The White House News

A House Oversight Committee hearing turned into a contentious debate on Tuesday when Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida and Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky got into a heated exchange over personal finances.

“The Chairman mentioned something,” Moskowitz said during the hearing, referring to Comer who serves as chair of the committee. “He said the Biden administration can’t have it both ways. And I agree which is why I’m happy to yield you some of my time today.”

Moskowitz said he would yield time to Comer to explain why he has drawn attention to loans as part of an alleged corruption scheme within the Biden family while Comer has also allegedly lent a family member money, according to a recent report, which Comer has denied.

“I would love it,” Comer said, accepting the offer to have time yielded to him.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT SUBPOENAS HUNTER BIDEN, JAMES BIDEN, ROB WALKER FOR TESTIMONY AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

“You retweeted that story, completely false, I’ve never loaned my brother one penny,” Comer said, explaining that his dentist father owned farmland and Comer’s brother wanted to keep it in the family so Comer bought it from him.

Comer said another accusation in the reporting, that he owned a shell company, is “bulls****” and that only “dumb and financially illiterate people” believed the report.

FBI RECEIVED ‘CRIMINAL INFORMATION’ FROM OVER 40 CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES ON JOE BIDEN, HUNTER, JAMES: GRASSLEY

“I went to the bank and I borrowed money I bought that land,” Comer said. “I didn’t get wires from Romania, China, my family doesn’t get wires…but you and Goldman who is ‘Mr. Trust Fund’ try to discredit.”

Moskowitz then interrupted and asked for his time back. 

GOP SEN. MULLIN, UNION BOSS ALMOST COME TO BLOWS IN SENATE HEARING: ‘STAND YOUR BUTT UP’

“No, I’m not going to give you your time back, Comer said. “We can stop the clock, you all continue to, you look like a smurf here just going around and all this stuff.”

The two then began talking over each other with Moskowitz asking for his time back and Comer accusing him of spreading “misinformation.”

EXCLUSIVE: PERSON ALLEGING BIDEN CRIMINAL BRIBERY SCHEME IS ‘HIGHLY CREDIBLE’ FBI SOURCE USED SINCE OBAMA ADMIN: SOURCE

“You’ve have gone on TV and said something the president did is illegal, you’re doing stuff with your brother,” Moskowitz shouted as Comer continued to speak.

“You’re welcome to investigate anything you want to do,” Comer said, while Moskowitz asked if there are different rules for Kentucky Republican and Biden.

“We’re supposed to take your word for it, but when the president says something, he’s not telling the truth,” Moskowitz said.

Comer then told Moskowitz that he’s “already been proven a liar” to which Moskowitz replied, “By you? Your word means nothing.”

“This seems to have gotten under your skin,” Moskowitz said when Comer told him to go to his hometown if he wants proof that Comer’s finances are in order. 

“I’ll pay for your ticket,” Comer said.

Moskowitz then said Comer should sit for a deposition and Comer said he would be “happy” to testify with the Biden family. 

“We can go over our LLCs,” Comer said. “Let’s do that.”

The two continued to go back and forth with Moskowitz saying that Comer “may” have done wrong and Comer responding “but you tweeted that I did.”

Eventually, Moskowitz’s time ended and the hearing proceeded. 

“Rep. Moskowitz continues to spew disinformation and is attempting to distract the American people from Biden family corruption,” a Comer spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “Chairman Comer will not be deterred as he works to uncover the facts about President Biden’s involvement in his family’s influence peddling schemes.”

“The chairman needs a mental health day, so I have nothing further to add,” Moskowitz said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

Sparks flew Tuesday as a senior Biden administration official clashed with a reporter over it allowing billions in unfrozen Iranian assets to return to the terror-funding nation.

The heated debate came during the State Department press briefing when agency spokesman Matthew Miller staunchly defended the decision to release the money back to the Iranian regime in the form of waivers, which the administration says can only be used for “humanitarian needs like food and medicine.”

The reporter noted that the money going to Iran for humanitarian reasons would free up billions the regime already had that it could put toward hostile activity across the Middle East, something Miller admitted had not changed for years.

WH REFUSES TO SAY IF IT WILL SUPPORT COOPERATION WITH SUBPOENA IN BIDEN CLASSIFIED DOCS INVESTIGATION

“I don’t accept that argument. What we believe is the Iranian regime is going to spend the same amount of money on destabilizing activities because it always has,” Miller pushed back.

“We will take actions to hold them accountable for those destabilizing activities, as we have from the beginning of this administration. What we have seen is that when these waivers have been issued, that money has been used for the benefit of the Iranian people, period,” he added.

The reporter attempted to make the point again, that with the additional funding even if just for humanitarian purposes, Iran would be able to use money elsewhere as it desired.

Both then accused the other of making assumptions about Iran’s spending intentions and began talking over each other.

WH DISMISSES REPORTER ASKING IF BIDEN ‘EMBARRASSED’ ABOUT LIBERAL CITY’S ‘TOTAL MAKEOVER’ BEFORE XI VISIT

“No, no. Let me finish. You are making the assumption when you say that the Iranian government is choosing the benefit of its people over funding terrorism and funding other destabilization. That’s not what we’ve seen,” Miller said.

“You’re making that assumption —,” the reporter jumped in.

“No, no, I’m not. I’ve seen them as a first priority fund destabilizing activities. We think increasing the amount of money that flows for the benefit of the Iranian people is something that’s worthwhile,” Miller responded.

The reporter accused Miller of “twisting” what he was saying, and stated that he wasn’t claiming that none of the unfrozen money would be used on food and medicine, to which Miller repeated that those were the only things the money could be spent on.

“Yeah, but that means that they have X amount of dollars more in their own treasury that they can spend on destabilizing activities,” the reporter hit back.

WATCH: BIDEN AGAIN REFERS TO VP AS ‘PRESIDENT HARRIS’ DURING WHITE HOUSE’S STANLEY CUP CELEBRATION

“Only if you assume they were going to fund food and medicine and other activities. And I’m saying that’s not a necessarily correct assumption,” Miller responded.

The two continued to go back and forth before Miller said he felt they were “arguing in circles.”

“I don’t understand your argument that you can be so sure that none of this money is going to increase the amount of cash that Iran spends to destabilize the region,” the reporter said, but Miller continued to repeat his point that Iran was already prioritizing spending on destabilizing activities over feeding its people.

The reporter appeared to eventually give up, saying, “All right. I just don’t understand how you can’t see the problem with this.”

“And I don’t understand how you can’t — We don’t understand each other, I think,” Miller responded, laughing.

The White House appears to be signaling that President Biden would accept a short-term spending plan to avert a government shutdown brought by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., a top Biden ally, told reporters that he discussed Johnson’s proposal with administration officials hours before the House of Representatives is set to hold a vote on it. 

“I think that we all want to avoid a shutdown. I’ve talked to the White House, and both of us agree, the White House and myself, that if this can avoid a shutdown, it will be a good thing,” Schumer said at a Tuesday press conference. 

HOUSE GEARS UP FOR VOTE TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN JOHNSON’S FIRST BIG TEST AS SPEAKER

The messaging from Washington, D.C.’s top Democrats will likely embolden left-wing lawmakers to cross the aisle and support the proposal — which it will need, given the growing defections from the right wing of Johnson’s party.

Democrats are still wary of splitting up government funding deadlines, a move Schumer called “goofy” on Tuesday.

SPEAKER JOHNSON ROLLS OUT PLAN TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, PREVENT ‘SPENDING MONSTROSITY’

But he claimed overall victories for his party, because “the proposal before the House does two things Democrats pushed for.”

“One, not making the hard-right cuts that the MAGA wing demands. And second, making sure that if they’re going to do this sort of goofy ladder, that defense is in the second part of the ladder, not the first.”

Congressional leaders on both sides have acknowledged that they will need more time to put together fiscal year 2024 spending priorities, and so a short-term bill known as a continuing resolution (CR) is warranted. Lawmakers risk a partial government shutdown if nothing is done by this Friday.

Johnson’s new “laddered” CR would set two different funding deadlines for Congress’ 12 individual appropriations bills — a Jan. 19 date for four of the less traditionally controversial bills and Feb. 2 for the others, including defense spending.

SPEAKER JOHNSON DRAWS BATTLE LINES AHEAD OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING SHOWDOWN

A House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital they anticipate a broad cross-section of their caucus voting for the CR. 

And the bill will need their votes to pass amid concerns that hardline right opposition could derail the CR in a procedural vote. House leaders are opting to rush it to the floor via a maneuver called suspension. 

But forgoing the preliminary vote means the CR will need approval from two-thirds of the House to pass, rather than a simple majority.

Several House conservatives are opposed to passing any CR, which does not cut spending or enact conservative policies, while others are pushing back on its year-long extensions of several key U.S. programs.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams admitted to contacting the FDNY commissioner during the summer of 2021, as the FBI’s investigation into alleged corruption heats up. 

Taking questions during a media availability Tuesday, Adams again stressed that he has not been accused of wrongdoing and is cooperating with federal authorities. 

Adams admitted he contacted then-Fire Department of New York Commissioner Daniel Nigro in the summer of 2021 while he was serving his second term as Brooklyn Borough president regarding the opening of a Manhattan skyrise that now houses the Turkish consulate, but he insisted his actions followed the law. 

“This is what we do every day. You know, you reach out to an agency and ask them to look into a matter. You don’t reach out to an agency to compel them to do anything because I had no authority to do so. I was the borough president,” Adams said Tuesday. At the time of the communication, he had recently won the 2021 Democratic mayoral primary. 

“And so, yes, we reached out because our constituency had the largest Turkish population outside of Paterson, New Jersey, in this country. I believe it was in Brooklyn as the Brooklyn borough president. And we reached out to the commissioner to assist, to find out what was happening and ask him to look at that,” Adams said. 

ERIC ADAMS LAUGHS OFF QUESTION ABOUT FBI SEIZURES: ‘WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HELICOPTERS’

“And we’re talking about Commissioner Nigro… over 50 years of being a firefighter, a 9/11 hero. He is an optimum professional, and I’m sure he’s going to, you know, take the necessary questions. And if he was able to do something, he would. And if he couldn’t, he’d say that he couldn’t.” 

The public admission came after the New York Times first reported Sunday that the FBI was probing Adams for allegedly pressuring FDNY officials to open the building before Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited New York City to attend the United Nations General Assembly, despite safety concerns about the structure. 

Federal authorities have not publicly disclosed the nature of the FBI’s probe into New York City politics, and City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg told reporters on Tuesday, “my expectation is that any improper leaks by federal law enforcement officers will be fully investigated by federal law enforcement.” 

The FBI seized cellphones and electronics from Adams last week. Last month, FBI agents searched the Brooklyn home of Adams’ top campaign fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, prompting the mayor to cancel a planned trip to meet with White House officials in Washington and instead return to New York. 

Noting how Adams has spoken against President Biden’s federal immigration policies as New York City grapples with the influx of more than 100,000 migrants, another reporter asked Adams point-blank if he believes the inquiries “initiated against your campaign finance is the result of political vendetta?” 

ADAMS’ OFFICE LASHES OUT AT FBI EMPLOYEE WHO MIGHT HAVE ‘IMPROPERLY LEAKED DETAILS’ OF NYC CORRUPTION PROBE

“Our criticism, critique, analysis is based on the fact that this is unsustainable for New York City. And I can’t speculate. That is, people are upset because I’m raising that,” Adams said in response. “I must fight on behalf of New Yorkers, like the coalition we put together. And I’m really thankful that we are really having a good coalition right now with Chicago. With Denver, you’re seeing a governor of Massachusetts, Houston, of people realize that local municipalities should not carry the weight of a national problem. And stated that last year this is not, you know, an attack on the president. And in fact, you know, I kick myself by calling myself the Biden of Brooklyn. 

“I thought that, you know what? He helped us around crime and other initiatives were important,” Adams said of the president. “But this is a real issue for our city, as we just mentioned, the economic strain to this city is something that is not sustainable and we have to get assistance that we need from the federal government.” 

As a reporter pressed if Adams would resign if it turns out he is federally indicted, City Hall counsel stressed that they would not “impede a federal investigation” by going into more detail. 

“I’m not going to speculate on that,” Adams said. “You are all the way down field. I’m going to continue to do the job as the mayor as long as my responsibility to do the job.” 

“Do you have a view that this investigation is somehow of retribution?” another reporter pressed. “Do you believe that someone in the FBI is out to get you? And are you confident that as the Southern District does continue to investigate, they’re not going to find any impropriety with your campaign finances?” 

In response, Adams insisted his campaign does not use straw donors or quid pro quo. 

“We follow the law,” Adams said. “I’m very clear on that. I’ve stated it from my days in the police department to my days of state senator, to my days of borough president. And as the mayor, you know, I, I just strongly believe that that’s what I spent my life enforcing the law. And I’m going to continue to tell the team that, you know, we follow the law in this administration and in all of my administrations.” 

A senior Republican congressman told Fox News Digital he felt sickened after viewing footage of Palestinian terror organization Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise terror attacks that killed 1,200 Israeli citizens.

California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa spoke with Fox News Digital over the phone after viewing the footage with most of his congressional colleagues.

Issa said the “vast majority” of congressional lawmakers were in the Cannon Caucus Room to view the footage. The congressman noted that there were “over 300” people in attendance, which led to the screening being “standing room only.”

‘CLEARLY IRANS’S WAR WITH ISRAEL’: GOP CONGRESSMAN TRAVELINGI N MIDDLE EAST WARNS OF ‘SUSTAINED’ CONFLICT

The senior House Foreign Affairs Committee Republican said the footage of “uniformed, military Hamas and civilian-dressed Hamas” killing “unarmed civilians” made him sick.

“I’ve seen decapitation and I’ve seen just beating, and beating on both dead and alive bodies,” Issa said. “And quite frankly, I’m just sick to my stomach.”

Issa said he believes the “most important detail” was the multiple sources of the footage. Some videos came from terrorists’ own social media posts, but most were from body camera footage and cellphone footage recorded by Hamas.

“I mean, the details. And you can hear it, but when you see it, it’s like visiting Auschwitz or Birkenau, except it’s still going on visually,” Issa said.

Since the Oct. 7 attacks – during which Issa was in the Middle East – antisemitic hate crimes have dramatically increased, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Protests against Israel have also intensified, and there are numerous viral videos of protesters ripping down posters of Israelis who have been kidnapped by Hamas.

“I respect people’s rights to protest for the things that they think are unfair,” Issa said. “This isn’t one of them.”

“Gaza was not occupied. This was not a resistance within Gaza, but rather a deliberate attack on civilians over the border,” he continued.

Issa said the situation is one of “two separate things” and that we “can talk about the unfairness of the Palestinians not having a country of their own.” But those discussions should be separate from condemnation of what was shown to members of Congress, Issa said.

The videos depicted “the unprovoked slaughter of civilians, a degree of inhumanity that you usually think for the machete world of elsewhere, but not in an area where education and opportunity is available the way it is for the Palestinians in Gaza,” Issa said.

The California Republican said he believes the House “did the right thing” by passing the Israel aid bill “overwhelmingly” earlier this month, a bill that paid for aid by slashing the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) funding.

Issa blasted President Biden as well, saying the president is “not complaining about the offset as much as he’s complaining about it not being in two other areas.”

“I don’t think anything could be less appropriate. You know, funding for Ukraine and the ongoing war there, which is a military-on-military war primarily, is something I support. But supporting two fronts against two aggressors doesn’t have to be combined. And, you know, I think the Senate is being petty, I think the president’s being extremely petty.”

Issa said the Constitution is “very clear” on the House’s job to appropriate and that they have done that job while trying “to do it in a responsible way by finding funds that are less important.”

“And right now, we’re making them available,” Issa said. “And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I’ve supported every package for Israel since I’ve been here, this one is no exception.”

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Senate Democrats blocked a stand-alone Israel aid package led by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tuesday after a lengthy debate on the chamber floor.

Marshall sought unanimous consent for the House’s version of the package, which passed the lower chamber with bipartisan support Nov. 2 and would earmark $14.3 billion reallocated from funds meant for the IRS in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. Senators Marshall, Ted Cruz, JD Vance and Mike Lee introduced the Senate version last month.

But Democrats shot down the effort because the package does not include aid to Ukraine. A handful of Republican senators argued the two emergency aid packages should be split up and voted on separately. 

“Though they spend three-fourths of the time telling us why we should fund Ukraine, no one will stand up and say we should not fund Israel now,” Marshall said Tuesday in a press conference. “No one has an argument for that. They seem to be allergic to the word ‘Israel.’

“Bring the Ukraine funding to the floor. Let’s vote on that.”

GOP SENATORS INTRODUCE STAND-ALONE BILL TO AID ISRAEL WITHOUT MORE FUNDING TO UKRAINE

Marshall has been leading the charge against President Biden’s supplemental request to fund Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and border security in one package. Instead, he’s urging senators to rescind their support for the package and focus on each issue individually. 

A majority of the GOP conference favors Israeli aid but remains divided on Ukraine support. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has previously voiced his support for a combined aid package. 

During Marshall’s remarks on the Senate floor requesting unanimous consent for the stand-alone legislation, he called the Ukraine conflict “a separate, unrelated conflict with no end in sight.”

BIDEN ADMIN URGES MAJOR FUNDING INCREASES FOR AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL AND GAZA CIVILIANS 

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, a Marshall ally, argued lawmakers don’t have to agree on Ukraine aid to push the Israel package on its own.

“What I find interesting about the folks who are here today is they represent a cross-section of opinion on the Ukraine question,” Vance said Tuesday. “Even Sen. Schmitt and Sen. Lee, as much as we agree, we don’t agree on every single permutation of how we address the Ukraine situation. What we do all agree on, though, is that the American people deserve a separate debate.”

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., called the combined aid package “putting on a bunch of unrelated issues to try to bootstrap Ukraine aid” amid a less controversial stance on supporting Israel. 

Vance also said there are other ways to allot the $14 billion to Israel, “which is a very small amount of money in the United States federal budget.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, echoed Vance and Marshall and said the two regions are distinct with clear differences. 

“We have to take into account that there are differences here,” he said. “When you do evaluate each funding request on the basis of the individual merits of the conflict and question the needs of Israel and Ukraine, and for that matter, other areas in the world that have been beset by some conflicts, they’re distinct and they’re separate.”

HOUSE GOP PASSES ISRAEL AID OFFSET BY IRS FUNDING CUTS

But Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, was the first among several Democrats who objected to Marshall’s motion and rallied continued support for both Ukraine and Israel. 

“The global challenges we face are all connected, and they’re all urgent,” Murray said. 

The bipartisan Israel aid bill passed the House in early November before being shot down by eight Senate Democrats as the bill made its way through.

Senate Democrats sunk the bill last week, citing a lack of Ukraine aid, as well as humanitarian aid, money to combat China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific and border security funding.

Senate Democrats also attacked Republicans over the bill slashing IRS funding to pay for the Israeli aid, accusing them of slow-walking the aid by tying the IRS cuts to it.

Additionally, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said during a press briefing that President Biden would veto an Israel-only supplemental package if passed by Congress.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes and Houston Keene contributed reporting.