FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL — Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is urging his colleagues in the Senate GOP to hold the line on pro-life and prevent federal funds from going to abortions. In a letter sent to his Republican colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday, the Texas Senator urged his fellow appropriators to protect the Hyde Amendment in any potential conference agreement or appropriations package. “As negotiations with your Democratic counterparts continue, I urge you to maintain all provisions that protect against federal funding of elective abortions in any potential conference agreement or appropriations package,” Cornyn wrote in the document addressed to Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., the chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies.  In the One Big Beautiful Bill, which was signed into law in July, congressional Republicans stripped Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides the most amount of abortions in the country. In the past, Planned Parenthood has received more than one-third of its overall funding from grants, contracts, and Medicaid reimbursements provided by the American government. “By halting taxpayer funding of abortion through the Medicaid program, Republicans showed that even in the wake of the historic Dobbs decision, our fight is not over, and we reasserted our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities,” Cornyn explained in the letter. “The ongoing legal fight over this provision highlights the continued threat of the big abortion industry and the need for pro-life lawmakers to remain vigilant,” the Texas senator continued. Since the advent of the Hyde Amendment in the 1970s, pro-life legislators have attempted to curb direct and indirect federal funding for elective abortions. Cornyn estimates in his letter that approximately 2,646,000 lives have been saved as a result following that congressional decision. Cornyn noted the hardball tactics employed by the Democrats to get Big Abortion back on the federal funding circuit. “Democrats shut down the government for 43 days in an unsuccessful attempt to undue the work Republicans accomplished in OBBBA, including the progress we made to stop forced taxpayer funding of abortion,” Cornyn wrote. “Now is not the time to give an inch on our pro-life values.” The Texas senator is currently facing two major challengers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, for his Senate seat in 2026 GOP primary that will be held in March. Some recent polling shows a close three-way race. The post EXCLUSIVE: Cornyn Urges Senate GOP to Keep Tax Dollars Out of Big Abortion Pockets appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A church in Bryan, Ohio recently notched a win that religious liberty advocates believe will set a new precedent after the city attempted to shut down the church using fire codes. Last Friday, Ohio’s Sixth District Court of Appeals reversed an injunction against the church, called Dad’s Place, and its pastor, Chris Avell, from being able to carry out religious ministry to the homeless and providing them with temporary shelter. The legal questions in the case centered around the relationship between religious liberty and municipal codes, with an eye to ensuring religious organizations are not unnecessarily burdened. Ryan Gardner, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, told The Daily Signal that the law requires “the least restrictive test possible,” when dealing with religious organizations. “You have to infringe on religious liberty with as light a touch as possible. And that’s the test that the court says applies here, and that’s why it sent the case back down to the trial court to correctly apply that… test.” Gardner claimed, also referring to sentiments shared by Attorney General Dave Yost, that, in this case, Bryan, Ohio was seeking to use “petty tools of government to shut down a disfavored ministry” in the form of fire codes. The Daily Signal also reached out to Yost’s office for further comment on the case. A report from WTOL Toledo highlighted how the trial court must reconsider the case based not on the rational basis standard that had been used, but rather the strict scrutiny standard according to the Ohio Constitution Conscience Clause. Also relevant is the Ohio Supreme Court case of Humphrey v. Lane, a 2000 decision to do with grooming policies at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, which violated the practices of a Native American officer. The First Liberty Institute press release cited the opinion and its instructions for the lower court. “Because the trial court erred in failing to address [Dad’s Place’s] arguments under the Ohio Conscience Clause we must remand the case to the trial court for further proceedings. On remand, the trial court is directed to consider [Dad’s Place’s] claim under the Ohio Constitution and to reconsider [Dad’s Place’s] free exercise claim under the U.S. Constitution using a strict scrutiny analysis,” it read. A press release from First Liberty detailed how Bryan, Ohio has gone after Dad’s Place and Avell, using “multiple criminal and civil proceedings, including 18 criminal zoning charges, middle-of-the-night fire inspections, and both criminal and civil fire code prosecutions.” The press release also noted that this is “while city officials demand the church install an expensive fire suppression system, the city does not require any of its motels, most of its apartment complexes, and even a senior living facility to install fire suppression systems in their buildings.” Fire codes have been so onerous that many buildings have been grandfathered in, Gardner explained to The Daily Signal. These codes are often burdensome for-profit organizations, Gardner added, and Dad’s Place would not have been able to comply with the fire code restrictions. Gardner stressed that “vast discretion” is used to enforce fire codes, which, along with laws such as zoning codes and nuisance laws, are “highly discretionary” and can be used against organizations that may be deemed disfavored compared to others. The court’s holding, therefore, is “monumental for religious ministries” not merely in Ohio but “across the country,” Gardner explained. Gardner further applied this test to churches being more burdened than secular places during COVID-19 lockdowns, as well as recent U.S. Supreme Court cases. With Fulton v. Philadelphia, the Court in 2021 unanimously found that the City of Philadelphia violated a Catholic foster agency by refusing to renew a contract unless same-sex couples were allowed to be certified as foster parents. The Daily Signal reached out to the City of Bryan for comment on the case. Friday’s court win is not the end of the road, however. Pastor Chris Avell’s appeal of a criminal conviction against him is still pending. Nevertheless, Gardner sees such a victory as “a turning point in the case,” and one that means “the turkey is going to taste a little better” given how close the victory came to Thanksgiving. The post Ohio Church Secures a Win Against ‘Petty Tools of Government’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The White House reportedly plans to unveil a health policy framework including a two-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies. While Congress awaits details, Republican senators say they will not support a deal without the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayers dollars from funding abortions. “We don’t have any details on this plan, but Sen. Young supports Hyde protections and believes it should apply to any taxpayer funded health care spending,” Leah Selk, press secretary for Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., told The Daily Signal. Another Republican senator who asked to remain anonymous told The Daily Signal any deal or legislation would have to at least include Hyde Amendment protections. President Donald Trump will ask Congress to pass a bill preventing Affordable Care Act subsidies from expiring next month, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to The Daily Signal. The White House has not specified if its framework will include the Hyde Amendment. “We are committed to upholding Americans’ values, but any official announcements of any specific plans will come from POTUS,” a White House official told The Daily Signal. While the announcement was first reported to be coming as early as Monday, a White House official told The Daily Signal that there is no health announcement planned for today. MS Now reported that the White House is delaying the healthcare proposal after significant congressional backlash. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said he will wait to review the bill language before making final decision, but he maintains his commitment to making sure taxpayers don’t fund abortions. “Sen. Lankford will continue to push for strong Hyde protections, as federal law requires, and as he has always done,” a spokesman told The Daily Signal. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., will also not support a health care plan that funds Planned Parenthood, according to a spokesperson. The pro-life movement is on the same page, with Kelsey Pritchard of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America telling The Daily Signal her organization “will continue to oppose any healthcare plan that does not include that safeguard.” She said that is where the majority of senators are going to land as well. “We’ve seen many pledges of the importance of pro-life policy in the healthcare space,” Pritchard said. Senate Republicans differ on if they want to extend Obamacare at all. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., told reporters during the shutdown that to extend the subsidies would be to put more resources into a program that has not yielded results for Americans. House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., previously told The Daily Signal “there’s no reason to [extend] it.” “COVID is over,” he said. “The insurance companies have made billions of dollars off the enhanced tax credits. It’s about time to return to the pre-COVID level of tax credits with the original [Affordable Care Act] tax credits.” Still, many Senate offices have told pro-life movement leaders that they plan to insist Hyde was included in whatever health care framework the chamber lands on, according to Quena González, senior director of government affairs at Family Research Council. “I am sure that White House staff are very well aware of the concerns of pro-life Americans,” González added. “President Trump, in his first term, called himself, rightly, the most pro-life president in American history.” Sen. Bill Cassidy, chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, told The Daily Signal that “Republicans are very, very, very concerned” about making sure the health care plan doesn’t fund abortion. Cassidy proposed his own ACA funding bill which would use the current funding for enhanced premium tax credits to fund flexible spending accounts, or FSAs, for Obamacare eligible enrollees. In order to end the record 43-day shutdown, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., offered Democrats a vote on an ACA funding bill by the end of the second week of December. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., made another proposal called the “More Affordable Care Act,” which would enable Obamacare customers to use a “Trump Health Freedom Account” that resembles a health savings account. His plan is Hyde-compliant by restricting use of funds on abortion. But Senate Republicans will struggle to get the necessary 60 votes to pass any legislation that includes Hyde, whether it be the proposal from the White House, Cassidy, or Scott. “It’s a nonstarter,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told NBC News. Since Republicans won’t vote for a bill without Hyde and Democrats won’t vote for a bill with it, reconciliation may be the chamber’s only option. Instead of needing 60 votes, a reconciliation bill only needs 50 votes in the Senate. Republican Study Committee Chair August Pfluger, R-Texas, favors this option, saying it’s the best way to reduce health care costs for Americans. “Our proposal will put power into patients’ hands by creating healthcare options that protect pre-existing conditions while giving families real alternatives to ObamaCare,” he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. “We’ll expand access to health savings accounts, grant employers more flexibility to help workers find coverage that fits their needs, and remove barriers to affordable generic and biosimilar drugs.” Last week, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair expressed interest in a bipartisan health plan but said that “if that path is foreclosed, there is the partisan path of reconciliation as well.” Critics say this could be hard to get done before the end of the year, as it took Republicans months to use reconciliation to pass the “One Big Beautiful Bill” over the summer. Pro-lifers would also have to overcome the Byrd rule, which is meant to restrict the process to budgetary policy only. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough—essentially the Senate referee—decides on whether or not provisions in the budget reconciliation process follow Senate rules.  But the pro-life coalition believes with enough preparation, senators can find a way to get Hyde restrictions on Obamacare subsidies through MacDonough. Due to pro-lifers’ hard work coming with language that prohibited Medicaid from funding abortions and transgender procedures in the Big, Beautiful Bill, MacDonough allowed the provision to pass. “In some sense, the Byrd Bath is real, and there are limits to what you can do on reconciliation,” said Family Research Council’s González. “But on the other hand, political will counts for a lot.” The post Republican Senators Require Abortion Restrictions to Support Trump’s Two-Year Obamacare Extension Proposal appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Next week’s special election to replace Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District is shaping up to be a bellwether of Democrats’ strength heading into the midterms. While the Republican candidate in the election, Matt Van Epps, is expected to win the election, how Democrats perform will be a sign of Democrats’ support following their string of wins in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania in November. And with the Democrat candidate Aftyn Behn likened to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., the election also represents a test of how progressive messaging will perform in red areas. The congressional vacancy was created after Green resigned his seat from a district President Donald Trump won by 22 points in the 2024 presidential election.  “This is our first special election in nearly 40 years in Tennessee, so this is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity for us,” Dakota Galban, chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party, told The Hill. A Republican With Strong Endorsements Van Epps has strong GOP backing. He has earned the endorsements of Trump, Green, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The Army veteran with Washington aspirations also has deep connections to the Republican Party in Tennessee, with previous experience as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services and in the Tennessee governor’s office. A graduate of West Point, Van Epps served for 10 years on active duty. That involved combat deployments where he served as a helicopter pilot and air mission commander in Army Special Operations. Van Epps rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Army National Guard. A Democrat With a Progressive Message Van Epps’s opponent, Behn, is a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing downtown Nashville. Behn holds a degree in social work from the University of Texas, Austin and has an extensive resume working for left-wing groups. She previously served as the campaign director for RuralOrganizing and has also worked for the progressive grassroots organization known as National Indivisible. Behn has also been “a consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland,” according to her official campaign biography. The president has characterized Behn as a “left-wing lunatic,” and said she had been called “the AOC of Tennessee because of how radical left and how dangerous her policies are.” Behn has been criticized for past comments she made on social media, including a tweet that called for the dissolution of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department in 2020, which has since been deleted. Behn has campaigned on quality-of-life issues, portraying the Republicans in charge of Tennessee as complacent. “I have been someone who’s been trying to make health care more affordable in the state for a long time, and I think that the paradigm is shifting, and there’s a few reasons for that. One is that we’ve had a Republican Trifecta in the state for 15 years, and it is not delivered for the Tennessee people,” Behn told the political news show Breaking Points in a video published on Nov. 23. The election will be held on Dec. 2. Early voting has started in the district. The Daily Signal reached out to the campaigns of Van Epps and Behn. The post Upcoming House Election Tests Democrat Mettle Ahead of 2026 Midterms appeared first on The Daily Signal.

THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—A federal judge found interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s appointment unlawful on Monday. Judge Cameron Currie dismissed cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who both challenged Halligan’s appointment. “I agree with Mr. Comey that the Attorney General’s attempt to install Ms. Halligan as Interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia was invalid,” the Clinton-appointed judge wrote. “And because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice.” Currie held that Halligan’s appointment violated the federal statute allowing the attorney general to make temporary appointments, as well as the Constitution’s Appointments Clause. She dismissed the cases without prejudice, meaning the government could still refile charges later. Halligan took over the Eastern District of Virginia U.S. Attorney’s office after the previous head, Erik Siebert, resigned under reported pressure from President Donald Trump to bring charges. She secured an indictment against Comey just days after taking the role, as the statute of limitations on the charges was about to expire. Comey was indicted on two counts for allegedly making false statements to Congress and obstructing a congressional investigation. James faced two counts for bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. Currie also rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi’s effort to ratify Halligan’s actions after the fact by naming her a “Special Attorney” with authority to conduct any legal proceeding in the Eastern District of Virginia. Bondi signed the order Oct. 31 to avoid any “doubt as to the validity” of her appointment. “It would mean the Government could send any private citizen off the street — attorney or not — into the grand jury room to secure an indictment so long as the Attorney General gives her approval after the fact,” Currie wrote. “That cannot be the law.” Originally published by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The post Judge Dismisses Indictments Against Letitia James, James Comey Over Prosecutor’s Appointment appeared first on The Daily Signal.