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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Katie Hawkinson

Marco Rubio testifies before Congress for first time since start of Iran war

  • Key officials from the Trump administration , including Secretary of State Marco Rubio , Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, are scheduled to testify in congressional budget hearings Tuesday.
  • These hearings come amidst significant criticism regarding the president’s agenda, specifically addressing the war in Iran and the administration’s ongoing mass deportation campaign.
  • Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is expected to face intense questioning regarding a controversial $1.8 billion compensation fund for the president’s political allies and the Department of Justice’s handling of investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
  • Concerns about the Epstein investigations were heightened after former Attorney General Pam Bondi revealed in a deposition that she delegated oversight of these files to her former deputy, who previously served as the president’s criminal defense attorney.
  • A nearly $72 billion budget bill, primarily allocated for immigration enforcement, faces considerable opposition in Congress due to the administration's push for the compensation fund, which critics have labeled a taxpayer-funded "slush fund," leading the Justice Department to temporarily withdraw its support pending a legal challenge.

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