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Senators rail against ‘cash grab’ spending bill provision as House preps repeal vote
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The Senate is once again finding a moment of bipartisan unity in its fury over a recently passed law that would allow lawmakers to sue the federal government and reap hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money as a reward.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle continue to grapple with the inclusion of a provision in a package designed to reopen the government that would allow only senators directly targeted by the Biden-led Department of Justice (DOJ) and former special counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost investigation to sue the U.S. government for up to $500,000.
Both Senate Republicans’ and Democrats’ ire at the provision is multipronged. Some are angry it was tucked away into the legislative branch spending bill without a heads-up. Others see it as nothing more than a quick payday for the relatively small group of senators targeted in Smith’s probe.
REPUBLICANS FEUD OVER ‘ARCTIC FROST’ ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE, BUT CRITICS OFFER NO CLEAR ALTERNATIVE
The Senate smashed through procedural hurdles and advanced its package to reopen the government, with the onus of ending the shutdown now falling on the House. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images)
«I think it was outrageous that that was put in and airdropped in there,» Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., told Fox News Digital. «It’s outrageous. It’s basically just a cash grab for senators to take money away from taxpayers. It’s absolutely outrageous and needs to be taken out.»
The provision was included in the spending package by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on request from lawmakers in the GOP. And it was given the green light by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The provision is narrowly tailored to include only senators and would require they be notified if their information is requested by the DOJ, be it through the subpoena of phone records like in the Arctic Frost investigation or through other means. The idea is to prevent the abuse of the DOJ to go after sitting senators now and in the future.
Thune pushed back on the notion that lawmakers weren’t aware the provision was in the bill, given that the entire package was released roughly 24 hours before it was voted on. But he acknowledged their frustration over how it was added was warranted.
«I think I take that as a legitimate criticism in terms of the process, but I think, on the substance, I believe that you need to have some sort of accountability and consequence for that kind of weaponization against a co-equal branch of the government,» Thune said.
Schumer, when asked about the anger brewing on both sides of the aisle, heaped blame on Thune but noted it was an opportunity to get protection for Democrats, too.
GOP UNITY SHATTERED BY CONTROVERSIAL MEASURE IN GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN BILL
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced the bipartisan bill during a news conference Tuesday. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«Look, the bottom line is Thune wanted the provision, and we wanted to make sure that at least Democratic senators were protected from [Attorney General Pam] Bondi and others who might go after them,» Schumer said. «So, we made it go prospective, not just retroactive, but I’d be for repealing all the provision, all of it. And I hope that happens.»
The House is expected to vote on legislation that would repeal the language, and many in the upper chamber want to get the chance to erase the provision should it pass through the House. Whether Thune will put it on the floor remains unclear.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., was one of the eight senators whose records were requested during Smith’s probe. He told Fox News Digital he was neither asked about the provision nor told about it and, like many other lawmakers, found out about it when he read the bill.
«I just think that, you know, giving them money — I mean making a taxpayer pay for it, I don’t understand why that’s accountability,» he said. «I mean, the people who need to be held accountable are the people who made the decisions to do this, and, frankly, also the telecom companies. So I just, I don’t agree with that approach.»
LINDSEY GRAHAM VOWS TO SUE OVER ‘ARCTIC FROST’ INVESTIGATION TARGETING GOP LAWMAKERS’ PHONE RECORDS
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol June 20, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He also took issue with the fact the provision was narrowly tailored to only apply to the Senate and argued it could be reworked to only provide for declaratory judgment in court rather than a monetary one.
«I could see the value of having a court say this was illegal and ruling against the government,» Hawley said. «I think it’s the monetary provisions that most people, including me, really balk at. Like, why are the taxpayers on the hook for this, and why does it apply only to the Senate?»
The provision set a retroactive date of 2022 to allow for the group of senators targeted in Smith’s Arctic Frost probe to be able to sue. That element has also raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital he supported repealing the provision but wanted to fix it.
«The best way to be able to handle it, I think, is to be able to fix it, take away the retroactivity in it,» he said. «The initial target of this whole thing was to make sure this never happened again.»
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., told Fox News Digital the provision was a «total mess» and raised concerns on a bipartisan basis.
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., speaks to delegates in Paramus, N.J., March 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
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Not every senator was on board with ditching the provision, however.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., made clear that he intends to sue the DOJ and Verizon, his phone carrier, and argued that he didn’t believe that the provision was self-dealing but rather to deter future, similar actions. He also wants to take the provision, or the core idea of it, a step further.
Graham said he wanted to open up the process to others, including dozens of groups, former lawmakers and others affected by the investigation.
«Is it wrong for any American to sue the government if they violated your rights, including me? Is it wrong if a Post Office truck hits you, what do you do with the money? You do whatever you want to do with the money,» Graham said.
«If you’ve been wronged, this idea that our government can’t be sued is a dangerous idea,» he continued. «The government needs to be held accountable when it violates people’s rights.»
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas., was far more succinct. When asked if he would support a repeal of the provision, he told Fox News Digital, «No.»
senate,chuck schumer,justice department,joe biden,lindsey graham
INTERNACIONAL
La guerra en Medio Oriente redujo el tránsito por el Estrecho de Ormuz a 77 barcos en marzo
Sólo 77 barcos atravesaron el Estrecho de Ormuz en marzo, una cifra muy inferior a los 1.229 tránsitos registrados en el mismo período del año anterior, según datos de Lloyd’s List Intelligence.
La guerra en Medio Oriente provoca una fuerte caída en el paso de embarcaciones por una de las vías marítimas más relevantes para el transporte de energía a nivel mundial.
De acuerdo con Lloyd’s List Intelligence, la mayoría de los buques que lograron cruzar pertenecen a la denominada flota fantasma, integrada por barcos antiguos, con condiciones deficientes, sin seguro adecuado y propietarios poco identificables, generalmente asociados a Rusia e Irán.
La consultora marítima precisó que los buques vinculados al régimen iraní representan el 26% del tráfico en la zona, seguidos por embarcaciones de Grecia con el 13% y de China con el 12%.
“Más de la mitad de los buques cisterna y gaseros que transitan por la zona son flotas paralelas”, afirmó Bridget Diakun, analista senior de Lloyd’s List Intelligence. “Estos barcos están muy acostumbrados a las interrupciones”, añadió Diakun, y sostuvo que por ese motivo “es más probable que intenten la travesía”.
El Cuerpo de la Guardia Revolucionaria Islámica (CGRI) del país persa mantiene prácticamente cerrado el estrecho, que limita con Irán y por donde circula aproximadamente el 20% del suministro mundial de petróleo. Desde comienzos de mes, 20 buques comerciales —nueve de ellos petroleros— fueron atacados o sufrieron incidentes, de acuerdo con la Agencia Británica de Operaciones de Comercio Marítimo. La Organización Marítima Internacional confirmó 16 incidentes en la región, de los cuales ocho involucran a petroleros.
El nuevo líder supremo de Irán, Mojtaba Khamenei, manifestó el jueves: “Sin duda alguna, hay que recurrir al bloqueo del estrecho de Ormuz”. Esta decisión pretende afectar la economía global y ejercer presión sobre Estados Unidos. Según Diakun, “la principal conclusión es que… Irán sigue exportando”.
Por otra parte, la agencia de noticias AFP contabilizó cerca de 40 embarcaciones que cruzaron el Estrecho de Ormuz desde el inicio del conflicto, tomando en cuenta solo aquellos buques que mantuvieron encendidos sus transpondedores AIS, el sistema de identificación automática.
El jefe de asuntos humanitarios de las Naciones Unidas, Tom Fletcher, exigió el viernes que se autorice el tránsito seguro de ayuda humanitaria a través del estrecho, afectado por las interrupciones en el tráfico marítimo durante el conflicto.
“Se debe permitir el paso seguro de la ayuda humanitaria a través del estrecho de Ormuz”, afirmó Fletcher en un comunicado, y advirtió que “millones de personas corren peligro” si continúan las restricciones.
Un buque de propiedad turca logró atravesar la zona con autorización de las autoridades iraníes, informó el viernes el ministro de Transportes de Turquía, Abdulkadir Uraloglu. “Tenemos 15 buques de propiedad turca en el estrecho de Ormuz y pudimos permitir el paso de uno de ellos tras obtener el permiso de las autoridades iraníes”, declaró Uraloglu a periodistas el jueves por la noche, según declaraciones difundidas el viernes.
El estrecho de Ormuz constituye una ruta marítima central para el comercio global y permanece cerrado por decisión de Irán tras el ataque de Israel y Estados Unidos el 28 de febrero.
A su vez, la angustia de los marineros que esperan pasar por la zona en conflixto se apoderó de las redes sociales. “Todos los días en el barco veo lanzamientos de misiles y oigo explosiones, lo que me hace sentir en peligro”.
Así describió Wang Shang, marinero chino de 32 años, la situación en la que permanece varado en el Golfo Pérsico. Su embarcación se encuentra imposibilitada de cruzar el estrecho de Ormuz, bloqueado desde hace casi dos semanas después de los ataques de Estados Unidos e Israel contra Irán.
Wang Shang relató sus experiencias a través de vídeos publicados en Douyin, la versión china de TikTok. “Estoy preocupado porque ayer la sala de máquinas de un buque fue alcanzada por un dron iraní a solo dos millas náuticas de mi embarcación, aproximadamente a 3.600 metros, lo cual es muy cerca”, expresó Wang.
(Con información de AFP)
Crime,Government / Politics,Military Conflicts
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As Iranian-designed Shahed drones proliferate across battlefields from Ukraine to the Middle East, relatively cheap unmanned aircraft are forcing the use of some of the world’s most expensive air defense systems, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of that approach.
The issue has taken on new urgency in the wake of Operation Epic Fury, as Iranian drones — widely estimated to cost $20,000 to $50,000 to manufacture — target U.S. forces and allied Gulf states across the region.
U.S. and partner forces have relied on a mix of Patriot missiles, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries, naval interceptors and other systems to blunt the attacks.
While many of the incoming drones have been intercepted, the strikes have still exacted a cost, killing six U.S. service members in Kuwait and damaging civilian infrastructure, including airports and hotels in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
TOMAHAWKS SPEARHEADED US STRIKE ON IRAN — WHY PRESIDENTS REACH FOR THIS MISSILE FIRST
Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), the Shahed-136, are carried by a truck during a military parade in south Tehran on Sept. 21, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The mounting toll has intensified concerns over how to counter drone swarms without depleting interceptor stockpiles that cost millions of dollars each to replace.
Ukraine has been at the forefront of modern drone warfare since Russia’s 2022 invasion, rapidly adapting its tactics and emerging as a leader in battlefield drone technology.
Alex Roslin, a spokesman for the Ukrainian nonprofit miltech company Wild Hornets, told Fox News Digital in an interview that interceptor drones developed in Ukraine offer a dramatically cheaper alternative to traditional air defense systems.
HERE COME THE BIG BOMBS AS US ESCALATES STRIKES ON IRAN’S HUGE MILITARY ARSENAL
A U.S. Army Patriot launcher from the 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is deployed in southeast Poland on Sept. 4, 2024. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Leara Shumate)
While a U.S. Patriot missile can cost roughly $4 million, Roslin said his organization’s interceptor drones can be produced for as little as $1,400 apiece.
Wild Hornets’ so-called «Sting» interceptors have downed thousands of Russian-made Shahed-type drones and now achieve a 90% effectiveness rate, according to the group, up from roughly 70% last fall as pilots and radar teams gained experience and adopted improved ground control systems.
«Ukraine had to fight smart and didn’t have rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles, stuff like that, so they turned to these kinds of drones to sort of equalize the battlefield,» Roslin told Fox News Digital.
IRAN WAR, 11 DAYS IN: US CONTROLS SKIES, OIL SURGES AND THE REGION BRACES FOR WHAT’S NEXT
A pair of «Sting» interceptor drones, developed by the Ukrainian group Wild Hornets, are displayed at a training facility. (Credit: Wild Hornets)
The Financial Times reported the Pentagon and at least one Gulf government are in talks to buy Ukrainian-made interceptors amid Iran’s retaliatory attacks.
President Donald Trump told Reuters in a phone interview in early March that he would be open to assistance from any country, when asked about an offer from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to help defend against Iranian drones.
Zelenskyy said Friday in a post on X that Kyiv was sending a team of experts and military personnel to three countries in the Gulf region to help counter Tehran’s drones.
US DIPLOMATIC FACILITY IN IRAQ STRUCK BY DRONE
The remains of a Russian-made, Iran-designed Shahed-136 drone, known in Russia as a Geran-2, are displayed with other recovered drones, glide bombs, missiles and rockets in Kharkiv on July 30, 2025. (Scott Peterson/Getty Images)
«We know that in Middle Eastern countries, in the U.S., and in European states, there is a certain number of interceptor drones. But without our pilots, without our military personnel, without specialized software, none of this works,» he wrote.
Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the focus on air defense price tags can obscure the more pressing constraint.
«Capacity is even more important than cheap,» he told Fox News Digital.
US SCRAMBLES AS DRONES SHAPE THE LANDSCAPE OF WAR: ‘THE FUTURE IS HERE’
Coalition Forces fire a Coyote Block 2C interceptor during a base defense exercise at Al-Tanf Garrison, Syria, on March 12, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Fred Brown)
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Karako cited lower-cost counter-drone systems, including the Coyote interceptor and the Army’s Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or LIDS, as examples of capabilities already fielded to address many drone threats without relying exclusively on high-end air defense systems such as the Patriot.
As Iran’s drone campaign widens, the debate is no longer just about the cost gap between missiles and drones, but about whether traditional air defenses can sustain a new era of mass, low-cost aerial warfare.
military tech,drones,middle east,ukraine,war with iran
INTERNACIONAL
Virginia Dems send sweeping gun ban to Spanberger as West Virginia weighs expanding machine-gun access
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Virginia Democrats have sent a sweeping gun-control package to Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk, while West Virginia lawmakers are debating the opposite approach — a proposal that would allow residents to lawfully obtain machine guns.
The dueling efforts highlight how sharply gun policy is diverging across the old Virginia border. More than 160 years after West Virginia split from Virginia during the Civil War, the two states are again charting very different political paths — with Democrats in Richmond advancing new firearm restrictions while Republicans in Charleston explore expanding Second Amendment rights.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger signaled she looks forward to «reviewing» the sweeping firearms ban from state Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Dunn Loring, when it reaches her desk next week.
«As the mother of three daughters in Virginia public schools and a former federal law enforcement officer who carried a gun every day, Governor Spanberger knows how important it is to make sure kids and families are safe,» Spanberger’s office said in a statement to Richmond’s ABC affiliate.
GUN RIGHTS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY DEBATED AT SUPREME COURT
«The governor is grateful for the efforts of legislators and advocates to address gun violence in Virginia communities, and she looks forward to reviewing all legislation that comes to her desk.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger’s office to ask whether she plans to sign Salim’s bill but did not receive a response before publication.
The push comes as the political landscape in the two states continues to diverge. Republicans dominate West Virginia’s legislature with 31-2 and 91-9 supermajorities, and the Mountain State is one of just two states — along with Oklahoma — with no Democrat-majority counties. Democrats, meanwhile, strengthened their hold on Virginia’s government in 2025 and captured the governor’s mansion.
The assault weapons ban was introduced in January at the very start of the expanded Democratic majority’s rule in Richmond. Salim told FairfaxNow that there are «so many assault weapons in circulation» and that his bill will «gradually» take them off the street but stop short of retroactively criminalizing possession of any of the slew of newly-categorized «assault weapons.»
The Bangladesh-born lawmaker has also questioned how schools can remain safe spaces for children without requiring active-shooter drills.
His proposal would ban a wide range of firearms and features, including semi-automatic center-fire pistols with magazines exceeding 15 rounds, rifles with detachable magazines and weapons with certain characteristics such as collapsible or thumbhole stocks and threaded barrels.
The scope of the proposed restrictions drew criticism from Republican lawmakers.
State Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, assembled a mashup video of Virginia Democrats describing the need for the bill, captioning the clip: «Clueless Confident Dangerous and still writing the law.»
MIKE LEE UNVEILS NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY BILL TO OVERRIDE ‘HOSTILE’ STATE GUN LAWS
Country roads take West Virginians home across the Virginia State Line near Charles Town. (Charlie Creitz/Fox News)
«On this list, pretty much everything is a bad firearm,» said state Sen. Bill Stanley Jr., R-Rocky Mount. «We should stop harming the people who are law-abiding citizens, especially in my region.»
During floor debate, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, said: «The only way you can see if something has a threaded barrel or not is to look inside it. Your assault rifle with its telescopes and tripods and lasers and everything else …»
Stanley responded by reminding lawmakers that «millions of Virginians own firearms» and «billions of pieces of ammunition.»
«If we were the problem, you would know about it,» he said, as debate veered into quips about «turkey rifles» — a phrase that quickly circulated on X — before Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Orange, said it was «evident» that Democrats «have a hard time understanding [gun] nomenclature.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Surovell for comment.
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Meanwhile, on the other side of the Allegheny Front, lawmakers were instead debating how best to expand the Second Amendment rights of Mountaineers.
West Virginia State Sens. Chris Rose, R-Monongalia, and Zachary Maynard, R-Chapmanville, drafted the Public Defense and Provisioning Act — which would permit the transfer of machine guns to residents, among other provisions.
The lawmakers cited the Second Amendment’s language and said the favorable decision in D.C. v. Heller «clarifying» «unrestricted access» under the militia clause to «resist tyranny,» among other reasons — while citing Washington administration official Tench Coxe’s assertion, «Congress has no power to disarm the militia.»
APPEALS COURT DECLARES DC BAN ON CERTAIN GUN MAGAZINES UNCONSTITUTIONAL
«It therefore is in the public interest that the State provide a means whereby machine guns may be obtained by citizens.»
Rose told Fox News Digital the bill would address «a longstanding issue in federal firearms law and to reaffirm the constitutional protections afforded to West Virginians under the Second Amendment and Article III, Section 22 of the West Virginia Constitution.»
«I have long been clear that I am a Second Amendment absolutist, and I believe the Constitution means exactly what it says when it states that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed,» Rose said Friday, adding the bill showed states can assert their role in protecting constitutional rights and examining federal laws that have gone untested.
Rose’s bill hit a roadblock as West Virginia’s legislative session winds down, with Senate President Randy Smith, R-Blackwater Falls, deciding the full chamber would not take it up after it advanced through the Judiciary Committee, citing potential legal challenges.
«With an issue as critical as the protection of our Second Amendment rights, we must ensure the legislation we pass will survive legal challenge. This would not have,» said Smith, who also serves as lieutenant governor.
The proposal raises questions about the federal 1986 Hughes Amendment, which prohibits civilian transfers of machine guns manufactured after that year. A Judiciary Committee attorney told West Virginia Watch the restriction may not apply if the transfer were conducted through a state agency such as the West Virginia State Police.
During a hearing, Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Fairmont, also questioned whether the proposal could conflict with federal firearms laws.
Gun Owners of America reportedly worked with Rose on the legislation and has defended its legal footing.
With Smith’s decision and the session nearing its end, lawmakers are expected to revisit the proposal next year. A West Virginia House Republican source told Fox News Digital that chatter is already building around reviving the bill.
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, is located at the confluence of West Virginia and Virginia’s Shenandoah River and Maryland’s Potomac River. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
«As the lobbyists and Senate advocates are saying, there will be a huge push in the off-season to build this coalition and make this happen.»
Smith told WVW that he welcomes a new bill next year, but that proponents should pay closer attention to the legislative calendar to avoid last-minute issues.
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«For now, [we’re] probably going to have to let this stand,» a West Virginia Senate Republican source told Fox News Digital.
On Friday, Charleston did, however, approve a bill from Del. Charles Horst, R-Falling Waters, providing license-free concealed carry for 18-20-year-olds.
second amendment,west virginia,abigail spanberger,virginia,democrats senate
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