Category: fox-news/us/congress

Hunter Biden deposition scheduled for next month after risk of being held in contempt of Congress

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Hunter Biden is expected to sit for a deposition as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden at the House Judiciary and House Oversight Committees next month, after the first son defied a congressional subpoena and was at risk of being held in contempt of Congress. 

The House Judiciary Committee announced the newly-scheduled deposition date on X, formerly Twitter, Thursday evening. 

"HUNTER BIDEN DEPOSITION. CONFIRMED. FEBRUARY 28," the X post reads. 

"Hunter Biden will appear before our committees for a deposition on February 28, 2024," House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said in a joint-statement Thursday. "His deposition will come after several interviews with Biden family members and associates." 

HOUSE RULES PANEL PAUSES CONSIDERATION OF HUNTER BIDEN CONTEMPT AMID NEGOTIATIONS FOR NEW DEPOSITION DATE

They added: "We look forward to Hunter Biden’s testimony."

Comer and Jordan also announced additional witnesses will appear before the committee for testimony, including Hunter Biden’s business partners Mervyn Yan and Rob Walker on Jan. 22; Eric Schwerin and Joey Langston on Jan. 29; and Hunter Biden’s former business partner Tony Bobulinski on Feb. 5.

Hunter Biden's new deposition date comes after the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee last week passed resolutions to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena. 

Hunter Biden's attorneys offered to discuss scheduling a new deposition for the first son — something House Republicans were willing to do. 

Hunter Biden, ahead of his subpoenaed deposition on Dec. 13, had offered to testify publicly. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, rejected his request, noting that the first son would not have special treatment and pointing to the dozens of other witnesses who have appeared as compelled for their interviews and depositions. Comer and Jordan vowed to release the transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition.

The first son, though, defied the subpoena, ignored the offer and recently delivered a public statement outside the Capitol. At the time, he said his father "was not financially involved in my business."

As the House advanced the resolutions to continue to take steps to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, his attorney, Abbe Lowell, last week asked that the committees issue a new subpoena. 

Lowell penned a letter to the committees on Friday, saying the initial subpoenas were "legally invalid" as they were issued before the full House of Representatives voted to formalize the impeachment inquiry against the president. 

"If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition," Lowell wrote. "We will accept such a subpoena on Mr. Biden's behalf." 

"The committees welcome Mr. Biden’s newfound willingness to testify in a deposition setting under subpoena," Comer and Jordan wrote at the time. 

"Although the Committee’s subpoenas are lawful and remain legally enforceable, as an accommodation to Mr. Biden and at your request, we are prepared to issue subpoenas compelling Mr. Biden’s appearance at a deposition on a new date in the coming weeks."

Hunter Biden’s art dealer lashes out after testimony, says Congress is where ‘real’ influence peddling happens

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EXCLUSIVE: Hunter Biden's New York City art dealer lashed out in defense of the first son following his closed-door deposition before the House Oversight Committee last week, arguing the halls of Congress was where the "real" influence peddling happens.

In an email to Fox News Digital, Georges Bergès, owner of the Georges Bergès Art Gallery in Manhattan that showcases Biden's paintings, decried the focus on his business as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, all "while the pigs are at the trough in Washington, D.C."

"Broadly speaking, if the issue is selling influence — then no one needs to look outside Washington, D.C., as there are plenty of lobbyist[s] advertising all the influence they have for sale on K street," Bergès wrote. 

ART DEALER REVEALS HUNTER BIDEN KNEW "SUGAR BROTHER" WAS TOP BUYER, MAKING WH ETHICS PLEDGE A ‘SHAM’: COMER

"If the issue is fear of family members of powerful politicians leveraging their ties for personal gain, then ban former congressm[e]n and their relatives from ever becoming lobbyists, but that’s never going to happen because that’s where the real peddling is happening," he wrote.

"So they want us to focus on the gallery in [New York City] while the pigs are at the trough in Washington D.C.," he added.

Bergès also told Fox that he never violated the agreement his gallery had with Hunter in which he would conceal his buyers' identities to avoid ethical problems for the presidential family selling potentially high-value items.

HOUSE RULES PANEL PAUSES CONSIDERATION OF HUNTER BIDEN CONTEMPT AMID NEGOTIATIONS FOR NEW DEPOSITION DATE

"If [Hunter] knew the identities of some of the buyers — it’s because they were his friends or by happenstance," he wrote. "My obligation to Hunter is to not disclose the buyers — which I haven’t." 

The White House said in July 2021 that the "system" had been "established" to ensure the anonymity of Hunter's buyers' identities. But according to the transcript of his testimony, Bergès said that the agreement was not set up for several months following that statement and that the first son knew the identities of approximately 70% of those buyers.

Bergès’ testimony came after the House formalized the impeachment inquiry against Biden last month. It is being led by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith.

Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Hunter crashes hearing, Austin hid prostate cancer, both hurting the president

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It was an undeniable stunt by Hunter Biden – and it wasn’t even as effective as his last stunt.

The president’s son crashed his own House contempt hearing yesterday, sat in the front row and dramatically walked out – with all three cable news networks following him to the press mob in the hallway. His lawyer ripped the Republican-run committee for refusing to hold a public hearing, and Hunter soon slipped into a waiting SUV while mumbling only a few words to the press. 

None of this was good for his father, whose White House aides are frustrated when Hunter seizes the spotlight, reviving questions about unethical business practices tied to the impeachment inquiry of the president.

TRUMP GOES TO FEDERAL IMMUNITY HEARING, SKIPPING IOWA, SEIZES MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

Just a day earlier, Lloyd Austin’s disappearing act turned into a full-fledged firestorm. We learned–not long after the White House did – that the Pentagon chief is battling prostate cancer.

The idea that nine days after he was rushed to Walter Reed, we finally found out that Austin was being treated for a serious disease, and not the "minor" elective procedure he had claimed, is mind-boggling. Of course we all wish the retired general, who is still hospitalized, a speedy recovery.

For days, Joe Biden couldn’t consult with the man overseeing America’s armed forces, didn’t even know he was in the hospital. The secretary of Defense, who is in the nuclear chain of command, was AWOL. And yet the White House coughed up a statement saying the president still has confidence in him.

All of which makes Biden look weak and unwilling to fire anyone.

The two episodes are unconnected, but they underscore how the administration often seems to lose control of events.

BIDEN TEAM COMPLAINS ABOUT TRUMP COVERAGE; THE ‘FULL HITLER’ CONFRONTATION

When Hunter Biden last made a surprise appearance, outside the Capitol, he spoke to reporters about how he was ready to testify, but not in a closed-door session. At least the public got to hear him and weigh his case.

The argument for public testimony has a certain populist appeal. But the truth is that Hill committees routinely demand private depositions, spending hours vacuuming up details, before they grant a televised hearing. And Biden could be charged with contempt of Congress on that basis alone.

When Hunter and his entourage walked in, GOP Rep. Nancy Mace demanded he be immediately jailed. When they walked about, Marjorie Taylor Greene accused him of being afraid of strong conservative women.

By the time his attorney was making his hallway comments, Hunter briskly walked toward the exit, looking like he was heading back into hiding. The novelty had worn off.

And keep in mind that Hunter is under criminal indictment. So he’s going to continue to be an albatross for his dad.

Meanwhile, bipartisan criticism continues to build over Austin’s shocking lack of candor. Pennsylvania Democrat Chris Deluzio yesterday became the first lawmaker in his party to call for the secretary’s resignation.

The prostate cancer disclosure has brought into sharp relief that Austin did something that might have gotten an ordinary soldier court-martialed for being MIA.

And one broader point: The reclusive Austin rarely talks to reporters or holds news conferences and takes only a handful of journalists on foreign trips. So how can he be an effective advocate for the military and for the commander-in-chief? Maybe it’s time for him to concentrate on healing.

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Footnote: Chris Christie dropped out of the presidential race yesterday, after days of insisting he would do no such thing. I thought he’d at least wait till after Iowa, since his departure will mainly help Haley in New Hampshire.

When he was preparing to run, the former New Jersey governor told me he would stay in as long as he had a shot at the nomination. But he came to be viewed as an anti-Trump spoiler, didn’t qualify for last night’s debate, and said last night he no longer had a path.

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"I would rather lose by telling the truth than lie in order to win," Christie said. He accused Republican lawmakers who endorse him of "cowardice" and "hypocrisy." And now he’s he’s folded his tent.

GOP lawmakers threaten to hold government funding until border is secured

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Republican lawmakers threatened to hold up government funding in exchange for stronger border security during a press conference led by Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-M.D., Wednesday afternoon. 

A bipartisan group of lawmakers began talks with White House officials in December, but have been unsuccessful in reaching a deal.

"What you're going to start witnessing is the House of Representatives doing whatever we can with the tools that are available to us to let the administration know that they are not going to get additional funding for their priorities until we see a secure border," Rosendale told reporters. 

On Jan. 19, funding will expire for several federal departments, including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. 

SENATE NOT EXPECTED TO RELEASE TEXT ON BORDER PACKAGE THIS WEEK

On Feb. 2, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Defense Departments will also run out of funding. Congress may have to pass a continuing resolution, known as a CR, to keep agencies temporarily funded until a full budget is agreed upon.

"Don't tell me this is for want of federal legislation. This is for want of an utter, defiant, lawless refusal to enforce our border," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a member on the upper chamber's budget committee, told reporters on Wednesday. 

"I tell President Biden, secure the border or shut it down. We're not going to continue to fund your government as if nothing had changed, when we've got this crisis unfolding on monumental proportions, whether it's all of government or just the White House toilet paper budget — I don't know — but there have to be consequences for him doing this."

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also in attendance, said the only way to get border security passed is "to hold up whatever we can, whether it's Ukraine funding, whatever it is they want, and say we don't get that funding unless we get a secure border."

DEMS, GOP AT STANDSTILL ON BORDER SECURITY DEAL WITH SEVERAL ‘UNANSWERED ISSUES’ REMAINING

"Otherwise … we're going to continue to have an open border," he said.

Rep. Cory Millis, R-Fl., told reporters, "No American should be told that we must pay to secure the borders of another nation in order to negotiate to secure our own."

Lankford, alongside other lead negotiators Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., began negotiations with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other Biden officials a week before the upper chamber was scheduled to go on its holiday recess.

Republicans want several measures included in a deal, including more restrictions on parole and reforming how asylum is granted, making the process more stringent for qualifying for asylum. They also want to increase detention beds and the presence of parole agents.

Lawmakers hope to strike a deal that will tie border security measures into the national supplemental funding request that would provide some $60 billion to Ukraine and $14 billion to Israel. But GOP lawmakers have insisted that either the supplemental or government funding have some border security conditions attached to it. 

Many hours of private negotiations have transpired since the talks began last month, but no deal has been agreed upon so far. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., spoke with President Biden about the worsening crisis at the southern border on Wednesday, too, urging him to use his "executive authority to secure the southern border," according to Johnson's spokesman Raj Shah. 

REPUBLICANS ACCELERATE PROBE INTO BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S ACTIONS TO HOUSE MIGRANTS ON FEDERAL LANDS

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There were over 302,000 migrant encounters in December, after fiscal year 2023 saw a record 2.4 million encounters overall. A recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement report said the agency removed 142,580 illegal immigrants in fiscal year 2023, up considerably from 72,177 in fiscal year 2022 and 59,011 in fiscal year 2021, but still down from the highs of 267,258 under the Trump administration in fiscal year 2019.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report. 

Hilarious Jayapal gaffe proves Dems find saying ‘insurrection’ to be hard

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A Democrat serving in the House of Representatives was at the center of an apparent blunder Wednesday when she claimed former President Donald Trump "incited an erection."

The comment from Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., came during the House Judiciary Committee's consideration of a resolution that, if passed, would set up a full House vote on whether to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena as part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

"I think we're all outraged about many things, but if we're gonna talk about outrageous things that have happened or things that have never happened, let's talk about the fact that President Trump incited an erection."

Quickly realizing what she had said, Jayapal began laughing and said, "Maybe that, too."

JAYAPAL TELLS FELLOW DEMS NOT TO 'OUT-REPUBLICAN THE REPUBLICANS' ON IMMIGRATION AMID FUNDING TALKS

"You can talk about that too, I guess," Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C., chimed in.

"Maybe we should talk about that, too," Jayapal responded.

Correcting herself and moving on from the awkward situation, Jayapal said, "The president incited an insurrection."

Jayapal is not the first Democrat to use the word "erection" instead of "insurrection" when talking about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and President Trump's actions on that day.

In January 2021, while pushing for an impeachment trial of Trump on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed the former president was responsible for an "erection."

"Make no mistake, there will be a trial and when that trial ends, senators will have to decide if they believe Donald John Trump incited the erection – insurrection – against the United States," Schumer said at the time.

HUNTER BIDEN MAKES SHOCKING APPEARANCE AT HIS OWN CONTEMPT HEARING

Jayapal's colleague, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has also been guilty of using the word "erection" to describe the events from more than three years ago.

Schiff's slip-up came during a November 2021 appearance on "The View," where he responded to pressure from one host who asked him whether he regretted talking up the discredited Steele dossier.

"But let’s not use that as a smokescreen to somehow shield Donald Trump’s culpability for inviting Russia to help him in the election, which they did, for trying to coerce Ukraine into helping him in the next election, which he did, into inciting an erection…"

Catching himself immediately, Schiff corrected himself and used the word "insurrection" before continuing his comments.

Schiff also slipped up and used the word during a January 2021 appearance on CNN, where he claimed then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., incited an "erection."

WATCH: Nancy Mace shreds Hunter Biden for having ‘no balls’ after surprise visit derails House hearing

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Hunter Biden's surprise appearance at a Wednesday House Oversight Committee hearing on Capitol Hill set off a firestorm of reaction among the committee's members, including Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who accused the president of having "no balls."

Biden, alongside his attorneys, unexpectedly showed up at the hearing as the committee was preparing to consider the resolution that, if passed, would set up a full House vote on whether to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena as part of the House impeachment inquiry against his father.

"My first question is who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today? That is my first question. Second question, you are the epitome of White privilege coming into the Oversight Committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed. What are you afraid of? You have no balls to come up here and –" Mace said before being interrupted by a Democrat on the committee.

HUNTER BIDEN MAKES SHOCKING APPEARANCE AT HIS OWN CONTEMPT HEARING

The hearing spiraled into a screaming match with Mace accusing Moskowitz of not allowing a woman on the committee to speak.

Once Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., got the hearing back on track, Mace declared that Biden "should be arrested right here, right now, and go straight to jail."

"Our nation is founded on the rule of law and the premise that the law applies equally to everyone no matter what your last name is —" she added, before being interrupted by another Democrat objecting to her statement.

HOUSE GOP SAYS HUNTER BIDEN ‘VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW' BY DEFYING SUBPOENA, PREPARE CONTEMPT RESOLUTION

In a point of order, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., then called on members of the committee to show respect by not interrupting each other before Comer called on Mace to continue.

"It does not matter who you are, or where you come from, or who your father is, or your last name. Yes, I'm looking at you Hunter Biden as I'm speaking to you. You are not above the law at all," Mace said.

She argued that Biden had no privilege to claim to avoid a subpoena to appear before the committee for testimony, and said his team didn't contest the reasons the subpoena was issued. She accused him of "refusing" to comply.

Mace noted that former President Donald Trump's sons previously appeared for subpoenas, and that Biden broke the law "deliberately" and "flagrantly" by ignoring his.

"The question the American people are asking us is what is Hunter Biden so afraid of? Why can’t you show up for a congressional deposition? You are here for a political stunt. This is just a PR stunt to you. This is just a game that you are playing with the American people. You are playing with the truth," she said. 

"Hunter Biden wasn’t afraid to sell access to Joe Biden to the highest bidder when he was in elected office. He wasn't afraid to trade on the Biden brand, peddle influence, and share the ill gotten gains with members of his family, including Joe Biden, he wasn't afraid to compromise the integrity of the presidency and vice presidency by involving Joe Biden in shady business deals with our foreign adversaries," she said. 

Mace said she believed Biden should be held in contempt, and that "he should be hauled off to jail right now." She then accused Democrats of "hypocrisy" regarding a subpoena for Biden versus past subpoenas for Republicans.

"It brings no joy for us to do this but the president’s son broke the law and must be held accountable in the same way anybody else would. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do so," she said. 

"My last message to you, Hunter Biden: You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes," she added.

Crunch time: Congress kicks off 2024 staring down potential shutdown

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The sheer crush of time is extraordinary. Congress returns to session this week after a lengthy holiday recess – much longer for the House than the Senate. And lawmakers face an immediate shutdown by the end of next week. 

This is the perfect way to initiate 2024 in Congress. A flirtation with a shutdown in the opening days epitomizes what 2024 may be like on Capitol Hill.

That said, President Biden and bipartisan, bicameral leaders just forged an agreement on a "topline" for all discretionary spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2024. 

This is not a bill. This is not a "continuing resolution," an interim bill to keep the government afloat. 

CONSERVATIVES REVOLT AGAINST JOHNSON-SCHUMER DEAL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN: ‘WORSE THAN WE THOUGHT’

But it’s a start. And there is a lot to do to avoid shutting down the government in just a few days. 

With 2024 being an election year – and both the House and Senate controlled by narrow majorities – it could well end with contretemps over election recounts and certifications of House and Senate contests as they sort out which party controls each body heading into 2025. That’s to say nothing of possible debates over who won the presidential election. Naturally that could tee up yet another set of challenges in the House and Senate on January 6, 2025 to decide who heads to 1600 Pennsylvania, Ave. 

So the next 12 months are going to be a doozy in Congress. Hope everyone had a nice vacation. 

If Congress struggles to fund the government, one could envision a scenario where lawmakers are marooned in Washington for weeks on end – ala the 10-plus week stretch in the fall. That involved a dalliance with a government shutdown in October, the dethroning of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and an epic, internecine GOP battle before the House finally elected House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

We don’t believe there’s any immediate threat to Johnson’s grasp on the gavel. But once (and if) lawmakers get through the January 19 funding deadline, that only douses the fiscal flames temporarily. There’s another deadline on February 2. The House is scheduled to be out of session the week of January 21. Then back for three weeks. Then out of session the weeks of February 18 and February 25. That’s followed up by three weeks in Washington in early March. Then out at the end of March and first week of April.

HOUSE GOP MAJORITY TO SHRINK AGAIN IN TIME FOR POTENTIAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN

A government shutdown crisis could pulverize the congressional schedule. The same with efforts to advance a plan to address border security and fund Ukraine and Israel. 

House Republicans are focused on other things, too. They’re looking at impeachment for President Biden, impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and a contempt of Congress citation for Hunter Biden. Throw in some serious, bipartisan questions about why Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Pentagon apparently failed to notify anyone that he was hospitalized, and you have a staggering amount of legislative and political traffic on Capitol Hill. 

All of this hinges on the decisions of key players. Whether they negotiate. Whether they stumble. Whether they produce legislative miracles. Success and failure is the quintessence of Congress. So here’s a thumbnail look at some figures to watch in 2024 – and what it could mean for 2025. 

Let’s start with the Speaker. 

Johnson’s immediate future appears to be secure. But if Johnson falters? Or if the GOP loses the majority in the fall? Does Johnson stick around? Divining a potential Johnson successor might be as challenging as it was to forecast the Speaker’s rise to power. House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., is the only current member of the GOP brass who emerged unscathed from this fall’s battle for the gavel. 

Rank and file Republicans rejected both House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., for Speaker in October. Would Stefanik be in the mix? It’s also possible that President Trump could consider Stefanik as his running mate this year. 

Of course Johnson may be fine. That’s certainly the case if GOP holds the House, Johnson placates rambunctious conservatives and demonstrates substantial fundraising prowess. 

JOHNSON SPARS WITH WHITE HOUSE OVER BORDER FUNDING CLAIMS: ‘DESPERATE'

Johnson is also just liked better than Kevin McCarthy. 

The Freedom Caucus once again commands the spotlight. Pay attention to Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and new Freedom Caucus leader Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., also bear watching. What do they do with impeachment? And if they don’t impeach, was this duo just making a lot of noise? 

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., could very well be Speaker of the House this time next year if Democrats flip control. But Jeffries is starting to see some fractures in his caucus between progressive, pro-Palestinian Democrats and others who align themselves with Israel. How Jeffries wrestles with those divisions will test his leadership skills. 

Another name to keep an eye on: Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. She chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). DelBene will benefit big time if Democrats run good races and seize control of the House. 

Also watch Rep. John Duarte, R-Calif. He’s one of the most vulnerable Republicans facing reelection this fall, squeaking out a win in 2022 in a district carried by President Biden. 

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., is also one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. But President Biden won one of the electoral votes in Bacon’s district in 2020 thanks to Nebraska’s proportional distribution system. 

In the Senate, the odds certainly favor Republicans flipping the Senate. Democrats are defending way too many seats in swing states. Republicans are facing reelection in states which are already ruby red. However, will Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., return as the top Republican – either in the majority or the minority? McConnell faced a leadership challenge in late 2022 from Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. The level of antipathy between former President Trump and McConnell is palpable. Could a second term for former President Trump undo McConnell as leader – even though the Kentucky Republican is the longest-serving party leader in history? 

Also, McConnell experienced several health scares in 2023. Some Republicans might push for McConnell to step aside if he suffers from additional health concerns. 

Granted, McConnell could get credit if the GOP wins the Senate. 

This brings us to Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montan. Daines chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). He’ll win plaudits if Republicans win the Senate – even though it’s an easy map for the GOP. Plus, Daines and McConnell have tried to draft more "electable" Republicans this year. McConnell has spoken at length about how "candidate quality" undercut the GOP’s chances to win the Senate in 2022.

However, don’t underestimate chances for Senate Republicans to botch what could be a layup this autumn. Senate Republicans certainly stole defeat from the jaws of victory in 2022, 2020 and 2010. That’s why there could be hell to pay if Republicans don’t win Senate control. Some Republicans will look directly at McConnell and Daines. 

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., is retiring. But Manchin is likely to be central to any battles over spending or other major legislation for the duration of his term. There is still a buzz about whether Manchin could run as an independent or third party for President. 

LATINO SENATE HOPEFUL SAYS HISPANIC VOTERS BEING ‘BLINDSIDED’ BY DEM POLICIES, AIM TO FLIP BORDER SEAT RED

There is also attention on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. Sinema is a central player in the border security talks. She’s outraged some liberals for working as a centrist and abandoning the Democratic Party. If Sinema runs and wins reelection and Republicans flip the Senate, look for the GOP to court her to become part of their prospective majority. 

2023 was a doozy on Capitol Hill. 2024 could even be doozier. And then there is 2025. Congress punted the debt ceiling until early next year. The Congressional certification of the presidential election also falls on January 6, 2025. 

The debt ceiling and certifying the results of the Electoral College may be the only big issues with which Congress won’t have to wrestle in 2024. 

As I say, I hope you enjoyed your vacation.

Perhaps for the next couple of years.

Hunter Biden, Mayorkas, Fauci: House lawmakers return from holidays for a high-profile week

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House lawmakers will be off to the races when they’re back on Capitol Hill Monday, for the first week of their 2024 legislative session.

The GOP majority has scheduled several big priorities for the week of Jan. 8 related to two separate impeachment probes as well as a visit to Congress by infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. 

Fauci’s first sit-down of the 118th Congress will be a closed-door interview with the House select committee on COVID-19. 

He’ll field questions from lawmakers on both sides on Monday and Tuesday for a marathon seven hours each day. 

On Jan. 10, the House Oversight Committee and the Homeland Security Committee are both taking big steps in Republicans’ push for accountability for the Biden administration. 

HOUSE LEAVES FOR THE YEAR WITH CRITICAL BATTLES STILL ON HORIZON

Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced his panel would hold a procedural meeting to advance a contempt resolution against Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, for failure to comply with a congressional subpoena.

Republicans had subpoenaed Hunter for a sworn deposition on Dec. 13 as part of an impeachment inquiry looking into whether the president and his family profited off of foreign business deals.

He skipped the sit-down, instead opting to hold a press conference in front of the U.S. Capitol criticizing the GOP’s impeachment inquiry of his father. 

WHERE NO CONGRESS HAS GONE BEFORE: FACING GALACTIC-SCALE FISCAL CLIFF AND BORDER SECURITY THREATS

Comer said Friday that "Hunter Biden’s willful refusal to comply with our subpoenas constitutes contempt of Congress and warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution. We will not provide him with special treatment because of his last name."

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee, panned Comer’s decision to hold Hunter in contempt and pointed out that he offered to testify in a public hearing – despite Republicans insisting on a closed-door deposition first. 

"Instead of taking yes for an answer, Chairman Comer has now obstructed his own hapless investigation by denying Hunter Biden the opportunity to answer all the committee’s questions in front of the American people and the world," Raskin said.

SENATE HAS ONLY PASSED 3 OUT OF 12 SPENDING BILLS AS DEADLINE LOOMS

Also on Jan. 10, the Homeland Security Committee is holding its first hearing in House Republicans’ impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The House voted in November to refer a resolution to impeach Mayorkas to the committee, giving them the reins in the GOP’s quest to oust the Biden official.

"Our investigation made clear that this crisis finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas’ decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress, and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability," Committee Chair Mark Green, R-Tenn., said in a statement.

"The bipartisan House vote in November to refer articles of impeachment to my committee only served to highlight the importance of our taking up the impeachment process – which is what we will begin doing next Wednesday."

After the high-profile action of this week is over, lawmakers likely will not get much breathing room – the House and Senate must reach a deal on government funding by Jan. 19 or risk a partial government shutdown.

Speaker Johnson accuses Mayorkas of ‘intentionally’ creating border crisis: ‘There must be accountability’

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., accused Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas of "intentionally" enacting policies that led to the border crisis on Sunday.

Johnson made the statement in a lengthy interview on CBS' "Face the Nation," telling host Margaret Brennan that there must be "accountability." Johnson led a delegation of GOP lawmakers to visit the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas last week. He and his fellow Republicans have vowed to pursue impeachment against Mayorkas in the coming weeks.

Johnson listed the crises going on at the southern border, from massive crossings of single adult males to the sex trafficking of women and children.

"Anyone with a conscience who came down to see this would demand that it stop," Johnson said.

BIDEN ADMIN EYES MORE DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO VENEZUELA AS MIGRANT NUMBERS SHATTER RECORDS

"But these are very, very real and immediate issues, what you're talking about," Brennan said. "It is a crisis, so don't you need the help of the Homeland Security secretary instead of trying to impeach him?"

HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SETS FIRST MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING

Johnson laughed, responding, "We've been asking Secretary Mayorkas to do his job since he gained office, and he's done exactly the opposite. He's testified untruthfully before Congress repeatedly."

"But why focus the congressional resources on going ahead with an impeachment when they could be dealing with the actual issues here on the ground?" Brennan asked.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT POPULATION SOARS UNDER BIDEN: GOVERNMENT DATA

Johnson responded that the Homeland Security Committee has "methodically" investigated the border crisis and found that Mayorkas should be held accountable.

"I believe Secretary Mayorkas is an abject failure, but it's not because of incompetence," Johnson said. "I believe he has done this intentionally. I think these are intentional policy decisions that he has made, and I think there must be accountability for that."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection tracked a surge of roughly 240,000 monthly illegal alien encounters per month at the border in late 2023. 

Federal judge orders GOP Rep. Scott Perry to release texts and emails in 2020 election probe

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A federal judge is ordering Republican Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania to turn over more than 1,600 texts and emails to FBI agents investigating efforts to keep President Donald Trump in office after his 2020 election loss and illegally block the transfer of power to Democrat Joe Biden.

The ruling, late Monday, came more than a year after Perry’s personal cellphone was seized by federal authorities. The decision, by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, is largely in line with an earlier finding by a federal judge that Perry appealed to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C.

Boasberg, in a 12-page decision, said that, after viewing each record, he decided that Perry, a top Trump ally, can withhold 396 of the messages under the constitution's speech and debate clause that protects the work of members of Congress.

FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR SAYS SPEAKER JOHNSON MUST ‘REASSERT AUTHORITY’ AMID GOP INFIGHTING OVER SPENDING PLAN

However, the other 1,659 records do not involve legislative acts and must be disclosed, Boasberg ruled. That includes efforts to influence members of the executive branch, discussions about Vice President Mike Pence's role in certifying the election and providing information about alleged election fraud.

Perry's lawyer, John Rowley, did not immediately respond to a query about whether he will appeal. In the past, Rowley has said that government officials have never described Perry to him as a target of their investigation.

Perry is chairman of the Freedom Caucus, a hardline faction of conservatives. Perry has not been charged with a crime and is the only sitting member of Congress whose cellphone was seized by the FBI in the 2020 election investigation.

Perry's efforts to protect the contents of his cell phone have proceeded largely in secret, except in recent weeks when snippets and short summaries of his texts and emails were inadvertently unsealed — and then resealed — by the federal court.

Those messages revealed more about where Perry may fit in the web of Trump loyalists who were central to his bid to remain in power.

Making Perry a figure of interest to federal prosecutors were his efforts to elevate Jeffrey Clark to Trump’s acting attorney general in late 2020.

Perry, in the past, has said he merely "obliged" Trump’s request that he be introduced to Clark. At the time, Trump was searching for a like-minded successor to use the Department of Justice to help stall the certification of Biden's election victory.

But the messages suggest that Perry was a key ally for Clark, who positioned himself as someone who would reverse the Department of Justice’s stance that it had found no evidence of widespread voting fraud.

GOP REP. TORCHES REPORTER CLAIMING AMERICANS SEE NO EVIDENCE FOR BIDEN IMPEACHMENT: 'YOU DON'T REPORT ON IT’

To that end, Clark had drafted a letter that he suggested sending to Georgia saying the Department of Justice had "identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple states, including the state of Georgia," according to the August indictment in that state accusing Trump, Clark and 17 others of trying illegally to keep him in power.

At the time, Clark was the assistant attorney general of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and served as the acting head of the Civil Division.

The showdown over Clark brought the Justice Department to the brink of crisis, prosecutors have said, and Trump ultimately backed down after he was told that it would result in mass resignations at the Justice Department and his own White House counsel’s office.

Clark is now described in the federal indictment of Trump as one of six unnamed and unindicted co-conspirators in an effort to illegally subvert the 2020 election.