The House passed a bill to prevent future presidents from banning fracking, as President Trump and his Republican allies turn the page on the Biden administration's regressive energy agenda.
The Protecting American Energy Production Act would stop presidents from banning hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, without authorization from Congress first. The bill passed 226-188, with sixteen Democrats voting with all Republicans as most Democrats voted no.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves using pressurized water, sand, and chemicals to fracture shale rock formations.
It is the most common method of extracting oil and natural gas in the United States, accounting for 95% of all new wells, according to the Energy Department.
Still, fracking has faced opposition over its alleged environmental harms, although fracking advocates say the risks are overblown.
The House's bill to protect fracking from a federal moratorium is unlikely to have much effect on Trump's energy agenda, given Trump's repeated pledges to "drill, baby drill."
Still, the lead sponsor of the bill, Republican August Pfluger (Tx.), said the legislation would send a message that Biden's four-year assault on "safe, clean" fossil fuel is at an end.
"When President Biden took office, his administration took a 'whole of government' approach to wage war on American energy production, pandering to woke environmental extremists and crippling this thriving industry,” Pfluger said in a statement. “My legislation that passed (Friday) is a necessary first step in reversing Biden’s war on energy by preventing the federal government from banning the use of hydraulic fracturing," he said.
“Fracking is a safe, clean, and effective way to produce affordable energy and strengthen our national security. This bill advances President Trump’s pro-energy agenda to restore America’s position as the world’s top oil and gas producer. I am blessed to represent America's most prolific oil and gas producing region and am committed to unleashing energy in the Permian Basin this Congress.”
The Senate last week confirmed Chris Wright, a fracking executive, to lead Trump's Energy Department. The vote was bi-partisan.
"Chris was one of the pioneers who helped launch the American Shale Revolution that fueled American Energy Independence, and transformed the Global Energy Markets and Geopolitics," Trump said in November.
President Trump has prioritized unleashing American energy production in a bid to lower prices after Biden's onerous climate agenda - which Trump calls the "green new scam" - raised costs.
Pfluger's bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A video of an excited young woman championing the revealing audits of wasteful federal spending by Elon Musk and his Department of Governmental Efficiency has gone viral with more than 8 million views now that it has been shared by Musk on X.
The woman, identified as @realsavannahlynn on TikTok, recorded herself in a car, ebulliently saying:
"If you have anything negative to say against Elon Musk and DOGE doing a federal audit, then I have officially decided that you are a part of the money laundering. It's as simple as that. Because we, the people, deserve to know where all of our money is being spent and what ridiculous spending programs our government is wastefully spending our money on!
"It's not like we get to pick our own salaries like people in Congress. But no. These people have an issue with that, which makes you wonder. Who's funding them? What are they doing?
"They're starting to sweat, and you know what I just found out today? DOGE is getting access to FEMA salary history! And I am so freaking exited."
"Stay tuned everybody because sh**'s about to get real."
"The federal government, 110 percent, deserves to be audited because the American people have to deal with you guys up our a** 24/7. It is about time that you felt a little bit of the repercussions pos when you F around, you find out."
"Anyway, this is so exciting!"
Reaction online includes:
"So refreshing to see a beautiful, young woman with no piercing, tattoos or green hair. It gives me hope."
"I bust my a** FOR MONTHSSSS exposing this exact info and this crazy girl gets shared by @elonmusk for screaming in her car… Gotta love it!"
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A pastor has used his Sunday sermon to threaten Elon Musk, who heads President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and is cracking down on all sorts of fraud and inappropriate spending by the government.
For instance, in conjunction with the president he's closed down most of the U.S. Agency for International Development for having spent millions and millions of dollars on things like LGBT comic books and DEI plays overseas.
A report in the Gateway Pundit identified the preacher as Steve Caudle of the Greater Second Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
He said, "In this nation I am worried we are on the verge of bloodshed. This is an attempt to take us back to a day we do not want to go and we will not go. Therefore there will be conflict. I pray that the peace of God will win out and overcome the madness that is attempting to take over this nation. And I will say to you beloved no one likes violence. But sometimes violence is necessary."
He presumptively assigned God to have the opinion, apparently, that wasteful government spending is good.
He continued, "When Elon Musk forces his way into the United States Treasury and threatens to steal your personal information and your Social Security check, there is a possibility of violence.
"Sometimes the devil will act so ugly, that you have no other choice but to get violent. And fight," he said.
He claimed Jesus already endorsed violence by a New Testament verse stating, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
One online analysis suggests the verse means, "The kingdom is invaded, in such sort that sinners, publicans, harlots, Gentiles, 'by the fervour of their repentance, seize it by force, away from the Pharisees and Jews, who thought that it belonged to them alone.'"
The preacher said, "This is the Christian thing to do."
Musk was brief in his response:
This tells me that he is trying to hide MASSIVE fraud," he said.
The Gateway Pundit suggested: "Alert the FBI."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
There's more bad news for those working on all those leftover programs from Joe Biden to subsidize illegal aliens.
Now DOGE chief Elon Musk says he's found out that FEMA spent $59 million last week to house illegals in luxury hotels in New York City, and he wants the money back.
In a social media statement, Musk, chief of President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, said his team "just discovered that FEMA sent $59M LAST WEEK to luxury hotels in New York City to house illegal migrants. Sending this money violated the law and is in gross insubordination to the President's executive order. That money is meant for American disaster relief and instead is being spent on high end hotels for illegals! A clawback demand will be made today to recoup those funds."
Biden embedded throughout the government multiple ways for tax money to be spent on illegal aliens after they break the law and enter the U.S. without permission. One of Trump's agenda points is to eliminate that spending.
A report at the Gateway Pundit wondered, "And why is FEMA paying for illegal alien housing when they ignore Americans suffering and living in tents in places like North Carolina? FEMA funds are meant for American disaster relief and not to fund Joe Biden's invasion."
The report said apparently one of the hotels is the Roosevelt in Manhattan, and in fact, city officials admitted back in 2023 that half of the hotel rooms in New York City were occupied by illegals.
Trump already has concluded that FEMA has lost its mission focus and diverted staff and resources to projects that were beyond its scope and authority, spending more than a billion dollars on the political whims of bureaucrats there.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is continuing its work finding waste fraud and abuse in the federal government in its stated quest to cut $2 trillion a year from the bloated budget and balance the books for the first time in decades.
In a 48-hour period last week, DOGE slashed 62 contracts worth $182 million from the Department of Health and Human Services, including $168,000 for a museum exhibit on Anthony Fauci, the NIH official who got on President Donald Trump's bad side during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As DOGE pointed out in a post on X, the contracts were only for administrative expenses and no cuts were made on any healthcare programs.
In the past 48 hours, HHS canceled 62 contract worth $182 million. These contracts were entirely for administrative expenses – none touched any healthcare programs. This included terminating a $168,000 contract for an Anthony Fauci exhibit at the NIH Museum. pic.twitter.com/EsZxflPS6w
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 7, 2025
DOGE has been looking into various agencies to see what cuts can be made. It wants to completely get rid of USAID, a source of foreign aid money that was being used to fund woke projects.
The newly formed department is also looking to cut over $100 billion in entitlements to people with no social security numbers.
The Fauci exhibit was in development and was due to be finished in July 2025. It has now been completely scrapped.
Trump had also revoked Fauci's government security detail, which he was granted in 2020 amid the pandemic.
Fauci faces major animosity from Americans who felt the pandemic response--especially mask and vaccine mandates--was overdone.
He also faces suspicion for funding the Wuhan lab that is suspected of having leaked the coronavirus that caused havoc around the world, albeit accidentally (as far as we know).
"I think, you know, when you work for government, at some point your security detail comes off and, you know, you can't have them forever," Trump said of the decision. "We took some off other people, too, but you can't have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for government."
Former President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci pre-emptively on his last day in office even though Fauci was never charged with a crime.
Prior to being the spokesperson and so-called expert on COVID-19, Fauci famously tried to bring attention to HIV/AIDS before much was known about them.
He later became the public face of the disease as it was recognized and began to be treated.
President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt the minting of new pennies on Sunday because they cost almost four times their worth to make.
“For far too long the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents. This is so wasteful!” Trump posted Sunday night on Truth Social. “I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.”
According to The U.S. Mint, in 2024 each penny actually cost taxpayers 3.7 cents to mint.
The Mint said it lost $85.3 million in the 2024 fiscal year on the minting of almost 3.2 billion pennies.
The order came out of ongoing investigations by the Department of Government Efficency (DOGE) about ways the government can cut waste, fraud and abuse.
DOGE posted about the cost of making pennies January 21 on X, and Trump picked up on it as an area to cut.
The penny costs over 3 cents to make and cost US taxpayers over $179 million in FY2023.
The Mint produced over 4.5 billion pennies in FY2023, around 40% of the 11.4 billion coins for circulation produced.
Penny (or 3 cents!) for your thoughts.
Sources:https://t.co/Y5LlrpyA62…
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) January 22, 2025
The cost of minting pennies has been a subject of debate for years.
Originally made from copper, the Mint switched to zinc with a copper overlay when pennies began to cost more than one cent to make.
In recent years, however, the cost of zinc has doubled, making it cost ineffective to produce them that way.
It doesn't really make sense to spend almost four cents to make a penny that is worth one cent. If a cheaper way to make pennies can't be found, it makes sense to use what's already in circulation, then start rounding up or down to five cents.
A commenter on the X post by DOGE pointed out that on overseas military bases, the commissary already rounds up or down to the nearest five cents.
Canada stopped minting pennies in 2012, according to the Associated Press.
But the AP also questioned whether Trump could order the Treasury to stop producing U.S. pennies without an act of Congress.
While it may be a little iffy to do so, the Mint could plausibly just stop minting pennies if it decided to do so.
It certainly seems like the $179 million spent to make them could be better spent elsewhere.
The world of New York City politics was shaken up this week after an influential councilwoman decided to up and quit.
According to the New York Post, GOP Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, 40, announced her sudden resignation from the the City Council’s Women’s Caucus to protest how "woke" it had become and its anti-Israel views.
The councilwoman held nothign back in a scathing 90-second video exposing just how radical and woke the women's caucaus had become, which ultimately lead to her decision to step down.
The caucause reportedly refused to condemn Hamas terrorists for its brutal and cowardly attack on Israel in 2023, and spent much of its time catering to far-left radical progressives.
Vernikov went all out in her video, holding nothing back as she ripped the women's caucus for its stance on Israel and other "woke" policy visions.
"How can I condemn and call out all these women organizations who’ve stayed completely silent [after the massacre] but continue sitting in a body that’s supposed to stand up for women’s rights, that’s supposed to stand against the abuse and rape and captivity of women, but cannot do that when it comes to Jewish women?" she said in the video.
She released a statement in her post, which included a clip of her video.
"On Friday I OFFICIALLY left @WomensCaucusNYC because I can’t reasonably stay part of a body that purports to stand up for women, but refuses to condemn the RAPE, MURDER, and CAPTIVITY of Jewish women by jihadi terrorists without adding "context.'"
She added, "This makes them as useless as every other women’s org I’ve condemned for staying silent. Meanwhile, this Caucus literally cannot even agree on what a WOMAN is."
🚨 On Friday I OFFICIALLY left @WomensCaucusNYC because I can’t reasonably stay part of a body that purports to stand up for women, but refuses to condemn the RAPE, MURDER, and CAPTIVITY of Jewish women by jihadi terrorists without adding “context”.
This makes them as useless… pic.twitter.com/Jf4CeFPOs0
— Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (@InnaVernikov) February 9, 2025
Users across social media weighed in on her announcement, with many cheering her on.
"There is clearly the side of right and a side of wrong. You have chosen wisely," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Good for you. You must feel better now!"
Not surprisingly, Democrat members of the caucus accused her of "grandstanding," when really she's only speaking the truth.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The administration of President Donald Trump, as part of his government-wide efficiency campaign being pursued by his White House Department of Government Efficiency, is sending dismissal notices to more than 9,000 USAID workers.
The Trump administration will continue to offer aid to recipients around the globe, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. But it "is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest," he said.
The U.S. Agency for International Development has been one of Trump's first and biggest targets for his efficiency plans.
Rubio, in a news conference with the president of the Dominican Republican, said it would have been better to clean up and restructure the agency from the inside out.
But he said that was impossible. "When we tried to do it from the top down by getting cooperation from the central office and USAID, what we found instead are people trying to use the system to sneak through payments and push through payments despite the stop order. We found people that were uncooperative in terms of giving us information and access."
The report noted Trump's reaction was to order it shut down.
"USAID is driving the radical left crazy, and there is nothing they can do about it because the way in which the money has been spent, so much of it fraudulently, is totally unexplainable. The corruption is at levels rarely seen before. Close it down," Trump said in a statement.
A report in the Daily Mail revealed some 9,400 USAID employees are losing their jobs, and only about 600 "essential" workers will remain.
Elon Musk, of Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, has called the agency a "criminal organization."
"Your tax dollars should be spent on America or the government should just tax you less," he wrote on X.
Hundreds of awards and contracts handed out through the agency are being canceled, the agency's Washington headquarters is closed and overseas employees have been given 30 days to return.
The employee unions, whose income will be hit with a dramatic collapse if there are more than 9,000 workers no longer paying union dues, have gone to court, claiming that Trump's management of the federal bureaucracy is unconstitutional.
A lawsuit by the American Foreign Service Association and American Federation of Government Employees claims Trump's actions are an "unlawful seizure" of a federal bureaucracy.
Officials have said the USAID structure is being shut down, but it's duties will be moved to the State Department.
The White House repeatedly has unleashed lists of egregious USAID payments, including promotions for transgenderism and such, around the globe.
The Trump administration has introduced a plan offering buyouts to millions of federal employees, potentially leading to a notable decline in the federal workforce.
The initiative, framed as a government downsizing and hiring reform measure, has drawn criticism from Democratic leaders and union representatives, the Daily Mail reported.
On Tuesday, an announcement was made by the Trump administration regarding the offer of payouts to millions of federal employees who agree to leave their positions by next week. White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller, indicated that while the exact number of those accepting the offer remains unknown, reports suggest it is substantial.
Federal employees received communication via email, stating that those who opt for the buyout would receive approximately eight months' worth of salary. The deadline for this decision is February 6, by which time employees must decide whether to accept the offer.
The federal workforce consists of more than three million people, accounting for nearly two percent of the civilian labor force in the United States. Consequently, even a small portion accepting the buyouts could potentially impact the broader economy significantly.
The offer is part of a broader move to overhaul federal hiring practices, aimed ostensibly at recruiting highly committed employees. A subsequent email to employees outlined benefits such as an "extended vacation" or opportunities to embark on travel adventures.
Democrats alongside the American Federation of Government Employees union have voiced opposition to the scheme. They interpret the buyout as a form of coercion, suggesting it is crafted to replace current staff with individuals loyal to the Trump administration. Everett Kelley from the union remarked that the offer should not be considered a voluntary choice.
Union leaders like Kelley have argued that the administration's tactics appear motivated by anti-worker executive orders and policies. Such moves, they insist, create a challenging environment in which it becomes difficult for employees to remain, even if they are inclined to.
Stephen Miller contended that the administration's intent is to offer an option to those who are not satisfied with their roles. He asserted that individuals lacking enthusiasm for their work may not be best equipped to handle substantial authority affecting American citizens.
This initiative accompanies the administration's intended reforms in federal hiring, a plan they argue is designed to attract employees devoted to public service. The outcome of this approach could ostensibly shape the nature and efficiency of federal operations in the coming years.
Federal employees play a crucial role in maintaining day-to-day governmental functions. Therefore, any reduction in their numbers due to the buyout offer could affect various sectors, including public services, regulatory enforcement, and administrative support for citizen services.
With such a large portion of the workforce involved in the federal sector, economists are closely watching the potential ripple effects. A significant reduction in the number of employees could affect both local and national economic landscapes, depending on the geographic distribution and functions of those who choose to leave.
The administration's proposal adds another dimension to ongoing debates about the scope and scale of federal government operations. Advocates see it as a step towards reducing what they consider bureaucratic inefficiency, while critics view it as a detriment to governmental capacity and personnel.
As the February 6 deadline approaches, both employees contemplating the buyout and policymakers considering its consequences face pressing choices. The wider implications for American governance and its relationship with federal employees remain to be fully assessed.
Overall, the discussions surrounding the Trump administration's buyout offer are symptomatic of broader ideological disagreements about the size and nature of government. This continuing conversation will likely influence policy decisions well beyond the current administration's tenure.
Hillary Clinton learned a lesson via social media this week -- and the lesson was that the administration in charge doesn't have time to deal with her chronic Trump Derangement Syndrome.
According to Fox News, shortly after Hillary Clinton made a crack at President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the latter fired back in a social media post that absolutely silenced the multiple-time presidential loser.
Clinton, who struggles to stay relevant, especially now, attacked the people behind the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after it was revealed by Duffy that DOGE -- led by Elon Musk -- was set to "plug in" and essentially upgrade the FAA.
Interestingly, Clinton took great offense to the idea of cleaning up the FAA, and used recent tragedies to attack the new administration.
Duffy made an honest and reasonable announcement this past week regarding DOGE coming on board to help upgrade the FAA and streamline it to better serve the American people.
"Big News - Talked to the DOGE team. They are going to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system," Duffy said in his post.
Clinton chimed in on the announcement with a nasty and unnecessary reply, writing, "They have no relevant experience. Most of them aren't old enough to rent a car. And you're going to let them mess with airline safety that's already deteriorated on your watch?"
Duffy, a former Wisconsin lawmaker and Fox News host, fired back immediately and shut Clinton down in grand fashion.
"Madam Secretary, with all due respect, ‘experienced’ Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out," Duffy wrote.
Madam Secretary, with all due respect, “experienced” Washington bureaucrats are the reason our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. You need to sit this one out. pic.twitter.com/6IhE5xLxV8
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 5, 2025
Users across social media reacted to the exchange, with many praising Duffy for snapping right back at Clinton.
"People complaining about young accomplishers working at DOGE didn’t know how to handle sensitive classified material on personal email servers," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "I love everything bout this! Soooo overdue! Thank you, Secretary Duffy for standing tall!"
It's refreshing to see high-profile Democrats put in their place after speaking out of turn.