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Democrats to ‘Disenfranchise Voters’ With Election Integrity Opposition, GOP Says
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.

Republican lawmakers on Wednesday accused Democrats of being “anti-American” and wanting to “disenfranchise” American voters by “allowing noncitizens to vote.”

Their remarks come after Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, became the sole House Democrat to vote in favor of legislation that would require voters to provide proof of citizenship and voter identification before casting a ballot.

Democrats have described the voter integrity legislation, the SAVE America Act, as “voter suppression” and being “reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.” Democrats floated similar accusations about the SAVE America Act’s precursor, the SAVE Act.

“Do you know what actually disenfranchises voters? When noncitizens participate in our federal elections and counteract the votes of registered American voters,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement shared with The Daily Signal. “That’s what we have to stop.”

Johnson then pointed out Democrats’ use of identification for other political events.

“You even need an ID to attend the events of most Democrat politicians and even the Democrat National Convention,” the speaker continued. “So why would voting be any different from that? They can’t answer that question. And so, they come up with all these crazy excuses of why they can’t support.”

While Democrats in Washington are mostly in lockstep on opposing election integrity measures, public polling suggests that a large majority of Americans approve of SAVE America Act provisions.

A national poll from Cygnal recently showed that 70% of American voters overall, 75% of swing voters, 69% of Hispanics, 56% of black voters, and even 46% of Democrats support voter ID.

“Voter ID is common sense and is supported by over 80% of the American public, including a majority of Democrat voters,” Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told The Daily Signal. “If you need an ID to board a plane, open a bank account, or even to buy certain types of cold medicine, you should need an ID to vote in federal elections.”

“Anyone who opposes voter ID to safeguard the integrity of our elections is anti-American,” the representative added.

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told The Daily Signal that “Democrat open-border policies invited millions of unvetted illegals, costing American lives—like Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and Jocelyn Nungaray—and draining resources from citizens. Now they threaten election integrity to silence lawful voters.”

“That’s why radical progressive Democrats are fighting tooth and nail against the SAVE America Act to ensure non-citizens can continue to vote in our elections,” Harris continued.

The legislation is now headed to the Senate, where it remains unclear if it will be brought up for a vote.

Last week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., indicated that Senate Democrats will vote against the legislation, going so far as to say the bill is “dead on arrival.”

On Tuesday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, indicated she will vote against the bill, which has raised concerns among Republicans.

Murkowski came out against the SAVE America Act in a statement on X.

“When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous …

‘That’s a Lie’: Minnesota AG Accused of Enabling Fraud  
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Sen. Josh Hawley accused Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison of having knowledge of massive welfare fraud in his state, yet enabling the fraud to continue.

“I should call you ‘prisoner’ because you ought to be in jail,” Hawley, R-Mo., told Ellison in a heated exchange during a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing Thursday.

Hawley specifically pressed Ellison on an alleged conversation the attorney general had with leaders of the Minneapolis nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which orchestrated a massive fraud scheme.

The organization claimed to be working with caterers and restaurants to provide meals to schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the group was found to have submitted fake invoices and meal count sheets while receiving more than $250 million in federal child nutrition assistance.

In November 2025, the Department of Justice announced one of the individuals involved in the fraud scheme had been sentenced to 10 years in prison “for his role in the $300 million Feeding Our Future case, the largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the United States.”

Hawley claimed the leaders of Feeding Our Future met with Ellison at the end of 2021 and asked the attorney general for “help in getting investigators off their backs.”

“They complained to you for upwards of an hour about state investigators going after them, and they begged you to help them, and you agreed to it, amazingly, and we know you did because it’s all caught on tape,” Hawley said.

Hawley proceeded to read a portion of what he claimed was a transcript of the meeting between Ellison and the representatives of Feeding Our Future.

“You said to them, ‘Send me the names of all these folks who are investigating [Feeding Our Future] … and I’ll take that list, and I’ll call the person over at Education who’s investigating them,’” Hawley read.

Ellison accused Hawley of “cherry-picking quotes” from the conversation.

Hawley repeatedly asked Ellison why he helped Feeding Our Future.

“I didn’t help them,” Ellison responded, adding, “my team assisted with the information that led to the prosecution and conviction of these people.”

“No, you didn’t, you didn’t lift a finger to prosecute them,” Hawley retorted.

“Yes, we did,” Ellison responded, noting it was a federal prosecution, which Hawley called “BS.”

Hawley also accused Ellison of taking $10,000 from Feeding Our Future, referring to reports that Ellison received $10,000 in contributions from members of the organization.

“That’s a lie,” Ellison shot back.

The exchange continued before Hawley told Ellison he should resign.

NEW: Full, very heated exchange between Sen. @HawleyMO (R-MO) & Minnesota AG Keith Ellison about the Minnesota fraud scandal that ended with Hawley telling Ellison he should be in prison & Ellison responding by essentially saying good luck with that.
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 12, 2026

The Daily Signal contacted Ellison’s office for a response to Hawley’s accusations. Brian Evans, Ellison’s press secretary, told The Daily Signal that Ellison already addressed the meeting Hawley referred to in an op-ed for the Star Tribune published in April 2025.

In the …

Why do Vietnamese Americans support Trump and GOP while Vietnamese Australians vote for the center-left Labor Party despite both communities starting from the Fall of Saigon wave?
Trust is earned, not demanded.

Here are stats Vietnamese Americans
Westminster, California - 45.5% Vietnamese Americans in 2020 Census and voted 53.2% Trump to 44.3% Harris in 2024 US Election.
Vietnamese Australians
Cabramatta, New South Wales, Australia - 47.5% has a father born in Vietnam and 49,6% has a mother born in Vietnam in 2021 Census and within the Traditional Two Party Preferred * in one of its voting booths voted 84% for the center-left Labor Party to 16% for the Center-right Liberal Party in the 2025 Federal Election
* But please note the reason I said traditional is due to the difference of Australia Voting System, its current political environment in that House of Representatives has an Independent politician being voted in and knocking out the liberal party to compete with the Labor Party for the TPP (in fact politician is Vietnamese) but even given it is historically a stronghold for the Labor Party, it would had all but certain had been reverted back to Labor if it was back to the traditional two party race.
If both communities started off being refugees from Vietnamese Boat People due to the Fall of Saigon, why do they vote very differently with America voting for the Right while Australia voting for the Left?
Source Census Bureau Tables
The 2024 Election at a Precinct Level - VoteHub
2021 Cabramatta, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics
Fowler – Australia 2028 | The Tally Room

What factors will most influence control of the U.S. Senate after the 2026 midterms?
Confidence requires clarity.

With the 2026 midterm elections now less than nine months away (November 3, 2026), control of the Senate is shaping up to be a major battleground. Republicans currently hold a [insert current majority if known, or say “narrow majority” based on recent context], but the map presents challenges and opportunities for both parties?

5th Circuit upholds Texas ban on paid ballot harvesting, overturning lower court
Transparency shouldn't be controversial.

A federal appeals court Thursday upheld a Texas law banning paid ballot harvesting, reversing a lower court that had blocked the measure as unconstitutional and allowing the state to enforce the restriction.
In a 26-page opinion, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a district court erred when it struck down part of Texas’ 2021 election law, Senate Bill 1. The provision makes it a crime to be paid to interact with voters in person while they are filling out mail ballots in order to influence how they vote.
Under the statute, a person commits a crime if they knowingly provide "vote harvesting services" in exchange for compensation or other benefit. The law defines those services as in-person interaction with one or more voters, in the physical presence of an official ballot, intended to deliver votes for a specific candidate or measure.
The law targets paid political operatives who go door to door, help voters request or complete mail ballots and then collect those ballots — sometimes while advising or pressuring voters as they mark them.
RNC GETS DAY AT SUPREME COURT TO CHALLENGE LATE-ARRIVING MAIL BALLOTS
Supporters of the measure say paid ballot collection creates opportunities for coercion or fraud, particularly with mail-in voting, where election officials are not present. Opponents argue organized ballot assistance is a legitimate get-out-the-vote strategy and that restrictions disproportionately affect elderly and minority voters who rely on help returning ballots.
Judge Edith H. Jones, writing for the panel, said the lower court improperly invalidated the law before it had even taken effect and relied on speculative hypotheticals.
The district court had ruled the statute was unconstitutionally vague and violated the First Amendment, issuing an injunction that barred the Texas attorney general, secretary of state and several district attorneys from enforcing it.
TEXAS PASSES CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT EXPLICITLY PROHIBITING NONCITIZEN VOTING
The 5th Circuit disagreed.
On the vagueness claim, the panel said terms such as "compensation or other benefit" and "physical presence" have common meanings that juries can understand. The court also emphasized that the statute requires a person to act "knowingly," which narrows its reach.
The judges said the law clearly applies, for example, to "prevent paid partisans from haranguing Texas citizens while they fill out their mail ballots."
The panel also rejected the First Amendment challenge. Applying a balancing test commonly used in election law cases, the court said Texas has a compelling …

GOP Lawmakers Want to Know Why DOJ Hasn’t Collected $10 Billion for Crime Victims
Ask who never gets charged.

The Justice Department is missing out on collecting $10 billion from convicted criminals to go to crime victims, according to federal prosecutors. 

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, led a letter with four other Republican senators telling Attorney General Pam Bondi that “there appears to be billions of dollars right at the DOJ’s finger tips that could be collected.”  

Congress created the Crime Victims Fund in 1984 as a resource for survivors of crime. The fund is intended to be self-sustaining through collecting criminal penalties and fines from federal convictions.

The theory, as noted in the senators’ letter, was “criminals, not innocent taxpayers, will pick up the tab for the havoc they force on victim’s lives.”  

The senators’ primary concern is the 2024 United States Attorneys’ Annual Statistical Report, the most recent published, noting that $10 billion in outstanding fines remained uncollected.  

The Government Accountability Office opened an inquiry into the fund after senators found in 2024 that the Biden administration was using money collected from criminal penalties to offset more than $1 billion in spending rather than directing it to the victims fund, according to the letter.

The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General also opened a review into the fund. 

“In addition to holding criminals accountable, the collection of outstanding fines and penalties would allow DOJ to provide critical resources to support victims and survivors of crime nationwide, as these funds are statutorily required to be deposited into the CVF, with very limited exceptions,” the senators state.  

Joining Grassley in the letter were Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine; Joni Ernst of Iowa; and Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho.  

Grassley launched oversight efforts of the Crime Victims Fund in 2023, and the fund’s balance increased from $1 billion to $3.5 billion.  

“While the CVF balance sits at $3.5 billion and appears trending in the right direction, DOJ still has a lot of work to do,” the senators say in the letter.

“Specifically, there appears to be billions of dollars in outstanding criminal fines and penalties that are available for deposit into the CVF that DOJ has yet to collect.” 

“According to reports, victim advocacy groups have been in search of additional funds to help shore up the CVF and to stave off potential cuts to the services they provide in our hometowns,” the letter states.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to inquiries for this story.  

The senators gave a deadline of Feb. 25 to respond with “rolling updates” on the status of collecting criminal fines.  

The post GOP Lawmakers Want to Know Why DOJ Hasn’t Collected $10 Billion for Crime Victims appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Cruz targets Minnesota-style fraud with bill forcing proof before federal childcare payouts
This is performative politics again.

EXCLUSIVE: A trio of Republican senators are moving to overhaul how federal childcare funds are distributed after what they call "mass fraud" in Minnesota exposed a system that paid providers before verifying children were ever in the room.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, joined by Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Rick Scott, R-Fla., is introducing the Payment Integrity Act, legislation that would require states to distribute federally funded childcare dollars based on verified attendance — not enrollment claims.
"Programs in Minnesota for welfare and childcare were designed to channel resources into protecting vulnerable children, but were treated like an open ATM by criminals," Cruz told Fox News Digital.
"The mass fraud in Minnesota shows that American taxpayers can no longer rely on local and state politicians to prevent abuses, because those politicians often have electoral and partisan incentives to look the other way. My legislation reduces the risk of the waste and fraud we’ve seen and ensures that resources are provided to children and families who need it."
WALZ’S MINNESOTA MESS COULD SPARK THE TOUGHEST FRAUD REFORMS IN DECADES
The bill would reverse a 2024 Biden administration rule requiring states to pay childcare providers before attendance verification. Under Cruz’s proposal, providers would be paid only after services are confirmed — shifting from enrollment-based payments to attendance-based billing.
Cruz’s bill comes as the outspoken Texan led a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing on alleged Somali fraudsters last week. There, lawmakers heard directly from David Hoch — a journalist seen accompanying blogger Nick Shirley to addresses proclaimed to be Somali daycares.
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WIDENS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED MINNESOTA FRAUD
"There are few crimes more morally repugnant than stealing from vulnerable children. Every dollar stolen is a meal not eaten, a doctor's visit missed, and a future diminished," Cruz said, adding that such fraud "plunders our children's potential."
Gesturing towards a photo of the "Quality Learing Center" in Minneapolis during the hearing, an allegedly fraudulent childcare provider Cruz called "emblematic" of the crisis, he said the fraud was occurring not in "some distant or lawless place, but in the heart of America's Midwest."
Co-sponsor Lee said that support for childcare should "go to real kids, not empty rooms."
"Fake childcare operations are stealing funding from the ones who are actually taking care of America’s children in need. Our bill will address this massive fraud by granting funding based on …

Democrats salivate at GOP zero-vote margin as shutdown looms over ICE reform gridlock
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Democrats believe a zero-vote GOP margin for error in the House of Representatives would give them newfound leverage in negotiations over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other priorities as rumors circulate that yet another Republican may cut his time in office short.
A Republican majority hangs by a thread as questions continue to circulate over whether Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., will resign his seat in the coming days. 
To members like Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., that prospect strengthens Democrats’ hand.
"Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country," Jayapal said Wednesday evening.
SENATE REPUBLICANS TEE UP KEY SHUTDOWN TEST VOTE AS DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING
It’s unclear when Dunn, who has wrestled with health concerns in the past, might come to a decision.
If Dunn steps aside, Republicans will have just a one-seat majority — and a no-vote margin for error that will prevent them from passing most pieces of legislation unless they maintain perfect party unity or secure help from Democrats.
With persistent rebels like Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., in the mix, Democrats are willing to bet they’ll be asked for help.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., believes that even just one less vote changes how Republicans have to think about DHS funding and the list of demands Democrats have made for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
"This place runs on numbers," DeLauro said. "I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable."
Democrats led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements and an end to paramilitary policing practices. Gridlock over those demands looks poised to force a partial government shutdown as lawmakers run up against a funding deadline Friday without a compromise in sight.
"Let’s look at what we can get done," DeLauro said.
DHS FUNDING FIGHT DRIVES SENATE SCRAMBLE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY: LITTLE LOVE IN THE AIR AS UNCERTAINTY SWIRLS ON THE HILL
While control of what legislation ultimately goes to the floor likely won’t change amid an even tighter majority, Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., believes Democrats could press their priorities through the amendment process.
Most bills have what’s called a "closed" rule process, where only …

CBP supervisor arrested for allegedly harboring ‘illegal’ lover
This affects the entire country.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection supervisor has been arrested and charged in Texas for allegedly harboring an illegal immigrant who is said to be in a romantic relationship with the immigration officer.

Andres Wilkinson, 52, remains in custody for the alleged crime, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced on Wednesday.

The situation in which Wilkinson finds himself is notable not only because he was purportedly involved in a sexual relationship with the illegal immigrant but also because the woman may be his niece.

CBP first learned in April 2025 that Elva Edith Garcia-Vallejo, who entered the United States on a nonimmigrant visa in 2023, was living with Wilkinson and her child in Laredo, Texas, according to the criminal complaint as reported by the Guardian. She later overstayed her visa. Wilkinson was aware of her unlawful status and even helped her cross through Border Patrol checkpoints along the southern border.

Last May, CBP received word that Garcia-Vallejo may be Wilkinson’s niece because the CBP supervisor listed her father as his brother in a 2023 background investigation. No evidence has been presented suggesting the lovers are related by blood or a relative’s marriage.

When law enforcement interviewed her earlier this month, the woman admitted she had been living with her uncle since August 2024, per the complaint.

During the course of their relationship, Wilkinson provided her financial support through “housing, credit cards, assistance with financial obligations and access to vehicle registered in his name,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Wilkinson was promoted to CBP supervisor in 2021 after working at the federal agency for 20 years before that, according to federal prosecutors. His duties included enforcing customs and immigration laws, which he allegedly broke.

PENTAGON ALLOWED CBP TO USE ANTI-DRONE LASER BEFORE FAA CLOSED EL PASO AIRSPACE

The press release says the defendant had a detention hearing set for Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian Bajew. It’s unclear if he entered a plea yet.

If convicted, Wilkinson faces up to a decade in prison and a possible $250,000 fine for allegedly harboring the illegal immigrant.

Trump-backed candidate exits Arizona governor race, setting up battle between two GOP reps
Trust is earned, not demanded.

Trump-backed Republican Karrin Taylor Robson dropped her bid for Arizona governor Thursday, setting up Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) as the only Trump-endorsed candidate in the now two-person GOP primary.

Trump made the rare decision in April 2025 to back both Robson and Biggs in the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race. The GOP primary to choose who takes on Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) in the general election grew to three candidates in November 2025, when Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) hopped into the race. Robson said she’s bowing out to avoid a divisive primary.

“We cannot afford a divisive Republican primary that drains resources and turns into months of intraparty attacks,” Robson said in a statement. “It only weakens our conservative cause and gives the left exactly what they want: a fractured Republican Party heading into November. With so much on the line in 2026, I am not willing to contribute to that outcome.”

The latest Emerson College poll had Biggs leading Robson by 33 percentage points in the primary challenge, estimating Biggs at 50%, Robson at 17%, and Schweikert trailing at 8%, with 25% of voters still undecided. As the two Trump-backed candidates, many of Robson’s voters are likely to swing toward Biggs.

Biggs also boasts the endorsement of Turning Point USA.

Robson, a former Board of Regents member, did not endorse another candidate in her immediate statement. Robson ran in the 2022 GOP primary, losing to Kari Lake by about 4.9 percentage points.

“While I am stepping back from this race, I am not stepping back from the fight for Arizona’s future,” Robson said. “I encourage my supporters to stay engaged, stay involved, and stay focused on the mission ahead. Arizona is worth fighting for, and this election will determine the direction of our state for years to come.”

Hobbs bested Lake in the 2022 general election by under 1 percentage point, inching out with 50.3% of the vote compared to Lake’s 49.6%.

The Cook Political Report sees the 2026 gubernatorial election as a toss-up.

KIRK-ENDORSED BIGGS TRAILS HOBBS BY ONE POINT, AS ANOTHER TEST OF TPUSA’S INFLUENCE ON HORIZON

In Emerson College’s hypothetical 2026 general election matchup polls from November 2025, Hobbs just took the cake in each of her matchups against the three GOP candidates. The Democratic incumbent led Biggs by a hair, with 44% of likely voters’ support compared to Biggs’s 43%. Hobbs led Robson 43% to 42%, and Hobbs led Schweikert 44% to 39%.

Arizona’s gubernatorial primary …