Three Democratic governors are set to testify before the House Oversight Committee next month as they face questions about state policies that inhibit federal immigration enforcement.
The House Oversight Committee said Tuesday that Governors JB Pritzker of Illinois, Kathy Hochul of New York, and Tim Walz of Minnesota will appear on June 12 to testify about immigration enforcement in their states. As the Trump administration has promised mass deportations, Democratic officials across the country have indicated that they will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security.
“Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens. Former President Biden created the worst border crisis in U.S. history and allowed criminal illegal aliens to flood our communities. President Trump has ended this crisis and now we have the most secure borders in decades,&#8221; House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) said.
&#8220;The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable.&#8221;
Illinois has been a sanctuary state <a href="https://www.fairus.org/issue/do-you-live-1-11-sanctuary-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since</a> 2017, when then-Governor Bruce Rauner (R) signed the Illinois Trust Act, which blocked local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement actions. In New York, state agencies are not allowed to work with ICE, and a state court ruled that neither state nor local law enforcement should hold illegal immigrants at ICE&#8217;s request.
Legislation to make Minnesota a sanctuary state has failed in recent years despite pushes from Walz and the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party.
&#8220;My position on Minnesota becoming a sanctuary state boils down to who has the responsibility for enforcing immigration laws,&#8221; Walz <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/jeff-johnson-tim-walz-minnesota-sanctuary-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in 2018. &#8220;The role of law enforcement is to enforce state and local laws, not federal immigration laws, and I strongly believe that they should not do so.&#8221;
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), there are currently eleven &#8220;sanctuary states,&#8221; including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington, in addition to the District of Columbia.
The hearing with the governors follows one in April, where the House Oversight Committee also questioned the mayors of sanctuary cities like Boston, Chicago, Denver, and New York.

JD Vance And Tim Walz Face Off In Vice Presidential Debate In New York

Lawmakers Demand Dem Governors Explain ‘Reckless’ Policies Impeding Trump’s Immigration Agenda

Congress

House Oversight Committee

Illegal Immigation

Illinois

James Comer

JB Pritzker

Kathy Hochul

Minnesota

New York

Politics

Tim Walz

Republican leaders in the House have denied requests by Democrats to approve congressional trips to check on deportees at a mega prison in El Salvador.
With a post to X on Friday, House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) revealed a letter in which he told a pair of Democrats that he was rejecting their <a href="https://robertgarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-robert-garcia-and-congressman-maxwell-frost-demand-oversight-codel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demand</a> for authorization of a Congressional Member Delegation (CODEL) to visit the Terrorism Confinement Center or CECOT.
&#8220;If Democrats wish to travel to El Salvador and meet with a foreign illegal MS-13 gang member, they can spend their own money to do so,&#8221; Comer <a href="https://x.com/RepJamesComer/status/1913321711958712768" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in his social media post that showed a screenshot of the letter. &#8220;I will not approve a single dime of Oversight Committee taxpayer funds for use on the excursion Democrats have requested.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If Democrats wish to travel to El Salvador and meet with a foreign illegal MS-13 gang member, they can spend their own money to do so.
I will not approve a single dime of Oversight Committee taxpayer funds for use on the excursion Democrats have requested. <a href="https://t.co/ldokDJBTve">pic.twitter.com/ldokDJBTve</a>
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1913321711958712768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
Comer&#8217;s letter was addressed to Reps. Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Maxwell Frost (D-FL), who had sent a <a href="https://robertgarcia.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/robertgarcia.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/garcia-frost-letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">request</a> to the chairman this week, saying they wanted to visit CECOT to check on the wellbeing of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador who Democrats say has been unlawfully deported and imprisoned, and others held at the prison. Reps. Garcia and Frost noted they would &#8220;gladly include&#8221; any Republicans who wanted to join.
Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old living in Maryland, was detained and deported to El Salvador last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blasts-legacy-media-for-focusing-on-deported-salvadoran-ignoring-angel-mom-patty-morin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">despite</a> a 2019 court order prohibiting him from being sent back to the country. His legal team has been <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/1/abrego-garcia-v-noem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fighting</a> the federal government in a high-profile court to secure his return to the United States. The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/facilitate-not-effectuate-wh-responds-to-scotus-ruling-on-mistakenly-deported-salvadoran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accuses</a> Abrego Garcia of being a member of MS-13, which has been <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-international-cartels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">designated</a> as a foreign terror organization. Abrego Garcia&#8217;s attorneys <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69777799/1/abrego-garcia-v-noem/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deny</a> that their client is part of the gang, but the government publicly released <a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1396906/dl?inline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> to substantiate the affiliation.
In his letter, Comer said Reps. Garcia and Frost requested that he approve from the oversight panel&#8217;s budget &#8220;official travel for you both to visit the country of El Salvador to meet with a foreign MS-13 gang member whose wife accused him of crimes and who is strongly suspected of human trafficking.&#8221;
The chairman was referring to a 2021 restraining order that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deported-illegal-immigrant-who-dems-have-championed-accused-of-beating-wife-court-docs?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News+and+Commentary&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Deported+Illegal+Immigrant+Who+Dems+Have+Championed+Accused+Of+Beating+Wife%3A++Court+Docs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> Abrego Garcia was accused of beating his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, who now says they worked through the incident. He also pointed to a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/kilmar-abrego-garcia-suspected-human-trafficking-report-obtained-fox-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a> that said Abrego Garcia was pulled over in 2022 and suspected of human trafficking, although authorities <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/18/us-news/alleged-ms-13-gangbanger-kilmar-abrego-garcia-suspected-of-human-trafficking-feds-say/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">say</a> the Biden administration&#8217;s FBI opted not to make an arrest at that time.
Comer told Reps. Garcia and Frost it is &#8220;absurd that you both displayed active hostility for over two years toward the Committee&#8217;s oversight of the Biden Border crisis and the consequences of millions of illegal aliens entering the country, yet now, you are seeking travel at Committee expense to meet with foreign gang members.&#8221;
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) travelled to El Salvador this week and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sipping-margaritas-dem-senator-finally-meets-deported-illegal-immigrant-in-el-salvador" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with Abrego Garcia on Thursday evening. He claims Abrego Garcia is a “constituent” who endured an “abduction and unlawful deportation.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, miraculously risen from the “death camps” &amp; “torture”, now sipping margaritas with Sen. Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!🍹 <a href="https://t.co/r6VWc6Fjtn">pic.twitter.com/r6VWc6Fjtn</a>
— Nayib Bukele (@nayibbukele) <a href="https://twitter.com/nayibbukele/status/1913028548001923259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
Alluding to photos shared by El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, Comer quipped to Reps. Garcia and Frost they would be &#8220;pleased to know&#8221; Van Hollen &#8220;was photographed just yesterday in El Salvador enjoying margaritas garnished with cherry slices with the foreign gang member your letter references.&#8221;
Van Hollen, for his part, <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1913332841972466132" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> neither he nor Abrego Garcia &#8220;touched&#8221; the drinks that appeared to be margaritas. Van Hollen also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88_htG1N-1w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Abrego Garcia told him that he had been moved to another detention center with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88_htG1N-1w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;better&#8221;</a> conditions.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Mark Green (R-TN), similarly rebuffed multiple Democrats pushing for a visit with Abrego Garcia.
&#8220;There is no excuse for Democrats to waste taxpayer dollars visiting and defending a transnational gang member and reported domestic abuser,&#8221; Green said in a <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/2025/04/17/chairman-green-responds-to-homeland-democrats-calls-to-visit-deported-salvadoran-ms-13-gang-member-domestic-abuser/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Thursday. &#8220;If Democrats care so much about defending this individual, they can use their own personal credit cards — not taxpayers’ money — to virtue-signal to their radical base.&#8221;
Yet another committee leader, House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), recently shared photos of a trip he took to CECOT.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thanks to President Trump, the CECOT prison in El Salvador, which is home to some of the country&#8217;s most vicious criminals, now includes illegal immigrants who broke into our country and committed violent acts against Americans.
It is unconscionable that Democrats in Congress are… <a href="https://t.co/nWTxveW9bs">pic.twitter.com/nWTxveW9bs</a>
— Rep. Jason Smith (@RepJasonSmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJasonSmith/status/1912326135934837215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Thanks to President Trump, the CECOT prison in El Salvador, which is home to some of the country&#8217;s most vicious criminals, now includes illegal immigrants who broke into our country and committed violent acts against Americans,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;It is unconscionable that Democrats in Congress are urging the release of more foreign criminals back into our country.&#8221;

Representative James Comer

GOP Leaders Deny Taxpayer Money For Dems To Make El Salvador Prison Trip

El Salvador

U.S. House of Representatives

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> announced on Tuesday the creation of a task force geared toward the investigation and declassification of covert government materials ranging from the assassinations of prominent figures in American history to the origins of COVID to UFOs.
Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) declared that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) will lead the &#8220;Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets&#8221; just weeks after President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-will-be-revealed-trump-declassifies-jfk-rfk-and-mlk-jr-assassination-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an order to declassify the assassination files of former President John F. Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
&#8220;For too long, the federal government has kept information of public interest classified and the American people are demanding greater transparency. This secrecy has sowed distrust in our institutions,&#8221; Comer said in a statement. &#8220;The Task Force will build on the Trump Administration’s efforts to declassify records of national importance and ensure Americans get the answers they deserve. Representative Luna is committed to shining a light on the truth and ending the era of secrecy. It’s time to let the sunlight in and finally provide answers the American public has long demanded.&#8221;
A press release said the task force has been authorized for six months pursuant to committee rules, and members would be announced at a later date. The Oversight Committee also revealed a battery of <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Task-Force-Letters.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letters</a> that Comer and Luna sent to leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, seeking briefings in light of Trump&#8217;s order and noting they would then request to see relevant documents and make recommendations on the declassification process.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-will-be-revealed-trump-declassifies-jfk-rfk-and-mlk-jr-assassination-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Signed</a> on January 23, Trump&#8217;s directive said the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General would have 15 days to &#8220;present a plan to the President for the full and complete release of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy&#8221; and 45 days to &#8220;review records related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and present a plan to the President for the full and complete release of these records.&#8221;
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/everything-will-be-revealed-trump-declassifies-jfk-rfk-and-mlk-jr-assassination-files" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Daily Wire, Trump said: &#8220;A lot of people have been waiting for this for years, for decades. And everything will be revealed.&#8221;
The House Oversight task force announcement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-discovers-thousands-of-secret-jfk-assassination-records-after-trump-order-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">followed</a> a report by Axios on Monday that said the FBI found thousands of records that were never submitted to a review board overseeing the release of documents related to the 1963 assassination of former President John F. Kennedy.
Luna, who was first elected to the House in 2022, has been a key player in the bipartisan inquiry into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), formerly described as unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
&#8220;The federal government has been hiding information from Americans for decades. We have spent years seeking information on the assassinations of President Kennedy, Senator Kennedy, Reverend King, and other government secrets without success,&#8221; Luna said. &#8220;It is time to give Americans the answers they deserve, which is why I am honored to lead this bipartisan task force that seeks truth and transparency. We will also investigate UAPs/USOs, the Epstein client list, COVID-19 origins, and the 9/11 files. We will work alongside President Trump and his cabinet members to deliver truth to the American people. From this moment forward, we will restore trust through transparency.&#8221;
During a press conference with Comer at the U.S. Capitol, Luna suggested the task force&#8217;s first area of focus will be on the John F. Kennedy assassination and then made a stunning assertion that cast doubt on Lee Harvey Oswald <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lee-harvey-oswald-tied-to-cia-before-jfk-assassination-investigator-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being the lone gunman</a>.
&#8220;I can tell you, based on what I’ve been seeing so far, the initial hearing that was actually held here in Congress was actually faulty, and the single bullet theory — I believe there were two shooters and we should be finding more information as we are able to gain access into the SCIF before the files are actually released to the public,&#8221; Luna said.
Watch the full press conference below:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Anna Paulina Luna Answers Questions About New Committee On Exposing Gov Secrets On 7 Major Events" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gPYl8yGHJj8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Reps. James Comer and Anna Paulina Luna

Luna To Lead New House Disclosure Task Force: JFK Files, Epstein List, UFOs On The Table

COVID

Donald Trump

Jeffrey Epstein

John F. Kennedy (JFK)

Martin Luther King Jr.

Transparency

U.S.

On Sunday, House Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) said he did not think the preemptive pardons that President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> issued to members of his family in the final moments of his administration would &#8220;hold up in court.&#8221;
Just minutes before Donald Trump was sworn into office for a second presidential term last week, Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-issues-more-pardons-for-his-family-during-final-minutes-of-presidency" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> pardons for his brother, James B. Biden; James Biden’s wife, Sara Jones Biden; his sister, Valerie Biden Owens; Valerie Owens’ husband, John T. Owens; and his brother, Francis W. Biden, citing the prospect of &#8220;politically motivated investigations.&#8221; Biden previously had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-biden-pardons-hunter-claims-son-was-singled-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pardoned</a> his son, Hunter, who had been convicted of tax evasion and gun crimes.
Comer, who led a corruption-focused impeachment investigation into Biden and wrote a book about his inquiry, said the preemptive pardons were an &#8220;admission of guilt&#8221; and then suggested to Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; that scrutiny of the prior administration may continue when she asked if her viewers should expect that the Bidens &#8220;got away with it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today on <a href="https://twitter.com/SundayFutures?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SundayFutures</a> with <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaBartiromo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MariaBartiromo</a>, House Oversight Committee Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a> spoke about President Trump confronting U.S. Financial Institutions over claims of debanking of conservatives. <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/Cpok6XXVeL">pic.twitter.com/Cpok6XXVeL</a>
&mdash; SundayMorningFutures (@SundayFutures) <a href="https://twitter.com/SundayFutures/status/1883556154980327839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Comer replied, &#8220;I certainly hope not,&#8221; before referring to Pam Bondi, Trump&#8217;s nominee to become U.S. Attorney General; Kash Patel, Trump&#8217;s pick to become FBI director; and new CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
&#8220;The ball is going to be in Pam Bondi&#8217;s court. We&#8217;re communicating with her people right now. I have had a good meeting with Kash Patel. One thing I&#8217;m confident is going to happen — and you saw that with John Ratcliffe — we&#8217;re going to hold people in the government accountable that were involved in the cover-up,&#8221; Comer said.
&#8220;He&#8217;s already held the 51 intelligence officials that lied to the American people when they said the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation, when most of them in fact knew that it was not Russian disinformation,&#8221; Comer added. &#8220;Now we want to get the people that were involved in the cover-ups, because what we found in our investigation — and I write about it extensively in my book — is that there were four different agencies investigating the Bidens, the IRS, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Securities and Exchange Commission.&#8221;
Comer went on to say, &#8220;And, obviously, they wanted to get to Joe Biden, because none of this money would be coming into the president&#8217;s son or brother were it not for Joe Biden. Every time they got ready to ask Joe Biden, they were told to stand down by a deep state actor. I want those people held accountable. And then, with respect to the Bidens, I don&#8217;t think these preemptive pardons would hold up in court. I would like to see a jury that would be sympathetic to what he said, &#8216;We&#8217;re pardoning you for anything you may have done over the past decade pertaining to influence peddling.&#8217; That&#8217;s baloney, and no jury in America would buy that, in my opinion.&#8221;
Before ending the interview, Bartiromo asked Comer if he believed the preemptive pardons were not legitimate, to which the chairman replied: &#8220;I don&#8217;t. But there are a lot better legal minds than mine, I&#8217;m sure. But the — I don&#8217;t think the average person that works hard and pays taxes has much sympathy for a president that, in his last act in office, pardoned his entire family for financial public corruption and didn&#8217;t have the guts to tell anybody why he did it.&#8221;

Former US President Joe Biden

GOP Investigator Doubts Biden’s Preemptive Pardons For Family Would ‘Hold Up In Court’

Joe Biden

Pardon

The House Oversight Committee on Monday highlighted whistleblower complaints that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fema" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FEMA</a> discriminated against Trump supporters when responding to devastating hurricanes earlier this year. 
As the 118th Congress comes to a close, the Oversight Committee listed its “TOP OVERSIGHT HEARING MOMENTS” of the last two years on X, pointing to a story <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first broken</a> by The Daily Wire in November that detailed that a FEMA supervisor in Florida had ordered relief workers to skip homes that showed support for Trump. The Oversight Committee noted that a whistleblower told Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) that similar misconduct had occurred in Georgia. 
“In October 2024, [The Daily Wire] exposed that a FEMA employee directed workers to bypass pro-Trump homes. During a hearing on that topic, Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://x.com/RepJamesComer">@RepJamesComer</a>) revealed a brand-new whistleblower in a different state, which blew apart the FEMA Administrator’s claim that it was an isolated incident,” the committee posted on X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In October 2024, <a href="https://twitter.com/dailywire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyWire</a> exposed that a FEMA employee directed workers to bypass pro-Trump homes. During a hearing on that topic, Chairman James Comer (<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a>) revealed a brand-new whistleblower in a different state, which blew apart the FEMA Administrator’s claim that…
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1873773803248959620?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The committee was referring to an exclusive report published by The Daily Wire on November 8 that FEMA supervisor Marn&#8217;i Washington ordered relief workers in Lake Placid to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” 
The guidance led to FEMA workers skipping some 20 homes impacted by Hurricane Milton. FEMA responded by firing Washington and sending workers back to the area to ensure that Lake Placid residents were given an opportunity to qualify for hurricane aid. 
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-chief-confirms-multiple-ongoing-federal-investigations-into-trump-instructions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> earlier this month that there were multiple federal investigations ongoing into potential political discrimination. The investigations were being conducted by FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General. 
Last month, as Criswell was questioned about the guidance from Washington, Comer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblower-alleges-fema-advised-georgia-hurricane-victims-to-remove-trump-signs-comer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that a whistleblower told his office that a FEMA supervisor told a family in Georgia to remove their Trump signs from their yards because it was not “looked kindly” on by the agency. 
“My staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10 following Hurricane Helene,” Comer said. “While there he recommended that they remove Trump campaign materials and signs from both their house and yard. He warned the family that his FEMA supervisor does not take kindly to Trump supporters and that they are seen as domestic terrorists.” 
Criswell responded to Comer’s remarks by saying that she had not heard the allegations before and asked the committee to provide her with more information on the matter. 
Whistleblowers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republicans-ask-for-probe-into-allegations-fema-skipped-entire-neighborhoods-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later told</a> the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that “entire” neighborhoods were skipped in North Carolina if workers found “Make America Great Again,” “Drain the Swamp,’ or “Don’t Tread on Me” signs in the yards of hurricane victims.

House Oversight Committee Hears Testimony From FEMA Administrator Criswell

Oversight Committee Highlights FEMA’s Avoidance Of Trump Supporters As Investigations Continue

Discrimination

FEMA

Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Milton

House Oversight Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) urged President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> to speak with the handful of GOP holdouts who oppose or have not endorsed Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) returning as speaker.
During a &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6366525597112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, Comer told Fox News anchor Jason Chaffetz that five Republicans will not commit to voting for Johnson, who can only afford to lose a couple of GOP votes.
&#8220;I strongly encourage Donald Trump to get on the phone with those five or six members who won&#8217;t commit to voting for Mike Johnson, because all this is going to do is delay us,&#8221; Comer said.
The chairman warned that if members cannot pick a speaker by January 6, then Congress will be unable to certify the results of the Electoral College that would make Trump the 47th president two weeks later.
&#8220;It&#8217;s going to delay the certification of President Trump&#8217;s election. It&#8217;s going to delay the start of his first 100 days in office, which is the most important time frame of his whole presidency,&#8221; Comer said.
&#8220;That&#8217;s when you get the most done historically,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So, I strongly encourage President Trump to get on the phone and try to get everyone united so we can work together as a team and make America great again.&#8221;
No other Republican has entered the speaker&#8217;s race as of Sunday afternoon, but the GOP&#8217;s margin to majority is only a few members deep and so far it appears no Democrats will cross the aisle and support Johnson.
Johnson&#8217;s handling of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-passes-last-minute-funding-bill-to-avert-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spending</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-overcomes-final-hurdle-to-send-fisa-reauthorization-bill-to-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveillance</a> legislation has irked some Republicans. A small number of them, including <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/massie-comes-out-against-johnson-retaining-speakers-gavel-he-does-not-have-my-vote?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)</a>, have <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/29/newt-gingrich-support-mike-johnson-speakership-00196103" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talked about</a> considering someone else for speaker.
Trump, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-hes-with-speaker-johnson-all-the-way" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly told</a> House Republicans he was with Johnson &#8220;all the way&#8221; in November, suggested to Fox News earlier this month the speaker&#8217;s chances would be tied to a stopgap bill packed with add-ons.
&#8220;If the speaker acts decisively, and tough, and gets rid of all of the traps being set by the Democrats, which will economically and, in other ways, destroy our country, he will easily remain speaker,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-johnson-will-remain-speaker-if-he-acts-decisively-and-tough-on-spending-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
The House first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-elects-mike-johnson-as-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected</a> Johnson to be the speaker in October 2023, ending a weeks-long standoff after then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was cast out of the role he won in 15 rounds of voting in January of that year.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a terrible challenge. &#8230; It was very difficult for Kevin McCarthy. It&#8217;s been very difficult for Mike Johnson. It would be very difficult for whomever would be elected speaker of our conference,&#8221; Comer told Chaffetz.
Comer said he does not want there to be a &#8220;repeat&#8221; of a drawn-out process, adding, &#8220;I&#8217;m strongly encouraging my colleagues to go ahead and elect Mike Johnson and let&#8217;s get started on passing President Trump&#8217;s agenda.&#8221;

Speaker Johnson Joins President-elect Trump

House Chairman Urges Trump To Get On Phone With GOP Holdouts In Speaker’s Race

House Republicans

Mike Johnson

The House Oversight Committee will ask Martin O’Malley, Joe Biden’s head of the Social Security Administration, to testify on why he signed an agreement letting employees telework through 2029, just days before resigning his post.
“[T]he hearing will address existing agreements between federal agencies and federal employee unions that purport to prevent incoming executive branch officials appointed by President Trump from telling their own employees – and those of the American people – to show up to work,” Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky), the chairman of the committee, wrote in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Letter-to-OMalley-122324.pdf">letter</a> to O’Malley on Monday.
“You signed the SSA agreement with [American Federation of Government Employees] AFGE on November 27, 2024—after informing the press of your intent to run for chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)—and just days before stepping down from your role at SSA,” the letter said, citing The Daily Wire’s exclusive reporting. The article found that instead of union and management being on opposing sides, O&#8217;Malley actually attended a November 12-15 union conference in Florida, where he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/social-security-head-drank-with-union-members-before-giving-them-telework-through-2029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drank and played guitar with union members who praised him</a>, before signing the contract and then resigning his post on November 29.
Locking in telework at levels that originated during a global pandemic seemed to be outside of the interests of even the Joe Biden administration, which has repeatedly said that federal employees should return to the office in order to provide the best service to taxpayers. Locking in telework for five years also seems odd considering the Social Security Administration just spent $120 million renovating its headquarters, which is currently 91% vacant.
“Thus, you managed the SSA workforce for only a few days under a CBA that will tie the hands of your successor at SSA for the duration of the next Administration, and beyond. Your motive for signing such an agreement is unclear, nor is it clear why the public interest is served by having a departing official of a lame duck Administration determine the work arrangements to occur at an agency for years after he is gone. Democracy is best served when an incoming, duly elected President and his appointees are empowered to actually manage the workforce they are charged with overseeing. The SSA CBA seems intended to prevent just that,” the letter continued.
The letter suggested that O’Malley may have given away government favors in order to boost his personal ambitions to head the DNC, given that unions are influential in the party. The contract may have been bad for taxpayers who expect prompt service from Social Security, but it was “extremely popular with the AFGE members—who you partied with in Florida shortly before signing it—and with other public employee unions that form a core constituency of the DNC that you are now running to chair,” it said.
The letter said nearly all Social Security employees are eligible for telework and have been spending less than half their time in the office, even as metrics such as the speed of processing disability applications have gotten worse. 
Unions could pose an impediment to Trump reforming the federal workforce, including bringing them back to the office. A Senate report found that up to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/only-6-of-feds-work-from-an-office-full-time-and-some-arent-working-at-all-audit-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">94% of federal employees are working from home.</a> Federal office buildings have only a 12% occupancy rate, despite taxpayers spending $16 billion a year on the facilities. The working-from-home employees included a Social Security employee who was actually running a home inspection business on the clock. He had his mom send a few emails during the day from his computer, and he got away with it for three years.
“We believe your testimony will shed light on why so much of the federal workforce is currently at home, and federal agency offices are largely vacant. We also expect it will educate Members as to how federal collective bargaining law and practice has helped facilitate this situation,” Comer concluded.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-look-to-hire-up-to-1200-new-dei-bureaucrats-before-trump-takes-office">Feds Look To Hire Up To 1,200 New DEI Bureaucrats Before Trump Takes Office</a>

Then-SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley with an official of the union negotiating against him / Facebook

House Wants To Grill Biden Social Security Head On Signing 5-Year Telework Contract

Labor Unions

Martin O'Malley

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) ripped into President Joe Biden for issuing a pardon to his son Hunter on Sunday night, calling the action an attempt to avoid responsibility for &#8220;blatant corruption.&#8221; 
Comer, who has been leading an investigation into the Biden family, said that the pardon was an attempt to escape accountability. Hunter was scheduled to be sentenced later this month for gun and tax evasion crimes. 
&#8220;Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities. Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden,” Comer said in a statement. 
“The charges Hunter faced were just the tip of the iceberg in the blatant corruption that President Biden and the Biden Crime Family have lied about to the American people. It’s unfortunate that, rather than come clean about their decades of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to do everything they can to avoid accountability,” the Kentucky Republican added. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ISSUING A PARDON TO SON HUNTER BIDEN:
&#8220;Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities. Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his…
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1863387110339961024?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As part of its investigation into the Bidens, the Oversight Committee has <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/the-bidens-influence-peddling-timeline/">said</a> that the president&#8217;s family had used their influence and status to make money around the globe largely beginning at the end of his vice presidency in 2015. According to the committee, the Biden family and their associates have received over $20 million in payments from foreign entities, raising national security concerns.
One WhatsApp message revealed last year appeared to show Hunter shaking down Chinese energy executive Henry Zhao for money in the summer of 2017.
“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,” Hunter wrote to Zhao, according to the text.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
In post on X, the Oversight Committee said that the Biden administration has been marked by an &#8220;unprecedented&#8221; abuse of power. 
“From the lawfare against President Trump to now the pardoning of Hunter Biden, Joe Biden’s unprecedented abuse of power has been a stain on the honor of the U.S. presidency,” the committee said.

Speaker Johnson Holds News Conference On College Campus Protests

‘Blatant Corruption’: Republican Leading Biden Family Investigation Slams Hunter Pardon

Hunter Biden

The House Oversight Committee demanded Friday that FEMA respond to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whistleblower-alleges-fema-advised-georgia-hurricane-victims-to-remove-trump-signs-comer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new allegations</a> that it has discriminated against Trump supporters when distributing emergency relief. 
In a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/FEMA-FollowUp-112224.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> first shared with The Daily Wire, Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) wrote to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell asking for her to provide more documentation on any “avoidance” policy the agency may have in place. The letter comes after Criswell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-we-learned-from-fema-chiefs-day-of-congressional-grilling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified for hours</a> on Tuesday about guidance from FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington in Florida to “avoid homes advertising Trump.”
While Criswell has said Washington&#8217;s instructions were an “isolated” incident, Comer noted that another whistleblower had contacted his office telling them that a similar situation occurred in Georgia. 
He wrote the whistleblower told the committee that “a FEMA contractor warned a disabled veteran’s family in Georgia to remove Trump campaign materials from their home because FEMA supervisors viewed Trump supporters as domestic terrorists.”
The letter also pointed to comments from Florida Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) who said on Tuesday hearing that over 35 of his constituents reached out to him with allegations that FEMA had discriminated against them.
“The Committee is in the process of investigating these claims. If they are true, they would corroborate concerns that political discrimination extends beyond Ms. Washington,” the letter said.” Furthermore, they suggest an apparent culture, whether sanctioned or not, within FEMA to politically discriminate against disaster survivors, specifically those who support President-elect Donald Trump.”
The letter was signed by all Republicans on the Oversight Committee, in addition to Steube and Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), who sat in on Criswell’s testimony. 
The committee asked Criswell to provide Disaster Survivor Assistance surveys with any reference to political affiliation, communications with references to politics among FEMA leadership in the region Washington was working, and any guidelines or policies the agency may have on &#8220;avoidance&#8221; or de-escalation practices. 
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/gift-guide/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1732313548495000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1sTcw_EsPDQ8ibqgju7nFf">CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE</a>
The Republicans also asked for a briefing with Chad Hershey, Washington’s supervisor in Lake Placid, Florida, where at least 20 homes were skipped over because they had a Trump flag or sign. In addition to Hershey, the Oversight Committee said it wanted to set up a briefing with Washington’s task force. 
The committee requested the names of three FEMA workers who spoke with Washington around October 30, three days after the guidance was issued. It is unclear what the workers spoke to her about, but it was after a whistleblower complaint had been filed with the Department of Homeland Security. 
The committee asked Criswell to respond with the proper documents and information no later than December 6.

EXCLUSIVE: Comer Demands FEMA Chief Respond To New Allegations Of Political Bias

Florida

WASHINGTON—House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer revealed Tuesday that a whistleblower claimed a FEMA supervisor in Georgia directed a family to remove Trump campaign signage from their home, saying it was not &#8220;looked kindly&#8221; on by the agency. 
Comer made the statements during a hearing where lawmakers grilled FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell about an agency employee who told relief workers in Florida to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” Criswell has maintained that the guidance was an isolated incident and not the result of agency policy to skip over &#8220;politically hostile” homes. 
But testimony from Comer and other lawmakers testimony casts doubt on Criswell&#8217;s comments. 
“My staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible account that a FEMA contractor visited the home of an elderly disabled veteran’s family around October 10 following Hurricane Helene,” Comer said after the committee came back from recess. “While there he recommended that they remove Trump campaign materials and signs from both their house and yard. He warned the family that his FEMA supervisor does not take kindly to Trump supporters and that they are seen as domestic terrorists.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨BREAKING- Chairman Comer reveals a NEW whistleblower in a different state claims that FEMA purposely avoided the homes ofTrump supporters when providing disaster relief.
&#8220;During the recess for votes, my staff made contact with a new whistleblower who provided a credible… <a href="https://t.co/HV03qRpXLG">pic.twitter.com/HV03qRpXLG</a>
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight/status/1859003562216374747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Comer said that the whistleblower claimed FEMA never returned to the family’s home even after they removed their Trump gear. 
“The elderly homeowners were so frightened by this, and afraid they would not recover their loss, that they removed all Trump materials and signs,” the Kentucky Republican said. 
The Oversight Committee called Criswell to testify after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whistleblowers told The Daily Wire</a> that at least 20 homes in Lake Placid were skipped during relief operations after Hurricane Milton because they had Trump flags or signs. 
Criswell testified for over six hours on Tuesday, facing questions about the guidance. She said she was “heartbroken” by the guidance and that the investigation into the incident was ongoing. 
<div id="attachment_831517" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-831517" class="size-full wp-image-831517" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2185627161.jpg" alt="WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 19: Administrator of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deanne Criswell testifies during a House Oversight Committee Hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building on November 19, 2024 in Washington, DC. Criswell testifies during a hearing on oversight of FEMA and their response to Hurricanes Milton and Helene. " width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2185627161.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2185627161-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2185627161-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/GettyImages-2185627161-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.</div>
Her testimony contrasted with statements from Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) who said during the hearing that over 35 of his constituents reached out to him with allegations that FEMA had discriminated against them. Steube said his office had information on “specific instances, factual instances, where they were either overlooked or specifically discriminated against because of their political affiliation.”
Criswell confirmed during the hearing that she had asked the Inspector General to launch an independent investigation into the guidance, to supplement FEMA&#8217;s ongoing internal investigation.
Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) told The Daily Wire that she was not happy with Criswell&#8217;s answers.
“You have blatant discrimination going on,” McClain said. “She fired the person who sent out the text, fantastic, but what about all of the layers in between who knew that it was going on.”
She said that Criswell was “conveniently” ignorant of details surrounding who was managing Washington and who she answered to. 
“There seems to be a lot of unanswered questions with the exception of we fired the person who did it, &#8221; McClain said. “but what enabled, what empowered that person to do that?”
Before testifying before the Oversight Committee, Criswell faced questions from lawmakers on the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Whistleblower Alleges FEMA Advised Georgia Hurricane Victims To Remove Trump Signs, Comer Says

Georgia

fema-avoid-trump (1)

FEMA ON TRIAL: Congress Probes FEMA Head Over Discrimination Against Trump Supporters

House Oversight Committee Chair <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-comer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) revealed Monday that FEMA employees told him that the agency has a “pattern” of discriminating against conservatives, contradicting claims from FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
Comer told Daily Wire editor emeritus Ben Shapiro that he had spoken with FEMA employees who appeared to confirm fired supervisor Marn’i Washington’s claims that her instructions for workers in Florida to “avoid homes advertising Trump” was in accordance with agency policy. The House Oversight Committee launched an investigation into FEMA after whistleblowers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Daily Wire</a> that at least 20 homes in Lake Placid with Trump signs or flags were skipped during Hurricane Milton relief operations.
“We fear that this isn’t an isolated incident. We believe this is a pattern,” Comer said in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2087-member-exclusive">interview</a> released on “The Ben Shapiro Show” on Monday. “We&#8217;ve spoken with other employees who haven’t yet come forward, but have provided some information that this is the way FEMA operates, that they do discriminate against Republicans, against conservatives, against people in more prominent neighborhoods.”
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepJamesComer</a> previews <a href="https://twitter.com/GOPoversight?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GOPoversight</a> hearing with FEMA administrator following <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> reporting on FEMA&#8217;s discrimination against Trump supporters.
Comer reveals: &#8220;We believe this a pattern. We&#8217;ve spoken with other employees&#8230; This is the way FEMA operates.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/2uPiOPmHom">pic.twitter.com/2uPiOPmHom</a>
— The Ben Shapiro Show (@BenShapiroShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenShapiroShow/status/1858585669959827816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Comer’s comments come a day before Criswell will appear before the Oversight Committee. Before meeting with the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday, Criswell will testify before the House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Criswell has said that Washington’s guidance was an “isolated” incident and not approved by the agency. 
“The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident,” she said, announcing that Washington had been fired. 
Comer said the committee plans to interview Washington, who has claimed that FEMA has a widespread policy of avoiding “politically hostile” homes. 
“FEMA always preaches avoidance first and then de-escalation, so this is not isolated,” she told Roland Martin last week. “This is a colossal event of avoidance not just in the state of Florida, but you will find avoidance in the Carolinas.”
Comer told Shapiro that the guidance was endemic to the broader takeover of federal agencies by leftist activists. 
“I think every government agency, whether it’s FEMA, whether it’s the EPA, whether it&#8217;s the FBI, whether it&#8217;s the Securities and Exchange Commission,” Comer said. “I think every agency in the federal government is populated with left-wing activists that have risen to the top.”

Comer Has Evidence Other FEMA Workers Were Told To Skip Trump Homes: ‘This Is A Pattern’

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