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Biden Cabinet secretary announces retirement ahead of ‘crazy, silly’ election season

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge announced Monday that she is stepping down from her position.

"It's time to go home,’’ Fudge told USA Today, which reported that her last day is March 22. "I do believe strongly that I have done just about everything I could do at HUD for this administration as we go into this crazy, silly season of an election."

With her departure, Fudge will become only the second original Cabinet member to leave the Biden administration after Labor Secretary Marty Walsh stepped down last year.

"From her time as a mayor, to her years as a fierce advocate in the U.S. House of Representatives, Marcia’s vision, passion, and focus on increasing economic opportunity have been assets to our country," President Biden said in a statement Monday. "I’m grateful for all of her contributions toward a housing system that works for all Americans, and I wish her well in her next chapter."

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Biden described Fudge as a "strong voice for expanding efforts to build generational wealth through homeownership and lowering costs and promoting fairness for America’s renters. 

"Under Marcia’s transformational leadership, we have worked hard to lower housing costs and increase supply. We’ve proposed the largest investment in affordable housing in U.S. history," Biden added. "We’ve taken steps to aggressively combat racial discrimination in housing by ensuring home appraisals are more fair and by strengthening programs to redress the negative impacts of redlining. Thanks to Secretary Fudge, we’ve helped first-time homebuyers, and we are working to cut the cost of renting. And there are more housing units under construction right now than at any time in the last 50 years."

Fudge, 71, served as a Democrat in the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2021, representing the 11th Congressional District of Ohio which includes the city of Cleveland. 

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"She was a member of several Congressional Caucuses and past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus," her biography on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website says, adding that in 1999, she "was elected the first female and first African American mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, a position she held for two terms."

Fudge also was the director of Budget and Finance at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office in Ohio.

"Don’t look for me to ever be on another ballot or another appointee or anything like that,’’ she told USA Today, noting that she wants to spend more time with her mother – who turns 93 next month – and relatives in Ohio. "I really do look forward to being a private citizen."

She also argued that affordable housing should be a key focus for both Democrats and Republicans.

‘‘It is not a red or blue issue,’’ she told USA Today. "Everybody knows that it is an issue so it’s not a one-sided issue. It’s an American issue.’’

Fox News' Peter Doocy and Kaitlin Sprague contributed to this report.

Senate Dems, Republicans clash over federal IVF protections: ‘They’re covering their a—s’

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Senate Republicans pointed to Alabama's recent law to protect in vitro fertilization (IVF) providers from civil and criminal liability as proof of states' capacity to self-correct and the reason Democrat-led federal legislation to protect the fertility procedure isn't necessary.

"Basically every state I know of supports IVF," said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor.

Other Republican senators who spoke to Fox News Digital agreed.

Following a controversial decision by Alabama's Supreme Court ruling frozen embryos were legally children, the state's legislature quickly sprung into action to protect IVF. Several clinics conducting IVF shut down their procedures after the court's decision, but once the state passed a law releasing them from liability, some of the centers began to reopen. 

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Cassidy cited Alabama's fast legislative work in his explanation against federal legislation on IVF. 

"Once you get the federal government involved, it's going to open the door to some mischief that goes far beyond what you originally wanted to," he said. 

"The issue that brought this debate was happening in Alabama, and they've dealt with it in legislation," added Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. 

According to Rubio, a larger conversation is necessary "about what's right and appropriate and legal and protected when it comes to discarding the extra human embryos that are not going to be used."

"It's legal in all 50 states," said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who introduced a resolution this week affirming support for IVF. 

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Scott's resolution expresses support for IVF and families looking to expand but doesn't carry the weight of a bill or make changes to the law. 

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who spearheaded a bill to enshrine protections for IVF into law, slammed the resolution.

"They're covering their a---s," Duckworth said of her Republican colleagues. "That's what they're trying to do. A resolution doesn't do anything." 

DID BIDEN PASS OR FAIL? FORMER PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHWRITERS GRADE THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

Duckworth attempted to force a vote last week on her IVF bill, asking for unanimous consent to move it to the floor. However, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., objected to it. 

Duckworth said Republicans had not been approaching her to negotiate a potential bipartisan measure either. 

And its unclear whether Democrats would be willing to make concessions to work with their Republican colleagues on a bill. 

"The Duckworth bill is a perfect bill," said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. "Her bill is just a person has a right to access IVF, and a provider has a right to provide IVF. It's not a mandate. It just protects the patient, protects the provider."

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Scott notably didn't rule out legislation to protect the procedure in the future. 

"I think we're gonna do everything we can to make sure it continues to be legal," he said. 

Other Republicans similarly left the door open. 

A federal bill to protect the fertility procedure is "certainly a discussion we can have, but at this point it's protected in every state," said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. 

"If it ever became an issue, I would consider it," added Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah. "But there's not a state in the country that does not protect IVF."

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According to Romney, it doesn't require "federal addressing at this stage."

"If there was a point there needed to be federal action on it, I would definitely be supportive," agreed Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. 

"I believe that way Alabama handled it was good."

A number of Democratic senators were critical of their GOP colleagues' claims federal protections aren't needed now. 

"I think that's wrong," claimed Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn. "Absolutely, we need to protect people's capacity to access" IVF. 

SEN. SCHMITT SAYS BIDEN FAILED TO ADDRESS KEY ISSUES DURING 'DIVISIVE,' 'BIZARRE' SOTU ADDRESS

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., expressed skepticism over Alabama's new law, telling Fox News Digital legal scholars believe "it raises as many questions as it answers."

"Without the protection of Roe v. Wade, the states can do what the Alabama court did and effectively end IVF in the state," she warned. 

According to Warren, if congressional Republicans were "truly committed to protecting IVF," they would be in favor of a bill to do so federally. "But, so far, they are not." 

Justice Department does not turn over Hur-Biden interview transcript despite House subpoena

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The Justice Department has not turned over transcripts or audio recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with President Biden despite a subpoena requesting that they were to be provided by Thursday, March 7, the House Judiciary Committee says. 

The development comes after Republicans leading an impeachment inquiry into the President’s mishandling of classified documents wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland in February notifying him of the subpoena. 

"We received a small production from DOJ but not the transcripts or audio that we need and requested," House Judiciary Committee spokesman Russel Dye told Fox News on Friday. "Our staff has all necessary clearances to review the contents of the President’s interview, which dealt with materials found in unsecured areas like garages, closets and commercial office space.  We are evaluating next steps."   

A source familiar with the subpoena told Fox News late last month that the deadline to hand over the materials was March 7 at 9 a.m. ET.   

DOJ REVIEWING BIDEN, HUR INTERVIEW TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL CLASSIFIED INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO HOUSE GOP DEMANDS 

A spokesperson from the Justice Department then said Thursday that "The Department has been in touch with the Committees and anticipated responding to their subpoenas today." 

In the letter sent to Garland in February, which was signed by House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, they wrote that their committees, "in coordination with the Ways and Means Committee, are investigating whether sufficient grounds exist to draft articles of impeachment against President Biden for consideration by the full House."   

"The Committees are concerned that President Biden may have retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family's foreign business dealings," they added. 

DOJ DEFENDS SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT ON BIDEN’S MEMORY 

Hur, who released his report on the matter to the public in February after months of investigating, did not recommend criminal charges against Biden for mishandling and retaining classified documents and stated that he wouldn't bring charges against Biden even if he were not in the Oval Office. 

Those records included classified documents about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan and other countries, among other records related to national security and foreign policy, which Hur said implicated "sensitive intelligence sources and methods." 

Hur described Biden as a "sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory," a description that has raised significant concerns for Biden's 2024 re-election campaign.  

Hur will testify publicly about his report on March 12 before the House Judiciary Committee. 

Fox News' Brooke Singman and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.

Trump blasts Biden as ‘angry, mentally disturbed’ during SOTU address: ‘He did a terrible job’

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EXCLUSIVE: Former President Donald Trump blasted President Biden and his State of the Union address Thursday night, telling Fox News Digital that Biden clearly "suffers from a terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome." 

The former president and presumptive Republican nominee, in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, reacted to Biden’s address.

BIDEN SLAMS TRUMP MULTIPLE TIMES IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

"He was angry, mentally disturbed, and misrepresenting a lot of the facts concerning almost every subject he discussed," Trump said.

"But he got through it. He is still breathing, and they didn’t have to carry him out in a straight jacket," Trump said. "Other than that, I think he did a terrible job."

Biden invoked Trump nearly a dozen times during his more than an hour-long address, never using his name, but instead referring to him as "my predecessor," on issues like abortion, immigration, Russia's war against Ukraine, and more. 

"He suffers from a terminal case of Trump derangement syndrome, which is only curable through impeachment," Trump told Fox News Digital. 

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When asked why he felt Biden repeatedly brought him up, Trump said: "Because I’m beating him by 14 points in the polls." 

"He was very angry and that’s also a symptom of a certain type of problem — senility," Trump said. "He shouldn’t be at this age because he’s a young man relative to others his age that are very successful." 

Trump's comments come after he gave a play-by-play of Biden's State of the Union on his Truth Social Thursday night. 

The former president and presumptive GOP nominee blasted Biden throughout the speech on everything from his repeated coughing spells, to the length of time — nearly 40 minutes — it took him to address the crisis at the southern border, to his "shouting," and more. 

Trump's comments also come after he swept Super Tuesday primary contests, prompting his last-standing opponent in the GOP field, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, to suspend her campaign. 

In a Truth Social post Thursday night following the speech, Trump blasted Biden as "a threat to democracy." 

"HE WEAPONIZED GOVERNMENT AGAINST HIS OPPONENT – DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THAT, NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!" Trump posted. 

Biden to use State of the Union to stress ‘historic achievements’ and importance of ‘saving our democracy’

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President Biden is expected to lay out his administration’s "historic achievements" during his third State of the Union address Thursday night, the White House said, while stressing the importance of "uniting the country" and "saving our democracy." 

The president is expected to deliver his State of the Union address Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. 

A White House official told Fox News Digital the president will "lay out the historic achievements he has delivered on for the American people and his vision for the future." 

"President Biden got more done in the first three years than most presidents have accomplished in two terms," a White House official told Fox News Digital. 

JIM BANKS CALLS ON BIDEN TO 'PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE' LAKEN RILEY AT SOTU

The president is expected to discuss "protecting and implementing his agenda" during the last year of his term and in what he hopes will be a second term. 

The official said Biden will discuss infrastructure and investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, lowering drug prices and "getting rid of junk fees." 

But, at the heart of the speech, the president is expected to discuss "whose side he is on," the official said, and "the work ahead to make life better for every American." 

The president will discuss lowering costs, lowering health care premiums and "taking on the drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs." 

Biden is also set to discuss ways he intends to put the middle class "first." 

The official said Biden will also lay out strategies for "saving our democracy" and "protecting women’s reproductive health." 

While the State of the Union cannot be viewed as a campaign speech, the president, who is running for re-election, will likely try to draw a contrast between his policies and Republican policies. 

"Rights and freedoms are on the ballot," the White House official said, adding that Biden will discuss "uniting the country" and his "unity agenda." 

That "unity agenda," according to the official, will touch on privacy and big tech, ways to curb fentanyl, helping veterans and ending cancer. 

"We want to get as much done as we can as soon as we can," the official said. "We're going to be pedal to the metal this year, and there’s much more to come in a second term." 

BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: BRET BAIER, MARTHA MACCALLUM TO LEAD FOX NEWS CHANNEL'S SPECIAL COVERAGE

But the White House did not offer any insight into how the president will address the crisis at the southern border during his Thursday night address. 

The ongoing border crisis has become a top political issue in the days leading up to the address, with Biden expected to renew his calls for the Senate to pass a border agreement unveiled earlier this year. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration.

The address comes after a historic year for illegal immigration, with more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2023. Fiscal 2024 has been similarly overwhelming, with over 300,000 encounters in December. 

The president visited the southern border last week, traveling to Brownsville, Texas. His visit came on the same day as his GOP opponent, former President Trump. Biden met with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders and urged Republicans to back a bipartisan Senate bill to address the crisis. 

"It's real simple. It's time to act. It is long past time to act," the president said last week.  "It's time for us to move on this. We can't wait any longer."

The president's visit came just days after the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, was arrested and charged in Riley's murder.

ALABAMA SEN. KATIE BRITT TO DELIVER REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO BIDEN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: 'TRULY HONORED'

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the Venezuelan national entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previously been arrested in New York City and later released. 

Biden has not yet mentioned Riley’s name. 

The president’s address also comes at a time of global uncertainty, amid ongoing wars between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine and tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific. 

Last month, White House officials acknowledged a national security threat related to Russian abilities in space that could impact U.S. and global military telecommunications. 

RUSSIAN NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES IN SPACE COULD THREATEN INTERNATIONAL SATELLITES, US MILITARY COMMS: SOURCES

Also, last month, the United States conducted retaliatory strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups and proxies. The strikes came in response to the deaths of three U.S. service members on a U.S. base in Jordan.

There have been at least 160 attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East since mid-October.

The president's address also comes as the House of Representatives conducts an impeachment inquiry against him. GOP lawmakers are investigating whether he was involved or benefited from his family's overseas business dealings, something they say could impact U.S. national security. 

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His speech to the nation also comes just weeks after special counsel Robert Hur released his highly anticipated report following his months-long investigation into Biden's improper retention of classified records. 

Hur, in his report, described the president as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," and did not bring charges against him. 

SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN 'SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,' BRINGS NO CHARGES

Opponents of the president have raised concerns about his mental fitness for the presidency and a potential second term. 

Meanwhile, White House communications director Ben LaBolt said the president, in his address, "will make the case to continue to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out," saying his policies have "led to record job creation, the strongest economy in the world, increased wages and household wealth and lower prescription drug and energy costs." 

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LaBolt drew the contrast between that of the "MAGA Republican agenda," which he claims is focused on "rewarding billionaires and corporations with big tax breaks, taking away rights and freedoms and undermining our democracy." 

But the White House’s messaging is not only focused on Thursday night’s speech. LaBolt said we live in a "fractured communications landscape" and said many Americans "won’t consume the State of the Union collectively in the same moment or through the same medium." 

"Therefore, we’re fanning out aggressively not only Thursday but in the weeks ahead to reach Americans where they receive the news with the president’s message about whose side he’s on," LaBolt said. 

In the days following the State of the Union, Biden is expected to travel to Philadelphia and Atlanta, and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Arizona and Nevada. 

The White House will also send cabinet secretaries to states across the nation, including Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan and other states to highlight the Biden administration’s agenda. 

Following Biden’s address Thursday night, Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt is expected to deliver the GOP response. 

Fox News' Adam Shae contributed to this report. 

Comer invites Hunter Biden, business associates to testify publicly March 20 amid impeachment inquiry

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is inviting Hunter Biden and his business associates to testify at a public hearing later this month as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 

Comer, R-Ky., invited Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, Devon Archer and Jason Galanis to testify at a public hearing March 20 at 10 a.m. 

All four individuals have testified behind closed doors as part of the impeachment inquiry, but Comer said the hearing will "examine inconsistencies among the witnesses’ testimonies in order to get the truth for the American people."

HUNTER BIDEN ADMITS HE PUT HIS FATHER ON SPEAKERPHONE, INVITED HIM TO MEETINGS, BUT DENIES 'INVOLVEMENT'
 

"Evidence obtained in the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry reveals Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden name," Comer said in a statement Wednesday.

"Multiple witnesses have testified Joe Biden allowed his family to sell him as ‘the brand’ around the world to enrich the Biden family. Joe Biden met with nearly all of his son’s foreign business associates; attended dinners with foreign oligarchs who collectively funneled his son millions of dollars; spoke on speakerphone with his son’s foreign associates, telling those who did business with his son to be ‘good to my boy;’ and had coffee with his son’s Chinese business associate." 

Comer said the Bidens’ "pay-to-play scheme is corrupt and Americans demand accountability."

"During our deposition and interview phase of the investigation, Hunter Biden confirmed evidence about Joe Biden’s involvement, yet his testimony conflicts with other witnesses’ testimonies," Comer continued. "Given the (president's) son’s repeated calls for a public hearing, I fully expect Hunter Biden to appear for a scheduled Oversight Committee hearing on March 20, alongside Biden family business associates.

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"The American people deserve the facts about the Biden family’s corrupt influence peddling and Oversight Republicans will work to ensure accountability and press for answers to inform legislative solutions to prevent this abuse of power." 

Hunter Biden appeared for a highly anticipated deposition last week before both the House Oversight and Judiciary committees and maintained that his father was never involved and never benefited from his businesses. 

The committee also heard testimony from James Biden, the president’s younger brother, who testified the same. 

JOE BIDEN 'ENABLED' FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO 'DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,' TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES

Hunter Biden did admit, however, that he put his father, Joe Biden, on speakerphone with his business associates and invited him to drop by his business lunches. 

Archer testified before the House Oversight Committee last year that Hunter Biden put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times with business associates. 

And Bobulinski testified he personally met with Joe Biden in 2017 for more than 45 minutes. He also testified that Joe Biden "enabled" his son Hunter to sell access to the United States’ "most dangerous adversaries," including the Chinese Communist Party, Russia and more. 

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

Meanwhile, Galanis, who is serving a 14-year sentence, testified from prison that Joe Biden was allegedly considering joining the board of a joint venture created by Hunter Biden and his business associates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party after he left the vice presidency.

Galanis also said that the words "lean in" were "used often by Devon and Hunter in our business dealings as a term for access to Vice President Biden’s political influence."

McConnell endorses Trump for president after Super Tuesday results: ‘He will have my support’

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Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed former President Trump's re-election campaign on Wednesday after he collected nearly 1,000 delegates from a thunderous performance on Super Tuesday.

"It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States. It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support," McConnell said in a statement. 

He continued: "During his Presidency, we worked together to accomplish great things for the American people including tax reform that supercharged our economy and a generational change of our federal judiciary - most importantly, the Supreme Court."

"I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing defense against the terrible policies the Biden administration has pursued to a sustained offense geared towards making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people," McConnell added.

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The endorsement comes after Trump's only primary opponent, Nikki Haley, suspended her presidential campaign on Wednesday morning.

McConnell, who turned 82 last month, was the most senior member of Congress that had yet to endorse Trump.

His endorsement comes after he vehemently criticized Trump and called him "morally responsible" for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

McConnell blamed Trump for inciting the riot and said he was responsible for the "entire manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe" and "wild myths" about the election. The Senate leader ultimately did not vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges.

McConnell's endorsement comes as he announced last Wednesday that he would step down as Republican leader to pursue "life's next chapter."

"One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter," he said on the Senate floor. "So I stand before you today... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate."

"I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed," McConnell added last week.

He will serve the remainder of his term, which formally ends in January 2027.

Johnson’s State of the Union guests include mother of woman allegedly killed by MS-13 gang member

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FIRST ON FOX: Speaker Mike Johnson’s guests at the State of the Union on Thursday will include a mother who lost her son to a pill laced with fentanyl and the mother of a Maryland woman who was raped and murdered in 2022, allegedly by an MS-13 gang member.

Johnson, R-La., has invited Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter Kayla Hamilton was killed in her mobile home in 2022, to the Thursday address by President Biden. He has also invited Stefanie Turner, who formed Texas Against Fentanyl after her son Tucker was killed by an illicit Percocet pill.

"President Biden’s open-border catastrophe is undermining the safety of our communities and ripping families apart," Johnson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Tammy Nobles and Stefanie Turner are two of the many parents who’ve experienced the devastating effects of the catastrophe at our border, having tragically lost their children to criminal aliens and fentanyl, which is pouring through our borders."

HOUSE JUDICIARY REPORT FAULTS BIDEN ADMIN FOR RELEASE OF ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER NOW CHARGED WITH MURDER 

The ongoing border crisis has become a top political issue in the days leading up to the address, with Biden expected to renew his calls for the Senate to pass a border agreement unveiled earlier this year. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration.

"I’m honored to be hosting Tammy and Stefanie at the State of the Union, as we fight for a secure border and to hold President Biden accountable for his failure to protect this country and the American people," Johnson said.

Nobles testified in the impeachment hearings of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing her daughter’s murder as a consequence of the crisis at the border. In 2023, police arrested an El Salvadoran 17-year-old who authorities said is linked to the MS-13 street gang and who was released into the U.S. in 2022 into the custody of his aunt after being encountered at the border.

"I’m honored to be a guest of Speaker Mike Johnson at the State of the Union. I am so glad that my efforts to share Kayla's story and bring awareness to what is happening at the border are being recognized," Nobles said in a statement. "I will continue fighting and demanding accountability for what is happening at the border. I hope positive changes will occur in the future to save many lives. Something must change."

BIDEN, DURING VISIT TO OVERWHELMED BORDER, URGES REPUBLICANS TO BACK SENATE BILL: ‘TIME TO ACT’ 

Turner described fentanyl, which can be fatal in tiny doses and is primarily made in Mexico and smuggled across the U.S. border, as a "clandestine killer."

"While I carry the pain of losing my only son, Tucker, I also represent all the families who have to learn to live life again after the death of their loved one. It is absolutely heartbreaking. We are so disgusted that more is not being done to stop this war on the American people. We have had enough," she said in a statement. "We must do more to educate our youth and communities!"

Republicans have tied the three-year crisis to the policies of the administration, including narrowed interior enforcement, catch-and-release and a reversal of Trump-era policies.

Biden, who last week visited the border in Brownsville, Texas, has said Congress needs to pass reforms and provide more funding. He has backed a bipartisan Senate bill, which has failed to drum up enough support to pass. 

DUELING BIDEN, TRUMP VISITS TO BESIEGED BORDER COME AMID FRESH SLEW OF VIOLENT CRIMES BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

The deal includes $1.4 billion in funding to cities and NGOs receiving migrants, action to tackle fentanyl smuggling and a limit on asylum claims. It would also increase detention beds to 50,000 and provide additional immigration judges. However, conservatives have opposed it, saying it is insufficient and that it would normalize high levels of illegal immigration. House Republicans have called for the passage of the GOP border legislation passed in the House last year, instead.

But Biden said it was "time to act."

"Folks, the bipartisan border security bill is a win for the American people and a win for the people of Texas, and it's fair for those who legitimately have a right to come here," Biden said.

"The U.S. Senate needs to reconsider this bill and those senators who oppose it need to set politics aside and pass it on the merits, not on whether it's going to benefit one party or another party," he said, also calling for Johnson to put it on the floor in the House.

The White House told Fox News Digital when reached for comment Tuesday, "Speaker Johnson is making the case for the toughest bipartisan border security deal in modern history, which [the] President worked with Republicans and Democrats to deliver, but the Speaker is obstructing. Instead of choosing fentanyl traffickers, human smugglers, and Donald Trump over the Border Patrol and America’s national security, Speaker Johnson should join President Biden in supporting the safety of our communities."

McConnell in talks to endorse Trump in 2024 presidential race: report

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Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell could endorse former President Donald Trump in the 2024 race as one of his last major actions before leaving leadership.

McConnell's office and Trump's presidential campaign have been in talks over a possible endorsement, as well as a strategy to unite Republicans just eight months away from the November election, according to The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the situation.

McConnell is currently the highest-ranking Republican in Congress who has yet to back the former president's bid to return to the White House.

Any potential endorsement comes as Trump is competing with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to win the Republican nomination, and as both candidates compete for a whopping 854 delegates at stake on Super Tuesday, March 5.

WHAT TO WATCH IN SUPER TUESDAY PRIMARIES AS TRUMP AND HALEY FACE OFF YET AGAIN

Fox News Digital reached out to both the Trump campaign and McConnell’s Senate office but did not immediately receive a response.

McConnell, who turned 82 last month, announced on Wednesday that he would step down as Republican leader and would pursue "life's next chapter."

"One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter," he said on the Senate floor. "So I stand before you today... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate."

EXCLUSIVE: NO 2 SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN THUNE ENDORSES TRUMP IN 2024 REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

"I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed," McConnell added.

The decision is likely to set up a leadership election for the GOP conference that could determine the future of the Republican Party in the Senate – and how it could deal with Trump should he defeat President Biden in their November rematch.

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McConnell’s potential endorsement comes after he vehemently criticized Trump and called him "morally responsible" for the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol.

Following the riot, key Republicans, including McConnell, strongly suggested the party was done with the former president.

In a scathing speech, McConnell said Trump incited the insurrection at the Capitol and blamed him for the "entire manufactured atmosphere of looming catastrophe" and "wild myths" about the election. The Senate leader ultimately did not vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges.

Despite their differences, endorsements matter to Trump and the two unifying with their bumpy past could help Republicans unite up-and-down the ballot in a must-win election.

McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader, will formally leave the Senate when his term ends in January 2027.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Mayorkas responds to ‘SNL’ sketch that mocked WH defense of Biden’s age by continuing running trend

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas responded to a "Saturday Night Live" sketch that used him to poke fun at President Biden's age on Sunday.

"SNL" depicted Mayorkas interviewing with CNN's Dana Bash, an interview that ended up taking place in reality on Sunday morning on CNN's "State of the Union." 

On the show, the actor depicting Mayorkas rejected claims that Biden was moving slowly at the border during his visit last week, saying he saw the president carry out superhuman feats of agility and strength.

"Behind closed doors, he's a dynamo," the faux-Mayorkas said. "He went into beast mode. He said, ‘We gotta tighten this border. Look how easy I can cross it.' Then he parkoured up to the top of the border wall. He front-flipped into the Rio Grande and came back up with a fish in his mouth."

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Bash asked Mayorkas about the sketch Sunday morning, asking, "Does that happen every day?"

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"We all need a little comic relief now and then. I thought George Clooney did a terrific job," Mayorkas said, cracking a joke of his own. In reality, Marcello Hernández played Mayorkas.

Bash noted that the joke has a kernel of truth, in that a number of Americans are concerned about Biden's age, while administration officials tend to point to supposed examples of the president's vitality not seen by the public. Mayorkas continued this trend in response to Bash.

"They should spend a bit of time with Joe Biden like I have done," he responded before offering an anecdote. "I prepare a lot for meetings with him and engagements with him because he's remarkably detail-oriented, probing and operationally focused."

"But no fishing in the Rio Grande?" Bash asked.

"Not for me," Mayorkas said.

Biden visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas, last week, holding a competing event with former President Trump, who visited the much more heavily trafficked Eagle Pass, Texas.

Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that Brownsville has seen just 46 migrant encounters over the past five days, compared to 2,106 in Eagle Pass. The former averaged 17 migrant encounters per day in February, while the latter averaged 462.