Republican senator slams ‘unserious’ efforts by Congress to hold Biden, COVID authorities accountable

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., lambasted Congress on Tuesday for "out of control" federal spending and "unserious" efforts to hold the government accountable.

Johnson, the ranking member on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, spoke at the Heritage Foundation's "Weaponization of U.S. Government Symposium" in the morning, where he discussed his investigations into the COVID-19 pandemic response and great difficulty conducting oversight of the Biden administration.

The problem with Congress, Johnson argued, is that members have voted to grow the government without conducting proper oversight of waste, fraud and abuse. He observed that federal spending is on track to be $6.9 trillion this year while the budget for his investigative committee was cut.

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"I got my funding cut when I became ranking member, okay. Do you know how many staff members we have to do oversight over millions of government employees? We've got five. That's how unserious Congress is about oversight," Johnson complained.

The Wisconsin Republican has led the charge in the Senate to investigate the origins of COVID. He has also accused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of coordinating with social media companies to censor COVID vaccine skeptics — although critics have accused Johnson of peddling anti-vaccine misinformation. Johnson is also a leading Senate Republican probing corruption allegations surrounding President Biden's involvement with his son Hunter Biden's business dealings.

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But on Tuesday, Johnson warned that the federal government has grown "out of control" to the point where Congress cannot perform oversight and accountability.

"Administrations, both Republican, Democrat, give us the middle finger," Johnson said. "They don't respond. Yeah, so they are completely unaccountable to the American public through your elected representatives. And that's been going on for decades. So they are completely immune from oversight investigation."

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Republicans involved with the Hunter Biden investigation have claimed the White House is stonewalling investigators by withholding evidence and preventing Justice Department witnesses from testifying. Hardline conservatives have advocated for Congress to use the power of the purse to leverage the Biden administration into cooperation by withholding agency funding — but most lawmakers are opposed to that strategy, which would likely result in a partial government shutdown.

Johnson said that his colleagues are "not really contemplating all this government they're voting for, all this spending."

"Again, to me, the problem is a massive federal government that has gone so far outside the constraints of the Constitution. Government is doing things that our Founding Fathers never contemplated," Johnson said.

GOP senators convince Speaker Johnson to delay Mayorkas impeachment article delivery

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Republican senators were able to convince House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to delay the delivery of two impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, citing concerns that Senate Democrats will look to quickly dismiss them once a trial begins in the upper chamber.

"To ensure the Senate has adequate time to perform its constitutional duty, the House will transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate next week. There is no reason whatsoever for the Senate to abdicate its responsibility to hold an impeachment trial," a spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

At least 10 Republican senators said they were actively pressuring the speaker to delay delivering the articles in order to prevent Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the Democratic caucus from tabling the trial ahead of the weekend and sending senators home shortly after, a source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital.

Schumer told senators in a dear colleague letter last week that proceedings would begin Thursday per procedure once the articles are delivered on Wednesday as expected. Johnson had indicated the delivery date in a letter previously sent to Schumer.

The GOP senators discussed their attempts to persuade Johnson during a lunch held at the National Republican Senatorial Committee's headquarters on Tuesday, the source said. Two of the senators actively working to convince the speaker to hold off on delivery are Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., their offices confirmed.

The benefit of a delay for the Republicans, according to the source, is allowing the articles of impeachment against Mayorkas more time for debate without the pressure of the approaching weekend.

"We have a chance to talk about the issue," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., explained the delay's effect.

"Thursday afternoon senators rush to the airport and fly to get out of here. Schumer wants it on a Thursday afternoon because he wants no coverage," Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, added at a Tuesday GOP press conference on the status of the impeachment trial.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., the lead impeachment manager, emerged from Johnson’s office moments after the announcement and told reporters, "We were ready to go tomorrow."

Green said he had not heard from Senate Republicans regarding the delay, but that he would support House GOP leaders’ decision.

He would not say if he spoke with Johnson before the delay was made public, telling Fox News Digital, "We had a phone conversation, the contents of which will remain between the speaker and I."

Another impeachment manager, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital he was not surprised by the news because he had been in contact with some of the Senate Republicans pushing for the delay. He said, "I had been talking with some of my Republican friends in the Senate. And so I was not really surprised."

At the Tuesday lunch, GOP senators also discussed their hope to turn up the pressure on their Democratic colleagues, the source added, with numerous senators offering their approval of a plan to halt all legislative business if Democrats tabled the Mayorkas trial. This would include Republicans refusing to provide a quorum or vote, among other measures.

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GOP senators have reiterated that tabling the trial would be "historic" as such an event hadn't occurred without the impeached official having left office first.

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"This is our job," Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., stressed during the press conference Tuesday.

Several Senate Republicans slammed Schumer over their expectation that he would look to quickly off ramp the trial. However, Schumer has not suggested what Democrats will do.

Democratic senators have previously indicated to Fox News Digital that they believe their caucus will seek such a strategic procedural maneuver.

"They are nuking a provision of the Constitution," Lee said during a Republican press conference on Tuesday.

The Utah Republican additionally told reporters, "I’m grateful to Speaker Johnson for his bold willingness to delay this."

"He does not want Senate Democrats, especially those on the ballot in November, to vote guilty or not guilty," Cruz said.

Schumer did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Republicans take to floor to slam Dems for expected dismissal of Mayorkas trial

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Several Senate Republicans took to the chamber floor on Monday night to call for an immediate and open trial into the impeachment articles passed against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

"Make no mistake about it: a vote to block the impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas is a vote to keep our borders open," Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said in floor remarks. Sens. Rick Scott, R-Fla., Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., John Kennedy, R-La., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Mike Braun, R-Ind., also made speeches on the expected Democratic motion to table the impeachment trial.

Marshall and Scott are members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

The vote to "block" mentioned by Marshall is in reference to the expectation that Senate Democrats will look to use a procedural maneuver to quickly dismiss the trial after being sworn in as jurors on Thursday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has not made any indication that this will be done, but several Republicans and Democrats in the chamber have said they expect such an exercise to be used to end the trial.

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"Legally speaking [Mayorkas] has undermined the laws of the United States," alleged Schmitt, justifying the necessity of a full trial.

In his own remarks, Scott said, "I do not understand why my Democratic colleagues don't care."

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Kennedy pointed out that the House spent months developing the articles that were passed against Mayorkas and "They just want to ignore the House's evidence, summarily sweep it under the rug and move on."

Marshall emphasized the historical nature of such a move, if Democrats choose to employ it. "In our nation's history, the Senate has never tabled an impeachment trial," Marshall said.

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In a dear colleague letter to senators last week, Schumer acknowledged that House impeachment managers are expected to deliver two articles of impeachment for Mayorkas to the leader. He advised senators that attendance is "essential" during the week, as each of them will be sworn in as jurors on Thursday, with Senate President Pro Tempore Patty Murray, D-Wash., presiding.

The White House counsel sent a memo out on Monday, highlighting comments made by Republican senators about the Mayorkas impeachment effort prior to its passage in the House. Several of the Republican examples pointed to by the White House have since changed their position, voicing support for a trial.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Mayorkas’s impeachment trial

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

We’ve seen impeachment trials a lot on Capitol Hill in recent years. The Senate conducted two impeachment trials of former President Trump in early 2020 and early 2021.

But no living American has ever witnessed the impeachment trial which is about to begin in the United States Senate.

Blink and you might miss it.

The House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in February. The House accuses Mayorkas of not following the law when it comes to securing the border and lying to Congress. Mayorkas became only the second cabinet secretary ever impeached. The first was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., hasn’t tipped his hand yet on how he’ll handle the articles, but Schumer is expected to move to dismiss or table the articles. The Senate must vote to do that. If all 51 senators who caucus with the Democrats vote to punt, they can extinguish the trial quickly.

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But don’t expect Republicans to go quietly.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says the Senate is obligated to conduct a full trial of Mayorkas and render judgment. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and other Republicans may try to elongate the trial. They argue that senators have a constitutional obligation to listen to arguments for and against impeachment. So expect them to make points of order – possibly forcing the Senate to vote – to consider the articles. However, Senate Democrats can euthanize each of those points of order – if they stick together and table each of the GOP motions.

Still, the trial might not last long. But here’s the minimum which must unfold on the Senate floor over the coming days.

Expect the following:

The House voted to impeach Mayorkas by a solitary vote in February. The House failed in its first effort to impeach after Rep. Al Green, D-Tex., materialized unexpectedly (directly from the hospital) and foiled the GOP’s plans. After a second vote to impeach, the House then appointed 11 impeachment "managers." They serve as de facto "prosecutors," presenting the House’s case to the Senate. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., serves as the lead impeachment manager. All 100 senators will sit as "jurors" when the trial begins. Mayorkas does not appear at the trial nor is he required to attend.

On Wednesday, House Sergeant at Arms Bill McFarland and Acting Clerk of the House Kevin McCumber will escort the managers and the articles of impeachment themselves from the House, across the Capitol Rotunda, to the Senate wing of the Capitol. That’s where the Senate will "receive" the articles of impeachment. Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson will greet the House entourage in the Senate wing of the Capitol and escort everyone to the Senate chamber.

All 100 senators will await the coterie from the House. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is the President Pro Tempore of the Senate – the most senior member of the majority party. She will preside over the impeachment trial – not Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts. The Chief Justice typically only presides over impeachment trials involving the President or Vice President. Roberts was in charge for former President Trump’s first trial in 2020. But then-Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., presided over the second impeachment trial in 2021. Leahy was the Senate’s President Pro Tempore back then.

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The impeachment articles are then read to the Senate.

It’s possible Lee and company could try to offer their motions then. But Murray could rule him out of order. The Senate hasn’t even sworn-in senators yet to adjudicate the trial. Moreover, the Senate could find itself either in legislative session (working on a bill) or executive session (working on a nomination) when the Senate stops its action to receive the articles. Therefore, motions by senators pertaining to the trial aren’t applicable at that moment.

Under Senate impeachment rules, things really get started the next day at 1 pm ET. That’s when the Senate swears in the senators. Gibson will announce that everyone should remain quiet "on pain of imprisonment." At that point, we are technically "in trial." Thus, motions are in order. In the past, the Senate could consider a resolution to establish parameters for how to handle the trial. Schumer could possibly move immediately to dismiss or table the articles. Or Lee and company could make their motions as well.

But here’s the problem for Republicans:

Schumer is the Senate Majority Leader. As Majority Leader, Schumer is recognized first by Murray, the presiding officer. Schumer could potentially short-circuit anything Republicans want to do by jumping ahead and making a motion to table or dismiss. The Senate would then vote on whether to halt proceedings right there. Republicans may never get a shot.

It is important to note that senators don’t "debate" during an impeachment trial. However, they could agree to debate in closed session – not out in the open.

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However, a vote to dismiss the articles – or on anything Republicans cook up – carries political consequences for Democrats facing competitive re-election bids this fall. Think Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Jon Tester, D-Mont., Bob Casey, D-Mich., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev. Republicans will likely weaponize any roll call vote Democrats to truncate the impeachment trial. Republicans will try to portray these vulnerable Democrats as not taking the border or the charges leveled at Mayorkas seriously.

In short, the trial is likely to be short. Not the impeachment trials of former President Trump. The Senate spread out the first one over a period of 19 days. The second one consumed five days.

In fact, the model for a quick dismissal is an impeachment you probably haven’t heard of: Former federal judge Samuel Kent in 2009.

The House impeached Kent in June 2009. But Kent stepped down before the Senate trial began. The House then adopted a resolution to halt its "prosecution" of Kent. The Senate then voted to dispense with the articles before conducting a trial.

So Kent’s circumstances are not exactly what will go down with Mayorkas. But Kent’s scenario of a quick dismissal is closer to what could unfold in the next few days compared to the more robust trials of former President Trump.

Dem hit with $15 million border-related ad blitz in ‘toss-up’ Senate race

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Sen. Jon Tester is the target of a new multi-million dollar ad blitz that highlights the vulnerable Montana Democrat's record on illegal immigration.

The $15.2 million statewide ad campaign financed by One Nation, which is closely aligned with Senate Republican leadership, is set to run until Sept. 2. The ads will reach voters through broadcast, cable and digital platforms.

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The video, titled "Line," shows Tester speaking out against amnesty early in his Senate career before a more recent vote to provide a path to legal status and citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants. The ad further notes the senator's votes to continue funding locales, such as New York City, that have sanctuary policies in place for illegal immigrants.

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The advertisement urges viewers in Montana to push Tester to "stop supporting Biden's border disaster" and support the Republican-led border bill. The Secure the Border Act, which has been touted by Republicans in the House and Senate, would require that construction is resumed on the southern border wall, make asylum standards stricter, add more Border Patrol agents and bar the Department of Homeland Security from using its app to help illegal immigrants in the U.S., among other things.

"The pro-illegal immigration policies Senator Jon Tester voted for led to the crisis at our Southern border," One Nation President and CEO Steven Law said. "Senator Tester has repeatedly voted to fund sanctuary cities and grant amnesty to illegal immigrants. He even voted to allow President Biden to stop building the border wall. Senator Jon Tester needs to stop supporting President Biden’s border disaster."

Tester's campaign, however, accused the group of distorting the senator's record, pointing to Tester's support for a controversial bipartisan border package negotiated in the Senate. That bill ultimately failed to advance due to opposition from influential conservative border hawks, including former President Donald Trump.

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"[Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell’s dark money group is flooding Montana with millions of dollars to lie about Jon Tester’s record of fighting to pass one of the toughest border security bills in decades, cracking down on the fentanyl crisis, and his opposition to sanctuary cities," Tester's campaign countered in a statement.

The Montana Senate race is expected to be competitive and is rated a "Toss Up" by leading nonpartisan political handicapper The Cook Political Report. Tester's Republican opponent in November is likely to be former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who is running in a largely uncontested primary.

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As the border crisis emerges as a top issue for voters nationwide, including in Montana, Tester has been careful in his approach to legislative issues involving immigration or the border. Republican senators accused him last month of being unwilling to vote on immigration-related amendments ahead of the passage of the $1.2 trillion spending package. Tester and his office vehemently denied those claims.

Tester is likely to face additional pressure in the coming weeks as the Senate takes up the House-passed articles of impeachment for Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. The charges stem from his handling of the border crisis. Democrats are expected to use a maneuver to quickly dismiss the trial, rather than letting it play out. But getting the support of the entire caucus is crucial, as the Senate is narrowly divided, 51-48, in favor of the Democratic caucus.

Asked what Tester would be doing once the articles are delivered, a representative for the senator told Fox News Digital, "Senator Tester will review the articles when they are sent over to the Senate."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., revealed last week his intention to deliver the articles to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on April 10.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Nevada Dem dumps $14M into ads as critical Senate race shifts to ‘toss up’

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen revealed a whopping $14 million ad reservation for the general election season as she braces for a tough challenge from Republicans.

The multimillion-dollar reservation was made for ads that will run from July through Election Day in November. It is also the largest such reservation ever made in Nevada by a Senate candidate. The ad buy will include media markets in Las Vegas and Reno.

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Rosen's latest move comes one day after the Nevada Senate race was shifted from "Lean Democrat" to "Toss Up" by the nonpartisan elections analyst, the Cook Political Report. The matchup joins Senate races in Ohio, Arizona and Montana in the category.

"While her extreme Republican opponents are busy trying to out-MAGA each other, Jacky Rosen is reaching Nevada voters for the general election and sharing her record as one of the most bipartisan and effective senators," said Stewart Boss, Rosen's campaign manager, in a press release. The Republicans vying for her Senate seat are in the midst of a crowded primary that won't be determined until the election on June 11.

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The $14 million reservation is larger than a similar one made by Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., during her 2022 re-election bid. The senator reserved $10 million worth of ad space on the airwaves between Labor Day and Election Day during the campaign. This was the largest such reservation at the time.

Cortez Masto ultimately narrowly defeated her Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt.

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"She’s going to need it," said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Mike Berg, referencing the recent ratings change. He said she was in "a dangerous spot" for an incumbent.

"Jacky Rosen is scrambling to cover up her record of being in lockstep with Joe Biden," remarked Nevada Republican strategist Jeremy Hughes.

After Rosen released an ad this week touting herself as bipartisan, critics pointed out that she voted in alignment with President Biden nearly 99% of the time in 2023.

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While her $14 million ad reservation is the largest of its kind in a Nevada Senate race, political advertising spending is notorious for being high in the state. In the 2022 Senate race, $161 million was spent by candidates and related groups on political advertising for the general election, per AdImpact. This included $32 million from Cortez Masto, $30 million from the Democratic-aligned Senate Majority PAC, $28 million from the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, $12 million from the conservative Club for Growth Action, $11 million from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $9 million from the conservative One Nation, $3 million from Laxalt, and $6 million in a coordinated buy from Laxalt and the NRSC.

The 2022 Senate race was a component of what made Nevada's general election the third most expensive in the country, according to AdImpact.

Rosen could face a slate of possible Republican opponents. However, former U.S. Army Capt. Sam Brown has proven to be the frontrunner, garnering national media attention and high-profile endorsements. Former Trump official Jeff Gunter, veteran Air Force pilot Tony Grady and former state Assemblyman Jim Marchant are other prominent Republican candidates seeking the Senate nomination.

Mayorkas impeachment trial poised to pressure these vulnerable Senate Dems

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

Democrats up for re-election in battleground states face a bind in the Senate as the impeachment trial for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to begin this month over his role in the ongoing crisis at the southern border.

Several Republican Senate sources told Fox News Digital they expect the pressure to ramp up for lawmakers such as Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Bob Casey, D-Penn., who face competitive re-election races in November.

Voters in each of the senators' states have indicated strong concerns over the state of the border.

Republican senators recently accused Tester of being unwilling to vote on border or immigration-related amendments during negotiations over the $1.2 trillion spending package that caused a brief partial government shutdown before being passed last month. Tester's office denied the claims.

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One senior Republican Senate source predicted Tester would be similarly pushed during the impeachment trial procedure: "He’ll have to go on the record with it. No way out," the source said. They noted that Brown would also be put to the test in the Mayorkas trial.

A representative for Tester told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, "Senator Tester will review the articles when they are sent over to the Senate."

The House passed two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas in early February but held onto them until after the appropriations process finished. In a letter last week, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., revealed his intention to deliver the articles to the Senate on April 10 and urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to move quickly on a trial.

When the articles are delivered, "all senators have to be sworn in as jurors and sign the book," a senior GOP source said.

"We actually go into trial mode, but Schumer will put forward a vote to dismiss it," the source predicted.

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Schumer's office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

"Everything is simple majority," the source noted, meaning only 51 of the 100 senators are necessary to move forward with any action.

While Senate Democrats have largely dismissed the charges against Mayorkas as meritless and political posturing, the lawmakers who are competing in close races in the general election may be influenced by the growing concern over the border among their constituents. In a March Fox News Poll, 41% of all registered voters agreed the situation at the southern border is an emergency. This included 65% of Republicans, 31% of independents and 20% of Democrats.

As a result, the vulnerable Democrat senators are certain to be met with attacks on the campaign trail from their Republican opponents, who will pose the question of their seriousness on the border crisis. In a February memo from National Republican Senatorial Committee political director Tim Edson that was obtained by Fox News Digital, Senate candidates were advised to hold their Democrat counterparts accountable.

"We cannot allow Senate Democrats to sweep the Biden Administration's failures at the southern border under the rug," it reads. "Democrats caused this crisis, and voting to acquit Mayorkas is a vote to allow the continued invasion of our country."

Tester's opponent, Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, said in a statement that "the Senate should hold a full impeachment trial."

"Senator Jon Tester wants to avoid a trial and let Mayorkas off the hook because they BOTH support the radical Left’s push of open borders and letting illegal immigrants flood into America. We deserve accountability!" he continued.

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Representatives for Rosen, Baldwin, Brown and Casey did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

"If Bob Casey is serious about securing the border, he'll urge Chuck Schumer to move this inquiry forward and hold them accountable," said Pennsylvania Republican Senate front-runner Dave McCormick in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Spokesperson Ben Voelkel for Wisconsin Republican Senate front-runner Eric Hovde said in a statement, "Sen. Baldwin needs to hold [Mayorkas] accountable. If she doesn't, Wisconsin voters will hold her accountable for her inaction."

"If Sherrod Brown cares about hardworking Ohioans who have been impacted by the border invasion and fentanyl crisis, he will hold Mayorkas accountable in the Senate trial," said Reagan McCarthy, spokesperson for Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who has occasionally been out of step with Democrats, appears likely to stick with his caucus in the likely case they look to dismiss the trial quickly. In February, he told Politico that the forthcoming impeachment was "Pure crap," adding that he wants "No trial at all."

Manchin's office referred Fox News Digital to his previous comment.

Republican strategist Brian Walsh, a former staffer for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said, "It highlights a huge political vulnerability for Democratic Senators like Jon Tester, Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey going into the 2024 election."

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They will be forced to "pick a side" between their base and "the majority of voters, including independents" who say the border is the most important problem in the country, Walsh added.

As the senators face a difficult decision, it's not clear that all Republicans will be on board to continue the trial. Each vote matters, given the Senate's narrow 49-51 split between Republicans and those in the Democrat caucus.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, criticized the idea of a trial in late February, writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it "might be great politics, but it’s not the remedy for bad policy & would set a terrible constitutional precedent."

Romney's office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

Other concerns for the impeachment effort are Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, who have gone against the conference previously. Neither of their offices provided comment to Fox News Digital on the subject.

Meanwhile, Mayorkas is set to appear on Capitol Hill on April 10, the same day the articles of impeachment are expected to be delivered to the Senate, for an unrelated hearing before the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee regarding the department's fiscal 2025 request.

DHS did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

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

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

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.

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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.

Biden rolls out new endorsements for controversial judicial nominee as Dem support dwindles

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

The White House is moving forward with its campaign to confirm judicial nominee Adeel Mangi and pushing back on claims that he is antisemitic or against law enforcement, despite several Democratic senators expressing concern over the nominee's organizational ties and casting doubt on his chances of garnering enough votes.

According to a White House official, Biden's team is keeping the pressure on senators to confirm Mangi, who is nominated to serve on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, dismissing attacks on him as false. The official said those focused on lobbying senators to support the nominee are White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, White House Director of Legislative Affairs Shuwanza Goff, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs Ali Nouri, White House Counsel Ed Siskel, and White House senior counsel in charge of nominations Phil Brest.

Zients said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "Some Senate Republicans and their extreme allies are relentlessly smearing Adeel Mangi with baseless accusations that he is anti-police."

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"That could not be further from the truth and the close to a dozen law enforcement organizations that have endorsed him agree," he said, pointing to several new endorsements of Mangi by three former attorneys general in New Jersey, two former U.S. attorneys who served in the state, the International Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Italian American Police Society of New Jersey and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.

"The Senate must confirm Mr. Mangi without further delay," Zients said.

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Chances of Mangi being confirmed have appeared grim in recent weeks as allegations of antisemitism have been spotlighted due to his previous role on the board of advisers for the Rutgers University Center for Security, Race and Rights (CSRR). The center has sponsored events, including one on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, with controversial speakers like Hatem Bazian, who in 2004 called for an "Intifada," according to video from an anti-war protest in San Francisco, and Sami Al-Arian, who in 2006 pleaded guilty to "conspiring to provide services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad," according to the Justice Department.

The CSRR has also hosted an event with Noura Erakat, who had previously been advertised as a panelist for a separate event alongside Hamas commander Ghazi Hamad.

Mangi has also been accused of being against law enforcement because of his role as a current advisory board member for the Alliance of Families for Justice (AFJ). The alliance's founding board member, Kathy Boudin, pleaded guilty to the felony murder of two police officers in 1981 after they died during the robbery of an armored truck. The robbery was carried out by Boudin's group, the Weather Underground Organization, which was recognized as a domestic terrorist organization by the FBI.

Neither the CSRR nor AFJ provided comments to Fox News Digital.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital in a statement, "It is unsurprising that Mangi’s record has split Senate Democrats, and the White House should recognize their error, withdraw Mangi’s nomination, and instead nominate a candidate who can garner widespread bipartisan support."

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Mangi's "well-known ties to this extreme organization that supports terrorists and cop killers makes him wholly unqualified to serve as an appellate judge."

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Biden's White House has previously hit back at criticism of Mangi, calling it a "malicious and debunked smear campaign" prompted by the nominee's potential to become the first Muslim appellate judge.

While Judiciary Republicans had already sounded alarm bells over Biden's pick last year after probing Mangi about his connections to the groups, Democratic senators appeared likely to fall in line behind the president's choice.

However, after a recent report indicated Biden was being privately warned that Mangi may not have enough votes for confirmation, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., revealed she was one of the lawmakers to reach out to the White House with concerns.

The senator previously confirmed her stance against the nominee to Fox News Digital, citing his connection to AFJ.

Several other Democratic senators recently refused to say whether they would support Mangi.

The office of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., confirmed to Fox News Digital that he is also committed to voting against Biden's pick.

Cortez Masto and Manchin were recently joined by Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who said in a statement, "Given the concerns I’ve heard from law enforcement in Nevada, I am not planning to vote to confirm this nominee."

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP, the law firm at which Mangi is a partner, did not provide comment to Fox News Digital.

The loss of any Democratic support is a concern for Mangi's confirmation prospects, given the Senate's close 51-49 split in favor of the Democratic caucus.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called on Biden last week to withdraw the nomination, and now Republicans are reinforcing their campaign against Mangi's confirmation.

"The White House can’t defend Adeel Mangi’s record. So, they’re launching personal attacks against anyone who notices the ties to cop-killers and antisemites that Mr. Mangi has forged of his own free will," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said in a statement.

He added, "It’s not Islamophobic for senators to recognize" a nominee's failure to meet qualifications.

"Now even his own Democrat party is rebelling against [Biden]," Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., remarked in a statement, attributing it to the president's "push for radical, anti-Israel nominees."

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary GOP revealed three additional law enforcement groups were opposing Biden's choice, bringing the total to 17. The Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 and Pennsylvania State Troopers Association penned a joint letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Ranking Member Graham; and Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, who are both Democrats.

The court that Mangi has been nominated to serve on is located in Philadelphia.

The Pennsylvania-based groups noted their letter is on behalf of over 40,000 members requesting that the Senate "reject the nomination" of Mangi, citing his AFJ affiliation.

GOP Sen blasts Biden admin claiming abortion travel policy is essential to military readiness

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Latest Political News on Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is questioning President Biden's Department of Defense over its abortion travel assistance policies that Secretary Lloyd Austin has previously said are important for force readiness.

PENTAGON RELEASES DATA ON CONTROVERSIAL ABORTION TRAVEL POLICY FOR SERVICE MEMBERS

In a letter sent on Monday, the senator requested evidence from the Pentagon on how its abortion travel allowances are necessary for force readiness in the wake of Roe v. Wade's reversal, as Austin previously claimed.

In a development on Tuesday, the department announced new figures regarding the policy, soon after being asked for comment by Fox News Digital, and one day after Wicker's letter prompted it to explain new data he obtained through another Senate committee.

According to Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh, the travel allowance policy was used 12 times from June-December of 2023. The allowances can be used for "non-covered" abortions, but are also approved for other procedures and treatments. The cost to the Pentagon was roughly $40,800, she said.

While the department offers authorized allowances for travel and transportation assistance, this does not mean that all service members who travel to obtain abortions have requested or received such allowances.

In his Monday letter, Wicker noted he received data "indirectly through a different Senate committee," which showed that the Army recorded "between August 2023 and December 31, 2023, three service members utilized the policy and claimed travel expenses totaling $2,097."

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The data on abortion policy usage and cost in 2023 was provided to another Senate committee by the Army, per Wicker's office. It was then forwarded to Wicker.

"Still, with today’s news, the fact remains: This administration has recklessly politicized the military with this farce of a policy," said Wicker in a statement to Fox News Digital. "The Department even admitted today that those that use the policy may not have even used it for an abortion. The reality is that access to abortions is not a threat to readiness."

Wicker recalled Austin's past claim that the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, returning the issue of abortion to the states, "has impacted access to reproductive health care, with readiness, recruiting and retention implications for the force."

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In the letter, Wicker slammed the department for providing only "incomplete, evasive, or outright non-answers" when he prompted it on three separate occasions in 2023 for information to justify the abortion policy and how it affects force readiness.

He noted that in response to his most recent letter in December, the department focused on fertilization services and avoided discussing the "provision of non-covered abortion services that end the lives of unborn babies."

Wicker further criticized the department's response for refusing to provide information on the usage of the policies and the amount of money that was being spent, prompting him to obtain the information elsewhere. He claimed the response, "is contradicted by the Army's data which clearly provided the number of service members who have claimed reimbursement of travel expenses using the policy."

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"That number is essential to best capture the actual readiness impact on the force, if any," he explained in the Monday letter.

Wicker additionally requested the department to provide up-to-date data, "in the same form the Army has provided," on usage of the policy since implementation.

The senator had also requested "immediate delivery" of this data from the department, noting the other occasions on which it was not provided.