Category: fox-news/politics/house-of-representatives

Top GOP lawmaker believes he can ‘fix’ Social Security

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A top House Republican wants to raise the retirement age for social security benefits to save the program from a projected 2033 insolvency deadline.

Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., released a budget last month that included conservative proposals to cut federal spending and extend the life of social security. If nothing is done, the critical program will face a roughly 20% cut in 2034.

One option Hern argued for is raising the full retirement benefits eligibility age from 67 to 69 – a politically fraught idea that mainstream leaders in both parties have been hesitant to touch.

"If you look at it, there’s only three options you can do to fix Social Security… one is you adjust the age, the second thing is you adjust what gets paid out of the program, and the third thing is… there's more people working that pay into the program," Hern said.

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On the subject of age specifically, Hern pointed out that the average life expectancy in the U.S. was in the early 60s when Social Security began. Today, the average life expectancy is in the late 70s.

"So you’re living [more] years on a program that was never designed to… be that way," Hern said.

The RSC is a large bloc of conservative House Republicans, accounting for roughly 80% of the conference.

The White House seized on the group’s budget proposal as a political cudgel, accusing Republicans of wanting to gut Social Security.

TERM LIMITS, PREVENTING LEADER ‘MONARCHY’ BECOME TOP CONCERNS IN POST-MCCONNELL GOP

"This is just another failed attempt by Joe Biden to push aside an issue that's very important to retirees out there," Hern told Fox News Digital of the backlash. "Our budget doesn't touch anyone that's in retirement, or near retirement."

He added: "If I told you today, at your age, just as it affected me when I was 21 years old, you're going to move my retirement age two years, I’d think – so what, it’s not going to be there anyway. All we can look at is the budget window up to 10 years. So our path forward is what's going to make it solid for the next 10 years. Joe Biden has no plan."

Biden’s own fiscal year 2025 budget proposal called for extending Social Security solvency by raising taxes on the highest-income earners. But Hern argued that the "best estimates are, that would extend it by one year."

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Publicly, the president has largely shied away from discussing solutions for how to prevent Social Security from reaching insolvency. Former President Trump, Biden’s likely GOP challenger in the 2024 presidential election, also has been unclear about his stance on the program.

Conversations around reforming retirement benefits are usually politically dangerous, particularly in an election year.

Hern insisted that any change would likely need to be bipartisan – and he said he’s been having discussions with Trump about what to do if he wins back the White House.

"The reality is, is President Trump's no different than us," Hern said. "We've talked about this, he and I and his team. We have no desire, no desire to cut back on any benefits [for anybody who is] in retirement or near retirement, but he understands, his team understands, that we have to make sure it's solid."

When asked for comment, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital: "As President Trump has repeatedly stated, he does not support cuts to Social Security nor does he support raising the retirement age. President Trump delivered on his promise to protect Social Security and Medicare in his first term, and President Trump will continue to strongly protect Social Security and Medicare in his second term."

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s red line on Speaker Johnson

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wants to dump House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. 

She authored a resolution to force the House to take a vote of no confidence in the speaker.

"I do not wish to inflict pain on our conference and to throw the House in chaos. But this is basically a warning," said Greene. 

Greene railed at Johnson for negotiating spending bills with Democrats and forgoing the GOP’s internal rule, requiring 72 hours before voting on legislation.

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Greene might not succeed in her effort to topple Johnson. Especially since Republicans just tried this stunt in the fall.

"Johnson benefits from the terrible example that was set several months ago when (former House Speaker Kevin) McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted," said David Cohen, a political scientist at the University of Akron. "It was utter chaos. The House was completely dysfunctional. I don't know if there's an appetite, even among those in the right flank of the Republican Party, to go through that process again."

This is why many Republicans loathe a repeat of last fall’s pandemonium.

"This whole episode of removing speakers and threatening speakers does nobody any good except the Democrat Party," Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said on Fox Business. 

This internecine fighting is partly what prompted some Republicans to quit early as Johnson tries to mend the threadbare GOP majority.

"We've got to unify when you have such a small majority," Johnson implored on Fox. "I think people feel the gravity and the weight of this. The importance of it."

But as the House Republican majority dwindles to a single vote, it wouldn’t take much for things to go haywire. Especially if Greene is intent on forcing her colleagues to vote on removing Johnson.

"The majority is so narrow that if a couple of Republicans don't show up or decide not to vote, you could end up with the Democrats in charge of the House," said Cohen. 

Former Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., left two weeks ago before his term expired in January.

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., planned to retire in January, but he’s out the door by mid-month.

If more GOP members make Irish exits, Johnson concedes a flip of power for the House of Representatives before the election isn’t out of the question. That would potentially earn House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., a promotion.

"Look, that's a risk. But I don't think that's going to happen," Johnson told Fox. "Hakeem is not going to be the speaker."

But lawmakers are exasperated at the infighting. Mayhem gripped the House for months over various spending bills and multiple flirtations with potential government shutdowns. Scrapes over who should be House speaker test the patience of members.

"It's absolutely possible that, before the end of the year is out, the Democrats may seize control of the House of Representatives," said Cohen. 

So, lawmakers are struggling to figure things out.

"What you're seeing is an inflection point for the institution," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. "And are we going to make this institution work again?"

Roy criticized Republican leaders on the spending bills. But he also flagged Republican colleagues who are willing to punt to the election and bank on former President Trump returning to the White House as a salve to the nation’s ills.

Roy wants Congress to legislate. And do it now.

"Why the hell are you in Congress? We're actually supposed to be more important than the president of the United States. That's why we're Article One (of the Constitution). But we're too chicken to use the power," Roy excoriated during a floor speech. 

Roy’s not the only one perturbed about the House. Buck departed early because he was also incensed with his colleagues. But for different reasons. 

"I'm not comfortable with how this institution is structured," said Buck. 

Buck was one of three House Republicans who bucked their party on the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Their resistance sunk impeachment on the first try. However, the GOP-controlled House took a mulligan and impeached Mayorkas a week later after House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., returned from cancer treatments. 

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Buck argued that Republicans abused impeachment. He’s suspicious about the motives of his former colleagues.

"A lot of them are here because they got here by throwing bombs. And they're going to stay by throwing bombs," said Buck.

Like Buck, Gallagher also opposed impeaching Mayorkas.

"It's getting harder to get stuff done," said Gallagher. "I think you see a lot of members frustrated with that."

Gallagher says there’s one thing he won’t miss.

"Fundraising," said Gallagher. "I hate fundraisers. It’s weird, and it dominates so much of people’s time here. And I think it takes away from the actual serious business of legislating."

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). That’s the House GOP’s official campaign arm.

"When you see a lot of senior people with a lot of good experience leaving, you know, it's still kind of disappointing," said Hudson. 

But he notes that more Democrats are retiring than Republicans.

"We don't have a single retirement in a competitive seat. Whereas the Democrats have more retirements than we do. And seven of their retirements are in seats that we're going to pick up," said Hudson. 

That might be the case in November. But what about now? And does Johnson cling to power?

Fox is told the House won’t put a Ukraine aid bill on the floor right away. It’s likely the House first tackles a reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Lawmakers from both sides demand significant reforms to protect Americans. 

Law enforcement and the intelligence community insist the program is essential to protect the U.S. But there are concerns that the government used Section 702 to eavesdrop on Americans. It’s only supposed to intercept communications of foreign nationals. The program goes dark April 19. So expect the House to wrestle with that before Ukraine. 

But if Johnson turns to Ukraine, does Greene lower the boom? 

It’s possible that Johnson survives – with the help of Democrats. Democrats either use Ukraine as leverage. Or as a way to secure some buy-in.

"He's going to need to rely on Democrats for support," said Cohen. "He's going to have to cut some deals."

Democrats didn’t help McCarthy survive last fall. But the calculus could be different for Johnson. Especially if Ukraine is involved.

If the House votes to remove the speaker, who knows who Republicans would tap to succeed him? Republicans burned through three other speaker candidates after they sidelined McCarthy. The tumult of another speaker vacancy would bubble over in the House. That means more members could bolt. That would spark an unprecedented level of chaos.

And you thought things were bad before.

It all hinges on Ukraine. 

And despite Greene’s efforts, she might fall short on both of her goals. 

It’s about the math.

Johnson might have the votes to stay. And the House likely has more than 300 votes to approve a bill to assist Ukraine.

But the House may need to wade through another round of bedlam first. 

Republicans warm to Social Security, Medicare reform as 2024 election nears

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Lawmakers have long shied away from serious discussions about entitlement reform, but the issue appears to be coming back into focus for Republicans who are wary about the growing national debt.

"I definitely have noticed it," veteran GOP strategist Doug Heye told Fox News Digital of the uptick in GOP-led discussions on the issue. "Republicans have talked about this for a long time, not always with specifics. But what tends to happen is, they talk about it, they get attacked, they fall back."

Congress just ended the fiscal year 2024 government-funding fight with President Biden signing a $1.2 trillion spending package into law last week and averting a partial government shutdown. But the ugly battle, which took six additional months after the end of fiscal year 2023, only accounted for the government’s discretionary spending – which makes up just over a quarter of annual federal funds.

The vast majority of federal funding is classified as mandatory spending, which includes entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), known colloquially as "food stamps."

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Discussions about raising the Social Security eligibility age or cuts to Medicare are always politically fraught. But economists are now warning that without changes, those programs are headed for forced cuts anyway, due to insufficient funds – with Medicare expected to become insolvent in 2028, and Social Security in 2033.

"I do think we should be willing to have real conversations about this, but I wouldn’t say this is a new issue," Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., chair of the pragmatic House Main Street Caucus, told Fox News Digital.

Johnson noted that "every ten years" or so, Washington officials assemble task forces and commissions to discuss the national debt or the solvency of programs like Social Security and Medicare.

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"I think what is maybe ripening this issue a bit more now is the [threat of insolvency]," he said. "It is closer than ever."

Johnson himself has led the charge in pushing for work requirements for federal food benefits, something Democrats have used as a political cudgel, despite the programs’ ballooning costs. But in recent months, more Republicans are declaring their support for curbing entitlements.

Meanwhile, House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., openly called for entitlement reform in his announcement that he would be running for House Appropriations chair.

"You cannot solve the U.S. deficit problem exclusively in the Appropriations Committee, as discretionary spending only amounts to roughly 28 percent of U.S. expenditures," Cole said earlier this month. "If we are going to produce a balanced budget, which I strongly believe we should be striving to do, we should be having serious discussions on how to fund and reform our entitlement programs, which makes up approximately 60 percent of all spending."

The Republican Study Committee, a 175-member House GOP group led by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., recently released a budget proposal that called for raising the "retirement age for future retirees to account for increases in life expectancy" as well as restructuring Medicare to compete with private options.

Democrats up to the White House pounced on the proposal, accusing Republicans of trying to gut Social Security and Medicare. Seizing on the looming November election as well, Biden’s campaign has sought to link any Republican victory to deep cuts to the programs.

HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T 'CALL THE SHOTS' ON WHEN IMPEACHMENT IS OVER

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., told Fox News Digital that he expects that Republicans will take on entitlement reform if they win the White House, House and Senate.

"My hope would be that if we have full control of government that we will take the steps necessary to preserve and protect Social Security and Medicare for the current retirees who are depending on it, those nearing retirement, depending on the next few years, [and] so that it's there also for people like you," Good said.

Former President Donald Trump, the presumed GOP nominee for 2024, has not been explicit about his stance regarding entitlement reform. 

He told CNBC earlier this month that "there is a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting." His spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, later told NBC News, "President Trump will continue to strongly protect Social Security and Medicare in his second term."

But Paul Winfree, Trump’s former White House budget policy director and current president of the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC), backed entitlement reform to reduce the national deficit and save the programs themselves.

"Interest rates are significantly higher and so too are debt service payments. At the same time, the Fed has had a hard time getting inflation fully under control," Winfree told Fox News Digital. "Those are market signals that the deficit really needs to come down. And the sooner policymakers begin to confront the biggest drivers of the deficit, specifically what is spent on federal health programs, the more likely it will be that they can protect programs for the most vulnerable."

The federal government spent $2.2 trillion on Social Security and Medicare in 2023, according to the Congressional Budget Office, out of $3.8 trillion in mandatory spending.

Strategist Doug Heye, who’s pessimistic about the talk becoming action, suggested that it was precisely because reforms seem too out of reach that Republicans are able to be vocal.

"Entitlement reform, depending on who you talk to, is – it's a tool to show either voters or portions of conservative media that you're fighting, and it doesn't mean that any of this is going to happen. In fact, that's sort of irrelevant to the process, showing the willingness to fight becomes paramount," Heye explained.

Speaker Johnson meets Gov Abbott in Texas to talk border action, Mayorkas impeachment

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Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., met with Texas Governor Greg Abbott on the latter’s home turf on Thursday, where they discussed the ongoing border crisis and the House GOP’s response to it.

The meeting came hours after Johnson revealed that the House of Representatives would send articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10. 

"By opening the border to criminals, traffickers, and cartels, the Biden administration is actively endangering the American people, our families, ranchers, and law enforcement. When the federal government fails to perform its constitutional duty to protect our borders, states have no choice but to fill that role," Johnson said in a statement after the meeting.

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"Right now, we’re witnessing a gross abuse of power as Biden’s Department of Justice uses the judicial system to go after the state of Texas for attempting to safeguard its citizens. Texans, and all Americans, deserve better."

Johnson expressed support for Abbott’s efforts to secure the border between Texas and Mexico, the speaker’s office said, and that the two discussed ways to "hold the Biden administration accountable."

The Louisiana Republican also briefed Abbott on the House readying to transmit the impeachment articles to the Senate, Johnson’s office said.

Abbott, in turn, urged Johnson to "pass border security legislation that will help stop illegal crossings between ports of entry along the southern border," the governor’s office said.

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"The Governor also implored Speaker Johnson to support the state's ongoing fight against President Biden's attacks on Texas' historic border mission and his refusal to secure the border," Abbott’s office said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the meeting.

Abbott has been in a standoff with President Biden for months over differing views on how to handle the migrant crisis at the border.

The White House has criticized Abbott and Texas officials for actions carried out under Operation Lone Star, which has included putting up razor wire at the border and transporting migrants to Democrat-run cities like New York and Chicago. Texas officials have accused the White House, however, of not doing enough to stop the migrant crisis on the federal level.

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House Republicans have similarly pressured Biden over the border crisis, repeatedly hammering him and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for failing to take up a strict border security bill, H.R.2, which Democrats have dismissed as a nonstarter.

Johnson sent a letter to Schumer on Thursday informing him that House impeachment managers would send the impeachment articles to his chamber on April 10 and urged him to hold a trial "expeditiously."

"As Speaker and impeachment managers of the U.S. House of Representatives, we write to inform you that we will present to you upon the Senate’s return, on April 10, 2024, the duly passed articles of impeachment regarding Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. We urge you to schedule a trial of the matter expeditiously," Johnson wrote alongside the 11 Republicans selected as impeachment managers.

Democratic leader has 2 words for Republicans looking to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., shared a brief post on social media Thursday evening, criticizing Republicans who are pushing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

"Extreme MAGA Republicans are demanding a full impeachment trial in the Senate," Jeffries wrote in a post on X. "They want to continue the phony political stunt targeting the Homeland Security Secretary."

He added: "My response? Get lost."

The post comes as the U.S. Senate is going to receive House-passed articles of impeachment against Mayorkas next month.

JOHNSON TO FORMALLY HAND MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES TO SENATE, URGES TRIAL 'EXPEDITIOUSLY'

On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., notified Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., that the House of Representatives would formally send over the impeachment articles to his chamber on April 10.

In his letter to Schumer, Johnson urged him to hold an impeachment trial "expeditiously."

"As Speaker and impeachment managers of the U.S. House of Representatives, we write to inform you that we will present to you upon the Senate’s return, on April 10, 2024, the duly passed articles of impeachment regarding Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. We urge you to schedule a trial of the matter expeditiously," Johnson wrote.

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In February, all but three House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas over his handling, or mishandling as Republican content, of the U.S. southern border. It was the first time since 1876 that a cabinet secretary had been impeached.

Schumer‘s office told Fox News Digital that the Senate would initiate the impeachment trial once it receives the impeachment articles.

"As we have said previously, after the House impeachment managers present the articles of impeachment to the Senate, senators will be sworn in as jurors in the trial the next day. Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray will preside."

The trial is highly unlikely to result in a conviction.

Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.

Johnson to formally hand Mayorkas impeachment articles to Senate, urges trial ‘expeditiously’

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The Senate is going to receive articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas next month, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday.

Johnson sent a letter to Schumer informing him that House impeachment managers will send the impeachment articles to his chamber on April 10, and urged him to hold a trial "expeditiously."

"As Speaker and impeachment managers of the U.S. House of Representatives, we write to inform you that we will present to you upon the Senate’s return, on April 10, 2024, the duly passed articles of impeachment regarding Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. We urge you to schedule a trial of the matter expeditiously," Johnson wrote alongside the 11 Republicans selected as impeachment managers.

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The House impeached Mayorkas last month on two counts, accusing him of failing to comply with and enforce existing law, along with a breach of public trust.

"Throughout his tenure, he has repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about the scope of the crisis and his role in it. His unlawful actions are responsible for the historic crisis that has devastated communities throughout our country, from the smallest border town in Texas to New York City," Johnson wrote. "The constitutional grounds for Secretary Mayorkas’ conviction and removal from office are well-founded, and the historical record is clear."

Once the articles are formally handed off, the Senate must act on them swiftly. 

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Schumer has not said what he would do, but his public criticism of the impeachment effort suggests it's very possible that he'll move to dismiss the trial. A simple 51-vote majority would be needed for that to occur.

Senate Republicans, on the other hand, have called for Schumer to go through with the proceedings – though it's highly unlikely it will result in a conviction.

"The Senate should conduct an impeachment trial of Secretary Mayorkas and examine the full extent of this crisis in front of the American people," Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., said publicly earlier this month.

All but three House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas last month over his handling of the U.S. southern border. It was the first time since 1876 that a cabinet secretary had been impeached. 

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House GOP leaders delayed sending the articles over to the Senate for several weeks, however, amid intense negotiations over how to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year 2024.

Johnson confronted questions about the delay during the House GOP's annual retreat earlier this month, telling reporters, "The reason for it is because we're in the middle of funding the government in the appropriations process, and the way the procedure works is, once the articles of impeachment are transmitted to the Senate, they have a short window within which to process them. So we didn't want to interrupt the Senate and their floor time and their deliberation on appropriations, because we would risk shutting the government down."

Comer rejects Democrats’ demand for hearing on ‘influence peddling’ by Jared Kushner

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is rejecting the latest attempt by Democrats to shift scrutiny onto former President Trump’s inner circle. 

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee, led a letter to Comer on Tuesday calling for a hearing into allegations of "apparent influence peddling and quid pro quo deals" by Trump’s son-in-law and former White House adviser, Jared Kushner.

Comer told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that Kushner’s business was "legitimate" and dismissed the request as a bid to "shield President Biden from oversight."

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It comes as the House Oversight Committee’s GOP majority conducts an impeachment inquiry into President Biden over accusations he used his former position as vice president to enrich himself and his family, particularly through foreign business deals. Both the president and the White House have denied wrongdoing.

"Unlike the Bidens, Jared Kushner has a legitimate business and has a career as a business executive that predates Donald Trump’s political career," Comer told Fox News Digital. 

"Democrats’ latest letter is part of their playbook to shield President Biden from oversight. The House Oversight Committee will continue to investigate President Biden’s abuse of public office and hold the Bidens accountable for their corruption."

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Raskin and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., wrote to Comer, "This Committee cannot claim to be ‘investigating foreign nationals’ attempts to target and coerce high-ranking U.S. officials’ family members by providing money or other benefits in exchange for certain actions’ while continuing to ignore these matters. We therefore urge you to work with us to finally investigate Mr. Kushner’s receipt of billions of dollars from foreign governments in deals that appear to be quid pro quos for actions he undertook as senior White House adviser in Donald Trump’s Administration."

They also accused Comer of having "allowed Mr. Kushner to repeatedly ignore and defy these requests," citing Democrats’ repeated urging to subpoena Kushner and his firm.

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At the heart of Raskin and Garcia’s latest letter is a New York Times report from earlier this month that claims Kushner is in the final stages of major real estate deals in Albania and Serbia. The report also noted that those deals are coming to fruition while Trump seeks a second term in office.

Kushner told the outlet he was "excited" and "working hard" to close the deals.

Democrats’ attention to Kushner’s foreign business ties comes as impeachment investigators focus on the president’s son Hunter Biden and his foreign business dealings in Ukraine and China.

Comer fundraising email dampens prospects of Biden impeachment, says ‘criminal referrals’ are goal

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House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer appears to be pouring cold water on the prospects of impeaching President Biden in a new fundraising email sent to voters on Monday evening.

Comer said "criminal referrals" would be the "culmination" of his ongoing impeachment inquiry.

In the message sent to supporters, the Kentucky Republican blamed Democrats and cited the left’s uniform opposition to impeaching Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

"I’ve presented mountains of evidence confirming Joe Biden’s involvement in his family’s influence peddling scheme, and I just had a group of the Biden family’s business confidants publicly testify about the first family’s criminal activity," Comer’s email read. "At any other time in history, that would have been the final nail in the coffin of the Biden Crime Family’s reign of corruption."

AOC TAKES HEAT OVER 'RICO IS NOT A CRIME' COMMENT IN BIDEN IMPEACHMENT PROBE HEARING

"But we are not in a normal time in history… As it stands right now, the deranged Democrats are refusing to take up the Impeachment Trial of Alejandro Mayorkas and threatening to dismiss it within minutes when it finally is brought up. Even ‘centrist’ Democrats called the Mayorkas Impeachment Trial ‘ridiculous’ just days after a criminal illegal brutally murdered Laken Riley in cold blood."

House Republicans voted to impeach Mayorkas over the border crisis last month, but the impeachment articles have not yet been sent over to the Senate. Once they are, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., must act on them swiftly – though the Democratic majority is likely to scuttle them as soon as possible.

Comer’s email then asked, "What do you think they would do if we Impeached Biden?"

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"It’s clear that Democrats will choose their party over their country and the truth at every turn. They should be ashamed of themselves. That’s why I am preparing criminal referrals as the culmination of my investigation," he wrote.

"When President Trump returns to the White House, it’s critical the new leadership at the DOJ have everything they need to prosecute the Biden Crime Family and deliver swift justice."

Comer said criminal referrals are "the best way" to hold the Bidens accountable, "as it’s now clear the Democrats will do anything to hold onto power."

He made similar comments during a Newsmax interview last week after the House held its second impeachment inquiry hearing. Hunter Biden, whose foreign business dealings are a central focus of investigators looking into whether then-Vice President Biden used his position to enrich his family, turned down an invitation to appear at that event.

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Earlier this month, Fox News Digital heard from several GOP lawmakers who, while maintaining they believe the president is guilty of at least acting improperly, admitted current conditions in the House make it unlikely the chamber will actually impeach him. 

Those prospects will get trickier after April 19 when Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., leaves early, leaving House Republicans with just a one-vote majority. 

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a member of the Oversight Committee, told Fox News Digital last week that it’s "very possible" there will be a full House vote, but said impeaching Biden "has never been the purpose" of the inquiry.

"The purpose is doing these investigations. We have a formalized impeachment inquiry because some of the initial information we've uncovered has led us to the current information now," Donalds said.

When asked whether he meant the impeachment inquiry’s goal was not an impeachment vote, Donalds challenged, "That’s not what I’m saying."

"It was about doing our investigation into the allegations of public corruption by the Biden family. We have now proven that yes, there was public corruption going on… The question now becomes, does all the evidence we have take us to high crimes and misdemeanors? But you have to have an impeachment inquiry in order to assess and gain all that information," he said. "Unlike the Democrats, we didn't walk in just promising impeachment on day one."

Congressional diversity and inclusion office shut down by $1.2T government funding deal

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A congressional office aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion was shuttered late last week with the passage of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion government spending package.

The director of the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Sesha Joi Moon, announced the office would be dissolved as a result of the House passing its legislative funding bill, one of six bills in the overall package, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital late Friday.

It is being replaced by the Office of Talent Management.

HOUSE PASSES $1.2 TRILLION GOVERNMENT SPENDING BILL TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

"Since March 2020, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion [ODI] has had the privilege of helping to create and cultivate a congressional workforce that is reflective of the American people at the U.S. House of Representatives [USHR]," Moon said.

"Since our inception, we’ve fulfilled this mandate as a non-partisan and non-legislative support office by delivering candidate services, member services, research and data analytics, professional development, and programming through the tenets of service, commitment, collaboration, integrity, and belonging as our core values.

"Tentatively effective March 22, 2024, ODI will be dissolved as part of the FY2024 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill. However, while I will off-ramp in coming weeks as part of my long-planned departure, some from the team will continue in the USHR’s commitment to ‘put the people in the people’s house’ by transitioning to the newly formed Office of Talent Management within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer."

TERM LIMITS, PREVENTING LEADER ‘MONARCHY’ BECOME TOP CONCERNS IN POST-MCCONNELL GOP

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., lauded the office's dissolution, pointing out that like most operations of the federal government, it was run on taxpayer funds.

He told Fox News Digital, "House Republicans promised to claw back Democrats' wasteful spending, and this is just another example of how we're delivering. Americans should not be forced to foot the bill for the radical left's woke agenda in Washington."

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for comment. Jeffries' office referred Fox News Digital to the Democratic minority of the Committee on House Administration, which blamed Republicans for the move.

"Instead of doing anything to make life better for the American people, extreme MAGA Republicans have been targeting the Office of Diversity and Inclusion from the beginning of this Congress, pushing an agenda to defund and dissolve the office. Despite the unilateral decision to eliminate the office, Democrats were able to ensure that the functions and staff are preserved under the auspices of the Chief Administrative Officer and will be closely studying how best to enhance these efforts in a future Democratic majority," a Democratic spokesperson said.

The ODI was formed under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during the Trump administration.

"Core values" listed on the office’s website include an "unwavering commitment to advancing representation across the House workforce by staying true to its mission and vision" as well as ensuring "the House community is representative of the nation."

HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T 'CALL THE SHOTS' ON WHEN IMPEACHMENT IS OVER

A source familiar with the decision said many functions it was performing were redundant, arguing the Congressional Administrative Office was already charged with many of the same tasks. In its brief active period, it also left millions in unspent funds each year, according to the source.

The $1.2 trillion spending deal, which includes roughly 70% of fiscal year 2024’s discretionary government funding, passed the House 286 to 134 on Friday. It passed the Senate 74 to 24 in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Johnson said when the package passed the House, "During the FY24 appropriations process, House Republicans achieved conservative policy wins, rejected extreme Democrat proposals, and imposed substantial cuts while significantly strengthening national defense. The process was also an important step in breaking the omnibus muscle memory and represents the best achievable outcome in a divided government."

Top GOP lawmaker announces early exit, leaving Republicans with temporary one-seat majority

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., chairman of the House select committee on China, announced he's leaving Congress on April 19, which will temporarily leave House Republicans with just a one-seat majority.

Gallagher revealed in February that he would not be running for a fifth term in the House, a shocking announcement for someone long considered a rising star within the Republican Party. 

His early departure will mean that Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can only afford to lose one GOP lawmaker on any vote that falls along party lines. That will likely remain the case until June, when there's a special election to replace ex-Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio.

HOUSE PASSES $460 BILLION GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL BLASTED BY GOP HARDLINERS

A special election to replace ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is set to take place in May. McCarthy's former seat in California's 20th Congressional District is a safe red seat, so it's likely going to give Johnson a GOP win.

Before that, however, is an April 30 special election to replace Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., a longtime left-wing lawmaker who departed earlier this year. That election will likely see Democrats add to their tally, which would keep the House majority at one seat.

GOP HARDLINERS FURIOUS AT JOHNSON FOR PASSING ANOTHER SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL WITH DEMS: 'USUAL C--P'

Republicans keeping McCarthy's seat and Democrats keeping Higgins' seat would keep the majority at one, which means the June 11 special election to replace Johnson in Ohio's 6th Congressional District is the GOP's first chance to regain some wiggle room.

"After conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District, effective April 19, 2024," Gallagher said in a statement on Friday afternoon.

HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON SAYS WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T 'CALL THE SHOTS' ON WHEN IMPEACHMENT IS OVER

"I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term."

Gallagher announced his departure from Congress just after he experienced blowback from members of his own party for not voting to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Gallagher was one of three Republicans who voted against the measure.

It also prompted a primary threat — multiple outlets reported last month that Alex Bruesewitz, an ally of former President Donald Trump, was considering a challenge to Gallagher.

A source close to Bruesewitz told Fox News Digital on Friday that Bruesewitz is meeting with business leaders in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional district and is actively being recruited to run for the now open seat. The source said people in Trump's circle, as well as current House Republicans, are pushing Bruesewitz to run.

"If I run, I will win," the Trump ally said.

Bruesewitz is planning to announce his final decision the week of April 8, the source said.

The Washington Examiner reported last month that he's being endorsed by Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.; Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.; Jim Banks, R-Ind.; and Cory Mills, R-Fla.