When the 58-year-old fraud victim told investigators in Maryland the details of how she had been duped out of $1.7 million, they knew she was hardly alone.
A year-long, expanding investigation – the results of which were made public Monday – revealed just how widespread her plight was: more than 650 victims, targeted by the same three call centers in India and losing over $48 million. The fraudsters posed as tech support workers, allowing them to gain access to victims’ computers, or described themselves as American law enforcement as part of elaborate ruses.
“A staggering amount of money,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, head of the bureau’s Baltimore field office. “It’s infuriating and it’s unfair.”
The probe led authorities in India to raid the call centers on Dec. 11 and 12, Paul said. Those operations were “dismantled,” according to India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, leading to the arrest of six leaders and the seizure of laptops, cellphones, other devices and cash.
Maryland officials said the victims probably will never see their money again.
Investigators this week described how the scams started at the call centers, where workers spent their days looking for American targets through email, text messages, phone calls and computer pop-up warnings.
They often played the role of a tech support worker from, say, Microsoft or Apple, persuading their marks to download software onto their computers. Or they said they were calling from the U.S. Social Security Administration to report that criminals were using the victim’s Social Security number for money laundering, drug trafficking or child pornography. “It’s always something that sounds horrific,” FBI agent Jeremy Capello said.
The terrified victims are often transferred to someone purporting to be from U.S. law enforcement agencies such as the FBI or Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The antennas come down because you think you’re talking to a trusted person in the government,” said John McCarthy, the top prosecutor in Montgomery County, Maryland. “That’s how they suck you into this.”
The big goal: convincing the victims that their money wasn’t safe in the bank and that it needed to be transferred for safekeeping, to the FBI or DEA or even the U.S. Treasury Department. Soon enough, the target – often an otherwise smart person but fully in the grip of skilled impersonators – is routing money to specific bank accounts, purchasing and moving cryptocurrency, buying gold bars for an “agent” of the government to pick up, or sending cash.
“It’s all about the art of making people believe you’re someone you’re not,” said Capello, who works in the FBI’s Baltimore field office and has investigated white-collar fraud for 16 years.
The first person to reach targets, Capello said, often speaks with a noticeable Indian accent. As the victim talks to more people faking identities – especially the purported American law enforcement officers – the voices tend to become more American-sounding, according to Capello. Sometimes that is how the fraudsters speak, but sometimes they are Americanizing their voice through software and AI, according to Capello.
Another central part of the scam: convincing the victims to keep their money movements secret so as not to attract attention from the criminals who already knew about them.
The 58-year-old reported the fraud to detectives at the Montgomery County Police Department, who had arrested several gold-bar scammers working in Maryland, some with ties to Indian call centers. They had put out the word: Come to us if you have been swindled. By the time the 58-year-old fraud victim had arrived, the Montgomery detectives, working alongside the FBI, were determined to trace the frauds to the call centers overseas.
The woman provided a wealth of data of the people she was dealing with: bank account numbers, email addresses, phone numbers. “We were off to the races,” Capello said.
Investigators worked closely with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), slowly linking the woman’s details with others in Maryland and elsewhere in the United States.
The U.S. and Montgomery County investigators were able to present their case to Indian authorities through an FBI agent stationed in Delhi solely tasked with helping to investigate scam call centers in India, according to Capello. Before authorities there could search the call centers, though, they needed sworn statements from at least two U.S. victims, which Capello and the Montgomery detectives were able to provide.
The India raids took place in Noida, Delhi and Kolkata, according to authorities there.
“During the period 2022-2025,” India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said in a news release, “the accused individuals, operating under pseudonymous identities of US Government officials from Drug Enforcement [Administration], Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Social Security Administration, conspired to target US victims by threatening them that their Social Security Numbers had been used for money laundering and drug deliveries.”
The Indian call centers used in frauds, Capello said, sell each other lists of potential American targets with phone numbers and email addresses. And they work in highly competitive operations, with quotas posted on the walls, he said.
The fraudsters present themselves as concerned, diligent government agents, but their power and intimidation is never far from the surface. And they’re not scared to bring it the fore, Capello said, recalling how one victim – balking at their demands – suddenly received an email with what looked like a genuine American arrest warrant and a threat that he would be locked up if he did not follow orders.
The message, in no uncertain terms, was this: “How do we know you’re not involved in this too?”
“These scams exploit fear, trust and vulnerability. They are deeply personal crimes,” Montgomery County Police Captain Marc Erme said.
Capello said it remains very difficult to recover any of the money. But he feels like their work – dismantling the three call centers – will help prevent more scams.
“We’re making an impact,” he said. “We’re chipping away at it.”
(c) 2026, The Washington Post
{Matzav.com}
Elon Musk is combining SpaceX and xAI in a deal that values the enlarged entity at $1.25 trillion, as the world’s richest man looks to fuel his increasingly costly ambitions in artificial intelligence and space exploration.
The acquisition of xAI was announced in a statement on SpaceX’s website signed by Musk and confirming a Bloomberg News report earlier Monday.
The deal gives SpaceX a valuation of $1 trillion, and xAI a value of $250 billion, people familiar with the matter said. The combined company’s valuation was announced to employees in a memo on Monday, some of the people said earlier.
SpaceX said it acquired xAI to “form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform.”
The company is still expecting to hold an initial public offering later this year, one of the people said. SpaceX had been planning an IPO that could raise as much as $50 billion, in what would be the biggest initial share sale to date.
The combined firm’s shares are expected to be worth $526.59 each, according to some of the people, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. The deal is all stock, one of the people said.
Representatives for SpaceX and xAI didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The deal brings together two of the largest closely held companies in the world. XAI raised funds at a $230 billion valuation in January, while SpaceX was set to go ahead with a share sale in December at a valuation of about $800 billion.
Terms of the offering including price and valuation weren’t disclosed in the statement on SpaceX’s website.
The companies will remain operationally separate because SpaceX is subject to international regulations that control how information and technology related to defense systems are transported and shared, and xAI isn’t, according to a person familiar with the matter.
xAI will exist as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SpaceX, according to another person familiar with the matter.
In a memo, SpaceX said employees should be cautious about interfacing with xAI employees, as not all of them are cleared to work under those regulations, one of the people said. Business Insider reported earlier on the plan to keep operations separate.
In explaining the rationale for the deal, Musk said in the statement that the least expensive way to do AI computations within two to three years will be in space.
“This cost-efficiency alone will enable innovative companies to forge ahead in training their AI models and processing data at unprecedented speeds and scales, accelerating breakthroughs in our understanding of physics and invention of technologies to benefit humanity,” he wrote.
SpaceX is requesting permission to launch as many as a million satellites into the Earth’s orbit for the plan, according to a filing Friday.
The offering further entangles Musk’s various business ventures. The billionaire acquired social media platform Twitter in late 2022, renamed it X, then merged the site with his artificial intelligence startup xAI in a $33 billion deal.
XAI, which also operates chatbot Grok, is an expensive operation, burning around $1 billion a month in service of its stated ambition to gain “a deeper understanding of our universe.”
A merger with SpaceX pools capital, talent, access to computing power – and blurs corporate boundaries.
Unlike some of Musk’s other ventures, SpaceX stands out as arguably his most successful and consistent business. The company, the only American one that can routinely send astronauts to and from the International Space Station, is a key rocket launch provider for both NASA and the US Department of Defense, which the White House has moved to rename the Department of War.
The increasing revenue it’s generating from the Starlink network of more than 9,000 satellites is even more significant, now outpacing launch sales and presenting a potential source of funding for xAI’s capital-intensive business.
Following the announcement of the acquisition, SpaceX also noted that one of its Falcon 9 rockets suffered an undisclosed issue after launching a batch of Starlink satellites into orbit. The company said that while the upper port of the rocket safely deployed all the satellites on board, a mishap occurred just before the vehicle was set to take itself out of orbit.
The incident marks a relatively rare misstep for the Falcon 9, which last suffered in an-flight issue in 2024. “Teams are reviewing data to determine root cause and corrective actions before returning to flight,” SpaceX said in a statement on X.
(c) 2026, Bloomberg
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu held an extended three-hour strategy session in Yerushalayim on Tuesday night with White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, focusing on coordination ahead of impending U.S. discussions with Tehran. During the meeting, Netanyahu cautioned that Iran’s record shows it cannot be relied upon to honor diplomatic commitments and stressed that any broader regional understanding must place security first. The talks also centered on Gaza, with Netanyahu reiterating Israel’s insistence on the complete dismantling of Hamas and the full demilitarization of the Strip. As Witkoff prepares for sensitive meetings with Iranian officials in Turkey, Israeli officials made clear that no “grand bargain” can come at the expense of removing terrorist threats.
The meeting was timed to prepare Witkoff ahead of his planned talks in Istanbul on Friday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu “emphasized his position that Iran has proven time and time again that its promises cannot be relied upon.” The warning comes amid reports that Tehran is proposing limits on uranium enrichment in return for sanctions relief. Netanyahu urged the American side to approach such offers with skepticism, arguing that without intrusive inspections and meaningful penalties for violations, any agreement would simply mask Iran’s nuclear aims.
Netanyahu also briefed U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee on newly uncovered intelligence pointing to abuse of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. According to the Prime Minister, Israeli forces uncovered “serious violations,” including the use of bags bearing the logo of UNRWA to hide weapons and military gear. Israeli officials say the findings underscore claims that terrorist groups have penetrated international aid mechanisms, raising concerns about future reconstruction efforts.
On the domestic front, Netanyahu spelled out what he described as Israel’s “uncompromising demands” for ending the war in Gaza. He reiterated that Hamas must be fully disarmed and the territory completely demilitarized before any rebuilding can begin. “The Prime Minister clarified that the Palestinian Authority will not be part of the management of the Strip in any way,” the official statement said, highlighting a clear divergence between Israel’s position and views held by some in Washington. Netanyahu insisted that Israel’s war objectives must be fully achieved before reconstruction proceeds.
The talks also addressed the potential second phase of the ceasefire, with Netanyahu stressing that Israel will not permit terrorist groups to regroup or rearm under the cover of humanitarian pauses. By presenting Witkoff with a broad assessment that included input from Israel’s senior security leadership, Netanyahu sought to ensure the envoy enters discussions with Tehran fully briefed on Israel’s assessment of the “multi-arena” threat. The meeting ended with an understanding that while Washington pursues diplomatic avenues, Israel remains prepared for the possibility that Iran’s “promises” will again go unfulfilled.
{Matzav.com}A 13-year-old Australian boy is being hailed as a hero for his sheer endurance and bravery after swimming about 2½ miles in rough waters then running about a mile to rescue his family who had been swept out to sea.
Austin Appelbee, his mother, Joanne, and two siblings Beau, 12, and Grace, 8, were on vacation kayaking and paddleboarding off the coast of Quindalup, in Geographe Bay, in southwestern Australia, when the weather deteriorated, according to local authorities and Australian media reports.
Fearing for her family, Joanne made the difficult choice to send Austin to get help, she told Australia’s national broadcaster, ABC News, calling it “one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.”
“I knew he was the strongest and he could do it,” she said of her teenage son. “I have three babies. All three of them made it. That was all that mattered,” she added about the family ordeal where she spent more than eight hours clinging to a paddleboard in the ocean.
Western Australia Police Force said in a statement that it received an emergency call about 6 p.m. Friday that a woman and her two children had been swept out to sea in rough conditions.
Austin paddled to get help before his kayak took on water and failed him, police said. He then swam nearly 2½ miles in fading light and rough conditions before reaching land to ring the alarm.
“The actions of the 13-year-old boy cannot be praised highly enough – his determination and courage ultimately saved the lives of his mother and siblings,” said Inspector James Bradley, South West District office said in a statement Monday. “This incident is a reminder that ocean conditions can change rapidly. Thankfully, all three people were wearing life jackets, which contributed to their survival.”
Austin, in an interview with ABC News, recalled that his mother had directed him to “go get help” while she stayed with his siblings.
“I knew it would be a long way … but the kayak kept taking in water, I was fighting rough seas,” he said. “I was very puffed out but I couldn’t feel how tired I was,” he added. “The waves were massive.”
Austin said he decided to ditch the kayak and remove his life jacket, which were making it difficult for him to swim, and alternated between swimming breaststroke, freestyle and survival backstroke – an energy-preserving stroke for long distances. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,” he told himself, putting happier thoughts about his family and school friends into his mind to pull through, he said.
“I just said ‘all right, not today, not today, not today.’ I have to keep on going.”
Finally, he made it to shore.
“I hit the bottom of the beach and I just collapsed,” he said. But his feat of endurance was not over. He then sprinted over another mile to find a phone, where he called emergency services and told them his family was stranded at sea, he said.
“A multiagency search and rescue response was initiated,” police said, involving multiple marine sea rescue services and a rescue helicopter.
The family did not immediately reply to a request for comment from The Washington Post.
“This is what a true West Aussie hero looks like,” said Roger Cook, the premier of Western Australia, in a post on social media Tuesday, calling Austin’s feat of endurance an “extraordinary act of courage,” to save his family.
“Austin’s bravery is beyond his years, showing remarkable courage, resilience and determination in the face of real danger. Well done, Austin – we’re so proud of what you’ve done.”
Mike Tipton, a survival expert and professor of Human and Applied Physiology at Britain’s University of Portsmouth, said Austin’s survival was a “remarkable achievement.”
“He must be an accomplished swimmer, but even then, the water was cold enough to incapacitate him without unrelenting effort. He was clearly driven on by the desire to save his family – this is a common and critical factor in such survival scenarios,” he told The Post by email.
The Naturaliste Marine Rescue group, a volunteer group which was among the first responders, said the weekend’s rescue had the “best possible outcome, one we won’t forget in a hurry.”
“The bravery, strength, and courage shown by this family were extraordinary,” it said in a Facebook post. Naturaliste Marine Rescue commander Paul Bresland told ABC that the teenager’s efforts were “superhuman” and that his description of the kayak and paddleboards meant that his family was found “within an hour.”
“Fantastic effort from all involved in trying conditions. A great outcome,” Marine Rescue Busselton, a volunteer organization also involved with the incident, said in a social media post. “Please be mindful of the strong offshore winds that can occur this time of year.”
(c) 2026, The Washington Post
{Matzav.com}
A faster way to get through airport security may be coming to an airport near you.
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, a new program that uses facial recognition, is expanding to 65 airports this spring. The expansion will prioritize 2026 World Cup host cities, where travel is expected to surge, said Transportation Security Administration spokesperson R. Carter Langston.
“Passengers seem to absolutely appreciate it – the speed, the efficiency,” Langston said. “All they show is their face, and the officer just waves them right into the checkpoint. No hassling with passports or IDs or phones.”
The TSA launched the first iteration of the program in 2021 in partnership with Delta Air Lines at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It’s now available for five airlines across 28 airports.
Critics worry that the program raises privacy concerns. It is voluntary, and travelers can opt out at any time and use a standard ID verification instead.
– – –
What is PreCheck Touchless ID?
The TSA said in an email that the initiative is a joint effort from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, airports and airlines that allows travelers “to move through dedicated lanes with ease, enjoying a smoother and more convenient airport experience.”
The program uses the CBP Traveler Verification Service to create “a secure biometric template of a passenger’s live facial image taken at the checkpoint and matches it against a gallery of templates of pre-staged photos that the passenger previously provided to the government (e.g., U.S. Passport or Visa),” the agency website said.
– – –
Who is eligible for PreCheck Touchless ID?
To use the program, fliers must be a current TSA PreCheck member with a valid “known traveler number” and an active airline profile (such as being enrolled in a loyalty program). They must also have a valid passport uploaded to their airline profile.
The airlines currently participating in the program include:
Alaska
American
Delta
Southwest
United
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID offers current TSA PreCheck members an expedited airport security screening by way of “facial comparison technology.”
It’s only available at select airports, through participating airlines – which vary. For example, travelers at John F. Kennedy International Airport, but only if they are flying with Alaska, American, Delta or United. It is available at George Bush Intercontinental in Houston, but only for passengers flying with Alaska, American, Delta or United. For a list of availability, visit the TSA website.
– – –
How can travelers opt in?
To use the program, travelers must first opt in through their airline’s website or app before checking in to their flight.
The process varies by airline, but you can generally find the prompt under a “travel documents” section (where you add your known traveler number or passport details) of your airline loyalty program app or website.
American Airlines customers, for example, will find the opt-in choice toward the bottom of the “Information and password” page of their AAdvantage profile, while Alaska Airlines customers should go to their account settings, then click into the “travel documents” section.
Once travelers have opted in, then checked in for their flight, a TSA PreCheck Touchless ID symbol should appear on their boarding pass. If the symbol is not on your boarding pass, you won’t be able to use the lane, even if you show an employee that you are enrolled in the program.
At the airport, travelers should follow signs to a separate TSA PreCheck Touchless ID lane. Instead of handing an ID over to an officer to verify your identity, you’ll instead pause to scan your face, then keep moving.
– – –
Is it really faster?
It can be, for two reasons.
First: There is no slowdown to hand over and scan your ID; travelers must only pause during their walk through the line dividers before proceeding to the X-ray machines.
Second: Because the program is new, requires signing up in advance and is not available for every airline, it’s getting a fraction of the traffic that regular security, Clear or PreCheck lanes are.
We’ve had mixed results. When it works, it’s incredible; you really are through in seconds.
But we’ve also been delayed when the facial comparison machine was undergoing maintenance and was out of use, sending us back into the longer PreCheck lane.
Which airports offer PreCheck Touchless ID?
TSA PreCheck Touchless ID is already available at 28 airports (however, participating airlines will vary; check the TSA website for more information):
Boston Logan International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
Dallas Love Field
Denver International Airport
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
Dulles International Airport
George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Harry Reid International Airport
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John Wayne Airport
Kansas City International Airport
LaGuardia Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
Oakland International Airport
Palm Beach International Airport
Philadelphia International Airport
Portland International Airport
Reagan National Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport
San Francisco International Airport
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
William P. Hobby Airport
– – –
What are the privacy concerns?
The TSA is using more facial recognition at the airport, including in regular security lanes and CBP checks.
The CBP says its Enhanced Passenger Processing involves taking a traveler’s photo using “auto capture technology” to simplify the inspection and adjudication process.
Travelers can also use biometric screenings to speed through Global Entry, using a CBP app.
The TSA says on its website that it may share your information with “CBP, DHS S&T, or others as necessary.” The agency confirmed that that includes sharing information about travelers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check for deportation orders.
There has been a bipartisan effort to put more guardrails on its use at airports.
In 2019, the Department of Homeland Security said that photos of travelers were taken in a data breach, accessed through the network of one of its subcontractors. (The TSA says its databases are encrypted.)
A Senate bill would allow officers to continue scanning travelers’ faces if they opt in; it would ban the technology’s use for anything other than verifying identities. It would also require the agency to immediately delete the scans once the check is complete.
If you change your mind about TSA PreCheck Touchless ID, you can opt out at any time and ask for standard ID verification instead. You can opt out of any facial recognition at the airport by saying, “I’d prefer a standard ID check.”
The agency also says it deletes photos and personal data within 24 hours of scheduled flight departures. The TSA website’s FAQ section addresses some privacy concerns and says that all data collected during facial comparison checks is protected.
(c) 2026, The Washington Post
A U.S. Navy fighter aircraft destroyed an Iranian drone that moved toward the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday, an encounter that underscored rising friction as the Trump administration warns it could use force to push Tehran back into negotiations.
According to U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins, the drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent” and “continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters.”
The downing came just hours after Iranian units harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed commercial ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said, linking the aerial incident to a broader pattern of maritime pressure.
Hawkins said the aircraft involved was an Iranian Shahed-139, which was destroyed by an F-35C launched from the Lincoln while the carrier was operating roughly 500 miles (800 kilometers) off Iran’s southern coastline. U.S. officials reported no injuries to American personnel and no damage to U.S. equipment.
Later the same day, forces from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps again confronted the same merchant vessel, the military said.
In a statement, Hawkins said two fast boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone closed in on the tanker “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker.”
The destroyer USS McFaul moved in and escorted the Stena Imperative “with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force,” the statement said, adding that the ship was able to continue its voyage without incident.
The episodes unfolded against a backdrop of strained relations between Washington and Tehran, tensions that flared anew after Iran’s leadership spent weeks suppressing protests that erupted in late December over worsening economic conditions and later broadened into a challenge to the Islamic Republic.
President Donald Trump said in early January that he would “rescue” Iranians from what he described as a brutal government crackdown, a stance that evolved into a renewed pressure campaign aimed at compelling Iran to reach a nuclear agreement. Trump has also maintained that Iranian nuclear facilities were “obliterated” during U.S. strikes carried out in June.
“We have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, declining to spell out where he would draw the line for military action.
“I’d like to see a deal negotiated,” Trump said. “Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
The U.S. interception occurred only hours after Iran’s president said Tuesday that he had directed the foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with Washington, one of the clearest signals in months that Tehran is open to renewed talks after negotiations collapsed last summer.
Behind the scenes, Turkey has been attempting to facilitate discussions expected later this week, as U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff travels through the region. A Turkish official later said the venue for any talks remained undecided, but that Ankara stood ready to assist the diplomatic effort.
{Matzav.com}
The House on Tuesday approved a sweeping funding package to bring a brief government shutdown to an end, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for his signature after the lapse began over the weekend.
The bill cleared the chamber by a 217–214 vote.
Trump has said he will sign it “immediately.”
Once enacted, the measure will provide funding for most federal agencies through the end of September. The sole exception is the Department of Homeland Security, which would receive funding for only two additional weeks as Democrats press for changes following the fatal shooting of two Americans by federal agents in Minneapolis.
By carving out DHS, the legislation sets off a compressed 10-day sprint for lawmakers to negotiate a separate agreement, with Democrats seeking reforms aimed at curbing the authority of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.
Under the bill, DHS funding is scheduled to run out on Feb. 13.
Earlier Tuesday, House Republicans narrowly advanced the legislation on a procedural vote, 217–215, without Democratic support.
Final passage was delayed by a day after Democrats privately signaled they would not supply the large number of votes required to fast-track the bill on Monday. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., did not reveal how he would vote, saying only that his caucus held “a variety of perspectives” on the package.
Following a party meeting Tuesday, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., also declined to say how she would vote when questioned ahead of the roll call.
The procedural vote underscored the razor-thin margin Republicans hold in the House. The vote was kept open longer than usual after Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., unexpectedly joined Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in opposing it. Massie has consistently resisted spending bills and was widely viewed as unlikely to change his position. Rose, who complained that the Senate had failed to act on the SAVE Act requiring proof of citizenship to vote, ultimately switched his vote to support the rule.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democratic negotiator on funding issues in the House, said she planned to back the bill and was confident it would pass. She said she and other Democrats spoke in favor of the legislation during their internal meeting.
“I believe this is an opportunity to isolate DHS and go at it, hammer and tongs, tooth and nail — whatever phrase you want to use, rather than having to figure out what the heck is going to happen to five other bills and all those departments,” DeLauro said. “There’s unbelievable bipartisan, bicameral support on those bills. So why squander that? And then take the next 10 days, next Friday, and just bring DHS up.”
The agreement to temporarily set aside DHS funding while approving the rest of the spending bills was reached by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the White House after the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti prompted a nationwide backlash.
After the Senate passed the package Friday by a 71–29 vote, Trump urged House Republicans to approve the bill without changes, tamping down internal calls to alter the agreement.
Even with the shutdown ended, lawmakers from both parties acknowledge that reaching a bipartisan deal on DHS funding will be difficult.
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said meeting the next deadline would be a challenge.
“There are vast differences,” he said. “I would expect — and I’m hearing that there could be just another, we kick the can down the road a little bit longer until those differences can be worked out … at least, probably, March 1.”
{Matzav.com}
