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9 Republicans aid Democrats to advance Obamacare subsidies Nine Republicans voted to advance the Democrat-led health care bill Wednesday, defying the GOP to extend Obamacare subsidies. Republican Reps. Nick LaLota of New York, Thomas Kean of New Jersey, Mike Lawler of New York, Ryan Mackenzie of Pennsylvania, David Valadao of California, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Max Miller of Ohio, Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania, and Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida joined Democrats to bring a vote on the health care subsidies that expired at the end of 2025. 'DEMOCRATS have increased health care costs exponentially.'Notably Lawler, Fitzpatrick, Bresnahan, and Mackenzie also signed onto House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' (D-N.Y.) discharge petition last month that would have forced a House vote to extend the subsidies. A final vote on the bill is now expected to take place Thursday. RELATED: Senate tanks GOP solution to Obamacare subsidy problems Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesLawler defended his vote aiding Democrats, saying the solution to fix the "broken" health care system is "through a bipartisan approach.""Republicans and Democrats can agree that our healthcare system is broken and must be fixed through a bipartisan approach," Lawler wrote. "Enough of the blame game on both sides. Let’s focus on actually delivering affordable healthcare for Americans."RELATED: California Republican suddenly dies at age 65 Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesSpeaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has maintained that the Affordable Care Act, especially the COVID-era subsidies, are responsible for skyrocketing premiums. "Obamacare was created and passed entirely by DEMOCRATS," Johnson said in a post on X during the 2025 government shutdown. "Since Obamacare took effect, health insurance premiums have SKYROCKETED. The Obamacare COVID-era subsidies were also passed entirely by DEMOCRATS, and set to expire at the end of this year.""DEMOCRATS have increased health care costs exponentially, and are now shutting down the government — as they try to cover up THEIR OWN FAILURES and somehow blame Republicans."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

'Reckoning day' for Newsom: Trump DOT yanks $160 million over illegal trucker licenses As the Trump administration continues to meet resistance from blue-state governors across the nation, California is now reaping what it sowed by illegally issuing trucker licenses to foreigners.On Wednesday, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that it was "reckoning day" for the state of California and its Democrat governor, Gavin Newsom.'Gavin refused. So now I am pulling nearly $160 MILLION from California.'In a social media post, Duffy explained the Trump administration's "demands": "Follow the rules. Revoke the unlawfully-issued licenses to dangerous foreign drivers. Fix the system so this never happens again." Duffy's post comes after months of demanding that California revoke commercial driver's licenses illegally issued to foreigners. Duffy provided a short video showing that Newsom had many opportunities to comply with federal law.RELATED: Illegal alien truckers with California licenses accused of hauling $7M in cocaine across state lines Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesHowever, "Gavin refused," Duffy said. "So now I am pulling nearly $160 MILLION from California. Under @POTUS, federal dollars won’t fund this CHARADE."The funding will be withheld from California beginning in fiscal year 2027. California agreed in November to revoke every illegally issued license within 60 days. As of the January 5, 2026, deadline, California has failed to follow through on this agreement, leading to the major withholding of federal funding. At least 17,000 licenses were expected to be revoked on Monday, per the original agreement. According to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit reviewed by Fox News, more than 20,000 active non-domiciled CDLs were issued in violation of federal rules. The FMCSA reportedly described the situation in California as a "systemic collapse" of the commercial licensing program. "Federal regulations are clear: states must correct safety deficiencies on a schedule mutually agreed upon by the agency, and California failed to meet its commitment to rescind these unlawfully issued licenses by January 5," FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said, according to Fox News. "We will not accept a corrective plan that knowingly leaves thousands of drivers holding noncompliant licenses behind the wheel of 80,000-pound trucks in open defiance of federal safety regulations," Barrs added. California DMV spokesperson Eva Spiegel responded to the loss of federal funding in a statement: “We strongly disagree with the federal government’s decision to withhold vital transportation funding from California — their action jeopardizes public safety because these funds are critical for maintaining and improving the roadways we all rely on every day.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

Left melts down over childhood vaccine schedule change — but Sara Gonzales says, 'It’s not enough' While most MAHA-minded Americans are cheering in light of the CDC’s latest alteration to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule — which dropped from 17 to 11 diseases — BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales believes it’s “not enough.”“I don’t want that to distract you from applauding what is happening now, because it’s all good changes. He can’t just like totally just bust up the entire system immediately. He’s got to get there,” she explains.The new schedule also doesn’t recommend against getting your children vaccinated for certain diseases but instead breaks a longer list of diseases down into three categories.In the category that’s recommended for all children, there are 11 diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococcal conjugate, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, HPV, and varicella.RSV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and meningococcal are now in the group that’s “recommended for certain high-risk groups or populations,” and rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, hep A, hep B, and meningococcal are in a third group titled “recommended based on shared clinical decision-making.”“I don’t agree with any of these,” Gonzales says.“So there is still work to be done. However, if they want to stair-step this, the way that they have stair-stepped everything else, they would do it in this way,” she adds.And while Gonzales doesn’t believe the Trump administration has gone far enough, the left of course is claiming it's gone too far.“There’s always the fearmongering. ‘Oh my God, RFK is taking away our right to vaccines. How many children, how many beautiful children are going to be killed because RFK didn’t give them their precious chickenpox shots?’ Well, actually, spoiler alert, zero probably,” Gonzales says.“But let’s just be clear ... no vaccine has been eliminated. OK. The CDC is still requiring insurance companies to cover the vaccines if people want them,” Gonzales says, before playing a clip of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) claiming otherwise.“You promised that you would not take away vaccines from anyone who wanted them,” Warren yelled at RFK Jr.“I know you’ve taken $855,000 from pharmaceutical companies, senator,” he responds.“I’m not taking them away,” he added, while she continued to argue.“Elizabeth Warren,” Gonzales comments, annoyed, “has to be the most insufferable on the Senate side.”“Just the shrill, just like the Karen energy of like her voice makes me want to jump off a building,” she adds.Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream. View Article →

Trump administration sends Democrats into hysterics by freezing funding to 5 blue states over fraud concerns President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that those responsible for the historic fraud in Minnesota — members of the Somali community in particular — aren't just ripping off the Gopher State but the country at large."Think of it: $19 billion at least they've stolen from Minnesota and from the United States," said Trump. "We're not going to pay it any more. We're going to have [Gov. Tim] Walz go pay. We're not going to pay them, and we're not going to pay California, and we're not going to pay Illinois."In the wake of the president's remarks, the Trump administration cut off five Democrat-run states' access to over $10 billion in federal child care and family assistance funds.'It's a giant scam.'On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it had barred California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York from accessing nearly $2.4 billion in Child Care and Development Fund money; $7.35 billion in Temporary Assistance for Needy Family funds; and $869 million in Social Services Block Grant funds."Families who rely on child care and family assistance programs deserve confidence that these resources are used lawfully and for their intended purpose," HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill said in a statement. "This action reflects our commitment to program integrity, fiscal responsibility, and compliance with federal requirements."HHS Assistant Secretary Alex Adams, the head of the Administration for Children and Families, emphasized the government's responsibility to "ensure these programs serve the families they were created to help," adding that "when there are credible concerns about fraud or misuse, we will act."RELATED: Tim Walz's nightmare continues as HHS shuts off $185M to Minnesota amid allegedly 'fake' Somali day care centers Photo by Mandel NGAN/AFP via Getty ImagesHHS indicated that the funding freeze will remain in place until the ACF completes a review and determines that the affected states are in compliance with federal requirements.'It's cruel.'Adams and O'Neill also announced on Tuesday that the Trump administration is ending Biden-era practices of providing child-care centers with payments up front without verifying attendance.Democrats melted down over the funding pause, characterizing the effort to ensure taxpayer dollars aren't siphoned away by fraudsters as an attack on children.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose state has seen its share of day-care fraud, said in response to the funding freeze, "It's vindictive. It's cruel. And we'll fight it with every fiber of our being."Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) tried downplaying the fraud, claiming that "this has nothing to do with fraud and everything to do with political retribution that punishes poor children in need of assistance.""Rather than making life easier and more affordable for our families, Donald Trump is stripping away child care from Illinois families who are just trying to go to work," said Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D). "Thousands of parents and children depend on these child-care programs to help them make ends meet, and now their livelihoods are being put at risk."Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat with aspirations of becoming his state's next governor, tweeted, "Donald Trump has declared war on Colorado. He is now robbing thousands of vulnerable Colorado families of the critical support they need to afford food, housing, and health care."Trump raised the matter of fraud in Minnesota during a New Year's Eve event, then noted that "California is worse, Illinois is worse, and, sadly, New York is worse. A lot of other places. We're going to get to the bottom of all of it. It's a giant scam."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

Trump has an 'iron grip' on the Republican Party, says CNN analyst — even with minor dissent on Venezuela While a few Republican politicians are dissenting on the issue of strikes in Venezuela, a CNN analysis found that President Donald Trump has an "iron grip" on the party.Harry Enten said that polling showed there was no "rift" in the party and that a large majority supported the president. He made the comments during a segment on CNN Tuesday.'The vast, vast majority of Republicans are with Donald Trump on this issue.' "Let me be very clear: There is no rift in the Republican Party!" Enten said forcefully."Yes, there are some folks like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Thomas Massie who are quite skeptical of this," he added. "They are very much in the minority."Enten pointed to an Ipsos poll that found 65% of Republicans supported the ouster of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, while only 6% opposed the action. A Washington Post poll found that 74% of Republican respondents supported the action and only 10% opposed it."The vast, vast majority of Republicans are with Donald Trump on this issue," he added. "Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene are very much in the minority. Very few Republicans are with them."He pointed to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that showed Republican support for the president actually increasing slightly from 84% six months ago, to 85% currently."The bottom line is this: Donald Trump has had an iron grip, an iron grip on that Republican base for a long period of time," he added.Video of Enten's comments were widely circulated on social media.RELATED: Sunny Hostin says Maduro's arrest was an act of 'piracy' and 'imperialism' — but Ana Navarro says it made her cry with joy Enten went on to say on social media that support for the Venezuelan strikes had increased among all Americans, likely because it was such a successful operation."Trump has to like the dramatic change in the polls on Maduro's ouster," Enten wrote. "Support for it is through the roof (up 16 pts) vs. pre-ouster. We saw a similar rise in support over time for the Iran strikes in mid-2025. Americans like what they deem as successful military operations."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

'Massive betrayal': Republicans, pro-life groups push back on Trump's call to loosen key abortion restriction President Donald Trump urged Congress to loosen up on a key Republican amendment that prevents taxpayer-funded abortion. Trump said Republicans need "to be a little flexible on Hyde" in order to make health care a winning issue for the GOP. Notably the Hyde Amendment prevents tax dollars from funding abortion services but makes exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. 'I'm not flexible on the value of every child's life.'"You have to be a little flexible on Hyde. You know that. You got to be a little flexible," Trump said Tuesday. "You got to work something. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work."These remarks were quickly met with pushback from prominent pro-life groups as well as Republican lawmakers who called the amendment a nonnegotiable. RELATED: 'More corrupt than Minnesota': Trump mocks Newsom after launching California fraud investigation Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty ImagesRepublican Sens. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Roger Marshall of Kansas both stood firmly against watering down or giving up on the Hyde Amendment despite the pressure from the president. "I'm not flexible on the value of every child's life," Lankford told Huffington Post. “I certainly understand where the president's coming from, but I'm unapologetically pro-life," Marshall added. RELATED: Trump’s agenda faces a midterm kill switch in 2026 Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesPro-life groups like Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America pointed to Trump's past support for the amendment, calling it a "minimum standard" for the Republican Party. "The voters sent a GOP trifecta to Washington, and they expect it to govern like one," SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. "Giving in to Democrat demands that our tax dollars are used to fund plans that cover abortion on demand until birth would be a massive betrayal."“President Trump has consistently supported the Hyde Amendment. He pledged repeatedly to make it permanent law, including in health care coverage, and one of his first actions upon taking office last year was prioritizing the reversal of President Biden’s Hyde violations."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

McRib fake-out? Sticky lawsuit claims no 'actual pork rib meat' in fan-favorite McDonald's menu item A class-action lawsuit filed last month is challenging McDonald's over a cult-favorite menu item, the McRib. The lawsuit, filed on December 23 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, alleges that McDonald's engaged in false advertising when promoting the limited-time menu item. 'We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them.'The four plaintiffs in the complaint are Peter Le of Baldwin Park, California; Charles Lynch of Poughkeepsie, New York; Darien Baker of Chicago, Illinois; and Darrick Wilson of Washington, D.C. RELATED: McDonald's team admits workload on hated AI Christmas ad 'far exceeded' live-action shoots Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty ImagesThe complaint claims that the McRib "does not contain any meaningful quantity of actual pork rib meat — indeed, none at all." The plaintiffs claim that the fast-food chain uses lower-quality cuts of meat instead of rib meat, including, "inter alia, pork shoulder, heart, tripe or scalded stomach."In December 2024, when the McRib was available, the complaint shows that the McRib was one of the most expensive individual items on the menu, even exceeding the price of a Big Mac on average. As a result, had they "known that the McRib did not contain any actual pork rib meat, [the plaintiffs] would not have purchased the McRib or would only have purchased it for a lower price."In a statement obtained by CBS News, McDonald's USA said, "This lawsuit distorts the facts, and many of the claims are inaccurate. Food quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do — that's why we're committed to using real, quality ingredients across our entire menu. Our fan-favorite McRib sandwich is made with 100% pork sourced from farmers and suppliers across the U.S. We've always been transparent about our ingredients so guests can make the right choice for them."CBS also reported that McDonald's denied the specific claim that the McRib contains pork hearts, tripe, or scalded stomach and that the company said the McRib has a base of 100% seasoned boneless pork. The complaint emphasizes that the marketing for the McRib was "materially misleading" for consumers, potentially affecting their purchasing decisions. The McRib was first introduced in Kansas City in 1981.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

California Republican suddenly dies at age 65 Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California has tragically passed away at just 65 years old, according to multiple statements from GOP lawmakers issued Tuesday morning. LaMalfa was a fourth-generation rice farmer representing California's 1st congressional district, an agricultural area in Northern California. LaMalfa dedicated over two decades of his life to public service, first as a state legislator and later serving in Congress from 2013 to 2026.'Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service.'At the time of this writing, no cause of death has been made public. In the wake of the sudden tragedy, many of LaMalfa's colleagues expressed shock and extended their condolences to his family on social media. RELATED: 'Reckless and seditious': Hegseth issues brutal demotion of Democrat senator over 'illegal orders' video Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images"Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (Minn.) said in a post on X. "Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America. Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children."Republican Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who also chairs the National Republican Congressional Committee, reflected on his friendship with LaMalfa, recounting personal memories with the late congressman. "I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague and close friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa," Hudson said in a statement. "Doug was a principled conservative and a tireless advocate for the people of Northern California. He was never afraid to fight for rural communities, farmers, and working families. Doug brought grit, authenticity, and conviction to everything he did in public service."RELATED: 'It's a death sentence': Former Republican senator reveals tragic cancer diagnosis Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images"I cherished our time serving together on the Agriculture Committee and discussing NASCAR — he was a real gear head and motorsports fan. I will deeply miss my 'amigo.' Renee and I are praying for his beloved wife, Jill, as well as Kyle, Allison, Sophia, Natalie, and all his loved ones, friends and staff during this incredibly difficult time."The House majority now sits at 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →

Knife-wielding person advances toward homeowner who complained about car vandalism, cops say. But homeowner is wielding gun. Investigators in Arizona said a homeowner and his family member confronted an individual after 1 a.m. Friday after discovering knife damage on two of their vehicles, InMaricopa.com reported.With that, the person reportedly advanced toward the homeowner while holding a knife, the outlet said.'I love it! That’s justice!!! He definitely found out!'Unfortunately for the person reportedly holding the knife, the homeowner was holding a gun — and used it.When Maricopa Police officers arrived at the scene on West Thornberry Lane in Homestead, they found an individual shot in the leg, the outlet said.That person was taken to a hospital and was awaiting surgery as of Friday morning, police told InMaricopa.com.RELATED: Armed male allegedly stalking his ex forces entry into her Florida home. But victim's husband is there — and also has a gun. Image source: Maricopa (Ariz.) PoliceTurns out that officers later found other cars in the area with similar knife damage, police added to the outlet.The homeowner who pulled trigger is not being charged with a crime, as it appears he was acting in self-defense, the outlet noted.However, the wounded person is facing charges, InMaricopa.com said, adding that the investigation remains ongoing.Commenters reacting to the outlet's story on Facebook appeared solidly behind the homeowner's actions."F'd around and found out," one commenter said."Lucky it was only his leg shot. Just saying. Good for the homeowner!" another user noted."I mean, torturing my horse would get death — so why wouldn't touching my vastly improved horse replacement that, at one time, took years of my life to pay for and develop into a usable vehicle?" another commenter quipped."I love it! That’s justice!!! He definitely found out!" another user declared."Sounds like the criminal deserved it — but will probably still sue homeowner for his injuries," another commenter predicted.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here! View Article →