On Thursday, Congress could take a step toward restoring a now old-fashioned way of funding the government while eliminating a spending policy from President Joe Biden’s administration. The House will consider its final batch of appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026 to fund several federal agencies. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., on Wednesday said the spending process has been restored to a “committee-led, member-driven approach.” “It will spend less than another continuing resolution and it will continue to advance our America First agenda,” Johnson said of the package. “Once we pass the final batch this week, Republicans will have finally replaced the last of any Biden-era spending levels with Trump-era spending levels.” Johnson has promised to restore the practice of passing individual spending bills each year. This approach, known as “regular order,” is an alternative to the chamber’s more recent habit of funding the government through continuing resolutions, which simply extend previous funding, or omnibus bills, which jam together many different spending bills for one vote. ‘Regular Order’ or Not? Upon passage, the House will then send the four bills to the Senate, combined with two bills passed last week to fund the State Department and financial regulators. The Senate will have time to pass the package before the Jan. 30 deadline to fund the government. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who has long advocated for considering individual appropriations bills, told The Daily Signal that he does view the current process as a marginal improvement from the previous funding approach. “We’re at least getting a vote on every appropriations bill in the House. Not as stand-alone bills, which would be nicer, and not subject to amendment—which is essentially the definition of regular order,” he told The Daily Signal.  “So it clearly isn’t regular order yet,” he said, adding that “minibuses are at least progress to break it into smaller chunks.” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told The Daily Signal that he views splitting up votes on bills as a step towards regular order but still desires individual bills in the future. “I wish you’d say every spending bill is less than a paragraph. That’s the way we do it in Tennessee, and we’ve got a balanced budget, because nobody can hide behind a thousand-page bill in the Tennessee legislature,” Burchett said. In the House Rules Committee on Wednesday, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said the current process is “barely a toe in the water to regular order,” but nevertheless “a trajectory towards regular order, and that is a good thing.” Roy called the House’s work to modestly cut discretionary spending “an important signal to the markets” and an “understanding of where we are in terms of our overall debt load in this country that we’re trying to constrain.” Homeland Security Democrats will likely show their fiercest opposition to the bill funding the Department of Homeland Security–particularly funding of Immigration and Customs Enforcement–after the death of Renee Good in an ICE-involved shooting.  The homeland security section will be considered independently from the other three bills on the House floor. California Rep. Pete Aguilar, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, told reporters that his fellow caucus members expressed a largely negative view of the bill. “In the last 24 hours, we’ve heard our members speak loudly that ICE isn’t doing enough. These reforms aren’t enough. Their lawlessness has to stop,” said Aguilar. “There aren’t enough guardrails within this bill. … It’s unfortunate that the behavior of ICE is jeopardizing the homeland security bill.” In response to Aguilar’s comments, a DHS spokesperson gave The Daily Signal a list of illegal immigrants arrested for violent crimes, and said, “These are who the Democrats are protecting by trying to defund ICE law enforcement.” Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, has already said he will vote for the bill. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who sits on the rules committee told The Daily Signal he sees giving Democrats an opportunity to vote separately on Homeland security as a positive. “I think it’s good. Let them vote on that, get them on record. I mean, I don’t see anything wrong with that,” Norman said Thursday. “I think we will get it passed,” Speaker Johnson told reporters Wednesday. House Republicans currently hold a thin majority in the chamber. The post Speaker Approaches Legislative Triumph With Funding Package appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that law enforcement had arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, a leader of the agitators who invaded a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday. “Minutes ago at my direction [Homeland Security Investigations] and [FBI] agents executed an arrest in Minnesota,” Bondi posted on X Thursday morning. “So far, we have arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, who allegedly played a key role in organizing the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” she added. “We will share more updates as they become available.” “Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” the attorney general wrote. Shortly afterward, Bondi posted that Chauntyll Louisa Allen had also been arrested. “More to come,” she added. Allen is a member of the St. Paul school board and leader of Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, as TMZ reported in an interview with her. UPDATE: A second arrest has been made at my direction. Chauntyll Louisa Allen has been taken into custody. More to come.WE WILL PROTECT OUR HOUSES OF WORSHIP ??— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 22, 2026 Between 30 and 40 anti-ICE agitators interrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church, a non-denominational Christian church in St. Paul, and shouted, “Justice for Renee Good!” as they surrounded members of the congregation.  Videos of the incident show the pastor and others repeatedly asking the agitators to leave, and the agitators chanting, “Who shut this down? We shut this down!” This is not peaceful protest. This is an invasion of a sacred space. Anti-ICE agitators disrupted Cities Church in the middle of service. Warning: the agitators on the Left are serious. The man who posted this video bragged about doing this—comparing it to Jesus flipping over… pic.twitter.com/BeeIdubpwM— Tyler O'Neil (@Tyler2ONeil) January 19, 2026 The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the incident for potential violations of the FACE Act, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced Sunday. She also mentioned prosecution under the Ku Klux Klan Act. Armstrong, leader of the Racial Justice Network and a former president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, told Democracy Now that she does not regret helping to lead the protest. “We are unapologetic about going into the church,” Armstrong said. She called it a “conflict of interest” for a pastor to oversee “the brutal conduct of ICE agents.” When asked about the prospect of facing charges, Armstrong called it “hypocrisy” that the Justice Department would investigate the agitators but not the ICE agent who shot Good. She also faulted President Donald Trump for enabling ICE to arrest illegal aliens inside churches with a warrant. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. The post BREAKING: Ringleader of Anti-ICE Church Invasion Arrested appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Virginia’s new Democrat-controlled government could pursue a redistricting effort that could wipe out four of the five Republican congressional seats heading into the midterms. Newly-minted Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is backing the effort “100%.” Democrats are pushing a redistricting effort that could change Virginia’s Congressional representation from six Democrats and five Republicans to 10 Democrats and one Republican. House Republicans already have a slim majority in the 119th Congress, and Virginia’s redistricting effort, if successful, could give Democrats the edge to take the House come Election Day.   Democrats in the state house and senate have passed an amendment to the state constitution that, if signed by Spanberger, would lead to a referendum in April for constituents to vote on the amendment.   With the newly-proposed amendment, Democrats are attempting to upend a 2020 constitutional amendment that established a bipartisan redistricting commission. If the amendment succeeds, the map would instead be drawn by the Democrat-led legislature. “Democrats want to be kings of Virginia by gerrymandering the state’s congressional districts and disenfranchising almost half of all Virginians,” Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., told The Daily Signal.   ? BREAKING: As soon as Democrats take power in Virginia, they are moving to– Draw a 10 DEMOCRAT-1 REPUBLICAN 2026 Congressional map– Raise sales tax– Strict gun control– Potentially allow abortion to birthDems MUST LOSE 2026. This is insane. pic.twitter.com/scdt9CvaGw— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 20, 2026 If the redistricting effort succeeds, Kiggans and Virginia Republican Reps. Rob Wittman, John McGuire, and Ben Cline could be in hot water. Under the 10-1 map, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., would likely remain safe. Spanberger was formerly against gerrymandering in 2019 when she served in Congress.   “I agree with Abigail Spanberger, who rightly said in 2019 that gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy and weakens the individual voices that form our electorates, and that opposing it should be a bipartisan priority,” said Kiggans. “I call on her to stand by those words and not give in to the radical left in her first days as governor,” Kiggans continued.  Newly sworn in Virginia Attorney Jay Jones (D) released an official opinion on the constitutionality of the proposed redistricting amendment, but he didn’t take his predecessor Jason’s Miyares’s (R) name off the official letter head.Evil & stupid. It’s going to be a long 5… pic.twitter.com/hwdc6qI6Qw— Being Libertarian (@beinlibertarian) January 20, 2026 “The Democrats are trying to ram through a hyper partisan redistricting process that undermines the will of the people,” former Republican Virginia Rep. Bob Good told The Daily Signal. “It’s unfortunate that Democrats are going to wield their newfound power in a hyper-partisan way. Virginia is about a 55-45 Democrat-Republican split in the vote, and the Democrats want to try to make it a 90% Democrat state by achieving a 10-1 advantage,” continued Good. “Democrats are ignoring the Virginia constitution,” said Kiggans, referencing the 2020 constitutional amendment. “Virginia voters overwhelmingly rejected partisan gerrymandering by amending our Constitution to create an independent redistricting commission,” Kiggans continued. “Constitutional amendments should not be taken lightly or temporarily brushed aside to grab power and disenfranchise voters based on political disagreement.”  “The Democrats are fighting to overturn a constitutional amendment approved by more than 65% of voters 5 years ago,” echoed Del. Anne Ferrell Tata, R-V.B., to the Daily Signal. “Their motivation is clear—to create gerrymandered districts to maximize their power and eliminate Republican seats in Congress.” “This blatant power grab defies the will of the people and is disastrous for Virginia,” Tata concluded.   Speaker of the House Don Scott feels even more confident in redistricting now that Spanberger is “100% behind” it. https://t.co/WQlM3wx1qB pic.twitter.com/pjcS7SSgX4— Brandon Jarvis (@Jaaavis) January 20, 2026 Governor Spanberger could not be reached to comment. The post Democrats Could Wipeout Virginia Republicans’ Seats in Congress  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Seventeen House Republicans gave California Democrats a late Christmas present this month when they crossed the aisle to vote for extending enhanced Obamacare premium subsidies for another three years. Not only did they move these massive handouts one step closer to permanent entitlement status, but they failed to advance reforms that would actually lower health care costs, like closing the Intergovernmental Transfer loophole that has cost taxpayers tens of billions over time. The Senate should stop this bill in its tracks and—in anticipation of pushback from those who have never seen a government expansion they didn’t like—prepare to argue to the public why propping up a broken system won’t reduce health insurance premiums. As I argued in The Hill, these subsidies just mask the true cost of government distortion. Since the Affordable Care Act passed, average family premiums have exploded to more than $25,000 per year. Government subsidies haven’t stopped that rise. They’ve enabled it—by insulating insurers from competitive pricing and reducing any pressure for meaningful reform. And while Washington debates whether to extend temporary tax credits, states like California are quietly siphoning off billions in federal Medicaid dollars through legalized budget fraud tied to the Intergovernmental Transfer loophole. It works like this: State-run hospitals or county agencies send funds to the state Medicaid program. The state counts those as its own Medicaid spending, uses them to trigger a higher Federal Medical Assistance Percentage match from the federal government, and then sends most of the money back to the local provider—often with a bonus. No new services are delivered. No patients are helped. But billions in federal money change hands—and California is the poster child for using this racket to cover its budget gaps it. The Paragon Institute calls this the “Local Loop.” I call it Medicaid fraud with federal approval. And it’s not new. The Government Accountability Office warned Congress about these tactics in 2004. Back then, Medicaid was a fraction of its current size. In March 2025, Paragon estimated that improper Medicaid payments totaled $1.1 trillion between 2015 and 2024—double what the federal government officially reports. California leads the pack. Gov. Gavin Newsom just introduced a $348 billion state budget, despite running a $3 billion deficit—again. His administration continues to lean on Medicaid Intergovernmental Transfer schemes to extract more money from Washington instead of enacting real fiscal discipline. This scam doesn’t just fleece taxpayers. It undermines care. In California, public ambulance providers that participate in funding transfer schemes are reimbursed more than $1,000 per Medicaid transport. Private ambulance services often receive a quarter of that. The result? Private providers leave the market, rural patients suffer, and public-sector monopolies get even stronger. The real path forward is not more subsidies, whether via the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid. It’s structural reform. We should start by shutting down Intergovernmental Transfer abuse—ending circular transfers, enforcing transparency in Medicaid financing, and tying federal dollars to real services delivered to real patients. Then we need to empower patients directly. In my Empower Patients Initiative with Dr. Deane Waldman, we propose giving Medicaid recipients no-limit Health Savings Accounts, funded through state block grants. These accounts allow individuals to pay providers directly, shop for care, and make health care decisions on their terms. Paired with time limits and work incentives for work-capable adults, this model would reduce dependency, lower costs, and improve outcomes. It would also inject long-overdue competition and price transparency into a system that’s been shielded from both. We shouldn’t spend another dollar on expanding a broken health care system where waste, fraud, and restricted access are the norm. The Senate has a chance to do something the House didn’t: say no to making pandemic subsidies permanent. Say no to another taxpayer-funded bailout for insurers. And say yes to fixing the corruption and distortion that actually drive- up health care costs. Let the subsidies expire. End the Medicaid shell games. And finally start empowering patients—not bureaucracies—to take charge of their care. We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal.    The post 17 House Republicans Cave on Subsidies While California Loots Medicaid appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—President Donald Trump’s Small Business Administration is reviewing whether Planned Parenthood affiliates illegally received $88 million in loans during the COVID pandemic, The Daily Signal can first report. “At the height of the pandemic, affiliates of Planned Parenthood took $88 million in taxpayer dollars to fund their abortion-on-demand agenda – and the Biden Administration made sure they got nearly every cent forgiven, even after the first Trump Administration protested,” SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler said. “Six years later, the Trump SBA holds the same conviction: Planned Parenthood Federation of America was never eligible to receive a dime in pandemic-era relief from taxpayers.” The administration’s move to challenge millions in funding for America’s largest abortion provider comes the week of the March for Life, when thousands of pro-lifers flock to Washington, D.C. to advocate for the right to life for the unborn. SBA on Thursday sent letters to 38 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. affiliates requiring them to prove they were eligible for the more $88 million in COVID-era relief through the administration’s former Paycheck Protection Program. In addition, the Biden administration forgave 34 loans to Planned Parenthood affiliates under the program. Now, SBA is reviewing if Planned Parenthood affiliates misrepresented the size of their organizations or the nature of their affiliation with the national organization to unlawfully qualify for the loans. “As part of the review underway, not only will we expose the Planned Parenthood affiliates who took advantage of the American people–we will take every necessary step to force every bad actor to pay them back,” Loeffler said. Planned Parenthood chapters which don’t provide the requested documentation may be determined to have been ineligible for the loan and the subsequent forgiveness. Additionally, affiliates which SBA finds to have provided incorrect or false eligibility certifications will face “severe penalties, including repayment of the loan, ineligibility for loan forgiveness, and possible referral for civil or criminal penalties.” The Paycheck Protection Program, which ran from April 3, 2020 to May 31, 2021, was formed to help small businesses keep employees on payroll amid disruptions caused by the pandemic. Applicants were required to self-certify their size and eligibility to the administration. Though each Planned Parenthood affiliate said they were an independent qualified entity with fewer than 500 employees, per the program’s requirements, the Trump administration found that none of them were eligible due to their affiliation with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, thus together exceeding the 500 employee limit. President Joe Biden’s administration then forgave many of the loans to Planned Parenthood affiliates without “engaging in a meaningful review of their respective applications.” The SBA is able to use its authority to open a review of loans despite prior loan forgiveness, according to a news release. Members of Congress had previously requested an investigation over the PPP funds given to Planned Parenthood affiliates. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, last March demanded “answers over how the funding was approved, and loans were forgiven despite PPFA being ineligible to receive PPP funds but were stonewalled at every turn by the Biden administration.” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., sent a letter to the first Trump administration asking the Department of Justice to investigate if granting loans to Planned Parenthood violates SBA’s affiliation rules. “As you know, fraudulent loan applications can trigger both civil and criminal penalties,” the letter said. The post EXCLUSIVE: Trump Confronts $88 Million in COVID Funding for Planned Parenthood appeared first on The Daily Signal.