The Senate quietly passed legislation on Tuesday that would create stiffer penalties for explicit AI-manipulated images, known as deepfakes. 

The bill from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., is designed to beef up federal penalties against the creation, distribution or solicitation of ‘non-consensual digital forgeries,’ or deepfakes. It’s geared to act as a companion to a previously passed bill targeting revenge porn.

Durbin’s Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits, or DEFIANCE Act, passed unanimously through the Senate on a fast-track vote. But it will still require the House to weigh in before it heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. 

His bill, which was co-sponsored by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and introduced in the House by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., would allow victims of deepfake images to sue people who create, possess with intent to share, solicit, or share non-consensual items, and levy a fine of up to $250,000 per violation. 

‘Give to the victims their day in court to hold those responsible who continue to publish these images at their expense,’ Durbin said on the Senate floor. ‘Today, we are one step closer to making this a reality.’

It also allows courts to order takedowns, deletions and injunctions to stop further spread of the images, provide privacy protections for victims during litigation, and sets up a statute of limitations of up to 10 years. 

Durbin said the backlash of deepfake images can be long-lasting, and people may go through depression, anxiety and fear, ‘and in the worst cases, victims have been driven to suicide.’ 

‘Imagine losing control over your own likeness and identity. Imagine how powerless victims feel when they cannot remove illicit content, cannot prevent it from being reproduced repeatedly, and cannot prevent new images from being created,’ Durbin said. 

The DEFIANCE Act comes as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have pushed for stiffer regulations and penalties for AI, particularly chatbots and potentially harmful interactions they have with children online. Notably, Durbin and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., teamed up last year for legislation that defines AI as a product, allowing people to sue for liabilities that stem from using AI systems. 

Durbin’s successful effort in the upper chamber comes after lawmakers passed a separate bill, the Take It Down Act, last year geared to creating penalties for revenge porn. First Lady Melania Trump heavily lobbied for that bill, which was ultimately signed into law by Trump and is set to take effect in May. 

President Donald Trump said his administration will cease federal payments to sanctuary cities and states with sanctuary policies starting Feb. 1, while citing jurisdictions that protect criminals and fuel fraud and crime.

Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said the move was aimed at cities and states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and in the administration’s bid to stamp out fraud.

‘Starting Feb. 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,’ Trump said.

‘And it breeds fraud and crime and all the other problems that come. So we’re not making any payment to anybody that supports sanctuary,’ he added.

Trump also criticized Minnesota officials while discussing what he described as widespread fraud in the state.

‘We have also suspended payments tied to suspected scammers in Minnesota, of which there are many,’ Trump said. ‘It’s a great state. It was a great state. Now it’s getting destroyed by that stupid governor.’

Trump went on to accuse Gov. Tim Walz of corruption and said the level of fraud could not have gone unnoticed by state leadership.

The administration’s actions come as a federal judge on Jan. 9 temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stopping subsidies tied to childcare programs in five states, including Minnesota, amid allegations of widespread fraud.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian did not rule on the legality of the funding freeze but said the states met the legal threshold to preserve the ‘status quo’ on funding for at least two weeks while legal arguments continue.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also announced it would withhold funds for programs in five Democratic-led states, citing concerns over fraud and misuse of federal dollars.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, those programs include the Child Care and Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Social Services Block Grant.

‘Families who rely on childcare and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose,’ HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill had said in a statement.

The states that challenged the action include California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York, which argued in court filings that the federal government does not have the legal authority to end the funding.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of state attorneys general sued the federal government Tuesday, claiming a new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy illegally pressures states to discriminate against transgender people or risk losing critical funding.

The lawsuit challenges a new federal policy that conditions billions of dollars in health, education and research funding on compliance with a presidential executive order regarding sex and gender-related treatments.

‘The federal government is trying to force states to choose between their values and the vital funding their residents depend on,’ James said in a statement. ‘This policy threatens healthcare for families, life-saving research, and education programs that help young people thrive in favor of denying the dignity and existence of transgender people.’

Last month, HHS announced a sweeping package of proposed regulatory actions to end ‘sex-rejecting procedures’ on minors as part of President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order calling on the department to protect children from ‘chemical and surgical mutilation.’

The HHS declaration warned doctors that they could be excluded from federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, if they provide treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender surgeries to minors.

Failure to comply with the policy could lead to termination of grants, repayment of funds already spent, or potential civil or criminal penalties, according to the lawsuit.

The attorneys general argue that HHS lacks the authority to impose the conditions and is attempting to rewrite federal law through executive action.

The lawsuit claims that HHS has failed to clearly define what compliance requires, leaving recipients uncertain about which policies or actions could jeopardize funding.

James and the coalition further argue that the executive order conflicts with laws in several states that protect transgender individuals from discrimination.

The lawsuit asks a federal court to declare the policy unlawful and block HHS from enforcing it, allowing states and institutions to continue receiving federal funding without changing existing policies.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Former Trump lawyer Lindsey Halligan argued in a new court filing Tuesday that a judge’s November ruling dismissing two criminal cases does not undermine her authority to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia or to represent the federal government in ongoing cases.

The new filing, previewed exclusively to Fox News Digital, comes amid a swirl of leadership questions within the U.S. prosecutor’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia, dubbed the ‘rocket docket’ due to the court’s swift handling of federal cases, including many high-profile national security cases.

It also comes just hours after the news that Robert McBride, a longtime federal prosecutor and second-highest-ranking U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, was dismissed from his role amid broader disagreements with DOJ.

U.S. District Judge James Currie in November ruled Halligan was unlawfully appointed to her role as interim U.S. attorney for the district, and ordered dismissed without prejudice the criminal cases she brought against former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. (The Justice Department has appealed both dismissals to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.)

The back-and-forth over Halligan’s status came under fresh scrutiny last week, after U.S. District Judge David Novak issued an unprompted court order for Halligan to explain to the court, in writing, her continued representation as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and why that ‘does not constitute a false or misleading statement,’ which Novak suggested could be grounds for disciplinary proceedings.

Novak further asserted that Currie’s determination on the unlawful nature of Halligan’s appointment represents ‘binding precedent in this district’ and should not be ignored. 

The response filed Tuesday by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Halligan, vehemently disputes those claims. 

‘The Court’s thinly veiled threat to use attorney discipline to cudgel the Executive Branch into conforming its legal position in all criminal prosecutions to the views of a single district judge is a gross abuse of power and an affront to the separation of powers,’ they said Tuesday.

‘Compounding those legal errors, the Court fails even to correctly identify the date of the indictment in this case – a factual mistake that forecloses the premise of misconduct on which the Court’s inquiry is based,’ they said.

They stated further that Halligan’s identification ‘is correct and consistent with the Department of Justice’s internal guidance, and at minimum reflects a contested legal position that the United States is entitled to maintain notwithstanding a single district judge’s contrary view.’

In addition, they said, Currie’s determination on the validity of Halligan’s appointment as it relates to Comey’s and James’s criminal cases is not binding – nor does it preclude the Justice Department from challenging that determination, or Halligan from legitimately heading up the U.S. attorney’s office on other cases and matters.

‘A contested legal position does not become a factual misrepresentation simply because one district judge has rejected it,’ the Justice Department said Tuesday. ‘In any event, this Court has no authority to strike Ms. Halligan’s title from the Government’s signature block.’ 

‘The bottom line is that Ms. Halligan has not ‘misrepresented’ anything and the Court is flat wrong to suggest that any change to the Government’s signature block is warranted in this or any other case – particularly where that suggestion rests on an objectively incorrect chronology,’ they said in the filing.

The new filing comes after months of back-and-forth over the decision to install Halligan, Trump’s former personal lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, as the interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia last fall. 

The Justice Department, for its part, has doubled down on its defense of Halligan, and senior Trump officials have blasted the judges in question for engaging in what they described as a ‘campaign of bias and hostility’ against Halligan.   

‘As Attorney General Bondi and President Trump know well, Lindsey Halligan is an effective U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting violent crime at the hands of illegal aliens, prosecuting the alleged distribution by a Democrat operative of child sexual abuse material, and even prosecuting alleged money laundering by a Venezuelan national, which is exactly why her opponents want to stop her,’ a spokesperson for the Justice Department told Fox News Digital. 

McBride’s dismissal from EDVA was confirmed to Fox News Digital by individuals familiar with the matter, citing what they described as a refusal to take on significant cases, such a immigration-related cases — involving sanctuary city policies and drug enforcement issues, which have long been priorities of the Trump administration — and other matters. 

Currie ruled in November that Halligan was unlawfully appointed to the role. Because Halligan was the sole prosecutor who secured the criminal indictments against Comey and James, Currie ruled that the indictments were invalid, dismissed Comey’s case and James’ case ‘without prejudice.’ 

That detail leaves the door open for the government to secure new indictments, should it choose to do so.

This is a developing news story. Check back soon for updates.

A series of corporations have shared new details about donations to President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom, in response to queries by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other lawmakers regarding contributions. 

Trump revealed in October 2025 that construction had gotten underway on the ballroom, which led to the demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing. He asserted the ballroom would be privately funded at an estimated cost of $300 million — up from the $200 million estimate first provided in July 2025 when the project was unveiled.

Meanwhile, Democrats have voiced concerns that organizations might have contributed to the project because they are seeking something in return from the administration. 

Microsoft said that a fundraiser contacted the tech giant about a possible donation, and Amazon said that it started communicating with a fundraising group in August, according to letters from several giant corporations released by Warren’s office.

Microsoft said that it was provided information on the Trust for the National Mall’s management of contributions as a partner of the National Park Service, how to donate, and an invitation to a dinner for supporters. Microsoft ultimately contributed to the Trust for the National Mall with the understanding that the funds would go toward the ballroom. 

‘Microsoft understands that these funds (along with contributions from other donors) will be used to support the construction of the ballroom,’ Microsoft counsel Karen Christian said in a letter to lawmakers in December 2025. ‘As Microsoft has publicly stated, Microsoft supported this effort to update a home built more than 200 years ago so that it can meet the needs of the 21st century.’ 

‘The benefits of this project will redound not only to this presidency, but presidencies to come, as they welcome guests to the White House on behalf of the American people. Microsoft is proud to have supported this effort.’ 

Additionally, Amazon said that it started communicating with fundraisers about the project in August 2025, where potential giving amounts and the dinner for donors were discussed. 

‘We worked directly with the Trust for the National Mall to coordinate our payment, and attended the White House program commemorating the launch of the project on October 15, 2025,’ Amazon’s vice president of public policy, Brian Huseman, said in a letter in December 2025. ‘We did not review any construction plans or enter into an agreement related to the donation. Amazon chose to be listed as a donor because we remain committed to supporting projects that celebrate and promote our nation’s heritage.’ 

Warren and Min’s offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital about whether they still had concerns following the responses from corporations. 

Warren, along with other lawmakers, have sought to put limits on private donations, amid concerns about potential bribery. 

As a result, Warren and the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, introduced the Stop Ballroom Bribery Act, which would bar donations from organizations or individuals that present a conflict of interest, and would prohibit the president, vice president or their families and staff from soliciting donations.

Once donations have been made and are cleared by the directors of the National Park Service and the Office of Government Ethics, the measure would then bar displaying donors’ names in recognition of the donation, and would also require a two-year freeze for the donor to lobby the federal government.

Trump has spearheaded multiple renovation projects at the White House during his second term. This includes adding gold accents to the White House’s Oval Office and paving the Rose Garden.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday suggested that the ‘meat and bones’ of President Donald Trump’s message of ‘help’ to Iran’s anti-regime demonstrators should include ‘military, cyber and psychological attacks’ against the regime.

Graham issued the message in a post on X, describing Trump as ‘Reagan Plus’ and ‘certainly not Obama’ when it comes to protecting America’s national security interests.

‘There is no bigger threat to world order than the Iranian ayatollah’s religious Nazi regime that wantonly kills its people, supports international terrorism and has American blood on its hands,’ Graham wrote. ‘The death blow to the ayatollah is going to be a combination of the incredible patriotic bravery of the protestors, and decisive action by President Trump. The protestors go to the streets unarmed, risking their lives because they believe President Trump has their backs.’

Graham wrote that the ‘tipping point’ will be Trump’s ‘resolve.’

‘No boots on the ground, but unleashing holy hell – as he promised – on the regime that has trampled every red line,’ the senator wrote. ‘A massive wave of military, cyber and psychological attacks is the meat and bones of ‘help is on the way.’’

Graham said he would want to destroy the regime’s infrastructure that allows the killing of the Iranian people, and to ‘take down’ the leaders responsible for the killing.

‘The Iranian people’s long nightmare will soon be over,’ he wrote.

Graham was responding to an announcement Trump earlier made on social media.

Trump vowed that those responsible for killing anti-regime demonstrators will ‘pay a big price,’ saying he has canceled all meetings with the Iranian regime until its crackdown on unrest ends. Iran had previously claimed it was in contact with U.S. officials amid the protests.

‘Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.’

‘I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,’ he added.

As Trump later toured a Ford factory in Detroit, FOX Business White House correspondent Edward Lawrence asked him what kind of ‘help’ he meant.

‘You’re going to have to figure that one out,’ Trump replied.

Since the unrest broke out, Iranian authorities have killed at least 646 protesters, with thousands more deaths expected to be confirmed. Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Tuesday that there are reports of at least 3,000 Iranians being killed, though the real number is likely to be higher.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

After the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from dozens of United Nations and other international organizations, experts say more international bodies could soon find themselves on the chopping block.

The announcement that the U.S. wouldexit 66 international organizationswas in response to President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order calling for a review of U.S. support to ‘all international organizations.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in reaction to the announcement that the U.S. is ‘rejecting an outdated model of multilateralism — one that treats the American taxpayer as the world’s underwriter for a sprawling architecture of global governance.’ Rubio warned the State Department continues to review international organizations, and that those subject to the January cuts ‘are by no means the only offenders.’

Rubio said that the U.S. was not turning its back on the world but was looking to review the ‘international system,’ which he said, ‘is now overrun with hundreds of opaque international organizations, many with overlapping mandates, duplicative actions, ineffective outputs and poor financial and ethical governance.’

Hugh Dugan, former Senior Director for International Organization Affairs at the National Security Council during President Trump’s first term, told Fox News Digital that U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres ‘always misread’ the prior executive order ‘as a cost-cutting directive.’ In trying to ‘cut his way to growth’ through the UN80 initiative, 

Dugan said that Guterres ‘meat-cleavered budgets, hitting bone and flesh as much as fat, but at base it was business as usual: no focus on the U.N.’s pitiful return on investment.  Instead of only cutting the bottom line, also he should have grown the top line by working smarter for new efficiencies.’   

Launched in March 2025, the UN80 initiative was designed to identify inefficiencies inside the U.N. system and cut costs across an expansive bureaucracy. In response to Trump’s withdrawal from U.N. entities, Guterres’ spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement that the secretary general, ‘regrets the announcement by the White House,’ and stated that ‘assessed contributions to the United Nations’ regular budget and peacekeeping budget…are a legal obligation under the U.N. Charter for all Member States, including the United States.’

Brett Schaefer, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Fox News Digital that impacted organizations external to the U.N. ‘don’t receive very much money,’ and ‘don’t necessarily merit U.S. funding or support.’ Withdrawing from those organizations is ‘more pruning around the margins than a fundamental reassessment of U.S. relationships with international organizations,’ he said.

For the 31 U.N.-affiliated groups on the list, Schaefer said that the withdrawal order is ‘an opportunity to signal to the U.N. where the United States would like to see consolidation or elimination of duplication, which is rather rife within the U.N. system.’

Schaefer said that withdrawing from the U.N. Population Fund and U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change was ‘very consistent with the Trump administration’s policy.’ Schaefer also indicated that withdrawing from the U.N. Council on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was a formalization of policy shift that occurred in 2018 when UNCTAD admitted ‘Palestinians as a full member state’ and U.S. law ‘prohibit[ed] U.S. funding’ for the organization.

Other choices, like departing from the U.N. Department for Economic and Social Affairs, ‘didn’t quite make sense,’ Schaefer said. He noted that the department is funded through the regular U.N. budget, which makes the move ‘more of a signal than it is really an effective policy.’

Future rounds of cutting

Schaefer noted several organizations, including the World Meteorological Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), and U.N. Development Programme, that could be subject to future cuts.

While smaller nations utilize the UNDP to administer their humanitarian donations, the U.S. does not need ‘a middleman’ to fund non-governmental organizations and provide aid, Schaefer said. He also noted that the organization ‘has had a problem with corruption’ that included concealing North Korean counterfeit money and providing the country with dual-use technology.

Schaefer said that the U.S. can ‘promote agricultural development in developing countries’ through entities outside the FAO, which he said is ‘currently led by a Chinese national’ who is ‘using that organization to promote Chinese policies and Chinese commercial interests in developing countries.’

On Dec. 31, UNOCHA was a signatory to a memo ‘which was sharply critical of Israel,’ Schaefer said. Schaefer believes the memo constituted ‘a violation of their neutrality’ that should result in reprimand. Schaefer said that Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher ‘has made repeated statements echoing false accusations of Israel causing famine and hunger and other humanitarian suffering in Gaza that has since been proved to be false and without basis.’

The WIPO, WMO, and FAO declined to comment about whether they might be a target of future cuts.

A UNDP spokesperson said that the U.S. ‘has been a steadfast partner’ and that the it maintains its commitment to working alongside the U.S. to ‘address urgent humanitarian needs, promote stability, and advance prosperity worldwide.’ The spokesperson noted that ‘UNDP projects are subject to strict oversight and accountability policies and mechanisms,’ with the UNDP ‘consistently rank[ing] amongst the most transparent organizations included in the [Aid Transparency Index.] 

According to the UNDP spokesperson, ‘no evidence of systematic fraud or diversion of funds was found’ when concerns involving the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea were investigated in 2006. The spokesperson said that the DPRK project ‘concluded in 2020. Any future engagement would require consensus from UNDP’s Executive Board and clear directives from Member States.’

A UNOCHA spokesperson noted that the U.S. had just signed an agreement with UNOCHA ‘reinforcing our partnership.’

The U.S. pledged to allocate $2 billion to UNOCHA at the end of December for global humanitarian needs.[iii] In recent years, officials previously told Fox News Digital that the U.S. had contributed between $8 and $10 billion to UNOCHA

Greenland’s prime minister declared Tuesday that, ‘we choose Denmark,’ if it had to decide between remaining a Danish territory or becoming part of the United States, a report said. 

Jens-Frederik Nielsen made the remark while appearing alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a joint press conference in Copenhagen, according to Reuters. 

‘We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the U.S. and Denmark here and now then we choose Denmark,’ Nielsen reportedly said. ‘We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark.’ 

The comment comes as Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt are set to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday at the White House, Reuters reported.

‘Our reason for seeking the meeting we have now been given was to move this whole discussion, which has not become less tense since we last met, into a meeting room where we can look each other in the eye and talk about these things,’ Rasmussen said. 

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News that Rasmussen will be visiting the White House. 

President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. must acquire Greenland — not lease it — arguing the Arctic territory lacks defenses and warning that Russia or China would move in if Washington does not act, a move he said is critical to U.S. and NATO security.

While speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump was asked about Greenland and whether the U.S. had made an offer to acquire the territory from Denmark. 

‘I haven’t done that. Greenland should make the deal because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over,’ he said. ‘Basically, their defense is two dog sleds. You know that? You know what their defense is? Two dog sleds.’

The president was also clear that his administration is not talking about leasing Greenland short term, but only about acquiring the Danish territory. 

‘If we don’t do it, Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I’m president,’ Trump said. 

Fox News’ Patrick Ward and Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

The House GOP’s largest caucus released a plan for a second ‘big, beautiful bill’ on Tuesday morning, which the group says could cut the federal deficit by over $1 trillion.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, unveiled the roadmap for what’s likely to be a massive piece of legislation during a press conference alongside House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, whose panel would play a central role in advancing any budget reconciliation bill.

Budget reconciliation allows the majority parties in the House and Senate to pass significant policy reforms by lowering the Senate’s threshold to advance a bill to a simple majority rather than 60 votes, provided its measures adhere to a specific set of guardrails.

It comes as House Republicans wrestle with a razor-thin majority, which just got slimmer after the abrupt resignation of former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and the sudden death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.

Republicans’ first reconciliation legislation, which President Donald Trump dubbed his ‘big, beautiful bill,’ was passed after months of tense intraparty negotiations with all but two GOP lawmakers’ support.

At the time, the threat of Trump’s first-term tax cuts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) expiring at the end of 2025 was critical to getting the ideologically diverse GOP conference on board with the bill — while Republicans have no such anchor this year.

Asked about those dynamics by Fox News Digital, Pfluger said, ‘That’s why this framework is so important.’

‘We spent a lot of time looking at what the theme of a reconciliation bill should be, what is the overlapping area that we all care about. And I would also submit to you that Democrats care about this as well,’ Pfluger said. ‘The details of exactly which bills will be included that’s the hard work that we now will embark upon.’

Affordability appears to be the cornerstone of the legislation, according to an 11-page document obtained by Fox News Digital.

Republicans are seeking to lower healthcare costs by changing the existing Obamacare subsidy structure to route dollars directly to taxpayers through Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) rather than money going to insurance companies, and codifying the Trump administration’s executive actions on most favored nation drug pricing, that is aimed at lowering the costs of popular prescription drugs.

The bill would also include measures codifying Trump’s energy deregulation policies in order to lower costs for U.S. oil and natural gas. 

A provision in the framework on taxing ‘third-party litigation to discourage frivolous lawsuits that undermine economic growth’ regarding U.S. energy, and a series of other fees associated with lawsuits, are expected to raise federal revenues by at least $27 billion.

‘I’m just talking about the affordability issue — I do think it’s the most important issue for November,’ Arrington said. ‘I think it’s the most important issue for the American people.’

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., among the Republicans who spoke at the press conference, honed in on the deregulatory aspect as a pathway to lowering costs.

‘We must do this second package to continue to codify President Trump’s agenda and to enact a pro-growth and pro-America agenda. Affordability starts with energy and deregulation,’ she said.

The framework also includes a host of other priorities floated by Republicans this year, including limiting ‘federal transportation funding to states and cities granting driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, and to sanctuary jurisdictions violating federal law and undermining the President’s effort to secure the border,’ which the document said would save $76.3 billion federal dollars.

It would also impose new restrictions on illegal immigrants being able to use federal programs like the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and block federal funds for states that allow illegal immigrants to get government healthcare benefits.

The framework also aims to make home buying more affordable for Americans with new ‘Home Savings Accounts,’ which would allow them to pull from other tax-advantaged savings accounts if that money went toward buying a home.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said on multiple occasions that he hopes for a second reconciliation bill, but has not endorsed a specific piece of legislation yet.

The U.S. has designated three branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, in a move that could impact Washington’s relationships with Qatar and Turkey.

The Treasury and State departments announced the moves against the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the group, which the Trump administration asserts pose risks to the U.S.

The State Department gave the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood the most severe of its labels, designating it a foreign terrorist organization, which makes it illegal to provide material support to the group, The Associated Press reported. Additionally, the Treasury Department labeled the Jordanian and Egyptian branches as specially designated global terrorists for providing support to Hamas. The Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood was also given a special designation by the Treasury Department.

‘These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilization wherever it occurs,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, according to the AP. ‘The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.’

The labeling of the Jordanian chapter as a specially designated global terrorists comes months after Amman announced a sweeping ban on the organization. The AP noted that while the Jordanian monarchy had previously banned the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago, it officially licensed a splinter group and continued to tolerate the Islamic Action Front while restricting some of its activities. The Islamic Action Front, a political party linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, won several seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections.

In November, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for ‘certain chapters or other subdivisions of the Muslim Brotherhood’ to be considered for designation as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terror organizations.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s ‘chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns that harm their own regions, United States citizens, and United States interests,’ the executive order reads.

The order goes on to state that after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, ‘the military wing of the Lebanese chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood joined Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian factions to launch multiple rocket attacks against both civilian and military targets within Israel.’ It also adds that the Egyptian chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood ‘called for violent attacks’ against U.S. partners and interests on Oct. 7, 2023. Additionally, the order states that the Jordanian chapter’s leaders ‘have long provided material support to the militant wing of Hamas.’

Both Florida and Texas have designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, something Trump contemplated doing in 2019 during his first term in office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.