Republican Rep. Pat Fallon of Texas and acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe got in a screaming match over Rowe’s attendance at a 9/11 memorial event during a Thursday congressional hearing.

The House of Representatives established the Task Force on Trump Assassination Attempts following two attempts on the life of former President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign. Rowe was testifying at a hearing held by the task force when Fallon questioned his attendance at an event commemorating 9/11, asking if he was in charge of President Joe Biden’s detail at the event after Rowe claimed that the head of the president’s Secret Service detail was usually the “closest” to the president.

“Actually, congressman, what you’re not seeing is the [Special Agent in Charge] of the detail off out of the picture’s view, and that is the day where we remember the more than 3,000 people that died on 9/11,” Rowe said after Fallon displayed an image showing the Secret Service director standing near Biden. “I actually responded to Ground Zero. I was there going through the ashes at the World Trade Center. I was there for rescues.”

“I’m not asking you that!” Fallon responded.

WATCH:

“Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes!” Rowe shouted, with Fallon yelling “No, I’m not!” in response, leading to a continued shouting match.

“Don’t try to bully me,” Fallon told Rowe. “Don’t try and bully me. I am an elected member of Congress, and I am asking a serious question and you are playing politics.”

Rowe said he attended the event to honor a Secret Service agent who died during the attack, which killed 72 law enforcement officers across eight agencies, including the New York Police Department, the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey Police Department, the FBI and the Secret Service. Master Special Officer Craig James Miller was the lone Secret Service officer killed on the day of the attack, according to a listing maintained by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, while a second officer is listed as having died from 9/11-related health issues.

This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

On Tuesday of this week, I received an email from Laura Lavrenz, daughter of Rebecca Lavrenz, a great-grandmother whose plight I recount in my book “Ashli: The Untold Story of the Women of January 6.”

“I’ve been thinking on justice the past 24 hours since news broke out that President Biden declared a pardon over his son, Hunter Biden,” wrote Laura. Thousands of other J6ers and their family have surely been doing the same.

“It seems so unjust that my mom continues to wear a monitor around her ankle,” Laura continued, “unable to leave her house outside of the allotted time granted to her by the federal government, restricted from accessing the internet and paying an outrageous fine.”

Unjust it is – across the board. Of the 10 women I profile in “Ashli,” the eight who survived thay day, randomly selected, all have been incarcerated.

A quick rundown of the “crimes” these women committed and the punishments they received serves as useful sample of the injustice doled out to 1,500-and-counting other J6ers.

Rebecca Lavrenz walked in through an open door on the east side of the Capitol, prayed for 10 minutes, and walked out. Punishment: six months of house arrest, no internet and a $103,000 fine.

Dr. Simone Gold had a permit to speak about medical freedom on the steps of the Capitol. When the east side door opened from the inside Dr. Gold and her partner, John Strand, were swept in with the crowd.

In the Rotunda, Gold stood on the base of a statue to speak. Strand hovered nearby protecting her. Following her five-minute speech, Gold took questions.

A police officer then informed the small crowd that it was now possible to leave through the east doors. Gold and Strand thanked him for the info and headed toward the doors.

Punishment: Gold, two months in a maximum security facility; Strand, who refused a plea deal, 32 months in prison.

Lisa Eisenhart entered the Capitol through an open open door with her son Eric Munchel who recorded their half-hour journey through the Capitol.

Munchel can be heard saying to a couple of rowdy young guys, “Don’t vandalize anything, we aren’t Antifa,” and then, more forcefully, “You break sh**, I break you.”

When Eisenhart picked up a pile of zip-ties lying loose and shared them with Munchel, she marked herself and her son, at least in the eyes of the prosecutors, as likely hostage takers.

After spending 11 weeks in pre-trial detention, Eisenhart was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. Munchel, 33 and a newlywed, was sentenced to four and a half years.

Sara Carpenter, a medically retired NYPD officer, drove to D.C. by herself on a whim. A Capitol police officer waved Carpenter over to an open door, and she entered peacefully.

Inside, Carpenter got caught up in a scrum and appears to have had something of a panic attack. She soon found herself in front of a row of police in tactical gear with a crowd of Trump supporters and/or provocateurs pushing her from behind.

“The cops were giving no vocal commands,” said Carpenter. “I was waiting for them to act like cops.” When she confronted the police, one officer pushed her, and she pushed back.

“I was antagonized, brutalized, entrapped,” said Carpenter. She was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

Christine Priola entered the Capitol from the east side through open doors. Wandering alone into the vacated Senate chambers, Christine was photographed with a sign reading, “The Children Cry Out for Justice.”

Priola’s fellow educators in the Cleveland School District promptly ratted out their pro-life colleague to the FBI. Agents raided her home on Jan. 8 and arrested her.

Priola pleaded guilty to obstructing an official proceeding and was sentenced 11 months in prison. Upon arrival at West Virginia’s highest security prison for women, officials put Priola in the SHU, the secure housing unit, better known as “the hole.”

For five of the 14 days she was in the SHU, Priola had to share the tiny cell and its open toilet with a man, a sexual predator who claimed to be a woman.

Having gotten separated from her husband in a crowd surge, Yvonne St Cyr entered the Capitol through a broken window and made a live-streamed video of herself once inside.

Rejecting a plea deal, St Cyr went to trial, was convicted and was sentenced to 36 months in prison. Last we spoke, St Cyr was being held at a Minnesota prison, a 22-hour drive from her husband and her Idaho home.

On paper, the charges leveled against Victoria White seem more serious than those against any of the women cited above.

White allegedly raised her fist and cheered as “rioters” pushed a flagpole into an entryway. She helped hoist a protestor onto a ledge. Finally, the police apprehended her and sent her out into the freezing night without her shoes, her phone, or even a coat.

For her crimes, White was sentenced to only 10 days in prison and three months of home confinement. Unlike the others, she had leverage.

A video surfaced that showed two police officers dishing out to the bloodied White what was arguably the most severe police beating of a female ever recorded.

The one woman who committed something resembling an actual crime – the breaking of a window – was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. The fact that Rachel Powell has eight children did not soften the judge.

Biden could preserve a shred of his “legacy” were he to pardon all these women, all the J6ers for that matter.

Pardons, of course, will come too late for the two women killed that day – Ashli Babbitt and Rosanne Boyland. It is not too late, however, for Biden’s DOJ to tell the truth about how these good patriots died.

Jack Cashill’s newest book, “Ashli: The Untold Story of the Women of January 6,” is available in all formats.

The narrow Republican House majority in the 119th Congress will “have nothing to spare,” as it aims to “fix everything,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Wednesday, the morning after Democrats flipped a seat in California.

That narrows the GOP majority in the House to 220 to 215, and it’s set to become even narrower, as some House members are poised to join the incoming Trump administration, which would likely take the majority to 217-215 before those seats are filled.

“Do the math. We have nothing to spare, but all of our members know that,” Johnson said at a press conference. “We talked about that today, as we do constantly, that this is a team effort that we’ve got to all row in the same direction.”

In a rematch of their 2022 contest, Democrat Adam Gray was declared the winner of California’s 13th Congressional District race by just 187 votes, out of more than 202,000 votes cast, against incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte on Tuesday. Duarte in 2022 defeated Gray by just 564 votes.

The speaker said House Republicans would work closely with the new Republican 53-47 majority in the Senate as well as with President-elect Donald Trump.

“We’ll deal with it, with a one-seat majority, just like we will when we fill those seats, three or four, whatever the final number is,” Johnson said. “The first 100 days agenda is going to be very aggressive. We have a lot to fix, and as we’ve been saying all along, we could be the most consequential Congress in the modern era because we’ve got to fix everything.”

“Everything” was a reference to President Joe Biden’s administration.

Joined by other House Republican leaders during the press conference, Johnson said the president’s pardon of his son, Hunter Biden, capped off another lie by the president and his administration.

“He told the American people that he would not issue a pardon for his son, and then he did. It was more than 10 occasions. We have the receipts,” the Louisiana lawmaker said. “It’s all on video. They made formal, official declarations. To that point, the White House said he wouldn’t do it.”

He called the pardon a “perversion of justice” and compared this to other lies.

“He misled the American people. It’s just like when he said the border was secure. It’s just like when he said Bidenomics is working great for the American people,” Johnson said. “It’s just like when he insisted his obvious mental acuity is fine. And it’s just like when he insisted his catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal was a success.”

On another matter, Johnson called it a “shameful day for the English-speaking world” regarding the British Parliament last week legalizing euthanasia for the entire country.

“It’s an ancient truth that medicine should always ‘do no harm,’ but the U.K. just joined Canada in twisting that definition of medicine and defying Orwellian language of ‘assisted death’ into law,” Johnson said.

[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman’s political career has always been a high-wire act. The 6’8″ senator, who survived a near-fatal stroke during his 2022 campaign, has managed to keep his balance by constantly reinventing himself. But as Pennsylvania trends increasingly red and his approval ratings slide, even his trademark adaptability may not be enough to save him in 2028.

Fetterman’s latest transformation – from progressive darling to pro-Israel moderate who gleefully antagonizes the Democratic left – represents perhaps his most dramatic pivot yet. At pro-Israel rallies, he cuts an unmistakable figure: his towering frame draped in an Israeli flag over his signature hoodie and shorts, ever-changing hipster facial hair completing his evolution from blue-collar cosplayer to centrist provocateur.

This is familiar territory for Fetterman, whose entire political identity was built on careful calibration. Despite his affected working-class aesthetic – the shorts, the tattoos, the shaved head, the NFL lineman build – he grew up wealthy in York, more than 200 miles east on the turnpike and a cultural universe away from the struggling steel town of Braddock where he would later serve as mayor. His success has always depended on this careful balance between authenticity and artifice.

Fetterman’s political predicament is becoming clearer with each new poll. His support among Pennsylvania’s youth has evaporated according to Quinnipiac University’s January 2024 survey, which revealed a 17-point underwater rating with voters aged 18-34. Only 28%  viewed him favorably – a major reversal for a politician who rode young progressive enthusiasm to a close victory in 2022. This collapse stems largely from his fervent embrace of Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks, a stance that’s increasingly toxic with younger voters. New York Timesmes/Siena polling captured the scope of this disconnect on Israel: young Americans back Palestinians over Israel by a 20-point margin.

The numbers barely qualify him as moderate, despite his carefully cultivated image. That 97% alignment with Biden and Harris’ agenda puts him squarely in the progressive camp on actual votes, regardless of his theatrical breaks with the party on specific issues. It’s a voting record that would be unremarkable for a senator from Massachusetts or California, but poses serious political risks in an increasingly purple Pennsylvania.

These contradictions make his narrow victory over Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022 look even more precarious in retrospect. He barely defeated celebrity carpetbagger Oz, helped largely by the presence of catastrophically bad gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano at the top of the Republican ticket. His narrow victory came despite – or perhaps because of – his obvious struggles following his stroke, which turned his debate performances into painful spectacles that may have earned him a few sympathy votes.

Now, having recovered much of his speaking ability, Fetterman has positioned himself as a chamber pot-stirrer in the mold of retiring West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. He took an aggressive stance against now-former New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez following corruption charges and mounted theatrical protests against congressional dress codes. These performances, along with his unwavering support for Israel, have earned him the ire of progressives who once championed him.

This maverick positioning recalls other memorable Rust Belt political figures, like Youngstown’s Jim Traficant, who dominated east Ohio politics for decades with a similarly outrageous personal style before corruption charges finally ended his career. But where Traficant maintained consistent support from his base through steadfast advocacy for labor unions that offset his against-the-grain opposition to support for Israel and the Internal Revenue Service, Fetterman’s positions have proven more mercurial.

His evolution on fracking illustrates this pattern. Once staunchly opposed to the practice, Fetterman now at least concedes that it is vital to Pennsylvania’s economy. He’s similarly modified his stance on dairy farming subsidies and various other issues where progressive orthodoxy conflicts with state interests. While this flexibility has helped him survive politically, it’s left him with an increasingly unclear identity.

Indeed, the disconnect between Fetterman’s maverick image and his actual voting record is particularly sharp on energy policy, where his support for Biden administration initiatives directly threatens those Pennsylvania jobs he now claims he wants to protect. Despite positioning himself as a defender of Pennsylvania’s energy sector, Fetterman has backed some of the administration’s most aggressive anti-fossil fuel measures. He vocally supported the EPA’s Clean Power Plant Rule, which effectively mandates 90% carbon capture for power-generating facilities by 2032 – a de facto ban on coal and natural gas that could devastate 13 states, including Pennsylvania.

His stance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is equally telling. When the Biden administration announced a pause on new LNG export approvals – a direct hit to Pennsylvania, the nation’s second-largest natural gas producer – Fetterman and outgoing Democratic Sen. Bob Casey issued what amounted to a performative protest statement before falling in line behind the administration. Even after a federal judge blocked the pause, Fetterman remained quiet as the administration appealed the ruling.

The regional political landscape isn’t helping. GOP registrations are outpacing Democratic registrations, suggesting that the state could be going the same way as Ohio, once the most famous toss-up of them (“As Ohio goes, so goes the nation”). The energy policies Fetterman has actually supported threaten what remains of Pennsylvania’s industrial base, from restricting pipeline development to supporting aggressive EPA regulations that could accelerate the closure of remaining manufacturing facilities.

Fetterman’s team seems to be betting that his unique personal brand – part ersatz blue-collar appeal, part calculated political theater – will continue to transcend traditional partisan divisions. But his voting record makes it increasingly difficult to maintain the illusion of independence. His occasional breaks with progressive orthodoxy on cultural issues like using lawfare to campaign against Trump can’t disguise his reliable support for the administration’s broader agenda.

The question now is whether Fetterman can pull off one final transformation before 2028. His options appear limited: continue trying to thread an increasingly narrow needle between progressives and moderates, or make the ultimate pivot by switching parties. Neither path offers any guarantees in a state where the political ground is shifting beneath his feet.

For the moment, Fetterman remains too big a figure to ignore. His comeback from near-death has captured national attention, and his confrontational style generates reliable headlines. But political gravity eventually pulls even the largest orbiting objects back down to earth. Unless he can genuinely reinvent himself in a way that resonates with Pennsylvania’s rightward drift, this shapeshifting senator may have run out of forms to take.

President-elect Donald Trump was given a clear mandate as the first Republican in history to garner over 76 million votes, winning seven out of seven “swing states,” with Republicans taking control of the U.S. Senate and keeping control of the House of Representatives. Columnist Laura Hollis reported a host of voting statistics, including, “Fifty-six percent of first-time voters cast their votes for Trump … 60% of men who are fathers … 65% of all veterans … [and 65%] of Native Americans voted for Trump.” This is a clear mandate from the American people for Trump and his policies.

World leaders are congratulating Trump, with Hungary’s president calling, the victory “much needed” for the world, El Salvador’s president saying, “God bless you and guide you,” and Argentina’s president stating, “You can count on Argentina,” calling Trump’s election the “greatest political comeback in history.” Saudi Arabian royals are calling on Trump to “finish what you started” concerning Middle East peace. TASS, the Russian News Agency, compiled congratulations to Donald Trump from 34 world leaders, clearly showing the world hopes for a new day.

All kinds of people are speaking their support of Trump. Sylvester Stallone termed Trump a “second George Washington.” Democrat Sen. John Fetterman calls Trump’s victory a “serious flex for bros” and he states, “They’re not fascists.”

Speaking of Cabinet selections, Democrat Bill Maher’s head is “not exploding” over Trump picking RFK Jr. to run the Department of Health and Human Services, saying, “We do need shaking up.”

Democrat-supporting CEO Aaron Levie supports Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Even with all this euphoria and hope, a group of Democrats are lost in the “wilderness” without a “clear leader,” according to MSNBC Democrat Jen Psaki, Biden’s former press secretary. She says Harris’ loss offers opportunity for emerging Democratic leaders to “seize the mantle” and take charge of the party.

Democrats “seizing the mantle,” like Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-N.C., suggested forming a “shadow government” to oppose Trump’s voter-endorsed agenda. Nickel has suggested Sen.-elect Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as the “shadow attorney general,” plus 26 other appointments. Schiff proliferated the infamous Russia collusion hoax and read a fraudulent transcript of Trump’s Ukrainian phone call, slandering the then-president on international television.

Undermining the will of the American people, Nickel states, “We need to organize our opposition,” because “we have better ideas” than the voting populace who put Republicans in office.

Next, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s pick for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is “likely a Russian asset.” Where have we heard this before? Surprisingly, Schultz has yet to call Gabbard, “Hitler.”

These kinds of “representatives” are leeches on taxpayer’s money.

The last days of Biden promise to funnel billions to Ukraine, impose a new methane tax and allow Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, with Moscow stating that Biden’s decision could cause “World War III.”

Regardless of Democrats’ ranting and Biden’s antics, majorities in the Senate and House should put Trump in a good position for his voter-mandated agenda, except six “Republican” senators who have the potential to sink Trump’s Cabinet nominations.

Let’s ask these six “Republicans” some questions: “Are you paying any attention to what is happening in the U.S. and in the world right now? Do you realize you would not be in office if you did not have an ‘R’ after your name?”

According to Statista Research Department’s report of Sep. 17, 2024, the latest approval rating for Congress went up. Yes! It went up to 19% approval, with a 76% disapproval rate, implying 76% of Americans would fire Congress.

Here is another question for these “Republicans” not supporting Trump: “Whom do you believe the American people voted for – you, or Donald Trump?” Trump did the work, and you rode in on his coattails.

Concerning “the way the U.S. is run,” a Fox News voter-analysis shows 27% of Americans want “total upheaval,” and 56% want a “substantial change.” That means 83% of America think we at least need a “substantial change” in the way the country is run.

Republicans not supporting Trump: Are you paying attention?

Any “Republican” not supporting Trump’s voter-given mandate needs to change the letter after his or her name from “R” to “D.” Also, those senators need to be voted out in the primary elections and replaced with real Republicans who listen to people they represent.

The list of “Republicans” with “mixed feelings” about Trump nominees includes Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., Sen.-elect John Curtis, R-Utah, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Take notes of who doesn’t support Trump’s voter-given-mandate. In primary season, vote those “Benedict Arnolds” out of office.

Once again, I have been inspired to write a song:

A Trump Wonderland
(sing along)

1) Voters made their selection, Democrats lost election,
It’s time for you to go, Let’s get on with the show,
Walking in a Trump wonderland.

Throw out all of Biden’s mandates, Create a new righteous grand state,
Prosperity belongs, To those who sing along,
Walking in a Trump Wonderland.

Bridge 1
In the country you can build a pipeline,
And cause the price of gas to make a fall.
Prices will come down in all the stores then,
And you will have more money for it all.

2) Later on Trump will conspire, Vivek and Musk by the fire,
To stop wasting time on things that won’t make a dime,
Walking in a Trump Wonderland.

Bridge 2
Maybe there can be peace in the world now.
Shut the war and money laundering down.
People can be happy just imagine,
With life and liberty all around.

3) Now there’s hope for a new day, A Golden Age and a new way.
It’s a great day and we’ll all have to say,
We’re walking in a Trump wonderland,
We’re walking in a Trump wonderland,
We’re walking in a MAGA wonderland.

FIRST ON DAILY SIGNAL—The head of the U.S. Census Bureau is set to face questions from Congress on Dec. 5 regarding its overcounting of residents of blue states and undercounting of those in red states. Such errors could aid Democrats politically by giving blue states a larger share of Electoral College votes as well as more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Daily Signal first reported in September that the House Oversight and Accountability Committee opened an investigation into the potential politicization of the population count and miscounts in 14 states.

The December Oversight hearing will review the Census Bureau’s 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES. The hearing will also look at the bureau’s preparations for the 2030 Census.

“The Census Bureau’s review of the 2020 Census revealed substantial miscounts and discrepancies tending to benefit Democrat-run states,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement to The Daily Signal. “Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight of these massive errors to ensure they are not repeated in the 2030 census.”

U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Santos, an appointee of President Joe Biden, is set to testify at the hearing.

“Additionally, current integrity issues with the Census must be addressed,” Comer said.

He continued:

The Biden-Harris administration facilitated the worst border crisis in American history, allowing millions of illegal aliens to enter and reside in our country unlawfully. To ensure only U.S. citizens are counted for the apportionment of congressional seats and Electoral College votes, Congress must pass the Equal Representation Act to add a straightforward citizenship question to the Census. We look forward to hearing Director Santos’ testimony and ensuring the Census Bureau takes the necessary steps to deliver a fair and accurate 2030 census.

The 2020 Post-Enumeration Survey found statistically significant miscounts in the 2020 Census in 14 states.

The Biden administration’s Census Bureau revealed in May 2022 that it undercounted the Republican-leaning states of Arkansas by 5%, Florida by 3.4%, Mississippi by 4.11%, Tennessee by 4.78%, and Texas by 1.92%. The Census Bureau undercounted one Democratic-leaning state, Illinois, by 1.97%.

The Census Bureau overcounted Biden’s home state of Delaware by 5.45% as well as other Democratic-leaning states: Hawaii by 6.79%, Massachusetts by 2.24%, Minnesota by 3.84%, New York by 3.44%, and Rhode Island by 5%. It also overcounted two Republican-leaning states, Ohio by 1.49% and Utah by 2.59%.

[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by The Daily Signal.]

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa sent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-chairs Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy a letter Monday with ideas for cuts that could save the federal government over $2 trillion.

Trump named Musk and Ramaswamy as co-chairs of DOGE on Nov. 12. In the seven-page letter, Ernst’s suggestions ranged from addressing unused space in buildings to uncommitted spending for COVID relief, with the proposed cuts totaling over $2 trillion.

Ernst has focused on government waste since her election to the United States Senate in 2014, with a recent focus on the effects of telework and remote work on federal agencies.

“When faced with proposals to trim the fat from Washington’s budget, members of Congress from both parties act like Goldilocks,” Ernst wrote. “It’s too little or too big, always too hard, and never just right. But the real ‘make-believe’ of this fairy tale is that it’s impossible to reduce Washington’s budget without causing pain. Most Americans aren’t even benefiting in any meaningful way from hundreds of billions of dollars being wasted.”

“While you’re seeking ‘super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries’ for ‘unglamorous cost-cutting,’ all that’s really needed is a little common sense. If you can’t find waste in Washington, there can only be one reason: you didn’t look,” Ernst continued.

Billion dollar boondoggles, tele-“working” bureaucrats, and vacant buildings.

Let’s stop this waste! @doge @elonmusk @vivekgramaswamy pic.twitter.com/GDXmOBGGkL

— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) November 24, 2024

Three rail projects in California with a combined price tag of over $135 billion, $213 million in unemployment payments to millionaires, $31 million in pay to government employees with no assigned duties and $10 billion in inaccurate Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program payments are among the programs Ernst listed as potential cuts. Ernst also said there was over $1.6 trillion in uncommitted COVID relief spending.

Ernst announced Friday she would lead a Senate DOGE caucus to work alongside Musk and Ramaswamy, while Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene was named as chair of a House Oversight Committee subpanel called the Delivering on Government Efficiency panel.

“I have a simple message to the bureaucrats who haven’t shown up for work in years and the government contractors and grantees collecting millions to study how fast a shrimp runs on a treadmill – buckle up because accountability is coming,” Ernst said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “My decade-long mission to make Washington squeal has created an exhaustive list of more than $2 trillion worth of waste, fraud, and abuse that I will work with DOGE to cut. We are going to break down the nonsense that has taken over Washington and put in its place a government that actually works for the people.”

Ernst previously questioned USAID over an employee who improperly received “locality pay” for the Washington, D.C. area despite living in Florida, and requested a staff briefing after a second instance of improper locality pay involving another USAID employee living in North Carolina was reported.

In an August 2023 letter requesting a review of the issues involved with telecommuting sent to 24 government agencies, Ernst cited a media account of a VA employee who attended a staff meeting while taking a bubble bath.

Ernst wrote the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), urging the agency to take emergency action in an August 28 letter sent to EPA Administrator Michael Regan about contaminants that built up in the drinking water of federal buildings left unoccupied by a shift to remote work.

Ernst introduced the Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act, in September 2023 as part of a package of legislation to rein in the “administrative state.”

“This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I will be providing many more recommendations soon,” Ernst wrote. “My team and I are ready to help you make some prime cuts.”

The Trump-Vance transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

President-elect Donald Trump took to social media Monday to endorse Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis for the congressional seat vacated by former Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Patronis, noting, “Jimmy Patronis has been a wonderful friend to me,” despite Patronis’s late endorsement in this year’s presidential race, which came after Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis exited the primary. In the post, Trump encouraged Patronis to run.

“As your next Congressman, Jimmy would work tirelessly alongside of me to Grow our Economy, Secure our Border, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our Incredible Military/Vets, Restore American Energy DOMINANCE, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment,” Trump wrote. “Should he decide to enter this Race, Jimmy Patronis has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JIMMY, RUN!”

Patronis reacted to Trump’s endorsement and expressed his willingness to serve. “Put me to work, Mr. President! @realDonaldTrump I am here to serve,” Patronis wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.

Put me to work, Mr. President! @realDonaldTrump I am here to serve. https://t.co/5HcxBtJAmk

— Jimmy Patronis (@JimmyPatronis) November 25, 2024

Gaetz confirmed he will not return to Congress for the 119th session after resigning. Gaetz, who was initially tapped by Trump as his attorney general, withdrew from consideration and announced his departure from Congress on “The Charlie Kirk Show,” pledging continued support for Trump.

With Patronis opting to run for Congress, the responsibility to appoint his successor as Chief Financial Officer until the 2026 elections falls to DeSantis, according to Politico. State Sen. Joe Gruters already announced his candidacy for the position.

Since his appointment in 2017 by then-Gov. Rick Scott, Patronis has served as the state’s chief financial officer, Politico reported. Although not a resident of Gaetz’s district, he is a recognized figure across the region. State law permits candidates to run for district office without residency until they officially assume their roles.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Well, he’s not the Terminator, but Elon Musk’s recent photo, wearing dark sunglasses, a black leather coat and black T-shirt, with the acronym DOGE in front of him, certainly makes him look like the Terminator. Perhaps this is Musk’s DOGE version of carrying his sink through the halls of government to “let this sink in,” as he did at Twitter when he fired 80% of the staff.

Trump has called entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head up a new team called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which plans to reduce the number of federal employees and eliminate entire federal agencies in some cases. Ramaswamy was asked if they might also relocate certain federal agencies headquarters outside the District of Columbia, making bureaucracy more responsive to the American people. He responded, “It’s funny you bring up this point. ‘Yes,’ is the answer, but here’s why – they’ll say, ‘what happens to the people who live in Washington, D.C.?’ Here’s a dirty little secret in the federal bureaucracy today: Most people don’t even show up for work.”

Does Washington, D.C., just consist of people receiving salaries who do not show up for work? That might explain why D.C. has voted Democrat for at least 60 years.

In a video interview, Ramaswamy stated, “We expect certain agencies to be deleted outright. We expect mass reductions in force in areas of the federal government that are bloated. We expect cuts among federal contractors and others who were over-billing the federal government. So yes, we expect all of the above, and I think people will be surprised by, I think, by how quickly we will be able to move, given the legal backdrop the Supreme Court has given us.”

In response to Ramaswamy, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said, “I feel like I am at a revival meeting and I can say, ‘Amen, Vivek! Amen! I’m with ya.'”

Paul stated that he has already sent DOGE 2,000 pages of waste that could be cut. The senator said, “We have never had a president and team like Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk that have this degree of momentum and decisiveness and frankly energy and drive to do it. That’s what it takes. It’s a monster. It’s a leviathan. But can you cut? Sure you can cut.”

Paul seems to think one of the ways to get through the red tape of making these cuts is a process called “rescission.”

“‘Rescission’ is when the money is sent over and the president says, ‘We don’t need this much money and we don’t need this many people, we’d like to send some back.’ This has to be voted on by Congress and that is a ‘rescission package,’ but it gets special privilege [that means you get a vote] and is only a simple majority. So, if rescission would work and all the Republicans stay together, you could cut billions, if not trillions of dollars in spending. … I think a lot could get done. We have never had an administration, including the previous Trump administration, I think, that was this aggressive. I’m all for it and the sooner we get started the better.”

So, of what kind of government waste are we speaking? Paul pointed out some recent government spending where the government spent $100,000 giving either tequila or gin to fish to see which one made them more aggressive. Then nearly a million dollars was spent determining whether or not giving cocaine to Japanese quail made them more sexually promiscuous. Then $750,000 was spent to determine what Neal Armstrong said when he first stepped on the moon. Was it “one step for man” or “one step for a man”? After spending all that money, they concluded that they could not tell.

So, obviously, we need more money for more research, right?

Every year Rand Paul publishes The Festivus Report. In 2023, the report tallied $900 billion in wasteful government spending “including an NIH grant to study Russian cats walking on a treadmill, Barbies [their faces] used as proof of ID for receiving COVID Paycheck Protection Program funds, $6 million to provide tourism in Egypt, and $200 million to ‘struggling artists’ like Post Malone, Chris Brown, and Lil Wayne.”

Being a struggling artist myself, I wish I had known about this, for I am in need of a ski boat.

The report said that when Congress approved the $800 billion in COVID Paycheck Protection (PPP) funds, Paul felt it would be a fiscal disaster, but then he says, “using Barbie’s face as proof of identity to steal taxpayer dollars was not on my COVID waste bingo card.”

Trump says that DOGE will be “The Manhattan Project of our time.” The plan is to cut roughly $2 trillion from the federal budget, or 30% of annual federal government spending.

The Epoch Times reported that in 2023 alone, “federal agencies self-reported roughly $236 billion in improper payments that either shouldn’t have been issued, were made in the incorrect amount, or did not have proper supporting documentation.” The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has a full report.

From 2002 to 2022 there was $2.9 trillion in improper spending, according to an Open The Books oversight report.

RealClear Investigations reported that in 2023 alone, the federal government mistakenly paid $1.3 billion to dead people.

I wonder if they also voted Democrat.

The Department of Government Efficiency, working as an advisory board outside the federal government, is long over due. My question is, is it enough to merely fire these people and eliminate these agencies? Normally, stealing is thought to be illegal. If people don’t go to jail – or worse – over some of this massive taxpayer theft, then what is to prevent them from setting it all back up under the next Democratic administration?

Maybe we do need the Terminator.

Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth said Sunday on CNN that Congress should focus on more important “issues” than the bathroom choices of transgender lawmakers.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday that biological men will no longer be allowed to use women’s bathrooms in the U.S. Capitol, after Republican South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace introduced a resolution on the issue Monday. On “State of the Union,” CNN host Dana Bash asked Duckworth about the matter, referencing Congress’ first transgender lawmaker, Democratic Delaware Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, a male who identifies as female.

“Yeah, I think that we need to make sure that people are people. Frankly, you know, I think that we have so much other to worry about,” Duckworth said. “We have budget deficits, we have crises all around the world, we have a humanitarian crisis going on in Gaza. We have Ukraine — Russia is making headway there. It’s an illegitimate fight invasion of Ukraine”

WATCH:

“We have issues here in this country, and yet she’s worried about one member of Congress using the bathroom. Number one, I think her position is disgusting and wrong. But I also think that we have a lot more to worry about than where somebody goes to pee,” Duckworth added.

Tensions between lawmakers across the aisle escalated over the week as Mace began actively collaborating with House leadership to address bathroom restrictions, seeking to mandate that individuals use the bathroom, locker room, or any other personal space corresponding to their biological sex in the Capitol. Following his directive on the issue, Speaker Mike Johnson stated, “Women deserve women’s only spaces,” and noted, “Each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol.”

Despite pushback from Democratic lawmakers like New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called the decision an endangerment to “girls of all kinds,” McBride said he would follow Johnson’s rules, adding that he is in Congress to fight for his constituents.

“I’m not here to fight about bathrooms. I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families,” McBride said on Wednesday. “Like all members, I will follow the rules as outlined by Speaker Johnson, even if I disagree with them.”

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Barely a week after he was announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for U.S. attorney general, MAGA firebrand Matt Gaetz has withdrawn himself from contention for the post. Officially, Gaetz said on X (formerly Twitter) that his “confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.” Unofficially, The New York Times reported that the votes in the Senate simply were not there: Republicans are set to hold a 53-47 Senate majority come January, but there were at least four implacable “no” votes from Republicans. Interestingly, one of the widely reported “no” votes apparently was outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., an inveterate MAGA foe.

Many of my fellow conservative lawyers panned the Gaetz pick on the grounds of his lacking the relevant “credentials” or not being “qualified” for the post of the nation’s top law enforcement official. I was not necessarily one of them, although Gaetz was not anywhere my own list of best attorney general picks. Given the sexual misconduct ethics controversy surrounding Gaetz and the fact that he is known to have many enemies on both sides of the aisle, Gaetz’s confirmation fight was always going to be an uphill slog. The political capital the transition team and incoming administration would have needed to expend to get Gaetz across the finish line in the Senate was an obvious distraction from the substantive “America First” agenda, which must hit the ground running come January.

In fact, Gaetz may have played his hand perfectly. By immediately resigning from Congress after being tapped for attorney general, Gaetz has effectively stopped the House Ethics Committee from releasing its much-anticipated report on his alleged sexual misconduct and drug use. If he runs for governor of Florida in 2026, as he is widely believed to be considering, he can credibly say he was Trump’s first pick to be attorney general of the United States. And he gets a good excuse to resign from being a U.S. congressman, a job he apparently disliked. If the consummate “Florida man” wants to come home to Florida, where his father is a former president of the state Senate and is once again a reelected state senator, Gaetz the younger now has a good reason to do so.

Later on Thursday, after Gaetz announced his withdrawal from contention for attorney general, Trump announced he is now selecting Pam Bondi, the former two-term Florida attorney general, as his pick for U.S. attorney general. Bondi was not necessarily on many legal eagles’ shortlist for the post – but then again, neither was Gaetz. And Bondi, like Gaetz, adds yet another Floridian to the still-growing tally of Floridians tapped by the Trump-Vance transition team to high-profile posts.

But the rapidity with which Trump announced Bondi after Gaetz withdrew his own nomination does add further cause for speculation: Was all this planned all along? Was this elaborate exercise in musical chairs an actual instance of Trumpian “4-D chess”?

Maybe. The reality was that there was little to no chance that Gaetz was ever going to get confirmed. He is too controversial, has made too many enemies, has too many alleged skeletons in his closet and was always going to lack any GOP establishment support. It really does seem likelier than not that Trump named Gaetz for attorney general to give him a viable off-ramp from the House, allowing him to salvage his reputation from the menacing House Ethics Committee report and permitting him to more freely seek his next post – quite possibly governor of Florida.

From Trump’s perspective, he has thus killed two birds with one stone. First, he has demonstrated reciprocal loyalty to an arch-MAGA loyalist, Gaetz, and permitted him the ability to play his difficult political hand as well as he could possibly have played it. Second, Bondi’s confirmation fight now looks like a genuine breeze. The Gaetz announcement caught so many off-guard, ruffled so many feathers and was vociferously opposed by so many that anyone – literally anyone – who Trump picked next, after the Gaetz nomination inevitably failed, would have looked calm, cool and sober by comparison.

That is certainly the case now for Bondi, a former two-term attorney general from the nation’s third-largest state. Perhaps it will also be the case for some of Trump’s other more controversial nominees besides attorney general, such as Pete Hegseth (secretary of defense), Tulsi Gabbard (director of national intelligence) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (secretary of health and human services). After all, from this perspective: “At least they aren’t Matt Gaetz!”

Many have made fun of Trump and his fans, going all the way back to the 2016 campaign, by mocking the notion that he could be savvy enough to play “4-D chess.” But the maestro of Mar-a-Lago might have actually done it for real this time.

When the Democratic convention took place in August, with new nominee Kamala Harris rising in the polls, Democrats were giddy with a sense of impending victory. In Chicago for the convention, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York visited with party officials and reporters to outline his plans for a glorious new age in Washington with Democrats in control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.

Schumer’s top priority in the new Harris administration would have been to eliminate the legislative filibuster that has long protected minority rights in the Senate. That way, even if the Senate were tied between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans, those 50 Democrats, with the tiebreaking vote of Vice President Tim Walz, could enact far-reaching legislation without any input at all from Republicans. Washington would have true one-party rule, and the minority party would have no say in things whatsoever.

Democrats had tried to kill the filibuster in 2022, when they had just 50 votes, but fell two votes short when two independent-minded Democratic senators, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, refused to go along with the party. In 2022, Democrats picked up another seat, giving them a 51-49 majority in the Senate. That put them one vote closer to killing the filibuster.

Schumer believed 2024 would be the year Democrats could finally erase any Republican power in the Senate. Manchin and Sinema were both leaving the Senate, Schumer explained at his talk in Chicago. Manchin’s seat would be won by a Republican, so it still would be unavailable for Democrats. But Sinema’s seat would be won by Democrat Ruben Gallego, Schumer said, and Gallego would go along with the party on the filibuster. That would give Democrats the 50 votes they needed, provided there was a Vice President Walz to break the tie.

“We got it up to 48, but, of course, Sinema and Manchin voted no; that’s why we couldn’t change the rules,” Schumer explained. “Well, they’re both gone. Ruben Gallego is for it, and we have 51. So even losing Manchin, we still have 50.” And if there were 50 Democrats, and given his confidence that there would be a Vice President Walz, Schumer would be preparing at this moment to destroy the filibuster and prepare a wave of legislation so objectionable to moderates and conservatives that they would be passed on Democratic votes alone.

But it didn’t happen. The Democrats lost votes in the election. Republicans will have a 53-to-47 majority in the Senate. Schumer is headed toward being the minority leader. And there will be no Vice President Walz. None of Schumer’s dreams came true.

So this week, Schumer went to the well of the Senate and addressed some remarks to his Republican colleagues. “Another closely contested election now comes to an end,” he said. “To my Republican colleagues, I offer a word of caution in good faith: Take care not to misread the will of the people, and do not abandon the need for bipartisanship. After winning an election, the temptation may be to go to the extreme. We’ve seen that happen over the decades, and it has consistently backfired on the party in power. So, instead of going to the extremes, I remind my colleagues that this body is most effective when it’s bipartisan. If we want the next four years in the Senate to be as productive as the last four, the only way that will happen is through bipartisan cooperation.”

The short version of that is: Please don’t do to us what we were going to do to you. Schumer is obviously concerned that Republicans might embrace a scheme to eliminate the filibuster and pass all sorts of consequential legislation with no Democratic input at all. That wouldn’t be bipartisan! Fortunately for Schumer, Republicans have been more principled than Democrats when it comes to the legislative filibuster, and to the filibuster in general. Republicans realize that even though they will have the majority for the next two years, they might be back in the minority at any time after that. So Schumer will not get it good and hard the way he planned to give it to Republicans.

The filibuster has always been the subject of hypocrisy in the Senate. The late Sen. Fred Thompson used to explain it this way: When we are in the majority, the filibuster is bad. When we are in the minority, the filibuster is good. It’s an issue that some lawmakers hop back and forth on, depending on whether their party is in the majority or minority.

But Schumer’s brand of hypocrisy is particularly egregious. He was not advocating whether this or that individual bill should or should not be filibustered. That goes on all the time. He was advocating changing Senate rules, on an entirely partisan basis, to eliminate the minority party’s ability to demand a higher standard of approval for controversial legislation. And then, when Schumer’s party loses, he instantly turns around and becomes Mr. Bipartisanship. For that, there should be a word that goes beyond mere hypocrisy.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has moved quickly to resolve a fast-developing war in Congress over one of the key agenda points of the outgoing Joe Biden-Kamala Harris regime: Transgenderism.

It seems Delaware voters elected Tim McBride, who now styles himself as a woman and calls himself Sarah.

He will join Congress in a few weeks, prompting women in the House already to announce they would not tolerate a male using the restroom, locker room and other sex-specific facilities alongside them.

That prompted a death threat against at least one member of Congress. But Johnson moved quickly.

On Wednesday, he issued a statement, “All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings – such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms – are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.

“It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women’s only spaces.”

It was U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who led the campaign against men in women’s restrooms, introducing a resolution that would bar males from those locations.

Leftists promptly turned berserker, and they responded with a specific threat: “Congresswoman Nancy Mace, I hope that one day I do find you in that women’s bathroom and I grab your ratty looking f***ing hair and drag your face down to the floor while I repeatedly bash and until the blood’s everywhere and you’re dead.”

A report in the Hill noted the speaker has “general control” of facilities in the house, and that gives him authority to issue such guidance.

The Gateway Pundit said, “The woke left has lost this round, and McBride will no longer be able to invade the ladies’ restroom as he has on various other occasions.”

Mace’s response appeared on social media:

https://t.co/YlietCIIWf pic.twitter.com/6m1f0sZf9n

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) November 20, 2024

Mace explained her reasons: “I’m a victim of abuse myself. I’m a rape survivor. I have PTSD from the abuse I’ve suffered at the hands of a man, and I know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces.”

She also warned her agenda to protect women will not stop inside the Capitol walls.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat, insisted on calling McBride, a him, “her,” and complained that the GOP majority in the House was opening its work by “bullying” a member.

WND had reported when the issue developed that Mace said McBride is “a biological man trying to force himself into women’s spaces, and I’m not going to tolerate.”

There’s a man pretending to be a woman coming to Congress in January who expects to use the same restrooms as little girls visiting the Capitol.

I consider it assault for a man to charge into places that are designated specifically for women.

Restrooms are a place where women… pic.twitter.com/2DT9wVsVEF

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) November 19, 2024

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said, “There’s a man pretending to be a woman coming to Congress in January who expects to use the same restrooms as little girls visiting the Capitol. I consider it assault for a man to charge into places that are designated specifically for women. Restrooms are a place where women are vulnerable. It’s mentally ill for a man to think he should be allowed there.”

Transgenderism repeatedly has taken the headlines since the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration made it one of the top priorities for American government, which now has imposed even on the world stage its ideological campaign.

The Washington Examiner reported at least one Democrat lawmaker turned vulgar over the problem.

“I just don’t understand why bathrooms are top of mind for [Mace],” Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said. “But she wants to think about where a future member is gonna p— and s—* like I don’t — I don’t understand.”

The social behavior campaign by the Democrats was front and center during the 2024 election, a landslide won by President-elect Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and House.

‘Until the blood’s everywhere and you’re dead’: Trans activist threatens to murder Congresswoman Nancy Mace

Leftists across the Washington, D.C., landscape are erupting in outrage, including at least one death threat on video, by a plan from a female lawmaker that would have men in Congress use restrooms and locker rooms designated for men.

And not the facilities provided for women.

The war has been sparked by the pending arrival of U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, a Delaware Democrat, who was born Tim McBride but now styles himself as a woman.

“Sarah McBride doesn’t get a say in this,” Mace said. “This is a biological man trying to force himself into women’s spaces, and I’m not going to tolerate.”

Her plan would adjust House rules to prohibit men who say they are women from using women’s bathrooms and other facilities on Capitol Hill.

House Speaker Mike Johnson admitted it’s a brand new problem for Congress and then said it would be addressed “in deliberate fashion with member consensus on it, and we will accommodate the needs of every single person.”

There’s a man pretending to be a woman coming to Congress in January who expects to use the same restrooms as little girls visiting the Capitol.

I consider it assault for a man to charge into places that are designated specifically for women.

Restrooms are a place where women… pic.twitter.com/2DT9wVsVEF

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) November 19, 2024

One transgender activist responded by threatening to brutally murder Mace in a online video.

“Congresswoman Nancy Mace, I hope that one day I do find you in that women’s bathroom and I grab your ratty looking f***ing hair and drag your face down to the floor while I repeatedly bash and until the blood’s everywhere and you’re dead,” the trans person said.

“Thank you. I hope that Nancy Mace received this message well. Kisses.”

WARNING: Video contains some graphic language:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said, “There’s a man pretending to be a woman coming to Congress in January who expects to use the same restrooms as little girls visiting the Capitol. I consider it assault for a man to charge into places that are designated specifically for women. Restrooms are a place where women are vulnerable. It’s mentally ill for a man to think he should be allowed there.”

Mace has proposed a two-page resolution to limit House members, officers and employees to using single-sex facilities that correspond with their biological sex.

She suggested a House rules change could be possible, but without that she’ll bring it up on the House floor.

She explains letting men into women’s restrooms and more “jeopardizes the safety and dignity” of females in the Capitol complex.

Mace explained, “This is just the start. I want to make sure that no men are in women’s private spaces. And it’s not going to end here. This shouldn’t be going on any federal property. If you’re a school or an institution that gets government funding, this kind of thing should be banned.”

CBS reported McBride responded by attacking “far right-wing extremists.”

He said they were raising the issue because “they have no real solutions to what Americans are facing. We should be focused on bringing down the cost of housing, health care, and child care, not manufacturing culture wars.”

Transgenderism repeatedly has taken the headlines since the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration made it one of the top priorities for American government, which now has imposed even on the world stage its ideological campaign.

Mace then noted that the “radical left” is “trying to erase women.”

The Washington Examiner reported at least one Democrat lawmaker turned vulgar over the problem.

“I just don’t understand why bathrooms are top of mind for [Mace],” Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said. “But she wants to think about where a future member is gonna p— and s—* like I don’t — I don’t understand.”

The social behavior campaign by the Democrats was front and center during the 2024 election, a landslide won by President-elect Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and House.

The report noted Trump criticized Vice President Kamala Harris in ads leading up to the election while multiple GOP lawmakers attacked their Democratic counterparts for supporting transgender athletes’ participation in female sports.

There was no limit to the hate that was unleashed against Mace because of her plan, with the New Republican using words like “vile,” a specialty magazine accusing her of “harassing” McBride, and another accusing her of picking “a fight.”

One of the big projects President-elect Donald Trump has taken on in his landslide campaign victory to Make America Great Again is the wasteful, even fraudulent, spending that goes on in the government every year.

Estimates are that it costs American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars, and Trump already has tasked billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy with the work.

Now Congress is lining up to help.

A report from Fox News explains a Republican lawmaker has launched a new congressional caucus “aimed at working hand-in-hand with President-elect Trump’s soon-to-be DOGE – Department of Government Efficiency.”

It is U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., who has confirmed he’s written to House colleagues seeking others to join in the work.

“Taking on Crazytown is no easy task,” he said.

The report noted already two have joined, Reps. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Ralph Norman of South Carolina.

Bean explained that Musk and Ramaswamy “will need partners in Congress to accomplish many of the cuts necessary to rein in the unelected bureaucrats who have had unchecked power for far too long.”

The letter cited America’s $36 trillion debt, including massive amounts acquired during the reign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Among the profligate government actions under the Democrats was the trillion dollar spending package called the Inflation Reduction Act, which actually has been documented to be causing inflation to go up.

“We must take action to avoid diving headfirst off the cliff of fiscal ruin… Our DOGE Caucus, will work closely with the Department of Government Efficiency to help rein in reckless spending and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars,” he said.

In fact, he noted that the Biden-Harris administration has been borrowing $6 billion a day.

“Republicans must live up to our principle of fiscal responsibility by reining in the spending that is driving both inflation and our unsustainable debt. The DOGE Caucus will bring together members from across our conference who are ready to rein-in unelected bureaucrats and end the over-regulation that has crippled American Main Street,” he said.

Musk already has started the work:

Drop the @DOGE hammer https://t.co/0D21Ueqafl

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2024

pic.twitter.com/Vnk4MCAofY

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2024

JERUSALEM – Israel/Middle East Morning Brief

Senate majority leader-elect warns ICC to drop Israel arrest warrants or face sanctions

If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation, as the House has already done on a bipartisan basis. If Majority Leader Schumer does…

— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) November 17, 2024

U.S. Senate Majority Leader-elect Senator John Thune, R-S.D., on Sunday threatened the International Criminal Court, or ICC, with sanctions unless it reverses its pursuit of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation, as the House has already done on a bipartisan basis.”

Report: Hamas leaders leave NATO-allied Qatar, find safe haven in NATO member Turkey

BREAKING: Hamas leaders have left Qatar on their way to Turkey.

Channel 11 Israel pic.twitter.com/D8JEx3PPEm

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) November 17, 2024

Hamas’ senior leadership has relocated from Qatar’s capital Doha, to Turkey, Israel’s Kan News public broadcaster reported Sunday evening. The report cited unnamed Israeli sources as confirming the move, which was said to have taken place in “recent days.” Turkey has nixed the rumors suggesting the story is not true… which almost certainly means it is.

Despite ongoing war, Israel’s economy grew nearly 4% in Q3 2024

Israel’s Economy Booms Amid War: 3.8% Growth in Q3

Israel’s economy defied expectations in Q3, growing by 3.8% despite ongoing conflicts with Hamxs and Hezbollah.

The surge was fueled by an 8.6% increase in consumer spending, a 21.8% jump in fixed asset investments, and a 1.7%… pic.twitter.com/soLqLFAzuO

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 17, 2024

Israel’s economy unexpectedly received a boost in the July-September period as the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized 3.8 percent over the third quarter. Consumer spending, one of the main drivers of economic activity, increased 8.6% in the third quarter, and investment in fixed assets soared 21.8%, while exports of goods and services rose 5.2%. Meanwhile, government spending dropped 10.8%.

In historic first, IDF female combat soldiers operate against Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon

#BREAKING: For the first time in history, female Israeli soldiers have entered Lebanon to fight Hezbollah terrorists, @amirbohbot reports.

Since the war began, the IDF’s combat intel team has identified terrorists, built target lists, and guided precision strikes on Hezbollah. pic.twitter.com/udAgYvuGsm

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 18, 2024

For the first time in Israel’s military history, female combat soldiers entered Lebanon as part of an operational mission. Northern Command chief Maj.-Gen. Ori Gordin approved the deployment of a team from the combat intelligence battalion into southern Lebanon several weeks ago.

Families of American victims to sue Iran over Oct. 7 attack

Families of the American victims of the Oct. 7 massacre have sued Iran, accusing it of supporting the single deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, details Iran’s funding of Hamas and its embrace of other…

— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) November 18, 2024

Families of American victims of the Oct. 7 massacre and those killed in the Israel-Hamas War are suing Iran for its part in supporting the deadly attack.

The lawsuit has been brought on behalf of 256 US families and dozens of individuals against not only the Islamic Republic of Iran but also against Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Report: Iran encourages Hezbollah to accept ceasefire deal

Lebanon (Hezbollah) reportedly ready for a ceasefire. This comes after reports that Iran has granted a green light to its proxy to stand down.

Amazing how positions can change after a solid shellacking. https://t.co/rVZWo7Pvak

— Jonathan Schanzer (@JSchanzer) November 17, 2024

Hezbollah submitted its response to the cease-fire proposal presented by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein Lebanon’s LBCI channel reported late on Sunday. Hochstein is due to arrive in Beirut as early as Tuesday and receive the official Lebanese position.

Amsterdam mayor denies coordinated violence against Jews, Israelis was a ‘pogrom’

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema:

“To say that what happened in Amsterdam was a pogrom? That’s Israeli propaganda.”

Is this a joke? What the hell? What was it then? pic.twitter.com/BTtzYjW3M5

— Vivid. (@VividProwess) November 18, 2024

Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema said she regretted describing the violent attacks against Israeli soccer fans in her city as a pogrom, adding the term was used as a way to discriminate against the local Moroccan-Muslim community. She was not asked how else she would describe Telegram messages and recorded footage exclaiming “Hunt the Jews.”

Amid regional tensions, Greece seeks $2 billion Iron Dome defense system from Israel

Greece Seeks €2 Billion “Iron Dome” Defense System from Israel Amid Regional Tensions https://t.co/jqebZ10w7J pic.twitter.com/KhUk9INJgN

— Greek City Times (@greekcitytimes) November 14, 2024

Greece is negotiating with Israel to develop a 2 billion euro ($2.11 billion) anti-aircraft and missile defense system similar to Israel’s highly successful Iron Dome, according to Israeli and Greek officials.

Canada thwarts Iranian plot to assassinate former Jewish Canadian attorney general

No words. @IrwinCotler has been my mentor and guide through the world of human rights for 25 years. https://t.co/OzHBg74850

— Prof Gerald M Steinberg (@GeraldNGOM) November 18, 2024

According to reporting by the Globe and Mail, Canadian law-enforcement authorities recently foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Irwin Cotler, a prominent human-rights advocate and outspoken critic of Tehran’s leadership. His daughter, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, is a former member of Israel’s Knesset.

Netanyahu aide jailed over security leaks put on suicide watch after noose found in cell

NETANYAHU AIDE JAILED FOR LEAKS PLACED ON SUICIDE WATCH

Eli Feldstein, a former spokesman for Netanyahu and a key suspect in the classified leaks investigation, has been placed under suicide watch after a noose was reportedly found in his cell.

Feldstein faces charges of… pic.twitter.com/ibEzdVFwG6

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 18, 2024

Eli Feldstein, a former spokesman and aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu and a central suspect in the Prime Minister’s Office leaks affair, has been put under suicide prevention watch in prison, the Prison Service and Hebrew media report. The identity of the inmate was not released, although Israeli media has surmised it is Feldstein.

WATCH: