FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Nearly 40 Republican senators gathered Wednesday afternoon for a frank conversation about Congress’ broken budget process and the rapidly growing national debt. Sen. Roger Marshall‚ R-Kan.‚ led the conference meeting with his GOP colleagues in hopes of offering solutions to end the cycle of emergency spending requests and massive omnibus legislation. Ultimately‚ Marshall wants to deliver a budget on time—something so rare today that both the president and members of Congress routinely ignore deadlines and suffer no consequences as a result. Following the meeting‚ Marshall spoke exclusively with The Daily Signal about the ideas they discussed and his hopes for the future. Our interview has been edited for length and clarity. Rob Bluey: How was your conversation today&;#63; Do you feel optimistic or pessimistic about where things go from here&;#63; Sen. Roger Marshall: It was a very‚ very positive‚ productive meeting. My background is in nuclear engineering‚ and I’m a physician. The first thing I want to do is describe the problem. And we certainly all agree the budget process is non-existent. We need to go back to do some type of budget process. We all agree on the goal that we need some type of regular order‚ and put teeth in the laws that already exist. Some people disagree on what the perfect solutions look like‚ but we all have the same goal. So from that standpoint‚ it’s very good. Bluey: When it comes to implementing some of those process changes‚ is your intent to show constituents what a Republican-led Senate would commit to doing in the next Congress&;#63; Marshall: We’re looking for a commitment from our own leadership to say that they would fight for this budget process. I don’t know that we’re going to get to the Democrats between now and then‚ but my goal is to have bipartisan legislation that they would support. Step one to me was getting all the ideas on the table. We’ve identified the problem. We’re talking about solutions and how much pushback was I going to get on some of these issues. For example‚ what would you think about not allowing the president to give his State of the Union message until he gave us the budget&;#63; The president is consistently late‚ and not just [President Joe] Biden‚ but other presidents have been‚ too. They’re a month late when they’re supposed to turn in their budget. Or if the Senate doesn’t do its budget resolution‚ are we willing to somehow take away some portion of the senators’ budget as well&;#63; I was more interested in what type of teeth we can put in this budget process. I’m just trying to figure out where Republicans are‚ and then where would we find some moderate Democrats that might go along with this should we get Senate control next year. Rob: Do you feel the Republicans who are vying for leadership positions are supportive of the ideas that you shared today&;#63; Marshall: I think they are supportive‚ but to me‚ is it a priority for them&;#63; Most of us are supportive of a lot of different things‚ but I want to hear‚ “Is this a priority that you’re going to fight for&;#63; Are you going to fight for regular order&;#63; Are you going to fight to make sure that we’re going to bring all 12 of those appropriation bills to the floor with an open amendment process&;#63;” I’m still waiting to hear that from the people who are running for leadership. Bluey: As a member of the Senate Budget Committee‚ do you feel that panel is willing to take some of these hard steps&;#63; Marshall: On the Republican side‚ absolutely we are. Sen. Chuck Grassley just gave a beautiful oratory on the history of the budget process. The Budget Act of 1974 is really what the law is centered around‚ and he was elected in 1975. He has just an incredible knowledge on the way it used to work and the way it was supposed to work. It was never perfect‚ but basically Congress has just usurped all those powers to leadership in the Senate‚ the House‚ and the White House to do all this work. We have Sen. Rick Scott and Sen. Mike Braun on that Budget Committee. They’ll be leading the charge. What’s interesting to me is the Appropriations Committee. Sen. Susan Collins gave a great history on how the budget would be helpful to the Appropriations Committee‚ helping them to do their job. It was great news that the Appropriations Committee would love for us to go back to a formal budget process. Bluey: Conservatives in the House made it a priority to have 12 separate appropriations bills when they took control in January 2023. How do you think that process has played out in the House&;#63; Marshall: An A for effort. The most progress I’ve seen up here in my seven years. Speaker [Mike] Johnson is absolutely committed to that process‚ but then he gets drowned out by the White House and the Democrat-controlled Senate. At the end of the day‚ it’s so tough over there on the House side when it’s such a small margin. So I don’t fault anybody in the House for not being able to carry that across the finish line. Elections have consequences. This is what America gave us right now. The Senate is controlled by the Democrats. The White House is controlled by Democrats. And with a small Republicans majority on the House side‚ I think that they did the best they could do. And by the way‚ we need a White House that’s supportive of the process as well. It’ll be a waste of time if we don’t have support from the White House on this process. Joe Biden will do everything he can to fight this budget process. We’re hopeful that President Trump will embrace a budget process. He’s a business guy. They do budgets. They get it. Bluey: Is there a specific next step that your Senate Republican colleagues agreed to do&;#63; Marshall: The next step is for us to take down all these ideas and then bring them back to the Budget Committee. Let us hash some of them out. We’ll start putting pen to paper on what that bill would look like. The post EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Roger Marshall Prescribes Solutions for Congress’ Budget Woes appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A cat was found in a field doing everything she could for her kittens. Now‚ she has a whole family to pamper her. Betty the cat and her kittens Butters and CassieAllisonAn orange and white cat was found in a field nursing and protecting her two newborn kittens. Animal Control took them in and estimated the mother to be two years old.She was frail‚ dehydrated‚ and weighed about seven pounds. Her coat was filthy and reeked of garbage. Patches of her fur were missing throughout her body due to fleas. Despite it all‚ she continued to nurture her kittens.When staff and volunteers tended to her‚ her eyes lit up‚ and her purr engine rumbled loudly. She was found in a field with her kittensAnimal ControlAnimalLuvr's Dream Rescue swooped in to help when they received a rescue plea for the feline family.Allison‚ a foster volunteer‚ opened her home and her heart to the trio and named the mama cat Betty Crocker because &;quot;she is always making biscuits.&;quot; Betty and her kittens arrived in foster careAllison&;quot;Betty never gave up‚ never stopped purring‚ and to say that it feels good to spoil her would be an understatement‚&;quot; Allison shared. &;quot;She is one of the sweetest‚ most loving cats I've ever met.&;quot; The mother cat was very underweight for her frame. Her skin was covered with scabs‚ likely from flea bites. Her kittens never went a day hungry‚ a testament to her determination to keep them safe and fed. Butters and CassieAllisonOn the first day in foster care‚ she stayed by her kittens' side with unwavering devotion‚ refusing to step away despite her hunger.Allison brought a large bowl of food to Betty. Within minutes‚ she devoured it and licked the bowl clean like she hadn't eaten in days. AllisonBetty had a good first night‚ sleeping in a comfy nest with a full belly. &;quot;We started deworming this poor mama. She smelled like she had been eating trash.&;quot;A couple of days of rest indoors did wonders for the mama cat. Betty was hydrated‚ free of fleas‚ and starting to put on weight. With her ravenous appetite‚ she scarfed down five cans of food each day. Allison&;quot;Ms. Crocker can eat‚ and I'm happy to feed her as much as she wants.&;quot;Betty began to play with toys and take short breaks between feedings. She sat beside her foster mom‚ rolled on her side‚ and allowed Allison to comb her belly fur. She's a wonderful mother and constantly making biscuitsAllisonWhile being pampered‚ her paws went into overdrive‚ kneading the air like a master baker. She stuck her tongue out and filled the room with soothing purrs.Betty's stomach issues have improved through care. Her skin is clear of scabs‚ and her hair is starting to grow back in. AllisonHer kittens‚ Butters and Cassie-role (Cassie)‚ are getting increasingly curious with their eyes open. They shuffle around‚ exploring their surroundings while trying to hone their gait.Mama Betty keeps a watchful eye on her babies‚ making sure they don't wander off too far. The kittens are getting more active with their eyes openAllisonWatching the kittens play has rekindled Betty's youthful spirit. She enjoys the assortment of toys in her room and is especially intrigued by the tunnel. Her purr motor doesn't seem to have a pause button.&;quot;Butters and his sister‚ Cassie‚ are growing and starting to show off their adorable personalities.&;quot; AllisonBetty never stopped caring and protecting her kittens while they were outside. She is overjoyed to have a roof over her head and a foster family to love and spoil her. AllisonShare this story with your friends. More on the feline family and Allison's fosters on Instagram and AnimalLuvr's Dream Rescue @animalluvrsdreamrescue.Related story: Cat Found with Kittens that Don't Belong to Him‚ Months Later He Finally Has What He's Been Waiting for

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The Arizona Senate has voted to repeal a law that would prohibit performing abortions except in cases where it is necessary to save the mother's life. The text of the law reads‚ &;quot;A person who provides‚ supplies or administers to a pregnant woman‚ or procures such woman to take any medicine‚ drugs or substance‚ or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever‚ with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman‚ unless it is necessary to save her life‚ shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years nor more than five years.&;quot;The state Senate voted 16-14 in favor of repealing the law. Two Republicans‚ T.J. Shope and Shawnna Bolick‚ voted with Democrats to support repeal‚ reports indicate. Last week‚ the Arizona state House voted 32-28 in favor of repealing the law‚ with three Republicans voting with Democrats‚ according to reports. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs‚ a Democrat‚ plans to sign the bill. She said in a statement‚ &;quot;I am glad to see the Senate answered my call and voted to repeal Arizona’s 1864 total abortion ban‚ and I look forward to quickly signing the repeal into law.&;quot; Last month‚ the Arizona state Supreme Court issued a decision that would allow for the law to be enforced‚ but according to azag.gov‚ &;quot;As of now‚ the earliest the 1864 territorial abortion ban may take effect is June 27‚ 2024.&;quot;Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes‚ a Democrat‚ said in a Wednesday statement that &;quot;without an emergency clause that would allow the repeal to take effect immediately‚ the people of Arizona may still be subjected to the near-total abortion ban for a period of time this year. Rest assured‚ my office is exploring every option available to prevent this outrageous 160-year-old law from ever taking effect.&;quot; Like Blaze News&;#63; Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here&;#33;

School officials are in hot water after parents found out about a drag queen performance at a high school prom in New Mexico. Channell Segura‚ Chief of Albuquerque Public Schools‚ admitted to parents that the drag queen performed at the Atrisco Heritage Academy on April 20. A viral video on social media showed the drag queen‚ whose stage name is Mythica Sahreen‚ dancing provocatively while students stand around in a circle. Students who attended the prom told KOB-TV that they weren't offended by the performance but that it crossed a line and made them uncomfortable. Parents were outraged at the performance and demanded that the officials who approved the performance be fired. &;quot;It was just very inappropriate for the kids to see that. I think that's something that belongs in a club — in a nightclub. That's not something for children to see‚&;quot; said Valentin Trujillo‚ a parent of two students at the school‚ to KOAT-TV. &;quot;My daughter hasn't been exposed to things like this. She was traumatized by it to the point that she left prom early. We have to fill out permission slips for these kids to do anything‚ why weren't we notified of this&;#63;&;quot; said another parent to KOAT. Five days after the performance‚ the district said in a letter to parents that principal Irene Cisneros had been replaced by Anthony Lovato. Numerous other school officials were placed on administrative leave. The drag performer‚ whose real name is Dylan Payan‚ told KOB that he had worked with the Gay-Straight Alliance for many years and that the performance had been approved “through the proper channels.” He said he was not paid to perform. Payan was also upset by the reaction to the performance because he claimed that people had sent death threats to him and his employer. He told the New York Times that he had previously performed three times at the school and there had been no negative reaction to those incidents. “At this point‚ it’s just turned into a hate crime‚” he said about the threats. “What kind of message are you sending to your children&;#63;”School officials said they were still investigating who had approved the performance. KOB also confirmed that the drag performer had been previously arrested for several charges‚ including false imprisonment in 2023‚ but that those charges had been dropped. The New York Times didn't mention those arrests in their report. Here's more about the drag queen dance: School employees placed on leave following prom drag performance www.youtube.com Like Blaze News&;#63; Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here&;#33;

Former President Donald Trump is slated to speak at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention later in May.&;quot;The Libertarian National Party‚ the Party of Principle‚ announced today that President Donald J. Trump has responded to an invitation‚ and challenge‚ from the Libertarian Party to speak at its National Convention‚ and directly address concerns voiced by its members‚&;quot; a press release reads.The presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee described libertarians as &;quot;some of the most independent and thoughtful thinkers in&;quot; the nation‚ according to the press release.&;quot;We must all work together to help advance freedom and liberty for every American‚ and a second Trump Administration will achieve that goal. I look forward to speaking at the Libertarian Event‚ which will be attended by many of my great friends. We all have to remember that our goal is to defeat the Worst President in the History of the United States‚ BY FAR‚ Crooked Joe Biden. If Libertarians join me and the Republican Party‚ where we have many Libertarian views‚ the election won't even be close. We cannot have another four years of death‚ destruction‚ and incompetence. WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND WIN&;#33;&;quot; Trump said‚ according to the press release.Libertarian National Committee chair Angela McArdle has indicated that the move to include Trump is not &;quot;a secret plot to make Trump our candidate.&;quot; She has noted‚ &;quot;Our invitation to President Biden still stands.&;quot;The Libertarian Party opposes &;quot;the administration of the death penalty by the state&;quot; and &;quot;supports the decriminalization of prostitution‚&;quot; according to the party's platform‚ which also states‚ &;quot;we favor the repeal of all laws creating 'crimes' without victims‚ such as gambling‚ the use of drugs for medicinal or recreational purposes‚ and consensual transactions involving sexual services.&;quot;Like Blaze News&;#63; Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here&;#33;

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