Recent health scares among those serving in Congress have renewed calls from conservatives for lawmakers to bring forward some type of term limits legislation in an effort to prevent members of both chambers from making a career out of political service.

In January, South Carolina GOP Rep. Ralph Norman introduced H.J.Res.11, an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would limit those serving in the House to three terms, for a total of six years, and those serving in the Senate to two terms, for a total of 12 years. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, served as co-lead in introducing the amendment.

However, little has been done to address the issue under Republican control of the House. Movement of the amendment through the House awaits action by the Judiciary Committee, Norman said.

‘My term limits amendment sits in the Judiciary Committee right now, and I really hope to see it marked up this fall, as soon as possible, but there is no set dates yet,’ Norman told Fox News Digital in a statement.

‘This is absolutely a bipartisan issue. There are career politicians on both sides of the aisle, and the American people deserve better,’ Norman added, stressing the importance of the amendment’s passage.

Norman’s office said the measure, which has received bipartisan support and has 100 co-sponsors, starts the term-limit counter after ratification, meaning that politicians elected prior to that date would not yet be subject to term limits.

Reached for comment about whether there is progress being made to address the issue of term limits, a Judiciary Committee source told Fox the amendment ‘remains a priority for Chairman Jordan, and we look forward to marking it up soon.

‘We are also planning a hearing on the issue too.’

For those elected during a special election to fill a vacancy, the proposal, according to Norman’s office, defines the length of a ‘qualifying term’ as at least one year in the House of Representatives and at least three years in the Senate.

Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., one of a handful of Democrats supporting the amendment offered by Norman and Golden earlier this year, told Fox it’s important that politicians are trusted and ‘not simply career politicians.’

‘Being a good neighbor in Congress means making sure government works for people, which includes making sure our elected officials are devoted and trusted – not simply career politicians,’ Sorensen said.

Along with her colleagues, New York GOP Rep. Claudia Tenney also hopes to see attention given to the amendment by the Judiciary Committee.

‘Since I was first elected to Congress after a long career as an attorney and businesswoman, I have been dedicated to restoring transparency and accountability in Washington, and that starts by ending Washington’s politician-for-life syndrome,’ Tenney told Fox. ‘I remain committed to supporting any reasonable term limits bill that is considered, and this amendment is no different. I urge my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to swiftly advance this amendment and send career politicians packing!’

In touting the amendment and urging its passage, Golden said earlier this year that the House of Representatives ‘was never intended at its inception to be a place where someone served for 30 years.’

‘Mainers voted in support of term limits in a large part because they don’t believe elected office should be a long-term career,’ Golden said at the time. ‘Instead, they want fresh ideas and new leadership. Terms limits will go a long way towards delivering those ideas and leadership in Washington.’

Last week, during a press conference in Covington, Kentucky, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., froze for more than 30 seconds while fielding questions from reporters. It was the second time this year that the 81-year-old Republican appeared to freeze up while taking reporter questions.

The second incident came as a result of McConnell feeling ‘momentarily lightheaded,’ according to his team, but several conservatives shared their thoughts online about what took place and called on lawmakers to pass term limits legislation.

Despite the incidents McConnell has faced in recent months, Dr. Brian Monahan, Congress’ attending physician, said Tuesday there’s ‘no evidence’ the Kentucky Republican had a seizure or a stroke when he froze up during the public remarks last week.

Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley also weighed in on the situation, saying Sunday she believes there should be term limits and mental competency tests for those serving in Congress after McConnell’s latest episode.

Haley, during an appearance on CBS News’ ‘Face the Nation,’ argued that ‘we need people at the top of their game’ and that aging members of Congress need to understand when ‘it’s time to step away.’

‘Here you have Mitch McConnell, who’s done great service to the country,’ Haley said. ‘You have Dianne Feinstein, who had a great career. You’ve got Nancy Pelosi who’d been there a long time. At what point do they get it’s time to leave?’

Other lawmakers have also experienced recent health struggles, including California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Last month, Feinstein, who has represented the Golden State in the Senate since 1992, was briefly hospitalized in California after falling in her San Francisco home.

‘Senator Feinstein briefly went to the hospital yesterday afternoon as a precaution after a minor fall in her home. All of her scans were clear, and she returned home,’ a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement about the matter.

But it wasn’t the first time Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress, had been hospitalized this year. After returning from a nearly three-month absence from the Senate earlier this year, Feinstein’s office confirmed she was hospitalized for severe neurological complications from shingles that affected her brain and face in February.

The 90-year-old has suffered from extensive health issues for more than a year, leading some to question her fitness for office. Since her return to the chamber, there have been multiple instances when Feinstein appeared to be confused about what she was doing and what her responsibilities were during hearings.

The idea of limiting congressional service has been tossed around among lawmakers for years, but it has never resulted in any serious legislation as members continue their decades-long careers in both chambers.

Twelve members currently serving in either the House or Senate have worked more than 35 years in one or both chambers. The longest-serving member of Congress is GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley, whose career in politics spans nearly 65 years from his time as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in 1959. Grassley was first elected to the U.S. House in 1974 and later to the Senate in 1980, where he has served as chair of multiple committees during his more than 48-year career in federal politics.

Following Grassley, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, who served in the House nearly 40 years before becoming the junior senator for the state in 2013, has a combined 46-year career in both chambers.

Beside McConnell, other current members of Congress who have a more than 35-year career in federal politics include Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden (42 years); Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (42 years); Kentucky GOP Rep. Hal Rogers (42 years); New Jersey GOP Rep. Chris Smith (42 years); Maryland Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer (41 years); Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (40 years); Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur (40 years); Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin (36 years); and California Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi (36 years).

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., and one of his former campaign aides, Samuel Miele, appear to be discussing plea deals with federal prosecutors. 

In a filing Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and Santos jointly asked the court to delay a status conference hearing scheduled for Thursday until Oct. 27 ‘to allow defense counsel additional time to review discovery materials and for the parties to continue discussing paths forward in this matter.’ 

Since the last hearing on June 30, the defendant ‘has continued to review the voluminous discoverable material previously produced by the government and requires additional time to continue reviewing that material,’ the filing says, and the government ‘anticipates making another substantial production of discoverable material’ this week. 

‘Defense counsel has indicated that he will need additional time to review that material as well,’ prosecutors wrote. ‘Further, the parties have continued to discuss possible paths forward in this matter. The parties wish to have additional time to continue those discussions.’ 

Later Tuesday, Judge Joanna Seybert granted the government’s request, which Santos had joined, delaying the hearing. 

In Miele’s case, prosecutors told the court on Tuesday that they needed to delay a meeting ‘to accommodate ongoing discovery review and plea negotiations,’ adding in the filing that ‘negotiations concerning a potential resolution of this case without the need for a trial are active and ongoing,’ according to Politico. 

Miele, a former fundraiser, had been fired from the Santos campaign after he was caught soliciting donations under the alias Dan Meyer, then the chief of staff to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who at the time was the Republican minority leader. The 27-year-old was arrested on federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his alleged scheme to trick donors into giving money to Santos under Meyer’s name. He pleaded not guilty. 

Prosecutors say Miele went to significant lengths to assume the false identity, setting up a dummy email address resembling Meyer’s name as he reached out to more than a dozen donors between August and December 2021. Santos said he was informed of the impersonation in late 2021 by the real Meyer, who has since retired, and he promptly fired Miele.

Santos, infamous for fabricating major parts of his life story during his run for office, is facing his own federal charges accusing him of duping donors, stealing from his campaign, lying to Congress about being a millionaire and collecting fraudulent unemployment benefits. He has pleaded not guilty. The charges could carry up to 20 years in prison.

Santos, who says he is seeking re-election, has not articulated a clear decision on whether he’d consider a pela deal in recent TV news appearances. 

‘Word of the day: Speculation Meaning: The forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence,’ Santos wrote in a vague Tuesday post on X, formerly Twitter. 

‘I’m going to fight the witch hunt,’ he told reporters in the hours following his arraignment in May, according to Politico. ‘I’m going to take care of clearing my name.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Hunter Biden attended at least six U.S. state dinners during the Obama and Biden administrations, including four when he was chairman of his now-defunct investment firm and two while being federally investigated over his business dealings with the firm.

President Biden has shown no signs of trying to distance himself from his embattled son, appearing alongside him in recent months during multiple public events despite Hunter’s legal troubles, including taking him on an official state trip to Ireland in April.

On June 22, just two days after it was announced Hunter and federal prosecutors had struck a plea deal, which has since fallen apart, the first son was seen hobnobbing among Washington’s elite during a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Modi at the White House.

The lavish affair came more than six months after Hunter attended his dad’s first state dinner at the White House for French President Emmanuel Macron Dec. 1, 2022.

At the time of the dinners, Hunter was at the center of a years-long federal investigation into his business dealings and tax affairs, which continues today.

Hunter and federal prosecutors in Delaware announced a plea deal June 20, which included misdemeanor tax crimes and a diversion agreement on a felony gun charge, but it deteriorated in court.

During the Obama administration, when his father was vice president and he was founder and chairman of Rosemont Seneca Partners, Hunter attended at least four state dinners.

Hunter attended Obama’s first state dinner Nov. 24, 2009, for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, five months after he co-founded his firm with Devon Archer and Chris Heinz.

Hunter later attended a state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron March 14, 2012.

Roughly two years later, Hunter attended a state dinner for French President François Hollande Feb. 11, 2014.

He attended Obama’s final state dinner more than two years later on Oct. 18, 2016, for Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.

During that dinner, Hunter was listed as representing his firm. ‘Mr. Hunter Biden, Chairman, Rosemont Seneca Advisors,’ the official guest list states.

Hunter was also invited to multiple State Department luncheons during his dad’s vice presidency, including three for China, where Hunter pursued multiple business deals, previous reporting has shown.

Obama held a state dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderón May 19, 2010, where Hunter’s Mexican business associate, Carlos Slim, was in attendance.

The New York Post reported in 2021 that Hunter and Slim were both invited to a State Department luncheon during Calderon’s visit, which was hosted by Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The next year, Obama held a state dinner for Chinese President Hu Jintao Jan. 19, 2011. Earlier that day, Hunter and Archer attended a State Department luncheon that VP Biden held for Hu.

‘You are seated at the same table as a guy who looks like he is the #3 at the Embassy,’ Schwerin wrote Hunter in an email just before the luncheon on Jan. 19, 2011. ‘He’d be the guy to ask for Guardian. Looks like you, Devon, and Paul are all at the same table. Also Ron Klain and Markell at your table. All subject to change, per Carlos. Also, Ann Curry from Today, SB Woo and John Cooney.’

Fox News Digital previously reported that Hunter used the same event as a networking opportunity to help one of his firm’s clients secure an event at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

A letter from then-Vice President Biden to Archer one day after the luncheon for Hu thanked Archer for attending the event.

‘I apologize for not getting a chance to talk to you at the luncheon yesterday,’ Biden wrote to Archer Jan. 20, 2011, according to the letter previously reported by Fox News. ‘I was having trouble getting away from hosting President Hu. I hope I get a chance to see you again soon with Hunter. I hope you enjoyed the lunch. Thanks for coming.’

Biden then included a handwritten note: ‘Happy you guys are together.’

Hunter was later invited to at least three more state luncheons — two for China and one for India — during his dad’s vice presidency, according to emails on his laptop, though it is unclear if he attended.

The White House and Hunter’s lawyer did not respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., dodged a question on why she has not visited the southern border in crisis while President Biden has been in office.

During an interview with the New York Times last week, the ‘Squad’ member was asked why she has nOt traveled to the border under Biden like she did while former President Trump was in office.

Ocasio-Cortez sidestepped the question about why she has nOt yet visited the southern border under Biden, but said she has visited migrant facilities recently — in the New York area.

‘Well, this is something that we’re actively planning on,’ Ocasio-Cortez told the Times. ‘What I have done is tours of our New York-area facilities.’

‘Right now, this crisis is in our own backyard, and we have toured the Roosevelt Hotel, and I think it’s been very important for us to — especially to my constituents, who are demanding accountability on this — to look at that front line that is right here in New York City.’

The New York Democrat made several high-profile trips to the border during the Trump administration, visiting federal migrant detention facilities.

Since Biden took office, the New York Democrat has yet to visit the southern border.

Ocasio-Cortez was famously dogpiled online in 2019 after the Democrat socialist congresswoman posted a picture of herself crying outside a Texas migrant facility. 

The photos, taken during the Trump administration, appeared to be a far cry from Ocasio-Cortez’s attention under the current Democratic president.

Ocasio-Cortez has frequently pushed Democratic narratives about the border and border officials, such as the debunked claim that Border Patrol agents in Texas ‘whipped’ Haitian migrants crossing the border illegally.

Republicans say the southern border under Biden has become a disaster area with 2.3 million illegal migrants crossing the border illegally this fiscal year alone.

New York City has seen buses full of illegal migrants come to the city from border states like Texas, which has born a substantial brunt of the influx of migrants.

Tensions are rising between President Biden and blue state Democrats trying to stem the tide of migrants flowing from Republican-led border states.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has criticized the Biden administration in no uncertain terms, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has leaned on the president to do more for months. Other deep blue cities like Chicago and Boston are also buckling under the weight of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s bussing program.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he reached out to Biden and urged him to do more to respond to the crisis.

‘I wrote to him in May, so it’s been like four months. But I hope to find out,’ Durbin told Axios on Tuesday.

Business leaders in NYC also wrote an open letter to Biden and Congress urging them to provide more federal funding for migrant care.

‘We write to support the request made by New York Governor Hochul for federal funding for educational, housing, security, and health care services to offset the costs that local and state governments are incurring with limited federal aid,’ the group wrote.

The signees included top executives from JPMorgan, BlackRock, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and dozens of other major companies.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom contributed reporting.

Petitioners are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case in which they claim a police K-9 officer violated the Constitution by jumping up and placing its paws on a vehicle during a traffic stop.

The case relates to Nero, a Belgian Malinois working as a police dog in Idaho. Nero uncovered meth residue and other drug paraphernalia during a search, but he also briefly jumped and placed his front paws onto the door of a car, which petitioners argue violated the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against ‘unreasonable searches.’

The driver of the car, Kirby Dorff, was ultimately convicted on charges of felony drug possession. The Idaho Supreme Court tossed out Dorff’s conviction in March, however, arguing that Nero’s pounce onto the door constituted a ‘warrantless search.’

Court records say police first pulled over Dorff after he made an erratic turn across three lanes of traffic in 2019. Nero arrived with his handler shortly after, and made two circuits around Dorff’s vehicle. Nero jumped up several times during the second circuit.

After finding evidence of drug possession in the vehicle, police obtained a warrant to search Dorff’s motel room, where they found more evidence, according to USA Today.

Idaho’s Supreme Court found in a 3-2 ruling that while police K-9s are free to sniff the air around a given vehicle, they are not allowed to attempt to get inside the vehicle without a warrant.

The court compared the situation to ‘the difference between a dog’s tail that brushes against the bumper of your vehicle as it walks by — and a dog who, without privilege or consent, approaches your vehicle to jump on its roof, sit on its hood, stand on its window or door.’

Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court decide among themselves which cases to hear each term.

The high Court ruled in 2013 that it is unconstitutional for police to bring a drug search dog onto a suspect’s property without a search warrant.

The Trump campaign said there is ‘no legal basis’ to use the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to prevent former President Trump from appearing on the 2024 presidential ballot, accusing those pushing the effort of using ‘lawfare to deprive voters of choosing their next president.’

Some have argued that Trump could be disqualified from appearing on the 2024 presidential ballot due to the ‘Disqualifications Clause’ — or Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

That clause bars individuals who have ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion’ against America, or aided those engaged in such, from holding office.

But the Trump campaign is blasting those who suggest the legal theory could be used to block Trump’s presidential bid.

‘Joe Biden, Democrats, and Never Trumpers are scared to death because they see polls showing President Trump winning in the general election,’ a Trump campaign spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

‘The people who are pursuing this absurd conspiracy theory and political attack on President Trump are stretching the law beyond recognition much like the political prosecutors in New York, Georgia and DC.

‘There is no legal basis for this effort except in the minds of those who are pushing it,’ the spokesperson continued. ‘This is nothing more than a blatant attempt by enemies of America to create fake excuses and use lawfare to deprive voters of choosing their next president.’ 

Trump is the first former president in United States history to face criminal charges. 

Trump was indicted out of special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into alleged interference in the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. He faces criminal charges in Georgia, New York and out of Smith’s separate investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified documents.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, which included conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dodged when questioned Tuesday about President Biden’s claim he hasn’t visited East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a major train disaster earlier this year, because he hasn’t ‘been able to break.’

The exchange occurred during the daily White House press briefing when Fox News’ Peter Doocy noted the derailment occurred on Feb. 3, but that Biden, despite his claim, had taken other personal trips — including one to Lake Tahoe last month when he rented the secluded mansion of a billionaire climate activist.

‘I will say this again. The president is going to go to East Palestine, as he has said that he is committed to do,’ Jean-Pierre said.

‘You saw him, just this Saturday, visit a rural area. Right? That was devastated — some parts were devastated by Hurricane Idalia, and he was there with the first lady. They were able to hear directly from the American people, and he was able to talk about what is it that they need… what else do they need from the federal government. So the president is going to go to East Palestine. I don’t have a time or date to announce at this time, but he will go,’ she added.

East Palestine was devastated by a derailed freight train that spewed toxic chemicals and caused health and environmental worries for locals. Although officials reassured the public that the town’s air and water were safe, residents claimed to suffer from nausea, dizziness and headaches in the days after the disaster.

Biden was sharply criticized for not visiting East Palestine immediately following the derailment, and he has yet to travel to the area since, though he promised on March 2 to visit ‘at some point.’

Biden’s claims he hasn’t ‘been able to break’ since the Feb. 3 derailment came just one week after he returned from an eight-day family vacation in Nevada and several trips to Delaware just in the month of August alone.

Days before the Nevada vacation, Biden was forced to break from a vacation in Delaware to tour Maui amid criticism for his lackluster response to the deadly fires there.

Earlier in August, Biden spent 10 days vacationing at his homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach.

The president was photographed waving to locals while riding his bicycle in Rehoboth Beach on July 31, Aug. 1, Aug. 2 and Aug. 13.

He was also spotted relaxing on the beach in Rehoboth Beach on July 8, July 30, Aug. 2 and Aug. 13.

According to a new report by the New York Post, Biden has spent roughly 40% of his presidency on personal overnight trips away from the White House, more than any other president before him.

Plaintiffs suing Ohio over its congressional map have moved to dismiss the case.The ACLU of Ohio told the state Supreme Court that it is willing to let the current map stand ‘(i)n lieu of the continued turmoil brought about by cycles of redrawn maps and ensuing litigation.’Despite the map largely favoring Republicans, Democrats held onto all four of their Ohio House seats last year, and gained another with then-Cincinnati Councilman Greg Landsman’s defeat of longtime Rep. Steve Chabot.

Ohio voting-rights groups moved to dismiss their lawsuit against Ohio’s unconstitutional congressional map on Tuesday, arguing that prolonging the legal wrangling over where to draw district boundaries isn’t in the best interests of Ohio voters.

The ACLU of Ohio, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Ohio and others, told the Ohio Supreme Court that they are willing to live with the U.S. House map approved March 2, 2022, and used in last year’s elections, ‘(i)n lieu of the continued turmoil brought about by cycles of redrawn maps and ensuing litigation.’

Democrats netted wins under that map — securing five of 15 U.S. House seats, compared to the four of 16 they had held previously. Ohio had lost one seat under the 2020 Census because of lagging population growth.

‘Petitioners have no desire to launch another round of maps and challenges, given the recent history of map-drawing in Ohio,’ the Tuesday filing said.

That history included the court’s rejection of two separate congressional maps and five sets of Statehouse maps — describing districts for Ohio House and Ohio Senate in Columbus — as gerrymandered in favor of the ruling Republicans. Nonetheless, those maps had to be used to elect candidates in 2022 as the disagreements ended in legal limbo.

Since the voting advocates’ lawsuit was first filed early last year, the political landscape has grown only more conservative. GOP supermajorities at the Statehouse grew, and the state’s high court, which would decide their case, saw the retirement of a Republican chief justice who had provided a swing vote against GOP-leaning maps.

The dismissal request also comes as advocates prepare a redistricting reform amendment for Ohio’s 2024 ballot.

Before Tuesday’s filing, the Ohio Supreme Court had asked both sides in the lawsuit to file briefs explaining how a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June involving the Ohio map would impact the state case. The nation’s high court set aside ruling in the case and ordered further consideration in light of its rejection days earlier in a North Carolina case of the so-called independent state legislature theory, which holds that legislatures have absolute power in setting the rules of federal elections and cannot be overruled by state courts.

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Arizona is channeling $40 million in federal COVID-19 relief funding toward tutoring students falling behind in school, the state superintendent said Tuesday.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne announced at a news conference that free tutoring will be available for students who failed to pass proficiency tests in reading, writing and math.

The tutoring program, however, will be given on a first-come, first-served basis. Only students between first and eighth grades at public and charter schools will be eligible. Parents can request it through the Arizona Department of Education website.

‘I have one obsession in life. My obsession is that we increase the proficiency levels of the students in the schools and that we help the teachers achieve that,’ Horne said.

The funding will cover over one million hours of tutoring for four days a week over a six-week period. Either a certified teacher or a private vendor approved by the state would do the tutoring, according to Horne.

Teachers will be paid $30 per hour. If they make sufficient progress in that six-week window, they will get an additional $200 stipend. A teacher who can find the time to tutor could potentially make $8,000 overall.

‘This will help the teachers improve their income,’ Horne said.

A spokesperson for the Arizona Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The federal government earmarked $2.7 billion to Arizona to assist with pandemic-driven learning loss. Roughly 90% of that money went to districts around the state. That left $130 million for the Arizona Department of Education. Funds not used by the end of September 2024 will revert back to the federal government.

The timetable led state education officials to ask vendors of tutoring services to submit data to prove they had made academic gains with students. Those that failed to do so had their contracts canceled.

Some who made gains but weren’t spending the funds at a steady rate had their grants reduced. Twenty-seven grants in all were modified or canceled.

‘We do want to be sure that nothing goes back to the federal government. So we took back part of their funds. That all came to in excess of $40 million,’ Horne said.

A dramatic decline in student learning since the pandemic is a problem schools all over the country are facing. Most education experts say intensive tutoring is the best solution.

Despite billions of dollars in federal funding, only a small fraction of students have received school tutoring, according to a survey earlier this year of the country’s largest districts by the nonprofit news organization Chalkbeat and The Associated Press.

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Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Tarrio was found guilty of seditious conspiracy by a jury in Washington, D.C., alongside three other leaders of the Proud Boys. The others were each sentenced to between 15 and 18 years.

The Department of Justice sought more than three decades for Tarrio, characterizing him as the ringleader of violent protesters. He was also ordered to 36 months of probation at the end of his sentence. 

‘Tarrio has repeatedly and publicly indicated that he has no regrets about what he helped make happen on January 6,’ prosecutors wrote. 

Tarrio spoke before the court, admitting his mistakes, and apologized to members of law enforcement. 

Tarrio pleaded for leniency, describing Jan. 6 as a ‘national embarrassment,’ and apologizing to the police officers who defended the Capitol and the lawmakers who fled in fear. He expressed remorse for letting down his family and vowed that he was done with politics.

‘I am not a political zealot. Inflicting harm or changing the results of the election was not my goal,’ Tarrio said.

He asked U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, ‘please show me mercy’ and that he ‘not take my 40s from me.’ 

Tarrio was not in Washington, D.C., at the time of the riot, having been arrested by federal authorities for a separate investigation two days prior. 

Prosecutors successfully argued, however, that Tarrio was instrumental in organizing the Proud Boys demonstrations that sought to enter and occupy the Capitol.

He was originally scheduled to face sentencing last week until U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly fell ill and rescheduled the hearing.

Over 1,100 individuals have been brought to court over alleged involvement in the riot at the Capitol. Prosecutors have convicted more than 600 people for their participation in the violent demonstration. The majority have either pleaded guilty or gone to trial. 

Tarrio’s sentence is the longest, so far, for any Jan. 6 defendants. 

Fox News Digital’s Jake Gibson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.