Free Republic

Public Servant Gavin Newsom’s rise in California politics and acquired power since the 1990s has been through the knavery of family and influential friends. If you ever doubted that politics is made up of the elite class who see themselves as the ruling class, but want the taxpayers to pay for everything, doubt no more: Governor Gavin Newsom and the “First Partner” (his wife) acquired a $9.1 million home in Marin County, I reported in November 2024. It’s time to revisit this issue because we still don’t have any answers on this home acquisition, or the $3.7 million Fair Oaks...

Outspoken progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas dropped her bid Tuesday to become the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee after it became clear she lacked the votes. “It was clear by the numbers that my style of leadership is not exactly what they were looking for, and so I didn’t think that it was fair for me to then push forward and try to rebuke that,” the lefty pol told reporters. Democrats later anointed Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) to become their ranking member on the Oversight panel, replacing late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), who died last month....

What's that saying about actions and consequences? Former Biden administration officials should probably freshen up on it because they are about to learn a hard lesson. According to a new report, President Donald Trump has removed any claim of executive privilege regarding ex-Biden officials testifying in the House Oversight Committee probe regarding the former president's senility. Neera Tanden, who now spends her time getting embarrassed by Scott Jennings on CNN, was the subject of a White House counsel letter making it clear that executive privilege claims are "not justified." It goes on to "authorize" Tanden to speak openly and honestly...

Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, was not briefed before the US strikes on Iran — even though his GOP counterpart on the panel, Chairman Rick Crawford, was in contact with the White House, per a person familiar. Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, also was not briefed before the attack, per a source familiar, but the GOP chairman, Tom Cotton, was briefed. Both Democrats are in the “Gang of Eight,” which typically would be briefed before a significant US military engagement. The Gang of Eight includes the House and Senate...

She might be the She-Wolf of Wall Street. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) raked in between $7.8 and $42.5 million in 2024 — meaning her estimated net worth with venture capitalist hubby Paul Pelosi could now top out at $413 million, new financial disclosures showed. *** The former House Speaker, who’s so infamous for trading Missouri Rep. Josh Hawley named a bill after her, and her husband dumped 5,000 shares of Microsoft stock worth an estimated $2.2 million in July — one of their largest sales in three years — a few short months before the FTC announced an antitrust investigation...

The Adams administration has inked a nearly $1 billion contract with the hotel industry for emergency shelter space — despite boasting that the migrant crisis is tapering off, The Post has learned. Taxpayers are on the hook for the $929.1 million reupped with the Hotel Association of New York City Foundation as the total city population still includes a whopping 86,000 people, including homeless individuals and asylum seekers. “These hotel units will be used by social services vendors to house emergency shelter clients who have entered the [Department of Homeless Services] shelter system,” the agency said in a notice posted...

Betrayal! Instead of dealing with Texas property taxes, I’m releasing a list of some of the things that the Texas House prioritized this session. All of these PASSED the House, yet no bills to eliminate property taxes were even allowed to be debated!

House Republicans narrowly passed a bill Thursday to cut $9.4 billion worth of federal spending, effectively codifying several actions by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The so-called rescissions package axes approximately $8.3 billion previously allocated to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and $1.1 billion to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which partially finances National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). The 214-212 vote sends the measure to the Senate, where it will only need a simple majority to advance to President Trump’s desk. Four Republicans — Mark Amodei of Nevada, Brian Fitzpatrick of...

More than 100 Democrats voted against a House resolution on Monday to condemn last week's firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, that injured at least 15 people. The measure, introduced by Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., passed with 280 votes despite 113 Democrats voting against it. And 75 Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the resolution. Six lawmakers — including one Republican — voted "present." Democrats took issue with language in the resolution, including one piece that expressed "gratitude" toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement for "protecting the homeland," Axios reported.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) predicted Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Democrats would win the majority in the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. Jeffries said, “Let me make clear that the House is a separate and co-equal branch of government, the Congress. We don’t work for Donald Trump. We don’t work for the administration. We don’t work for Elon Musk. We work for the American people and we have a responsibility to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. That’s the constitutional blueprint that was given to us by...

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that Republicans’ so-called “big, beautiful” spending bill does not include Medicaid cuts. Johnson said, “No. You can underscore what I am about to tell you: there are no Medicaid cuts in the big, beautiful bill. We are not cutting Medicaid. What we are doing is reducing the program wrought with fraud, waste and abuse to make sure that that program is essential to so many people and ensure that it is available for the most vulnerable. It’s intended for young, single pregnant women, the disabled and elderly. ”

.... “We will be negotiating that bill and I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,” Trump said. “That’s the way it goes. It’s very big, it’s the big beautiful but the beautiful is because of all the things that we have.” “The Senate, as you know, is negotiating with us and they have to then go back to the House and you know, it’s got a way to go,” he added.

Despite the massive input of cash from Disney, the BBC’s famed Doctor Who sci fi series seems to be struggling in the UK ratings with numbers coming in lower than even the previous low numbers from last season as the show becomes mired in accusations of ultra woke story telling. The British state-run broadcasting service reports that the sci fi show’s seven-day viewing figures are not auspicious at all for the first half of season 15, the second for the “queer” Doctor portrayed by actor Ncuti Gatwa. The press has also been a disaster for the show. Over the past...

Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Alex Witt Reports” that the Democratic Party will take the majority in the 2026 midterms and investigate President Donald Trump and his family. Witt said, “I’m curious if the Democrats take over after the midterms next year, the House and or Senate, do you think they’re going to push for investigations into Trump’s family and the whole crypto acquisitions that he has getting?” Crockett said, “Well, Alex, I’m glad you asked. Listen, so long as we end up taking the House, which I fully anticipate that we will do, and we are...

Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia has died at the age of 75 after a battle with esophageal cancer, his family said Wednesday.

Steve Bannon: “I got a problem. And it’s not with Andy Harris. Here’s what I’ve got a PROBLEM with…JOHNSON should not put the President of the United States in this situation…the President of the United States should not have to come to Capitol Hill…and have to WHIP VOTES…Johnson, in these rooms, tells everyone what they want to hear. That’s why people CAN’T STAND HIM…”

During this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) insisted the so-called “big, beautiful” budget bill was still on track despite a setback in the House Budget Committee on Friday. Johnson reiterated his push to get the bill through while explaining its positive aspects. Partial transcript as follows: BREAM: OK. So, House Budget Committee, the vote failed on Friday. They’re back at it at 10:00 p.m. tonight. You heard what Maddie said. Part of the president’s posting on Friday: We don’t need grandstanders in the Republican Party. Stop talking and get it done. But you got...

EXCLUSIVE: The top tax-writer in the House of Representatives is arguing that President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" will be "big" for American taxpayers as well – including seniors. House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., and other Republicans on the panel spent months negotiating behind closed doors on how to enact Trump's tax policies. Among those is an added $4,000 deduction for Americans aged 65 or older. Seniors with income of less than $75,000 as single filers, and less than $150,000 as joint filers, would be eligible for the full deduction, which then would begin to phase...

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has canceled votes scheduled for Friday, May 16. According to Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), “Members are advised that votes are no longer expected in the House on Friday, May 16. He continued, “Last votes for the week are now expected at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 15. This is a change from the previously announced schedule.” No reason has been given. No accountability offered. Just more silence from the so-called “leader” of the House. ... Just last month, Johnson abruptly canceled the remainder of the week’s voting schedule, halting progress on critical conservative...

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) said Wednesday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” that he will not support the House spending bill because it has “real Medicaid benefit cuts.” Hawley said, “It ought to be just a basic foundational principle, it is wrong to cut health care for the working poor, and that’s what we’re talking about here with Medicaid. My state is a Medicaid expansion state, over 20% of Missourians, including hundreds of thousands of children, are on Medicaid.” He added, “I don’t like the idea of decreasing funding for rural hospitals. I’m worried that the House bill goes way too far...