Capitol Report Full Broadcast (May 16)

Good evening and welcome to Capital Report on NTD. Here's what's coming up. The Supreme Court makes a decision on the Alien Enemies Act case, what it means for the Trump administration's deportation efforts. House Republicans hitting a setback in passing President Trump's massive tax and immigration package, or what he calls the Big Beautiful Bill. Fiscal hawks want deeper cuts to Medicaid, threatening to derail Republicans' Memorial Day deadline. From welcoming ceremonies to trillions of dollars in business deals, President Trump wrapping up a high-stakes visit to the Middle East. We'll recap some of the most notable moments with the Epoch Times senior White House correspondent who was on the trip. This is Capital Report, live from our global headquarters in our nation's capital. Here's Steve Lance. I'm Iris Tao and for Steve Lance tonight, the Supreme Court today temporarily barred the Trump administration from deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members held in a northern Texas facility under the Alien Enemies Act. In a 72-decision, the high court ruled in favor of a case followed by the group of illegal immigrants. The plaintiffs argued that they weren't given enough time to legally challenge their deportations. Their case was brought to a lower court earlier this year, but was quickly dismissed. President Trump has been using the Aliens Enemies Act to speed up the removal of criminal illegal immigrants. Many of them are currently detained for alleged involvement in violent gang activities. But going forward, detainees must receive notice and an opportunity to seek relief before deportation. Responding to the verdict, President Trump said on social, quote, the result of this decision will let more criminals pour into our country, doing great harm to our cherished American Republic. The case has been sent back to the lower court now for further proceedings. And fiscal hawks in the House Budget Committee voted down President Trump's big beautiful bill. Our Washington correspondent, Louise Martinez, has more on the story. Sadly, I'm a hard no until we get this ironed out. And I think we can. We've made progress, but it just takes time. The House's Budget Committee went on recess right after the vote Republican leadership will now try to negotiate with both extremes of the GOP conference over the weekend. You're basically two different factors, red states and blue state folks, right? We got more red state folks in our conference and and they have concerns about it. We have blue state people who have realities they've got to deal with at home and they need some relief for their constituents. So I'm absolutely confident we're going to be able to work out a compromise that everybody can live with. New York Republicans like Congressman Mike Lawler and Nicola Lauder It takes 218 votes to pass the bill and I've been very clear where I stand on this and that's not going to change because Marjorie Taylor Greene throws a hissy fit on Twitter. Well, House Freedom Caucus members like Congressman Chip Roy want to see waste, fraud and abuse cut from Medicaid. Someone defend to me that we get seven times as much money to an able-bodied, often single, often male person than we do the vulnerable population for Medicaid was designed and we allow states to then money launder that which they do openly and admit it to fatten their coffers and we're not going to touch that. House Republican leadership acknowledged that not everyone in the GOP conference will get a hundred percent of their demands but insists that the current bill is a fair compromise. When we negotiated the first half of this two-step process and that's the budget, the agreement was we make it a deficit neutral bill. That was their main request. We have exceeded that. We're still moving forward with the timeline. You know the bill will be on the floor next week. In between the House Freedom Caucus and the SALT Caucus there's a Republican conference pushing to pass the president's agenda and the president's tax cuts. But at the end of the day we have to find that sweet spot where everybody comes together on the same page and deliver for the president. We're very very close on this. It remains to be seen if President Trump will get involved in the negotiations as he did earlier this year during the budget battle. Reporting from Washington D.C. Luis Eduardo Martinez NTD News. The Secret Service reportedly interviewed former FBI Director James Comey in the Washington D.C. office on Friday about his social media post. Video aired by CNN showed Comey departing his home for the interview. President Trump says Comey knew what he was doing with the since deleted post from Thursday which included a photo of seashells forming the numbers 86-47. Comey called the shell arrangement cool. He responded to the backlash in another post saying quote it never occurred to him that the numbers could be interpreted as violent. The number 86 informally means to remove eliminate or get rid of something or someone in military and law enforcement terms. Trump said Comey knew what it meant. While DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard called for Comey to be arrested the Secret Service responded on X saying quote we're aware of the social media post by the former FBI director and we take rhetoric like this very seriously. In an op-ed in the Washington Post back in January last year Comey wrote quote we should always worry about political violence especially when violent rhetoric and behavior are embraced or even celebrated. The president said he would leave it up to Attorney General Pam Bondi to decide what happens next. Trump fired Comey back in 2017 during an investigation of the 2016 election. And President Trump this week wrapping up an eventful four-day trip to the Middle East returning to Washington with a string of major investment deals for the U.S. Joining us is Epoch Times Senior White House Correspondent Emel Akan. She has been following the president throughout this week in the Middle East. Emel thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. So you have been on the ground this whole week following President Trump's Middle East tour to three different countries. You were first in Saudi Arabia then in Qatar and now in the UAE. So give us a sense of the mood there. What stood out to you the most? How it was received? I'm sure you're so exhausted now. Like how was the whole trip? Yes you're right about that. It was a very stressful trip. We tried to cover three countries in four days. Even President Trump joked about it. He said that it was a big test for all of us here and during this visit. He said that it required really a lot of mental and physical energy and he was right about it. What I would say was one of the most fascinating things in this trip is the fact that all these nations, all these countries were really well prepared to welcome Trump. They also found his approach towards Middle East useful and important. So that's why they had very traditional, very lavish ceremonies and I think that to me was very interesting to watch. It almost felt like they were competing with each other to give the best welcome ceremony for President Trump. Well I'm sure you've seen a lot of elaborate ceremonies throughout this trip. And stepping back a little, we know that the Middle East was also President Trump's first stop when he was the president in his first term. That was also his first major foreign trip back then. So how does this trip this time around compare with the last one? How is Trump potentially approaching his foreign policy toward the Middle East different in 2025 versus back in 2017? Correct. This was a little bit different than the first term I would say because he excluded Israel from this trip. He added two other stops, the UAE and also Qatar. And I think most fascinating thing in this whole trip was adding Qatar to the itinerary because Qatar just a few weeks ago said that they wouldn't allow the United States to use the U.S. military base here in Qatar. And they also have been accused of hosting Hamas leaders for years. So that's like a different country compared to how Saudis and the UAE relationship. So I think that was fascinating to see. And you see the leader of Qatar talking about President Trump and how he prayed for him when he had an assassination attempt against him. So it was all fascinating to see. And he also made joke about drill, baby drill. He said he supported the oil production as well. So I think that was an interesting element and different element when you compare it with the first visit. And I guess that the whole trip was more about making deals, making business deals here and this time. And that also was important. A major theme of this trip was the deal making. President Trump said he's securing more than one point four trillion dollars in new investments. So how do you think these deals will shape U.S. relations with these Gulf nations? What implications do they carry beyond potentially economic cooperation? I think this is very important. And President Trump made it very clear that he would visit countries that make investments in the United States. These countries have we need to remember these countries have enormous funds when we talk about their sovereign wealth funds. They manage more than a trillion dollar assets under management. So they have enormous wealth and are able to invest in the United States, bring more jobs for U.S. manufacturing sector. So I think for Trump, it was a very critical wealth. And he wanted to use that. He used that as an opportunity. And he made it very clear that he wants to appeal to and he wants to sell and pitch his America First policies to the wealthy Gulf investors here. And during that speech, he also made a big announcement, which is that the U.S. will now lift sanctions on Syria. Tell us the significance of that. How did the audience react to that? And how were different people reacting to it during during the trip? Well, that was one of the most important announcements he made during this trip. This request came from the Saudi leader, the crown prince wanted to, you know, during this trip, he asked Trump to lift the sanctions on Syria. And he also had a phone conversation with the Turkish President Erdogan on this topic. I think that was a big win for Saudi Arabia and Turkey. And now you can see that these countries of Syria, I think there will be a regional development, economic development, which could also benefit Americans as well, especially in construct construction sector. But a question remains, will Syria uphold human rights? Because there are ongoing issues in Syria against minorities. And so we will have to see. Well, we'll certainly watch very closely for the next few days and next week than if any progress is made. And Amal, thank you so much for your hard work and great reporting on the ground. We're so glad to have you with The Epoch Times and talking to us with NTD. So really appreciate it and hope to see you soon back at the White House. Thank you, Iris. The FBI is leaving its longtime Washington headquarters in the J. Edgar Hoover building. FBI Director Kash Patel says the building is too old and unsafe. Patel says the bureau will be across the country, adding that every state would get a supplemental supply of agents. The intent, he says, is to inspire Americans to work for the FBI as intel analysis and agents. Patel says this will be the agency's focus over the next three to nine months. The Trump administration has sent mixed messages about the building, from potentially selling it to rebuilding the headquarters. President Trump's 2026 budget proposal includes a roughly 500 million dollar funding cut for the bureau. And coming up, inmates are found missing during a routine check in a New Orleans prison. What we know and how many are still at large. The FDA is starting a stronger review process for food chemicals, specifically ones commonly found in ultra-processed food. Has foreign policy been gradually taken out of presidential control? We'll hear insights from former State Department official Robert Destro when we return. One day, my mother came over to my house and said, there's a meeting at the pantry. I said, okay. And I went. There were some ladies in there. They were from the food bank. They asked several questions. Some of those were about me and my story. But it helped me to open up a little bit. We're getting closer to the day when no one in America faces hunger. But we can't do it without you. Call or go online now. Visit helpfeedingamerica.org and give $19 a month, just 63 cents a day. 98% of donations go directly to help millions of people facing hunger. From coast to coast and in your own community. And when you give my credit card, we'll send you this exclusive canvas grocery bag to show you are a part of a movement of supporters working together to help end hunger. I have people that I can trust. I have hope. Please call now or make your monthly donation at helpfeedingamerica.org and your gift can double in impact. My 15-year-old son, Ethan, and I had a fun and relaxing morning. We returned home and Ethan walked to his best friend's house an hour later. I heard the ambulance scream by the street carrying my beautiful boy. Ethan was shot in the head in his best friend's house with an unsecured gun. He had zero chance of survival. The father, the gun owner, he stored his three guns and bullets in a shoebox. How do you feel? That has to be the most horrific experience that a human could ever have. David, would you give any advice? First thing you do is not keep your ammunition with your weapons and that your weapons need to be locked at all times. Welcome back. I'm Iris Tao. Nine prisoners who escaped from a New Orleans jail remain at large. Authorities first noticed 10 men were missing during a routine head count at around 8 30 a.m. this morning. Louisiana State Police say one of the inmates was arrested after a brief foot chase in the French Quarter. The Louisiana Attorney General called the escape quote beyond unacceptable. Local police say staff will need time to check the facility and review security footage before informing the public about how it happened. The police ask that there are indications that the prisoners got inside help in their escape. Law enforcement is working with the FBI and U.S. Marshals. Authorities say the escaped prisoners should be considered armed and dangerous. The FDA is launching a new review of food chemicals already allowed on the market. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says the FDA is also looking into a possible abortion pill that's been FDA approved since the year 2000. NDD correspondent Jason Blair reports. You can count on this FDA to take a hard look at food chemicals when scientists raise concerns about them. The FDA says that they are launching a quote stronger more systematic review process for food chemicals that are already on the market. Some examples are BHA, BHT and titanium dioxide. You will often see these chemicals on the ingredient list of ultra processed foods. McCary says that many of these chemicals are banned in other countries and in the coming months the FDA will be releasing an evidence-based plan prioritizing these reviews. Childhood obesity and chronic diseases are not a willpower problem. We have to take a look at root causes like what's in our nation's food supply. And at a Senate hearing on Wednesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was asked by Senator Josh Hawley about a study done on a popular abortion pill. The biggest study on Mifeprestone done I think ever and it showed that nearly 11 percent of women experience very serious adverse health effects to include sepsis, hemorrhaging, infection, of course emergency room visits. Kennedy said that he's familiar with the study and he's directed Commissioner McCary to do a full review. And it's alarming and clearly it indicates that at very least the label should be changed. The study Hawley was referring to was published by the Ethics and Public Policy Center. It looked at insurance claims data from about 866,000 women who were prescribed Mifeprestone abortions between 2017 and 2023. Parfke Jr. said that the review is a top priority but did not have a timeline for completion. Reporting in Washington D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News. In addition to these developments from the FDA, the health department is reportedly planning to stop recommending COVID shots to How are everyday Americans viewing all this? NTD's Sam Wong was out on the National Mall in D.C. to hear from them. The FDA is launching a new review process for food chemicals that are already on the market. So what do you make of that policy change right there? I'm looking forward to it. Like I said, my stomach don't like the food in the U.S. compared to living overseas. Coke, the chips, they're all made with different ingredients to match what they'll take overseas and yet they keep the junk in ours. That's a problem. We have more chemicals in our food than anywhere else in the world. You know, there are things that are illegal in other countries that are in our food so it would be good to look into it then. Yeah, no, that sounds fine, you know, to keep up with, you know, maybe finding out new science and new information. I don't know if it was Asian or European countries. They were comparing the foods, similar foods like cereals and things like that here and how much natural fruit and juices and things like that were put for coloration purposes. Coming up, the HHS is reportedly going to stop recommending routine COVID vaccination for children and pregnant women. What do you make of that? It's, I don't just say it's a hard one to say. There's certainly values to some of it but there's a lot of unknowns. I'm not a big fan of vaccines but I do see the purpose from all the other pandemics and issues that took place. If COVID shots are recommended by the medical professionals who are doing the research, then by all means, why aren't we following that? I'm all for that because not everybody really needs one, especially like young kids. I work in a children's hospital. I'm a respiratory therapist. I saw it up close and personal and I saw it did to the adults too. So yeah, not everybody needs one. Are foreign aid programs instituting foreign policy without enough oversight? The House Foreign Affairs Committee heard testimony last week on the U.S. agenda abroad. Joining me now is one of the witnesses at that hearing, Robert Destro. He is the former Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the State Department. So in your testimony to Congress last week, you've said foreign aid is like Congress writing blank checks. Can you give us some examples of where that lack of oversight and what problems it has led to and how would a better auditing process really look like? Well, one of the things that the Congress has is the power of the purse. So basically, it's their responsibility to look over everybody's shoulders to see where the money is being spent. But it's also the responsibility of the Secretary and for those who work with him, like I did as Assistant Secretary, we're supposed to keep an eye on where the money is going to. And it's not just where, it's who's spending it, what are they spending it on? I mean, all the kinds of things that any parent would know when they say, give me your credit card statement to your kids. I mean, it's exactly the same process. And I want to unpack one phrase you used in your recent testimony, the NGO Industrial Foreign Policy Complex. What is that? Well, the United States government contracts out virtually everything it does, whether you're talking about building a fighter aircraft, or contracting it out for vaccines, or contracting it out for veterans affairs, veterans hospitals. Well, the same thing is true in foreign policy. And so a lot of our foreign policy on the ground is actually done by NGOs. But it's not just NGOs, there's a kind of, they call it the revolving door. Usually, this is about lobbyists. But there's also a revolving door involving people who go to NGOs, they go to the big beltway organizations, like humanics, which is unknown to most people, but it's like the big elephant in the room, with respect to foreign assistance, you know, congressional committees, you know, so if you if you go to work for the State Department, and then you go work on the Hill, and then you go work at USAID, and then you go work at humanics, it's just it's just a revolving door. That's the complex. And speaking of foreign policy here, and what really led to the small decisions among this big agenda, you support bringing foreign policy in line with an America First vision, and the hearing was titled a spread freedom, not woke values. What exactly are referring to when, for example, when woke values are brought up? How are they exported really throughout aid? Well, you know, one of the questions that came up during the hearing is, well, how do you define woke? You know, and that's a really good question. There is no definition for it. It's actually a mindset. So basically, you take these particular interest groups, it's basically woke, is what we call DEI, diversity, equity and inclusion. And you say, look, our foreign policy in, you know, in, and I'm going to give you a real example here, Nepal, you know, will be advanced, if we find a disenfranchised group, in this case, atheists, you know, and say, let's support the creation of an atheist network in Nepal. You say, well, what does that have to do with foreign policy? You know, that's the woke values part. You know, you can the same thing is true with respect to LGBTQ. You know, it's like, how does this advance our foreign policy? And the answer is nine times out of 10, they can't answer that question. And you also just spoke about specific agencies when it comes to contributing to foreign agency, foreign policy here in your testimony. You've argued that each bureaucracy effectively conducts its own foreign policy. Do you support dismantling or significantly reforming, for example, USAID or the State Department to address some of those issues, which we are seeing actually during the first hundred days of this administration? Absolutely, I do. It's been needed to be done for a long time. And, you know, you hear the same arguments in other agencies as well. I mean, if you think of Dr. Fauci and the COVID virus, he was conducting his own foreign policy, notwithstanding the law. You know, so the same thing is true is, you know, what I need to know in a country, a very important country, for example, like Panama, is who's spending the money, what are they spending it on, and how does that align with the president's priorities for Panama? And what we see, and I'm not, I just picked Panama out of my head, you know, just as an example, you know, but you can see how if you're running across purposes, that means nobody's in charge. And the president is, in fact, in charge of foreign policy. And now I want to pivot to the substance of American foreign policy here. You have actually researched the approach of some of our first presidents like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson. Why do you say that it should focus on spreading freedom when it comes to American foreign policy? Well, you know, because George Washington took the view that we should be friends with everybody. Okay, and that means friendly relationships with everybody. It also means trade, right? And one of the best ways to foster human rights and democracy is to help set up a local chamber of commerce that can trade with you, because there's a little democracy. And so, you know, what we often think about today is kind of let's send in an election observers. It's not a bad thing, you know, but by the time the election happens, it's usually over, you know. So what we need to be doing is being more creative and nimble in our foreign policy. Robert Destro, thank you so much for your insight today. Really appreciate it. Well, thanks for having me. And President Trump wraps up his trips to the Middle East, signing deals and strengthening ties with those countries in the face of pressure from Iran. Thousands forced to evacuate as Israel ramps up airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. And the day after the Houthis fired a missile at Israel, Israeli forces launched more airstrikes in Yemen. That and more when we return. I didn't ask to lose my mother or to be abused at five years old. I didn't ask to be kicked out of my house with nowhere to go. I didn't ask for any of this. But I did ask for help and Covenant House was there. Thanks to their love and support and to generous people like you, I got what I needed to take control of my life. For the young people who didn't ask to be put in unthinkable situations, Covenant House is there providing safety, hope and a brighter future. Call or go online now for a gift of only $19 a month, just $0.63 a day. You can provide hot meals, safe shelter, medical care and love to more than 2,000 young people who sleep at a Covenant House every night. One in 10 young adults will experience homelessness this year. Your gift can help reach them when they need it most. I didn't ask for my parents and my family to disown me. I didn't ask to end up in a homeless shelter. The beauty of it all is that I found Covenant House. The need is overwhelming, but your monthly support will make sure no young person is ever turned away. Call or go online right now to safeplacetosleep.org with your gift of just $19 a month. With your monthly donation, you'll receive this soft, comforting blanket as a reminder of the warmth and safety your gift will provide a young person tonight. Covenant House really helped me and really helped mold me into the woman I am today. If it wasn't for Covenant House, where would I be today? Your monthly gift is urgently needed to reach young people in communities like yours who didn't ask to be put in unthinkable situations. Show them they're loved and not alone. Call the number on your screen or go online to safeplacetosleep.org. Shen Yun Creations, the streaming platform from Shen Yun featuring world-class dance, past programs, and all original music. Masterclasses, behind the scenes, comedy, and more. Explore ShenYunCreations.com. Welcome back, I'm Iris Tao. President Trump's heading back to Washington, D.C. after securing billions of dollars in new investments into the U.S. This was his first state visit abroad during his second term. NDD's Washington Correspondent Jack Rowley has the highlights. We have, at the same time, 150 countries. President Trump wrapping up his third and final stop on his Middle East trip, leaving Abu Dhabi on Friday morning and becoming the first U.S. president to visit the United Arab Emirates in nearly 30 years. His trip was marked by a series of investment deals for the U.S. and strengthening ties diplomatically. Starting in Saudi Arabia, the country that committed to invest $600 billion in the U.S., Trump announced that he's lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria there. I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness. He later met in Qatar with the new leader of Syria, a first in 25 years. Syria had a recent regime change and Trump's recognition of Syria may soon bring the Gulf countries closer to the U.S. and thus weaken Iran's influence in the region. If you get Qatar and Saudi Arabia, you pull them out of the Chinese orbit, which is protecting Iran. You pull them away from Iran and you essentially isolate Iran. And then if you impose sanctions, Iran really starts facing binary choices. You're alone. You're sanctioned. You're blockaded. The Chinese can't help you. The rest of the region's abandoned you and the Israelis are about to come after you. So you have a choice. Give up your nuclear program and join this happy family or give it or pursue that, but then you're going to face the consequences. And Trump's saying the U.S. has proposed a nuclear deal to Iran. They have a proposal, but more importantly, they know they have to move quickly. Something bad, something bad's going to happen. While Trump was in Qatar, and by the way, a first ever for a U.S. president, he secured a $240 billion economic deal there. That includes Qatar's $96 billion purchase of U.S. aircraft, specifically Boeing jets. And Trump says Qatar is also gifting the U.S. a 747 to be used as the next Air Force One. Trump then finishing up his trip to the UAE, which pledged a $200 billion investment to the U.S. That's on top of the UAE's commitment back in March to invest $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over the next decade. The UAE is the only one of these countries to sign on to the Abraham Accords, which opens diplomatic relations with Israel. Trump urged the other leaders he met with to sign on as well. Trump considered taking a detour from his trip to Turkey, where there were the first talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials since the start of the war. Now, the two sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each, but falling short of a ceasefire. Trump said the only way for that to happen is if he meets with Putin. And by the way, that may soon be on the horizon. Once we have to meet, he and I will meet. I think we'll solve it, or maybe not, but at least we'll know. And if we don't solve it, it'll be very interesting. The president said that his administration will be making trade deals with 150 countries, and that they'll soon be sending out letters to those countries telling them what they'll be paying to do business with the U.S. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. The first direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are over after less than two hours, with little sign of progress. Kennedy's international correspondent, Arian Pastor, has more on the outcome of the talks. Delegations from Russia, Ukraine, the U.S. and Turkey meeting in Istanbul on Friday. The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the start of the conflict ended after less than two hours. Expectations for a major breakthrough were already low before the meeting, but they were lowered even further when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin said they won't attend the talks. President Trump now says he'll set up a meeting with Putin. I think it's time for us to just do it. I said, you know, they all said Putin was going and Zelensky was going, and I said, if I don't go, I guarantee Putin's not going. And he didn't go. I understand that, but we're going to get it done. We've got to get it done. Russia decided to send a delegation of low-level officials to Friday's talks. Ukraine and its allies accused Putin of stalling, saying he's not serious about wanting peace. But on a positive note, Kiev and Moscow agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each side. That's according to Ukraine's defense minister, who represented Kiev at the talks. We have agreed to exchange 1,000 persons to 1,000, and we're working on other modalities, and our colleagues are in contact, and we'll exchange all the documents. Ukraine's deputy foreign minister is calling for a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin. The pressure on the Russian Federation must continue. We should not really relax at this point. And there are many issues that can be resolved if only the leaders can meet. The European Union is now already increasing the pressure on Russia's Putin, who didn't join the talks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is announcing more sanctions against Russia. We are ready to do more to bring Putin to the negotiation table. Many of the speakers mentioned it. This war has to end. You said it, Georgia. You said it, Kiev. Vladimir has described with others the roller coaster of the last days. The new package includes sanctions on the Nord Stream pipelines, listing more vessels in Russia's shadow fleet, and lowering the oil price cap. It also includes more sanctions on Russia's financial sector. Ariane Pasdar, NTD News. Thousands of residents in the Gaza Strip are moving once again as Israeli forces have increased airstrikes in the territory. NAD's Jason Perry has the latest. On Friday, residents in the Gaza Strip surrounded the remains of a building that was destroyed by a reported Israeli airstrike. A man sitting nearby said his cousin and his cousin's wife and children were killed in the strike. We don't know what to do for them. We are using a hammer and a saw to try. I don't know if we can. And he said he's not sure where to go now for safety. We went to the south. We were targeted in the south. We came to Gaza City. We were targeted in Gaza City. Where should we go? We have no one but God. On Friday, Israeli forces said they had increased airstrikes in the territory, reportedly hitting more than 150 terrorist targets in the past day. And a couple of days before that, Israel issued evacuation orders to people in several districts in Gaza City, which is in northern Gaza, forcing thousands of people to leave the area. One of the residents said he didn't know where to go to for safety as well. Where should I go today? I go to West Gaza. There is bombing in West Gaza. I go to the south. They are killing people in Khan Yunis. I go to Deir al-Bala. There is bombing in Deir al-Bala. Where should I go? Israel also previously said that they would be taking control over parts of the Gaza Strip as they try to defeat Hamas and free the remaining hostages. The father of a deceased hostage spoke at the United Nations on Thursday. If you look at the kid, he's a fun-loving kid. Didn't have much to care about. But for over 19 months, Hamas have not been willing to acknowledge A, that he is in their possession, and B, what is his physical status? President Trump was asked on Friday if he thought Israel would be able to free the remaining hostages. I don't know. We're going to find out pretty soon. We're going to know pretty soon. They're not in good shape, as you know. But we'll be working with them to get them out. And he added this about the war in the Gaza Strip. I think a lot of good things are going to happen over the next month. And we're going to see. We have to help also out the Palestinians. A lot of people are starving on Gaza. So we have to look at both sides. And on Thursday, sirens rang out in Israel as the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen said they fired another missile at Israel, the second in two days. Israel said they intercepted it and no injuries were reported. And on Friday, Israeli forces said they carried out more than 30 strikes on Houthi terrorist targets in Yemen. Jason Barry, NCD News. Republicans are facing a setback, failing to advance front-back spending cuts and tax breaks through the Budget Committee. To hold up, some Republicans are pushing for deeper Medicaid cuts. Earlier, NTD's Dawn Ma spoke with our data reporter, Kevin Hogan, to break it down. So, Kevin, can you talk to us about how much would the Republicans' proposal save taxpayers? Well, Don, this could be hundreds of billions of dollars. Specifically, according to the Congressional Budget Office, that's almost a trillion dollars that they're aiming to get. That's $880 billion by 2034. They have outlined about $650 billion, but that's their big target right there. So when you look into this more, you start to understand that Medicaid is a very, very widely used program offering health insurance to people who may have disabilities or lower-income Americans or others. That's 71 million Americans who are enrolled in this right now. That's according to Medicaid.gov. That's 2024 data that we're looking at, right? And so the Kaiser Family Foundation found that in 2023 fiscal year, that's $880 billion that was spent on Medicaid, right? So this means that Republicans are aiming to save about the entire annual budget over the course of 10 years, right? So furthermore, you look at where the savings are actually coming from. We're looking at data from the House Energy and Commerce Committee right now. That's about $300 billion in these savings that are coming from what they call community engagement. That means work requirements. So the Republicans say that people should work 80 hours a week, 80 hours a month, or they should be enrolled in education programs, or they should be doing volunteering. So by removing those people who they say are able-bodied and should not be on Medicaid, those people then would not be part of this eligibility. So they make those $300 billion savings. Now you add in a couple other eligibility requirements that they're putting in here and a few other things like providing no new provider taxes. What does that mean? Well, that states tax the healthcare providers and they take that money and the federal government matches it. And that's what they use to fund their state Medicaid programs in part. So that would mean that if they don't raise taxes, the government, the federal government doesn't have to pay as much. You toss in some other and that's where you're getting that $650 billion, right about there. So that's where the savings are coming from, Don. And as well, in the Republican's plan, whose Medicaid coverage would be affected? Well, this again, this could be millions of Americans that are affected by this if they do eventually pass this. Again, the Congressional Budget Office shows that about $10.3 million Americans would be off of Medicaid under the Republican's plan. And that's among them $7.6 million with no insurance at all as it pertains to this program. And that's again, that's within about a decade by 2034, right? So you ask, okay, who are the people that would no longer be on the program in Republican's plan? Well, that includes people who are able-bodied, they say. These are again, work requirements right here. And this, just to give you an example, this is the entity interpolation right here. We have data from the Congressional Budget Office, but this data is not exactly outlined. About 5 million people right here for the work requirements, those people would no longer be involved. But again, you have people who are going to go on Obamacare. You have people who are illegal immigrants. These are all people that the Republicans say should not be on that Medicaid program. And so you add all that up, a couple of people that would eventually go on their employer's insurance. That's about that 10 million mark that you're seeing right there, those 10 million Americans. So again, some of them are still insured. This is people who would be insured under Medicare, for example, or other programs no longer on Medicaid. But again, it's the people who are in the country, an unauthorized entry, and also people who are able-bodied, ready to work. Those people would no longer be part of the Medicaid enrollment. So now there's a number circulating, this 13.7 million people who are uninsured that would be kicked off. This is Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, U.S. Senator. He's taking this number and saying that that's how much the Republicans' bill would, eventually, that's how many Americans who are uninsured after the Republicans pass this bill, if they do. But that number has a little bit more context involved. So that's that seven or eight million who would be uninsured that we were talking about, but added on would be the five million that would ultimately lose their insurance because existing laws would expire. So that number is basically adding that back in and calling it the Republicans' proposal. But in fact, it wouldn't be part of their bill at all. So now there's a little bit of pushback again to this. And Families USA today says that everyday Americans must call on Congress to oppose these draconian cuts that will rip healthcare for millions of Americans and raise costs for millions more. So you might ask, well, if they're taking off Medicare, how does that affect costs for other people who are Medicaid? How does it affect other people? Well, you have a very complex healthcare system in this country. If some hospitals now are providing people with uncompensated services because they're no longer insured, that puts a strain on them. Those costs may translate into other Americans' pockets. OK, thank you very much, Kevin. Coming up, we'll hear from Erica Donalds about her experience building new charter schools, battling bureaucracy, and how a simple change helped her son thrive. More after the break. What if you could whiten your teeth by simply brushing your teeth? Now you can with SmileActives, the teeth whitening breakthrough that safely gets your teeth white and keeps them white every day just by brushing your teeth. I never thought that whitening my teeth could be so easy. I just put the gel on the brush, the toothpaste on it, brush, and I can see my white teeth. Simply add SmileActives to any toothpaste and our patented PolyClean technology activates into a powerful microfoam that penetrates into the enamel surface to safely lift and remove stains. You need a simple way to whiten your teeth without strips, without trays, without going to the dentist. And it was about time that a product was developed that you would be able to do that with just brushing. And now SmileActives is even better with new pro-whitening gel with 33% greater whitening power, clinically shown to whiten teeth faster, up to eight shades. 100% of users saw whiter teeth on food stains, coffee and wine stains, even on veneers, crowns, and dentures. I eat the blueberries, I drink the coffee, and I know that SmileActives will keep my teeth white every day. If you could use something so easy like SmileActives to take yellow teeth to white teeth, why wouldn't you? Why spend hundreds of dollars for whitening treatments at the dentist when now you can whiten your teeth with new SmileActives pro-whitening gel every time you brush your teeth? Call or go to SmileActives.com and for a limited time, get new pro-whitening gel for just $24.95. Order in the next five minutes and buy one, get one absolutely free for just $24.95. That's two for one and saves 58%. We'll even include free shipping. Get your teeth whiter guaranteed or return it within 60 days for your money back. I smile every day now. The difference is literally night and day. So now I'm always smiling, always choosing because now my teeth are much whiter. This offer is not available in stores, so call or click now before the special buy one, get one free offer goes away. Kids love it. Parents trust it. Obviously. Explore GJW Plus Kids series and gone deal campus courses led by expert educators. This is spectacular. Children will learn values like respect, responsibility, and knowledge in language, science and more. Wow. All while having fun. Subscribe today at GJW Plus Kids where learning meets fun. Hi, I'm Ryan Blaney, a third generation race car driver, and we dedicate a lot of our time to going as fast as possible. But when my grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it was a very unexpected bump in the road for us. It's important to notice if older family members are acting differently, experiencing problems with their memory or having trouble with routine tasks. Early detection of Alzheimer's can give your family time to explore support services, make a plan for the future and access available treatments. If you or your family are noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer's. Talk about seeing a doctor together. Welcome back. I'm Iris Tao, founder of several charter schools and wife of Representative Byron Donalds. Erica Donalds joins us to share her personal journey from navigating red tape to transforming her son's education with a classical curriculum. Erica Donalds, thank you so much for joining us. Well, thanks so much for having me. So first, let's start with your story. You've built a charter school, raised three boys and become one of the most visible voices on school choice. As a mom, what did you see or not see in the system that pushed you to really create something different? Well, my son Darren, when he was in first grade, the teachers told me, the principal told me, the counselor told me that if I didn't put him on medication, then he was going to need to go in a special classroom. I knew that that was not the right decision for my son. I immediately pulled him out and put him into a private classical school. And I saw him completely transformed. He went from hating school and hating learning to loving what he was learning. And every day, telling me all the way home, all about all the classical education that he had gotten that day. And that really opened my eyes that I know there are other children out there like my son who need something different and parents who don't have access to other options. And that's why I've made it my mission to ensure that they get education freedom that they deserve. That's very inspiring. And speaking of classical school, tell some of our audience who might not be as knowledgeable about this system or about what exactly it is. What is a classical school and what defines a knowledge-rich curriculum? Well, classical education is really a back-to-basics traditional curriculum that has been in place for ages and educated our founding fathers. It means explicit phonics, explicit grammar, reading classical literature, memorizing poetry, diagramming sentences, reading original text like the Constitution itself, the Federalist Papers, not someone's interpretation of those documents. And then using Socratic discussion and debate to help students think through these things and formulate their own opinions, not telling them what to think, but telling them how to think and how to utilize information to come to their own conclusion. Well, your ideas definitely pushed you to achieve so much in your own career from joining to building new schools. What challenges did you face within this process within the existing system? Well, the cards are definitely stacked against you when it comes to opening schools of choice. There are lots of bureaucratic barriers. There are inter-unions. I went through hours and hours of public comment against me, calling me all kinds of names, a white supremacist, a evil capitalist, trying to promote the school to prison pipeline, not to mention when you build a building and then the county tries to stop you with traffic and with environmental issues. I mean, it's very difficult to get these schools open. But what kept me going is that crowds and crowds of parents who come to our information sessions, thankful that we were going to open a school that would allow their child an option that they felt was best for them. Speaking of parents' power here, you've worked at both the local and state level and our education is becoming more decentralized again. How much progress do you think we have made in returning power to states and parents when it comes to their children's education? I am so impressed with the progress we've made. After Texas passed their universal school choice bill, just in the past couple of weeks, more than half of the students in the United States of America are eligible for school choice. And that's an amazing thing to say. And we're not stopping yet. State after state are continuing to expand beyond just charter schools as schools of choice into education scholarship accounts, where parents actually have control of the public funds for their students. And they can not only use it for private school tuition, but customize an education experience for their child. It's exciting. I think the supply and the innovation, we're going to see a lot more of that. And at the federal level, getting rid of the Department of Education, eliminating another layer of bureaucracy, is just going to help fuel that. Some critics do say, though, that school choice drains public schools. But you've argued that a free market approach actually strengthens the whole system. Can you walk us through how that model will work? And why do you believe that it would deliver better outcomes? Well, it's not just my belief. It's the majority of studies that have been done on this, tell us that in a school choice environment, not only do students in the choice school perform better academically, but the schools that are not choice, the public schools, those students that remain in the traditional public system also perform better academically in a school choice environment. So it truly is the rising tide that lifts all boats. But I don't think we've even scratched the surface here. A free market has improved innovation and quality and access in every other area of our economy. Why wouldn't it work for education? We know that it will. We know that new innovative models are going to come to the forefront as parents have purchasing power, because the money that would otherwise go to the public school for that particular child doesn't need to go there. If the public school is not educating that child, it needs to go to the school of the parents choice. And finally, diving to one main action that a president administration has taken when it comes to education so far, a president Trump called for defunding schools that promote radical gender ideology, as he calls it, and restoring what he calls a patriotic education. What's your take on this? How would these changes play out in practice? And as an educator, as a parent, what have you heard from other parents and educators when it comes to this topic? Parents and educators are applauding the president's actions. There are so many, certainly parents and even educators who do not want us to be focused on ideology in our classroom. They know, as I do, that only one in three students in the United States of America are reading proficiently, and we are in a math crisis here. So we don't have time for all of the politics in the classroom, and the gender ideology, and all the nonsense. Trump is leading from the top on this issue, and federal funding is not guaranteed. So if schools do not want to abide by these legislation and these guidance, then they don't deserve federal funds just to use them for indoctrination of our students. So I hope that the Trump administration continues to stand firm on this. And if the schools do not comply, they don't deserve federal funding, whether that's at the K-12 or the higher education level. Paul, thank you so much for your insights. Erica Donalds, and congratulations on a big milestone for one of your sons who's graduating this week. Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. A 104-year-old World War II veteran received a special message from the Commander-in-Chief for his birthday. President Trump, my name is Denver Moore, and I'm going to be 104 in May. And I'm inviting you to my birthday party. Hi, Denver. I want to wish you a very happy 104th birthday from your all-time favorite president. That's me, Donald Trump. And I'm sorry we weren't able to get to your party. I would love to get to your party, but I'm working on Russia, Ukraine, China, and all sorts of other places. Moore made a video back in March saying he voted for Trump in hopes that he gets to vote for him again. That video went viral on social media. Moore's birthday and birthday party is tomorrow, May 17th, in Ohio. And that's all we have for you tonight on The Capitol Report. I'm Iris Tao. Have a nice evening. We'll see you back here on Monday.