The Daily Signal - RFK Jr. Advances, China Responds to Tariffs, Cartels Target Border Patrol | Feb. 4

Starting point is 00:00:01 Trump's cabinet picks face crucial votes this week. I'm Elizabeth Mitchell. This is the Daily Signal's top news in 10 for Tuesday, February 4th. The Senate Finance Committee voted to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Health and Human Services Secretary on Tuesday. Kennedy was able to overcome concerns raised by Senator and Dr. Bill Cassidy, who criticized R. of K Jr. for his position on vaccines. However, Kennedy was able to convert Cassidy to his side.

Starting point is 00:00:40 Senator Cassidy posted on X. I've had very intense conversations with Bobby in the White House over the weekend and even this morning. I want to thank VP J.D., specifically for his honest counsel, with the serious commitments I've received from the administration and the opportunity to make progress on the issues we agree on, like Healthy Foods and a pro-America agenda, I will vote yes. After the Senate Finance Committee voted to advance Kennedy in a 14-13 vote along party lines, Cassidy addressed the full Senate. Vaccines saved lives. They are safe. They do not cause autism.

Starting point is 00:01:15 There are multiple studies that show this. They are a crucial part of our nation's public health response. But as someone who's discussed immunizations with thousands of people, I do recognize that many mothers need reassurance that the, vaccine their child is receiving is necessary, effective, and most of all safe. While I'm aligned with Mr. Kennedy as regards ultra-processed food, reforming NIH, and taking on chronic disease, once more, it leaves vaccines. Now, Mr. Kennedy and the administration reached out seeking to reassure me regarding their

Starting point is 00:01:52 commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination. To this end, Mr. Kennedy and the administration committed that he and I would have an unprecedentedly close collaborative working relationship if he has confirmed. We will meet or speak multiple times a month. This collaboration will allow us to work well together and therefore to be more effective. Mr. Kennedy has asked for my input into hiring decisions at HHS beyond Senate confirmed positions, and this aspect of the collaboration will allow us to represent all sides of those folks who are contacted me over this past weekend. He has also committed that he had worked within current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems and not established parallel systems. It confirmed he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, recommendations without changes.

Starting point is 00:02:52 CDC will not remove statements on their website pointing out that vaccines do not cause autism. Mr. Kennedy and the administration also committed that this administration will not use the subversive techniques used under the Biden administration like Sue and Settle to change policies enacted by Congress without first going through Congress. Mr. Kennedy, the administration, committed to a strong role of Congress. Aside from he and I meeting regularly, he will come before the help committee on a quarterly basis if requested. He committed that the help committee chair, whether it's me or someone else, may choose a representative on any board or commission formed to review vaccine safety. If he has confirmed, HHS will provide a 30-day notice to the help committee if the agency seeks to make changes to any of our federal vaccine safety monitoring programs and help committee will have the option. to call a hearing to further review. Senate Majority Leader John Thune may now bring RFK Jr.'s nomination to a Senate floor vote.

Starting point is 00:04:00 Thune is expected to invoke cloture this week, which would trigger a 30-hour countdown until a full-floor vote. China responded to tariffs levied by President Donald Trump by imposing tariffs on some U.S. imports on Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt announced Friday Trump would install. 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada and 10% on China starting Saturday. He said this is a punishment for those countries ushering fentanyl across the United States border. The tariff on all Chinese imports into the U.S. took effect Tuesday after Trump warned that China was not doing enough to stop the traffic of fentanyl into the U.S. Shortly later, China's finance ministry announced a tariff of 15% for coal and liquefied natural gas and 10% for crude oil, agricultural equipment,

Starting point is 00:04:50 and large engine cars imported from the U.S. Still, the Wall Street Journal reported that Beijing is gearing up to discuss trade relations in an attempt to ward off further tariffs from the U.S. Anonymous sources told the Wall Street Journal that China's initial trade proposal will be aimed at restoring a trade agreement that the country signed during Trump's first term in 2020, but did not implement during former president. Joe Biden's term. Mexico also responded quickly to Trump's tariffs by ordering 10,000 Mexican troops to the border to stop the flow of fentanyl into America. Here's Vice President J.D. Vance. Now, actually, I was in the air. I talked to the president very briefly about this. He spoke

Starting point is 00:05:30 with the President of Mexico this morning, and the President of Mexico committed to putting 10,000 additional Mexican troops on that southern border, our southern border, of course the Mexicans' northern border to take law enforcement more seriously, to go after those Mexican drug cartels a little bit more aggressively. So for literally three days, I heard the far left in this country say that these tariffs would make Americans' lives worse off, and what actually happened is the Mexican government was so afraid of the tariffs that they actually are taking their border enforcement and their anti-cartel activity more seriously. That is not a pathway to making Americans worse off. That's a pathway to making Americans better off.

Starting point is 00:06:10 The New York Post obtained an internal memo showing that Mexican drug cartels are ordering their members to attack U.S. Border Patrol agents using kamikaze drones and other explosives. This is an attempt to thwart President Donald Trump's crackdown at the border. The internal memo, which is titled Officer Safety Alert, cited social media posts and other sources for the warning to federal agents. The memo reminded agents to be cognizant of their surroundings, wear their ballistic armor and use long firearms. The memo says, on February 1st, 2025, the El Paso sector intelligence and operations center received information advising that Mexican cartel leaders have authorized the deployment of drones equipped with explosives to be used against U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. military personnel,

Starting point is 00:07:00 currently working along the border of Mexico. Cartels and smugglers are also reportedly attempting to sabotage U.S. Border Patrol by placing entire deflation traps along vehicle pathways. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, went on Fox News with a warning for cartels who harm U.S. agents. Look, I've said for months, once we secure this border, which we're pretty much there now, but once we secure the border and shut down their business, because if they can't get the drugs across, if they can't get the sex trafficking women and children across and the alien

Starting point is 00:07:34 smuggling, I mean, they're making more money right now they've ever made. That's why the cartels of Mexico are having an award. between themselves, trying to take control of each other's plazas because there's so much money about. Once we secure the border and make more difficult for them to make money, it's going to become violent. You're going to see violence on the border, and it's unfortunate, but we know it's coming. Borb chose it's prepared. It's great to have the military on the southern border. They're prepared. It'd be a bad move in their part to harm any Borbital agent or soldier because I think President Trump will reply with great force.

Starting point is 00:08:09 And I think he has a capability of wiping these cartels off the face of the earth if they harm our soldiers or border relations. So word of advice, I wouldn't go there. Those were our headlines. Our news flashes are up next. At Desjardin, we speak business. We speak startup funding and comprehensive game plans.

Starting point is 00:08:30 We've mastered made-to-measure growth and expansion advice, and we can talk your ear-off about transferring your business when the time comes. Because at Desjardin business, we speak the same language you do, business. So join the more than 400,000 Canadian entrepreneurs who already count on us and contact Desjardin today. We'd love to talk, business. Tulsi Gabbard made it out of the Senate Intelligence Committee closed door vote Tuesday to be confirmed as Trump's Director of National Intelligence. After Representative Susan Collins of Maine announced on Monday that she will back the nominee, the only swing vote on the committee was Representative Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana,

Starting point is 00:09:11 who indicated Tuesday afternoon he would support Gabbard's nomination being sent to the full Senate. Fox News Digital reported that the White House anticipates a spike in federal resignations ahead of a Thursday deadline for a buyout offer. President Trump offered a buyout to most federal employees if they are unwilling to return to in-person work. Government employees have until Thursday to take the offer. Representative Mark Harris, a Republican from North Carolina, introduced a bill Tuesday to require universities to disclose any contracts they have with foreign adversaries to the Federal Department of Education. The Daily Signal first reported that the No Contracts for Foreign

Starting point is 00:09:53 Adversaries Act would mandate that universities alert the Education Department of relationships with China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran in order to come. combat attempts from adversaries to target American students and schools. That's it for today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in to Top News in 10. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Daily Signal podcast. Today's episode was edited by Brian Gottstein and produced by John Pop and Morgan Johnston. Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful evening and we're back with you on Wednesday afternoon.

The Daily Signal - RFK Jr. Advances, China Responds to Tariffs, Cartels Target Border Patrol | Feb. 4

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