House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R, La., tells Fox News the House is shifting its legislative docket next week to deal exclusively with the crisis in the Middle East.

Scalise says the House is jettisoning ‘themed’ legislation focusing on attempts by the Biden Administration to curb the types of appliances people can buy and recalibrating toward foreign policy.

The biggest issue is a potential aid package for Israel. Scalise says it’s not clear if the House would focus on just Israel or do something related to Ukraine and Taiwan. Scalise suggested an Israel-only bill was a distinct possibility. But did not rule out including Ukraine. Scalise says members must just figure out what can pass.

Scalise says the House will resuscitate a resolution which supports Israel, condemning antisemitism and calls for a unilateral ceasefire.

The Supreme Court is set to consider a second abortion case this term, this time dealing with claims by a Republican-led state that the Biden administration is attempting to wield a 40-year-old federal law as an ‘abortion mandate.’

On the heels of a debate over the Federal Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of an abortion pill, the high court will consider later this month whether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) pre-empts the state of Idaho’s newly enacted Defense of Life Act – which makes it a crime for any medical provider to perform an abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.  

The Justice Department argued that the state’s law does not go far enough to allow abortions in more medical emergency circumstances.

However, proponents of the state law say that the administration’s lawsuit against Idaho is attempting to use a federal statute as an ‘abortion mandate’ to benefit the president ahead of the 2024 elections.

‘Construing EMTALA as a federal abortion mandate raises grave questions under the major questions doctrine that affect both Congress and this Court,’ Idaho argued in legal filings. 

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador said, ‘The Supreme Court made it clear that it’s up to the states to decide what our laws should be and that it’s not for the federal government.’ 

‘But Joe Biden and his administration decided to come straight and sue us in federal courts.  We are excited to go before the Supreme Court to show that the state should be deciding these issues and not the federal government,’ he said.

The DOJ said in its response to the high court that while Idaho’s law makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy unless doing so is ‘necessary’ to prevent the patient’s ‘death,’ that exception is ‘narrower’ than EMTALA, which by its terms ‘protects patients not only from imminent death but also from emergencies that seriously threaten their health.’ 

However, Idaho accused the administration of ‘construing the spare phrase’ in the federal law ‘as a blank slate to be filled with the Executive Branch’s preferred abortion policy collides with multiple statutory provisions guaranteeing emergency medical care for a pregnant woman and her unborn child.’ 

‘It’s clear that the administration is just manipulating EMTALA and that both laws should be able to coexist,’ John Busch, senior litigator at civil rights firm Alliance Defending Freedom and co-counsel in the case, told Fox News Digital in an interview.

‘If a woman’s life is in danger, Idaho’s Defense of Life Act makes it clear that the women should be treated and helped. Because in that instance, when the mom’s life is in danger, it’s not an abortion in Idaho or any of the other 49 states,’ he said.

But the White House says that the 21 states enforcing abortion bans are causing ‘chaos and confusion.’

‘These extreme state laws have caused chaos and confusion, and women are being denied the essential care they need. But these dangerous state laws do not change the responsibility that health care providers have to their patients in emergencies covered by the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act,’ White House spokesperson Kelly Scully told Fox News Digital.

‘The Biden-Harris Administration has long been clear that federal law requires hospitals to offer health and life-saving care to patients in an emergency. The Administration remains focused on working with doctors, hospitals, and patients to make these federal requirements clear while the Department of Justice defends that understanding in the Supreme Court. No woman should be denied the care she needs,’ she said. 

EMTALA is a federal statute signed by then-President Reagan in 1986 after earning bipartisan congressional support, designed to prevent hospitals from turning away indigent patients who are in critical need of medical care and offer the same ‘stabilizing’ care they would to a patient who could pay or is covered by insurance.

After the Dobbs decision in 2022, which overturned Roe v. Wade and left states to decide their own abortion limitations, Bursch said the Biden administration, for the first time in the law’s history, used it to impose an ‘abortion mandate.’

A district court sided with DOJ and ordered a preliminary injunction of the state’s law. The Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision, which Idaho then appealed to the Supreme Court. Oral arguments are set for April 24. 

‘What the Biden administration wants to do is take this law and turn it into an abortion enclave in emergency rooms,’ Bursch said. ‘And to the point where even if a patient came in, and they said that they were in critical condition because of a mental health problem, like depression, or anxiety, that would give doctors a carte blanche ability to ignore laws like Idaho’s and take the life of the innocent child, and EMTALA doesn’t say anything like that.’ 

Bursch added that what he believes is ‘so ironic’ is that following the Dobbs decision, President Biden himself said that he disagreed with the decision, but that he understood that states operating through the democratic process would get to decide what abortion laws would control each state. 

‘And it was only a matter of weeks later that he changed course and said, ‘oh no, the federal government is just going to impose this new requirement by reinterpreting EMTALA in a way that it’s never been interpreted in its nearly four-decade history.’

 ‘It is subverting states’ rights. It’s pushing abortion on states that don’t want it, and it’s all blatantly illegal,’ he said.

Stephen Billy, vice president of state affairs for SBA Pro-Life America, said the administration’s novel legal challenge to a state’s abortion law looks politically motivated ahead of the November elections amid Biden’s dwindling poll numbers. 

‘The Biden administration doesn’t feel like they have any other issue to run on, and it’s clear what they’re going to talk about and what they’re trying to run on. Whether abortion is going to be a campaign issue or not, the Biden administration is going to try to make it one,’ he added.

Billy cited the Women’s Health Protection Act, which Democrats in Congress attempted to pass last year. It would have legalized virtually limitless abortion nationwide, but ultimately failed.

‘Congress’s opposition to that comes from the will of the people who sent the elected representatives to D.C., and they have very little national support when you look at the polling for the extreme position of the Women’s Health Protection Act,’ said Billy.

‘So Biden turned to executive action, ignoring the text of laws and just trying to use executive fiat to expand abortion on demand wherever you can, and however you can. And EMTALA is just one example of that,’ he said. 

Billy added that he believes the Biden administration is using ‘fear and scare tactics’ around the issue. 

‘The entire case is basically a claim that women can’t get medical care,’ he said, but noted that every ‘pro-life state’ allows for a mother’s health exception and allows doctors to act when there’s a medical emergency. 

‘They are trying to use that fear to drive a political agenda and to save their campaign because they don’t really have anything else to run on,’ he said. 

The Justice Department declined to comment on pending litigation.

Jewish organizations shared their ‘strong’ support for Israel’s ‘right and obligation’ to defend themselves from the onslaught of missile and drone attacks from Iran.

Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein said that the nonprofit organization ‘strongly supports’ Israel’s ‘right and obligation’ to defend themselves against Iran’s attacks. 

‘ZOA strongly supports Israel’s right and obligation to aggressively defend itself from the attacks against it by the extremist, Jew-hating, America-hating Islamic Republic of Iran,’ he said.

The organization’s president encouraged Israel to ‘devastate’ Iranian nuclear facilities, saying that they were ‘totally behind’ Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

‘We also strongly support Israel taking this opportunity to destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities being developed to destroy the Jewish State and massacre millions of Jews, and others,’ Klein said. ‘Iran was totally behind the October 7th massacre nightmare. Now is the time to devastate Iran’s military/nuclear capabilities.’

Support imperative

Klein urged President Biden to support Israel, to reinstate sanctions and to stop their ‘dangerous’ policy of providing funds to Iran.

‘We strongly urge the Biden administration to provide any and all support that Israel needs, and even to make clear to Iran that the USA will do all it can to protect and defend its ally, Israel,’ he said. ‘The Biden administration must immediately reinstate and invoke all sanctions on Iran and stop its policy of ignoring anti-Iran sanctions.’

‘The U.S. must also stop its dangerous policy of providing and making accessible tens of billions of dollars to the terrorist, anti-American, anti-Israel, Islamic Republic of Iran,’ Klein said.

Klein warned that Israel is on the ‘front lines’ and the rest of the west is next.

‘An attack on the Israeli democracy is an attack on America. As Iran always proclaims: ‘America is the great Satan, Israel is the little Satan, Death to America, Death to Israel,’ The U.S. and Israel and the West are in this together and are all threatened by the radical Islamic Republic of Iran, whose goal is to establish an Islamic Caliphate throughout the world. Israel is on the front line — the rest of the civilized western world is next,’ he said.

Right to defend itself

Similarly, the Israeli-American Council (IAC) said that they stand ‘in the strongest support’ for Israel’s right to defend themselves against Iran and its proxies.

‘The Israeli-American Council (IAC) stands in strongest support of Israel’s right to use any and all means necessary to defend itself against Iran and its proxies. Israel’s right to eliminate the genocidal threats facing the Jewish people is inalienable,’ they said.

The group thanked President Biden for his statement of support for Israel and for Congress’ bipartisan support.

‘Peace and security in our world can only be built on powerful U.S. leadership and on a credible threat of force that can reestablish American deterrence,’ they said. ‘As U.S. citizens, we hope and expect that our government backs its statements with forceful action. In the meantime, we pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Israel and for the victory of civilization over the forces of darkness.’

‘Constant threat’

In a statement, the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (JFEDLA) President & CEO Rabbi Noah Farkas said that Iran’s attack ‘further underlines’ that the people of Israel are under ‘constant threat.’

‘This attack by Iran against Israel is alarming and frightening. The launch of hundreds of drones and missiles further underlines the fact that the people of Israel are under constant threat,’ Rabbi Farkas said.

The rabbi said that JFEDLA stands in ‘unequivocal solidarity’ with Israel.

‘Our Federation and the Jewish community of Los Angeles stand in unequivocal solidarity with our homeland. We are working with our partners on the ground in Israel to ensure the people of Israel have our full support and the necessary resources,’ Rabbi Farkas said.

‘Israel will survive this attack and our global Jewish family will stand together as one as we pray for peace,’ he added.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said that the Big Apple ‘unquivocally stands’ with Israel.

The mayor said that, as the mayor of the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, that the ‘significance of this attack for Jewish New Yorkers’ was ‘not lost on him.’

‘New York City unequivocally stands with the State of Israel in the face of this direct attack and escalation by Iran. I’ve been briefed on the situation unfolding abroad, and we pray for the safety of all in the region,’ Adams said in a statement Saturday.

‘As mayor of the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, the significance of this attack for Jewish New Yorkers — many of whom have family in Israel right now — is not lost on me, especially less than 10 days before Passover begins,’ he said.

NYPD offering resources

The mayor said that while there was no ‘direct or imminent’ threat to New York City, that they have deployed resources to Jewish communities and worship centers in the city.

‘While there is no direct or imminent threat to New York City at this time, we have directed the NYPD to deploy additional resources to Jewish communities and houses of worship citywide out of abundance of caution to ensure that our communities have the resources they need to feel safe,’ he said.

‘Our administration has also begun outreach to both Jewish leaders and elected officials across the five boroughs to keep them apprised of the situation,’ Adams said. ‘Our intelligence and counterterrorism teams will continue to closely monitor the situation.’

Iran on Saturday evening launched drones toward Israel in a retaliatory attack, the Israeli military said.

The attack marks the first time Iran has launched a full-scale assault on Israel despite more than four decades of hostilities.

FOX News Media and eleven other national news organizations released a joint statement Sunday urging the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to ‘publicly commit’ to general election debates prior to the 2024 election.

‘With the contours of the 2024 general election now coming into clear focus, we – the undersigned national news organizations – urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participating in general election debates before November’s election,’ the news organizations stated in the joint statement. ‘General election debates have a rich tradition in our American democracy, having played a vital role in every presidential election of the past 50 years, dating to 1976. In each of those elections, tens of millions have tuned in to watch the candidates debating side by side, in a competition of ideas for the votes of American citizens.’

‘Since 1988, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored all presidential general election debates. The Commission has previously announced dates, times, and eligibility criteria for 2024 debates. Though it is too early for invitations to be extended to any candidates, it is not too early for candidates who expect to meet the eligibility criteria to publicly state their support for – and their intention to participate in – the Commission’s debates planned for this fall,’ the group of a dozen news organizations continued.

‘If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,’ the organizations added. ‘Amidst that backdrop, there is simply no substitute for the candidates debating with each other, and before the American people, their visions for the future of our nation.’

The other news organizations that joined FOX News Media in signing on to the statement include ABC News, The Associated Press, CBS News, CNN, C-SPAN, NBCUniversal News Group, NewsNation Noticias Univision (Univision Network News), NPR, PBS NewsHour and USA TODAY.

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which has been responsible for organizing presidential and vice presidential debates in the U.S. for more than 30 years, announced in November the sites and dates for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate during the 2024 general election.

The scheduled presidential debates are slated to take place at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, on September 16; at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia, on October 1; and at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 9.

The sole vice presidential debate is scheduled to take place on September 25 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania.

In announcing the debate locations last year, the CPD noted that each debate will begin at 9 p.m. ET and last for 90 minutes without commercial interruption.

Last week, former President Donald Trump’s campaign called for additional 2024 presidential debates and for them to take place ‘much earlier’ than initially proposed by the debate commission. Trump told Fox News Digital that he is ‘totally committed’ to debating President Biden ‘anytime, anywhere, anyplace.’

In a Thursday letter to CPD co-chairs Frank Farenkopf Jr. and Antonia Hernandez, Trump co-campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita told the commission they were writing ‘in agreement with the pending letter,’ reported by The New York Times, ‘from television networks advocating for presidential debates to occur in 2024.’

‘While the Commission on Presidential Debates has already announced three presidential debates and a vice-presidential debate to occur later this year, we are in favor of these debates beginning much earlier,’ they wrote in the letter, which was obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital.

Citing their reasoning for requesting earlier debates, Wiles and LaCivita argued that ‘voting is beginning earlier and earlier, and as we saw in 2020, tens of millions of Americans had already voted by the time of the first debate.’ 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital on Thursday, Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said it is ‘very important to have the debates now, because the country is doing so badly.’

Last month, following his State of the Union address, Biden was asked whether he would debate Trump ahead of Election Day.

‘Depends on his behavior,’ responded Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

Earlier this year, Biden addressed previous calls for earlier debates with Trump.

‘If I were him, I would want to debate me, too,’ Biden told reporters in Nevada when asked about Trump wanting to debate him earlier in the election cycle. ‘He’s got nothing else to do,’ Biden added.

Though the Biden campaign has not yet committed to any of the scheduled debates, it previously fired back after Trump’s invitation that he would debate the president ‘anytime, anywhere, anyplace.’

‘I know Donald Trump’s thirsty for attention and struggling to expand his appeal beyond the MAGA base — and that’s a conversation we’ll have at the appropriate time in this cycle,’ Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told Fox News Digital. ‘But if he’s so desperate to see President Biden in prime time, he doesn’t have to wait!’

Former President Donald Trump is considering a ‘loan’ system for future Ukraine aid if he becomes president.

Trump mentioned the proposed form of funding during his meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson on Friday.

‘We’re looking at it right now, and they’re talking about it, and we’re thinking about making it in the form of a loan instead of just a gift,’ he said during the media event at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

He added, ‘We keep handing out gifts of billions and billions of dollars, and we’ll take a look at it.’

Trump has been highly critical of the United States’ financial support to Ukraine, claiming that money has been spent without clear improvement in the conflict.

It’s not the first time Trump has floated the loan idea — he once expressed such a format for aid via a message on his propietary social media website Truth Social.

In that message, the former president insisted that the repayment of the loan would come with zero interest and would not be demanded unless Ukraine ‘strikes it rich sometime in the future.’

Trump also reiterated on Friday a complaint made since the beginning of the conflict, asserting that European countries should be paying more to defend Ukraine due to their immediate interest in its existence between themselves and Russia.

‘But much more importantly to me is the fact that Europe has to step up, and they have to give money,’ Trump said at the Mar-a-Lago event.

He added, ‘They have to equalize. If they don’t equalize I’m very upset about it, because they’re affected much more than we are.’

The joint conference with Johnson was centered on ‘election integrity’ and served to solidify support around the speaker as his support among some GOP lawmakers has wavered.

Trump allies in the House have become the most fierce opponents to continued financial aid for Ukraine, insisting that foreign wars have no relevance to the U.S. and do not warrant intervention.