Democrats worry a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling threatens the practice and want to protect it at the federal level.

"Women in America: wake up," said U.S. Rep. Susie Lee, (D-Nev.).

Lee said Congress needs to pass a law that guarantees every American woman the right to fertility treatment.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, (D-Ala.), said since the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos used for IVF are "children," doctors and fertility clinics in her home state are turning away women.

"Some have devoted their life savings to fertility treatment only to have their hopes and dreams ripped away by Republican judges," Sewell said. 

U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, (D-Calif.), warns if Republicans have their way, this will not end with Alabama.

"This is the Republican dream realized into a waking nightmare," Clark said.

House Republicans say they support IVF.

"It needs to be readily available," said House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R-La.). "It needs to be something that every American supports."

However, Johnson would not say whether he supports Democrats' bill that would give federal protections to IVF services, and Senate Republicans are having a similar debate.

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, (R-Miss.), blocked a vote on the legislation, arguing it would also legalize practices like human cloning and gene editing "designer babies."

"It had many, many other aspects to it besides just protecting IVF," said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, (R-W.Va.). 

Capito also opposes the bill, but its sponsor, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, (D-Ill.), said they're being shortsighted.

"IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy that is motherhood," Duckworth said. 

Democrats plan to bring up the bill for another vote.

“It’s been a long road to get here,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said.

Speaker Johnson says the bill gives lawmakers more time to pass a year-long budget.

“The appropriations process is ugly. Democracy is ugly,” Johnson said. “This is the way it works every year, always has.”

The deal extends funding for some government agencies until March 8, and the rest until March 22.

However, not all Republicans were on board. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) says he voted against the bill because he believes a short-term measure isn’t a solution.

“We’re going to kick the can down the road,” Massie said. “Is that going to solve any problems? No, it creates another crisis next week.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) says Congress needs to take action to cut the deficit.

“We ought to pass single subject spending bills and we ought to vote for the spending cuts that this country so desperately needs,” Gaetz said.

Speaker Johnson defended the bill to his party’s critics. He says he held the line against Democrats calls for more spending.

“This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that,” Johnson said.

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) agrees and says he believes lawmakers will work quickly to pass the 12 appropriations bills.

“The American people want us to do our work,” Fleischmann said. “To do our work well, we’ve got to keep the government open.”

Democrats say they hope the division in the Republican party doesn’t derail the new spending deadline later this month.

“House Democrats will stand in lockstep to ensure that that doesn't happen,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he hopes his chamber can pass the legislation late Thursday.

"I never intended to keep my hospitalization from the White House or from anybody else," Austin said, blaming a breakdown in communication.

Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) pressed Austin on why it took so long to notify the President, Congress, and the public about it.

"The chain of command doesn’t work when the commander-in-chief doesn't know who to call," Rogers said.

Congressman Jim Banks (R-Ind.) says Austin's absence was a matter of national security.

"Are you surprised the president didn't call for your resignation?" Banks asked.

"The president has expressed full faith and confidence in me," Austin replied.

House Democrats say they were uncomfortable with how Austin handled his hospitalization, but they came to his defense.

"You have an extraordinary service record," Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) said.

Garamendi and Congressman Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) say at no point during Austin's illness was the country unsafe.

"There was just never any moment where there was any absence of authority within the department," Courtney said.

The Pentagon is conducting a review of the roles, processes and actions related to Austin's hospitalization and pledges to do better going forward.

The leaders are highlighting immigration issues but have vastly different stances on how to fix them.

President Biden went to Brownsville and 300 miles away his republican rival former president Trump visited Eagle Pass.

"A very dangerous border, we're going to take care of it,” Trump said.

Both leaders agree the U.S.is facing an immigration crisis with an overwhelming surge of people trying to cross the border each day.

President Biden is using his trip to push Congress to act says White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

"Highlight the need for Congress to pass the bipartisan security agreement that was negotiated out of the Senate,” she said.

Last month Senate negotiators came up with a bipartisan border bill but Republicans blocked the legislation after the former president came out against it.

"Donald Trump deliberately sabotaged the very same border reforms he spent years calling for,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Trump blames President Biden for the border issues and Republicans argue the president already has the power he needs to crack down on immigration.

"He needs to take executive action right now. He needed to take it yesterday and the day before. He needs to secure that border and protect our communities, because lives are being lost and we cannot wait,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

As President Biden and former president Trump fight to win the 2024 election immigration is a central campaign issue.

Republicans meanwhile are continuing to fight for strength and control we want to keep criminals out and our family safe,” Johnson added.

However, Democrats disagree.

"Republicans have no right to say they're focused on solutions when they're the ones creating the issue,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.).

Trump's team says Biden is copying him by visiting the border, but the White House insists this trip has been in the works for a while now.

“This bill honors the legacy of John Lewis and those who marched and fought and died to protect the right to vote in America,” Durbin said.

Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also spoke, as well as activist organization leaders.

“The late Ruth Bader-Ginsburg was correct,” Warnock said, “when she said getting rid of preclearance is like getting rid of your umbrella in the middle of a rainstorm because you're not getting wet.”

The result of the referenced 2013 Supreme Court case, Shelby County v. Holder, changed how the federal government can assess whether states are discriminating against voters.

As part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a formula was introduced that would clarify whether a state’s voting laws were racially discriminatory. If the formula dictated that a state was discriminating, the federal government could step in, change the laws and require preclearance for any further changes to state voting laws.

In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court held the formula to be unconstitutional. The court asserted that the federal government imposing restrictions in state voting laws can only be justified by using current needs and argued since voting percentages had changed since the 1960's, it was no longer necessary. This severed the federal government’s ability to qualify racial discrimination in state voting laws.

A CRS report summarizes the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2021, saying it establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect.

When asked if there were any changes in the bill introduced today from the previous version, Senator Durbin said that they have been “making changes to respond to Supreme Court decisions.”

However, they will be in different areas, showcasing different perspectives on immigration.

President Biden will visit Brownsville, Texas to address concerns at the southern border as the area has seen a sharp decrease in illegal crossings in recent months.

"He's going to meet with border patrol agents, law enforcement officials, front line personnel, and local leaders,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The White House says the president will consider executive action after the Senate's border deal failed.

"Four months of us, the White House, working with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to get that done and obviously, Republicans have rejected that because of politics." Jean-Pierre added.

At the same time his republican rival Donald Trump will make his own trip to Eagle Pass, Texas the area with largest number of crossings.

"Migrant crime is taking over America," Trump said.

The former president is keying in on immigration at the southern border as a major campaign issue.

"They're all coming in through Joe Biden's horrible open border. There's never been a border like this anywhere in the world at any time," Trump said.

Trump opposed the Senate border deal and encouraged Republicans in Congress to shoot it down saying it was a bad bill.

The White House says that message is preventing resources from going to the border.

"They are turning this into a political stunt by listening to Donald Trump and saying that they need to kill it. This is what they have been doing and making it political," Jean-Pierre.

The president will continue to encourage Congress to take action as Biden sees the border deal as the best way to tackle the issue.

President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to invest $37 billion to support law enforcement and crime prevention.

"As president, public safety and crime reduction is a top priority for my administration and for me,” Biden said.

The call comes after a meeting with big city police chiefs Wednesday.

"My administration is going to choose progress over politics, and communities across the country are safer as a result of that," Biden added.

Kevin Bethel, of Philadelphia, is one of a handful of the nation's police chiefs who met with the president.

"It was a really good meeting to be able to voice some of the issues that we're having," Bethel said.

Although Bethel says crime is down, he's calling on the federal government to help get illegal guns off the street.

"But I think it's two prongs, it's not just us getting illegal guns off the street. It is the community now telling people to stop carrying guns," Bethel added.

Johnny Jennings, the police chief of Charlotte, says his department is tackling mental health and juvenile crime.

"We really have to get something where we can intervene at an early age to make sure that they don't go down that path because this is our future," Jennings said.

President Biden is pointing to the resources his administration has provided to local law enforcement as one way to battle crime.

Former President Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee in November's election, has cast Democrat-run cities as havens for crime and lawlessness.

"Our country is being destroyed, and the only thing standing between you and its obliteration is me,” Trump said.

Crime is likely to be an issue for voters in November when casting their ballots.

The 82 -year-old is the longest serving Senate leader in history. On the Senate floor he said, “it’s time for a next generation of leadership.”

McConnell says he will now work with his party to elect a new leader that will take on the post starting next January. He intends to finish his Senate term which ends January 2027.

"To serve the people of Kentucky has been the honor of my life, to lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege,” said McConnell.

McConnell received a standing ovation following his speech and was met with handshakes from both Democrat and Republican senators on the Senate floor.

Shortly after at the White House, President Joe Biden told reporters he was sorry to hear the news and characterized his relationship with the Senate minority leader as an honest one.

In a statement issued later President Biden said, "I'm proud that my friend Mitch McConnell and I have been able to do that for many years, working together in good faith even though we have many political disagreements.”

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) issued a similar statement.

“While we often disagreed, we shared our responsibility to the American people to find common ground whenever possible. I send best wishes to him and Elaine as they prepare for their next chapter."

On the floor Sen Susan Collins (R-Maine) thanked McConnell for showing leadership even, “when it wasn’t popular to do the right thing.”

McConnell’s popularity recently dropped within his caucus after he worked with Democrats to pass a compromise bill to send aid to Ukraine, without addressing the border.

Wednesday McConnell made no apologies for his policy position.

"I believe more strongly than ever that America's global leadership is essential,” said McConnell.

Sen Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) who’s long opposed McConnell’s leadership tactics says he’s happy to see him go.

"My only question is why wait so long, " said Hawley.

While McConnell noted that his age did factor into his decision to step down, he made no mention of his health during his speech. McConnell’s cognitive abilities have come under speculation after he fell last year and suffered a concussion.

McConnell’s office contends he is in good health.

NASA held a news conference with Intuitive Machines, the private company leading the mission, to brief the public on the status of the lander.

Odysseus, the unmanned moon lander, was carrying scientific instruments for NASA with the goal of paving the way for future exploration.

Dr. Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration at NASA, described the vessel as a “pathfinder, both for the more complicated and sophisticated robotic science landing missions that occur in the future, and a pathfinder to get data for taking our human explorers back to the moon.”

Steve Altemus, CEO/Co-founder of Intuitive Machines, talked about Odysseus’ current state.

“Odysseus continues to generate solar power. We are projecting a time where the solar power generation will not allow Ody to continue sending down telemetry,” he said.

Although the lander tipped over, it has continued to send back information that flight controllers are using to gather data about potential water on the South Pole of the moon.

NASA plans to return astronauts to the moon before the end of this decade. 

The attorney for a Texas gun shop owner said he wants the justices to overturn a ban on the gun accessory.

"It has a very high rate of fire, but it's not automatic," argued Jonathan Mitchell. 

President Donald Trump's administration banned bump stocks in response to the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed 60 people and wounded hundreds. It's the country's deadliest mass shooting in modern history.

"I can certainly understand why these items should be made illegal," said Justice Neil Gorsuch.

However, Gorsuch, one of Trump's appointees, questioned the ban's fairness. He worries gun owners don't know they could face criminal charges for still possessing bump stocks.

"Because people will sit down and read the Federal Register... that's what they do in their evening for fun... crack it open next to the fire and the dog," Gorsuch said. 

The attorney for the U.S. Justice Department shot down those concerns and defended the ban on bump stocks.

"Those weapons are machine guns," said Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher.

This case though is not about Second Amendment gun rights, but whether a federal agency overstepped its authority in imposing the ban.

"At some point, you have to apply a little bit of common sense," said Justice Elena Kagan. 

Kagan hinted the law allowed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to do this, but Mitchell argued government agencies don't have this power.

"That's ultimately a decision for Congress to make," he said. 

The justices' decision in this case is expected by early summer.

The House returned to Washington on Wednesday, just two weeks after voting to impeach Secretary Mayorkas for violating federal law and not enforcing immigration policy.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) says House impeachment managers will soon take a walk across the Capitol, the next step in the impeachment process.

“We will have a signing ceremony and we will be delivering the articles of impeachment to the Senate,” Greene said.

When that happens, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) says he wants to see the Senate put Mayorkas on trial.

“People need to be held accountable,” Thune said. “And I think this is the way to do that.”

House Republicans impeached Mayorkas for "willfully and systematically" refusing to enforce immigration laws at the southern border.

Thune says it is now up to the Senate to determine if those offenses are impeachable.

“This is such a miscarriage of the law, and it is important that the United States senators sit and hear, and the American people hear about this incredible crisis at our southern border,” Thune said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agrees.

“I think that would be the best way to go forward,” McConnell said.

Senate Democrats say they plan to reject the articles by taking a vote to dismiss the trial, which only needs a simple majority to pass.

“The impeachment of Mayorkas is absurd,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. “There’s not one drop of evidence that leads to any kind of charge of impeachment and we’re going to handle it in the best way possible.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) says denying a trial would be a disservice.

“If this chamber upholds its constitutional duty, I will vote to convict him,” Blackburn said.

House managers are expected to bring the articles to the Senate as early as next week.

Hunter Biden testified behind closed doors as part of the impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

Biden came out swinging in a long-awaited deposition telling Republicans...You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn't any."

For months House Republicans have been trying to question him as part of their impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

They accuse Hunter of using his father's position to make money from foreign clients.

"This is public corruption 101,” said Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).

However, it isn't clear if Hunter's testimony will help Republicans make their case

Democrats call the investigation and this deposition embarrassing.

This whole thing has really been a tremendous waste of our legislative time,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

Republicans haven't shown any direct evidence of misconduct by President Biden and an FBI informant central to the impeachment case was just charged by federal officials for lying about bribery allegations.

"They are now trying to scramble to find anything to substantiate their fairy tale,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

Democrats are urging Republicans to end what they see as a politically motivated investigation.

"They have lost focus of what our job is,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas.).

In a statement, Hunter Biden said his testimony should put an end to what he called the "baseless and destructive political charade."

The March 1 deadline would impact the departments of Veteran Affairs, Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Energy.

The second deadline, on Friday, March 8, would impact all other agencies including the Internal Revenue Service. Every department and agency has a set of procedures in case of a shutdown that includes which employees are considered essential, how many would get furloughed and who would work without pay.

According to the contingency plan released by the Department of Treasury for the fiscal year 2024, essential functions of the IRS would continue. It’s not clear exactly how filing season and refunds would be impacted since there has never been a shutdown during tax season.

However, experts agree that electronic tax refunds would most likely be processed as normal, if as long as there are no errors on the return. If there are issues with a return, it could take longer to process since IRS employees considered non-essential would be furloughed.

Taxpayers filing a hard copy might not be as lucky, and could experience delays in receiving their refund.

The IRS recommends filing electronically and setting up direct deposit to get a refund within 21 days.

The last time the government faced a looming shutdown was in January. At the time, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said the agency would do everything in its power to minimize disruptions.

“We have not experienced a shutdown in the middle of filing season, so there is some uncertainty there,” Werfel said in January.

The filing deadline of April 15 will stay in place even if there is a government shutdown. Taxpayers can avoid possible delays by filing as soon as possible.

Nexstar reached out to the IRS, but a spokesperson for the department declined to comment on a hypothetical shutdown. The IRS is expected to release additional information in the event the government does shut down on March 8.

McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced his decision Wednesday in the well of the Senate, a place where he looked in awe from its back benches in 1985 when he arrived.

“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said, “so I stand before you today...to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”

His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan’s brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances, to the fiery, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump.

McConnell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027. Aides said McConnell’s announcement about the leadership post was unrelated to his health. The Kentucky senator had a concussion from a fall last year and two public episodes where his face briefly froze while he was speaking.

The senator had been under increasing pressure from the restive, and at times hostile, wing of his party that has aligned firmly with Trump. The two have been estranged since December 2020, when McConnell refused to abide Trump’s lie that the election of Democrat Joe Biden as president was the product of fraud.

McConnell gave no specific reason for the timing of his decision, which he has been contemplating for months, but he cited the recent death of his wife's youngest sister as a moment that prompted introspection. “The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer,” McConnell said.

Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020.

McConnell and Trump had worked together in Trump’s first term, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation. But there was also friction from the start, with Trump frequently sniping at the senator.

Their relationship has essentially been over since Trump refused to accept the results of the Electoral College. But the rupture deepened dramatically after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. McConnell assigned blame and responsibility to Trump and said that he should be held to account through the criminal justice system for his actions.

McConnell’s critics insist he could have done more, including voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial. McConnell did not, arguing that since Trump was no longer in office, he could not be subject to impeachment.

Rather than fade from prominence after the Capitol riot, Trump continued to assert his control over the party, and finds himself on a clear glidepath to the Republican nomination. Other members of the Republican Senate leadership have endorsed Trump. McConnell has not, and that has drawn criticism from other Republican senators.

“I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

 The pressure is rising for Congress to address the looming shutdown, Ukraine, Israel, and the southern border.

Time is running out as leaders in both the House and the Senate agreed they must avoid a government shutdown.

However, there is still some concern around the other major issues.

President Joe Biden called congressional leaders to the White House Tuesday in hopes of tackling some of the largest issues still on Congress' plate.

"We need bipartisan solutions,” Biden said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell are optimistic about avoiding a government shut down before the end of the week.

"Under no circumstances does anyone want to shut the government down," McConnell said.

There is uncertainty on other issues they warned of the consequences of not sending aid to Ukraine.

"Zelenskyy and Ukraine will lose the war if we don't get the arms and don't get them quickly," Schumer said.

"We don't want the Russians to win in Ukraine," McConnell added.

House Speaker Mike Johnson did not mention any change on his position when it comes to Ukraine and says he's focused on issues in the U.S.

"We must take care of America's needs first. When you talk about America's needs, you have to talk about the open border," Johnson said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries agrees there is a broken immigration system, but it should be done in a bipartisan way without making Americans suffer.

"We just need our House Republican colleagues not to play politics and engage in political stunts,” Jeffries said.

The leaders seemed hopeful about preventing a government shutdown but there is still a possibility a short-term extension is necessary.

"It's a little personal to me when a majority male court suggest that people like me who are not able to have kids without the help of modern medicine should be in jail cells," Duckworth said.

Duckworth says the Alabama Supreme Court ruling which states embryos created by in vitro fertilization are children, jeopardizes countless families like hers.

Senate Democrats are now racing to pass legislation to ensure doctors and patients do not face prosecution.

Alabama state lawmakers are pushing legislation to do the same, after three fertility clinics in the state paused services.

Since the court ruling Republicans, including Donald Trump, say IVF treatments must be protected.

"We want it easier for Americans to have babies not harder," said Trump.

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley says he is skeptical of Duckworth’s plan.

"I want to read Tammy's bill and read what's exactly in it. She offered a bill some years ago that I thought was really about abortions,” Hawley said.

Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance argues Democrats are weaponizing the issue.

"Which is pretty shameful because I don't know a Republican who wants to, at a federal or state level, reduce access to basic fertility treatment,” said Vance.

Duckworth says she will put that to the test Wednesday when she calls on the Senate to pass her bill unanimously.

"Russian weapons using American technology are killing and maiming Ukrainians," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D-Conn.) said during a committee hearing Tuesday.

Blumenthal said he saw evidence of this during his recent trip to Ukraine.

"President Zelenskyy told me how cutting off Russia's supply of these components is crucial to Ukraine's defense," he said.

The hearing focused on how U.S. companies design and develop the majority of microchips and other technologies found in Russian weapons.

"They know that it's happening," said James Byrne, who leads research of these weapons at the Royal United Services Institute. "They know it's a significant issue."

The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Russia that aim to prevent all of this, but U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said sanctions don't work.

"You plug one hole, another hole is going to be opening up," Johnson said. "It's gonna be whack-a-mole."

Byrne told Johnson the sanctions are still better than nothing.

"They do stop a huge amount of things that you don't see," he said.

Byrne said companies can do more to track and share where their products are going, but Johnson said the problem is U.S. companies largely outsource their computer chip and technology manufacturing to other countries, like China.

"I'm not defending the companies," Johnson said. "I'm just saying how difficult this is."

Johnson argues the vicious cycle will continue until the U.S. ramps up its own manufacturing of these parts.

"We really want to get the hostages freed.  We have, I believe, six Americans that are currently held in Gaza." Vance said.

The U.S. and its Middle East allies are working on a deal that would pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas during the observance of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan with the goal of freeing more hostages.

"I think we should be doing everything that we can economically, diplomatically, to try to free those hostages," Vance added.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says it all comes down to cooperation from Hamas.

"Whether Hamas is willing to agree to a deal that would provide significant benefits to the Palestinian people that they claim to represent," Miller said.

Israeli officials have not publicly reacted to President Joe Biden's comments about an imminent cease-fire.

"Officials of the government of Israel including the Prime Minster of Israel have said publicly that they would prefer the situation to be resolved diplomatically," Miller added.

President Biden says he hopes to have a cease-fire deal as early as next week.

"My national security adviser tells me that we're close. We're close, we're not done yet," Biden said.

The Biden administration says the ultimate goal is to end the war soon.

Congress is stuck - unable to pass government funding, international aid, or border reform.

President Joe Biden is jumping in to try to help Congress solve their legislative logjam.

"It was both a productive and intense meeting,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

In an oval office meeting the big four leaders talked with the president about how to fund the government and get help to U.S. allies.

"We got a lot of work to do,” Biden said.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson says he thinks Congress will be able to pass a government funding bill before the deadline on Friday.

"We believe that we can get to agreement on these issues and prevent a government shutdown,” Johnson said.

President Biden and both Senate leaders are also urging the House to pass a bill to send $95 billion to Ukraine and Israel.

"The consequence of inaction every day in Ukraine are dire.” Biden said.

Senators Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell say Ukraine is running out of supplies and will lose if U.S. aid doesn't come soon.

"We don't want the Russians to win in Ukraine and so we have a time problem here,” McConnell said.

So far Speaker Johnson has resisted bringing it up for a vote.

"It's in his hands. we told him how important it was,” Schumer added.

 Speaker Johnson says House Republicans want fixes to the immigration system first.

"The first priority of the country is our border and making sure the border is secure,” Johnson said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says his party is willing to find a compromise on border reform.

We just need our House Republican colleagues not to play politics,” Jeffries said.

Speaker Johnson argues President Biden should take executive action to fix the border rather than waiting on Congress to pass legislation.

The topics discussed included Ukraine aid, the southern border and the looming government shutdown.

“The meeting on Ukraine was one of the most intense I've ever encountered in my many meetings in the Oval Office,” Schumer said after the meeting.

“It's time to recognize how passivity, half measures and delay brought the West to this particular moment,” McConnell said on the Senate floor earlier in the day.

Speaker Johnson focused on the southern border when talking to reporters. “The first priority of the country is our border and making sure it's secure,” he said.

The House, under Johnson's leadership, is under pressure to pass the $95 billion national security package that bolsters aid for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific. That measure cleared the Senate on a bipartisan 70-29 vote this month, but Johnson has resisted scheduling it for a vote in the House.

“We just need our House Republican colleagues not to play politics and engage in political stunts relative to the border,” Jeffries said, “but to sit down as was done in the Senate and enter into good faith discussions about fixing our broken immigration system.”

Both sides expressed optimism about avoiding a government shutdown but did not provide details.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This comes after a ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court that determined that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) called the decision “a ruling based on extreme ideology rather than on medical science.”

Sen. Duckworth who co-sponsors the Access to Family Building Act along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), said she will bring the bill to the Senate floor Wednesday.

Sen. Duckworth has been open about how IVF is the reason she was able to start a family.

“I warned that red states would come for IVF and now they have, but they aren’t just going to stop in Alabama. Mark my words, if we don’t act now, it will only get worse,” Sen. Duckworth said.

During a press conference Tuesday, Democratic lawmakers blamed Republicans for the ruling and called on them to protect access to IVF.

“This is not hyperbole. This is not hypothetical. This is happening. If Republicans seriously want to help fix the chaos and devastation, they have worked so hard to create they can help us restore the rights enshrined in Roe, which they overturned,” Sen. Murray said.

Several Republicans, including former President Donald Trump have voiced their support for IVF following the ruling in Alabama, but it’s not clear if the bill will have enough support to pass in Congress.

“Congress has a chance to show if they think that every family should have the freedom to decide when and how to build their family,” Sen. Baldwin said.

The bill was introduced in 2022 and then reintroduced again in January.

There is still no clear path in sight for Congress, but leaders in the Senate are staying optimistic.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell warned Americans a partial government shutdown could happen.

"Unless both sides, both sides, work together to extend funding," Schumer said.

"The task at hand will require that everyone rows at the same direction,” McConnell added.

If a deal isn't reached by the March 1st and March 8th deadlines it would hurt key programs and services for different government agencies.

"The country would face needless disruptions to agriculture, transportation, military construction and essential services at the VA," said McConnell.

However, Schumer says the hold-up is because of House Republicans.

"Unfortunately, our House Republican colleagues are still struggling to figure themselves out," said Schumer.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries will join the Senate leaders when they meet with President Biden to find a path towards a deal.

Schumer says one thing remains clear.

"We need to remember our responsibility to the American people and do our jobs," he said.

Senators returned to Capitol Hill on Monday, but House lawmakers won't be back until Wednesday leaving little time ahead of the deadline.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley took her campaign to Michigan Monday where she is hoping Republicans in that state will reject former President Donald Trump on Tuesday. 

"Don't complain about what happens in a general election if you don't do something in this primary," Haley said.

Haley says she's not ready to give up yet-- despite Saturday's 20-point loss to former president Trump in her home state of South Carolina. 

But the latest Emerson University/TheHill.com poll shows Trump is leading Haley by well over 40 points in Michigan.

After Michigan, win or lose Haley promises to continue campaigning in multiple states leading up to next week's Super Tuesday primaries. 

"I have never seen the Republican party so unified as it is right now, " Trump said.

Trump is largely ignoring Haley and looking ahead to a rematch with President Biden. 

"We're going to look at Joe Biden and we’re going to look him right in the eye, he's destroying our country. And we're going to say, Joe, you're fired. Get out, get out, Joe."

"70% of Americans don't want a Trump-Biden rematch,” Haley said.

While Trump and Haley are fighting for votes in Michigan, President Biden was in New York Monday raising money for his reelection campaign. 

“I will not be voting for any funding as long as the border is not secure,” Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said.

Donalds says securing the southern border must be Congress’ number one priority. He wants House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to attach tougher border security policies to the Senate’s foreign aid package. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) warns that strategy will fail in the Senate.

“Speaker Johnson, history is looking down upon you, looking over your shoulder, rise to the occasion,” Schumer said.

President Biden is hoping to resolve the stalemate in Congress. He invited all four congressional leaders to the White House on Tuesday to talk about a path forward on government spending, Ukraine aid, and border security.

“Doing nothing is not an option,” Biden told a group of governors from across the nation at the White House on Friday.

In an effort to prove the border is a priority, President Biden announced a last-minute trip to Brownsville, Texas on Thursday. The same day former president Donald Trump makes a campaign stop 330 miles away in the border town of Eagle Pass.

“Seal the border. Stop the invasion and send Joe Biden’s illegal aliens back home,” Trump said during a campaign rally over the weekend.

Trump blames the Biden administration for failing to solve the border crisis. But Schumer says it’s Trump who squashed any hope for border legislation that could become law.

“We tell Speaker Johnson, don't let politics get in the way, don't let blind obeisance to Donald Trump prohibit you or your colleagues from voting for this package,” Schumer said.

Monday the justices heard two cases that could determine if social media companies can regulate what is posted on their platforms.

The cases were brought forward after Texas and Florida passed laws banning companies like Twitter or Meta from engaging in what they believe is online censorship.

Lawyers representing the tech giants argue those laws are a violation of a company’s right to free speech and will open the door to harmful content.

Henry Whitaker is the Florida solicitor general.

"The platforms do not have a first amendment right to apply their censorship policies in an inconsistent manner," Whitaker said.

Whitaker argued the state laws are designed to prevent censorship of conservative speech.

“The state has an interest, a first amendment interest, in promoting and ensuring the free dissemination of ideas,” he said.

The court seemed skeptical of the state's arguments that the first amendment requires the internet companies to do anything.

“The first amendment doesn't apply to them, first amendment restricts what the government can do,” said Chief Justice John Roberts.

Lawyers from Net Choice, a group that represents social media companies, argued their case in court.

Net Choice's Vice President Carl Szabo says ruling in favor of the state laws would set a dangerous precedent.

"Left right or center any American should want to protect our first amendment rights from the government,” he said.

Lawyers for Donald Trump who was kicked off Twitter and Facebook after the January 6th attack at the Capitol are urging the court to uphold the Florida law. 

The Biden administration is siding with the companies.

The 25-year-old airman, Aaron Bushnell, of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries, the Metropolitan Police Department said Monday.

Bushnell had walked up to the embassy shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday and began livestreaming on the video streaming platform Twitch, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Law enforcement officials believe the man started a livestream, set his phone down and then doused himself in accelerant and ignited the flames. At one point, he said he “will no longer be complicit in genocide,” the person said. The video was later removed from the platform, but law enforcement officials have obtained and reviewed a copy.

The person was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a statement Monday, the Air Force said, “The individual involved in yesterday’s incident succumbed to his injuries and passed away last night.” The Air Force said it would provide additional information a day after military officials complete notifying his next of kin.

The incident happened as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking the cabinet approval for a military operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah while a temporary cease-fire deal is being negotiated. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, however, has drawn criticisms, including genocide claims against the Palestinians.

Israel has adamantly denied the genocide allegations and says it is carrying out operations in accordance with international law in the Israel-Hamas war.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

The president will meet with the leaders in the House and the Senate on Tuesday to get the national security bill passed.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring a vote to the House floor for Ukraine.

"Speaker Johnson, if he put this bill on the floor, would produce a strong bipartisan majority vote in favor of aid to Ukraine,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan says that Ukraine is willing to continue the fight against Russia, it just needs the money.

"This is about a shortage of bullets and if we can fill that shortage of bullets Ukraine will stand up Brave and courageous and take the fight to the Russians,” he added.

The Republican-led House is under pressure as the Senate passed a $95 billion national security bill that would help Ukraine.  Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds said the border is his top priority.

"Anything I vote for has to secure our border and the President should agree to that. That's common sense for a nation like America," Donalds said.

Despite the pushback, Pennsylvania Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick says that he is working on a skinnier border and Ukraine bill and will force it to the floor.

"They have weeks and not months to get reinforcements on the front lines,” Fitzpatrick said.

Lawmakers in the House will return to Capitol Hill Monday as the clock is ticking. Partial government funding is due to expire Friday. The rest of the federal government, including agencies such as the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, expires on March 8.

Trump and President Joe Biden have already been acting like they're headed for a rematch in November, but Haley and her supporters said the results in South Carolina propel her to the next primary contests.

Haley is already on the move to Michigan ahead of its primary Tuesday.

"I'm not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden," Haley said.

Haley's campaign said to prove that, she's launching a seven-figure ad buy into Super Tuesday, when more than a third of all GOP delegates will be up for grabs.

"I have a duty to give them that choice," Haley said.

Like the results in the other early-state primaries have revealed, Haley was hoping to pick up support from Democratic pockets like Charleston, but it still wasn't enough to defeat Trump.

"We have a thing called Super Tuesday, and I think we're leading 91 to 7," Trump said. 

Trump is also looking ahead to March 5 but said the only date he's really focused on is Nov. 5, the general election.

"I have never seen the Republican Party so unified as it is right now," he said. 

Despite Haley polling better against President Biden, Trump said he welcomes the 2020 rematch.

"We're gonna say, 'Joe, you're fired. Get out. Get out, Joe. You're fired,'" he said. 

One of the questions left unanswered in South Carolina is who Trump will pick for his running mate. 

Former president Donald Trump is looking to win South Carolina and wrap up the Republican nomination.

Haley says she’s hoping for enough votes to stay competitive in the race.

"We're not slowing down. We're keeping our foot on the gas,” Haley said.

Trump seems poised add another state to his primary election sweep.

Haley argues voters don't want a Trump Biden rematch, but Trump is laser focused on beating President Joe Biden.

"Crooked Joe Biden, you're fired. Get out of here,” Trump said.

He's looking to rally support by convincing voters this election is high stakes.

"Our country is being destroyed and the only thing standing between you and it's obliteration is me,” Trump added.

Trump's campaign is complicated by his various legal issues.

"They're trying to steal my liberty. If there's any shred of justice left, they will fail,” he said.

Haley says Trump is bound to spend more time in a courtroom than on the campaign trail.

"That's not how you win a general election. That's why Republicans won't win if Donald Trump is the nominee,” Haley said.

Win or lose in South Carolina, Haley says she's staying in this race. 

"We have a country to save, and I'm not going to stop until we do that,” she added.

Trump is accusing Haley of hurting the Republican party by not dropping out saying the sooner he can focus on defeating President Biden, the better.

The state's former Gov. Nikki Haley is trying to pull off an upset against former president Donald Trump.

"This is the time we make our choice," Haley told supporters in Charleston Friday at her final campaign rally before the polls opened.

Haley wants voters to know she's the best chance Republicans have of beating President Joe Biden.

"We have to nominate someone that can actually win a general election," she said.

Haley said Trump has proven he's not up to the job.

"Our country needs to heal," she said. "And our kids deserve to know what that feels like."

That message resonates with voters like 18-year-old Harrison Livingston, who plans to cast his first-ever vote for Haley.

"Her foreign policy experience is something that's completely unmatched," Livingston said. "And she actually cares about our veterans."

Haley is also trying to pick up last-minute support from voters like Jane Renzi, who said she can no longer support Trump.

"He makes me nervous a little bit," Renzi said.

But as far as Trump is concerned, he's already completed an early state sweep in the race.

"The big day is November 5th, and we have to send a signal that we're coming," Trump said during his keynote at the Black Conservative Federation's annual gala in Columbia Friday.

Trump promised supporters the return of the American dream.

"With me, you will never be taken for granted," he said.

Trump is also leaning hard into the religious vote, touting he secured endorsements from faith leaders in every county in South Carolina.

Haley's campaign announced Friday it will launch a seven-figure ad buy, supporting her promise that she'll stay in the race at least through Super Tuesday.

The governors told the president they were frustrated by the lack of help they are receiving from Washington to address the border crisis in their states.

President Biden says he is also frustrated at Congress for not passing the bipartisan border deal.

“It doesn't matter if you're a border state, we're all border states now. There’s no question the financial strain is definitely taking a toll on all of us,” said Gov. Spencer Cox (R-Utah).

Many of the governors say they are frustrated at how Washington is handling the border and are urging both the administration and Congress to take action.

“We're taking on the brunt of this inaction that we continue to see in Washington,” said Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.).

Cox says states don't have the resources or manpower to handle the influx of migrants they are receiving. 

“This is a problem that governors can’t solve, although we are trying as much as we can, this really is on the federal government,” said Cox.

Moore says the governors made their message clear to the president.

“We encourage him to use every lever in his power to include executive action,” said Moore.

President Biden told the governors the blame lies with eight House Republicans who killed the bipartisan border deal.

“The Speaker of the House has refused to vote on the bill,” said Biden.

The president told governors he is also working with the Justice department to understand what executive action he legally can take to address the border without Congress.

Noem was referenced on a shortlist that Donald Trump confirmed he was considering for vice president, if he wins the Republican presidential nomination.

“There are two types of people in this country right now. There are people who love America and there are those who hate America,” Noem said. “Those who hate America are working every day to destroy it and let’s be clear: Joe Biden is destroying America and taking away your freedoms.”

The governor from South Dakota flirted early on with 2024 presidential run but ultimately chose to endorse Trump instead. Noem is popular with conservatives due to her refusal to enact mask mandates during the pandemic and her resistance to appending culpability to Trump for January 6th.

The VP shortlist was prompted by Laura Ingraham at a Fox News town hall. It included Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who opened CPAC with a speech on Thursday, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Absent from the list but still heavily rumored to be in the running, Elise Stefanik spoke in the afternoon at CPAC. Her speech revolved around her loyalty to Trump, calling Joe Biden a criminal and the southern border.

“I'm proud to be the first member of Congress to endorse President Trump for reelection,” Stefanik said.

Stefanik was once seen as a moderate Millennial Republican who intended to shift the party to a big-tent ideology. However, her strategies and voting record have taken a turn to the right as the party, and her district, has fully embraced Trump.

CPAC will wrap up on Saturday when Trump is expected to attend.

"We in the United States are going to continue to ensure that Putin pays the price for his aggression abroad and repression at home," Biden said.

The Biden administration issued more than 500 new sanctions against Russia because of the death of Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny.

"Make no mistake. Putin is responsible for Alexei's death," Biden said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says these sanctions will hurt Russia's most critical sectors.

"Defense industry, aeronautics, energy extraction, all of the technology that's being denied as a result of these actions, will have an increasingly heavier and heavier impact," Blinken said.

While some sanctions were added because of Navalny's death, most were already in the works to mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine this weekend.

"History's watching. The clock is ticking. Brave Ukrainian soldiers and civilians are dying," Biden said.

The President says the next step is for the House to pass the national security bill the Senate already approved to guarantee more funding for Ukraine.

"If the Speaker called for a vote in the House, it would pass easily today," Biden said.

Despite the inaction from Congress, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) led a trip to Ukraine to reassure Ukrainian officials that U.S aid will come soon.

Both candidates are making a last-minute push to win over voters ahead of Saturday’s election.

Trump and Haley are using these final hours ahead of the primary to make their election pitches to South Carolina voters and to ramp up attacks on each other.

"This is the time South Carolina can really step up and show the direction that we want our country to go in,” Haley said.

Haley is trailing Trump by a wide margin in the polls and Trump is already declaring victory.

"Nikki Haley is losing to me. It looks like she's going to lose by 25 or 30 points. That's a lot,” Trump said.

Haley argues it's too soon to count her out of the race.

"We don't anoint kings in America. We have elections. South Carolinians deserve the right to vote,” she said.

She's trying to convince Republicans that she's the best candidate to beat President Joe Biden in November.

"Donald Trump can't win a general election,” Haley said.

Trump accuses Haley of hurting the Republican party by staying in the race and says this is a time for Republicans to unite around him so they can defeat Democrats in the general election.

She's not doing well, and we can't let it happen. We have to stick together,” said Trump.

If she loses to Trump, Haley says she's staying in this race.

It’s the first time in more than 50 years that the U.S. has touched down on the moon and the first time a spacecraft built by a private company has accomplished such a feat.

Odysseus, an unmanned moon lander designed by Intuitive Machines, traveled to the moon carrying scientific instruments for NASA with the goal of paving the way for future exploration.

Intuitive Machines confirmed the successful landing, and that the spacecraft was sending data back to Earth.

So, what happens now that the spacecraft has landed?

“Because it is all autonomous it allows us to have a better risk posture to really test technologies of today, instead of using technologies that were tested decades ago in space,” Dr. Sue Lederer, NASA Planetary Scientist said.

NASA said Odysseus, nicknamed Ody, is going to “his forever home,” meaning the spacecraft will remain on the surface of the moon indefinitely.

“We will operate for the next week, maybe a week and a couple of days, get a lot of data, better understanding, and then Ody will go to sleep and be at that particular place forever,” Dr. Lederer said.

Odysseus will help NASA in the future because one of the instruments will provide a specific location marker for where it has landed, which will assist with future moon landings.

NASA’s target date to send astronauts to the moon is September 2026.

Friday the federal government began the process of formally preparing for a shutdown.

“The clock is ticking, and so what do we do next,” said Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.).

Congress returns to Washington Monday with a handful of federal agencies set to shutter March 1 and the rest on March 8 leaving lawmakers little time to broker a deal.

“I hope we can do that. I don't think anybody wants to see, you know, a quote unquote, government shutdown here, but we've got to actually move towards a regular appropriations process,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.)

A shutdown would close all but the most essential functions of the government along with shuttering national parks and museums.

Both sides have tried to assure the public a shutdown won’t happen but that’s appearing less likely.

“Do you want to close Mt Rushmore so the southern border can stay open?” asked Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.).

Hard right Republicans are pressuring Speaker Mike Johnson to reject any government funding bill that doesn’t include new border security protections.

“You either secure the southern border or you get no money for the government,” Donalds added.

Even some Democrats who support border reform say the disruptions caused by a government shutdown aren’t worth the fight.

“It is so challenging to get anything done in Congress because I work with Republican colleagues who simply don’t want to fix things,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas.).

A bipartisan spending deal could be released by Sunday but it’s not clear whether Speaker Johnson would accept it, or cave to the demands of hard right Republicans and reject it.

On the campaign trail, Haley is touting new polls showing she has a better chance of defeating President Biden than Trump, but first she must get past South Carolina’s primary.

Haley says she is better suited to take on President Biden in November.

"I defeat Joe Biden by 18 points,” she said.

Heading into this Saturday’s primary Trump has a commanding lead over Haley among likely GOP voters.

"But people don't like her too much. And she's hurting the party," Trump said.

While on a reproductive rights tour in Michigan Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the Alabama IVF decision which granted frozen embryos used in in vitro fertilization the same rights as children.

Harris put the blame on Trump.

"Clear in his intention to hand pick three Supreme Court justices who would overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade," Harris said.

South Carolina officials say 160,000 Republican voters have already cast their ballots for the primary race.

“Putting access to IVF at risk, think about that,” Harris said.

In its ruling on a case where a clinic accidentally destroyed a couple’s embryos, the court referred to the Bible and the Constitution.

The chief justice citing the Constitution and the Bible wrote “even before birth, all human beings bear the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his glory."

Alabama is already home to one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the country.

Physicians who violate the law risk civil or criminal charges

"Individuals, couples who want to start a family are now being deprived of access to what can help them start a family," Harris said.

During a reproductive rights roundtable with leaders in Michigan, the vice president blamed former president Donald Trump for opening the door to the Alabama ruling.

"Was clear in his intention to hand pick three Supreme Court justices who would overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade," she added.

Republican Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville supports the decision.

“I thought this was the right thing to do,” Tuberville said.

But he went on to say it was a complicated issue.

Missouri Republican Senator Eric Schmitt said it ought to be up to the states.

"This should be in the political discussion about what voters want to see,” Schmitt said.

Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe, abortion bans and restrictions have changed in 21 states.

Former president Donald Trump appears to be poised for a big win in Haley’s home state of South Carolina.

"We have a choice to make on Saturday," she said.

Haley faces an uphill battle in her home state.

Polling shows the former South Carolina governor trailing behind the former president by 30 points.

"I defeated a dozen of the fellas. I just have one more I've got to catch up to," she said.

Most South Carolina Republicans, like Senator Tim Scott and Congresswoman Nancy Mace have thrown their support behind Trump.

"I will take Donald Trump all day long. This was an easy call to endorse him," Mace said.

Despite the overwhelming pressure to drop out, Haley says she's not done yet no matter the results on Saturday.

"After South Carolina, the next day I'm headed to Michigan and then we're going to Super Tuesday states," Haley said.

More than a dozen states and territories will vote on Super Tuesday.

While the House remains on break, the most conservative House GOP members have gathered at the annual CPAC meeting just outside of Washington, D.C.

House lawmakers aren’t scheduled to return to Washington until next week, just 48 hours before the first funding deadline.

“The clock is ticking, and so what do we do next?” asked Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.)

Congress has until midnight on March 1st to pass at least 4 of the 12 appropriations bills to avoid a partial government shutdown.

So far House Speaker Mike Johnson has been silent on how he plans to keep the government running.  Johnson is already facing pushback from members of his own party who can't agree on where the money goes and what programs get funded.

“The conference is wide, it's broad, and folks don't want to be pinned down to something,” said Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.)

Hard-line conservatives including Republican Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene are demanding spending cuts.

“We're over 34 trillion dollars in debt…It is a disaster, it is a joke, it is pathetic,” she said.

Congressman Byron Donalds says he won't vote for any spending bill until Congress first addresses the southern border.

“Do you want to close Mount Rushmore? so the southern border can be open...You either secure the southern border or you get no money for the government” Donalds (R-Fla.) said.

Their demands won't pass the Democrat-controlled Senate and Democrats say the Republican's bickering must stop.

“This is the state of today's Republican party. It is why it is so challenging to get anything done in Congress,” said Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas.).

The House is scheduled to return next Wednesday.

Donalds asserted that he was willing to allow the government to shut down unless there was a border deal.

“Decide, Mr. President, do you want to close Mount Rushmore so the southern border can be open?” he said. In January, Donalds was a vocal opponent of the bipartisan border deal that took months for Senate Republicans to negotiate.

He also touched on a common topic of the day: gender identity.

“Little boys are little boys. Little girls are little girls,” Donalds said. “When I was a little boy, I liked little girls. This is a good thing. This is the natural order that keeps society progressing.”

Rep. Donalds is rumored to be on a shortlist for possible vice president candidates to join the ticket with Donald Trump, should he be the Republican presidential candidate.

If Trump is atop the ticket, picking Donalds may complicate the election process due to the Twelfth Amendment. Electoral College electors are prevented from voting for a president and vice president from the same state. Trump is now registered in Florida, Donalds’ home state.

Matt Schlapp, the chairman of American Conservative Union, hosted CPAC once again amid multiple sexual assault allegations.

Schlapp has been the leader of CPAC since 2014 and in recent years the event has leaned into culture wars. In 2022, a panel was held with a banner that read, “We Are All Domestic Terrorists.” Segments on Thursday included “Cat Fight? Michelle vs. Kamala,” “Going Full Hungarian: Stopping George Soros” and “Would Moses Go to Harvard?”

This year’s theme branded CPAC as the place “Where Globalism Goes to Die.”

In a segment called “No Woke Warriors,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) spoke with podcaster Ben Ferguson and hit talking points that were consistent throughout the day: trans children, the southern border, ceasing aid to Ukraine and parents’ rights, which typically is invoked when banning books in schools.

“I've been up here three years and I've seen all this mess,” Tuberville leveled. “And it starts with what's going on with our family, with our kids, and with this crazy idea of gender.”

The audience frequently broke out in “Free Jan. 6!” chants throughout the day, likely referring to those convicted of crimes due to their involvement in the attack on the Capitol Building in 2021.

Still awaiting a Supreme Court ruling over his presidential immunity claim in the January 6th special counsel case, Donald Trump is scheduled to appear at CPAC on Saturday. He will attend in lieu of being in South Carolina for the Republican presidential primary.

Professor Neil Johnson, a data scientist, warns we are now in uncharted territory thanks to AI generated deepfakes.

“We've already seen it I mean the robocalls for Biden…it's already been used in the Indonesian elections,” Johnson said.

Deep fakes are designed to look real.

The world's top tech companies have promised to clamp down on fake images imitating politicians but Robert Weissman, the president of consumer advocacy group Public Citizen says that's not enough.

"It's a positive step that they're going to do the best they can, but the best they can do right now is not good enough,” Weissman said.

Johnson says more than 3 billion people are going to vote in elections globally and for the pledge to be effective many more companies must follow suit.

"There are upwards of 100 platforms and most of them are small and don’t have the resources if they wanted to police the use of AI,” says Johnson. “A hundred platforms outweighs anything happening on big platforms. META and X, they’re just the receivers of a lot of this AI.”

About two dozen companies including Google Meta, X and TikTok promised at an international security conference last week to adopt “reasonable precautions to detect and label political deepfakes” and to ban or remove content.

"A strategy that relies on big tech to self-police is not strategy," Weissman said.

Weissman and Public Citizen are calling for federal action to ban political deep fakes.

Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) agrees Congress needs to step up before democracy pays the price.

"I continue to worry we may be looking at foreign interference in our elections,” said Warner.

The White House is promising to roll out its own tool to flag deep fakes online.

Recent battlefield losses by Ukraine are making the need to resolve the issue even more urgent.

President Biden says he’s open to a compromise deal and has offered to meet with Speaker Johnson but Republicans first want border security guarantees beyond the bipartisan deal worked out in the Senate which recently failed.

“This bill would have number one not fixed the problem, but number two would have made it worse,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

The Senate deal failed primarily over Republican opposition fueled by former president Donald Trump’s disapproval of the measure.

Some Senate Republicans who still support the effort say it's now on House Republicans to make something work.

“My hope is that Speaker Johnson will take H.R. 2, which was the tough border security package that the House already passed and attach that to the supplemental,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

Last week, Russian forces beat back Ukrainian troops, following a battle for the city of Advika.

Ukrainian officials say their troops are running low on supplies after months of inaction by congress.

“It is critical that Congress act without further delay,” said State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller.

The administration says without more money to help support Ukraine; Russian battlefield successes are more likely.

“Without more support from Congress Ukraine will not be able to replenish its air defenses and ammunition supplies.” Miller added.

The chances of a deal getting worked out between the House and Senate remains a longshot leaving the border and Ukraine in limbo.

Congress is not currently in session, so it’s unclear when they could take any action.

The relief is expected to impact thousands of people and President Biden is sending emails to make sure they know whom to thank for it.

President Biden says he is making good on a campaign promise to tackle student loan debt.

"While a college degree is still a ticket to a better life. That ticket is too expensive,” Biden said.

Biden announced 153,000 people will have their entire remaining loans forgiven.

Those people all borrowed $12,000 or less and have been repaying the loans for at least a decade.

"This plan is the most generous retirement program ever. And today we're doing it even faster and quicker than ever before," Biden added.

The president made the announcement at a library in Culver City, California saying it's designed to help those who need it most.

"When we realize and relieve Americans of their student debt, they're free to chase their dreams," he said.

Many Republicans on Capitol Hill disagree.

Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee called it "a move that circumvents the Supreme Court's authority and harms American taxpayers."

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas wrote "there is no such thing as student loan forgiveness.  President Biden is simply transferring the debt to make you and your kids pay back student loans that you never took out."

The White House says so far nearly 4 million people have had their student loans forgiven.

"While a college degree is still a ticket to a better life, that ticket is too expensive," Biden said. 

The borrowers included in this round of forgiveness qualified under the Biden administration's new SAVE plan. They all borrowed $12,000 or less and have been repaying the loans for at least a decade. 

"Folks I'm happy to have been able to forgive these loans because when we realize and relieve Americans of their student debt, they're free to chase their dreams,"Biden said. 

Jon Donenberg is the deputy director of the White House National Economic Council. He says the SAVE plan is designed to help those who need it most. 

"The size of the debt burden is increasingly crushing a generation of Americans who are struggling to buy homes, to start families and to really start to build that future," Donenberg said. 

This all comes after the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration's original more expansive, forgiveness plan. 

Since then, the president has used several executive actions to cancel student loan debt . His team says so far that's wiped out nearly $140 billion in debt for about 3.9 million people. 

"We're not giving up. The President is not giving up," Donenberg said. "People really deserve that relief." 

Many Republicans disagree. On social media site X, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called it a "move that circumvents the Supreme Court's authority and harms American taxpayers."

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)  posted "There is no such thing as student loan "forgiveness." President Biden is simply transferring the debt to make you and your kids pay back student loans that you never took out." 

But the Biden administration says there's more to come. Next week they plan to send emails to people who are eligible for loan forgiveness but haven't signed up yet.

President Joe Biden announced this week that he is willing to sit down with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) if it means getting more aid to Ukraine.

Speaker Johnson, and House Republicans, are demanding tougher border security policies in exchange for their support for the Senate passed foreign aid package.

“This was a terrible bill,” Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said.

Cruz says he didn’t vote for the Senate’s bill because it failed to secure the southern border.

“This bill number one would not have fixed the problem,” Senator Cruz said. “But number two, it would have made it worse.”

Cruz, and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), say it is now up to House Republicans to pass a better bill.

“My hope is that Speaker Johnson will take H.R. 2, which was the tough border security package that the House already passed, and attach that to the supplemental,” Cornyn said.

But that plan is a long shot, as the House bill would need to go back to the Democrat-controlled Senate for final approval and Senate Democrats have been clear that they do not support H.R. 2.

The White House says if Republicans were serious about addressing the border, they wouldn’t have left for a two-week recess. In a memo released Wednesday, the White House slammed Speaker Johnson for not calling Congress back to Washington to negotiate a package.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller says part of the President’s urgency to strike a deal is because Ukraine needs funding now.

“It is critical that Congress act without further delay,” Miller said. “It is now more clear than ever what the stakes are in Ukraine. Without more support from Congress, Ukraine will not be able to replenish its air defenses and ammunition supplies to help protect itself from Russia’s aggression.”

James Biden testified that his brother was never involved in his business dealings.

This testimony counters GOP claims that President Biden was directly involved in his family's business ventures but Republicans are still moving forward with their investigation.

South Carolina Congressman William Timmons said their investigation still stands.

"I got a lot of questions,” Timmons said.

However, James Biden told lawmakers his brother "never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest" in the family's business dealings.

Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland said that should be even more apparent after a GOP star witness was charged with fabricating his story.

"It feels to me as if everyone knows the impeachment investigation is over,” Raskin said.

According to prosecutors, the former FBI informant made up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company.

They said he also had contacts with Russian intelligence officials.

"To me, it smells like Vladimir Putin is all over it,” Raskin added.

Last week President Biden made a rare comment on the GOP impeachment effort.

"It should be dropped, and it's just been an outrageous effort from the beginning,” Biden said.

But Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan said his work will continue even with the FBI informant charged.

"It doesn't change the underlying facts," Jordan said.

Hunter Biden is expected to give similar testimony on Capitol Hill next week.

The White House says a cyberattack can cause as much damage to a shipping port as a major storm or other physical disaster.

 This is part of a broader effort to shore up the nation’s cybersecurity infrastructure.

The White House says the new policy, established by executive order, will also help protect supply chains that move the nation’s goods.

Administration officials say the country’s maritime transportation system supports around $5.4 trillion worth of economic activity every year.

A cyberattack targeting that network could have devastating consequences, potentially slowing or even stopping critical supplies of things like food, medicine and fuel.

The executive order strengthens the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to address maritime security threats.

It will also issue orders for cyber risk management on ship-to-shore cranes made by China that are used in U.S. ports.

Overall, the White House says these collective efforts will ensure better security at the nation’s biggest ports.

According to the White House, those receiving relief are the first to benefit from the Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. It provides forgiveness for borrowers who have been paying off their loans for at least 10 years and took out $12,000 or less.

The relief comes ahead of schedule. It was originally planned to roll out in July, but the Department of Education said it was able to identify borrowers more quickly.

The Biden administration said those who enrolled and qualify could see their debt cancelled as soon as this week. Those borrowers will receive an email Wednesday notifying them of the relief.

Next week, the Department of Education said it will be reaching out to people who are eligible for early relief but are not currently enrolled in the SAVE plan.

President Joe Biden has made it a focus of his administration to cancel loans for millions of Americans following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down his student loan forgiveness plan last June.

The latest polls show Haley could very well lose in her home state, but she told supporters Tuesday that she is not dropping out.

"When the country's future is on the line, you don't drop out. You keep fighting," Haley said.

Haley says she's planning to campaign in several states ahead of super Tuesday less than two weeks away.

She is also stepping up her attacks on her one-time boss, former president Donald Trump.

"He's gotten more unstable and unhinged. He spends more time in courtrooms than he does on the campaign trail,” she said.

Tuesday night in a Fox News town hall Trump likened a recent ruling by a New York judge that he pay more than $300 million in a civil fraud case to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who died in prison last week.

"Form of Navalny. It is a form of communism or fascism.

Before heading to California for political events President Biden was asked who he would like to run against in November.

"Oh, I don't care,” he said.

President Biden will be in San Francisco Wednesday for more political events.