The Trump administration is looking to cut funding for a program that provides permanent housing to the homeless, a move that may leave those the program aims to help back on the streets, according to a report.

More than 170,000 people could be at risk of experiencing homelessness when more than half the funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) permanent housing program is cut, Politico reported on Monday, citing three HUD employees, internal HUD documents and a person with knowledge of the Continuum of Care (CoC) program.

The cut funds will be moved to transitional housing assistance with some work or service requirements, according to the internal documents and those with knowledge of the situation. The cuts could have a greater impact on rural areas that have less access to city and state funds to supplement federal dollars, the people told the outlet.

‘When the subsidy and the support that goes along with those subsidies is removed, it puts people at grave risk,’ said the person with inside knowledge of the CoC program. ‘And most of these folks without these supports will likely end up back in emergency shelters or back on our nation’s streets.’

HUD Secretary Scott Turner wrote in a  Fox News Digital opinion piecei earlier this month about a ‘paradigm shift’ in the department’s approach to homelessness and housing.

‘But our goal is to let HUD use real, proven effective strategies, and there is no evidence that giving free apartments to the homeless without preconditions or participation requirements – like job training or treatment – leads to good outcomes,’ Turner wrote. 

‘There is evidence, however, that countless lives have been lost to overdoses in HUD-funded housing because of this failed ideology,’ the secretary continued.

Turner wrote that HUD wants to continue to help support work that aims to aid those experiencing homelessness and battling addiction to recover and become self-sufficient.

Permanent housing funding for 2026 is currently $3.3 billion and could be cut in half to $1.1 billion through the Trump administration’s effort, according to Politico. 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uncovered that the Biden administration placed some Americans who resisted the COVID-19 mask mandate or were involved in the events of Jan 6, 2021, on prolonged TSA watchlists, including some on a no-fly list typically reserved for suspected terrorists.

Fox News Digital acquired the findings of an internal investigation conducted by the agencies that showed that then-President Joe Biden’s TSA initiated ‘Operation Freedom to Breathe’ in September 2021, roughly six months after the CDC relaxed the COVID-19 mask mandate, which targeted Americans who previously resisted mask mandates set forth by the Biden Administration. 

The initiative placed 19 Americans on various levels of intensive watchlists, with more than half added to the highest severity no-fly list, preventing them from boarding a flight in the U.S. entirely. Eleven of the individuals remained on watchlists until April 2022, when the national mask mandate was lifted by the Biden administration. 

‘Biden’s TSA Administrator [David] Pekoske and his cronies abused their authority and weaponized the federal government against the very people they were charged with protecting,’ Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News Digital. 

‘Biden’s TSA wildly abused their authority, targeting Americans who posed no aviation security risk under the banner of political differences,’ Noem added. ‘President Trump promised to end the weaponization of government against the American people, and we are making good on that promise.’

Fox News Digital reached out to Pekoske, but did not receive a response.

The investigation also concluded that Biden’s TSA placed roughly 280 individuals allegedly involved in the Capitol protests on Jan 6, 2021, on watchlists, including five on a no-fly list. 

Biden’s TSA ignored internal concerns raised by career intelligence officials and TSA’s Chief Privacy Officer that placing individuals on the list ‘is clearly unrelated to transportation security,‘ and that ‘TSA is punishing people for the expression of their ideas when they haven’t been charged, let alone convicted of incitement or sedition,’ according to emails from a top privacy official at TSA dated Jan 13, 2021, obtained by Fox News Digital.

Another TSA intelligence employee also expressed worry over watchlisting individuals allegedly involved in the Capitol protest, saying most individuals who were arrested ‘are technically curfew breakers,’ and that ‘I hope we don’t end up adding them [to a watchlist] on just the arrest,’ according to an internal email obtained by Fox.

Internal emails said that TSA mainly relied on the George Washington University Program of Extremism academic database and social media, rather than traditional sources like the FBI and local police, to determine which individuals should be placed on watchlists.

One individual, a national guardsman deployed to the Capitol for Biden’s inauguration on Jan 20, 2021 and was not present at the Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, was added to a no-fly list because of bad intelligence from Biden’s FBI.

Another individual, the wife of a federal air marshal who was also not present at the Capitol on Jan 6, was added to a watchlist due to additional bad intelligence from the Biden FBI.

Americans allegedly involved with the events of Jan 6, 2021, who were not tied to unrelated, individual incidents, were removed from various watchlists on June, 28, 2021. 

A majority of Americans allegedly involved with the events of Jan 6, 2021, who were placed on watchlists were removed from them on June, 28, 2021, though some who had been charged remained watchlisted until they were cleared.

Sources at TSA say the Biden administration’s targeting of Americans is the most expansive use of putting U.S. citizens on a no-fly list in history. 

Noem told Fox News Digital that the agency will be ‘referring this case to the Department of Justice and for Congressional investigation.’

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

House Democrats are ready to go to war to save enhanced Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year, even if it means risking a partial government shutdown.

Democrats and some moderate House Republicans have been sounding the alarm about the expiring healthcare subsidies for weeks, a fight that’s now coming to a head as the Senate is poised to vote on a short-term federal funding bill called a ‘continuing resolution’ (CR) aimed at keeping the government funded through Nov. 21.

House Democrats held an in-person caucus meeting on Capitol Hill Monday night to paint a contrasting image with House Republicans who are home in their districts during a potential shutdown.

‘One, yes, we should get it done in this CR,’ Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., told Fox News Digital after the meeting when asked if getting the subsidies included was worth risking a potential shutdown. ‘The Republicans in the last 20 years have asked for policy goal after policy goal in this similar situation.’

‘And number two, we need some commitments that if we sign up for a budget, the budget will actually be observed,’ he added.

Both Himes and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, referenced earlier comments by senior appropriator Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., to Politico, questioning why Democrats would join the GOP in funding negotiations given the Trump administration’s propensity for cutting spending that Congress agrees on.

DeLauro told reporters after the meeting that Republicans ‘absolutely’ needed to deliver on Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), in written legislation.

‘Why should we believe them if it’s not in legislation?’ she asked.

DeLauro said earlier, ‘We certainly don’t want to shut down. We’ve said that all along, and all we need is good, bipartisan cooperation. That’s what’s necessary. We’ve been able to do that before, I anticipate we ought to be getting there now. And all this is about is affordability, affordability of health care costs.’

Other House Democrats who spoke with Fox News Digital did not directly say the subsidies were worth risking a shutdown, but argued they needed to be addressed immediately.

‘Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, and so look, I mean, to not address that reality is political malpractice. Congress has an obligation to do something, and we have to do something now. We’re here in Washington because we want to fix the problem. Republicans aren’t here,’ Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said.

‘It’s about whether people continue to afford to have adequate healthcare…this is a big issue, and this is a fight the American people, I think, are on our side on.’

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, said when asked if the subsidies were worth risking a shutdown now, ‘I think this will be [President Donald Trump’s] shutdown, because he’s not just the president, but for his entire second term, he has tried to give everyone the impression that he is all powerful. And that does come at a cost.’

‘[Republicans] could extend these tax credits that are very popular and necessary at a time with rising costs, by simply sitting down and negotiating with us,’ Landsman said.

Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., pointed out that ‘notices are supposed to go out as early as Wednesday that ACA tax credits are going away.’

‘The Democrats are happy to support any bill that would protect Americans’ healthcare, our education, and we’re ready to vote. We’re here working right now, Republicans aren’t here,’ Vindman said.

Already existing ACA subsidies were increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic under former President Joe Biden. 

And while the credits were meant as a temporary expansion, they’ve since become a political lightning rod with healthcare premiums poised to rise for millions of Americans.

There have been some conversations about limiting the income brackets eligible for those enhanced subsidies, while conservatives have pushed for them to be eliminated altogether.

House and Senate GOP leaders have signaled they would be willing to have those discussions later this year and are accusing Democrats of trying to jam partisan demands into a seven-week government funding bill.

While House Democrats appear united on the matter, however, it’s the Senate that is pivotal in the current equation. 

The House passed the CR largely along party lines earlier this month, and it’s now on the Senate to advance the measure before midnight on Oct. 1 to avert a shutdown.

But even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., signaled on Monday evening that Democrats would hold firm.

‘They say give us 45 days. Since March, we’ve had 45 days and 45 days and 45 days and 45 days. We asked to meet earlier, they didn’t want to,’ Schumer told reporters. ‘So we think when they say later, they mean never. We have to do it now, first because of the timing issue, and second, because now is the time we can get it done.’

American companies have won a record $170 billion in foreign government contracts since President Donald Trump returned to office, the Department of Commerce announced Tuesday. 

The deals amount to 98 contracts and are expected to generate $144 billion in U.S.-manufactured exports and support nearly 600,000 American jobs, according to the International Trade Administration (ITA), the Commerce Department’s arm for trade and exports. 

The total dwarfs the $12 billion in contracts signed during the same period in 2021 under former President Joe Biden. 

The aerospace and defense sector took the lion’s share, securing $153 billion in signed contracts. Other deals included about $5 billion in nuclear, oil and gas projects, $800 million in information technology, and more than $600 million in safety and security equipment. 

Commerce officials said the latest tally underscores a renewed focus to prioritize U.S. industry and competitiveness abroad. 

‘The record-breaking U.S. business wins under President Trump’s leadership reflect an unwavering commitment to rebuilding U.S. industry for the American worker,’ Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement.

‘With record business deals abroad, America is strong again, and together with the American worker, President Trump is transforming the U.S. economy, rebalancing our global trade and restoring America’s place in the world,’ he added.

The deals are driven in part by the ITA’s Advocacy Center, a Commerce Department team that helps U.S. companies compete for foreign government contracts by ensuring bids are judged on merit.

‘In the first nine months of the Trump administration, ITA advocacy has worked tirelessly to win contracts to support hundreds of thousands of American jobs,’ said Under Secretary of Commerce William Kimmitt. 

‘We will continue to be an unrelenting advocate around the world in support of American workers,’ he added.

House Democrats made a last-ditch effort to pass their own government funding proposal on Tuesday, which was quickly scuttled by the GOP.

Democrats are pushing a short-term extension of the current federal funding levels — called a continuing resolution (CR) — through Oct. 31, which also includes a host of left-wing policy riders derided by Republicans as non-starters.

With the deadline to avert a government shutdown less than 12 hours away, Democrat lawmakers gathered on the House floor with the intent of calling for unanimous consent to pass their bill. 

It takes just one House Republican to block such a move, which appears to be what Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, was poised to do. Dozens of Democrats, meanwhile, were gathered on the House floor to await the move.

But the Republican designated to run the floor for the day, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., ignored their yells of ‘Mr. Speaker.’ He instead gaveled out the House’s brief session without acknowledging them at all.

Sparse chants of ‘shame on you’ could be heard from Democrats after the session ended.

Under rules dictated by the Constitution, the chamber must meet for brief periods every few days called ‘pro forma’ sessions to ensure continuity, even if there are no formal legislative matters at hand.

Pro forma sessions can also be opportunities for lawmakers to give brief speeches or introduce legislation that they otherwise would not have. 

The House passed a GOP-led CR largely along party lines earlier this month. It would keep current government funding levels roughly flat until Nov. 21 to give Congress more time to strike a deal on fiscal year 2026 spending levels.

The measure is free from other policy riders, save for about $88 million toward enhanced security for lawmakers, the White House and the judicial branch — which has bipartisan support.

But Democrats, furious at being sidelined in those government funding discussions, are calling for both an extension of COVID-19 pandemic-era Obamacare subsidies and an end to Republicans’ recent Medicaid cuts in exchange for their support.

Their CR proposal would have reversed those Medicaid changes and restored federal funding to NPR and PBS that Republicans cut earlier this year.

Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have accused Democrats of making unreasonable partisan demands while holding federal government operations hostage in the process.

The House-passed CR is expected to be considered in the Senate later on Tuesday, where at least some Democrat support is needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.

The government will likely enter into a partial shutdown at midnight if that legislation fails.