Congress Should Strip Tax Exemptions From All Woke Nonprofits, Not Just Harvard
Leftist non-profits should lose their tax-exempt status. And there’s a very easy way to do it: all of them have DEI departments.Leftist non-profits should lose their tax-exempt status. And there’s a very easy way to do it: all of them have DEI departments.House Democrat takes shots at Schumer following shutdown fiasco: 'Maybe he needs to go'
Democrats on Capitol Hill are unhappy after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) mishandled last week's shutdown showdown, and they aren't hiding it.
Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey of Maryland is the latest lawmaker to take shots at the party leader. While Schumer has spent the last few days in damage-control mode, Ivey told Politico Wednesday that Democrats "can’t afford to miss the moment again."
In response to the massive blowback, Schumer has spent the last few days on defense.
“If he can get himself together and come — you know, get right on this vote, and we get another shot at it, OK,” Ivey said. “But if he’s going to do the same thing again when this bill comes up six months from now, we can’t afford that.”
After the House passed the Republican-led funding bill on March 11, the Senate was tasked with keeping the government open before the March 14 deadline. In order to vote on the continuing resolution, the bill needed to clear a procedural vote called cloture, which required 60 votes.
In other words, Democrats had the decision to reach across the aisle and join Republicans to pass the funding bill, which was backed by President Donald Trump, or to dig their heels in and shut down the government.
Schumer initially signaled his support for a shutdown but later changed his position in favor of passing the CR to avoid a shutdown. Schumer argued that a shutdown would be worse than the funding bill, but his reversal sparked outrage throughout the Democratic Party. In the end, 10 Democrats joined 52 Republicans to advance the bill.
“We’ve got a limited number of shots at being able to fight back against the Trump administration and what they’re doing,” Ivey said. “We can’t afford to miss the moment again.”
Several prominent Democrats, like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), denounced Schumer's approach, and the rank and file largely felt the same. Ivey echoed his colleagues' concerns about Schumer, saying, "Maybe he needs to go."
“Hakeem met the moment last week,” Ivey said. “Schumer missed it.”
In response to the massive blowback, Schumer has spent the last few days on defense. Schumer postponed his book tour and spent the weekend doing several media hits in an attempt to preserve his reputation. Even still, Democrats aren't buying it.
“Everybody doesn’t have to do the same temperament, everybody doesn’t have to do the same messaging,” Ivey said, “as long as they’re doing what they need to do to win their seats.”
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The handful of Republican holdouts Johnson has to reel in for reconciliation
As Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) works around the clock to rally Republicans behind his "big beautiful" reconciliation bill, some members of the GOP are still holding out.
Ahead of the highly anticipated vote, Johnson was tasked with reeling in both moderates and fiscal conservatives who had reservations about reconciliation. Moderates in blue and purple districts felt the cuts in the budget blueprint went too far, while fiscal conservatives felt the cuts didn't go far enough. Notably, Johnson can afford to lose only one Republican vote to get reconciliation out the door.
Despite the diversity of opinion within the Republican conference, Johnson told Blaze News that he has no intention of reaching across the aisle to get his budget proposal passed, noting that reconciliation has always been a "partisan exercise."
'None of us are going to get everything we want, but we will be able to pass what I think could be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in many, many years, maybe decades.'
Still, he made some inroads, particularly among moderates, who usually acquiesce after some lobbying from the Republican leadership.
Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska came out of a meeting Monday saying he felt "a little more comfort" about Johnson's proposal. Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of New York similarly went from leaning no on reconciliation to undecided and eventually to lean yes all in one day.
"I disagree with my colleagues," Malliotakis said of fiscal conservatives Tuesday. "Unfortunately there are some that want to vote no on this resolution because they say it doesn't go far enough and we need to cut more. But we need to do this with a scalpel, I've said this repeatedly, not a sledgehammer."
The sledgehammer-wielding Republicans Malliotakis is referring to include the usual suspects.
As of now, Johnson remains optimistic, focusing his efforts on whipping his conference behind the budget resolution.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has historically opposed many of the GOP's spending proposals, said Monday that "if the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better." Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz of Indiana similarly voiced her opposition to the resolution on Sunday, citing fiscal concerns.
Republican Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee took issue with the budget proposal, saying he wanted more assurances on spending cuts and a permanent extension on President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts. Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio also criticized the bill, saying there was "no path" to pass the resolution without addressing the looming funding deadline on March 14. As of now, there has been no proposed continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown before mid-March.
Although Johnson doesn't currently have the votes on paper, he has secured major cuts in the bill with the help of past budget critics like Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, giving him a leg up in ongoing negotiations. As of now, Johnson remains optimistic, focusing his efforts on whipping his conference behind the budget resolution.
"We're not going to have any Democrats, which means we are going to have to have every single Republican," Johnson told Blaze News.
"I'm convinced that, at the end, it's going to work," Johnson added. "None of us are going to get everything we want, but we will be able to pass what I think could be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in many, many years, maybe decades."
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Exclusive: Speaker Johnson will work to 'codify' DOGE cuts despite hesitant Republicans
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Blaze News in an exclusive interview Monday that Congress will continue to have close ties to Elon Musk's DOGE despite some hesitancy within the Republican conference.
While the DOGE continues to make headlines, some moderate Republicans have signaled concerns about the measures Musk has taken to overhaul federal corruption. Nevertheless, Johnson has reaffirmed his support for Musk, saying it's his responsibility to "codify" the DOGE's directives in Congress.
'I have to codify a lot of what is being done in the executive branch, and that is the legislative process.'
"I think finding the inefficiency, finding the massive examples of fraud, waste, and abuse is something that's long overdue," Johnson told Blaze News. "It's something that should be applauded, and it will help us with budgeting going forward. I really do believe it's transformational and revolutionary — I use the word intentionally — in the way government works. It's something we applaud."
Johnson also told Blaze News that he has remained in close contact with Musk as he and President Donald Trump have rolled out the DOGE's directives in the last few weeks.
"We were texting last night," Johnson said of Musk.
Although Johnson has maintained a close relationship with Musk and the White House, he noted that he still has to bridge the gap between the DOGE and potential GOP defectors.
"I have to codify a lot of what is being done in the executive branch, and that is the legislative process," Johnson said. "We have to find a consensus point. It's the requirement of the job, especially with a small margin. So we've got to find the kind of balancing point where the people on this side of the conference and this side of the conference will all agree. And we'll find them."
Although Johnson and the DOGE have largely been on the same page, he acknowledged that there is room for debate between Congress and the White House. Ultimately, Johnson and the DOGE share the same objective: addressing federal corruption and chipping away at the growing national debt.
"We have to get control of that problem," Johnson added. "That's why I said for these extra funds that we're finding, the new revenue sources, we should use it to pay down the nation's debt. That's the most fiscally responsible thing, and everyone, every American, every individual will see the benefit of that. Not just an immediate benefit, but for a long time to come."
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Exclusive: Andy Biggs aims to codify top Trump priority with new COINS Act
Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona introduced the COINS Act on Tuesday that would implement President Donald Trump's proposal to halt the production of new pennies.
The bill, known as the Currency Optimization, Innovation, and National Savings Act, would prohibit the production of any new pennies for the next decade, according to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News. It costs the U.S. Mint an average of 3.69 cents to produce a coin worth just one cent, giving Trump and his allies fiscal concerns.
'At more than $36 trillion in debt, every single cent counts.'
The bill also notes that there have already been enough pennies minted to meet the demand and that further production won't be necessary for the next decade.
“Eighty-five million taxpayer dollars were spent on the production of new pennies in 2024, and no one even batted an eye,” Biggs said. "President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency have spent weeks rooting out government waste and fraud. Congress must support their efforts by codifying President Trump’s America First priorities — like his move to stop minting new pennies. At more than $36 trillion in debt, every single cent counts."
"For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies. Let's rip the waste out of our great nation[']s budget, even if it's a penny at a time."
This is the latest effort MAGA-aligned lawmakers have led on the Hill to prioritize responsible spending. The Department of Government Efficiency has been at the forefront of the effort and has often served as a blueprint for lawmakers.
"The penny costs over 3 cents to make and costs US taxpayers over $179 million in FY2023," reads one X post from the DOGE account. "The Mint produced over 4.5 billion pennies in FY2023, around 40% of the 11.4 billion coins for circulation produced. Penny (or 3 cents!) for your thoughts."
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How the House secured massive spending cuts in the race for reconciliation
House Republicans passed a budget resolution through committee on Thursday, taking back the lead in the race for reconciliation.
Republicans also managed to land on a deal with seven times more spending cuts than their original proposal, and they have the House Freedom Caucus to thank. The budget calls for $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, $4.5 trillion for tax cuts, a $4 trillion debt limit increase, and $300 billion appropriated for defense and border security.
These are all great successes for the GOP, but it wasn't all smooth sailing.
'From the outset of this process, we sought to ensure participation from every member of our conference and make clear that this resolution reflects our collective commitment to enacting the president's full agenda — not just part of it.'
After a weekend retreat at Mar-a-Lago followed by a five-hour-long meeting at the White House, the GOP leadership still had not put forth a budget proposal at the beginning of the week. At that point, the Senate had already sidestepped the House and introduced its own resolution in an attempt to move negotiations forward.
But on Monday afternoon, Blaze News first reported that the House Freedom Caucus dropped its own resolution ahead of the Republican leadership.
"Given the current delay in the House on moving a comprehensive reconciliation bill, moving a smaller targeted bill now makes the most sense to deliver a win for the American people," HFC Chairman Andy Harris said in a statement. "I am proud to introduce the Emergency Border Control Resolution today to set the reconciliation process in motion in the House."
Although the HFC's resolution wasn't advanced, it applied the necessary pressure. Within 48 hours, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) put forth the leadership's budget proposal on Wednesday, teeing it up for markup the following morning.
In a statement following the budget's passage, the House Republican leadership made clear that all factions of the GOP were taken into account during the negotiation process.
"The budget resolution has passed through committee and House Republicans have now cleared a critical hurdle to delivering on the major priorities of President Trump's America First agenda," the statement reads. "From the outset of this process, we sought to ensure participation from every member of our conference and make clear that this resolution reflects our collective commitment to enacting the president's full agenda — not just part of it."
"This is the start of the process, and we remain laser-focused on ultimately sending a bill to President Trump's desk which, among other things, secures the border, keeps taxes low for families and job creators, restores American energy dominance, and makes government work better for all Americans."
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We need America First governors to restore state sovereignty
President Trump is driving the long-overdue transformation of the federal government at an impressive pace. Congress must keep up. Once it does, the states will be next to restore the vertical balance of power in 2026. Arizona will need a governor who understands this mission and vision. That’s why I’m running for governor in 2026.
From day one, President Trump and his team aggressively tackled the worst aspects of Washington’s bloated and corrupt government. He assembled a top-tier team of more than 1,000 experts to audit the reckless spending and financial mismanagement. He also appointed highly qualified leaders to fill his Cabinet and key executive positions, ensuring a strong and capable administration.
In two years, states will need America First leaders who are ready to restore sovereignty and put their citizens first.
What did the team of auditor geeks uncover? Billions of dollars in unauthorized payments, including duplicate transactions funding woke, anti-American programs worldwide. These findings expose the systemic erosion of our economy, culture, and freedom.
That’s why the left is freaking out. Leftists cry “fascism” when the Trump administration is actually dismantling the corrupt connection between government and private-sector subsidies. They accuse the DOGE of abusing its power simply for exposing the financial trail of bureaucratic corruption.
Democrats are in shock. They can’t believe American voters rejected their radical agenda — open borders, releasing violent criminals onto the streets, enabling rampant retail theft, using tax dollars to fund unrestricted abortions, inviting drag queens into kindergartens, and allowing male athletes to compete against women. Their disbelief is the clearest sign yet that the American people have had enough.
To the few Democrats left, America is a systemically racist and misogynistic nation.
As they regroup and elect radicals to lead their party, Democrats continue to protest what they see as the unfairness of President Trump and his supporters' efforts to dismantle the woke and weaponized national government.
If Congress follows Trump’s lead and prioritizes massive spending cuts, America will enter a new era of prosperity. It could be a golden age. Why worry about the “debt ceiling” when Congress has ignored it for years to enable runaway spending? Why fret over the “cost” of returning money to the American taxpayer? After all, it’s their money.
The most important thing that Congress can do to deliver on Trump’s mandate is to slash federal spending. No more lip service about trimming around the edges.
If Congress won’t attack the structural deficit of more than $2 trillion per year, the markets will impose discipline. And that won’t be pleasant.
In his second inaugural address, President Trump warned that out-of-control spending was fueling inflation. He was right. Now is the time to address it.
If Congress reins in spending, it will also reduce the size and power of the national government.
By the 2026 elections, the economy will be stronger, the federal government will be shrinking, and states will continue to regain their authority. This will mark the rebirth of federalism and the restoration of vertical separation of powers.
Republicans will expand their majorities in the House and Senate, empowering states to govern with greater authority and sovereignty. The United States must return to a federal system of government, not the centralized bureaucracy it has become.
That is why, in two years, states will need America First leaders who are ready to restore sovereignty and put their citizens first.
Trump to freeze federal funds as admin weeds out 'wokeness' in budget
President Donald Trump's administration is set to put a pause on tens of billions of dollars' worth of federal grants and loans on Tuesday, according to an internal memo from the Office of Management and Budget obtained by Blaze News.
The temporary funding freeze was put into effect as the OMB puts forth an ideological review of the budget. As a result, the administration is pausing funds to any grant or loan that "may be implicated by the executive orders" Trump has implemented, including foreign aid, nongovernmental organizations, DEI programs, "woke gender ideology," and the Green New Deal.
'Career and political appointees in the executive branch have a duty to align federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through presidential priorities.'
Notably, the freeze does not affect funding for Medicare or Social Security benefits.
"The use of federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and Green New Deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve," the memo reads. "This memorandum requires federal agencies to identify and review all federal financial assistance programs and supporting activities consistent with the president's policies and requirements."
Several prominent Democrats, like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, heavily criticized the funding freeze. Despite this, the memo pointed out that Americans overwhelmingly elected Trump, who campaigned on addressing the government's bloated budget.
"The American people have elected Donald J. Trump to be president of the United States and gave him a mandate to increase the impact of every federal taxpayer dollar," the memo reads. "In fiscal year 2024, of the nearly $10 trillion that the federal government spent, more than $3 trillion was federal financial assistance, such as grants and loans. Career and political appointees in the executive branch have a duty to align federal spending and action with the will of the American people as expressed through presidential priorities."
"Financial assistance should be dedicated to advancing American priorities, focusing taxpayer dollars to advance a stronger and safer America, eliminating the financial burden of inflation for citizens unleashing American energy and manufacturing, ending 'wokeness' and the weaponization of government, promoting efficiency in government, and Making America Healthy Again," the memo reads.
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Exclusive: Rep. Michael Cloud introduces bill bolstering DOGE's mission
On Thursday, Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas introduced legislation obtained exclusively by Blaze News that would streamline efforts to reduce government waste and improve efficiency.
The DOGE-aligned bill, known as the Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act, is seeking to keep the government accountable by establishing a bipartisan commission that would evaluate the efficiency of various agencies. Through the proposed review process, the commission would advise agencies on how to promote fiscal responsibility, abolishing any agencies that failed to do so.
It is clear in Congress that there is an appetite to improve government efficiency beyond the DOGE, and Cloud is at the forefront.
"DOGE is leading the charge to cut government inefficiency, waste, and bloat, and the Federal Agency Sunset Commission Act will reinforce its mission," Cloud told Blaze News. "For far too long, the federal bureaucracy has operated unchecked, growing in size while delivering diminishing results."
For the first time in American history, the federal deficit surpassed $36 trillion in 2024. Notably, there are over 1,000 unauthorized government programs that are draining hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
This is the sort of government inefficiency and reckless spending that Cloud has vowed to overhaul with his landmark legislation.
"American families live within their means — Washington should do the same," Cloud told Blaze News. "By systematically and regularly reviewing federal agencies, this legislation ensures the government works for the taxpayers, not the other way around."
Since first being elected in 2018, Cloud has established himself as a fiscal hawk in the House. Following the most recent spending fight, Cloud was one of the several members who voted for Johnson despite having reservations. In a letter penned by several Republican holdouts, including Cloud, the members cited fiscal concerns about Congress' spending trajectory.
Among other demands, the letter insists that "any reconciliation package reduces spending and the deficit in real terms with respect to the dynamic score of tax and spending policies under recent growth trends."
It is clear in Congress that there is an appetite to improve government efficiency beyond the DOGE, and Cloud is at the forefront.
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How Trump's 'Midas touch' shepherds the Republican Party
After President-elect Donald Trump swept all seven swing states and the popular vote on November 5, the Republican Party has largely fallen behind his MAGA mandate.
Although Trump has become the face of the Republican Party, some defectors have required the shepherding of the president-elect in order to effectively implement this MAGA mandate.
While Republicans control both the executive and the legislative branches, the narrow majorities in the House and Senate have left the GOP with very little wiggle room to implement Trump's policy agenda. But where pressure is needed, pressure has been applied, and it has worked.
It's becoming increasingly clear that Trump is the only Republican with the Midas touch of political viability.
One of the earliest examples of Trump's effective pressure campaign was when Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa withheld from formally endorsing Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and veteran who was nominated to head the Department of Defense. Ernst, who focuses much of her advocacy towards victims of sexual abuse in the military, privately expressed reservations about Hegseth, who was facing several allegations, including sexual misconduct. Importantly, Hegseth and many of his former colleagues have firmly denied these allegations.
After the pair first met on Capitol Hill, sources close to the Senate confirmed to Blaze News that Ernst had begun lobbying against Hegseth's nomination. One source told Blaze News that Ernst lends her ear to the old guard, establishment Republicans in the Senate, serving as a "useful proxy" for former leader Mitch McConnell.
Once reports shed light on Ernst's disapproval of Hegseth, the Trump world launched an online pressure campaign to sway the senator. Trump even threatened to primary Republican senators who withheld support from his Cabinet nominees. Ernst quickly caved to the pressure, warming up to Hegseth and leaning into more of the MAGA message.
At the same time, this was not an isolated incident. During the December funding fight on the House side, Trump put his thumb on the scale to produce a more favorable outcome.
Speaker Mike Johnson initially introduced a bloated 1,547-page continuing resolution just days before the government was set to shut down, prompting outrage from fiscal conservatives in the Republican conference. MAGA allies like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy also chimed in and criticized the funding bill. However, Trump's condemnation of the CR was the final blow.
Johnson quickly returned to the drawing board and made as many amendments as Trump demanded. The amended CR went up for a vote but was struck down due to a provision that raised the debt ceiling, one of Trump's demands. Despite this, the House eventually passed the slimmer 116-page CR that omitted the debt ceiling provision, averting a government shutdown.
Despite some blunders, Johnson has secured Trump's blessing.
Shortly after the end-of-year spending fight, Johnson was facing a challenging reelection to the speakership. Ahead of the January 3 election, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky vowed to vote against Johnson, who could only afford one "no vote" given the GOP's historically slim margins. Despite Trump's endorsement of the Speaker, several other fiscal conservatives also expressed hesitancies about reelecting Johnson.
While the election was taking place, seven Republicans initially refrained from voting for Johnson altogether. Among them was Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a staunch fiscal conservative who, along with Massie, endorsed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary. Although Roy had previously defected from Trump, he eventually changed his vote to Johnson because of his "steadfast support of President Trump."
This left Johnson with a total of three defections. Massie voted for Majority Whip Tom Emmer, which remained unchanged in the final vote tally. Republican Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina officially voted for Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Rep. Keith Self of Texas voted for Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida.
At this point, Johnson had come up two votes short of securing a second term. Rather than moving on to a second round of voting, which has historically lost votes for candidates, Johnson, Norman, Self, and other Republicans huddled in a room off of the House floor.
In order to secure another political victory, Trump reportedly called Norman and Self in order to sway their votes. Just minutes later, the two defectors approached the clerk and voted for Johnson, securing his speakership in just one round of votes.
It's becoming increasingly clear that Trump is the only Republican with the Midas touch of political viability.
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