Elizabeth Warren

“We're choosing between awful and terrible,” one Senate Democrat lamented of efforts to stave off a government shutdown.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the Colorado Democratic Party's annual fundraising dinner in May, the party announced this week.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren said her resistant applause when President Trump called her “Pocahontas" during his address to Congress was to affirm "American support for Ukrainians."

A post shared on Facebook claims the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has purportedly scheduled congressional audits of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). Verdict: False The claim is false and originally stems from a Feb. 24 post shared by “America’s Last Line of Defense,” which is a [...]

Jonathan McKernan, the nominee to be director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, received approval from the Senate Banking Committee in a party-line vote Thursday. His nomination now goes to the full Senate.

The firings were part of the sweeping cuts spurred by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

His cryptocurrency “reserve” scheme could spend billions of taxpayer dollars to boost the holdings of the "crypto bros” who spent millions getting him elected.

Lawmakers are looking to highlight the sloppiness and cruelty of Trump’s deep cuts to the federal workforce.

Some of the removals have targeted a series of officials sure to conduct oversight of Trump’s actions.

It's a rhetorical red herring'

The following records are from the Roswell Police Department and can be viewed at rpdp2c.org. All people arrested or cited are presumed innocent.

The president falsely claimed that the U.S. has provided more assistance to Ukraine than Europe — and failed to mention that the Russian dictator started the war.

Like Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, they have big mouths but little support among the public, new polls have found, and it’s time to ask why.

The housing crisis and subsequent financial crisis in 2008 was caused in large part by politicizing loan eligibility criteria, advancing social justice objectives over sound economics. Unfortunately, the Dodd-Frank law added even more politicization by creating the Consumer Financial Protection...

President Donald Trump once promised food prices would drop “starting on Day 1.” Instead, just about everything—and especially a carton of eggs—is pricier. And now House Republicans are pushing a budget plan that could make prices even worse. Thirty-two Senate Democrats, led in part by Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, are demanding that Trump reject the House GOP’s 2025 budget proposal, warning that it would gut key programs while paving the way for more tax cuts for the wealthy.“If Congressional Republicans are successful at passing their proposals, it will mean that families will pay more for food, healthcare, education, and caregiving—while Republicans plot more tax cuts for billionaires,” said the senators. “We urge you to stand by the promises you made to the American people about lowering costs, including by committing not to sign any legislation that raises their costs.”The letter, signed by more than two-thirds of the Senate’s Democratic caucus, outlines in four points precisely how the GOP budget would impact Americans' wallets. First, they say the bill will raise food costs by largely defunding the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and Meals on Wheels, which feeds the elderly and homebound. Second, they say the bill would increase health care costs by significantly cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act coverage, affecting over 160 million Americans. Third, they say it would slash Pell Grants and income-driven repayment plans for student loans, both of which help families afford college. Lastly, according to the senators, the budget plan would raise caregiving costs for recipients who benefit from Medicaid and Head Start, a child care program for low-income families.A woman shops for groceries in Salt Lake City on April 3, 2020.Democrats aren’t ruling out forcing a government shutdown as a potential bargaining chip to get what their constituents need.Meanwhile, the GOP’s budget proposals are as chaotic as you’d imagine. The House released their proposal on Thursday with cuts aimed at $880 billion in Medicaid cuts and $230 billion in cuts to food stamps in an effort to push Trump’s policy agenda of tax cuts for large companies and the wealthy.Two moderate Republican House members, Reps. David Valadao of California and Nicole Malliotakis of New York, have voiced their opposition to the budget proposal. This is, in part, due to the large share of their constituents enrolled in Medicaid.Valadao is convinced more Republicans will publicly come out to oppose the budget.“There’s at least double digits of people who are severely concerned,” Valadao told The Hill. “And I think as people start to understand the specifics of how it’s going to affect their districts, I imagine that number grows.”Meanwhile, House Republicans are in a standoff with Senate Republicans, racing to get their own versions of budget bills to the floor. Senate Republicans want to split tax cuts into a second bill, while House members included them in the budget bill released on Thursday.As Republicans clash over how to handle the budget, the only question seems to be: How expensive do eggs have to get before Republicans start addressing real issues?Campaign Action

A federal judge set a Wednesday court hearing to consider the Justice Department's motion to dismiss New York City Mayor Eric Adams' corruption case.

CANTON, Mass., Feb. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The MNA Board of Directors – registered nurses and healthcare professionals elected by their 25,000 MNA colleagues – express our profound distress and condemnation of recent actions taken by the federal administration. We have been monitoring...

If successful, Musk and his group would have access to millions of tightly controlled files that include taxpayer information, bank records and other sensitive records.

Trump has the support of most Americans. But rather than seek a compromise with him for the good of the country, the Democrats have chosen to resist him at every turn. The Democrats have no policy, only the politics of resistance.

The order comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to scale back the federal workforce.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General on Friday said it was launching an audit of the security controls for the federal government’s payment system, after Democratic senators raised red flags about the access provided to Trump aide Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts spoke to Fox as left-wing banter about Project 2025 seems to have subsided with the rise of DOGE -- led by Elon Musk, not the "do-tank."

The Trump administration is moving rapidly to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), halting the agency’s work, cutting off its funding and shutting down its headquarters.

The future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in limbo after the Trump administration told the bureau’s employees to suspend their work.Thursday, Russell Vought was confirmed as the head of the Office of Management and Budget and acting director of the CFPB. Saturday, he instructed staff to suspend nearly all activities, including supervising financial firms.This came after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the agency last week, and Musk posted on X, “CFPB RIP.”“If you have a bank account, or a credit card, or a mortgage, or a student loan, this is code red. I am ringing the alarm bell,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, in a video posted to her social media accounts Monday. “Elon Musk and the guy who wrote Project 2025, Russ Vought, are trying to kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If they succeed, CEOs on Wall Street will once again be free to trick, trap and cheat you.”President Trump campaigned on lowering costs. But he’s letting billionaire Elon Musk and Project 2025 Architect Russ Vought kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.If they succeed, CEOs on Wall Street will once again be free to cheat you out of your savings. pic.twitter.com/XzLXyz7hDn— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 10, 2025 Vought was a key author of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative blueprint to overhaul parts of the federal government.“Already, this little agency has forced giant banks and corporations to give back more than $21 billion directly to families they cheated, and that includes hundreds of millions of dollars back for veterans who got cheated by predatory lenders,” Warren said in the video. “Trump campaigned on helping working people, but now that he’s in charge, this is the payoff to the rich guys who invested in his campaign and who want to cheat families and not have anybody around to stop them.”Get top local stories in Boston delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Boston’s News Headlines newsletter.Warren helped create the CFPB in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.“When you pay an overdraft fee, there’s a new rule that would cap that rate at $5 as opposed to $35. Medical debt on credit reports can wreck a person’s financial profile and then keep them from getting a job, let alone a loan. There are all kinds of ways that the CFPB really touches on people’s lives,” said Adam Rust, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America. “Suspending it essentially takes the cop off the beat, right, and there’s a gap there.”According to the CFPB’s website, as of Jan. 30, 2025, CFPB enforcement actions have resulted in $19.7 billion in consumer relief and $5 billion in civil money penalties. Some pages on the site remain up, but as of Monday, the home page produces a 404 error that says it cannot be found.Rust says if consumers are facing a problem, they can still turn to their state’s attorney general.“Don’t think that this means that no one can help you,” he said. “It’s just that the largest, most important financial regulator has been sidelined, but people should still know that they have to fight. If your bank’s taking advantage of you, don’t just accept it, fight back.”Vought also announced Saturday night on X that he had notified the Federal Reserve that “CFPB will not be taking its next draw of unappropriated funding because it is not ‘reasonably necessary’ to carry out its duties.”“The Bureau’s current balance of $711.6 million is in fact excessive in the current fiscal environment,” the post continued. “This spigot, long contributing to CFPB’s unaccountability, is now being turned off.”“For years, Republicans have tried and tried again to repeal it in Congress, and they have failed every single time,” Warren said. “Congress built the CFPB and no one other than Congress — not the president, not Musk, not Vought — can shut it down.”The senator urged people to contact their representatives.A union representing employees of the CFPB filed two lawsuits to block Vought’s directives and block the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing employee information.More on the Consumer Financial Protection BureauTrump administrationFeb 10What's at stake for consumers as Trump officials target the CFPBTrump administrationFeb 9Trump official orders consumer protection agency to stop workUS governmentFeb 9Russell Vought, CFPB's new acting head, issues directives to halt portions of bureau activity

The future of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is in limbo after the Trump administration told the bureau’s employees to suspend their work.Thursday, Russell Vought was confirmed as the head of the Office of Management and Budget and acting director of the CFPB. Saturday, he instructed staff to suspend nearly all activities, including supervising financial firms.This came after Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the agency last week, and Musk posted on X, “CFPB RIP.”“If you have a bank account, or a credit card, or a mortgage, or a student loan, this is code red. I am ringing the alarm bell,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, in a video posted to her social media accounts Monday. “Elon Musk and the guy who wrote Project 2025, Russ Vought, are trying to kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. If they succeed, CEOs on Wall Street will once again be free to trick, trap and cheat you.”President Trump campaigned on lowering costs. But he’s letting billionaire Elon Musk and Project 2025 Architect Russ Vought kill the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.If they succeed, CEOs on Wall Street will once again be free to cheat you out of your savings. pic.twitter.com/XzLXyz7hDn— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) February 10, 2025 Vought was a key author of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a conservative blueprint to overhaul parts of the federal government.“Already, this little agency has forced giant banks and corporations to give back more than $21 billion directly to families they cheated, and that includes hundreds of millions of dollars back for veterans who got cheated by predatory lenders,” Warren said in the video. “Trump campaigned on helping working people, but now that he’s in charge, this is the payoff to the rich guys who invested in his campaign and who want to cheat families and not have anybody around to stop them.”Get top local stories in Boston delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Boston’s News Headlines newsletter.Warren helped create the CFPB in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.“When you pay an overdraft fee, there’s a new rule that would cap that rate at $5 as opposed to $35. Medical debt on credit reports can wreck a person’s financial profile and then keep them from getting a job, let alone a loan. There are all kinds of ways that the CFPB really touches on people’s lives,” said Adam Rust, director of financial services at the Consumer Federation of America. “Suspending it essentially takes the cop off the beat, right, and there’s a gap there.”According to the CFPB’s website, as of Jan. 30, 2025, CFPB enforcement actions have resulted in $19.7 billion in consumer relief and $5 billion in civil money penalties. Some pages on the site remain up, but as of Monday, the home page produces a 404 error that says it cannot be found.Rust says if consumers are facing a problem, they can still turn to their state’s attorney general.“Don’t think that this means that no one can help you,” he said. “It’s just that the largest, most important financial regulator has been sidelined, but people should still know that they have to fight. If your bank’s taking advantage of you, don’t just accept it, fight back.”Vought also announced Saturday night on X that he had notified the Federal Reserve that “CFPB will not be taking its next draw of unappropriated funding because it is not ‘reasonably necessary’ to carry out its duties.”“The Bureau’s current balance of $711.6 million is in fact excessive in the current fiscal environment,” the post continued. “This spigot, long contributing to CFPB’s unaccountability, is now being turned off.”“For years, Republicans have tried and tried again to repeal it in Congress, and they have failed every single time,” Warren said. “Congress built the CFPB and no one other than Congress — not the president, not Musk, not Vought — can shut it down.”The senator urged people to contact their representatives.A union representing employees of the CFPB filed two lawsuits to block Vought’s directives and block the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing employee information.More on the Consumer Financial Protection BureauTrump administrationFeb 10What's at stake for consumers as Trump officials target the CFPBTrump administrationFeb 9Trump official orders consumer protection agency to stop workUS governmentFeb 9Russell Vought, CFPB's new acting head, issues directives to halt portions of bureau activity

Trump suggested withholding funding from Jordan and Egypt to persuade them to accept Palestinians from Gaza.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is taking a front-and-center role in the efforts to push Democrats toward becoming the party of economic populism and to challenge President Trump. The Connecticut senator has emerged as one of the loudest and most prominent voices among party members looking to convince Democrats to change their focus around America’s working-class [...]

As President Donald Trump settles into his second term, Democrats and grassroots activists are scrambling to counter what they call an authoritarian takeover of U.S. democracy. A new grassroots movement that is both anti-Trump and anti-Elon Musk emerged this week with the hashtags #BuildtheResistance and #50501. Its foundation mirrors Women's March protests during Trump’s first term in 2017, which drew in millions from across the country, with national figures and celebrities in attendance. A group of Michigan women in their “pussyhats” on the way to the Women’s March in Washington, D.C.Though there are fewer people behind this new movement—at least for now—supporters are already fired up.On Wednesday, thousands of peaceful protests erupted all over the country, including on the streets and steps of state capitols in Michigan, Texas, Hawaii, Utah, California, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, to name a few. Even though the pink “pussyhats” have stayed in 2017, much of the ethos of the anti-Trump movement is present in today’s actions: reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ and trans rights, and women’s rights.The goal now? To protest Trump, Musk, and all their anti-democracy cronies across all 50 states for one day. Video of the protests across TikTok, Reddit, and Bluesky shows people chanting and banging drums, and the Bluesky account 50501 Movement, which has 23,900 followers, has been active in sharing protest clips across the nation. x#50501movement #[email protected] We rose up together! And we're not done. (Credit to Tamra Linn)— (@katherinekh.bsky.social) 2025-02-06T05:42:11.795ZThe 50501 protests were aimed at Trump’s dismantling, tragedy blame game, and threatened prosecution for DEI initiatives. The movement specifically targets unelected co-president Musk’s takeover of sensitive personal data in the U.S. government. It also goes after tech billionaires who have lined up to kiss the ring, donating millions to Trump and establishing a new American oligarchy. There were also signs from protesters bucking Trump’s announcement to seek “long-term” ownership of Palestine and Project 2025’s influence in the White House. “I’m appalled by democracy’s changes in the last, well, specifically two weeks—but it started a long time ago,” Margaret Wilmeth told AP during a protest in Columbus, Ohio. “So I’m just trying to put a presence into resistance.”But it’s unclear what the movement plans to do next or if any additional protests will be scheduled. Meanwhile, Democrats have been burgeoning in their resistance efforts this week. On Monday, the newly appointed DNC Chair Ken Martin said the party was setting up a “war room” to combat misinformation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, laid out a 10-point plan in specific detail regarding the steps legislators must take to oppose Trump and Musk’s efforts to slash Medicare, purge the federal government, and shut down federal agencies. With no control over any branch of government, Democratic officials have also taken to the streets with protesters. Led by Senate Democrats, Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren stood shoulder-to-shoulder with protesters outside the Treasury Department Tuesday. And a day before, Democrats protested outside the U.S. Agency for International Development demanding answers on Musk’s hostile takeover and the firing of USAID employees. As Trump’s second term continues to unfold, Democrats and grassroots activists are mobilizing in new and evolving ways to counter what they see as an existential threat to democracy. The rapid emergence of the 50501 movement shows that resistance to Trump isn’t fading—even as the party scrambles to redefine itself in a government where it holds little power.Campaign Action

Elon Musk, chair of the Trump the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has expressed support for the idea of mandatory drug testing for federal employees, which could assist his broader efforts to slash government spending and reduce the federal workforce. This comes as DOGE advances a mass buyout plan that could already eliminate thousands of jobs.In a Dear DOGE post on X from Joshua Steinman, first reported by Marijuana Moment, the former National Security Council official under President Donald Trump's first term, suggested a "federal workforce-wide, mandatory, immediate drug test," Musk responded, calling it a "great idea."Great idea— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 1, 2025While certain federal employees and contractors are already subject to pre-employment drug screening, random ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

An attempt to identify and explain some of the biggest things that happened each week, and draw attention to some that have been overlooked.

The president's brand of grievance politics is very dangerous for America.

Some Republicans have long urged Treasury to choose which bills to pay when the debt ceiling gets close to being breached. Elon Musk’s DOGE could let them do it.

Voters overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump to carry out his agenda despite Democrats calling him a "threat to democracy." Dems are now delaying key cabinet appointments.

USAID isn’t representing the United States around the world. It is representing a narrow and now very dated view around the world.

Columnist David Marcus writes that as Democrats flail to find a message to resonate with Americans, the most extreme members of the party are providing the loudest voices.

More than 2 million employees have until Thursday at 11:59 p.m. EST to decide. Officials have been increasing pressure on workers to leave, saying furloughs or layoffs could come next.

Democrats are calling out President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China as exactly what they are: an economic disaster. Alarmed Democratic lawmakers began releasing forceful statements on Saturday, immediately after Trump signed the executive order that even the right-leaning Wall Street Journal editorial board criticized for kicking off the “dumbest trade war in history.” Economists and pundits alike agree that the tariffs will increase prices on everything from groceries to gas to car manufacturing.“Let’s call these tariffs what they are: Trump’s Taxes on Working Families,” Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “If these tariffs remain in place, it will jack up the price of groceries and goods, make gas more expensive, and raise utility bills. While Donald Trump is making millions off his corrupt crypto schemes and memes, working families will pay the price.”Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for vigilance and action.“I’m concerned that President Trump will give cover to giant corporations to use his tariffs as an excuse to raise prices on working families while doling out waivers to billionaires and well-connected insiders,” Warren said in a press release. “Congress will conduct rigorous oversight of what the President does and we—and the American people—will hold him accountable.” Leaders in states whose economies rely heavily on auto manufacturing are worried Trump’s unwieldy tariffs could lead to mass layoffs and shutter production lines. According to the Detroit Regional Chamber, Michigan’s auto industry contributes $304 billion to the state’s economy, with nearly one-quarter of all U.S. auto production happening there in 2022. “A 25 percent tariff will hurt American auto workers and consumers, raise prices on cars, groceries, and energy for working families and put countless jobs at risk,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “Trump’s middle-class tax hike will cripple our economy and hit working-class, blue-collar families especially hard.” On Sunday, Trump admitted on his Truth Social site that Americans should probably prepare for extra misery thanks to his reckless executive order. “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!),” Trump screamed in the post. “BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”The U.S. economy is already feeling the consequences of Trump’s tantrum. When the markets opened on Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted, the Nasdaq dropped, and the S&P 500 Index declined in the wake of Trump’s latest ego trip. The market drop reversed later on Monday when Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a deal that will halt tariffs on Mexico for one month after they had a “friendly” conversation on border security. But the stock market volatility is just one way that these new tariffs are already impacting the U.S. economy. That’s cause for concern for Americans who are already tired of Trump 2.0-–especially those in reliably red states like Kentucky, where Trump’s 2018 tariffs on European steel and aluminum prompted a 25% retaliatory tariff on American whiskey that cost the industry $580 million, according to the Kentucky Distillers Association.Meanwhile, U.S. food prices have not gone down—they’ve gone up. Higher price tags on everything including all-important eggs are a stark reality in grocery stores despite Trump’s central campaign promise to lower prices. “I won on groceries,” Trump boasted during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” in December. “Very simple word, groceries.” Democratic leaders are hammering Trump for not fulfilling his pledge to Americans and only making things worse.“Republicans have failed to deliver on their central promise of lowering costs,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement on Saturday. “Instead, they have freed violent felons, attempted to end Medicaid as we know it and plan to enact massive tax cuts for their billionaire donors.”Jeffries made sure to include Trump’s loyal GOP minions in his scathing rebuke.“The tariffs imposed by the administration and strongly supported by House Republicans will not lower the high cost of living for everyday Americans,” he said. “Instead, it will likely do the exact opposite and make life more expensive.”Trump’s latest tantrum is just another distracting move in his scheme to seize more power and rule with reckless abandon, leaving Americans as unwilling passengers while a madman drives the global economy into the ground.Campaign Action

In a post on X, unelected government official Elon Musk revealed that he has cut the staff of the Internal Revenue Service that oversaw the system that allows Americans to file their taxes for free easily on its website.A right-wing MAGA influencer called the "direct file" tax program a "far left government wide computer office" that was "built by Elizabeth Warren." He claimed, "Direct file puts the government in charge of preparing people's tax returns for them," he claimed.Musk responded by saying, "That group has been deleted."ALSO READ: 'It costs money!' Some Republicans push back at Musk's pressure to shut down governmentThus far, the website remains active.The Treasury Department said on its website, "Direct File is a historic new IRS service that allows eligible taxpayers to prepare and file their tax return online, for free, including access to help from dedicated IRS Direct File customer support representatives."It was available in both Spanish and English and wasn't a mandatory program for anyone. Those who didn't trust the system could still fill out their taxes by hand and mail them.

WASHINGTON — In what appears to be yet another move to consolidate parts of the federal government, President Donald Trump has appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green wants Sen. John Curtis to vote against RFK Jr., Trump's HHS secretary nominee. Here's why.

Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency have been granted access to a sensitive Treasury Department payment system containing personal data of millions of Americans receiving tax refunds, Medicare, Social Security and other payments from the federal government.How Did This $6 Trillion Agency Fall Under Musk’s Purview? According to the New York Times, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent approved the access late Friday, which coincided with the resignation of David Lebryk, a career Treasury official who clashed with DOGE over the system. The Bureau of Fiscal Service, normally run by civil servants, processes over $6 trillion annually.Democrats Are FuriousSen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee sent a letter on Monday to Bessent demanding answers, calling Musk's "meddling” with a system that processes trillions in transactions "extraordinarily dangerous.""I am alarmed that as one of your first acts as Secretary, you appear to have handed over a ...Full story available on Benzinga.com

This comes after billionaire Elon Musk announced President Donald Trump had agreed with him to shut USAID.

Donald Trump won the 2024 election in part because the Left’s hysterical style of attacking Trump no longer worked.

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One on Friday.

Hearing-mania is set to consume Capitol Hill on Thursday as a trio of President Trump's top allies appear for high-stakes confirmation showdowns with senators that could make or break their chances of getting across the finish line. Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Kash Patel will simultaneously appear for confirmation hearings Thursday morning, setting [...]

RFK Jr. is back on the Hill for a second day of testimony, this time before a different Senate committee, after a first round that was contentious but saw no GOP defections.

Democratic senators brought the fire to a Wednesday confirmation hearing that will help determine whether or not notorious anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will become Donald Trump’s secretary of health and human services.New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan wiped the floor with Kennedy during his appearance before the Senate Finance Committee. She started by drilling him on all of his crazy vaccine claims before skewering his brazen flip-flop on reproductive rights."So, Mr. Kennedy, I'm confused. You have clearly stated in the past that bodily autonomy is one of your core values,” Hassan said. “The question is, do you stand for that value or not? When was it that you decided to sell out the values you've had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?"While Kennedy tried his hardest to sidestep the question, Hassan was not having any of it. "So what you're telling us, just to be clear, because my time is limited, is that regardless of what you believe, regardless of what values you have, if President Trump tells you to do something, you're going to do it," she summarized.xxYouTube VideoSen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said he and Kennedy seemed to agree about the corruption of our health care system, but then backed Kennedy into a corner when he asked the faux health crusader a simple question: Is health care a human right?“In the way that free speech is a human right?” Kennedy responded, before attempting to squirm out of it. Sanders finished Kennedy off by calling out the anti-vaccine baby onesies his so-called health advocacy group is hawking online.xxYouTube VideoSen. Tina Smith of Minnesota held Kennedy’s feet to the fire about the many times he has misinformed the public about a supposed link between antidepressants and school shootings.Numerous studies have debunked the misinformation on mental health that RFK Jr. and the GOP have relied on in order to stall and undermine attempts at gun safety legislation. Of course, there is evidence that school shootings lead to more young people requiring antidepressant treatments after they have survived the terror.xxYouTube VideoElizabeth Warren’s ability to walk Kennedy right into exposing himself as yet another Trumpy grifter was a master class in itself. The senator from Massachusetts got into it with the nominee when he tried to wriggle out of committing not to profit off of his position if he is confirmed as Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. xxYouTube VideoDaily Kos is ready to hold Trump accountable every step of the way. But we need your help. Give $3 a month to support Daily Kos coverage and news you can do something about.

The firings were carried out without giving Congress 30-day notices — something even a top Republican said violated the law.

The Trump administration has fired about 17 independent inspectors general at federal agencies.