Republican lawmakers are pushing new legislation on Capitol Hill aimed at reining in members of Congress who take advantage of campaign finances for personal gain.

Wisconsin Republican Reps. Tom Tiffany and Tony Wied introduced the Oversight for Members And Relatives Act on Friday, known as the OMAR Act, which would prevent candidates’ campaign funds from benefiting their spouses. The legislation would also mandate the disclosure of campaign-related payments made to their immediate family members, according to the bill text obtained exclusively by Blaze News.

‘The American people are sick of it.’

“Public office should never be used to pad a family’s bank account,” Tiffany told Blaze News. “For years, members of both parties have blurred ethical lines by paying their spouses with campaign funds and labeling it ‘campaign work.'”

“The OMAR Act ends this practice and restores integrity to a system that’s been abused for far too long.”

RELATED: Exclusive: SAVE Act hangs in the balance as Republican Study Committee pushes for Senate passage

Exclusive: GOP lawmaker Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

A prime example of these “blurred ethical lines” is none other than Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who reportedly paid nearly $2.8 million to her husband’s political consulting firm during the 2019-2020 election cycle.

According to Fox News, these payments accounted for nearly 70% of her disbursements during her third quarter, exceeding the total amount all congressional candidates combined paid their immediate relatives during the 2012 election cycle.

“Members of Congress are sent to Washington to represent the interests of their constituents — not to line their spouses’ pockets with campaign funds,” Wied told Blaze News.

RELATED: Biden DOJ’s probe into Ilhan Omar’s finances dropped same year her net worth surged

Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

“We’ve seen far too many egregious examples of politicians exploiting loopholes for personal gain, and the American people are sick of it,” Wied added. “I’m proud to stand with Rep. Tiffany to introduce the OMAR Act and put a stop to these shady practices once and for all.”

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A nurse in Florida who allegedly said he would refuse to administer anesthesia to conservative patients is no longer registered in the state.

Erik Martindale appeared to post on his Facebook account, “I will not perform anesthesia for any surgeries or procedures for MAGA. It is my right, it is my ethical oath, and I stand behind my education. I own all of my businesses and I can refuse anyone!”

‘Healthcare is not contingent on political beliefs, and we have zero tolerance for partisans who put politics above their ethical duty.’

Libs of TikTok shared a screenshot of the comments in a post on X, calling for him to be immediately fired and stripped of his license.

After facing backlash online, Martindale claimed that his Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram accounts had been “hacked.” Libs of TikTok disputed his claim, sharing another screenshot of a post Martindale apparently made on his Threads account.

“I will not perform anesthesia on any surgeries for registered Republicans,” the Threads post read.

“Erik is now claiming his FB and IG were hacked. There’s a slight problem. It was on threads too. Was your threads also hacked Erik?? Lmao,” Libs of TikTok wrote. “Nobody is buying this Erik. We have all the receipts!”

RELATED: Florida nurse wishes Karoline Leavitt agonizing, life-altering birth injury — red state delivers swift takedown

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

As of Friday morning, all of Martindale’s social media accounts appeared to be deactivated.

On Thursday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced, “Effective today, Erik Martindale is no longer a registered nurse in Florida.”

“Healthcare is not contingent on political beliefs, and we have zero tolerance for partisans who put politics above their ethical duty to treat patients with the respect and dignity they deserve,” Uthmeier added.

RELATED: ‘Make their lives f**king miserable’: Deranged leftist nurse apparently urges poisoning and drugging ICE agents

James Uthmeier. Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

The Florida Department of Health website shows that Martindale’s license was voluntarily relinquished. The department notes that such action “does not constitute discipline.”

The Department of Health did not respond to a request for comment regarding whether Martindale’s license was surrendered or revoked. Blaze News was unable to contact Martindale for a statement.

Last week, Uthmeier announced that Florida had revoked Lexie Lawler’s ability to practice nursing in the state after she posted a video on social media wishing a life-altering birth injury on White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

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“People are talking. People want sovereignty. They want what the U.S. has got.”

That was U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s description of growing independence sentiment in Alberta — comments that have energized the province’s long-running sovereignty movement.

‘When Scott Bessent says — even somewhat tongue-in-cheek — that he’s heard rumors of an independence vote, that signals awareness at the highest levels.’

As Albertans continue lining up to sign petitions calling for a provincial referendum on separation later this year, separatist advocates say the Trump administration has shown a notable openness to discussing Alberta’s future.

Members of the Alberta Prosperity Project say they have met on several occasions with individuals connected to President Donald Trump’s inner circle and governing team.

Czar power

Bessent’s remarks came while he was criticizing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s appearance at last week’s World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. At the event, Carney suggested that the United States under Trump had become an international bully, destabilizing global trade norms and alliances.

Bessent rejected that characterization and instead focused on Carney’s political background.

“Well, I think Prime Minister Carney tried to put on a mask for a bit, and he’s really a globalist,” Bessent said. “He was governor of the Bank of Canada, then governor of the Bank of England, then he was the U.N. climate czar, and he tried to disappear that credential, seem like he was more reasonable — and when he said he wants to make Canada an energy powerhouse,” Bessent said, “Canada has great natural resources, but I don’t think he wants to bring them out.”

Chinese checkers

He further criticized Carney’s recent engagement with Beijing.

“He was just in China, and President Trump said Canada should trade with China,” Bessent said. “But when he came out and said China shares Canadian values — really?”

Turning to Alberta, Bessent highlighted the province’s resource wealth and frustrations over stalled infrastructure projects.

“Alberta is a wealth of natural resources, but they won’t let them build a pipeline to the Pacific,” he said. “I think we should let them come down into the U.S., and Alberta is a natural partner for the U.S. They have great resources.”

Bessent also noted Alberta’s distinct political culture, describing Albertans as “very independent people,” and said he had heard rumors of a possible referendum on whether the province should remain in Canada.

RELATED: Carney puts America last at Davos; Trump hits back

Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images

Going it alone?

Jeffrey Rath, legal counsel for the Alberta Prosperity Project, said Bessent’s remarks reflect conversations Alberta sovereignty advocates have been having privately with U.S. officials for months.

“That comes directly out of the meetings we’ve been holding in Washington, D.C.,” Rath told Align.

“We’ve raised the issue with them, and the Americans are very open to having a pipeline come down from Washington through Montana and Idaho … to the West Coast to service Korea, Japan.”

Rath said such infrastructure would strengthen U.S.-led trade alliances in the Pacific and reduce dependence on China.

He contrasted that approach with Carney’s recent visit to Beijing.

“That very alliance that Carney completely ignored when he skipped over all of them and went directly to communist China to declare, you know, Canada’s alliance and allegiance to communist China,” Rath said.

No accident

Rath also emphasized the influence of the U.S. treasury secretary within the American political system, speaking from his own perspective.

“Scott Bessent is literally the second-most powerful man in the world,” Rath said. “All it takes is one or two changes to U.S. Treasury policy towards Canadian debt, towards Canadian imports, towards Canadian investments and the taxation of Canadian businesses and assets in the United States, etc., and Canada would be bankrupt in three days.”

According to Rath, Bessent’s reference to a possible Alberta referendum was not accidental.

“When Scott Bessent is saying — tongue-in-cheek — ‘I’ve heard a rumor that there might be an independence referendum in Alberta this year,’ you know, what Scott Bessent is tipping his hand to is that … they are aware of what’s going on in Alberta at the highest levels,” Rath said.

Rath pointed to visible public support for the independence petition drive.

“They are aware of people lined up for miles into cold January nights to sign the Alberta Declaration of Independence to get Alberta out of Canada,” he said. “They’re aware of what a great partner Alberta will be to the United States of America because we’re philosophically aligned.”

​Donald trump, Canada, Alberta independence, Calgary, Oil, Pipeline, Scott bessent, Mark carney, Jeffrey rath, Alberta prosperity project, China, Lifestyle, Letter from canada 

The Senate failed Thursday to advance a government funding package that includes the Department of Homeland Security, significantly increasing the likelihood of a partial federal government shutdown as Democrats push for limits on immigration enforcement practices.

In a procedural vote required to move the six-bill appropriations package forward, the measure fell 45-55, well short of the 60 votes needed to clear the hurdle. Multiple Republicans joined Democrats in opposition, though most GOP opposition stemmed from procedural calculations.

‘Because no agreement has been reached, the failed Senate vote could allow funding for DHS and other agencies to expire at midnight Friday’

Democrats withheld support for the package while demanding changes to DHS policy, especially reforms tied to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol operate. Party leaders say they will not back the funding bill without significant adjustments or separating the DHS from other appropriations, a stance that directly stalled the vote.

The Senate was expected to vote again Thursday night but postponed the vote until Friday morning.

RELATED: All you need to know about shutdown day

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and other Democrats outlined proposed reforms this week — including restrictions on agent conduct, enhanced accountability measures, and limits on mask use by federal agents — tied to heightened scrutiny after recent shootings by immigration agents.

“Let me be clear: Until ICE is properly reined in and overhauled, the DHS funding bill won’t have the votes to pass the Senate,” Schumer said.

Because no agreement has been reached, the failed Senate vote could allow funding for DHS and other agencies to expire at midnight Friday, bringing the government closer to a partial shutdown.

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While the Trump administration has been making every effort to resume control over Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations following a couple of fatal shootings earlier this month, leftists have continued to press their foot on the proverbial accelerator in their race to chaos.

On Thursday afternoon, a clip of self-described “comedian” Kathy Griffin urging her followers to follow in the footsteps of violent agitators in Minnesota went viral.

‘Sorry, but we have to know who’s on our team, and start to plan.’

Addressing those in her audience who are “awake,” Kathy Griffin refers to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both of whom provoked law enforcement in the minutes leading up to their death, as “murders.” She uses these examples as well as the immigration detention centers, which she calls “concentration camps,” as proof that it is time to take action.

RELATED: ‘Organized obstruction’: Leaked alleged Signal chats show anti-ICE radicals tracking ICE agents, chasing vehicles

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Out.com

“So take that in, and I know you don’t want to participate in something radical. I don’t either. I wish I could just go on the road and do my funny stories about celebrities or making fun of politicians, but not even have to acknowledge this. But it is happening all around you.”

She goes on to talk about ICE enforcement in her hometown of Los Angeles, suggesting that the resistance model in Minnesota is something to follow:

And I think it’s time to talk to your neighbors, find out if they’re MAGA or not. Sorry, but we have to know who’s on our team, and start to plan. Is there a way we can do something as a community? When I hear from my followers in Minnesota, they describe a very sophisticated channel of a system of things that they do to help one another. And they use encrypted apps, and like I said, everyone has whistles and honks their horn. But they organize in small groups. And they’ve told me that they learned this from the George Floyd incident.

Griffin was apparently referring to the leaked alleged Signal chats in Minneapolis that independent journalist Cam Higby exposed within the last week.

“Live your life, but be conscious of this. And if you’re silent, you’re complicit,” Griffin says near the end of the clip.

The clip posted by Libs of TikTok garnered nearly 600,000 views by Friday morning.

Kathy Griffin has 1.7 million followers on X and 864,000 followers on Instagram.

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Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon put Don Lemon “on notice” after he allegedly joined other radicals in participating in a so-called “ICE Out Action” by storming Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18.

It appeared, however, that the former CNN talking head might avoid consequence for his alleged involvement in the church invasion when, earlier this month, an activist judge refused to issue a warrant for his arrest.

Evidently, that was a surmountable obstacle.

‘A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest!’

Federal agents arrested Lemon on Thursday night. Sources told CBS News that agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations were reportedly involved in the arrest, which apparently came hours after a grand jury was impaneled.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday morning that Lemon was arrested at her direction along with three others involved in the church invasion, namely Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy.

A source told the Washington Examiner’s Christian Datoc that Lemon has been charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act.

Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, stated that the arrest took place in Los Angeles, where the radical was supposedly covering this weekend’s Grammy Awards.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”

RELATED: ‘This is First Amendment activity’: Democrats give church-storming mobs their stamp of approval

Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

Lemon — who suggested in October that “black people, brown people” should take up arms against ICE — appeared to join other radicals in disrupting a service at Cities Church, video showed. The church was targeted because of a pastor’s reported role at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The leftist interlopers not only screamed and chanted but castigated the pastor and pressed parishioners individually to answer whether they support ICE.

Lemon, who lost his CNN gig amid accusations of sexist comments, seemingly slipped in and out of character as a journalist during the mob action, stating, “There’s nothing in the Constitution that tells you what time you can protest. You can protest at any time. That’s the whole point of it — is to disrupt, is to make uncomfortable. And that’s what they’re doing, and that’s what I believe when I say everyone has to be willing to sacrifice something. You have to make people uncomfortable in these times.”

The former CNN host also lectured lead Pastor Jonathan Parnell after Parnell said the mob action was “unacceptable” and that it was “shameful to interrupt a public gathering of Christians in worship.”

“There’s a Constitution and the First Amendment to freedom of speech and freedom to assemble and protest,” Lemon told Parnell, excusing the mob’s interference and intimidation tactics.

Dhillon later responded to Lemon’s defense of the mob action, noting, “A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service. You are on notice!”

Lemon is reportedly scheduled to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday morning.

Liberals who were silent when Blaze News reporter Steve Baker was arrested for covering the Jan. 6 riot are apoplectic over the arrest.

Jemele Hill, a writer for the Atlantic, called the radical’s arrest “horrifying,” adding that “this absolutely cannot stand.”

Jim Acosta, also formerly of CNN, adhered to a similar script, writing, “This is outrageous and cannot stand. The First Amendment is under attack in America!”

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President Donald Trump has officially selected Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s successor.

Trump nominated Kevin Warsh for the role, noting the financier’s extensive experience, including his former role as a governor on the board of the Federal Reserve. At the time of Warsh’s appointment to the board in 2006, he was 35, the youngest appointee to serve, Trump claimed.

This announcement comes after a longtime feud between ‘numbskull’ Powell and the president.

Warsh is set to replace Powell in May after Powell’s term officially ends.

“I have known Kevin for a long period of time, and have no doubt that he will go down as one of the GREAT Fed Chairmen, maybe the best,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. “On top of everything else, he is ‘central casting,’ and he will never let you down.”

RELATED: Fed Chairman Jerome Powell fears criminal indictment as Trump-Fed confrontation intensifies

Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This announcement comes after a longtime feud between “numbskull” Powell and the president, with Trump often criticizing Powell’s refusal to cut interest rates.

This conflict came to a fever pitch when Trump’s Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into Powell over his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025, when he discussed the ballooning cost of renovation to the Fed headquarters.

In a statement following the subpoena, Powell claimed the investigation was actually a political response to “whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — nor whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.”

RELATED: ‘My new Fed Chairman’: Trump hints at major changes coming to Federal Reserve amid great economic report

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump was originally considering National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett for the role, but later suggested he would pick someone else because he wanted to keep Hassett in his position.

“[There] was great speculation that highly respected Kevin Hassett was going to be named Chairman of the Fed, and a great Chairman he would have been but, quite honestly, he is doing such an outstanding job working with me and my team at the White House, that I just didn’t want to let him go,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

“Kevin is indescribably good so, as the expression goes, ‘if you can’t do better, don’t try to fix it!’ Thank you Kevin for doing such a great job!”

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BlazeTV host and journalist Sara Gonzales’ recent reporting on widespread abuse and potential fraud in the H-1B visa program in Texas has already been hugely impactful.

In direct response to her investigative videos, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) ordered all state agencies and public universities to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions and applications until May 2027. In addition, he ordered reviews of existing H-1B programs and usage in those taxpayer-funded entities to fight fraud, combat misuse of the federal program, and ensure priority for American/Texas workers in those jobs.

Now Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is joining the fight. On Wednesday, Paxton announced a sweeping investigation into the program. He also issued Civil Investigative Demands to three North Texas businesses suspected of fraudulent activity, requiring them to provide employee details, proof of operations, and other documents to verify legitimacy.

If these CIDs reveal fraud in the H-1B companies Sara investigated, says Paxton, the scammers behind it “potentially could lose their ability to operate in Texas and have to pay a lot of money back to the state of Texas.”

“I have to tell you: From our digging that we’ve done, you’re going to need a lot of manpower on this,” says Sara.

“I keep giving the analogy — it’s like an onion. … Every layer back that we pull, it just doesn’t make any sense. You’re going to get a redirect to addresses that don’t actually exist or remote working locations where there is nobody there.”

But Paxton is confident in his team. “The good thing is we have a lot of practice doing things just like this. We’ve gone after a lot of companies that are defrauding our consumers, so we’ve had experience doing this, so it’s not our first rodeo,” he says. “We will definitely find out what’s going on.”

If Paxton’s office finds fraud in H-1B businesses, Sara wants to know what happens next.

“We don’t actually revoke [their business licenses], but, you know, a judge would if we were successful,” says Paxton. “And also deceptive trade practice. If we could show that they have deceived consumers and show what the damages are, we get treble damages.”

“I’m told that a lot of Indian scammers or Chinese scammers or whoever the scammers are — that they’re watching what I’m doing. They’re very scared. They’re sending WhatsApp messages. … And so I would imagine that … there’s a high likelihood that they may be watching this right now,” says Sara, “and I’d like to know if you have any message for any of these scammers.”

Paxton pulls no punches. “Stop … because we’re going to find out what the truth is.”

“If there are other companies doing this, which I would guess there are, if they are violating our laws or deceiving consumers, we’re going to find out.”

To hear more of the conversation, watch the full interview above.

Want more from Sara Gonzales?

To enjoy more of Sara’s no-holds-barred takes on news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Sara gonzales, Sara gonzales unfiltered, Hb1 fraud, Blazetv, Blaze media, Blaze, Ken paxton, Fraud, Hbi visa, Texas