: Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the leader of the Senate Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Caucus, is hoping to take on the centralization of the federal workforce in the Washington, D.C., area with a new bill that would relocate nearly a third of workers. 

Ernst is leading a bill, titled the ‘Decentralizing and Re-organizing Agency Infrastructure Nationwide To Harness Efficient Services, Workforce Administration, and Management Practices Act,’ or DRAIN THE SWAMP. 

The measure would authorize the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to relocate 30% of federal agency staff to places other than the metropolitan area surrounding Washington, D.C. 

Additionally, the rest of the federal workers remaining around the capital would be required to work in person 100% of the time. 

Under her bill, the OMB would further be directed to work to sell the unnecessary office space created by the relocations. 

‘My investigations have exposed how bureaucrats have been doing just about everything besides their job during the workday,’ Ernst said in a statement ‘Federal employees have shown they don’t want to work in Washington, and in the Christmas spirit, I am making their wish come true. Instead of keeping them bogged down in the swamp, I’m working to get bureaucrats beyond the D.C. beltway to remind public servants who they work for.’

‘In addition to improving government service for all Americans, we can give taxpayers an extra Christmas gift by selling off unused and expensive office buildings.’

Ernst has long been investigating federal government agencies and programs and what she deems as waste. With Donald Trump’s announcement of DOGE ahead of his second administration, the Iowa Republican appears ready to hit the ground running with specific ideas already laid out for the president-elect. 

Companion legislation is being introduced in the House by Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., who is a co-leader of the lower chamber’s DOGE caucus. 

‘The swamp is thick and deep here in Crazy Town, and I’m here to drain it. It is time to remind Washington that our duty is to serve the American people. I’m proud to join Senator Ernst to ensure the government works for the people, not the other way around,’ he said in a statement. 

In November, Trump announced that billionaire Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would lead DOGE, a proposed advisory board tasked with eliminating government waste.

‘Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies – Essential to the ‘Save America’ Movement,’ he wrote in a statement at the time. 

Afterward, caucuses were formed in both the House and Senate, led by Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., and Pete Sessions, R-Texas, and Ernst and Blake Moore, R-Utah, respectively. 

Republicans in both chambers have already started rolling out a slate of bills aimed at fulfilling the mission of DOGE. 

The returning head of the House Republican campaign committee says President-elect Trump’s convincing 2024 White House victory gives the GOP plenty of home field advantage as the party aims to defend its razor-thin majority in the 2026 midterm elections.

‘The battlefield is really laying out to our advantage. There are 14 Democrats who won seats also carried by Donald Trump. There are only three Republicans in seats that were carried by Kamala Harris. So that tells me we’re going to be on offense,’ National Republican Congressional Committee chair Rep. Richard Hudson emphasized in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

Trump carried all seven crucial battleground states and, for the first time in three presidential elections, won the national popular vote as he defeated Vice President Harris last month.

The Republicans also flipped control of the Senate from the Democrats, and even though they had a net loss of two seats in the 435-member House, they’ll hold a fragile 220-215 majority when the new Congress convenes next month.

Eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House and the GOP held onto their House majority, Democrats targeted roughly two-dozen Republicans in the 2018 midterms in districts Trump lost in the 2016 election.

The Democrats, in a blue-wave election, were successful in flipping the House majority. 

Fast-forward eight years, and it’s a different story, as this time Republicans will be defending seats on friendly turf in districts that the president-elect carried.

‘There’s a whole lot more opportunity for us to go on offense,’ Hudson, who’s represented a congressional district in central North Carolina for a dozen years, touted.

Hudson also made the case that House Republicans who will once again be targeted by the Democrats in the upcoming election cycle are ‘really battle tested. I mean, they’re folks who’ve been through the fire before. They’ve gone through several cycles now with millions of dollars spent against them.’

‘They’ve been able to succeed because they work very hard in their districts. They’ve established very strong brands, as you know, people who know how to get things done and how to deliver for their community,’ he emphasized. ‘The Republicans who are in tough seats are our best candidates.’

The three House Republicans who are in districts that Harris carried last month are Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York.

But there will be a big difference in 2026: Trump, who helped drive low propensity voters to the polls this year, won’t be on the ballot in the 2026 midterms. 

‘I certainly would rather have him on the ballot because he turns out voters that don’t come out for other candidates,’ Hudson acknowledged.

But he argued, ‘If you look at the way this race is shaping up, we campaigned on a key set of issues of things that we promised we would deliver. If we deliver those things and have Donald Trump there with us campaigning with our candidates, I believe we can drive out a higher percentage of those voters than we have in midterms in the past.’

Hudson said Trump ‘was a great partner’ with House Republicans this year and will be again in the upcoming election cycle.

‘[Trump] cares deeply about having a House majority because he understands that a Democrat House majority means his agenda comes to a grinding halt. And so he’s been very engaged, was a very good partner for us this last election, and I anticipate that continuing.’

Hudson, who is returning for a second straight cycle chairing the NRCC, said that at the top of his committee to-do list are candidate recruitment and fundraising.

‘I mean, first thing, we’ve got to go out and recruit candidates. You know, candidate quality matters. And then we’ve got to go raise the money. And so I’ll be on the road and be out there helping our incumbents. But I’m looking forward to it,’ he emphasized.

Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report

Editors note: Fox News Digital also interviewed Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington. That report will be posted on Friday.

House GOP leaders appear to be searching for a backup plan after an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on Friday was buried in an avalanche of conservative opposition.

The legislation angered conservatives in both the House and Senate, as well as President-elect Trump’s pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

As Musk called for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats, Trump’s presidential transition team released an official joint statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial iteration of the deal.

The bill was expected to get a vote sometime Wednesday afternoon, but a planned round of late afternoon votes was canceled. Instead, senior Republicans are huddling in the speaker’s office to chart a path forward, less than 24 hours after the legislation was unveiled.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters while leaving Johnson’s office in the early evening, ‘There will be a new CR likely tomorrow. They are negotiating right now. But there will be no votes this evening.’

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told reporters a short while later he anticipated a ‘skinny’ CR without disaster aid or agricultural subsidies.

It came after GOP critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson’s handling of the issue.

The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels, aimed at giving lawmakers more time to agree on funding the rest of FY 2025 by the Friday deadline.

It’s the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.

In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill includes more than $100 billion in disaster aid to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes an $10 billion in economic relief for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium and its surrounding campus.

Members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus said they felt blindsided by what they saw as unrelated policy riders being added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.

Several GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely said Johnson would see challenges to his speakership bid in early January over the matter.

But Johnson defended the deal on ‘Fox & Friends’ Wednesday morning.

‘When we start the new Congress in January, when Republicans are in control … we’re going to be able to scale back the size and scope of government. But before we get to that point, remember right now, we only control one half of one third of the federal government. Remember, Democrats are still in charge of the Senate and the White House. So, what we’ve done is the conservative play call here,’ he said.

Opponents of the legislation include Elon Musk, who posted on X, ‘Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!’

He later called on Republicans to leverage a partial government shutdown. 

”Shutting down’ the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill,’ he suggested.

Trump and Vance called for Republicans to reject the deal and instead opt for a CR paired with an increase in the U.S. debt limit, which was suspended until January 2025.

‘Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want,’ the statement said.

But simply bowing to his right flank may not get Johnson out of the woods, with Democrats warning him to not renege on their deal.

‘House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,’ House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, R-N.Y., wrote on X.

Johnson was always likely to need Democratic help to pass a CR, given his slim margins in the House and widespread opposition to short-term funding extensions within the GOP.

But it’s not clear if the number of Democrats willing to break ranks will offset that Republican opposition. 

House leaders will also have to decide whether to put the bill through regular order, which will include a House Rules Committee vote followed by a House-wide procedural vote before lawmakers can weigh in on the measure itself. Or they could bypass that and rush the bill onto the House floor in exchange for raising the threshold for passage to two-thirds rather than a simple majority.

All the while, the clock is ticking until the partial government shutdown deadline at the end of Friday.

House GOP critics of how Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is handling government funding talks are already beginning to float names of possible challengers, people told Fox News Digital.

Two GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., were all mentioned in early talks about alternatives.

One of the two lawmakers said they had not heard from any of the three, adding, ‘That would be suicidal.’ 

A person close to Donalds told Fox News Digital in response, ‘At this time, the Congressman has not made any statements regarding the future of House leadership.’

A spokesperson for Emmer told Fox News Digital, ‘Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do.’

Fox News Digital also reached out to Jordan and Johnson’s offices for comment.

But discussions about potential rivals to Johnson in the Jan. 3, 2025 House-wide speaker vote represent the latest warning shot from Republican lawmakers who are vehemently opposed to the short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR).

Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.

Since then, it’s seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated at the unrelated policy riders attached to the legislation – rather than a ‘clean’ extension of government funding.

In addition to averting a partial government shutdown through March 14, the bill also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, plus more than $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Multiple GOP lawmakers signaled Tuesday that Johnson could face a challenge to his leadership over the CR.

‘The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes and some people considering their options,’ a third House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked if Johnson could see blowback on Jan. 3, ‘There’s always consequences.’

When previously asked about any potential speakership challenges, Emmer, Jordan and Donalds have all said they back Johnson.

A source close to Jordan told Fox News Digital that the Ohio Republican is ‘not interested in challenging Johnson.’

But all three ran for House Speaker last year after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted. Johnson ultimately won after a messy three-week fight.

The Louisiana Republican, who Republicans chose unanimously to be their candidate for speaker last month, is also backed by President-elect Donald Trump, which is likely to keep a significant amount of backlash at bay.

He’s also still expected to get a large share of GOP lawmakers to vote for his plan, with most in Congress in agreement that a partial government shutdown over the holidays would have a negative political and economic impact.

But his CR plan is also under attack by members of Trump’s orbit – both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy blasted the bill on Wednesday.

‘Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!’ Musk wrote on X.

Johnson himself dismissed concerns about his job as the blowback began to build on Tuesday.

‘I’m not worried about the speaker vote,’ he said. ‘We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances.’

The speaker and his allies have argued that they won the most they could while controlling one half of one third of government, and promised that Republicans would be in a better position to handle federal funding when the CR expires at the beginning of Trump’s term.

Three detainees held at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba have been sent back to their home countries of Malaysia and Kenya, the Pentagon announced. 

The transfers of Mohammed Farik bin Amin and Mohammed Nazir bin Lep to Malaysia comes after they pleaded guilty before a military commission to multiple offenses, including murder and destruction of property in violation of the law of war, according to the Department of Defense (DOD). 

‘Pursuant to a pretrial agreement between the U.S. and the two men, each has cooperated with the U.S. Government and has provided deposition testimony available for use against the alleged mastermind, Encep Nurjaman, of the Al Qaeda-affiliated attacks on nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia in 2002, and the attack on the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2003,’ the DOD said in a statement. 

‘On June 13, 2024, in accordance with the pretrial agreements, the Convening Authority approved sentences of confinement for approximately five years for each and recommended that both men be repatriated or transferred to a third-party sovereign nation to serve the remainder of the approved sentence,’ the department added. 

Prosecutors say both men worked for years with Nurjaman, an Indonesian leader of al Qaeda-affiliate Jemaah Islamiya. That includes helping Nurjaman escape capture after the Oct. 12, 2002 bombings that killed 202 people at two night spots in Bali, U.S. officials said. 

Nurjaman remains in custody at Guantánamo Bay awaiting resumption of pre-trial hearings in January involving the Bali bombings and other attacks. 

On Tuesday, U.S. authorities repatriated a Kenyan man, Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu, after 17 years at Guantánamo Bay without charge. 

He was arrested by Kenyan authorities in 2007 and was accused of belonging to an al Qaeda branch in East Africa, according to the Washington Post. 

The Pentagon said Bajabu’s detention was ‘was no longer necessary to protect against a continuing significant threat to the national security of the United States.’ 

‘The United States appreciates the support to ongoing U.S. efforts toward a deliberate and thorough process focused on responsibly reducing the detainee population and ultimately closing the Guantanamo Bay facility,’ the Pentagon said Wednesday. 

‘Today, 27 detainees remain at Guantanamo Bay: 15 are eligible for transfer; 3 are eligible for a Periodic Review Board; 7 are involved in the military commissions process; and 2 detainees have been convicted and sentenced by military commissions,’ the Pentagon added. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Just days after Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared in a ‘queer’ Broadway spinoff of ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ critics are questioning whether her involvement could compromise her impartiality as the court considers a landmark case about banning transgender surgical procedures for minors.

‘I think it’s a huge mistake for federal judges, especially Supreme Court justices, to engage in activities that clearly put the stamp of approval on an ideological position regarding issues that could come before the court, which is practically the definition of a threat to their impartiality, the appearance of impropriety,’ Heritage Foundation senior legal counsel Thomas Jipping told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

‘It’s unusual for judges to do this sort of thing under any circumstances. But I suppose if this was ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ if this was some recognized, established classic or something, it might be different. But this is obviously an advocacy production, so for a Supreme Court justice to participate in advocacy on an issue that is currently in the courts, and at least broadly speaking, before her, I think it’s a huge mistake,’ he said.

The musical, called ‘& Juliet,’ features prominent LGBTQ+ themes and nonbinary characters. The musical begins where Shakespeare’s original ends. Instead of dying by suicide for love, Juliet chooses to forge her own path, challenging traditional gender roles. On its website, ‘& Juliet’ is described as a ‘hilarious new musical’ that ‘flips the script on the greatest love story ever told.’

Juliet’s best friend, May, is a nonbinary character whose queer relationship is prominently featured and explored throughout the musical.

Jackson joined the Broadway cast, which includes TikTok star Charli D’Amelio and other Broadway performers, for a one-time performance at New York’s Stephen Sondheim Theatre on Saturday night, becoming the first Supreme Court justice to perform on Broadway.

‘& Juliet’ was written by David West Read, best known for his work as a writer and producer on the TV show ‘Schitt’s Creek.’ The musical premiered in November 2019, at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End. Its Broadway debut followed in November 2022, at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City.

Liberals have criticized several conservative Supreme Court justices in recent years over ethical concerns, fueling calls for stricter oversight. 

Justice Clarence Thomas has faced scrutiny over his wife’s political activism. Justice Samuel Alito has been criticized for failing to disclose luxury trips funded by wealthy donors with business before the court, while Justice Amy Coney Barrett has drawn attention for her ties to religious groups and their potential influence on cases involving LGBTQ+ issues and abortion. Justice Brett Kavanaugh has also faced criticism over his confirmation process and past financial disclosures.

‘For two, three years now, liberals have been complaining about actions by Supreme Court justices that they say undermine the public’s confidence in the impartiality of the judiciary,’ Jipping said. ‘Liberals in Congress want an enforceable code of conduct. I wonder what they say about this.’

‘Participating in an advocacy, in an exercise of advocacy, for a position on issues that come before the Supreme Court is an egregious violation of that principle in the code of conduct regarding impartiality. I don’t think there’s any question about that,’ he said.

Jackson wore jeans and an all-blue costume with a corset and a flowery hat. In one clip of the performance posted by the production’s social media account, her character excitedly exclaims, ‘Female empowerment, sick!,’ and in another, she sings the Backstreet Boys’ ‘Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.’

The ‘& Juliet’ marketing team said in an Instagram post announcing the cameo that Jackson’s performance fulfilled a lifelong fantasy of her ‘becoming the first Black, female Supreme Court justice to appear on a Broadway stage.’

‘She should stay on her side of the bench, and judges should protect their impartiality and the appearance of impartiality more, not less. And this, this was really reckless, in my view,’ Jipping added.

This isn’t the first time a Supreme Court justice has stepped into the spotlight of the performing arts. In 1994, Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared as supernumeraries – non-speaking, background roles – in a Washington National Opera production of ‘Ariadne auf Naxos.’ 

The two, known for their ideological differences but close personal friendship, shared a love of opera.

Earlier this month, SCOTUS heard oral arguments in the U.S. v. Skrmetti case. The court’s decision could have sweeping implications, potentially shaping future legal battles over transgender issues, such as access to bathrooms and school sports participation. The court will resume arguments in January and a decision is expected by July 2025.

The Supreme Court’s press office did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request by press deadline.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

The Senate voted to pass the $895 billion annual defense policy bill that includes a pay raise for U.S. servicemembers and a provision that restricts transgender care. 

The bill passed 85 to 14, and now heads to President Biden’s desk for his signature. 

The legislation scored a more bipartisan vote in the Senate than it did in the House, where more Democrats voted no on the legislation in protest of the transgender provisions. 

The bill prohibits military health care provider Tricare from paying for transgender care ‘that could result in sterilization’ for children under 18.

The legislation passed the House last week 281-140, with 16 Republicans voting ‘no.’ Only 81 Democrats voted yes – 124 voting no – a much larger margin than in years passed when the legislation typically enjoyed bipartisan support. 

The 1,800-page bill details how $895.2 billion allocated toward defense and national security will be spent. It will be voted on more than two months after the start of the fiscal year. 

The $895.2 billion represents a 1% increase over last year’s budget, a smaller number than some defense hawks would have liked. 

Additionally, while the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) outlines policy, a separate spending bill will actually fund the programs it lays out. That spending legislation will be voted on in the next Congress, when Republicans will have a narrow majority in both chambers. 

A significant portion of the legislation focused on quality-of-life improvements for servicemembers amid record recruitment issues, a focus of much bipartisan discussion over the last year. That includes a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted servicemembers and increasing access to child care for servicemembers while also providing job support to military spouses.

The measure authorizes a 4.5% across-the-board pay raise for all servicemembers starting Jan. 1 and a 2% increase for civilian personnel within the Department of Defense.

It also puts more restrictions on Chinese-made drones, fearing their use in the U.S. could be for foreign surveillance. It specifically targets China-based DJI and Autel Robotoics. 

The NDAA mandates that a national security agency must determine within one year if drones from DJI or Autel Robotics pose unacceptable national security risks. If no agency completes the study, the companies would automatically be added to the Federal Communications Commission’s ‘covered lists,’ preventing them from operating in the U.S. 

DJI is the world’s largest drone manufacturer and sells more than half of all U.S. commercial drones. 

The bill recommends a $20 million increase in counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) Advanced Development budget and requires the Defense secretary to establish a ‘C-UAS task force’ within 30 days and provide a report to congressional defense committees on the military’s latest counter-drone training efforts within four months.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., led a group of 21 Democratic senators demanding an amendment to remove the transgender care restrictions from the NDAA. That amendment was not included as it would have forced the bill back to the House. Congressional leaders spent months conferencing to find agreement between the chambers and the parties on the yearly must-pass legislation. 

‘Let’s be clear: we’re talking about parents who are in uniform serving our country who have earned the right to make the best decisions for their families,’ Baldwin said in a statement. ‘I trust our servicemembers and their doctors to make the best health care decisions for their kids, not politicians.’

The amendment will affect care for 7,000 children, according to Baldwin, who said she would support the NDAA if not for the provision.

Other Democrats said they had objections to the provision, but the bill’s provisions to strengthen U.S. defenses against China, raise pay for servicemembers, invest in new military technologies and replenish weapons stockpiles. 

‘Of course, the NDAA is not perfect. It doesn’t have everything either side would like … But of course, you need bipartisanship to get this through the finish line,’ said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters Tuesday he shares his colleagues’ ‘frustration’ with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s ‘extreme, misguided provision,’ but he said Democrats during the negotiation process were able to strip out ‘the vast majority of very far right provisions that had passed in the House bill.’

Provisions like a blanket ban on funding for gender transition surgeries for adults did not make their way into the bill. Neither did a ban on requiring masks to prevent the spread of diseases. 

The bill also supports deploying the National Guard to the southern border to help with illegal immigrant apprehensions and drug flow. 

Another provision opens the door to allowing airmen and Space Force personnel to grow facial hair. It directs the secretary of the Air Force to brief lawmakers on ‘the feasibility and advisability’ of establishing a pilot program to test out allowing beards. 

Democrats are also upset the bill did not include a provision expanding access to IVF for servicemembers. Currently, military health care only covers IVF for servicemembers whose infertility is linked to service-related illness or injury.

However, the bill did not include an amendment to walk back a provision allowing the Pentagon to reimburse servicemembers who have to travel out of state to get an abortion.

The bill extends a hiring freeze on DEI-related roles and stops all such recruitment until ‘an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs’ can be completed.

Johnson, meanwhile, touted $31 billion in savings in the legislation that would come from cutting ‘inefficient programs, obsolete weapons, and bloated Pentagon bureaucracy.’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has suggested that it is his duty to meet with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective.

‘I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump’s nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon,’ Fetterman declared in a post on X.

‘My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it’s my job,’ he continued.

Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the role of director of national intelligence.

While Fetterman has previously noted that he plans to support Stefanik, it is unclear whether he will ultimately back Hegseth and Gabbard for confirmation.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the senator, but a spokesperson did not provide any additional insight into Fetterman’s voting plans regarding Hegseth and Gabbard.

Fetterman has been unflinching in his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally.

‘Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,’ Fetterman declared in a post earlier this month.

He has also pledged to support Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation to serve as secretary of state.

‘Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,’ Fetterman noted in a post on X last month. ‘That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.’

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been on Capitol Hill this week in an attempt to drum up support for his nomination to be the next leader of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

According to one senator he spoke to, Kennedy is aligning himself with President-elect Donald Trump’s stance on abortion and has signaled that he will exercise restraint when it comes to regulating the agricultural industry.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R–Ala., said following his meeting with Kennedy that his view on abortion is ‘whatever Trump decides’ and that Kennedy will ‘back him 100%.’ Trump has repeatedly said he wants to let the states decide the matter for themselves and is against a national abortion ban. He has also expressed support for certain limited exceptions to abortion restrictions, such as when the life of the mother is in jeopardy.  

Tuberville also said he spoke to Kennedy about not going ‘overboard’ when it comes to regulating farmers. The senator told reporters that Kennedy is ‘very on board’ with protecting their livelihoods and ‘understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living.’ 

Kennedy’s nomination has drawn skepticism from both pro-life groups and those in the agriculture sector. Pro-life groups have expressed concern over Kennedy’s past statements that extol a liberal position on reproductive rights, while people in the agricultural sector have expressed concern over Kennedy’s crusade against processed foods and pesticides. The fears from those in the agriculture sector were bolstered after Trump said he wants to let Kennedy ‘go wild on health and dramatically shake things up.’

However, according to Tuberville, Kennedy understands the need to strike a balance when it comes to regulating the food industry, and he confirmed his views on abortion have evolved to be in line with Trump’s. 

‘We talked about abortion and the big thing about abortion is he’s telling everybody, ‘Listen whatever president Trump [supports] I’m going back him 100%,” Tuberville told reporters following his meeting with Kennedy.

Tuberville highlighted how Trump has expressed support for three main exceptions to abortion restrictions, which include instances when the life of the mother is in jeopardy, or when either rape or incest was the cause of a woman’s pregnancy.

‘I just asked him, ‘In the past you’ve been pro-abortion,’ and he said, well, it’s basically, he and President Trump have sat down and talked about it, and both of them came to an agreement, ‘Hey, Roe-Wade is gone, it’s gone to the states, let the people vote on it,’’ Tuberville said. 

Tuberville added that he also agrees with Trump’s stance on abortion, telling reporters that while he is pro-life, he is also ‘glad the American citizens have a chance to vote in their state,’ adding that Kennedy feels the same.

While recounting his conversation with Kennedy to reporters, Tuberville also shared that the two discussed how Kennedy would approach the agriculture industry, considering his fervent belief that the American food system is deeply flawed. Republicans who hail from states where agriculture is a major industry have expressed concern about Kennedy restricting modern farming techniques. Meanwhile, a Michigan soybean and corn farmer called Kennedy’s nomination a ‘danger’ to the agriculture industry.

Tuberville echoed the concerns of his fellow GOP lawmakers following his meeting with Kennedy, telling reporters that while his constituents are ‘very concerned’ about food safety, they do not want regulations to be so stringent that it puts farmers out of a job. 

‘I can understand that,’ Tuberville said of his constituents’ concerns, ‘and he’s very on board. He understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living, and we don’t lose our our family farms.’

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for the potential future HHS secretary but did not receive a response by press time.