The Senate confirmed former TV star and heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz today in a strictly partisan vote to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he will oversee more than $1.5 trillion in federal health spending.
The 53-45 vote split perfectly along party lines, with Oz now set to oversee insurance coverage for more than 160 million Americans.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) expressed concern over Oz’s previous stances regarding transgenderism and abortion, but voted for the former GOP Senate candidate in the end on Thursday.
When reached for comment in March, an Oz spokesperson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-trump-nom-dr-oz-is-committed-to-protecting-children-from-trans-procedures?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Trump+Nom+Dr.+Oz+‘Committed’+To+Protecting+Children+From+Trans+Procedures&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Daily Wire: “Dr. Oz fully understands the harms caused to minors by such procedures and is committed to implementing President Donald J. Trump’s agenda of protecting children so they can grow to live out their God-given potential.&#8221;
The statement, which comes shortly after Oz advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee by a 14-13 vote, seems to have cleared up some apprehensions about where Oz stood on the hot-button issue, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-exposed-kamalas-radical-stances-on-gender-americans-voted-against-it">drove many voters to the polls</a> in November.
Oz had also defended Roe v. Wade in 2019, but in a 2022 op-ed, the doctor clarified his pro-life position.
Oz takes the helm amid a significant downsizing at HHS, where a reorganization launched Tuesday by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency eliminated 10,000 jobs department-wide.
The cuts directly led to the firing of 300 CMS employees, but closed five HHS offices tasked with assisting states with Medicare issues, with similar cutbacks indirectly affecting Oz’s new venture, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/senate-confirmation-mehmet-oz-medicare-medicaid-00270913">reports</a>.
During the confirmation hearings, Oz closely aligned himself with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda to “Make America Healthy Again” by focusing on combatting obesity and supporting preventative care measures.
“The deeper promise that we should all be making to America is we’re going to make it easy for America to do the right thing when it comes to their health,” Oz <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/04/03/mehmet-oz-cms-medicaid-confirmation/">said</a> during his confirmation hearing, per The Washington Post.
The new administrator will immediately <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/03/senate-confirmation-mehmet-oz-medicare-medicaid-00270913">face</a> Medicaid reform demands, as House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee seek $880 billion in savings to curb what they claim is substantial waste and abuse in the program, according to Politico.
“Let’s be aggressive in modernizing our tools to reduce fraud, waste and abuse. This will stop unscrupulous people from stealing from vulnerable Americans and extend the life of the Medicare trust fund,” Oz said in his Senate hearing, notes The Hill.
Prior to his confirmation, Oz hosted a popular daytime television show from 2009 to 2022 and suffered a narrow defeat in 2024 for Pennsylvania&#8217;s Senate seat against Democrat John Fetterman.
Mary Margaret Olohan contributed to this report.

Mehmet Oz

Senate Confirms Dr. Oz As Head Of Medicare And Medicaid Services

Congress

John Fetterman

Josh Hawley

Politics

Trump Administration

U.S. Senate

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) torched members of his own party over their antics at Tuesday evening&#8217;s presidential address before a joint session of Congress, saying that they amounted to &#8220;a cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance.&#8221;
Fetterman, who has broken with Democrats on several key issues — the Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists and border security among them — since winning his seat in 2022, laid out his thoughts in an X post on Wednesday.
The Pennsylvania Senator shared a screenshot of a POLITICO headline — which read, &#8220;&#8216;Giving bingo&#8217;: Democrats&#8217; silent protest against Trump falls flat&#8221; — and added his own assessment of the situation.
&#8220;A sad cavalcade of self-owns and unhinged petulance,&#8221; Fetterman said. &#8220;It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained. We&#8217;re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to — and it may not be the winning message.&#8221;
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A sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance.
It only makes Trump look more presidential and restrained.
We’re becoming the metaphorical car alarms that nobody pays attention to—and it may not be the winning message. <a href="https://t.co/hNgX7ouLjX">pic.twitter.com/hNgX7ouLjX</a>
&mdash; U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1897344327157960906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Many of the Democrats who attended Trump&#8217;s address carried signs that resembled ping-pong or auction paddles, all of them printed with words or phrases such as, &#8220;False,&#8221; &#8220;Save Medicaid,&#8221; &#8220;Musk Steals,&#8221; or &#8220;Protect Veterans.&#8221; Others carried small wipe-off boards and wrote their own signs. Still others did not attend the event at all, making public statements through their offices or via social media announcing their reasons for skipping it.
In addition to the signs, the Democrats booed President Trump on several occasions — and sat in stony silence, refusing to applaud even when Secret Service Director Sean Curran gave a Secret Service badge and a hug to a 13-year-old battling brain cancer or when the son of a fallen police officer was granted acceptance into his dream school: the United States Military Academy at West Point.
The antics did not stop there, as Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was eventually thrown out of the chamber after he stood and shook his cane, shouting at Trump while he was trying to speak. Several others announced later that they had walked out on Trump while he was still speaking.
&#8220;The View&#8221; cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin attempted to make a similar point on Wednesday&#8217;s broadcast, arguing that the optics coming from the Democratic Party on Tuesday evening were not good — but Whoopi Goldberg shouted her down and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sunny-hostin-blows-up-over-democrats-who-didnt-march-out-with-rep-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunny Hostin</a> complained that the Democrats had not done enough.

Challenges in Preserving the U.S. Housing Stock

John Fetterman Torches His Own Party For Trump Address Antics

Democrats

Donald Trump

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) warned in an interview this week that Democrats appear to have not learned their lesson in the 2024 elections and that they may have lost the support of white men forever because of how extreme the party has become.
Fetterman made the remarks during an interview with reporter Tara Palmeri this week when asked why the party was viewed as &#8220;toxic&#8221; by so many people, including Democrats.
&#8220;I think their primary currency was shaming and scolding and talking down to people and telling them, &#8216;Hey, I know better than you,&#8217; or &#8216;you&#8217;re dopes,&#8217; or &#8216;you&#8217;re a bro,&#8217; or &#8216;you&#8217;re ignorant,&#8217; or, you know, &#8216;How can you be this dumb? I can&#8217;t imagine it,'&#8221; Fetterman said.
The senator also slammed the party for calling Republicans &#8220;fascists&#8221; and trying to shame people who voted for the GOP.
&#8220;When you&#8217;re in a state like Pennsylvania, like I know and I love people that voted for Trump, and they&#8217;re not fascists,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They don&#8217;t support insurrection and those things.&#8221;
He said that Democrats have become &#8220;extreme&#8221; and fringe to the point where they have lost the argument.
Fetterman said that Democrats have lost the ability to understand average Americans and their desire to have someone who is looking out for them.
&#8220;For me, I describe the 2024 election was not about obscure kinds of policies,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a gut check kind of vote, and [people asked] themselves, who is going to protect or project my personal view of the American way of life? And who&#8217;s the better match for what I believe is the American way of life?&#8221;
He warned that the party&#8217;s decision to elect Ken Martin to lead the DNC was a mistake because of all the extreme stances he has taken on issues like abolishing ICE and defunding the police.
&#8220;I&#8217;m concerned that we really haven&#8217;t paid attention on what happened,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And have we looked up at the scoreboard and been like, oh, by the way, we&#8217;ve lost?&#8221;
When asked how Democrats can win back white men, he said that it may not be possible at this point.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know and truthfully, I&#8217;m not sure if that&#8217;s possible, to be honest,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that&#8217;s been seriously eroding for a while.&#8221;
He said that in a lot of conversations he has had with voters, many of them look at the Democrat Party and see a party that just demonizes men and masculinity as &#8220;toxic.&#8221;
Fetterman said that Democrats have also sent the message that people must &#8220;conform to our very strict kinds of definition of what we think is appropriate.&#8221;
&#8220;Once we&#8217;ve kind of turned their back on that demographic, it&#8217;s going to be difficult to rebuild and replace that with those voters,&#8221; he said, adding that issues like mass migration have further damaged the party&#8217;s standing with white men.
WATCH:
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John Fetterman explains why Democrat party brand is toxic, and is not sure the Democrats can &#8216;win white men back&#8217;: 
Tara Palmeri: &#8220;Why is the Democratic Party viewed as toxic by so many? Even people inside the party acknowledge that.&#8221; 
John Fetterman: &#8220;I think their primary… <a href="https://t.co/q5BZXDdrbI">pic.twitter.com/q5BZXDdrbI</a>
— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricAbbenante/status/1887596259814613290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></blockquote>

Sen. John Fetterman

Fetterman Warns Democrats May Not Have Learned Their Lesson, May Have Lost Key Demographic Forever

Democratic Party

Elections

Immigration

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lindsey-graham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lindsey Graham</a> (R-SC) said over the weekend that the U.S. needs to be ready to support Israel if it decides that it is time to eliminate Iran&#8217;s nuclear program.
Graham made the remarks on &#8220;Fox News Sunday&#8221; as the Islamic regime continues to inch closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon.
&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to define the world in which we live in accurately,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;Senator Fetterman has been a champion for the State of Israel.&#8221;
&#8220;I went to him and asked him, would you work with me to do a census Senate resolution saying that over decades, Iran has been trying to acquire a nuclear weapon, not a nuclear power plant, that they&#8217;re the largest state sponsor of terrorism, that they would blow Israel off the map if they had a nuclear weapon, that they would come after us?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And he said, I would be glad to.&#8221;
&#8220;So what this resolution does, it lays out the case against Iran&#8217;s nuclear ambition,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;Bibi and the Israelis are going to have to make a decision relatively soon what to do about the Iran nuclear program.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not an authorization to use force, but I am here to tell you and the audience and the world that I think America should support an effort by Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian nuclear program, because I think it&#8217;s a threat to mankind,&#8221; he added.
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America should unequivocally support Israel if they decide to decimate the Iranian regime’s nuclear program.
If the ayatollah were to obtain a nuclear weapon, it would be a threat to mankind. All options should be on the table to prevent that. <a href="https://t.co/fqFQKB7OsM">pic.twitter.com/fqFQKB7OsM</a>
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/LindseyGrahamSC/status/1886117128060948976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></blockquote>

Donald Trump And Joe Biden Participate In First Presidential Debate

Lindsey Graham: U.S. Needs To Support Israel If It Decides To Strike Iran Nuclear Facilities

Global Politics

Iran

Israel

Lindsey Graham

Nuclear Weapons

World

On Wednesday, President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> signed into law the &#8220;Laken Riley Act,&#8221; a bill that requires federal officials to arrest non-U.S. nationals accused of violent and theft-related crimes in the United States.
The immigration legislation was passed through the GOP-led House and Senate with bipartisan support. It is the first <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> that Trump has signed into law during his nascent second term in the White House. Under the law, the Homeland Security Department is directed to detain &#8220;certain aliens&#8221; charged with, convicted of, or who admit to certain theft-related or violent offenses. It also authorizes states to sue over immigration enforcement.
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🚨 Trump signs the Laken Riley Act, his first bill signed into law as the 47th President. <a href="https://t.co/dZECmVaY34">pic.twitter.com/dZECmVaY34</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1884693754264646012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Laken Riley was a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of murdering Riley and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley-immigrant-d8d75ccc6d81e7a88eb7890829d9fc9c#:~:text=The%20killing%20added%20fuel%20to,entered%20the%20U.S.%20in%202022.&amp;text=The%20Venezuelan%20man%20convicted%20in,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to life in prison. Amid the ensuing national outcry, it was <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/jose-ibarra-accused-killer-laken-riley-georgia-immigration-system/85-0294133e-f5e1-4e2f-a2df-ab017b498508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that Ibarra had been previously arrested for other offenses, but he was released in New York before federal authorities could issue a detainer.
&#8220;To Laken&#8217;s family, we will keep Laken&#8217;s memory alive in our hearts forever,&#8221; Trump said at a signing ceremony at the White House. &#8220;Everyone&#8217;s hearts. With today&#8217;s action, her name will also live forever in the laws of our country. And this is a very important law. This is something that has brought Democrats and Republicans together &#8212; that&#8217;s not easy to do. Laken did it. Laken did it. America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.&#8221;
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&quot;Laken&#39;s name will live forever in the laws of our country.
America will never, ever forget Laken Hope Riley.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://t.co/87v2cox691">pic.twitter.com/87v2cox691</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1884688952323453200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Border czar <a href="https://x.com/JohnCornyn/status/1884678072634392814" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tom Homan</a>, Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://x.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1884680903365988354" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristi Noem</a>, GOP lawmakers, and Sen. <a href="https://x.com/JacquiHeinrich/status/1884680923595047347" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) were in attendance, as were members of Riley&#8217;s family. The Daily Wire&#8217;s Mary Margaret Olohan recorded video of Riley&#8217;s mother weeping as she delivered remarks, thanking Trump and the lawmakers who sponsored the bill.
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Laken Riley’s mother weeps as she thanks President Trump for keeping his promises and honoring the memory of her daughter: <a href="https://t.co/HhxPIpmhzq">pic.twitter.com/HhxPIpmhzq</a>
&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1884689786323042517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On the campaign trail last year, Trump <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/news/679207dd-267f-4416-a2d7-41941d3f2e9e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with family and friends of Riley. He also posted on social media when Ibarra was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> in November on 10 charges, including murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault with intent to rape Riley. &#8220;JUSTICE FOR LAKEN RILEY!,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/remove-these-criminals-and-thugs-trump-responds-after-laken-rileys-killer-is-convicted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclaimed</a>, adding that it was &#8220;time to secure our Border, and remove these criminals and thugs from our Country, so nothing like this can happen again!&#8221;
The &#8220;Laken Riley Act&#8221; initially focused solely on theft-related crimes for the detention requirement, in addition to empowering states to sue over alleged immigration infractions. Both chambers of Congress ultimately passed the bill with GOP amendments that added violent offenses, including assault of a police officer, to the detention section.
Although the legislation received bipartisan support, Democrat opponents warned that non-citizens simply accused of crimes might not get <a href="https://x.com/RepRashida/status/1882187953847611832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">due process</a> if it became law and that it would be a boon to private prisons.

President Donald Trump

Trump Signs Laken Riley Act Into Law

Laken Riley

U.S.

White House

On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Democrats blocked legislation that threatens to impose sanctions on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/international-criminal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Criminal Court</a> (ICC) after the organization issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders last year.
The majority of Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them opposed breaking the filibuster, resulting in a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00022.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">54-45 vote</a> that fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed to begin debate on the bill.
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54-45:Democrats blocked the Senate from advancing a House-passed bill to sanction the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.60 votes were needed. Fetterman (PA) was the only Democrat to vote Yes. Ossoff (GA) did not vote. <a href="https://t.co/oMGSzvZV40">pic.twitter.com/oMGSzvZV40</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1884328983501959536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of the bill. &#8220;The ICC’s treatment towards Israel and equivocating to Hamas was unacceptable,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1882928967151485018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;We should absolutely sanction the ICC.&#8221;
Republicans called out Democrats who opposed the legislation, including Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), who said: &#8220;Republicans are holding the ICC accountable with sanctions. Democrats are blocking us. Why?&#8221;
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Criminals in the world today have a friend — the International Criminal Court. 
They target Israel while letting evil regimes around the world off the hook. 
Right now Republicans are holding the ICC accountable with sanctions. Democrats are blocking us. Why?
&mdash; Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso/status/1884328296848187876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Democrats voted against protecting American troops from a corrupt kangaroo court. They had 10 months to negotiate this bill, but instead waited until the last minute to demand unworkable changes that would give carve outs to big tech. Make no mistake-Democrats weakened our…
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1884331129613742352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Democrats are using their new-found respect for the filibuster to effectively endorse the ICC’s illegitimate prosecution of our closest ally in the Middle East. It is outrageous! 
AMERICA STANDS WITH ISRAEL &amp; AGAINST LAWFARE. 
All these Senate Democrats have done is…
&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1884344446688583879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1884320663542120601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> criticized the ICC for how &#8220;their anti-Israel bias has taken over and become too much,&#8221; but also claimed the sanctions bill was &#8220;poorly drafted&#8221; and &#8220;deeply flawed.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/23/text?s=1&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Illegitimate+Court+Counteraction+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would &#8220;impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.&#8221;
Penalties listed in the bill would have the president implement restrictions on transactions of property and interests within the U.S., as well as visas, admission, or parole for anyone linked to offending ICC actions.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) first <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-roy-and-mast-demand-sanctions-icc-officials-going-after-us-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> the sanctions bill last May, citing reports indicating the ICC was prepared to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/icc-blasted-over-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant — as well as Hamas terror group officials — a move that got bipartisan criticism in the U.S.
In the last Congress, the House passed the bill only for it to be <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8282/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignored</a> by the Democrat-led Senate amid <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1797727903175807367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition</a> by President Joe Biden. The House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-icc-sanctions-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the bill again for the new term earlier this month.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-will-be-first-foreign-leader-hosted-at-trump-white-house?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Netanyahu Will Be First Foreign Leader Hosted At Trump White House</a>
&#8220;Last year, I committed to putting this bill on the floor when Republicans were in the majority. Today, I’m following through on that promise,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1884292120804028914" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a post to X.
Thune also included a forward-looking warning to his post, saying, &#8220;While the ICC is targeting Israeli leaders today, it could easily set its sights on Americans – and American soldiers in particular – tomorrow.&#8221;

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Senate Democrats Block International Criminal Court Sanctions Bill

Chuck Schumer

International Criminal Court

John Thune

Sanctions

The hosts of ABC News&#8217; &#8220;The View&#8221; took turns scolding Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) on Monday, first for taking a meeting with President Donald Trump and then for daring to vote in favor of any of his cabinet appointments.
Ana Navarro, who self-identifies as a Republican despite her insistence on supporting and defending former President Joe Biden and even hosting one evening of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, went after Fetterman first.
&#8220;You did get a lot of criticism for it from some people who thought you going to Mar-a-Lago gave cover to Trump by creating this illusion that he&#8217;s amenable to working with Democrats,&#8221; she said of Fetterman&#8217;s visit with Trump at his Florida home. She then boasted that she had supported Republicans who crossed the aisle to work with Biden — before lambasting Democrats who dared to work across the aisle when the other side was Trump.
&#8220;I was very supportive when people like Mitt Romney and Rob Portman worked with Joe Biden, so I understand the need for bipartisanship,&#8221; she said, and then immediately pivoted: &#8220;I didn&#8217;t love the optics of you going to Mar-a-Lago, he was going to — which is his palace. He was going to be in Washington a week later.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Sunny Hostin is bewildered by Fetterman calling the New York&#39;s case against Trump politically motivated. &quot;I think I like to call it strikes and balls, but the judicial system has to remain impartial. I mean, that&#39;s really the cornerstone of our society,&quot; he said. <a href="https://t.co/LUyA7G9TFu">pic.twitter.com/LUyA7G9TFu</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1883930154407207329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Cohost Sunny Hostin joined the fray then, complaining that Fetterman had called out the politically motivated nature of the hush-money case against Trump in Manhattan.
&#8220;Just for clarification, did you mean that the 34-count case in which Donald Trump was found guilty of various financial crimes was politically motivated?&#8221; Hostin pressed.
&#8220;I found that when the judicial system gets weaponized, and targeted political enemies for political gain, I think that&#8217;s inappropriate, and I think that degrades our collective trust in this very important institution,&#8221; Fetterman pushed back, arguing that it was wrong no matter which side was guilty of such action.
&#8220;I think I like to call it strikes and balls, but the judicial system has to remain impartial. I mean, that&#8217;s really the cornerstone of our society,&#8221; he added.
Whoopi Goldberg stepped in to deflect away from the political prosecution of Trump, asking the audience, &#8220;Wouldn&#8217;t that be great if that&#8217;s the way that things actually worked?&#8221;
After the commercial break, Hostin kept at it, saying that many Democrats were frustrated because Fetterman appeared to have &#8220;made a rightward shift.&#8221; By way of evidence, Hostin listed his previous meeting with the incoming President of the United States, the fact that he joined Truth Social, and his support of border security and fracking — the latter of which sustains many jobs in his home state of Pennsylvania.
WATCH:
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Ana Navarro whines to Fetterman about voting in support of some of Trump&#39;s nominees (including Secretary Rubio, who she once supported for that job). She also ragged him for doing his job and taking &quot;meetings with some of the most controversial appointees.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/6pmMCQPd2d">pic.twitter.com/6pmMCQPd2d</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1883935520582951071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Navarro brought the topic back around to Trump&#8217;s cabinet nominees, complaining that Fetterman had met with them on Capitol Hill — which he has repeatedly said he&#8217;d do because the Senate is called to &#8220;advise and consent&#8221; — and that he&#8217;d even voted for a few of them. One she listed specifically was Secretary of State Marco Rubio — a longtime friend of hers for whom she had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ana-navarro-touts-qualified-rubio-as-solid-choice-by-trump-heres-what-she-said-about-him-in-june">voiced support</a> just weeks earlier.

‘The View’ Hosts Scold John Fetterman For Speaking To Trump: ‘I Didn’t Love The Optics’

'The View' Hosts Scold John Fetterman For Speaking To Trump: 'I Didn't Love The Optics'

Ana Navarro

Media

Sunny Hostin

The View

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> advanced on Thursday the &#8220;Laken Riley Act,&#8221; legislation that would require federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants who are charged with theft-related crimes in the United States.
A bipartisan group of 84 members voted to <a href="https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invoke cloture</a>, surpassing the 60-vote threshold to end a filibuster and open debate on the bill, which is <a href="https://x.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1877449367398826420" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to get a final vote on passage as early as next week.
The legislation was named after Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student who was killed last year. An illegal immigrant from Venezuela, Jose Ibarra, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jose-ibarra-found-guilty-of-killing-georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of murdering Riley and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-nursing-student-laken-riley-immigrant-d8d75ccc6d81e7a88eb7890829d9fc9c#:~:text=The%20killing%20added%20fuel%20to,entered%20the%20U.S.%20in%202022.&amp;text=The%20Venezuelan%20man%20convicted%20in,without%20the%20possibility%20of%20parole." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to life in prison.
A press release from Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), who <a href="https://collins.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mike-collins-reintroduces-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reintroduced</a> the Laken Riley Act for the new session of Congress, said that the bill &#8220;directly addresses one of the federal policy failures&#8221; related to Riley’s murder.
Ibarra &#8220;is an illegal alien who had been previously cited for shoplifting by the Athens Police Department,&#8221; it said. &#8220;If local law enforcement had called ICE, and ICE issued a detainer and picked him up, Laken would be alive.&#8221;
A summary of the bill says it would require &#8220;the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.&#8221;
The legislation would also authorize &#8220;states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement,&#8221; the summary — which appears on the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/29?s=1&amp;r=3&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Laken+Riley+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Congress.gov website</a> — also notes.
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In March of last year, the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-led-house-passes-laken-riley-act-170-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the Lake Riley Act, but the Senate — then under control of the Democrats — <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7511/all-actions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not take it up</a> for a vote. The House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed it again</a> — with more Democrat votes — earlier this week.
NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur <a href="https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1877408124920815805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X that Democrats are open to the bill as their party is &#8220;recalibrating on immigration, after getting pummeled on the issue in recent years,&#8221; including in the 2024 election.
Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA), a co-sponsor of the Laken Riley Act, <a href="https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1876830970458108032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a Fox News interview that if Democrats could not come up with at least seven votes to break a filibuster, &#8220;that&#8217;s a reason why we lost.&#8221;
In fact, a majority of Democrats did vote for cloture, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Fetterman. Just <a href="https://x.com/america/status/1877460694242562154" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nine members</a> — eight Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) — opposed moving forward.
Some Democrats want amendments, including for the sections on <a href="https://x.com/sahilkapur/status/1877409398676496526" target="_blank" rel="noopener">theft</a> and <a href="https://x.com/burgessev/status/1877324153625133254" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state lawsuits</a>, as well as how it deals with &#8220;Dreamers,&#8221; but Punchbowl News&#8217; Andrew Desiderio <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1877420278076059751" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Republicans are &#8220;likely to shut this down.&#8221;

The US Capitol

Senate Breaks Filibuster On Laken Riley Act

Illegal Immigration

Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) confirmed on Thursday that he intended to take a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with President-elect Donald Trump, making him the first Senate Democrat to do so.
Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram reported the news, sharing a statement Fetterman issued on the topic.
&#8220;Fox confirms: Trump/Fetterman to meet Senator Fetterman’s statement: &#8216;President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians— not just Democrats in Pennsylvania. I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation.'&#8221;
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Fox confirms: Trump/Fetterman to meet
Senator Fetterman’s statement:    “President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I’m the Senator for all Pennsylvanians— not just Democrats in Pennsylvania.    “I’ve been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a…
&mdash; Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadPergram/status/1877426689598239218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Yes, we are going to have a conversation,&#8221; Fetterman said in a statement given to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fetterman-trump-mar-a-lago/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>. &#8220;I think that one, he’s the president, or he will be officially…and I think it’s pretty reasonable that if the president would like to have a conversation — or invite someone to have a conversation — to have it.&#8221;
&#8220;I have no idea what&#8217;s going to exactly come up. So, I mean, regardless of whatever comes up, that&#8217;s going to be part of the conversation,&#8221; he added.
Fetterman was also the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-fetterman-is-first-senate-democrat-to-step-up-sponsor-laken-riley-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first Senate Democrat</a> to sign on and sponsor the Laken Riley Act — named for the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien who had been arrested for theft, but not deported — which would compel federal officials to take action against illegal immigrants who have been charged with theft.
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He has also signaled a willingness to vote in favor of and work with at least a few of President-elect Trump&#8217;s nominees, saying that is simply part of the way &#8220;democracy works.&#8221;
Fetterman may not have much company among his Democratic colleagues, however, according a recent video made for social media. After first promising to work for the people, they also promised to fight against any Trump policies that they did not like.
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Senate Democrats release cringe video promising to FIGHT Donald Trump and stand in his way. <a href="https://t.co/HuOyyiDX5D">pic.twitter.com/HuOyyiDX5D</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1877418497120084308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The date and time of any such meeting between Fetterman and Trump has not yet been finalized. Trump has already met with at least one prominent Democrat ahead of his second inauguration and the start of his second term in office: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

John Fetterman Will Be First Senate Democrat To Take A Meeting With Trump

Executive

Pennsylvania

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said during an interview this week that he will vote for President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s nominees because that is &#8220;how democracy works.&#8221;
Fetterman made the remarks during a Tuesday night Fox News interview with Bret Baier just a couple of hours after he met with former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI), Trump&#8217;s nominee for Secretary of Transportation.
When asked by Baier if he could vote for Trump&#8217;s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Fetterman responded: &#8220;Well, you know, I met with her, in fact I think I&#8217;ve met with virtually all of them, and the ones that I haven&#8217;t, they&#8217;re on my schedule, RFK and Governor Noem, so I&#8217;m happy to meet with all of them.&#8221;
&#8220;And that&#8217;s also part of this, I don&#8217;t know why that was controversial,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, I got a lot of blowback just, you know, even to meet with them, and to me, I see that as just doing my job, and I&#8217;m going to have a conversation with anyone that would like to have a conversation with me.&#8221;
&#8220;And if someone believed everything that&#8217;s been written or said about me was true, I mean, you can&#8217;t possibly know me, or I think I could know her either, just based on someone read, but I&#8217;m going to sit down and have a conversation, and I&#8217;m really glad that I&#8217;ve done that, and some of these nominees I&#8217;m going to vote for already,&#8221; he continued.
He said that he plans to vote to confirm Duffy, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for Secretary of State, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) for U.N. Ambassador, and Brooke Rollins for Secretary of Agriculture.
&#8220;So there&#8217;s a lot of them, I can say right now here on FOX, I&#8217;m going to vote for them,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But then there&#8217;s others that we&#8217;re going to go through the process, but I&#8217;m open to hear from everyone, and I don&#8217;t know why that&#8217;s controversial, and I also would like to remind everyone on the Democratic side, that&#8217;s the way democracy works.&#8221;
&#8220;Trump won, and now they&#8217;re going to run the table, and so they get to pick those kinds of people, and if you don&#8217;t have to agree with all of it, but I want to find a way to work together on a bunch of them,&#8221; he concluded.
WATCH:
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BREAKING: Democrat Sen. John Fetterman says go vote to confirm Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, and Sean Duffy:
“We&#8217;re going to go through the process, but I&#8217;m open to hear from everyone, and I don&#8217;t know why that&#8217;s controversial, and I also would like to remind everyone on the… <a href="https://t.co/X1d6RwBDgy">pic.twitter.com/X1d6RwBDgy</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1876825221526855889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2025</a></blockquote>

Fetterman Signals He’s Voting For Trump’s Nominees: ‘That’s The Way Democracy Works’

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) became the first Senate Democrat to sponsor the Laken Riley Act, which passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
News broke of Fetterman&#8217;s plan to sponsor the bill just ahead of a vote for the measure took place in the House.
&#8220;BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) sponsors the Laken Riley Act in the Senate. Fetterman is the first Senate Democrat to sponsor it. This bill will ensure detention and deportations of criminal aliens before they can commit heinous crimes like what happened to Laken Riley,&#8221; Eric Daugherty posted.
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BREAKING: Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) sponsors the Laken Riley Act in the Senate.
Fetterman is the first Senate Democrat to sponsor it.
This bill will ensure detention and deportations of criminal aliens before they can commit heinous crimes like what happened to Laken Riley.… <a href="https://t.co/SBqGifP5VB">pic.twitter.com/SBqGifP5VB</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1876635042866221500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Fetterman issued a statement in support of the bill, which is named for the Georgia nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal migrant who had previously been arrested but not deported.
&#8220;Laken Riley’s story is a tragic reminder of what’s at stake when our systems fail to protect people. No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence,&#8221; Fetterman&#8217;s statement read.
&#8220;Immigration is what makes our country great,&#8221; Fetterman <a href="https://www.britt.senate.gov/news/press-releases/u-s-senators-katie-britt-ted-budd-john-thune-john-fetterman-colleagues-introduce-laken-riley-act-in-119th-congress/">continued</a>. &#8220;I support giving authorities the tools to prevent tragedies like this one while we work on comprehensive solutions to our broken system.&#8221;
The Laken Riley Act, introduced in the Republican-led House by Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed the lower chamber</a> on Tuesday. Forty-eight Democrats voted with 216 Republicans to pass the bill, which was opposed by 159 Democrats.
As previously reported, if signed into law, the Laken Riley Act would compel federal officials to arrest illegal immigrants charged with theft in the U.S. In addition, it opens the door for individual states to sue federal officials for “injunctive relief” if immigration actions or policies implemented by the federal government have an adverse impact on citizens in their state.
Rep. Collins thanked Fetterman for supporting the bill in a post on X, saying, &#8220;This bill sells itself, but I will be living in the Senate hallways until it passes if need be. Very grateful for @SenFettermanPA. Now we need Georgia&#8217;s Senators to step up.&#8221;
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This bill sells itself, but I will be living in the Senate hallways until it passes if need be. Very grateful for <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenFettermanPA</a>. Now we need Georgia&#39;s Senators to step up. <a href="https://t.co/GD8tTeFpFs">https://t.co/GD8tTeFpFs</a>
&mdash; Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMikeCollins/status/1876648944450633888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
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John Fetterman Is First Senate Democrat To Step Up, Sponsor Laken Riley Act

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said during an interview over the weekend that he was not rooting against President-elect Donald Trump because doing so would mean that he was rooting against America.
Fetterman made the remarks during a Sunday ABC News interview on &#8220;This Week&#8221; with Jonathan Karl, while also talking about what he expects over the next four years.
When asked if he thought that Trump had the potential to be a &#8220;good&#8221; and &#8220;successful&#8221; president, Fetterman responded: &#8220;I hope.&#8221;
&#8220;I hope, because I&#8217;m not rooting against him,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If you&#8217;re rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation. And I&#8217;m not ever going to be where I want a president to fail. So, country first. I know that&#8217;s become maybe like a cliche, but it happens to be truth.&#8221;
Fetterman described himself as &#8220;just a regular Democrat&#8221; and said that he had no plans on leaving the party despite being accused of acting like a Republican by meeting with Trump&#8217;s nominees.
WATCH:
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Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman tells <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> he hopes President-elect Donald Trump is successful in his second term and that he&#8217;s not &#8220;rooting against him.&#8221;
&#8220;If you&#8217;re rooting against the president, you are rooting against the nation.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Bk0B9r5VUr">https://t.co/Bk0B9r5VUr</a> <a href="https://t.co/qgGYklnOmv">pic.twitter.com/qgGYklnOmv</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1870872521634959690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>

Fetterman: ‘I’m Not Rooting Against’ Trump, ‘I Hope’ He’s Successful

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