White House news

• Trump taps RFK Jr. to lead HHS

  14-11-2024 22:02 via thehill.com
  
  President Trump is expected to tap anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a source familiar with the decision told NewsNation. HHS has a budget of nearly $2 billion and administers federal health programs including Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. HHS and its subagencies are responsible for responding to diseases and public health threats like COVID-19 and bird flu, as well as approving n
  
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• RFK Jr. vows to be 'honest public servant' as HHS chief

  15-11-2024 01:42 via thehill.com
  
  Environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to be an “honest public servant” if he gets confirmed as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).“Together we will clean up corruption, stop the revolving door between industry and government, and return our health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science,” Kennedy wrote in a Thursday post on X. “I will provide Americans with transparency
  
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• Trump’s criminal defense attorneys offered DOJ roles

  15-11-2024 01:00 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump announced Thursday he will nominate three of his personal criminal defense attorneys to serve in senior Justice Department roles.Todd Blanche will serve as deputy attorney general, and Emil Bove will serve as principal associate deputy attorney general, the department's No. 3 official, Trump announced in a statement.Both men serve as Trump’s trial attorneys in his New York hush money case, which culminated in the first criminal conviction of a former president this s
  
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• Trump picks former Georgia congressman for VA secretary

  15-11-2024 00:45 via thehill.com
  
  President-elect Trump has announced former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, as his pick for the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs. A lawyer by trade and a member of Congress from 2013 to 2021, Collins is a staunch supporter of Trump and was one of his biggest defenders in the House during Democratic-led impeachment hearings against the then-president and attempted to use that stance during an unsuccessful run for Senate in 2020.Since leaving Washington, D.C.,
  
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• Former primary challenger to Gaetz considering bid for now-open seat

  15-11-2024 00:21 via thehill.com
  
  Aaron Dimmock, who unsuccessfully challenged former Rep. Matt Gaetz in this year’s Republican primary for Florida’s 1st Congressional District, is considering a run for the seat again now that President-elect Trump’s shock pick for attorney general has resigned.“I am taking a serious look at it and have already received numerous calls from constituents imploring me to run,” Dimmock told The Hill. Dimmock, a retired naval officer and leadership consultant, was&n
  
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• Trump criminal hush money attorneys offered DOJ roles

  15-11-2024 00:14 via thehill.com
  
  Former President Trump announced Thursday he will nominate two of his criminal defense attorneys to serve in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) second- and third-most senior roles. Todd Blanche will serve as deputy attorney general and Emil Bove will serve as principal associate deputy attorney general, Trump announced in a statement. Both men would presumably serve under former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whom Trump announced as his attorney general nominee one day prior, shou
  
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• House Democrat: RFK Jr. nomination ‘f‑‑‑ing insane'

  15-11-2024 00:12 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) position was “f‑‑‑ing insane.”“He’s a vaccine denier and a tin foil hat conspiracy theorist,” Garcia wrote in a Thursday post on social platform X.“He will destroy our public health infrastructure and our vaccine distribution systems. This is going to cost lives.”Earlier in the day, he warne
  
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• House Democrat: RFK Jr. nomination 'f------ insane'

  15-11-2024 00:12 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said that Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to the Secretary of Health and Human Services position was “f------ insane.”“He’s a vaccine denier and a tin foil hat conspiracy theorist,” Garcia wrote in a Thursday post on X.“He will destroy our public health infrastructure and our vaccine distribution systems. This is going to cost lives.”Earlier in the day, he warned of the dangers Kennedy’s leaders
  
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• California Republican requests Trump's help in open letter

  15-11-2024 00:02 via thehill.com
  
  A California Republican has requested President-elect Trump’s help in an open letter, saying that his state “is grappling with a variety of problems” like “devastating wildfires” and “an escalating housing crisis.”“As Republican Leader in the California State Assembly, I am reaching out to extend my congratulations on your recent victory and to ask for your partnership in addressing the significant challenges facing California,” Assemblymembe
  
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• Cruz calls Gaetz pick 'very surprising,' will assess on 'merits'

  14-11-2024 23:23 via thehill.com
  
  Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) said that President-elect Trump choosing Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to serve as attorney general was "very surprising," though he has "trust" in the confirmation hearing process."As for that particular nomination, look, we have a process under the Constitution where the Senate provides advice and consent. And I trust that process," Cruz told Newsmax's Bianca de la Garza on Thursday. "That nominee, like every other will, will have a vigorous vetting, will have confirmation h
  
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• Pressure mounts on Ethics Committee to release Gaetz report

  14-11-2024 23:09 via thehill.com
  
  Pressure is building on the House Ethics Committee to release its findings on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who President-elect Trump said he will nominate to be attorney general.Such a move would be highly unusual, since the committee has no jurisdiction to investigate a former lawmaker, and does not typically release information on investigations after members depart the House.But with Gaetz nominated to be the country’s attorney general, Democrats and some Republicans want to see wha
  
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• These two men are the frontrunners to be Trump's new Treasury secretary

  14-11-2024 22:31 via thehill.com
  
  Two prominent supporters of President-elect Trump’s campaign have emerged as the frontrunners to lead the Treasury Department during his second administration.Trump has reportedly narrowed his list to Scott Bessent, founder of Key Square Group, and Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald.
  Both spent millions to reelect Trump, have played key roles in his campaign and transition and are on the cusp of one of the most powerful positions in Washington.Whomever Trump picks will t
  
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• These 2 men are the front-runners to be Trump's new Treasury secretary

  14-11-2024 22:31 via thehill.com
  
  Two prominent supporters of President-elect Trump’s campaign have emerged as the front-runners to lead the Treasury Department during his second administration.Trump has reportedly narrowed his list to Scott Bessent, founder of Key Square Group, and Howard Lutnick, chair and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald.Both spent millions to reelect Trump, have played key roles in his campaign and transition, and are on the cusp of one of the most powerful positions in Washington.Whomever Trump picks will ta
  
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• Greene: 'Pretty sure' Trump's AG will prosecute COVID 'crimes'

  14-11-2024 22:24 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she was “pretty sure” the next attorney general would prosecute people for “crimes against humanity” committed during the COVID-19 pandemic.“Preparing for the next pandemic is actually recognizing that the last pandemic resulted in crimes against humanity,” Greene said during a hearing preparing for future pandemics.“People that perpetuated and continue to perpetuate these crimes need to be prosecuted and that nee
  
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• Immigrant advocates to Biden: 'Meet the urgency of the moment'

  14-11-2024 21:49 via thehill.com
  
  A coalition of 138 immigrant, civil and human rights groups is calling on President Biden to take executive action to protect certain vulnerable immigrants from President-elect Trump’s pledge of mass deportations.It’s within Biden’s reach, the groups say, to take relatively small measures that would help immigrants stay out of harm’s way before the incoming Trump administration supercharges immigration enforcement.“Our immigrant communities are at a crossroads as Pr
  
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• Hugh Hewitt: Trump may be playing '4D chess' with Gaetz nomination

  14-11-2024 21:02 via thehill.com
  
  Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt said Thursday that President-elect Trump may be “playing 4D chess" with his nomination of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as attorney general.“He’s resigned from the House,” the “The Hugh Hewitt Show” host said. “Donald Trump could be playing 4D chess here, because Matt Gaetz wanted to end the ethics investigation in the House — they lose jurisdiction when a member resigns, so that proceeding is [closed] —
  
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• Hugh Hewitt: Trump may be playing '4-D chess' with Gaetz nomination

  14-11-2024 21:02 via thehill.com
  
  Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt said Thursday that President-elect Trump may be “playing 4-D chess" with former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) nomination as attorney general.“He’s resigned from the House,” the host of “The Hugh Hewitt Show” said. “Donald Trump could be playing 4-D chess here, because Matt Gaetz wanted to end the ethics investigation in the House — they lose jurisdiction when a member resigns, so that proceeding is [closed] &m
  
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• Republican introduces bill to revoke normal trade relations with China

  14-11-2024 20:14 via thehill.com
  
  The top Republican focused on U.S. competition with China introduced legislation on Thursday to end normal trade relations with Beijing. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich), chair of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, proposes revoking China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), a policy in place for more than two decades.Lawmakers in both parties have increasingly called out Beijing's unfair trade practices and President Biden maintained tariffs on Chinese goods
  
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• Thune says he doesn't know if Gaetz will be confirmed as AG 'until they start the process'

  14-11-2024 20:09 via thehill.com
  
  Incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) weighed in on President-elect Trump's controversial decision to elevate former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to attorney general when he returns to the White House, saying he doesn't know yet if he will get confirmed."I don't know until we start the process, and that's what we intend to do with him and all the other potential nominees," Thune told reporters Thursday. "None of this stuff's formal yet, but you know, when it is, we expect our committee
  
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• Democrats call for Biden to sanction ‘radical’ Israeli government ministers

  14-11-2024 19:28 via thehill.com
  
  Democrats in the House and Senate are calling on President Biden to sanction two controversial Israeli ministers, saying the two men have promoted violence against Palestinians and are pushing for annexation of territory that undermines U.S. efforts to support a two-state solution.In a letter sent late last month but released publicly on Thursday, 88 lawmakers called on Biden to issue sanctions against Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvi
  
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• ACLU petition calls on Biden to 'commute all federal death sentences' before Trump takes office

  14-11-2024 19:27 via thehill.com
  
  An American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) petition is calling on President Biden “to commute all federal death sentences” before President-elect Trump takes office.“President Biden, as your constituent, I urge you to seize this moment before you leave office to make history as the first U.S. president to commute all federal death sentences,” the petition reads.“For decades, the federal death penalty has disproportionately affected people of color and those with disab
  
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• Spanberger 'appalled' at Gabbard nomination as Trump director of national intelligence

  14-11-2024 18:38 via thehill.com
  
  Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) said on Wednesday she is “appalled" by President-elect Trump’s choice of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) as the director of national intelligence (DNI).In a thread on the social platform X, Spanberger raised concerns about Gabbard’s nomination and urged her Republican colleagues to “speak out” against it.“As a former CIA case officer, I saw the men and women of the U.S. intelligence community put their lives on the line eve
  
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• What to know about Tulsi Gabbard: From Bernie backer to Trump intel nominee

  14-11-2024 18:17 via thehill.com
  
  Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to become President-elect Trump’s national intelligence director opens a new chapter in a whirlwind national political career that largely launched alongside the progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). After a decorated military career and four terms representing Hawaii in the House, Gabbard sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, running on a progressive platform and railing against U.S. involvement in foreign wars. Two years later, sh
  
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• Haley on Trump administration snub: 'I know the game he was playing'

  14-11-2024 18:17 via thehill.com
  
  Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday that President-elect Trump knew she did not want to serve in his second administration when he publicly announced over the weekend that he would not be offering her a job.“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. “I very much enjoyed and appreciated worki
  
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• Haley on Trump administration post snub: 'I know the game he was playing'

  14-11-2024 18:17 via thehill.com
  
  Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said Wednesday that President-elect Trump knew she did not want to serve in his second administration when he publicly announced over the weekend that he would not be offering her a job.“I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump Administration, which is currently in formation,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social. “I very much enjoyed and appreciated worki
  
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• Ex-leader of Bureau of Reclamation calls for Trump administration to eliminate it

  14-11-2024 18:03 via thehill.com
  
  A progressive civil servant who led the Bureau of Reclamation under President Clinton is now urging the incoming Trump administration to eliminate his former agency — an entity he has long deemed superfluous.Dan Beard, who served as commissioner from 1993 to 1995, said that if the "administration is serious about reducing government bureaucracy, cutting wasteful expenditures and restructuring federal agencies, it should start by abolishing the Bureau of Reclamation," in a written statement
  
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• Biden administration backs contested Alaska wildlife refuge road

  14-11-2024 17:30 via thehill.com
  
  The Biden administration has thrown its support behind a controversial land swap that would allow a road to be built through a national wildlife refuge in Alaska.In a draft environmental review document released this week, the administration stated that it supported pursuing the road’s construction. The road would connect the small King Cove community to an airport that supporters say is important for emergency medical evacuation. Opponents, however, have said the road puts the refuge
  
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• Durbin demands House ethics panel share Gaetz report with Senate panel

  14-11-2024 17:11 via thehill.com
  
  Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin (D) urged the House Ethics Committee to "preserve and share" its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) after President-elect Trump tapped the Florida congressman to serve as attorney general.After receiving the attorney general nod from Trump on Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that Gaetz will resign "effective immediately," making the investigation, which was looking into whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug
  
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• Ty Cobb: Gaetz pick as Trump AG a 'f‑‑‑ you to America'

  14-11-2024 17:06 via thehill.com
  
  Former White House attorney Ty Cobb, who served under President-elect Trump’s first term, said the decision to nominate former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as attorney general is a “f‑‑‑ you to America.”Cobb joined CNN’s "OutFront" with Erin Burnett Wednesday after Trump made the announcement, where she asked him why he described it that way.“This is just a shocking event and intentionally so. I mean, he’s a disrupter, Trump is,” Cobb said.
  
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• Ty Cobb: Gaetz pick as Trump AG a ‘f--- you to America’

  14-11-2024 17:06 via thehill.com
  
  Former White House attorney Ty Cobb, who served under President-elect Trump’s first term, said the decision to nominate former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as attorney general is a “f--- you to America.”Cobb joined CNN’s "Outfront" with Erin Burnett Wednesday after Trump made the announcement, where she asked him why he described it that way.“This is just a shocking event and intentionally so. I mean, he’s a disrupter, Trump is,” Cobb said. “But Matt G
  
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