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House GOP moves to cement Trump energy agenda by taking sledgehammer to Biden-era regulations

Rep Craig Goldman argues that energy costs also contribute to rising prices across Americans’ daily lives

By Elizabeth Elkind
Fox News

Published February 18, 2026 10:00am EST

FIRST ON FOX:A newly proposed bill by House Republicans would cement President Donald Trump’s energy agenda by taking a sledgehammer to a vast array of his Democrat predecessor’s regulations.

Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, is introducing legislation that would give all future energy-related regulations a five-year sunset window, while requiring many existing rules to be amended with a one-year expiry pending a review process.

It comes after Trump levied a similar executive order that would target energy red tape imposed by former President Joe Biden during his first year in office.

But if Goldman’s bill becomes law, it would significantly hamstring the ability of future Democratic administrations to impose new long-term energy policies like Biden’s, many of which Republicans have panned as burdensome and unnecessary.

TRUMP ADMIN TO REPEAL OBAMA-ERA GREENHOUSE GAS FINDING IN LARGE-SCALE DEREGULATION

President Donald Trump has moved to roll back a host of former President Joe Biden’s energy regulations.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He argued to Fox News Digital that those regulations were compounding the rising costs Americans have seen in their daily lives.

“It is going through and looking at every single cost, basically from start to finish, of energy costs, and how it affects every single American taxpayer,” Goldman said of his legislation.

“All anyone has to do is look at where they were a year and a half ago with costs of certain things. It was all based on regulations passed by the Biden administration, and that’s exactly what we hope to cut and codify.”

The Texas Republican pointed out that increased energy costs, including prices at the gas pump, bled into other facts of Americans’ daily lives.

“My dad and I owned a wine and food store and, yeah, when gas prices went up, the guy who drove the 18-wheeler full of cheese from Chicago, Illinois, charged us an extra $2,000 for that delivery because his gas prices were up tremendously. And so we couldn’t afford to eat that cost, so the cheese prices went up,” he said as an example.

“Everything that every single American taxpayer touches — whether they know it or not, when energy prices are high, their cost of living is in turn going to be high.”

Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, June 4, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

TRUMP ADMIN’S ENERGY AGENDA HAILED FOR CRUCIAL ‘WINS’ AS GREEN ACTIVISTS LASH OUT

His legislation would primarily target regulations issued under major energy and land laws overseen by the Department of Energy and Department of the Interior.

The House has already voted to roll back a number of Biden-era regulatory policies so far this term and with bipartisan support.

Last month, 11 Democrats voted with Republicans to overturn Biden administration regulations on showerhead pressure.

Both the House and Senate passed resolutions early last year to overturn Biden-era regulations targeting water heaters, with six Democrats joining Republicans in the House on that measure.

Rising energy costs have been targeted by both parties as they make competing arguments ahead of the November 2026 midterms.

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But Goldman is arguing that Democrats have less of a footing to talk about affordability with select goods like gas seeing a decrease in prices this year.

“We pushed back, and we made people realize, ‘No, wait a minute. Let’s talk about affordability. Let’s talk about where the cost of things were just over a year and two months ago, before Donald Trump came into office and before Republicans could push through good legislation that President Trump signed,” Goldman said. “I kind of find it quite interesting that all of a sudden the buzzword affordability isn’t much talked about anymore.”

Co-sponsors of Goldman’s bill include Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Reps. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, Randy Weber, R-Texas, Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., and Barry Moore, R-Ala.

A Senate counterpart was introduced by Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho.

Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

法国重启爱泼斯坦案调查 涉人口贩运金融欺诈 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月18日 23:05

法国前文化部长雅克·朗是出现在爱泼斯坦案文件中的法国名人之一，法国当局正在调查他与女儿卡罗琳是否涉及税务欺诈。 （法新社）

法国对与美国已故性犯罪者爱泼斯坦有关联的人展开了广泛调查，以查明他们是否涉及人口贩运和金融欺诈等罪行。

巴黎检察官贝库奥（Laure Beccuau）星期三（2月18日）接受电台采访时说，调查将根据公开资料以及儿童保护组织提交的投诉展开。

其中一项调查将重点关注人口贩运行为，另一项调查则涵盖洗钱、腐败和税务欺诈等犯罪活动。

贝库奥的办公室在一份声明中表示，希望舆论对爱泼斯坦案的关注能鼓励更多受害者站出来。

爱泼斯坦（Jeffrey Epstein）与多名政商名流交往密切，因涉嫌性犯罪被捕入狱，2019年8月死在美国狱中，被判定为自杀。他的同谋麦克斯韦（Ghislaine Maxwell）也因性交易罪名被判处20年监禁。

美国当局已公开大量爱泼斯坦案的文件。法国的五名检察官将审视这些文件，寻找任何法国公民可能涉嫌性犯罪或金融犯罪的线索。

这些文件中包括飞行记录和电子邮件，显示爱泼斯坦经常到巴黎，并在凯旋门附近拥有一套豪华公寓。

法国当局早前已启动几项与爱泼斯坦案有关的调查，其中一项涉及前文化部长雅克·朗与他的女儿卡罗琳，两人涉嫌税务欺诈。法国资深外交官艾丹（Fabrice Aidan）也因涉嫌向爱泼斯坦泄露联合国文件而遭调查。

法国检察官曾于2019年对与爱泼斯坦有关联的人展开调查，但随着关键嫌疑人布鲁内尔（Jean-Luc Brunel）在狱中去世，调查也于2023年结束。当局当时说，他们掌握的数据仍不完整，并形容调查工作“极其艰巨，结果尚未可知”。

呼吁法国重启调查的儿童保护组织Innocence en danger负责人塞利耶（Homayra Sellier）说：“作为爱泼斯坦在美国以外唯一拥有房产的国家，法国在这件事中起着关键作用。”

联合国人权理事会独立专家小组周二说，已公开的文件显示，可能存在一个与爱泼斯坦网络有关的“全球犯罪集团”，而这个集团的行为可能构成反人类罪。

尼日利亚矿井瓦斯爆炸 近40名矿工遇难 | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月18日 22:36

尼日利亚中部一处矿井发生瓦斯爆炸，至少38名铅矿工人丧生，27人受伤。

法新社报道，这起事故发生于当地时间星期三（2月18日）早上，地点是位于高原州巴沙尔区的坎帕宁祖拉克矿场（Kampanin Zurak）。

附近矿坑的矿工说，事故发生时，遇难工人正在地下矿井作业。“我们距离现场很近，工人正在矿坑作业时，突然发生了气体爆炸。”

尼日利亚过去也曾发生类似致命矿难。去年9月西北部赞法拉州暴雨期间，一块巨石砸中非法矿场，造成至少18人死亡。

Trump adviser Hassett suggests New York Fed researchers be punished for tariffs argument

By Michael S. Derby
February 18, 2026 3:05 PM UTC Updated 21 mins ago

节点运行失败

White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett speaks to the media at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 18, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Feb 18 (Reuters) – Kevin Hassett, a top economic adviser to President Donald Trump, on Wednesday said those behind a New York Federal Reserve research paper that argued the costs of tariffs are borne mostly by Americans should be punished for what he described as shoddy scholarship.

“The paper is an embarrassment,” Hassett said in a CNBC interview. “It’s, I think, the worst paper I’ve ever seen in the history of the Federal Reserve System” and “the people associated with this paper should presumably be disciplined” for writing it.

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The paper argued that Trump’s large import tax increases are borne by those in the U.S., rather than by foreigners, as the administration has long argued. The findings in the New York Fed paper have been echoed elsewhere.

Hassett, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council, said the New York Fed researchers have “put out a conclusion which has created a lot of news that’s highly partisan based on analysis that wouldn’t be accepted in a first semester econ class.”

The New York Fed did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reporting by Michael S. Derby; Editing by Paul Simao

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

法国重启爱泼斯坦案调查 涉人口贩运金融欺诈

2026年2月18日 23:05 / 联合早报

法国前文化部长雅克·朗是出现在爱泼斯坦案文件中的法国名人之一，法国当局正在调查他与女儿卡罗琳是否涉及税务欺诈。 （法新社）

法国对与美国已故性犯罪者爱泼斯坦有关联的人展开了广泛调查，以查明他们是否涉及人口贩运和金融欺诈等罪行。

巴黎检察官贝库奥（Laure Beccuau）星期三（2月18日）接受电台采访时说，调查将根据公开资料以及儿童保护组织提交的投诉展开。

其中一项调查将重点关注人口贩运行为，另一项调查则涵盖洗钱、腐败和税务欺诈等犯罪活动。

贝库奥的办公室在一份声明中表示，希望舆论对爱泼斯坦案的关注能鼓励更多受害者站出来。

爱泼斯坦（Jeffrey Epstein）与多名政商名流交往密切，因涉嫌性犯罪被捕入狱，2019年8月死在美国狱中，被判定为自杀。他的同谋麦克斯韦（Ghislaine Maxwell）也因性交易罪名被判处20年监禁。

美国当局已公开大量爱泼斯坦案的文件。法国的五名检察官将审视这些文件，寻找任何法国公民可能涉嫌性犯罪或金融犯罪的线索。

这些文件中包括飞行记录和电子邮件，显示爱泼斯坦经常到巴黎，并在凯旋门附近拥有一套豪华公寓。

法国当局早前已启动几项与爱泼斯坦案有关的调查，其中一项涉及前文化部长雅克·朗与他的女儿卡罗琳，两人涉嫌税务欺诈。法国资深外交官艾丹（Fabrice Aidan）也因涉嫌向爱泼斯坦泄露联合国文件而遭调查。

法国检察官曾于2019年对与爱泼斯坦有关联的人展开调查，但随着关键嫌疑人布鲁内尔（Jean-Luc Brunel）在狱中去世，调查也于2023年结束。当局当时说，他们掌握的数据仍不完整，并形容调查工作“极其艰巨，结果尚未可知”。

呼吁法国重启调查的儿童保护组织Innocence en danger负责人塞利耶（Homayra Sellier）说：“作为爱泼斯坦在美国以外唯一拥有房产的国家，法国在这件事中起着关键作用。”

联合国人权理事会独立专家小组周二说，已公开的文件显示，可能存在一个与爱泼斯坦网络有关的“全球犯罪集团”，而这个集团的行为可能构成反人类罪。

马克龙抨击社媒：捍卫言论自由是“胡扯”

2026年2月18日 23:11 / 联合早报

对于社媒平台捍卫言论自由的说法，法国总统马克龙称这是“彻头彻尾的胡扯”。 （法新社）

欧洲多国正在考虑禁止未成年人使用社交媒体，称这些服务有害且令人上瘾，但美国批评此类禁令是在审查言论自由。对于社媒平台捍卫言论自由的说法，法国总统马克龙称这是“彻头彻尾的胡扯”。

彭博社报道，如果英国和德国等欧洲国家最终决定禁止未成年人使用社媒，可能会对Meta旗下的Instagram和脸书、Snap、马斯克的X、TikTok以及谷歌旗下的YouTube的广告收入造成影响。

美国最近对一名欧洲前官员和一些活动人士实施了签证禁令，理由是他们试图监管网络仇恨言论。国务卿鲁比奥辩称，此举是为了反击“全球审查产业复合体”。

马克龙周三（2月18日）在新德里说：“完全不了解他们的算法是如何制作、测试、训练的，以及它会引导你走向何方——这种偏见对民主的后果可能是巨大的。”

马克龙说：“他们中有些人声称支持言论自由——好吧，我们支持算法自由——完全透明。如果没人知道所谓的言论自由是如何被引导的，尤其是当这种引导是从一条仇恨言论转向另一条仇恨言论时，那么言论自由就是彻头彻尾的胡扯。”

Stephen Colbert slams CBS again amid controversy over James Talarico interview – CBS News

By Sarah Lynch Baldwin
Updated on: February 18, 2026 / 9:47 AM EST / CBS News

“The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert criticized CBS again on Tuesday night after the network issued a statement about his interview with Texas Democrat James Talarico that didn’t air on broadcast television the night before.

“For the lawyers to release this without even talking to me is really surprising. I don’t even know what to do with this crap,” Colbert said about the statement, which he crumpled up in a dog poop bag and discarded.

But Colbert added he is “not even mad.”

“I really don’t want an adversarial relationship with the network. I’ve never had one,” he said.

CBS News has reached out to CBS and its parent company Paramount, which is also the parent company of CBS News, for its response to Colbert’s latest comments.

Colbert first criticized CBS on Monday night, saying the network blocked his interview with U.S. Senate hopeful Talarico from airing on TV over recent FCC guidance about daytime talk shows and late-night TV programs providing equal time to candidates running for the same political office. The interview was posted on a platform where FCC rules don’t apply – YouTube.

CBS later said in a statement it did not prohibit “The Late Show” from broadcasting the Talarico interview on television.

“The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled,” the CBS statement said. “THE LATE SHOW decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”

Colbert took a dig at the statement Tuesday night, saying, “Now clearly, this statement was written by – and I’m guessing for – lawyers.”

He said “they know damn well that every word” of his Monday night script “was approved by CBS’ lawyers who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air.”

Between his Monday night monologue and his on-air discussion about the issue, he said he “got called backstage to get more notes from these lawyers, something that had never, ever happened before, and they told us the language they wanted me to use to describe that equal-time exception, and I used that language.”

The equal-time rule was spotlighted last month when the FCC issued a notice about a decades-old law requiring any FCC-licensed broadcaster that lets a political candidate appear on its airwaves to offer “equal opportunities” to all other candidates running for the same office. The law exempts “bona fide newscasts” and news interviews from the equal-time rule.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who was appointed by President Trump and is an ally of the president, said on X at the time that legacy TV networks have, for years, “assumed that their late night & daytime talk shows qualify as ‘bona fide news’ programs – even when motivated by purely partisan political purposes. Today, the FCC reminded them of their obligation to provide all candidates with equal opportunities.”

Colbert accused Carr of being “motivated by partisan purposes” himself and said the Trump administration “wants to silence anyone who says anything bad about Trump on TV, because all Trump does is watch TV, OK?”

Colbert said on Tuesday he is “just so surprised that this giant, global corporation would not stand up to these bullies.”

“We looked and we can’t find one example of this rule being enforced for any talk show interview, not only for my entire late-night career, but for anyone’s late-night career going back to the 1960s,” Colbert said.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, who was nominated by former President Joe Biden, said Tuesday, before Colbert’s latest comments, that CBS is protected under the First Amendment “to determine what interviews it airs.”

“That makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing,” Gomez wrote on social media. “Corporate interests cannot justify retreating from airing newsworthy content.”

In a statement to CBS News on Wednesday, White House spokesman Davis Ingle called Colbert “a pathetic trainwreck with no talent and terrible ratings, which is exactly why CBS canceled his show and is booting him off the airwaves.”

“FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is simply doing his job and enforcing the rules,” Ingle said.

CBS News reached out to the FCC for comment.

The Talarico campaign announced it raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours after “The Late Show” controversy began, which the campaign said is the largest amount it has raised in a single day.

Emily Mae Czachor contributed to this report.

高市早苗高票蝉联日本第105任首相 | 联合早报

[符祝慧]东京特派员
发布/2026年2月18日 23:42

高市早苗高票蝉联日本第105任首相

日本首相高市早苗（前排中）星期三晚上在日本皇宫举行首相任命和内阁部长宣誓就职后与新内阁成员合影。 （路透社）

日本首相高市早苗上周在众议院选举中打了漂亮一战，不但奠定自民党在众院一党独大的地位，更给自己在星期三（2月18日）召开的国会首相指名选举以高票蝉联第105任首相。

在众议院首相指名选举中，高市在464张有效选票中获得354票蝉联首相。鉴于去年10月上台后仅做了四个月首相，高市此次用回内阁原班人马。总务部长、外长、防长、内阁秘书长依然分别由林芳正、茂木敏充、小泉进次郎、木原稔担任。

执政联盟日本维新会此次也未入阁，但高市允诺今年秋季（10月）进行内阁改组时，将让维新会党首出任部长。

在组阁后的记者会上，高市表明将大胆推行刺激内需的投资措施，争取经济增长。同时，将在今年夏季编制《日本增长战略》支持日本企业研发和转型。她也要力争尽快通过2026财年预算案和税制改革法案，以及实现消费税减免等民生政策。

高市希望日本央行与政府密切合作，在实现2%通胀目标的同时，切实提高工资水平，从而实现持久增长。

延伸阅读

---

她说，她星期一与央行行长上田一夫的会晤是一次例行的经济和金融形势交流。但她拒绝透露会谈内容，仅说：“我希望央行继续实施适当的货币政策，从而可持续、稳定地实现2%的通胀目标，同时促进工资增长，而不是由成本推动因素导致的物价上涨。”

她说：“我们要扶持受生活费上涨影响的家庭，力争在夏季之前达成协议。我将努力尽快通过这些法案，以确保国民安心，并建设强劲的经济，创造充满希望的未来。”

她也呼吁超党派合作，以“全国会议”的方式商讨减免消费税的相关法案，

高市倡导的“大胆财政”被外界指将扩大日本的财政压力。《日经新闻》发表国际货币基金组织（IMF）对日本财政政策的看法，督促当局避免削减消费税，大范围的减税会增加财政风险。日本财政赤字占国内生产总值（GDP）的266%，在主要七个发达国家中位居榜首。

对于削减消费税引发的担忧，高市在记者会上表示，债务增长率控制在增长区间内，并降低政府债务占GDP的比重。“我们也将以发展经济，拉高国内生产总值，扩大税收作为财政来源。”

高市星期三敲定3月访美，她强调将落实5500亿美元（约6950亿新元）的对美投资。她强调说：“日美将通过共同构建供应链来加强联系，这有助于日本企业增加销售额、拓展业务。 日本企业也将迎来业务扩张。这符合促进日美互利、保障经济安全、推动经济增长的重要意义。”

她重申要加强国防和推动修宪，公布盟友古谷圭司出任众议院宪法审查委员会主席。对修宪，她星期三的自民党总会内告诉议员们，“今年我们能兑现多少竞选承诺，能否让自民党获得更大的信任。修改日本宪法和皇室法，取决于我们竞选承诺的进展，让我们迎难而上“。

分析认为，这一人事任命是在亮剑，显示她要在任期内大力推进宪法改革，以及改写和平宪法。自民党众院拥有超过三分之二的席位，即便目前执政党在参议院仍处于少数地位，但也可以重新在众院通过被参议院否决的法案。

不过，修宪门槛对高市而言还是存在挑战，因为这必须获得两院三分之二议员赞成，而后举行公投。因此，后年的参议院选举自民党要夺回之前失去的议席十分关键。

自民党在众院选战中赢得316个议席，引进了66位新人，他们都被指将可能成为高市派成员。党人事上，这次也露出高市色彩，重用一直支持她的安倍派人马。例如，之前被打入冷宫的前经济产业部长西村康稔接任党内选举战略委员会主席。

《产经新闻》和富士新闻网于2月14日和15日联合进行的一项民调结果显示，高市的支持率较上次调查上升1.2个百分点，达到72%，是高市内阁执政以来连续第五个月支持率保持在七成以上。另外，调查也显示，日本民众有67.1%支持高市推进宪法改革。

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[上一篇 马克龙抨击社媒：捍卫言论自由是“胡扯”]

马克龙抨击社媒：捍卫言论自由是“胡扯” | 联合早报

发布/2026年2月18日 23:11

对于社媒平台捍卫言论自由的说法，法国总统马克龙称这是“彻头彻尾的胡扯”。 （法新社）

欧洲多国正在考虑禁止未成年人使用社交媒体，称这些服务有害且令人上瘾，但美国批评此类禁令是在审查言论自由。对于社媒平台捍卫言论自由的说法，法国总统马克龙称这是“彻头彻尾的胡扯”。

彭博社报道，如果英国和德国等欧洲国家最终决定禁止未成年人使用社媒，可能会对Meta旗下的Instagram和脸书、Snap、马斯克的X、TikTok以及谷歌旗下的YouTube的广告收入造成影响。

美国最近对一名欧洲前官员和一些活动人士实施了签证禁令，理由是他们试图监管网络仇恨言论。国务卿鲁比奥辩称，此举是为了反击“全球审查产业复合体”。

马克龙周三（2月18日）在新德里说：“完全不了解他们的算法是如何制作、测试、训练的，以及它会引导你走向何方——这种偏见对民主的后果可能是巨大的。”

马克龙说：“他们中有些人声称支持言论自由——好吧，我们支持算法自由——完全透明。如果没人知道所谓的言论自由是如何被引导的，尤其是当这种引导是从一条仇恨言论转向另一条仇恨言论时，那么言论自由就是彻头彻尾的胡扯。”

Democratic lawmakers ask watchdogs to probe whether former lobbyists serving in Trump administration violated ethics rules

Updated on: February 18, 2026 / 10:19 AM EST / CBS News

Four Democratic members of Congress are asking the top internal watchdogs at 16 different federal agencies to investigate whether former lobbyists appointed by the Trump administration may have violated ethics rules to benefit their own former clients.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Andy Kim of New Jersey and Reps. Pat Ryan of New York and Deborah Ross of North Carolina wrote to the inspectors general to raise concerns about a variety of former lobbyists-turned-government officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, border czar Tom Homan, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

“While federal ethics law directs federal employees not to work on matters involving clients they represented in the past year, we are concerned that some Trump administration officials may have nevertheless done so,” the four lawmakers wrote.

“And even when they comply with that minimal requirement, after a mere 12 months, their former-client relationships often remain fresh enough to improperly sway their decision-making.”

They sent the letter to the inspectors general at 16 different agencies, including the Justice Department, the Pentagon, the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security and the Environmental Protection Agency.

As of April 2025, there were at least 21 former lobbyists who were appointed to key leadership roles in the government, according to a report by the Campaign Legal Center.

Federal ethics rules generally bar government employees for one year from working on matters involving their former employers or clients. During Mr. Trump’s first term in office, he extended the recusal period to two years, though he has not issued any sort of ethics pledge during his second term in office.

Before joining the Trump administration, both Bondi and Wiles worked for the lobbying firm Ballard Partners.

Since Bondi took over the helm of the Justice Department, the lawmakers allege that some of Ballard’s clients have received favorable treatment. The department dropped its opposition, for example, to the American Express-GBT merger, the letter says.

The lawmakers also noted that Ballard was retained by both Paramount and Netflix as they both seek to merge with Warner Brothers Discovery. Paramount is the parent company that owns CBS News.

Duffy, meanwhile, used to work as a lobbyist for BGR Group and represented the Partnership for Fair and Open Skies, the lawmaker said. The lawmakers said that since Duffy’s confirmation, BGR has “expanded its DOT lobbying roster to 19 clients,” from 14 during the Biden administration.

Wiles also previously worked for Mercury Public Affairs — a firm the lawmakers noted reported lobbying the White House for 26 different clients in 2025, the letter says.

The letter also cites concerns about Homan, who until last year was the target of an FBI bribery investigation in which sources say he recorded accepting a bag with $50,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent as an alleged payment in exchange for future government contracts, sources previously confirmed to CBS News.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later publicly acknowledged the existence of the investigation and said it was closed after the FBI found “no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing.”

Homan has also separately denied any wrongdoing and claimed he did not accept any money.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department, the White House and the Department of Transportation could not be immediately reached for comment.

Jennifer Jacobs contributed to this report.