Lambert is all business on the back of a horse. Continue reading…

The Trump administration would appear to have the authority to send illegal immigrants convicted of other crimes to prison in El Salvador, based on a key provision in federal law. Following Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to El Salvador on Monday, the nation's president Nayib Bukele posted on X,...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, gained support on Tuesday from Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). “I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel,” Cassidy said. “With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on like healthy foods and a pro-American agenda, I will vote yes,” he added. I’ve had very intense conversations with Bobby and the White House over the weekend and even this morning. I want to thank VP JD specifically for his honest counsel. With the serious commitments I’ve received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the… — U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) February 4, 2025 With Cassidy’s support, RFK Jr. cleared a major hurdle in the Senate confirmation process. RFK Jr.’s nomination made it through the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday in a 14-13 vote, with Cassidy’s yes vote opening the path. Just in: RFK Jr. passed a major hurdle today when the Senate Finance Committee voted along party lines to send his bid to lead the DHHS to a full chamber vote later this week. Full chamber vote should go along party lines, meaning his chances of becoming the next DHHS chief are… pic.twitter.com/4AL9fAvtUL — Joe Quinn (@SeosQuinn) February 4, 2025 Per STAT News: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to win confirmation to head the Department of Health and Human Services after his nomination cleared the Senate Finance Committee Tuesday and a key Republican senator assented to his confirmation. The committee voted for RFK Jr. 14-13 along party lines, sending his nomination to the Senate floor for a vote, probably next week. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.) joined all other Republicans on the committee in voting yes, and said in a speech following that vote that he would support RFK Jr.’s confirmation. It had not been clear how Cassidy, a physician who expressed misgivings about RFK Jr. last week, would vote. Republicans have only one more member on the committee than Democrats, so Cassidy had the power to decide the vote. No Republican senators have said they will vote against Kennedy. “My expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again is the basis of my support,” Cassidy said. Cheers to Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy who did the right thing today. He’s a Republican who was and is unsure about RFK Jr. and reasonably expressed that in last week’s confirmation hearings, but he put that (and possibly his own political future) aside in order to advance… pic.twitter.com/bCeoAgzfSp — Natalie Jean Beisner (@NJBeisner) February 4, 2025 Louisiana's Bill Cassidy supports RFK Jr., despite concerns over vaccine stance https://t.co/A9GLyTOVic — NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) February 4, 2025 From The Hill: To that end, Cassidy said the White House and Kennedy pledged to maintain a key federal advisory board; to work within the established, existing vaccine safety systems; and to give Cassidy input on HHS hiring decisions. “My expectation that we can have a great working relationship to make America healthy again is the basis of my support,” Cassidy said. Cassidy said Kennedy committed to appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on a quarterly basis if requested. He also pledged to allow the committee chair to choose a representative on any board or commission formed to review vaccine safety. If Kennedy is confirmed, Cassidy said HHS will provide a 30-day notice to the HELP Committee if the agency seeks to make changes to any federal vaccine safety monitoring programs. Cassidy said the committee will have the option to call a hearing “to further review the commitments” if warranted.

Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard’s Senate confirmation hearing was notable for her compelling opening statement … One of the best opening statements I have ever heard in conformation hearings. Tulsi Gabbard should and MUST be confirmed as DNI. “I will do my very best to find the truth, no matter where it leads, and share that truth with President Trump.”@TulsiGabbard @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/PBEJ7px7tg — Eddie Fadel (@EddieFadel) January 30, 2025 … as well as her adept response to many of the tough questions she received from senators on both sides of the aisle. For the first time, a national US audience heard about one of the greatest natsec scandals in the 21st century, as Tulsi Gabbard detailed the CIA’s Op Timber Sycamore, which armed the org responsible for 9/11, and ultimately placed it in power in Syria pic.twitter.com/W0iFNUD7fu — Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) January 30, 2025 Much much of the mainstream media’s attention was spent covering her refusal to give into the demand to label Edward Snowden a “traitor.” She acknowledged that former National Security Agency contractor was a criminal for leaking classified documents, but later explained why she stopped short of using the word “traitor” to describe him during the recent hearing. According to Fox News: Gabbard elaborated in a Newsweek op-ed. “Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a ‘traitor,’ here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason.” “Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels, such as the Inspector General or the Intelligence Committee, instead of leaking to the media,” she wrote. Gabbard struck a different tone as a Democratic member of the House, when she introduced a resolution with former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., calling for all charges to be dropped against Snowden. She also put forth a bill that would have offered additional whistleblower protection for people like Snowden. Gabbard is expected to face a committee vote soon, but as of this writing her chances remain uncertain: BREAKING: TULSI GABBARD VOTE IMMINENT RFK PASSES COMMITTEE AMERICA IS BEING MADE GREAT AGAIN IN REALTIMEhttps://t.co/o1wvW71vqn — Jack Poso (@JackPosobiec) February 4, 2025 Here’s some additional insight into the confirmation process, per The Hill: Next, Gabbard — two biggies in one day: The Senate Intelligence Committee will vote at 2 p.m. on Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination to serve as director of national intelligence. Like Kennedy, she cannot afford to lose a single Republican committee vote. Gabbard just got an important ‘yes’ in her column: Republican Sen. Todd Young (Ind.), a former Marine who has been on the fence about Gabbard, just announced that he will vote “yes.” While Gabbard’s refusal to label Edward Snowden (the ex-NSA contractor who leaked classified documents and fled the U.S.) a traitor, kept Young from fully supporting her, he ultimately came around. And here’s some additional analysis of the hearing: Chanel Rion with a fantastic episode on Tulsi Gabbard @TulsiGabbard and her confirmation hearing…“She sucked the oxygen from the lungs of her very opponents… THIS is the portrait of a very powerful woman.” @ChanelRion @FinePointOAN pic.twitter.com/cmaz3vsAbl — NanLee Marie Carissimi (@NanLee1124) February 2, 2025

Elon Musk, a Big Tech billionaire who owns America’s most successful electric vehicle company, would seem to be someone the Democratic Party would hold in the highest esteem. Since he has aligned himself with President Donald Trump’s mission to restore efficiency to the federal government, however, he has become an enemy to an array of powerful leftist leaders. One such critic is Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY): An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government. DOGE is not a real government agency.DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions.DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law.DOGE’s conduct cannot be… — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 3, 2025 Fox News provided Musk’s response: Musk described the effort to slash government waste and bureaucracy as a one-time opportunity. “Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters,” he wrote in response to Schumer. “This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like this. It’s now or never. Your support is crucial to the success of the revolution of the people,” he asserted. The business magnate has called DOGE “the wood chipper for bureaucracy.” Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that @DOGE is doing work that really matters. This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We’re never going to get another chance like… https://t.co/rwBqcp7veQ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 4, 2025 Schumer’s post also received a harsh reaction from plenty of other DOGE supporters: If congress had done its job and wasn’t so corrupt, there would be no need for D.O.G.E.Congress has oversight of the budget which means both approving it and ensuring accountability in how it is spent. — Dean P Burell (@deanpburell) February 4, 2025 Elon was appointed by your president @SenSchumer. If you aren’t involved in fraudulent activities you shouldn’t be concerned. It’s the guilty that scream the loudest. — MAGA PATRIOT TGM (TERI) (@udreams30) February 4, 2025 Perfect example of Democrats double standards. How quickly they forget! for the past 4 years up until just 3 weeks ago unknown, unelected individuals were running this country. HYPOCRITES How dare you?! You have no ground to stand on after what you pulled. The biggest… pic.twitter.com/LM8I57t71K — Sunshine Diamond Eyes (@sundiamondshine) February 4, 2025 TNND added some context to the Musk-Schumer dispute: The exchange comes amid DOGE’s probe of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt argued Monday the agency has long wasted tax dollars. “If you take a look at the waste and abuse that has run through USAID over the past several years, these are some of the insane priorities that that organization has been spending money on,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don’t want my dollars going toward this crap and I know the American people don’t either and that’s exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do.” Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, whom President Donald Trump initially selected to share leadership of DOGE, announced last month he would leave the committee. That decision left Musk as the leader of DOGE. Ramaswamy is widely expected to announce a campaign for governor of Ohio. Here’s a clip of Schumer’s Capitol Hill rant against DOGE: