Latest news with #Trump-blocking
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dems mum on Trump's court fights despite trying to limit Biden-blocking judges
Democrats have remained relatively quiet while President Donald Trump and Republicans hammer federal district judges for churning out nationwide orders halting his administration's actions. But during President Joe Biden's tenure, they decried similar wide-ranging injunctions and even sought to remedy the issue with legislation. In 2023, Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, debuted a measure to give the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia sole jurisdiction over any cases with national implications. How Trump-blocking Judges Managed To Get Past Senate Judiciary Hawks "When parties are able to choose their judges, it creates the perception that they are able to predetermine their case's outcome, compromising the integrity of our federal justice system," she said in a statement at the time. "Activist plaintiffs should not be able to hand-pick individual judges to set nationwide policy, which is why it's critical we address the issue of judge shopping in our federal courts. By routing cases with national implications through the D.C. District Court, which has expertise in cases challenging federal agency action, the Stop Judge Shopping Act will strengthen trust in our federal justice system and help ensure major cases are decided based on the law, not the ideological agenda of any one judge." Read On The Fox News App The bill wouldn't have ended nationwide injunctions as Republicans and Trump have sought, but it would give all jurisdiction on such decisions to one court, potentially reducing the probability of such orders being levied against Biden or other Democrat presidents. Josh Hawley Believes His Bill Can Stop 'Resistance' Judges From 'Provoking A Crisis' The D.C. court is made up of 11 district judges appointed by former Presidents Biden and Barack Obama, and four were appointed by Trump. The court's chief judge is Obama-appointee James Boasberg, who is at the center of a key battle with the Trump administration over deportation flights using the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 wartime immigration law. A similar measure was proposed by then-Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., in addition to 37 other Democrats in 2024. The bill would have required cases involving broad injunctions to be randomly assigned in order to "promote uniformity and fairness." Hirono, Schumer and Whitehouse did not provide comment to Fox News Digital when asked if they still supported legislative action and if they backed any of the Republican bills. Republicans Look To Abolish Tsa In Favor Of Private Security At Airports Multiple Republicans in Congress have rolled out legislation this Congress to explicitly prevent district-level courts from issuing such wide-ranging orders, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, he wrote, "The obvious solution is to limit district courts to resolving the cases only between the parties before them." "Under my bill, lower courts could no longer block legitimate executive action by issuing orders to nonparties to the lawsuit. The bill would also make TROs against the government immediately appealable, to make sure that prudence wins out over rash decisions handed down in the heat of a political moment," he explained. Scoop: Top Republican Chuck Grassley Sets Prompt Hearing On Judges Blocking Trump The top judiciary Republican also pointed to past grievances Democrats have had with the practice of nationwide court orders. "Two-hundred forty Democratic lawmakers, including Sens. Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin, in 2023, submitted a friend-of-the-court brief warning of the 'perilous consequences' resulting from a district judge's move to block the abortion pill mifepristone," he recalled. "Justice Elena Kagan has similarly expressed dismay." The brief was filed to plead with the high court to overrule the nationwide injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, which suspended FDA approval of mifepristone. "The consequences of the Fifth Circuit's decision could extend far beyond mifepristone, for it undermines the science-based, expert-driven process that Congress designed for determining whether drugs are safe and effective," the lawmakers wrote at the time. "By permitting the district court to disrupt FDA's current regulation of mifepristone, the Fifth Circuit has countenanced judicial interference that erroneously substitutes the district court's judgment for FDA's scientific determination. Hirono, Schumer and Whitehouse have not been publicly critical of nationwide injunctions during the new Trump administration as district judges across the country manage to halt actions. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the subject as Republicans push legislation to end the practice of issuing nationwide article source: Dems mum on Trump's court fights despite trying to limit Biden-blocking judges
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cory Booker staffer arrested for allegedly carrying pistol without license at Capitol
A congressional staffer was arrested for carrying a pistol without a license after being escorted into the U.S. Capitol by a member of Congress, police said Tuesday. The United States Capitol Police said in a statement, "Yesterday afternoon, a Member of Congress led an ID'ed staff member around security screening at the Hart Senate Office Building. "Later that evening, outside the Senate Galleries, the IDed staff member — who is a retired law enforcement officer — told our officers he was armed. Hawley Officially A Yes On Dr. Oz After Securing Commitments On Transgender, Abortion Issues "The staff member, 59-year-old Kevin A. Batts of New Jersey, was arrested for Carrying a Pistol Without a License. All weapons are prohibited from Capitol Grounds, even if you are a retired law enforcement officer, or have a permit to carry in another state or the District of Columbia," the statement continued. Batts is listed as a "special assistant" to Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., on Legistorm, a research entity that routinely updates salaries and information about lawmakers and their staffs. Read On The Fox News App In a statement to Fox News Digital, Booker spokesperson Jeff Giertz said, "Sen. Booker's office employs a retired Newark police detective as a New Jersey-based driver who often accompanies him to events. We are working to better understand the circumstances around this." 'Blindsided': How Stefanik's Trump Nomination As Un Ambassador Imploded In 2016, Booker shared a video of Batts on social media, identifying Batts as a former detective in Newark. At the time, Batts said he had worked for either the city of Newark or Booker's office for 28 years. "Kevin Batts has been a friend and team member since 2006 when I became mayor and even before," the senator wrote on Instagram. "I so deeply appreciate his steadfast friendship, incredible dedication to Newark and now his service to the state. Kevin was raised in Columbus Homes projects in Newark, then spent 6 years in the United States army reserves and then joined the Newark Police Department and became a detective in 2004. "In 2006, he joined my security detail as a member of Newark's executive protection unit. In 2013 he joined my Senate staff. I am truly blessed by his friendship and loyal hard work." How Trump-blocking Judges Managed To Get Past Senate Judiciary Hawks Booker also mentioned Batts in a 2017 commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania. "And as I told my driver, an incredible officer named Kevin Batts, retired from the Newark Police Department, joined my staff because of our friendship and our bond, I said to him, "Kev, we're almost home but do you mind? We have to swing through the drive-thru," he said. Batts' arrest comes as Booker continues to break records for one of the longest floor speeches in American Senate history. The senator, who began speaking Monday night, now holds the fourth-longest Senate floor speeches, recently surpassing Sen. Robert La Follette, R-Wis., who spoke for 18 hours and 23 minutes in 1908. Josh Hawley Believes His Bill Can Stop 'Resistance' Judges From 'Provoking A Crisis' Next up is the record held by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, whose speech against Obamacare in 2013 went on for 21 hours and 19 minutes. The record holder is Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., who spoke for 24 hours and 18 minutes against a civil rights bill in 1957. If Booker continues to speak, he will break Thurmond's record around 7:19 pm Eastern time on Tuesday article source: Cory Booker staffer arrested for allegedly carrying pistol without license at Capitol
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hawley officially a yes on Dr. Oz after securing commitments on transgender, abortion issues
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., will vote to confirm President Donald Trump's Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) nominee, Dr. Mehmet Oz, after securing commitments from him regarding transgender treatments for minors and abortion. "On this basis, I will vote to confirm him. Now that I am confident that he has moved away from his previous positions, and he's moved into alignment with the president, I feel comfortable voting for him," he told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview on Monday. The senator revealed that Oz responded to his inquiries and disavowed his past stances on transgender treatments for minors and abortion in a series of posts on X earlier in the day. 'Blindsided': How Stefanik's Trump Nomination As Un Ambassador Imploded "Dr. Oz has responded to my questions re: past support for trans treatments for minors & his criticism of right to life. Oz now disavows his previous support for trans surgeries & drugs for minor children. He pledges to 'end chemical and surgical mutilation of children,'" Hawley wrote on X on Monday. "He also walks back past criticism of state pro-life laws, says he supports the Dobbs decision, and is 'unequivocally pro-life.' He vows to enforce conscience protections, end the abuse of [the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act], and work to end funding for abortion providers," he continued. Read On The Fox News App "This was really a big shift of position for him," he explained, adding that he was "delighted" by Oz's responses. "When it comes to the [transgender] issue and the life issue, those are non-negotiable for me, just as I believe they are for the president," the Missouri Republican explained. "I want to know that these people are 100% clear." How Trump-blocking Judges Managed To Get Past Senate Judiciary Hawks "Every member of the Trump administration is working from the same playbook, President Trump's playbook, to restore commonsense policies and put an end to left-wing ideological nonsense afflicting our government," White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital in a statement. "We look forward to the Senate's swift confirmation of Dr. Oz so he can join the rest of our all-star team at HHS working to Make America Healthy Again by restoring common sense, transparency, and confidence in our healthcare apparatus." "I just view my role for those I have to vote on — I want to know that these people are going to align with the president," Hawley said, noting that he believes Trump has "moved really fast [and] really strong" on the issues. Earlier in the month, Hawley sent Oz a list of questions, specifically probing him on those issues. As of last week, Hawley said the nominee hadn't responded, which the senator called "strange." Oz previously used his television show as a platform for people who supported and promoted transgender treatments, particularly for minors. Specifically, he hosted two transgender children on his show in 2010 in a segment titled, "Transgender Kids: Too Young to Decide?" He also expressed concerns about state laws to limit abortion during a 2019 interview on the popular radio show "The Breakfast Club." It's "a hard issue for everybody," he said at the time. And while on "a personal level," Oz didn't like abortion, he also believed he should not "interfere with everyone else's stuff," he said. Josh Hawley Believes His Bill Can Stop 'Resistance' Judges From 'Provoking A Crisis' Oz also opposed government jurisdiction on the subject of abortion when he ran for Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican in 2022. "I don't want the federal government involved with that at all," he claimed during a debate with now-Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. "I want women, doctors, local political leaders, letting the democracy that's always allowed our nation to thrive, to put the best ideas forward, so states can decide for themselves." Hawley's commitments from Oz are just the latest he's received from Trump nominees as he considers them for confirmation. He previously got assurances from now-Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the same issues. Republicans Look To Abolish Tsa In Favor Of Private Security At Airports When it came to the now-leader of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Dr. Marty Makary, Hawley led a successful campaign to secure the resignation of a top lawyer with the FDA who previously argued for the government in favor of abortion pill access under former President Joe Biden's Department of Justice (DOJ). Hilary Perkins worked on behalf of the government's legal team in that case, which was notably against Hawley's wife, Erin Hawley, who represented the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. However, Perkins has also argued on multiple occasions to uphold restrictions on abortion pill access. As a career government lawyer, she advocated for the government in all of her cases. In a statement provided to Fox News Digital, she said, "Of the many cases I supervised at DOJ, only one involved a lawsuit brought by pro-life groups. In that case I did not argue in favor of abortion pill access. I simply defended the legality of the government's actions, and the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of my position." In reference to the opportunity Hawley gave Oz, Perkins explained, "I am a pro life conservative who is committed to advancing the Trump administration's priorities. Senator Hawley should give me the same courtesy he has given others in the Trump administration."Original article source: Hawley officially a yes on Dr. Oz after securing commitments on transgender, abortion issues
