Senate Republicans take the lead in the race for reconciliation



Senate Republicans unveiled their proposed reconciliation budget on Friday before the House was able to come to an agreement.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) called the budget resolution the "blueprint that unlocks the pathway for a fully paid-for reconciliation bill," addressing the border, the military, energy independence, and fiscal concerns. This budget is intended to serve as a blueprint for the Senate's two-bill approach, while the House is focusing on putting forward one "big beautiful bill."

House Republicans have made their own efforts to chip away at the reconciliation process.

"To those who voted for and support real border security and a stronger defense in a troubled world, help is on the way," Graham said in a statement Friday. "This budget resolution jump-starts a process that will give President Trump's team the money they need to secure the border and deport criminals and make America strong and more energy-independent."

The bill was published just hours before Senate Republicans are set to meet with President Donald Trump for dinner at Mar-a-Lago Friday night. At the same time, House Republicans have made their own efforts to chip away at the reconciliation process.

Top House Republicans huddled in the White House on Thursday for five hours, even postponing Speaker Mike Johnson's scheduled meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The day after, Johnson told reporters that reconciliation talks were still ongoing, even blaming the delays on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

"It may not be today, but it will be through the weekend," Johnson said. "We got a few more people we got to talk with and a couple more boxes to check. But we are almost there."

As of this writing, House Republicans have not put forward their own budget proposal.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Dems Worry Kash Patel Could Weaponize FBI Against Political Enemies Like They Did

No wonder Democrats are worried; the nation has seen the FBI used as a political weapon, and leftists don’t want it pointed at them.

HART: Inaugural Balls

Monday was a great day in Washington, D.C. I have never seen so many white people celebrating MLK Day like that. We are starting to come together as a nation! After weeks of contentious confirmation hearings and four years of political rancor, this week’s inaugural ceremonies went off well. Many events were moved inside because […]

Eric Adams meets with Trump at Mar-a-Lago as questions swirl about possible pardon



New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) has reportedly flown down to Florida to meet with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday.

On Thursday, Adams' office issued a statement confirming the meeting. "Tomorrow, Mayor Adams will sit down with President-elect Trump and discuss New Yorkers’ priorities. The mayor looks forward to having a productive conversation with the incoming president on how we can move our city and country forward," said the statement from New York City deputy mayor for communications Fabien Levy.

Adams has signaled a possible alliance with Trump in recent weeks, voicing agreement with some of Trump's immigration-related plans and meeting with incoming border czar Tom Homan. The statement from Levy reiterated Adams' "willingness" to work with Trump "on behalf of New Yorkers."

"That partnership with the federal government is critical to New York City's success," the statement added.

At this meeting, Adams and Trump are slated to discuss gang-related issues, the New York Post reported. MSNBC indicated that taxpayers likely covered the cost of the trip.

'Pardon me?'

The meeting comes just days before Trump is to be sworn back into the Oval Office, which means he will once again have the power to levy pardons. Adams may soon be in need of a pardon now that he has been indicted on federal charges related to wire fraud and bribery in connection with alleged favors from the Turkish government.

Trump has previously expressed sympathy for Adams' situation, claiming that federal agents targeted him for publicly criticizing President Joe Biden's handling of the immigration crisis.

When asked whether he would consider pardoning Adams, Trump replied in the affirmative. "Yeah, I would. I think that he was treated pretty unfairly," he said at a press conference last month. Trump also added: "I would have to see it because I don't know the facts."

Despite Adams' legal trouble, his office insisted that Adams and Trump did not discuss a possible pardon at the meeting on Friday.

Still, a couple of Adams' opponents in the upcoming NYC Democratic mayoral primary have pounced on the meeting, implying that Adams has cozied up to Trump to secure a pardon.

"Pardon me? The Trump agenda is not going to help move our city or the country forward. This pilgrimage is clearly about something else," state Sen. Zellnor Myrie posted to X.

"Eric Adams should state immediately that he will not seek or accept a pardon from Donald Trump," said New York City comptroller Brad Lander.

"New Yorkers deserve to know that their Mayor is putting their interests ahead of his own—and whether our tax dollars, or Turkish Airlines, will be financing his trip to Florida."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Sen. Fetterman breaks with Democrats, agrees to join Trump at Mar-a-Lago



President-elect Donald Trump has invited Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) to join him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, and the senator has accepted the invitation, multiple reports say.

"That is the plan. Yes, we are going to have a conversation," Fetterman told CBS News.

"President Trump invited me to meet, and I accepted. I'm the senator for all Pennsylvanians — not just Democrats in Pennsylvania," he said in a statement, according to WGAL.

'Regardless of whatever comes up, that's going to be part of the conversation.'

No date for the meeting has been released, and a transition official claimed to CBS News that plans could still change.

However, if Fetterman ever does go to Mar-a-Lago, he will be the first sitting Democrat U.S. senator to do so. Fetterman hinted at the anomaly in his statement, noting, "I've been clear that no one is my gatekeeper. I will meet with and have a conversation with anyone if it helps me deliver for Pennsylvania and the nation."

Fetterman has broken ranks with his party on a number of occasions, particularly with his unwavering support for Israel. Then just this week, he expressed support for the Laken Riley Act, which nearly 160 of his Democrat colleagues in the House voted against.

He also seems to approve of Trump's determination to acquire Greenland in some capacity. "There’s a lot of talk about Greenland, for example. And I know a lot of, there’s a lot of freakouts, you know. And of course, I would never support taking it by force, but I do think it’s a responsible conversation, if they were open to acquiring it," he said, according to NJ.com.

Fetterman has demonstrated such a willingness to reach across the aisle that on Tuesday, noted Trump ally Elon Musk called him "based and truthful."

Perhaps one of the reasons for the invite to Mar-a-Lago was to give Trump the chance to persuade Fetterman to support some of his Cabinet picks, especially Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, CBS News suggested.

When pressed about what he expects to discuss with the once and future president during the meeting, Fetterman was vague: "I have no idea what's going to exactly come up. So, I mean, regardless of whatever comes up, that's going to be part of the conversation."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Lawfare Against Trump Flares For Final Time

Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: Time is running out for the last vestiges of lawfare against Trump.

ROOKE: Trump Helps Shiv Canada’s Justin Trudeau Before He Even Takes Office

'His public flogging by Trump was merely the end of a long year'

How Glenn Beck brought a SWORD and a BOMB to Mar-a-Lago



Glenn Beck was recently invited to Mar-a-Lago to give a history speech in front of Donald Trump at a PragerU event. When he was planning what he would say, Glenn decided his speech would benefit from the addition of two odd props: William Wallace's sword from "Braveheart" and a World War II-era rat with a bomb in its butt.

He didn’t, however, consider the implications of bringing these weapons to one of the most secure places in the country. The ordeal ended in a hilarious story that put down Glenn in the history books as a Secret Service legend.

“I don't write my speeches, I just kind of go through the vault, and I'm like, I want to tell that story and that story and that story. So I grabbed a bunch of stuff and didn't really put a lot of thought into it until we started approaching Mar-a-Lago,” says Glenn, recounting the story.

From multiple security clearances to fleets of Secret Service trucks to “old school buses” surrounding Trump’s airplane, Glenn describes getting into the estate as “a nightmare.”

“The security around him now is absolutely incredible,” he tells co-host Stu Burguiere.

At one security checkpoint, Secret Service agents asked Glenn if he had any weapons in his vehicle. He said no (the reality that his speech props were in fact weapons having slipped his mind).

When he got to another security checkpoint, agents opened the hood and all the doors of the car, brought the dogs out, and started in on their questions. That’s when Glenn realized he had misspoken. When he explained to the agent, who luckily recognized Glenn, that his speech props were technically weapons, he was waved through to the next security checkpoint, where the entire process began again.

When an agent asked again if Glenn had any weapons, this time his answer was “well, kind of” before explaining that he was carrying a broadsword from "Braveheart" and a WWII-era bomb.

The agents, thankfully, thought the situation was hilarious.

“They were taking pictures of everything; they were laughing; they were like, ‘This is now lore,’” laughs Glenn.

Regardless of the humorous nature of the situation, they still had a job to do.

“They were like, ‘OK, the rat — let’s X-ray the rat.”’ After finding that the rat was full of wires, “The head guy comes over, and he said, ‘We really don't know what to do here,”’ Glenn recounts.

Finally, Glenn was told that the agents would keep both the sword and the rat bomb until 30 minutes prior to his scheduled speech, at which time they would have a decision.

When it came time for Glenn’s speech, an agent told Glenn that they would need to “remain with the sword and the rat” but that the event was nonetheless “legendary.”

To hear Glenn’s much funnier retelling of the event, watch the clip above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.