularly the last few years, will not attend next week’s performative hearing. Additionally, Judiciary Democrats will conduct their own trip to the border next month where we will hear from the community and government officials on the ground."

The House Judiciary GOP said in a tweet that was “FAKE NEWS,” and Republicans had been in consultation with Democrats for weeks about the trip — sharing a video of comments from Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in the committee’s first meeting to make the minority aware of a planned trip to the border that week.

"They're just scared to face the harsh realities of the #BidenBorderCrisis,” the committee tweeted.

Also looming over the in-person border activities is the potential impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Those calling for his impeachment argue that he has not achieved “operational control.”

McCarthy has not committed to impeaching Mayorkas, saying that impeachment will not be “political.” But in November, he called on Mayorkas to resign or face House GOP investigations — warning that it could lead to impeachment. 

But even as they try to draw attention to the border and take aim at Democrats, Republicans face internal disagreement over legislation to address immigration issues. GOP leaders had planned to quickly bring to the House floor a bill that would allow the Homeland Security secretary to turn away migrants in order to achieve “operational control” at the border. 

Objections from moderates like Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) over the legislation being “anti-immigrant” derailed that plan. 

Republicans are now working on border and immigration legislation that will go through a normal committee process.

“We've got a lot of ideas inside Congress. It’s different than the Congress before,” McCarthy said at the border Thursday. “We're just not going to write the bill and put it onto the floor. We're going to listen to the people that are on the border. We're going to listen to border agents. We want the very best ideas.”

Rafael Bernal contributed.

Romney, outspoken about his own party, weighs reelection run

Posted on by Michelle L. Price, Mary Clare Jalonick
He twice voted in favor of convicting former President Donald Trump in impeachment trials. He excoriated his fellow senators who objected to certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. He even scolded New York Rep. George Santos for his audacity in grabbing a prominent seat at the State of the Union speech after admitting to fabricating much of his biography.
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McCarthy tells Mayorkas to ‘stop lying’ about border

Posted on (Updated by Emily Brooks

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) took aim at Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, fueling an argument that could help lay the groundwork for a potential impeachment.

“This has got to stop. And it starts with the Secretary of Homeland. Stop lying to the American public. Tell them the truth what's happening, and change back the regulation that we had before so our border can be secure,” McCarthy said in a press conference from Cochise County, Ariz., with the border fence in the background.

McCarthy did not specify what he thought Mayorkas lied about, but Republicans have repeatedly dinged him for testifying in a congressional hearing last year that the border is secure.

The issue of whether there is “operational control” at the border is central to the argument from hard-line conservative House Republicans that Mayorkas should be impeached.

That term refers to the Secure Fence Act of 2006, a law that says operational control of the border means prevention “of all unlawful entries” to the United States.

McCarthy has not endorsed impeaching Mayorkas, but in November called on him to resign, saying that House GOP investigations will determine whether they can open an impeachment inquiry.

“What has changed from President Trump to President Biden? There has been no legislation change, but why has the border — why has this region gone from 66,000 people come across to 250,000?” McCarthy said.

The press conference took place on the private property of a rancher.

“His family has found 14 dead bodies on his ranch in just the last couple years,” McCarthy said. "Those are human bodies. He tells the story of his grandson smelling the body. That is different from a dead cow.”

“Why is that happening? Because the administration's policies that is allowing it to happen,” McCarthy said. “When you look at the gaps in the wall. Why are they there? Why are these lights wired but not working? Because we got a new president that said to stop it. We paid for the metal to go up but it's stored far away. There's gaps that allow it to come in. That’s wrong.”

The trip marks McCarthy’s first visit to the border as Speaker. He was accompanied by four freshman House Republicans who flipped Democratic-held seats in 2022: Rep. Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), whose district includes parts of Cochise County; Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), Jen Kiggans (Va.), and Derrick Van Orden (Wis.).

“There are two people that can really have an immediate impact on the situation in this country, and that's President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas,” Ciscomani said. “They both have failed, and they have shown no interest in fixing this issue. So I invite him here to the border to see what we saw today. Talk to the people that we talked to today and realize what impact this is having in our communities.”

Ciscomani said that the purpose of the trip was not to discuss immigration reform, but to discuss border security.

“These are two different issues and we need to deal with them separately,” Ciscomani said.

DHS tapped left-leaning firm for potential Mayorkas impeachment efforts over southern border crisis

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

The private law firm retained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for potential impeachment proceedings against secretary Alejandro Mayorkas employs individuals that heavily favor Democrats through political contributions, has aided the Democratic Party in their impeachment trial against President Trump, and has worked on several issues alongside left-wing groups, including immigration matters.

DHS tapped the New York-based Debevoise & Plimpton law firm to "help ensure the department's vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified and partisan impeachment efforts by some members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"DHS will continue prioritizing its work to protect our country from terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and secure our borders while responding appropriately to the over 90 Congressional committees and subcommittees that have oversight of DHS," the spokesperson continued.

According to government records, DHS entered into a potential $1.5 million contract with Debevoise & Plimpton on Jan. 26 that will disburse cash based on their work. The records show that the award runs until early January 2025 and could reach up to $3 million. 

DHS BRINGING ON PRIVATE LAW FIRM TO HELP WITH POTENTIAL MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS 

The Biden administration contract will potentially push cash to a firm whose employees give overwhelmingly to Democratic causes, including Biden's past candidacy. During the 2022 election cycle, individuals at the firm donated $289,000 of their nearly $310,000 in political contributions - or 95 percent - to liberal campaigns and committees, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets. 

These figures followed even higher 2020 figures where Debevoise & Plimpton employees showered liberal committees with 97 percent of their contributions. During that cycle, the firm's individuals combined to provide Democratic committees with slightly more than $1 million in donations. The largest recipient that cycle was Biden, who received nearly $245,000 from the firm's employees.

David O'Neil, a Debevoise & Plimpton partner, will lead Secretary Mayorkas' defense team if needed, Law.com reported. O'Neil is no stranger to impeachment efforts, as he aided House Democrats in their impeachment efforts against former President Trump.

Attorneys Anna Moody and Carter Burwell, former counsel to Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, will join O'Neil if impeachment efforts progress. 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN FILES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DHS SEC. MAYORKAS

Debevoise & Plimpton has joined several left-wing groups on past matters, including working on asylum issues with Democracy Forward, which counts Democratic mega-lawyer Marc Elias as its board chair. The firm also touts its pro bono work with LGBTQ+ immigrants.

A DHS official told Fox News Digital that outside counsel is needed because the department's in-house lawyers don't have impeachment expertise. The official also pinned the blame on any potential outside counsel spending on what they described as reckless actions of some House Members.

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., is introducing a new impeachment article against Mayorkas, accusing him of violating his oath of office and failing to enforce U.S. immigration law.

MAYORKAS SAYS HE WILL NOT RESIGN OVER BORDER CRISIS, INSISTS HE IS PREPARED FOR GOP INVESTIGATIONS

Biggs, who repeatedly has called for Mayorkas' removal, first introduced the articles in 2021 and accused him of having" engaged in a pattern of conduct incompatible with his duties as an Officer of the United States."

Mayorkas, a Cuba native who grew up in Beverly Hills, California, after his family fled the Castros, has been under fire for his handling of the southern border crisis. Republicans claim he has failed to adjudicate standing federal immigration laws and instead has overseen a deluge of illegal immigrants.

Mayorkas has said he will not resign over his handling of the border crisis and insisted he will be ready for future investigations by House Republicans while continuing to fulfill his daily responsibilities. 

Debevoise & Plimpton did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. 

Splintered Ohio House GOP leads to legislative standstill

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A battle for political control of the Ohio House has laid bare the risks the Republican Party faces as factions of its legislative supermajority square off more over tactics and the willingness to thwart long held institutional norms than policy.

Six weeks ago, Republican Jason Stephens, a second-term representative from rural southern Ohio, scored a surprise bipartisan win for speaker over Rep. Derek Merrin. Since then, Stephens' detractors have grabbed headline after headline for their maneuvers — even as a single piece of legislation is yet to be introduced. That includes the crucial and time-sensitive state budget.

And the clashes appear far from over. With Stephens preparing finally to unveil Republicans' session priorities Wednesday, a group of GOP lawmakers lined up against him — calling themselves "the Republican Majority Caucus" — have not ruled out suing him for control of the caucus campaign fund.

OHIO HOUSE SPEAKER TRIES TO ASSERT CONTROL OVER FRACTURED CAUCUS

The faction wants a judge to clarify whether the House speaker and the head of the caucus need necessarily be the same person. While Ohio law does not seem to require it, Stephens has asserted he is both.

"I’m the speaker of the House, the head of the Republican caucus, and I’m excited for us to get ready and move forward," Stephens told reporters after successfully passing House rules Jan. 24 during a typically boring procedural session-turned-raucous.

"We now have our House in order," he declared, even as Merrin backers stood nearby alleging constitutional and rules violations. Those included that Stephens had failed to let them speak on the floor — a time-honored tool of speakers everywhere — and begun the session at 2:05 p.m. rather than 2 p.m.

It's all part of a growing line of attacks against Stephens and the Republican representatives who supported him that is roiling lawmaking in a state where the GOP rules every branch of state government and twice chose Republican Donald Trump for president by wide margins.

The fight has included a declared takeover of the GOP caucus by Merrin's camp, a call for Stephens' resignation, censure of Stephens and his GOP supporters by the Ohio Republican Party's central committee and attack ads by one of several same-party PACs that are starting now to fight their reelections.

"There’s a lot of people right now who don’t feel like they have a voice, because the Democrats elected the speaker of the House," Merrin told reporters the day he declared himself in charge of the caucus and its fundraising operation, despite Stephens' election. The Associated Press has not yet received records regarding that closed-door vote in response to its requests.

Fracturing is a known risk of supermajority rule.

Aristotle Hutras, who served as executive secretary to the late Democratic Ohio House Speaker Vernal Riffe, who led the chamber from 1975 to 1995, recalled the legendary Ohio politician worrying aloud after his party won 62 of 99 seats in 1982: "It might be too many, boys." Republicans this year have 67.

"Even Vern Riffe, historically the longest serving speaker in Ohio history, knew it could be difficult governing with too much of a majority," said Hutras, who was a young caucus staffer in 1982. "When there are too many in a caucus, every man is a king."

Hutras said Riffe resolved conflict quickly by getting straight to work.

Merrin's group believes math is on their side. Forty-three of 67 House Republicans supported him for speaker, a clear majority of the caucus. But 22 broke off and supported Stephens, defying results of an informal speaker vote in November and teaming with all 32 House Democrats.

Clearly perplexed, angry and stung, the Merrin camp went on the attack. Though Merrin is term-limited in two years, many of his allies are new lawmakers whose ability to make their marks could depend on caucus financial support.

They asked the state party's central committee to condemn Stephens and those who voted for him, including withholding future party endorsements and campaign cash. The panel didn't go quite that far, but they did vote to censure the 22 lawmakers — as they had after then-U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez voted in favor of Trump's impeachment.

Their resolution cast Democrats as the enemy, with a "dangerous and perverse" agenda that Stephens and the others had now prevented Republicans from blocking.

Targeted lawmakers pushed back. State Rep. Bill Seitz, a long-serving Cincinnati Republican, said his record as a conservative was clear. State Rep. Sara Carruthers chided Merrin in a Dayton Daily News interview, calling him a crybaby who couldn't stand being outmaneuvered.

State Rep. Jon Cross quipped to the USA Today Network’s Ohio bureau, "What you're telling me is I'm a Republican that voted for a Republican speaker and the state Republican party is censuring me? Sounds like the dips---s are running the insane asylum."

The Ironton Tribune, located in the seat of the county where Stephens is a former commissioner and auditor, called the censure "juvenile" and "politics at its worst."

"(T)here seems to be no interest in turning down the outlandish rhetoric and acting like the adults in the room," they wrote.

The paper called on Republican Gov. Mike DeWine to speak out and urge the party to "move toward actually getting things done in Columbus."

OHIO HOUSE PASSES INTERNAL RULES, CAN NOW PROCEED WITH ITS WORK DESPITE POWER STRUGGLE IN GOP SUPERMAJORITY

DeWine, an establishment Republican whose support for Trump has been tepid, has faced his own share of run-ins with the state central committee — where opponents of his aggressive early response to the coronavirus have grown in their numbers. He said he was staying out of it.

His budget bill, a $57.5 billion blueprint for state spending over the two years beginning July 1, is among House bills that are yet to materialize — though some committee activity has begun on the proposal.

Stephens' and Merrin's differences appear largely to surround stylistic decisions, including how quickly a measure to the ballot that would make it harder to amend Ohio's constitution should be pushed and whether to fully eliminate Ohio's income tax, for example.

A key exception is with regard to unions. Stephens questions a so-called "backpack bill" that would extend Ohio's vouchers to every schoolchild, including those attending private schools, and appears to have rejected bringing an anti-union "right to work" bill this session, which had been a Merrin priority.

Groups touting parents' rights, a burgeoning Republican priority nationally, have used union donations to try to link Stephens and his leadership team to former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, who's on trial for corruption in Cincinnati. They cast the group as in the pocket of "Big Labor," including the same teachers' unions that supported Householder and have opposed the backpack bill.

"Ohio voters went to the polls in November and voted overwhelmingly across the state for an agenda that would return parental rights in education, get a handle on state government spending, and lower taxes on everything from gas to groceries," said an anti-Stephens column that Ohio Value Voters distributed last week. "Now, with the control of the speaker’s gavel based on support from the Democrats, that agenda seems to have taken a significant hit."

NRCC gives embattled Katie Porter a Valentine vowing to ‘flip this seat’ in 2024

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) sent embattled Democrat Rep. Katie Porter of California a Valentine vowing to "flip" her seat after she retires to run for the Senate.

The NRCC delivered the note to Porter on Valentine’s Day on Tuesday with a personalized poem to the congresswoman and a photo of her infamous Batgirl Halloween costume.

"Roses are red. Violets are blue," the valentine taped to the outside of Porter’s Washington, D.C. office. "Thanks for retiring. We're going to flip this seat, too."

KATIE PORTER BERATED IRVINE MAYOR IN TEXTS: ‘LECTURE ME’ ON ‘PROFESSIONALISM’ AND ‘SEE WHAT HAPPENS’

"Whichever flawed candidate Democrats dredge up to replace chaotic Katie Porter, the NRCC will ensure their candidacy gets canceled like the Batgirl movie," NRCC spokesperson Ben Petersen told Fox News Digital.

Porter’s spokesperson Lindsay Reilly told Fox News Digital the congresswoman is looking forward to giving the valentine to California Democrat state Rep. David Min, who is running to replace the congresswoman in Washington.

"We look forward to passing this along to Democrat Dave Min when he's elected next November," Reilly said.

Porter announced she would be running for Senate to replace now-outgoing Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who said on Tuesday she would not be seeking re-election in 2024.

Feinstein has served in the Senate since 1992.

The California congresswoman, who is battling accusations of racism and a toxic work environment, announced her candidacy before Feinstein said she would retire.

Additionally, Porter — who infamously wore a skin-tight Batgirl costume for an impeachment vote against former President Trump — faced scrutiny after she berated Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan in their text conversation after trashing the Irvine police department after her violent 2021 town hall.

The congresswoman — a former law professor who was paid more than $285,000 one year during her time at the University of California, Irvine — made headlines when it was revealed she earned thousands of dollars in royalty fees from law school textbooks that she required her own students to purchase for the courses she taught.

Porter narrowly won re-election for a third term in 2022, defeating Republican candidate Scott Baugh to secure her seat.

Fox News Politics: She’s running

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

NEVER MISS A MOMENT — Check out the latest news on campaigns and politics at FoxNews.com

SHE'S RUNNING: Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and former ambassador to the UN under Trump, announced her 2024 presidential run Tuesday — challenging her former boss for the GOP nomination. Haley is scheduled to make her first campaign speech Wednesday in Charleston. Read more from Ronn Blitzer: Nikki Haley announces presidential campaign: 'It's time for a new generation of leadership'

SHE'S NOT RUNNING: California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the oldest current member of the Senate, won't seek re-election in 2024. Two Democrats have already announced their intention to run for the seat. Read more from Kyle Morris: Dianne Feinstein announces she will not seek re-election in 2024

HE'S (PROBABLY) RUNNING: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, saying she can't discuss politics under the HATCH Act, told MSNBC what President Biden "has said many times is that he intends to run." Read more from Danielle Wallace: White House reaffirms that President Biden intends to run for re-election in 2024

SPY ME TO THE MOON: A fourth "object" was shot down flying over US airspace amid growing worries about Chinese spy crafts. Read more from Jessica Chasmar: Timeline: Fourth flying object downed by US military in 8 days

LINUS TEST: Newly elected Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has described his severe hearing disability as causing him to hear the voice of the teacher from the "Peanuts" cartoon when listening to people speak, the New York Times reported, raising more questions about his health and fitness to serve after he was hospitalized last week. Read more from Aubrie Spady: Fetterman hears voices like the teachers in 'Peanuts' after stroke, struggles to adjust to Senate life: report

TWO FOR ONE: The first Sidewinder missile U.S. fighter jets fired at the object over Lake Huron missed the target, but the second shot took it down. Each missile costs around $400,000. Read more from Louis Casiano and Luke Tomlinson: US military's first shot at unknown octagonal object over Lake Huron missed, officials say

RETURN TO THE CHAMBER: Sen. John Fetterman returned to the Senate on Monday, after spending several days in the hospital, where tests confirmed he had not suffered from an additional stroke, according to his staff. Read more from Aubrie Spady: Fetterman returns to Senate after days in hospital, casts vote on Senate floor amid ongoing health issues

LIE TO ME: Rep. Nancy Mace says any suggestion that the Pentagon does not know what an object is once they shoot it down "is an absolute lie" and is "a bipartisan issue." Read more: Rep. Mace calls out Pentagon's ‘very disturbing’ lack of transparency: Why is Congress 'kept in the dark?'

RECRUITMENT CRISIS: Four House Republicans, all military veterans, are warning that the Biden administration’s handling of incidents like the Chinese spy balloon and Afghanistan withdrawal will further hamper military recruiting efforts. Read more from Kyle Morris: House GOP warns Biden’s policy blunders, China's spying could worsen ‘alarming’ military recruitment crisis

WAPO WALKBACK: The Washington Post's profile on freshman GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna stirred up controversy on the right, with the Florida congresswoman accusing the outlet of attempting to paint a false narrative of her life. The Washington Post corrected its story once, and later issued an additional clarification, after Fox News Digital reached out with several questions about the piece. Read more from Thomas Phippen: Washington Post's 'bizarre,' 'comical' profile of Anna Paulina Luna littered with errors, congresswoman says

MISSION: IMPEACH MAYORKAS: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is bringing on a private law firm to assist with potential impeachment proceedings against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. "The Department of Homeland Security has retained outside counsel to help ensure the department’s vital mission is not interrupted by the unprecedented, unjustified and partisan impeachment efforts by some members of Congress, who have already taken steps to initiate proceedings," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News. Read more from Patrick Ward, Timothy H.J. Nerozzi: DHS bringing on private law firm to help with potential Mayorkas impeachment proceedings

OFF TO THE RACES: With Haley's announcement, the GOP fight for the presidential nomination battle is heating up. Read more from Paul Steinhauser: Haley's presidential announcement may open the flood gates in the 2024 GOP nomination race

POPCORN TIME: The DNC mocked Haley's announcement and suggested that her campaign will showcase GOP infighting: Read more from Aubrie Spady: DNC mocks Nikki Haley's presidential campaign announcement: 'Everyone get your popcorn'

SEEING RED: Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Trump both top Biden in the key western swing state of Nevada in hypothetical 2024 election matchups. Read more from Paul Steinhauser: DeSantis and Trump top Biden in potential 2024 showdown in battleground Nevada: poll

TAKEN-FOR-GRANTED STATE: If there’s going to be a primary challenge against President Biden as he most likely runs for re-election in 2024, New Hampshire appears to be the most likely place for it after the DNC booted the state from its lead-off primary spot. Read more from Paul Steinhauser: Growing signs that Biden could face a 2024 nomination challenge in this key early primary state

NO VEEP LEAP: Former DNC Chair Donna Brazile is certain that Harris will not be replaced on the 2024 ticket, and may even make a bid for the presidency herself if Biden does not seek re-election. Read more from Aubrie Spady: Former DNC chair says Harris 'will not be replaced' on 2024 ticket, will be Dem nominee if Biden does not run

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How a Bush-era law requiring border ‘perfection’ stands at center of GOP impeachment case  

Posted on (Updated by Rebecca Beitsch

A budding GOP impeachment case against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is relying on a 2006 law that says operational control of the border means the prevention “of all unlawful entries” to the United States — a standard seen as impossible to meet.  

The Secure Fence Act of 2006 was passed during a failed Bush-era effort to move a comprehensive immigration reform bill. In the fallout, House Republicans rushed to show they were taking action on border security, requiring the installation of intermittent fencing along the southern border.  

Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Gregory Payan/AP Images for NFL)

But a provision of the law defining operational control is now at the center of the new House GOP majority’s effort to impeach Mayorkas, who is accused of lying to Congress when he’s said the border is secure.  

“Secretary Mayorkas does not think that the border is open. He thinks that he has operational control, although the Secure Fence Act of 2006 clearly defines what operational control of a border is, and that means that no contraband or individual can come into the country illegally,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, a conservative Republican from Arizona and one of two members who have formally introduced articles of impeachment against Mayorkas. 

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“And yet, under his watch, Secretary Mayorkas has allowed in approximately 5 million illegal aliens coming through, and that doesn’t include got-aways,” added Biggs.

Republicans argue that Mayorkas has been ineffective in managing what they see as a crisis, as record numbers of migrants attempt to cross the southern border. It’s a failure they contend is a violation of his oath of office. 

“He has taken an oath, a constitutional oath, to obey the laws of the United States and protect us,” said Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas), who this year filed the first articles of impeachment against Mayorkas.   

Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)

“In 2006, the Secure Fence Act was passed which requires the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to maintain the operational control of the southern border. He has clearly not done that,” Fallon said.  

Democrats and other critics of the GOP case argue that the differences between Republicans and Mayorkas are largely policy issues that don’t rise to the level of impeachment. 

“Impeachment covers treason, bribery and other high crimes and misdemeanors. It's not typically envisioned as covering policy disputes, or disagreements on policy, which seems like what these are,” said Dave Rapallo, a Georgetown Law professor who also worked with Democrats on the impeachment of former President Trump. 

He and others argue that the 2006 law lays out an impossible standard — but includes clear language that gives the secretary the discretion to determine how to meet it. 

“Congress has delegated to the secretary of Homeland Security the decision to determine what is 'necessary and appropriate.' And that's what the department is doing. There may be a difference of opinion about whether that happens with walls or other mechanisms to prevent unlawful entry,” Rapallo said. “But if the standard is that not one migrant can get into the United States, that’s a standard no secretary of Homeland Security would ever meet.” 

Doris Meissner, who ran the Immigration and Naturalization Service under former President Clinton and how heads the U.S. Immigration Policy Program at the Migration Policy Institute, said the standard "isn't something that we ask of any other law enforcement regime."

Previous Homeland Security secretaries, Democrats and Republicans, have not been removed over the standard highlighted by Biggs and Fallon.  

“The assumption with having law enforcement at all, is that there are laws and there will be a degree to which laws are broken, and law enforcement, and law enforcement systems, and structures are in place to keep them to a minimum and to create accountability if they do happen," said Meissner. 

Biggs himself acknowledged the standard that no one or thing can enter the country illegally for the DHS secretary to not be impeached is a high one. But he argues Mayorkas still deserves to be impeached because of how he has handled border security.  

“While that particular statute requires perfection, which we all recognize is an impossible task, the American public still trusts him to do his very best to secure operational control of the border. He necessarily has the ‘public trust,’ and as a Cabinet secretary, he is a public man,” he wrote in an op-ed shortly after introducing his resolution. 

“The case against Alejandro Mayorkas … does not necessarily turn on whether Mayorkas has actually committed a statutorily defined black-letter crime. It is whether he has committed a ‘high crime’ as that term is understood under the U.S. Constitution.” 

The fencing bill was passed after two competing comprehensive immigration reform bills moved through the House and Senate in 2005. 

The House version, led by former Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), was a security-focused immigration crackdown; the Senate version led by former Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) paired border security and guest worker provisions with a broad legalization program for undocumented immigrants. 

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Jan. 29, 2008 (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

To no one's surprise, the House and Senate were unable to find a middle ground in conference, and the two bills failed in the lead-up to the 2006 midterm elections. 

“There really was a strong feeling, in the Senate in particular, that people had to go home with something to show for immigration, in order to be running their campaigns, and having some kind of a message to take back to their constituents,” said Meissner.  

“So they passed this act quite hurriedly in October of 2006, right on the cusp of the elections. It just had this sort of sweeping mandate, which really hadn't been tested or vetted with the executive branch,” she added. 

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), one of the co-sponsors of the 2006 border bill, described the legislation as tasking the Homeland Security secretary to determine where to put fencing. 

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

“It was our intention to put a fence not everywhere but where it made sense to put the fence on the border, you know, [in] more populated areas to have the infrastructure in place to stop illegal crossings,” he said, noting along with specific mileage of fencing, “we gave discretion to the secretary to use his or her judgment as to where to put it.” 

McCaul, a stern Mayorkas critic who has directly admonished the secretary in hearings, has likewise criticized members of his party for rushing a process he said should be handled by committees of jurisdiction who can investigate and build a strong case for impeachment.  

“You can make the case to the American people without having to do it overnight. We criticized the Democrats for impeaching Trump in one day. ... We shouldn't make that same mistake,” he told The Hill. 

Mayorkas and his department are now gearing up for a fight.  

The department initially declined to assign specific staff to deal with impeachment, but on Friday confirmed it had hired an outside law firm to aid in any eventual impeachment hearings. 

It’s also shifted tone in its public statements on impeachment developments, attacking the credibility of the resolutions directly. 

“Instead of pointing fingers and trying to score political points, the Members of Congress recklessly and baselessly pursuing impeachment should work on legislative solutions for our broken immigration system,” DHS said last week when Biggs’s resolution was introduced.  

Republicans have rolled out other arguments for impeachment, including one that mirrors a recent lawsuit from a number of GOP-led states challenging a program that allows 30,000 migrants from Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and Venezuela to be “paroled” into the country each month, while quickly expelling to Mexico an equal number of migrants from those countries who show up at the border. 

The resolution deems the current use of parole an abuse, calling it a way to "'legally’ admit aliens.” 

Biggs and other Republicans are also basing their impeachment case on a broader claim — dismissed as a conspiracy theory by Democrats — that the Biden administration is intentionally loosening border controls. 

“First of all, when we look at that intentionality, this is done intentionally,” Biggs told reporters last week. “This is not negligence, it is not by accident. It is not incompetence, and how do we know that? Well, just like we look at a culpable mental state, like intentionality or knowledge, we look at a totality of circumstances." 

Biggs said the evidence of intention is in Mayorkas ending a series of Trump-era border policies, a move that many Republicans believe is the direct cause of increased migration in the Western Hemisphere, presumably knowing his policies would result in increased border crossings. 

But whether Republican leadership decides to forward any impeachment resolution, the process could face a substantial roadblock in the Democratic-controlled upper chamber. 

“A majority of the House could just decide to impeach the secretary based on whatever it puts in its resolution,” Rapallo said. “But that's highly unlikely to go anywhere in the Senate.”