House, Senate Pass DHS Funding Measures After Weeks of Democrat Delays
The House and Senate both passed bills providing funding for Department of Homeland Security agencies that have been functioning without pay for weeks amid a Democrat-imposed partial shutdown. The Hill reported that the House passed a GOP-backed bill Thursday to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a third time amid the 41-day shutdown.
The House approved the legislation in a 218–206 vote, with four Democrats joining Republicans in support: Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Jared Golden, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. The same lawmakers had backed similar legislation earlier in the year.
Democrats have continued to call for changes to immigration enforcement practices following recent incidents in Minnesota involving federal agents. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed during enforcement operations, prompting investigations and legal challenges at the state level. Good struck an ICE agent with her vehicle while trying to flee, while Pretti, who was armed, directly confronted Border Patrol agents during an operation.
Despite ongoing negotiations, the White House and Democratic lawmakers remain at an impasse over a final agreement on immigration policy and Department of Homeland Security funding.
Meanwhile, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, announced Wednesday that they were working on bipartisan legislation “to immediately re-open” DHS “while advancing commonsense reforms” to ICE, The Hill added.
They noted that the legislation “would require that all federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, are held to the same high standards and policies as it pertains to training requirements, the use of body cameras, independent investigation of use-of-force at scenes, clear outer identification of the agency engaged in the enforcement action, cooperation with local law enforcement, and a prohibition of masks during enforcement actions coupled with tougher penalties for doxxing.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate passed a partial funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security in a rare overnight session, approving the measure at approximately 2:20 a.m. Friday. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives and is intended to restore pay for Transportation Security Administration workers who have gone without income for several weeks, WFTV9 reported.
The funding package covers most department operations but does not include U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or certain components of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The vote follows weeks of staffing shortages and financial strain for airport employees nationwide. Most TSA officers have continued working without pay, contributing to increased absenteeism at airports across the country.
While the Senate’s action marks a step toward addressing the situation, some workers had not yet received paychecks as of Friday. President Trump this week stated he would sign an executive order to get TSA officers paid for the first time since the funding lapse began.
“Lawmakers are set to leave for a two-week recess beginning March 30, which means they only have a short window to get a DHS deal across the finish line,” The Hill noted further. “If they leave without a deal this week, the shutdown will surpass the record for the longest one in U.S. history, which lasted for 43 days last year, unless the Senate approves regular funding.”
That shutdown was also caused by Senate Democrats at the behest of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who held the entire government hostage with what Republicans stated were unreasonable demands.
Against this backdrop, a brand new Real Polling in Real Time with Zogby found that Democrats and Republicans are essentially tied months before November’s crucial midterm elections, possibly spelling bad news for the Democratic Party.
Cruel Heiress Laughs As Elderly Maid Struggles In Water — Spoiled Heiress Shoves Elderly Maid Into Luxury Pool | Fast2tricks
Cruel Heiress Laughs As Elderly Maid Struggles In Water
Martha hit the cold, turquoise pool water with violent impact, sinking below the surface before fighting her way back up to breathe. She struggled frantically, her heavy wet clothes weighing her down as her aged arms splashed wildly against the deep water. She couldn't swim, and panic quickly set in as she gasped for air, her panicked hands barely keeping her nose above the surface. Standing on the dry deck above her, Chloe stood over the submerged elderly woman, her hands on her hips as a cruel, mocking smile spread across her red lips. She laughed hysterically at Martha’s frantic struggle, offering zero assistance while water droplets sprayed up onto her white dress.
Chloe leaned closer over the edge of the pool, her sleek dark hair catching the bright sunlight as droplets of water clung to her chin. She looked down at the drowning woman with absolute disgust, completely devoid of empathy or basic human decency. "Haha, filthy nobody," Chloe sneered, her voice dripping with venom as she watched Martha's hands splash helplessly in the deep end. She casually adjusted her sunglasses, enjoying the twisted display of power she held over someone who had given her entire life to serving her family. To Chloe, the elderly maid was nothing more than an inconvenience, entirely beneath her concern, oblivious to the fact that someone was watching the entire cruel interaction from the mansion veranda.
They Erased Their Daughter—Then the Admiral Saluted Her
They Erased Their Daughter—Then the Admiral Saluted Her
Your family erased you to protect their fortune… but you came back with the power to destroy everything they built. 🤫🔥
“My sister ripped my shirt open in front of two hundred guests and laughed when she saw the scars covering my back.
For one breathless second, the entire ballroom went silent.
My father stared at me with open disgust.
My brother leaned back with a smug smile.
To them, I was still the disgraced daughter who had run away, failed, and returned with nothing.
They had no idea what happened beneath the freezing black waters of the South China Sea.
They knew nothing about the night a burning steel bulkhead began collapsing around my crew.
They didn’t know I held that door open while the metal scorched through my skin—refusing to let go until every sailor under my command had escaped.
So I didn’t cry.
I didn’t cover the scars.
I simply stood there and let them laugh.
Then Admiral Reed stepped forward, raised his hand, and saluted me in front of everyone.
My father’s crystal glass slipped from his fingers and shattered across the marble floor.
Because the daughter they had erased was no longer weak.
She was no longer alone.
And before that night was over, I was going to dismantle my father’s billion-dollar empire piece by piece.”
This is a story of resilience, honor, betrayal, and the kind of family reckoning that will keep you reading until the final page. 📖✨
👉 Want to see what happens when Celeste and Arthur finally face each other in court?
👇 THE FULL 10-CHAPTER STORY LINK IS PINNED IN THE COMMENTS!
Trump Issues Statement Regarding Health of Mitch McConnell
Weeks after former GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was hospitalized for a reportedly serious heart condition, there has been much speculation about his current condition.
Rumors are also swirling about whether he can complete his term, which ends in January.
Initially, reports said that McConnell suffered a “cardiac arrest” and was administered CPR – a health condition that is normally fatal, even for victims much younger than McConnell, who is 84 and has an extensive history of health problems.
But later, in one of the few public updates on the Kentucky Republican’s condition, his staff only said that he was receiving “excellent care.”
However, others who should know more about McConnell’s condition don’t. That includes the president of the United States.
Libby Dean, the White House correspondent for NewsNation, tweeted on Wednesday: “President Trump says he has ‘no idea’ how Sen. Mitch McConnell is doing and says he hasn’t spoken with the Kentucky Republican since McConnell’s hospitalization.”
Now, the governor of the Bluegrass State has grown concerned enough that he has reached out to the senator to inquire about his health.
“As Governor, I request that you fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health,” Gov. Andy Beshear,a Democrat who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential contender, wrote in a letter to McConnell on Wednesday.
“As public officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent,” Beshear’s letter continued.
“I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve,” he added.
Several top Republicans were asked about McConnell’s condition on Tuesday, and their responses were not reassuring.
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee has said that even members of Congress are in the dark about McConnell’s current condition.
Speculation has surrounded the health of the 84-year-old McConnell since the Kentucky senator was found unconscious and required CPR at his home in Washington, D.C., weeks ago.
McConnell’s staff has provided no significant update on his condition since he was hospitalized June 14.
The secrecy has fueled speculation that there is an effort to keep the full extent of the Republican’s condition from the public and has raised questions about whether he will be able to return to office.
On Monday night, MAGA social media user Mila Joy wondered why other senators haven’t spoken out about McConnell’s condition.
“Because they are ALL in on it together. That’s why,” Joy posted to her 571,000 X followers.
In reply, Sen. Lee posted: “Many of us aren’t speaking about Mitch McConnell’s condition because we know nothing about his condition.”
But Lee’s assessment contradicts earlier comments from Senate Majority Leader John Thune after McConnell was first hospitalized.
Thune said he had spoken to the 84-year-old and that he “sounded good.”
“He wants to be back, but I’ll defer to his staff on when,” Thune said on June 15.
Popular conservative activist Laura Loomer claimed recently that sources told her that McConnell is in a “vegetative state,” dismissing Thune’s version of events.
Things with McConnell have gotten worse by the day.
Since the reported incident, McConnell’s office has provided scant details on the former Senate GOP leader’s health condition, except to say that he allegedly “appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital.”
His office last week also said the 84-year-old senator “continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
Trump ‘Briefed With Options’ Amid Stalled Iran Talks
The Trump administration on Wednesday continued to express optimism about negotiations with Iran, even as Iranian officials insist that no direct talks have taken place, according to reports.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said no face-to-face meeting had occurred in Doha and that no direct negotiations with the United States were currently planned.
Despite Tehran’s position, President Donald Trump described the discussions as “very good,” apparently referring to indirect contacts involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner communicating through third-party intermediaries.
Vice President JD Vance struck a firmer tone the same day, warning that the United States could escalate its response if Iran refuses to cooperate or takes actions that further destabilize the Middle East.
His remarks underscored the administration’s message that while it remains open to a diplomatic resolution, additional measures remain on the table if negotiations fail.
“If Iran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, threaten its neighbors and support terrorism, President Trump has options to deal with it,” Vance noted, without elaborating.
Earlier, a Wall Street Journal report claimed that Trump had been briefed on several military options, including “all-out war,” but Trump said he wanted to give diplomacy more time.
Vance additionally stated that the US “dropped bombs on Iran because it fired on ships, and we used leverage to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
He went on to suggest that the U.S. could take that course of action again.
Vance also said the current talks are “to discuss the details and flow of maritime traffic.”
The vice president, addressing U.S. military personnel at a naval base in Virginia on Wednesday, also said that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back decades.
“If you look at what our own intelligence says about their nuclear program, they are further away from developing a nuclear bomb than they have ever been since basically the last 20 or 30 years,” Vance said, though he stopped short of Trump’s claim that the program had been “totally obliterated.”
“What the president asks you to accomplish is to destroy the defense industrial base of that country, so that if they ever decided to rebuild their military, or if they ever decided to rebuild that nuclear program, they would be harmless to do it. You did that exactly as well,” Vance added, per the Times of Israel.
The VP went on to say that Trump is now “negotiating from a position of strength because of you.”
“If the Iranians try to rebuild the nuclear program, the President’s got options. If the Iranians try to threaten their neighbors or fund terrorism, we’ve got options,” Vance continued.
“But what we must never do is drop bombs just for the sake of dropping bombs. And that is what the president will never ask you to do,” Vance added.
“He’ll ask you to go to war, yes. But when he asks you to go to war, he’ll tell you exactly what you’re going for,” the veep noted further.
“And I think that is what you should expect out of your political leadership.”
“What I noticed about the people who are attacking the administration for negotiating is that they are the very same people who, for example, encouraged us to just go a little bit further and just drop a few more bombs in places like Afghanistan,” he said.
“If you go back to the mistakes that were made, those very same people refused to say what we were dropping bombs for,” he added.
“We dropped some bombs a couple of days ago… Because the Iranians were shooting at commercial ships… We applied some leverage, and we’ve had free commercial transit for the last three days,” Vance told the naval personnel.
