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GOP holdouts unmoved by Trump’s ‘big, beautiful’ trip to Capitol Hill
President Donald Trump’s rallying speech to House Republicans Tuesday morning wasn’t enough to convince some holdouts to unite behind his «big, beautiful bill» ahead of a planned vote this week.
Trump urged Republicans to cease infighting on Medicaid reform and state and local tax (SALT) deduction caps at the House GOP’s weekly conference meeting. Several Republicans who emerged said they were still concerned enough to oppose the bill, however.
House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and representatives Nick LaLota, Mike Lawler and Andrew Garbino of New York told Fox News Digital Tuesday they would vote against the bill if changes were not made.
On the other hand, Trump did persuade some people. Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, one of several Republicans to sink a committee vote on the bill Friday, told reporters he would review it and make a «judgment call» ahead of a 1 a.m. meeting to advance the bill through the House Rules Committee.
INSIDE TRUMP’S URGENT MEETING WITH HOUSE GOP TO PASS THE ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’
Rep. Mike Lawler (left) and Rep. Thomas Massie (right) said President Donald Trump did not convince them Tuesday to vote for his «big, beautiful bill» in its current form. (Getty Images)
Norman said Trump did a «fantastic job» and delivered «one of the best speeches I’ve heard» at the House GOP meeting, and he urged his blue state colleagues to «take the words the president said to heart about SALT.»
CONSERVATIVE RIPS BLUE STATE REPUBLICAN’S PROPOSAL TO RAISE TAXES ON WEALTHY IN SALT DEBATE
Norman and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, are both members of the powerful rules panel who have not been shy about their concerns with the current bill. The committee acts as the final gatekeeper before most legislation sees a full House vote.
Roy did not appear to attend Trump’s speech but told reporters Monday evening the 1 a.m. Wednesday vote should be postponed.
But the New York Republicans weren’t budging after Trump’s «big, beautiful» speech, maintaining the bill doesn’t go far enough to deliver for middle-class New Yorkers on the SALT deduction cap.
«This is the single biggest issue that I’ve talked about, and, with all due respect to the president, I’m not budging,» Lawler said.
«Between property taxes and income taxes, it blows well past the $30,000 cap with the $400,000 income cap. So, as I’ve said repeatedly, that is insufficient. We will continue the dialogue with leadership, but as it stands right now, I do not support the bill,» Lawler said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill. (Reuters/Anna Rose Layden)
Lawler said SALT is one of the biggest issues affecting his district in New York and campaigned on never supporting a tax bill that doesn’t «adequately lift the cap.»
«The president can say whatever he wants, and I respect him, but the fact is, I certainly understand my district. I’m one of only three Republican members that won in a district Kamala Harris won, and I did so for reasons,» Lawler said.
«We need a little more SALT on the table to get to this,» fellow New York Republican LaLota added. «I hope the president’s presence motivates my leadership to give us a number that we can go sell back home.»
LaLota said while he is still a «no,» he hopes «the president’s presence here today motivates some folks in the Ways and Means Committee and my leadership to give us a number to which we can actually say ‘yes.’»
Rep. Nick Lalota, R-N.Y., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
When asked if Trump did enough to ease concerns in Tuesday’s meeting, Garbarino, another New York Republican, said, «No. There were no specifics. … It was more of a rally. We need to get this done.»
«We share President Trump’s call for unity within the House Republican Conference,» Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., said in a joint statement after Trump’s visit to Capitol Hill.
«We hope his remarks today motivate the Speaker to advance a SALT proposal that delivers meaningful relief for our middle-class constituents, as we have worked in good faith with House Leadership for more than a year,» the statement from Kim, Garbarino, Lawler, LaLota and Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., said.
Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., speaks during a hearing March 10, 2021, on Capitol Hill. (Ting Shen-Pool/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Trump urged Republicans not to «f— with» Medicaid in his speech, though different factions came to different conclusions about what he meant.
Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who was not in the room for Trump’s speech, called for more cuts to the entitlement program in an X post Tuesday afternoon but told Fox News Digital he was opposed to the legislation as written.
«I agree with President Trump — we must crush the waste, fraud, and abuse. Liberal states like California and New York are abusing Medicaid — and making you pay for it. Illegal aliens and freeloaders have no right to taxpayer-funded benefits,» Ogles said on X.
Other fiscal conservatives, like Ogles, who were in the room, said the bill does not go far enough to reform Medicaid and would also vote «no» in the bill’s current form.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., outside the Capitol building Dec. 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«I think it’s inappropriate for us to say we’re not going to touch it and then leave all of this fraud that’s happening in the system,» Burlison said.
Harris, the House Freedom Caucus chair, said, «I can’t support the bill. It does not eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid. The president called for waste, fraud and abuse to be eliminated. I don’t think that’s where the bill sits.»
Massie, known for being a libertarian, was unconvinced by Trump’s appearance, telling reporters that his constituents didn’t «vote for increased deficits and Biden-level spending.»
He acknowledged that younger members or those who harbor ambitions for higher office would likely fall in line, however.
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«I think he probably closed the deal in there,» Massie said.
SALT deduction caps and Medicaid remain two of the biggest sticking points in Republican negotiations. SALT deduction caps primarily benefit people living in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, Los Angeles and their surrounding suburbs. Republicans representing those areas have argued that raising the SALT deduction cap is a critical issue and that a failure to address it could cost the GOP the House majority in the 2026 midterms.
Republicans in redder, lower-tax areas have said in response that SALT deductions favor wealthy people living in Democrat-controlled states and that such deductions reward progressive high-tax policies.
It was Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that first instituted caps on SALT deductions, setting the maximum at $10,000 for both married couples and single filers.
SALT Caucus members have rejected House Republican leaders’ offer to increase that to $30,000.
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, meanwhile, are pushing for the bill to be more aggressive in cutting waste, fraud and abuse in the Medicaid system, including a faster timeline for implementing work requirements for able-bodied recipients. Currently, the legislation has work requirements kicking in 2029.
They also want to restructure Medicaid cost-sharing to put a bigger burden on the states. Moderates, meanwhile, have been wary of making significant cuts to the program.
House GOP leaders are hoping to hold a full House vote on the bill this week.
Politics,House Of Representatives,Republicans,Donald Trump
INTERNACIONAL
Se derrumbó el techo de un monumento histórico chino visitado por miles de turistas: “Estas tejas son como queso tofu”
Cientos de tejas se desprendieron y cayeron estrepitosamente del techo de la histórica Torre del Tambor de Fengyang, un monumento de casi 650 años de antigüedad ubicado en la provincia oriental china de Anhui, según confirmaron las autoridades locales. El incidente, que quedó registrado en varios videos que rápidamente se viralizaron en redes sociales, ocurrió el lunes por la tarde sin dejar heridos.
De acuerdo con un comunicado emitido por la Oficina de Cultura y Turismo del Condado de Fengyang, las tejas del lado este del techo de la torre se desprendieron alrededor de las 6:30 p.m. hora local (10:30 GMT) del lunes 19 de mayo, provocando una gran nube de polvo que alarmó a los turistas que se encontraban en las inmediaciones.
“La caída de tejas duró uno o dos minutos”, declaró un testigo al periódico estatal Yangcheng Evening News. Otro testigo describió cómo escuchó “el sonido crujiente de una teja cayendo tras otra” desde una tienda ubicada en la entrada de la Torre del Tambor.
El derrumbe parcial resulta particularmente preocupante ya que la torre acababa de ser sometida a trabajos de reparación que concluyeron hace apenas dos meses. Según información de la agencia de turismo de Fengyang, el proyecto de restauración se inició en septiembre de 2023 y se completó en marzo de 2024, con un costo final de aproximadamente 2,9 millones de yuanes (unos 473.300 dólares).
“Afortunadamente no había nadie en la plaza y nadie resultó herido”, comentó otro testigo al medio estatal The Beijing News. “Si hubiera ocurrido un poco más tarde, habría muchos niños jugando cerca de la torre después de la cena”.
La Torre del Tambor de Fengyang, construida originalmente en 1375 durante la dinastía Ming, es considerada la torre de tambor más grande que existe en China, según medios estatales. Estas torres eran utilizadas tradicionalmente para anunciar el comienzo de ceremonias y la hora del día.
La estructura consta de dos partes principales: la base original de la era Ming y la torre situada en la parte superior. El daño se produjo principalmente en esta última, que fue reconstruida en 1995, ya que la construcción original sufrió una destrucción parcial durante la dinastía Qing en 1853. La base fue catalogada como reliquia cultural clave a proteger en Anhui en 1989.
El condado de Fengyang es especialmente relevante en la historia china por ser la tierra natal de Zhu Yuanzhang, el Emperador Hongwu, fundador de la dinastía Ming. Durante su reinado, China experimentó una era próspera impulsada por un fuerte comercio internacional y una población creciente, periodo en el que también se sustituyó la moneda tradicional de plata y oro por papel moneda.
El Global Times, diario oficial chino, informó que tras el incidente “las autoridades locales evacuaron rápidamente a los transeúntes de la escena y acordonaron el área con barreras seguras”. Además, se ha establecido un equipo de investigación y se ha ordenado a las unidades encargadas del diseño, construcción y supervisión del proyecto de reparación que se presenten en el lugar.
“También se ha invitado a expertos para ayudar en el proceso de investigación y verificación”, agregó el medio estatal.
Según la Oficina de Cultura y Turismo, la torre había experimentado caídas esporádicas de tejas y daños en los tableros de cornisa desde 2017, lo que motivó el reciente proyecto de restauración. La autoridad de turismo de Fengyang anunció el martes 20 de mayo que la torre permanecerá temporalmente cerrada para reparaciones del techo a partir de ese día, sin especificar la fecha de reapertura.
El incidente ha generado numerosas reacciones en redes sociales chinas. “Eso es tan aterrador. Estas tejas son como (tofu)”, comentó un usuario en Weibo, mientras que otro señaló: “Si esto hubiera ocurrido durante los tiempos antiguos, rodarían cabezas”.
Otros usuarios llamaron a la solidaridad: “¡Es momento de mostrar el verdadero espíritu de Fengyang! Caemos pero nos levantamos más fuertes. Apoyémonos mutuamente a través de este desafío”.
La etiqueta “Colapso de la Torre del Tambor de Fengyang” se convirtió en el tema de tendencia principal en Weibo, la plataforma de redes sociales similar a X en China, según informó el Beijing Youth Daily.
A suicide car bomber struck a school bus in Pakistan on Wednesday, killing five people, including at least three children, and wounding 38 others, according to officials.
This is just the latest attack in Balochistan province, which has seen a long-running insurgency, with an array of separatist groups carrying out attacks, including the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, or BLA, which has been designated as a terror group by the U.S. in 2019.
A local deputy commissioner, Yasir Iqbal, said the attack on Wednesday happened on the outskirts of the city of Khuduzar as the bus was taking children to their military-run school in the area.
Troops quickly arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area as ambulances rushed the victims to hospitals.
TRUMP VOWS TO INCREASE TRADE WITH INDIA PAKISTAN AFTER PRAISING CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT: ‘A JOB WELL DONE!’
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during the plenary session of the SCO Summit, July 4, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan. (Getty Images)
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but ethnic Baloch separatists, who frequently target security forces and civilians in the region, are likely to be blamed.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi strongly condemned the attack and expressed deep sorrow following the children’s deaths. He also said the attackers are «beasts» who deserve no leniency and who committed an act of «sheer barbarism by targeting innocent children.»
Officials initially reported that four children were killed but later changed the death toll to say two adults were among the dead. The death toll may rise, as several children were listed in critical condition.
INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE’S EFFORT TO PULL INDIA, PAKISTAN BACK FROM THE BRINK OF WAR
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs the meeting of the National Security Committee, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, April 24, 2025. (AP)
The military claimed the bombing was «yet another cowardly and ghastly attack» allegedly planned by neighboring India and carried out by «its proxies in Balochistan.»
Most of the attacks in the province are claimed by the BLA, which Pakistan alleges has the back of India. However, India has denied the allegations.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences and also attributed the attack to India without providing evidence.
«The attack on a school bus by terrorists backed by India is clear proof of their hostility toward education in Balochistan,» Sharif said, saying that the government would bring the perpetrators to justice.
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP)
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Pakistani officials regularly accuse India of violence in their country. The accusations have intensified amid heightened tensions between the two countries during a cross-border escalation since last month over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. Both countries rule part of Kashmir but claim full control.
The escalation prompted fears of a broader war, and the BLA during this time appealed to India for support, although India has not commented on the appeal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Dem lawmaker fundraises off federal assault charges after ICE facility confrontation: ‘Doing my job’
FIRST ON FOX: New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver is fundraising off her federal charges for allegedly «assaulting, impeding and interfering with law enforcement» earlier this month at the gates of Delaney Hall, which is a privately-operated Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.
«As you know, Trump is using his Department of Justice to target political opponents. Less than two weeks ago, I was doing my job and conducting oversight at an ICE facility in my city,» the fundraising text obtained by Fox News Digital stated.
«Now, the Trump admin has filed charges against me. This is a first-and it’s a flashing red light for our democracy,» it continues. «I’m sounding the alarm and asking you to donate now so we can fight these charges and keep speaking truth to power.»
FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST DEM CONGRESSWOMAN FOLLOWING CONFRONTATION AT ICE FACILITY
Democrat Rep. LaMonica McIver (Department of Homeland Security)
Investigators say McIver assaulted two federal agents at the Delaney Hall, according to the charging documents.
Prosecutors say one victim was an HSI agent, and the other was an ICE agent.»
Law enforcement says McIver assaulted the agents when she «slammed her forearm into the body of a uniformed HSI agent. & reached out and tried to restrain the agent by forcibly grabbing him.» Then, after Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested, McIver allegedly «pushed an ICE officer & used her forearms to forcibly strike the agent.»
BLUE STATE POLITICAL BATTLE INTENSIFIES AFTER DEM MAYOR’S ARREST AT ICE FACILITY: ‘OUTRAGED’
Baraka appeared in federal court for a status conference on the Trump administration’s charge that he trespassed at Delaney Hall, an ICE immigration detention center in Newark. (Stephanie Keith/Getty)
According to the documents, McIver created a «human shield» and blocked agents from handcuffing Baraka after he ignored numerous warnings to leave the property and told him he would be arrested.
When the HSI agent told the mayor he was going to arrest him, McIver interjected, yelling, «Hell no! Hell no! Hell no!»
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The HSI agent then ordered the mayor to put his hands behind his back and displayed his handcuffs. So, McIver and other members of Congress «surrounded the Mayor and prevented HSI from handcuffing him and taking him into custody,» according to prosecutors.
DEM LAWMAKERS DEFEND ‘STORMING’ OF ICE FACILITY, SAY TRUMP ADMIN IS ‘LYING AT ALL LEVELS’
Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., speaks during a news conference with the Congressional Progressive Caucus in the Capitol Visitor Center to oppose Elon Musk gaining access to the Treasury Department’s federal payment system, on Thursday, February 6, 2025 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In a statement after the charges were announced, McIver said that she is «thankful for the outpouring of support» she’s gotten and that the «truth» will be «laid out clearly in court.»
«Earlier this month, I joined my colleagues to inspect the treatment of ICE detainees at Delaney Hall in my district. We were fulfilling our lawful oversight responsibilities, as members of Congress have done many times before, and our visit should have been peaceful and short. Instead, ICE agents created an unnecessary and unsafe confrontation when they chose to arrest Mayor Baraka,» she stated.
«The charges against me are purely political—they mischaracterize and distort my actions, and are meant to criminalize and deter legislative oversight,» McIver added.
DHS SAYS ‘ARRESTS ARE STILL ON THE TABLE’ AFTER NEW JERSEY HOUSE DEMS CAUGHT ON CAMERA ‘STORMING’ ICE FACILITY
Security personnel stand in front of Delaney Hall, a recently re-opened immigration detention center, in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)
Baraka had a federal trespassing charge against him that was dropped by acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba, but the mayor said he stands in solidarity with McIver.
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«Representative LaMonica McIver assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111 (a)(1),» Habba said in a letter shared on X Monday. «That conduct cannot be overlooked by the chief federal law enforcement official in the State of New Jersey, and it is my Constitutional obligation to ensure that our federal law enforcement is protected when executing their duties.»
Fox News Digital reached out to the McIver campaign for comments about the texts and both the campaign and her official office about the charging documents. The Democrat represents a deep blue district that includes Newark.
Immigration,New Jersey,House of Representatives Democrats,Congress
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