Contrasting views on U.S. immigration policy came into sharp focus on Tuesday during separate congressional hearings addressing the incoming Trump administration’s stance on deportations and border security.
President-elect Donald Trump announced that prominent D.C. attorney Mark Paoletta will return to the White House as General Counsel of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under Director Russ Vought. Paoletta, known for his strategic legal prowess, will be instrumental in reversing the course of federal regulations, reducing spending, and implementing reforms recommended by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri confronted American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick over the economic impact of illegal immigration on the American workforce.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suffered another fall on Tuesday, this time after a lunch meeting with Republican senators, according to a report by Punchbowl News’s John Bresnahan. McConnell required medical attention and was seen leaving the area in a wheelchair, with reports indicating he sustained a cut to his face.
FBI Director Christopher Wray is weighing whether he should resign before President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, according to a report from The Washington Times.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) indicated that she plans to support Pete Hegseth following "encouraging conversations." The move follows speculation that she and other senators expressed doubts about Hegseth's Senate confirmation.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken faces sharp criticism from Congress for attempting to incorporate an LGBTQ+ agenda into U.S. international diplomacy. In a strongly worded letter obtained by Breitbart News, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accuses Blinken of overstepping his authority and misrepresenting U.S. treaty obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has voiced his support for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), a bipartisan bill spearheaded by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), aimed at protecting minors online. Musk’s endorsement comes after X (formerly Twitter) collaborated with the senators to revise the legislation, addressing concerns over potential First Amendment violations.
The U.S. House is poised to vote on the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025, authorizing $895.2 billion for the military, with $849.9 billion allocated directly to the Department of Defense. The 1,813-page bipartisan bill supports service members, defense infrastructure, and U.S. military capabilities.
