Trump impeachment Dem pushes back on GOP concerns over possible role in assassination attempt probe

The office of a House Democrat who played a prominent role in former President Trump’s first impeachment is now pushing back against GOP-fueled criticism that he should not be on the task force investigating the attempted assassination of the former president.

Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who came under fire last year for saying that Trump "has to be eliminated," is among the Democrats being considered for a place on the bipartisan commission to study the July 13 shooting at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, rally, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital. 

"As someone with a lifelong commitment to democracy and the rule of law, Congressman Goldman immediately clarified a misstatement from last November to emphasize his strong condemnation of all political violence. The Congressman demonstrated with pointed questioning during congressional hearings last week that the Secret Service must be held accountable for its unacceptable security lapse, and he is determined to ensure such a failure never happens again," Goldman's spokesperson Madison Andrus told Fox News Digital.

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Goldman first came to national prominence as Democrats’ lead counsel during Trump’s first impeachment trial. He has remained a vocal Trump critic since coming to Congress in January 2023.

His potential placement on the commission has already invoked the ire of Trump allies since first being reported in Punchbowl News on Friday morning.

Among those leading the criticism is Donald Trump Jr., who recalled that Goldman had said that Trump needed to be "eliminated," in a November 2023 MSNBC interview, which Goldman has since apologized for.

"Democrats are trying to put Dan Goldman on the committee to investigate the assassination attempt. Just weeks ago he called for DJT to be ‘eliminated.’ Probably not the best person to have on this task force," Trump Jr. wrote on X.

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Goldman wrote on X in November 2023, "Yesterday on TV, I mistakenly used the wrong word to express the importance for America that Donald Trump doesn’t become President again. While he must be defeated, I certainly wish no harm to him and do not condone political violence. I apologize for the poor choice of words."

Philip Letsou, deputy communications director for the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, wrote on the site, "Democrats are evidently planning on stacking the task force to investigate the assassination attempt on Trump with conspiracy theorists like Dan Goldman."

The House voted to establish the commission in a unanimous 416-0 vote last week. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the panel will have seven Republicans and six Democrats, chosen by himself and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., respectively.

As of Friday morning, Jeffries’ office told Fox News Digital that no final decisions had been made.

But a second source who spoke with Fox News Digital said that another possible contender is Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., who served as State’s Attorney for Prince George's County for nearly a decade from 2003 until 2011, before coming to Congress in 2023.

On the GOP side, a senior Republican lawmaker told Fox News Digital that "it seems like half our members want to be on the task force."

A third source who spoke with Fox News Digital said that Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., was in strong consideration to play a prominent role on the panel. Kelly, whose district the shooting took place in, was present when the shooting occurred.

Kelly was also the leader of the resolution establishing the task force that passed the House this week.

Jeffries says Republicans are ‘making up’ Kamala Harris border czar title

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of "making up" the title of "border czar" in reference to Vice President Kamala Harris, just before six members of his House Democratic Caucus voted to criticize her handling of the migrant crisis.

"We have a single legislative item that is on the floor today … it’s a fake and fraudulent resolution cooked up, I think, by one of the representatives from New York – continues to embarrass herself regularly – that lies about the vice president," Jeffries told reporters at his weekly press conference.

"She was never assigned the position of border czar. They're making that up, because the extreme MAGA Republicans are in full meltdown."

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The resolution was introduced by House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. 

Fox News Digital reached out to her for a response to Jeffries.

Harris was tapped by President Biden in 2021 to spearhead the administration’s response to the border crisis, in particular, the root causes of mass migration from Central and South America. 

Republicans have long accused Harris of not doing enough in the role, but those attacks gained new traction after the vice president was tapped to replace Biden in the November 2024 election. 

Democrats and some mainstream media outlets, in response, have claimed that Harris was never given the title of "border czar" – including Axios, which referred to her that way in April 2021.

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But Jeffries still insisted, referring to Republicans: "They are making that up because they have no affirmative agenda, vision or track record for the American people."

His remarks came shortly before the House passed Stefanik’s resolution – the first piece of major House legislation targeting Harris since she became Democrats’ presumptive nominee.

Half a dozen Democrats joined all voting Republicans to support the measure, which passed 220 to 196.

The House Democrats who voted for the resolution are Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina and Yadira Caraveo of Colorado.

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They’re also some of the few Democratic lawmakers who have not endorsed Harris, despite leaders like Jeffries, ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., all falling behind Biden’s chosen successor.

During his press conference, however, Jeffries said he had not heard from any House Democrats who had issues with the way the party has handled its recent political upheaval.

"I haven't had a single conversation with a member of the House Democratic Caucus who has expressed that they are upset with what has unfolded," Jeffries said. "President Biden . . . as he indicated last night, was ready to make his case to the American people, decided in a selfless way to pass the torch to the next generation of Democrats, led by Vice President Harris. We are unified. The other side is falling apart."

Congressional Dems plot revenge for Supreme Court ruling on Trump immunity

Democratic lawmakers are already calling for congressional action to respond to the Supreme Court's decision on presidential immunity, arguing that the decision is a blow for democracy while empowering former President Trump.

But the forceful outcry is a stark contrast to Democrats mostly downplaying concerns regarding President Biden's chances of beating Trump in November.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has threatened to introduce articles of impeachment against the Supreme Court's conservative justices when Congress is back in session next week.

"The Supreme Court has become consumed by a corruption crisis beyond its control. Today’s ruling represents an assault on American democracy. It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture," Ocasio-Cortez said on X, formerly Twitter.

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Another Democrat, Rep. Joe Morelle, of New York, said he would introduce a resolution to reverse the Supreme Court's decision.

He wrote on X after the ruling came out: "The conservative, extremist majority on the Supreme Court has decided former President Trump is above the law. Today's decision further erodes the public’s confidence in our institutions and poses as great a threat to our democracy as the former president's behavior."

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Trump's classified documents case that presidents do have immunity for official acts while in the White House, and that those acts cannot be used as evidence against them in a trial. However, it also ruled that not all of a president's actions are official, and left it to a lower court to decide which of Trump's actions constitute which.

Democrats argued that it gave Trump a vast legal shield over matters he should be prosecuted for. It also almost guaranteed that the ex-president will not have a federal trial in his classified documents case before November.

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It prompted Sens. Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to renew their calls to expand the Supreme Court.

But to stand any chance of doing so, Democrats would need to win commanding victories in the House, Senate and White House – and several polls since Thursday night's debate show Biden's appeal slipping among general election voters.

Discussions surrounding Biden's viability as a candidate have swirled in the media and among pundits on the left after the 81-year-old president's poor performance in his debate against Trump last Thursday. 

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Elected Democratic officials have largely defended Biden since then, however, arguing he's still the best candidate to beat the ex-president in November – while others have stayed silent. 

A new CBS News and YouGov poll released over the weekend showed nearly three-quarters of Democratic voters believe Biden does not have the cognitive health to serve as president. 

A USA Today/Suffolk University poll released Monday shows Trump leading Biden 41% to 38% among nationwide voters.

But the aforementioned Democratic lawmakers did not respond to queries from Fox News Digital about whether they were concerned Biden's performance in the debate would enable Trump, who they view as a threat to democracy, to win in November.

Morelle said earlier this week that he "wouldn't write Joe Biden off because of one bad performance," according to local outlet WXXI.

He indicated, as others have, that Biden himself should decide his own viability. "I think he has to make a decision, his family and his inner circle about whether they think he feels he can still fulfill his obligations." Morelle said.

Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez, who has publicly broken with Biden on certain issues in the past, appeared on video days after the debate urging Latin American voters watching the Copa America soccer tournament to support Biden.

AOC threatens Supreme Court articles of impeachment over immunity ruling

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., threatened to bring articles of impeachment against the Supreme Court after Monday's immunity ruling regarding former President Trump. 

"The Supreme Court has become consumed by a corruption crisis beyond its control," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X. "Today’s ruling represents an assault on American democracy. It is up to Congress to defend our nation from this authoritarian capture. I intend on filing articles of impeachment upon our return." 

The ruling in question said a president has absolute immunity from prosecution for "actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority," and "presumptive immunity" for official acts in general. The court said there is no immunity for unofficial acts.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez's congressional office seeking clarification on who in particular she intends to impeach, but did not immediately hear back. 

Ocasio-Cortez was not the only congressional Democrat to blast the Supreme Court’s ruling.

In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., vowed that "House Democrats will engage in aggressive oversight and legislative activity with respect to the Supreme Court to ensure that the extreme, far-right justices in the majority are brought into compliance with the Constitution." 

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"Today’s Supreme Court decision to grant legal immunity to a former President for crimes committed using his official power sets a dangerous precedent for the future of our nation," Jeffries said. 
 

"This is a sad day for America and a sad day for our democracy," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on X. "The very basis of our judicial system is that no one is above the law. Treason or incitement of an insurrection should not be considered a core constitutional power afforded to a president." 

The court's ruling did not say whether any of Trump's alleged actions fell under his constitutional powers, leaving such matters to be sorted out by a lower court.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Olbermann leads left-wing meltdown against CNN, calling to ‘burn it down’ after Biden’s performance

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann led liberal outrage toward CNN, calling for the network to be "burn[ed] down," after its moderators otherwise received praise over its forum between President Biden and former President Trump.

While bipartisan voices lauded moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, Olbermann and other Biden loyalists appeared to take their outrage at the president’s performance out on the moderators and network.

"No audience, no moderators, no journalism," Olbermann fumed as he opened the latest episode of his "Countdown" podcast.

Olbermann called what he characterized as the refusal to "fact-check" former President Trump one of the most "immoral decisions" in the history of American journalism.

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"Literally, I am suggesting that at some point tonight CNN should -- it will not -- go off the air in shame, fire everybody, seal off the buildings, make sure everybody's out, and burn the Godd--- place to the ground," the onetime ESPN anchor added.

Olbermann lashed out at CNN Worldwide CEO Sir Mark Thompson and called for Bash and Tapper to be "fired for journalistic malpractice" for how the debate went on.

In an interview Friday, Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro – a Biden campaign surrogate – also criticized the network directly to anchor John Berman’s face.

"Frankly, I think CNN could have a done a better job in calling [Trump's] lies out," Shapiro said while admitting Biden had a rough night.

"I’ll be the first to admit that…," Shapiro said, while adding that Biden’s "bad night" is less egregious than Trump being a "bad president."

Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., one of Trump’s staunchest critics who served as Democratic counsel during his impeachment, claimed CNN did not properly push back when the Republican "blatantly mischaracteriz[ed] the disaster that was his presidency."

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"He intimidated your network," Goldman told CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

Former Playboy White House correspondent Brian Karem, a columnist at Salon who was known for his outbursts in the briefing room during Trump’s tenure, also took aim at Bash and Tapper.

"The biggest sin was the fact that the moderators failed to moderate the debate. A complete abdication of journalistic responsibility," Karem said, according to the Daily Mail.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff – a former top adviser-turned-critic of former first lady Melania Trump who wrote a "tell-all" about her former boss – criticized CNN's lighting during the debate.

Wolkoff claimed on X that the network's choice of framing and lighting design conveyed "intended perceptions of fragility vs. dominance in visual composition."

"Biden was filmed in profile, looking pale as a ghost. Trump was filmed straight on, not looking his usual shade of tangerine, but more like marmalade," she said. 

"Biden is a man of honor, integrity, resilience, and resolve."

Meanwhile, liberal actor John Cusack claimed CNN was letting a "deranged liar lie with no consequences," adding on X that "this is the end, my beautiful friends."

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In a statement, CNN pointed to the aforementioned bipartisan praise, citing quotes from Republicans, Democrats and Fox News talent Sean Hannity and Charlie Gasparino, defending its debate production.

"The role of the moderators is to present the candidates with questions that are important to American voters and to facilitate a debate, enabling candidates to make their case and challenge their opponent," a CNN spokesperson said.

"It is up to the candidates to challenge one another in a debate. CNN offered robust fact-checking coverage in post-debate analysis on TV and across our digital platforms during and following the debate’s conclusion."

White House stymied bipartisan support for presidential ethics bill, says top House Dem

A Democratic member of the House Oversight Committee alleged Monday that several in her party who had initially indicated support for a bipartisan presidential ethics bill got cold feet after talking to the White House.

Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., previously announced the filing of a "landmark federal ethics reform bill" with Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee’s chairman, targeting financial disclosures, family members joining official travel junkets and other issues.

Comer and Porter announced the Presidential Ethics Reform Act in late May, which itself reportedly stemmed from a back-and-forth between lawmakers during a March hearing on the impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

Porter, who lives in Orange County, California, claimed Monday that after she and Comer worked to recruit an equal number of bipartisan co-sponsors, the deal imploded while she was in the air on her way back to Washington.

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"I … was proud that I had found three senior Democratic co-sponsors. When I landed, I was really disappointed to learn that those co-sponsors had decided not to support the bill and had had conversations with the White House," Porter claimed in comments to The Hill newspaper.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, as the paper cited three Democratic lawmakers it reported to be whom Porter was referring – Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.

Mfume declined comment and the other two lawmakers did not respond. Porter’s office also did not provide comment.

A source familiar with the situation, however, confirmed reports on the matter to Fox News Digital.

The ethics bill did garner at least one major public supporter, as billionaire "Shark Tank" investor Mark Cuban posted, "All for this."

Congress’ official website shows Comer introduced the legislation on May 22 and listed Porter as its only current co-sponsor. Congress.gov indicated the bill has since been referred to the Oversight Committee.

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During a March 20 Biden impeachment inquiry hearing, Porter said the probe hit a "dead end" and that the next step should be to "stop bipartisan attacks on each other."

"The American people think that the rules that prevent corruption are way too weak to stop politicians from both sides of the aisle from influence peddling," Porter added. 

After she ended her remarks, Comer interjected to say he believed the Democrat was "sincere" and that he "look[ed] forward to working with [her] on that legislation" in the future.

The bill would require presidents and vice presidents to record and disclose payments or "items of value" given to them by foreign sources two years prior to and after their terms, as well as while they are in office.

It would also require the two top national executives to disclose inter-familial payments of more than $10,000 during that same time period, and also provide stricter rules regarding disclosure of conflicts-of-interest.

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"Influence peddling is a cottage industry in Washington, and we’ve identified deficiencies in current law that have led to a culture of corruption," Comer said of the bill.

"By creating this bipartisan legislation to provide greater transparency to the financial interactions related to the office of the president and vice-president, we can ensure that moving forward, American presidents, vice presidents, and their family members cannot profit from their proximity to power."

GOP turns up heat on House Dems with high-pressure Israel vote Thursday

The House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill to stop President Biden from blocking offensive weapons aid to Israel on Thursday.

Biden has faced bipartisan backlash for withholding a bomb shipment from Israel over fears it could be used in Rafah, as well as for warning Israel that the U.S. would not send offensive weapons if they were used on population centers in the southern Gaza Strip. 

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act would condemn the president’s posture on Israel’s Gaza invasion while compelling the Biden administration to expeditiously send any weapons shipments already approved by Congress.

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It would also withhold funding from the secretary of defense, secretary of state and the National Security Council if there was any delay in weapons aid. 

Democrat leaders in the House and White House are actively opposing the bill, but it’s expected to have at least a few supporters on the left.

One House Democrat aide told Fox News Digital they anticipate roughly 10 left-wing lawmakers to join Republicans in supporting the bill.

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A second House Democrat aide put the number at under 20, noting that the White House was "pushing hard" against the bill.

At least two Democrat lawmakers – Reps. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio – have told Axios that they are voting for the bill.

The issue of Israel has proven to be a potent political cudgel for the GOP as Democrats wrestle with a growing chorus of voices who are increasingly critical of the U.S.’s traditionally unconditional support for Israel.

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House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said Wednesday morning, "We know this is a political sham bill. And really, when you look at this bill, they are looking to [the Pentagon], State Department, the NSC, in this time of global conflict. It's shameful."

The White House called the bill a "misguided reaction to a deliberate distortion of the administration’s approach to Israel" in its veto threat.

The vote comes days after Biden announced he was moving forward with a $1 billion weapons shipment to Israel, according to reports.

House Dems seeking re-election seemingly reverse course, call on Biden to ‘bring order to the southern border’

Five vulnerable Democrats who voted against measures to strengthen border security in the past have seemingly changed their tune as they seek re-election to their posts in the lower chamber.

Following President Biden's signing of a $95 billion package with aid to both Ukraine and Israel last week, five Democrats – Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, Mary Peltola of Alaska, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas and Don Davis of North Carolina – released a joint statement agreeing with calls for Congress and the president to "act and bring order to the southern border."

"Beyond defending our allies, we strongly agree with the National Border Patrol Council that Congress and the President must act and bring order to the Southern border," the lawmakers stated. "That is why we also voted for H.R. 3602 on Saturday, and why we all voted last month for $19.6 billion for Border Patrol so that it could ramp up its efforts to secure the border."

The comments from the five Democrats – three of whom (Golden, GluesenKamp, and Davis) are engaged in tough re-election battles that have been labeled "toss up" races by the Cook Political Report, and another two (Peltola and Gonzalez) competing in races labeled "lean Democrat" – came after each one of them voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023.

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That bill, which passed in the House, would have expanded the type of crimes that make someone ineligible for asylum, limited the eligibility to those who arrive at ports of entry, mandated a system similar to the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system, and created additional penalties for visa overstay.

In addition to not supporting the Secure the Border Act, the same five Democrats voted on two different occasions against GOP-led efforts to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whom many Republicans have argued is largely responsible for the migrant crisis at the southern border.

Certain Democrats, like Gluesenkamp Perez, who was first elected to Congress in 2022 and co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition with Golden and Peltola, have made dismissive comments about the border crisis in recent years.

The Washington lawmaker previously faced criticism from Republicans over border-related comments she made in March 2023 during an appearance on Pod Save America, which came prior to the ending of the Title 42 public health order.

"Listen, nobody stays awake at night worrying about the southern border," she said at the time. "That's just not… people stay awake at night worrying that their kid is gonna relapse or that, you know, someone's going to drop out of school or they're going to lose their house."

Gluesenkamp Perez was also one of many Democrats who defended Mayorkas amid calls for his impeachment earlier this year, saying it was "frustrating to see" Republicans push for his ouster because "he doesn't set policy, he implements it."

Despite her past remarks, Gluesenkamp Perez has been critical of Biden's handling of the border crisis in recent months, saying in April that she voted in support of H.R. 3602, which provides for criminal penalties for certain conduct that interferes with U.S. border control measures, because "President Biden has failed to end the crisis at our Southern Border."

"Every country has an obligation to protect its citizens and secure its sovereign borders, and H.R. 3602 focuses on the urgent need to restore operational control of the Southern Border. Unlike the unworkable and un-American immigration proposals pushed by far-right extremists, this bipartisan bill doesn’t create burdensome government mandates that would harm small businesses, agricultural employers, rural communities, and our economy," she said at the time.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a member of the congresswoman's press team insisted that she has "called on the [Biden] Administration her entire time in office to fix the crisis at our Southern Border, and for Congress to do its job to pass meaningful border security legislation."

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The spokesperson also touted the Washington lawmaker's introduction of the "Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act to restore operational control at the Southern Border by restoring expulsion authority for Border Patrol and requiring the President to reinstate Remain in Mexico," as well as her support for the End Fentanyl Act.

"Marie continues to urge Congress to get back to work to address the real crisis at our border and end the petty gamesmanship," the spokesperson said.

Gonzalez is another Democrat who made dismissive remarks prior to the expiration of Title 42, which provided the ability for American officials to bar migrants from entering the country during a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a July 2023 stop in Edinburgh, Texas, Gonzalez reportedly shot down questions and concern over whether Biden was doing enough to secure the southern border amid an overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants.

"We have seen major improvements along the border.… If you go to the border now, in our region, it’s pretty unremarkable what you see," Gonzalez said, according to the Rio Grande Guardian. "When they lifted Title 42 and implemented Title 7, which I advocated against… I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong. What the president did, what Secretary Mayorkas has done, has positively impacted our border and that’s a fact."

"People could point fingers and say things, but the reality is, undocumented crossings are down by 70%," he added at the time.

A little more than a week after Gonzalez gave those remarks, the Texas Tribune reported that Border Patrol agents "made more than 130,000 arrests along the Mexico border [in July 2023], preliminary figures show, up from 99,545 in June."

Gonzalez is one of 154 Democrats who voted this January against the Agent Raul Gonzalez Officer Safety Act, which would have created hefty federal penalties for illegal migrants who evade U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers during motor vehicle pursuits. The measure was named after a Border Patrol officer who died in a vehicle crash in Texas last year during a pursuit.

Along with Golden and Gluesenkamp Perez, Gonzalez was one of 201 Democrats who voted in July 2023 against the Schools Not Shelters Act, which would have prohibited "the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter for aliens who have not been admitted into the United States, and for other purposes."

Peltola joined 218 Republicans in voting in favor of that measure at the time, while Davis did not vote.

"I remain dedicated to addressing the border crisis. However, we must not inflict harm on American agriculture in the process," Davis said in a statement to Fox. "Initially, I had concerns about the e-verify provision in HR-2, but it was removed, allowing me to fully lend my support, along with just four other Democrats, to H.R. 3602, the Bipartisan End the Border Catastrophe Act."

Asked whether he believes Biden is responsible for the border crisis, Davis said his "votes speak for themselves."

CBP records show the first six months of fiscal year 2024 had 1,340,801 total encounters, exceeding the first six months of fiscal year 2023, which set a record of 1,226,254 total encounters.

Dems save Johnson’s $95B foreign aid plan from GOP rebel blockade

Speaker Mike Johnson’s $95 billion foreign aid proposal survived a key test vote Friday morning, setting House lawmakers up to consider its four individual components sometime Saturday.

In a stunning break from modern historical precedent, more Democrats voted for the GOP proposal than Johnson's fellow Republicans.

Democrats bucked party norms to support the plan through a procedural hurdle known as a "rule vote" after conservative foreign aid skeptics defected from Republicans to try to block the plan. It passed 316-94, with 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans in favor.

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee that advanced the proposal on Thursday night, said before the Friday vote, "Democrats are providing the votes necessary to advance this legislation to the floor, because at the end of the day, so much more is at stake here than petty [brinkmanship]."

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The rule vote now sets up debate on the four individual bills followed by amendment votes and four votes on passage sometime Saturday. It’s highly unusual for Democrats, or any opposition party, to cross the aisle on a rule vote, but it underscores the urgency that lawmakers on both sides feel about sending aid to foreign allies.

The 55 Republican dissidents on this latest rule vote illustrate the fractured House Republican Conference that Johnson is trying to manage, with the House Freedom Caucus and their allies having wielded outsized influence for much of this term. 

Three of the four bills fund Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. A fourth bill includes national security priorities like the House’s recently passed crackdown on TikTok’s ownership, as well as the REPO Act, which would liquidate seized Russian assets and give that funding to Ukraine.

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Johnson’s push for foreign aid has infuriated members on the right of his House GOP conference, putting added pressure on the Louisiana Republican as he also navigates a historically slim majority.

Earlier this week, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., threatened to oust Johnson if he did not step aside after a House vote on his foreign aid plan. Massie is now signed onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s, R-Ga., motion to vacate resolution, which, if deemed "privileged" by Greene, would force the House to begin voting on Johnson’s potential ouster within two legislative days.

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Massie said during debate ahead of the final vote, "I'm concerned that the speaker's cut a deal with the Democrats to fund foreign wars rather than to secure our border."

Greene’s amendment to strip all Ukraine funding from the foreign aid bill is slated to get a vote on Saturday ahead of the vote on final passage.

House takes key test vote for Johnson’s $95B foreign aid plan after Dems help it advance

The House of Representatives is voting on whether to proceed with Speaker Mike Johnson’s $95 billion foreign aid proposal on Friday after it cleared its first key procedural hurdle with Democratic help.

The Friday morning vote is a test vote of sorts for the four foreign aid bills, known as a "rule vote." If successful it will allow lawmakers to debate each of the individual four bills and vote on their final passage on Saturday.

Three of the four bills fund Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. A fourth bill includes national security priorities like the House’s recently passed crackdown on TikTok’s ownership as well as the REPO Act, which would liquidate seized Russian assets and give that funding to Ukraine.

Democrats had to help bail the GOP-led proposals on Thursday night in the face of conservative opposition. The Rules Committee, the final barrier before legislation traditionally gets a House-wide vote, spent all day considering the bills before advancing their "rules" package in a 9-3 vote.

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It’s highly unusual for Democrats, or any opposition party, to cross the aisle on a Rules Committee vote as well as a House-wide rule vote. But it underscores the urgency that lawmakers on both sides feel about sending aid to foreign allies.

The three conservatives on the panel — Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ralph Norman, R-S.C. — all voted against the measure; an equally unusual move that’s become common in the 118th Congress, where members of the House Freedom Caucus and their allies have wielded outsized influence in Republicans’ thin majority by blocking procedural hurdles such as this. Democrats’ support will be critical for the rule vote and potentially even final passage of the bills. 

Johnson has faced furious pushback from the right flank of his conference over most of his plan, particularly sending $60 billion to Ukraine, which has become a politically fraught topic for much of the GOP.

Those same foreign aid hawks have objected to some of the Israel funding being aimed at humanitarian aid in Gaza, though its inclusion was critical to winning Democratic support. In a victory for Republicans, however, it prevents any of the Israel-Gaza funding from going toward the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a Palestinian refugee agency alleged to have ties to Hamas.

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Conservative rebels also decried House GOP leaders’ decision to combine the four bills into one before sending it to the Senate, arguing it amounted to the same $95 billion foreign aid package the Democrat-majority chamber passed earlier this year and which House Republicans oppose. Johnson has argued that packaging them together for the Senate would prevent them from neglecting the Israel bill at a time when the issue has divided the Democratic Party.

Earlier this week, Massie threatened he’d move to oust Johnson from the speakership if he did not step aside after having the House vote on his foreign aid plans. One GOP lawmaker who was present at the closed-door meeting where it happened told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Johnson challenged him to do so.

Massie is now signed onto Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s motion to vacate resolution, which, if deemed "privileged" by Greene, would force the House to begin voting on Johnson’s potential ouster within two legislative days.

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Some discussion over whether to raise the threshold needed to call a motion to vacate — currently just one member can call for it — ended with Johnson backing off of the controversial move after it enraged GOP rebels and spurred new ouster threats.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., suggested to reporters earlier that a wide swath of rank-and-file Republicans supported the idea; but Johnson denied having such conversations earlier on Thursday when asked by Fox News Digital.

"Recently, many members have encouraged me to endorse a new rule to raise this threshold. While I understand the importance of that idea, any rule change requires a majority of the full House, which we do not have. We will continue to govern under the existing rules," Johnson said on Thursday evening.