Category: USA Politics

EXCLUSIVE: Former Vice President Mike Pence says that a national voter ID law “is truly an idea whose time has come.”

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Pence urged the Senate to “make voter ID the law of the land in all 50 states.” The Senate is currently debating the SAVE America Act, which is strongly championed by Pence’s former boss, President Donald Trump.

The SAVE Act, which stands for Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, narrowly passed the GOP-controlled House in February mostly along party lines. But it’s stalled in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the chamber, far short of the 60-vote threshold needed to pass the bill.

The federal bill would require strict voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements across the country. Republicans say the bill is necessary to secure election integrity.

FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS URGE CONGRESS TO PASS SAVE ACT

“I think requiring our voters to show photo ID at the ballot box or prove American citizenship is simply an idea whose time has come,” Pence emphasized.

And the former Indiana governor added, “I’m proud of the fact that the state of Indiana, 15 years ago, was one of the first states to adopt voter ID laws. Went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States and was upheld. It became model legislation for many states around the country.”

While polls indicate the vast majority of Americans — regardless of the political affiliation — support voter IDs at the polls and preventing noncitizens from voting in federal elections, Democrats argue the bill is not needed, since citizenship is already a requirement to vote and instances of noncitizen voting are rare.

FLORIDA REPUBLICANS SEND SAVE ACT-STYLE PROOF-OF-CITIZENSHIP VOTING BILL TO GOV. DESANTIS’ DESK

Democrats and voting rights groups also charge that the federal bill would create unnecessary barriers, making it harder for voters to cast a ballot. And longtime Senate Democratic leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York has framed the SAVE Act as “Jim Crow 2.0.”

Pence noted that “the time, place and manner of elections under the Constitution is governed by the states. But the federal government has, under our Constitution, the ability to set certain conditions and parameters, and I believe the Save ACT falls well within the constitutional prerogative of the Congress.”

The former vice president, through his policy and advocacy organization Advancing American Freedom, last month urged Congress to pass the bill.

Pence reiterated his stance in his Fox News Digital interview, noting, “We have championed the SAVE America Act since it was first introduced, and will continue to. I’d urge every member of the Senate to set politics aside, cast a vote to restore public confidence in election integrity in this country.”

SENATE GOP EYES BLAME GAME AS TRUMP-BACKED SAVE ACT HEADED FOR DEFEAT

Pence earned the ire of Trump’s supporters five years ago, when he dismissed the president’s unproven claims of massive voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election and certified former President Joe Biden’s electoral college victory. The certification was upended for hours by the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, during which some of the rioters chanted “Hang Mike Pence.”

“We all remember the election controversies of six years ago. We saw states that literally changed the rules in the midst of COVID for how votes would be counted,” Pence recollected. “There was never any evidence of widespread fraud that would change the outcome of the election, but it undermined public confidence, and it’s one of the reasons we’ve strongly supported election reform in states across the country.”

And the former vice president reiterated, “I truly do believe that making sure the American people have confidence that those that are voting are citizens of this country, and that voter ID becomes the law of the land is truly an idea whose time has come.”

President Donald Trump warned in a Truth Social post that the U.S. will powerfully attack Iran’s South Pars natural gas field if the Islamic Republic targets a Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility again.

“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran. A relatively small section of the whole has been hit. The United States knew nothing about this particular attack, and the country of Qatar was in no way, shape, or form, involved with it, nor did it have any idea that it was going to happen. Unfortunately, Iran did not know this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility,” Trump declared in the Truth Social post.

“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar — In which instance the United States of America, with or without the help or consent of Israel, will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before,” he continued.

GOP BLOCKS BOOKER-LED PUSH TO CURB TRUMP’S MILITARY AUTHORITY IN IRAN

Trump warned that while he does not want to take such action, he would be willing to do so.

“I do not want to authorize this level of violence and destruction because of the long term implications that it will have on the future of Iran, but if Qatar’s LNG is again attacked, I will not hesitate to do so,” he declared in the post.

Trump’s threat comes as the U.S. and Israel are deep into the third week of their controversial war with Iran.

DNI TULSI GABBARD SAYS TRUMP ACTED BECAUSE HE CONCLUDED THE IRANIAN REGIME ‘POSED AN IMMINENT THREAT’

Earlier this week, Joe Kent resigned from his position as National Counterterrorism Center director due to his opposition to the war.

“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent declared in his resignation letter.

FORMER COUNTERTERRORISM CHIEF JOE KENT UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION FOR ALLEGED CLASSIFIED LEAKS

Trump pushed back on Tuesday, saying that “it’s a good thing that he’s out because he said that Iran was not a threat. Iran was a threat. Every country realized what a threat Iran was. The question is whether or not they wanted to do something about it.”

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are sounding the alarm about the costs of a prolonged Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown as the funding lapse drags on with no end in sight. 

The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing next Wednesday examining the security risks and financial hardship many DHS employees are facing as a result of the shutdown, Fox News Digital has learned. Senior officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Coast Guard and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — agencies overseen by DHS — are expected to testify about how the funding lapse is impacting their operations and the well-being of their personnel.

House Republicans have slammed nearly all Democrats for withholding their support for a full-year DHS measure amid a massive spring travel season and a heightened threat environment amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The department is still expected to be shut down next week after Democrats panned the White House’s latest counteroffer on reforms to immigration enforcement, which Democrats have demanded to end the funding lapse.

“Amid one of the busiest travel seasons and as we face heightened physical and cyber threats from the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and other adversaries, it is deeply troubling that DHS’s core mission continues to be undermined by Democrats’ political games,” Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., said in a statement. “Each day this shutdown continues, it jeopardizes the safety of Americans and creates worsening financial hardship for the frontline DHS personnel who work hard every day to protect the homeland.”

TSA PAY BILL UNVEILED AS SHUTDOWN LEAVES AGENTS UNPAID, STRAINS AIRPORT SECURITY

The shutdown’s impact on air travel has become a growing headache for Americans — 170 million of whom are expected to pass through the country’s airports during the spring travel season this year.

More than 50,000 TSA employees have not received their salaries during the prolonged shutdown, leading some to quit their jobs or not show up to work, according to the House Homeland Security Committee.

Among that cohort, more than 360 TSA employees have resigned during the 34-day partial shutdown, and roughly 10% of agents did not report to work on Sunday, according to the TSA.

MOST VULNERABLE SENATE DEM BLAMES REPUBLICANS FOR UNPAID TSA WORKERS AFTER OPPOSING FUNDING BILL

These staffing constraints have led to hours-long security lines in some of America’s largest travel hubs, though some airports still appear to be processing passengers relatively quickly.

Lines at New York City’s JFK and LaGuardia airports were under 20 minutes Wednesday evening.

FEMA staff, 85% of whom worked through the shutdown in fall 2025, are likely reporting to work in similar numbers without pay. FEMA leadership has warned that the agency could struggle to respond to a major disaster event in a shutdown.

The hearing comes as Democrats are proposing legislation that would fund every DHS sub-agency that does not handle immigration enforcement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced Wednesday that Democrats intend to force a vote on the measure by filing a discharge petition. The petition would have to secure a handful of GOP signatures to trigger a vote on the underlying bill.

Garbarino criticized Democrats’ proposal in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle recognize that there is far too much at stake to continue blocking full funding for the department, and that any piecemeal funding efforts simply fail to meet the moment,” Garbarino said.

Senate Republicans have blocked similar legislation in the upper chamber, arguing that all of DHS — including its immigration enforcement functions — must receive full-year funding.

Frustrations, friendship and questions of temperament dominated the confirmation hearing for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., as the Senate sprints to confirm him to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The hearing, led by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chair Rand Paul, R-Ky., started with a tense exchange between him and Mullin and ended with questions about whether the committee would even hold a confirmation vote.

President Donald Trump tapped Mullin to replace outgoing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. The Senate has little time to move through the process, given that Trump set a deadline of March 31 to have Mullin installed as the next Homeland Security chief.

MULLIN FACES DEMOCRAT GRILLING IN FIRST HURDLE TO LEAD DHS AMID SHUTDOWN FIGHT

Paul plans to oppose him, meaning that unless Mullin can generate support from Democrats on the panel, his nomination will be substantially slowed.

It was fast, explosive and marred by the ongoing DHS shutdown, which entered its 33rd day on Wednesday. Below are top moments from the back-and-forth that will decide whether Mullin gets the job to lead the embattled agency.

The hearing immediately opened with fireworks over Mullin’s comments that Paul’s 2017 assault, which left him with several broken ribs and the removal of part of his lung, was “justified.”

Paul accused Mullin of never having “the courage to look me in the eye and tell me that the assault was justified.”

“I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force,” Paul said.

Mullin shot back before launching into his opening remarks, saying Paul called him a “liar,” and argued, “everybody in this room knows that I’m very blunt and direct and to the point.”

“And if I have something to say, I’ll say it directly to your face. If you recall, back in my House days, we actually did have this conversation because of remarks that I made.”

“You were in a room. I simply addressed that,” he continued. “I said I could understand, because of the behavior you were having, that I could understand why your neighbor did what he did.”

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., the panel’s top Democrat, pressed Mullin on his accusation that Alex Pretti, who was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota, was a “deranged individual that came in to cause max damage.”

“Could we expect those kinds of quick responses if you are confirmed as secretary?” Peters said. “Would you be — basically — were you responding as Secretary Noem, are we going to expect that same behavior all over again?”

Mullin didn’t push back against Peters’ question.

HOUSE GOP LEADER LAUNCHES SENATE BID AS TRUMP TAPS MARKWAYNE MULLIN FOR DHS

“Those words probably should have been retracted,” Mullin said. “I shouldn’t have said that. If secretary, I wouldn’t. The investigation is ongoing.”

“And there is — like I said — there’s sometimes going to make mistakes, and I own that one. I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts,” he continued. “That’s my fault. That won’t happen as secretary.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is no stranger to bucking his own party, and he’ll likely do it again during Mullin’s confirmation vote.

The pair became friendly during a congressional delegation trip and have maintained that relationship ever since.

And he recognizes that he’ll likely be the key vote to confirm his colleague.

“I came here and committed to come here with an open mind, and I’m going to continue to do that. It’s not going to be about gotcha moments for me. My experience with you has been consistent and professionalism,” Fetterman said.

But Fetterman also took a moment to blast his party for continuing to block DHS funding and noted that he was “the only Democrat that refused to shut our DHS down.”

“It’s a strange devotion. I don’t understand why you would shut the entire agency down just because you want those kinds of reforms on ICE that have absolutely no impact on ICE and don’t force any of those things,” Fetterman said. “I refuse to do that.”

The nature of a shadowy trip Mullin took while serving in the House nearly derailed his expected confirmation vote on Thursday.

Peters questioned the lawmaker about an undisclosed trip taken between 2015 and 2016 and charged that “quite frankly, as we’ve had these conversations, you have not been forthcoming with me or this committee.”

“The story always seems to evolve, to kind of change, and as you know, candor, honesty, transparency are absolutely critical, particularly at this time, to try to build trust as the secretary of Homeland Security,” Peters said.

TEAMSTERS BOSS PRAISES MULLIN DHS NOMINATION DESPITE PAST HEATED HEARINGS

Paul asked Mullin to explain the trip in a classified setting and threatened to cancel the hearing otherwise.

“I’m still willing to have the vote tomorrow, but I can cancel the vote tomorrow,” Paul said. “I’m still willing to have the vote, get this done and get it over with.”

Mullin argued that, to his knowledge, only four people were aware of the details of the trip, and he did not have the authority to tell Paul or Peters.

“I would really enjoy sitting there and having a conversation with you, because I don’t want you to have questions or question my character on this,” Mullin said. “That’s very simple for me, but I can’t make that authorization. You guys know that.”

Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said during an appearance on the “All-In Podcast” that the Democratic Party does not have a leader, but then opined that “TDS” controls the party.

“TDS” is an abbreviation for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” a term often used by Trump supporters to describe strong opposition to the former president.

“Who do you think leads the Democratic Party today?” David Friedberg asked the lawmaker during the podcast.

Fetterman said we don’t have one,” but added that he believes “TDS is the leader right now,” saying “our party is governed by TDS.”

FETTERMAN CONDEMNS DEMOCRATS FOR REFUSING TO PUT ‘COUNTRY OVER PARTY’ ON IRAN STRIKES

The senator highlighted his strong support for Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. attack against Iran.

Fetterman said that he is “literally the only Democrat in America, uh, in Congress, that I’ve come across that’s saying, I think it’s a great thing to break and destroy the Iranian regime. I think it’s entirely appropriate to hold them accountable.”

HANNITY TELLS SEN FETTERMAN ‘I HAD YOU ALL WRONG’ IN CANDID APOLOGY ON NEW PODCAST

Later during the podcast, Fetterman brought the issue up again, saying, “you asked me earlier, what’s the leader of the Democratic Party right now. I would say it’s TDS.” 

The senator suggested that Trump “could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays and now suddenly Democrats would hate it. We would wanna vote it down.”

Fetterman has consistently remained an ardent supporter of Israel.

FETTERMAN OPENS UP ABOUT NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE AND HOW IT CHANGED HIS APPROACH TO POLITICS

“As a Democrat, I’m deeply proud to stand with Israel through the horror of 10/07,” he declared in a Tuesday post on X. “I’m deeply proud of our military and what they’ve accomplished in Epic Fury. Picking country over party is never wrong.”

President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his calls to release Tina Peters, a pro-Trump election worker who was convicted for her role in a scheme aimed at finding evidence of election fraud in the president’s 2020 election loss.

Peters, a former election clerk in Mesa County, Colorado, is serving a nine-year prison sentence following her August 2024 conviction on seven charges, including four felonies, related to a 2021 security breach of the county’s voting systems as she sought evidence to support Trump’s claims that his loss to former President Joe Biden was due to voter fraud.

Trump has been pressuring Democrat Gov. Jared Polis to release Peters, 70, since he returned to the White House last year.

“Free Tina Peters, a 73-year-old woman with cancer, given a nine-year death sentence in a Colorado prison by a Democrat governor, Jared Polis, and a corrupt political machine, for exposing fraud by the Democrats during the 2020 presidential election,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. “Again, free Tina!”

COLORADO GOVERNOR LAYS OUT CONDITION FOR GRANTING CLEMENCY TO PRO-TRUMP CLERK UNDER PRESSURE FROM PRESIDENT

Polis has acknowledged that Peters’ sentence was “harsh,” given that she had no prior criminal record.

The governor recently noted on social media that Peters was sentenced to nine years in prison, while a former state lawmaker convicted of the same crime was sentenced only to probation and community service.

“Justice in Colorado and America needs to be applied evenly, you never know when you might need to depend on the rule of law. This is the context I am using as I consider cases like this that have sentencing disparities,” Polis wrote on X.

But Polis said his decision about granting clemency would be influenced by whether Peters has expressed remorse for her actions — something officials say she has not done.

“What she would have to show in any successful clemency application would be appropriate contrition, apology. That’s the kind of thing I would be looking for,” he previously told KUSA-TV.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES PARDON FOR COLORADO CLERK: ‘SIMPLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ELECTIONS WERE FAIR’

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose office helped prosecute Peters, has emphasized that she has not demonstrated any remorse for her actions.

“Clemency should be based on remorse, rehabilitation, and extenuating circumstances — not on political influence, favor, or retribution,” said Weiser, a Democrat running to succeed the term-limited Polis.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who is also hoping to replace Polis as governor, similarly said Peters should not receive a pardon or have her sentence commuted.

“Donald Trump may be seeking revenge on Colorado, but surrendering to his political pressure will not make our state stronger or safer,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly defended Peters on social media and announced last year he was granting her a “full pardon,” though such a move would not apply to a state conviction, as that authority rests with the governor.

Earlier this week, a federal judge found that the Trump administration had threatened to withhold funding from Colorado, describing it as potential retribution for the state’s reluctance to pardon Peters. The finding came shortly after Trump’s symbolic pardon announcement.

U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson wrote that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s threat in December to withhold millions of dollars in federal funding to Colorado’s SNAP program violated the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

“This larger context gives the game away; the pilot project seems to be about punishment and nothing more,” the judge wrote.

A lawsuit also claimed this week that the Trump administration targeted a climate and weather research lab as retribution against Colorado officials for imprisoning Peters.

Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday expanded its list of countries whose citizens will be required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. business or tourist visas.

The department added 12 nations to the growing list — Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia.

Starting April 2, passport holders from these countries must pay a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, which is refunded if the visa application is denied or, if granted, the traveler complies with the terms of the B1 or B2 visa.

TRUMP ADMIN EXPANDS VISA BOND REQUIREMENT TO 38 COUNTRIES, WITH FEES UP TO $15K

The cost of the bond depends on the applicant’s circumstances and is determined at the discretion of a consular officer during the visa interview.

The requirement was first rolled out by the Trump administration last year, as part of an effort to crack down on visa overstays and illegal immigration, according to officials.

TRUMP ADMIN HIT WITH FEDERAL LAWSUIT OVER IMMIGRANT VISA BAN AFFECTING 75 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE

With the latest additions, citizens from 50 countries will be subject to the bond requirement beginning April 2, although the policy has already been in effect for most of them.

The majority of the countries are in Africa, which officials say have higher visa overstay rates, though the list also includes nations in Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.

“The visa bond program has already proven effective at drastically reducing the number of visa recipients who overstay their visas and illegally remain in the United States,” the department said in a statement.

Nearly 97% of the roughly 1,000 individuals who posted bonds complied with visa terms and did not overstay, according to the department.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The FBI is investigating former National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent over allegations that he leaked classified information, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The probe predates Kent’s departure from government, sources told Fox News Digital.

The FBI declined Fox News’ request for comment.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Kent by phone and email for comment.

TOP COUNTERTERRORISM OFFICIAL RESIGNS IN PROTEST OF US WAR AGAINST IRAN

Kent resigned Tuesday from his role as the nation’s top counterterrorism official, citing opposition to the U.S. war against Iran.

In a public statement, Kent said he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war,” arguing that Iran posed no imminent threat and that the conflict marked a break from the administration’s prior approach to avoiding prolonged wars in the Middle East.

A senior administration official previously told Fox News Digital that Kent was a “known leaker” who had been cut out of intelligence briefings months before his resignation.

OUSTED HEGSETH AIDE RESURFACES IN INTEL ROLE AS IRAN WAR SPARKS INTERNAL STRAIN

It is unclear whether the FBI investigation is related to those concerns or to a separate matter.

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Kent, a former Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer, was appointed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center in early 2025. He is a Gold Star spouse.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan and Morgan Phillips contributed to this reporting.

An immigration judge has ordered the deportation of a former New York City Council employee federal officials said in January was an undocumented immigrant with a prior assault arrest.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin announced the deportation ruling on Wednesday, condemning it as a “miscarriage of justice and wholly deplorable” and pledging to fight back by filing an appeal.

Two months ago, Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez, 53, was detained during an immigration appointment and was identified by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a Venezuelan “criminal illegal alien” who overstayed his visa.

Federal officials said despite having no work authorization, Rubio Bohorquez was employed by the New York City council as a data analyst for roughly one year. 

DHS EXPOSES BACKGROUND OF NYC COUNCIL EMPLOYEE AFTER MENDINI FUMED OVER ARREST

Local officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Menin, strongly disputed DHS claims, stressing that Rubio Bohorquez had legal authorization to remain in the U.S., including the right to work.

“Today, Judge Conroy ordered the removal of Rafael Rubio, our City Council employee, from the United States,” Menin said. “We are outraged and will continue to pursue every legal avenue to secure his release and ensure his case is properly heard on appeal.”

“This is an affront to justice,” Mamdani added in a post on X. “A dedicated public servant with legal authorization to remain in the country, Rafael showed up for a routine immigration appointment and, despite following the rules, he was detained and has now been held for months.”

DHS DEMANDS LETITIA JAMES TAKE ACTION OVER NEW YORK’S REFUSAL TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS

Rubio Bohorquez entered the United States on a B2 tourist visa in 2017, which required him to depart the same year, according to DHS. Meanwhile, Menin said the staff member had been cleared to remain in the country until October 2026.

She further called his immigration order a “technical error” related to his asylum application. The staffer reportedly had a missing signature on his papers and was denied the opportunity to rectify it, a process which Rubio Bohorquez’s lawyer said would only take one hour, the New York Post reported, citing Menin. 

“Today’s ruling appears to hinge on a procedural issue related to his asylum application,” Menin added. “That is extremely troubling. A technical error should not determine the fate of a man who has done everything right and poses no risk to anyone.”

Local officials added that they will file an appeal and demanded Rubio Bohorquez’s immediate release until the legal proceedings are completed.

“Let me be clear: Rafael should not continue to be detained while this is sorted out,” Menin said. “An appeal will be filed, and we demand that Rafael’s case be properly heard by the deadline on April 17. At a minimum, he should be released pending that appeal. There is no justification for continuing to hold him under these circumstances.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for more information. 

Senate Republicans blocked yet another bid by Senate Democrats to handcuff President Donald Trump’s war authority in Iran, in what could be an avalanche of similar moves to break through the GOP’s floor takeover.

Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., triggered one of several war powers resolutions Senate Democrats have tucked away in their bid to compel Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to testify publicly on Trump’s war in Iran.

Booker told Fox News Digital before the vote that he was not thinking “about this in politics” or breaking through the GOP’s floor tactics, but instead to refocus on issues that Trump promised to deal with on the campaign trail.

GOP TRIGGERS MARATHON SENATE FIGHT TO EXPOSE DEMS’ OPPOSITION TO TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL

“We need to focus on what the issues of the people are, and put before them a president who promised to bring your prices down and keep us out of wars, who is now bringing us into more wars and driving up our prices as a result,” Booker said. “The question is, what should Congress do as a result?”

But, like Sen. Tim Kaine’s, D-Va., attempt earlier this month, Republicans rallied behind the president to block the bill.

Still, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and nearly every Senate Democrat tried to curtail Trump’s use of the military in the Middle East. Only Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., broke from Democrats to kill the resolution.

TOM COTTON PUTS BIDEN ON NOTICE WHILE DEMANDING ANSWERS ON DRAINING OF NATION’S OIL STOCKPILE

It likely won’t be the last war powers resolution to hit the floor this week, given that a cohort of Senate Democrats have four others teed up. Their resolutions would direct an immediate end to fighting with Iran and removal of forces in the region.

Republicans have pushed back against Democrats’ demands that Rubio and Hegseth appear on the Hill for hearings and argued that they have consistently briefed lawmakers in classified settings and spoken with the media about the war.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who has lauded the administration’s continued strikes in Iran, told Fox News Digital that he believed Democrats’ continued use of war powers resolutions was “an abuse of the process, and I’m tired of it.”

DEMOCRATS THREATEN TO GRIND SENATE TO A HALT TO FORCE PUBLIC IRAN HEARINGS

“I think they’re impeding the war effort. We’ve spoken on this,” Graham said. “I find it to be cheap politics.”

Still, Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a flashpoint in the conflict, with concerns over oil prices and possible ground troop involvement rising.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the nation’s war planners were doing a “masterful job” and kneecapping Iran’s offensive capabilities, and that Trump was well within his authority as president to carry out Operation Epic Fury.

“The Strait of Hormuz, obviously, is an issue that we’re all paying a lot of attention to,” Thune said. “But I feel confident that the administration and those who are leading our military efforts there ultimately will be successful in getting things open up there.”