The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on whether to refer former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for criminal charges.

The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation gets a chamber-wide vote, is slated to consider a pair of contempt of Congress resolutions targeting the Clintons at 4 p.m. ET on Monday.

Those resolutions are expected to pass through the committee along party lines, teeing them up for final passage as early as Tuesday or Wednesday.

Both Clintons were subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee to testify for Congress’ probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

Despite months of back-and-forth between the former first couple’s lawyers and Oversight staff, they never appeared on terms dictated by Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., pushing him to initiate contempt proceedings.

‘This shows that no one is above the law,’ Comer told reporters after his panel advanced the resolutions last month. ‘I’m just real proud of the committee and look forward to hopefully getting the Epstein documents in very quickly and trying to get answers for the American people.’

The committee voted along bipartisan lines to move forward with contempt resolutions against the Clintons. Nine Democrats joined the Republicans to advance the resolution against Bill Clinton, while three voted to advance Hillary Clinton’s.

The majority of Democrats, however, have accused Comer of partisan motivations behind his Clinton contempt efforts.

The Clintons were two of 10 people subpoenaed by Comer as part of the panel’s investigation into Epstein. The subpoenas were issued following a bipartisan vote by an Oversight subcommittee panel during an unrelated hearing on illegal immigration.

Democrats on the committee have pointed out that Comer has not pushed to hold others who did not appear in contempt, nor has he made any threats against the DOJ for failing to produce all of its documents on Epstein by a deadline agreed to by Congress late last year. The department has produced a fraction of the documents expected so far.

Comer has said he is in contact with the DOJ about its document production.

If the vote this week is successful, the House will have recommended both the Clintons for prosecution by the DOJ.

A contempt of Congress charge is a felony misdemeanor that carries a maximum fine of $100,000 and up to a year in jail.

President Donald Trump said Saturday he believes Iran is negotiating ‘seriously’ with the U.S., stressing that he hopes an ‘acceptable’ deal can be brokered.

The president’s comments were made as he reportedly weighs options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and a violent crackdown in the country.

When asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether he had decided on a strike against Iran, Trump responded, ‘I certainly can’t tell you that.’

‘But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction,’ he added. ‘I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable.’

The president then sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the U.S. opted not to launch strikes on Iran, saying, ‘Some people think that. Some people don’t.’

‘You could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons,’ Trump said. ‘They should do that, but I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.’

Trump has said the U.S. will not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiating with Iran, even as U.S. naval forces surge into the region.

Speaking with Fox News Channel senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Saturday, Trump said, ‘We can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually.’

‘But, look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something,’ Trump continued. ‘Otherwise, we’ll see what happens. … We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had — and still have, actually — in Venezuela.’

On Sunday, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups after the bloc declared the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terror group over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

Iran again invoked a 2019 law to declare other nations’ militaries terrorist groups following the United States’ designation of the Guard as a terror organization that year.

The announcement by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard commander, comes as the Islamic Republic also planned live-fire military drills for Sunday and Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade passes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

As President Donald Trump weighs his options on a possible military strike on Iran, a senior Gulf official told Fox News Saudi Arabia will not allow the U.S. to use its airspace or bases for such an attack.

A high-ranking government figure from a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) state told Fox News that the ‘U.S. hasn’t shared objectives or plans’ regarding Iran with Gulf allies despite recent high-level Saudi meetings in Washington aimed at gaining clarity.

‘We said this as friends, [we] want to make sure they understand our position and our assessment in general. And we want to understand the U.S. assessment with as much clarity as possible,’ the senior official said. ‘I’d like to get full clarity, and we did not get there.’

Regarding U.S. military movements for a strike on Iran, the official said, ‘The plan is something other than using Saudi airspace.’

The official said the U.S. is welcome in Saudi Arabia, especially regarding Operation Inherent Resolve, the ongoing U.S.-led campaign against ISIS. Yet, the Saudi position now is ‘consistent’ with what it was during the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in April 2024, the official said.

‘Saudi Arabia wouldn’t allow airspace to be used to target Israel, Houthis, Iran. The position is the same now. Saudi Arabia wouldn’t allow airspace to be used in a war Saudi Arabia is not a part of,’ the official said.

Trump said Friday that the United States has directly communicated expectations to Iran as pressure mounts for Tehran to accept a nuclear deal, even as Iranian officials publicly signal interest in talks.

Asked whether Iran faces a deadline to make a deal, Trump suggested the timeline had been conveyed privately. 

‘Only they know for sure,’ he said when pressed that the message had been delivered directly to Iranian leaders.

Trump also tied the growing U.S. naval presence in the region explicitly to Iran, saying American warships ‘have to float someplace’ and ‘might as well float near Iran’ as Washington weighs its next steps.

Despite the president’s words that Iran wants to make a deal, the official cautioned that ‘Iran always wants to make a deal, but the question is what kind of deal? Is it acceptable to the U.S.?

‘We don’t see it coming together at this moment,’ the official said. ‘Everybody knows the U.S. is bringing capabilities to the region in general to deal not with whatever the plan is but whatever the ramification of the plan is.’

Regarding the success of future U.S. actions in Iran, the official said, ‘There is always a problem whether you make a decision or don’t. There’s a balance of … future in the Middle East. We advise the U.S. on a better outcome at the end, using all means, including diplomatic means, and advise Iranians too. … We understand that we’re all in this — the U.S., Iran and others — and we hope for better results.’

The official said that, in the Gulf allies’ assessment, the Trump administration’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear assets heavily degraded their capabilities so that they are ‘not in the same situation as before.’

That being said, they believe an ‘off ramp could be reached by Iranians doing the right thing.’

‘We want a prosperous country that supports their people. That’s what we think we should all be doing. Iran has real economic potential, energy. A lot of talent in Iran and especially abroad who live in other countries. … There’s a way to get out of it, and Iran could be a very constructive actor in the region and important actor in the region. I hope that they get there because the Iranian people deserve a lot.’ 

Though the U.S. has not shared its objectives or plans, the source said, ‘I hope that outcome is for a more stable Middle East, more prosperous.’

Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth released the 2026 National Defense Strategy (NDS), a Pentagon blueprint that elevates Israel as a ‘model ally’ and translates President Trump’s national security doctrine into concrete military policy.

‘Israel has long demonstrated that it is both willing and able to defend itself with critical but limited support from the United States. Israel is a model ally, and we have an opportunity now to further empower it to defend itself and promote our shared interests, building on President Trump’s historic efforts to secure peace in the Middle East,’ the NDS states.

The document is now influencing parallel debates over the future of U.S. security assistance to Israel and whether the next Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, should continue delivering traditional U.S. military aid to Israel, amid dissenting voices that portray the alliance as a burden rather than a strategic asset.

According to the strategy, Israel proved its ability and willingness to defend itself following the Oct. 7 attacks, demonstrating that it is not a passive partner but an operational force that supports U.S. interests in the region. The strategy emphasizes empowering capable allies rather than constraining them, building on President Trump’s earlier push for regional integration through the Abraham Accords.

Jonathan Ruhe, director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, said the strategy reflects a broader American shift toward partnerships that strengthen both U.S. security and domestic industry.

‘U.S. defense assistance to Israel in the MOU is spent in dollars here in America to support our industry,’ Ruhe told Fox News Digital. ‘And like in the national security strategy, it then enables Israel to go and do more to protect U.S. interests.’

He said a future agreement would likely extend beyond funding alone. ‘A new MOU would also likely be broader and include things that are more 50-50 partnership, like joint research and development, co-production, intelligence sharing and things like that to reflect the changing partnership going forward,’ Ruhe said.

The strategy also highlights the importance of revitalizing the American defense industrial base, noting that allies purchasing U.S. systems help strengthen domestic production while enabling partners to shoulder greater responsibility for regional security.

Avner Golov, vice president of the Israeli think tank Mind Israel, said the document makes clear that Israel is viewed not merely as a recipient of aid, ‘Israel is in the fight. We are protecting ourselves by ourselves. We just need the tools to do that. And by doing so, we enhance not only America’s standing in the Middle East, but also worldwide and contribute to the American economy.’

That framing comes as Israel and the United States prepare for negotiations over the next 10-year MOU, which governs U.S. military assistance to Israel. The current agreement, signed in 2016, provides $3.3 billion annually in foreign military financing, along with $500 million a year for missile defense cooperation.

The debate follows tensions during the Biden administration, when the White House paused the delivery of certain U.S. weapons to Israel in May 2024, including a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs. At the time, Netanyahu warned that Israel ‘will stand alone’ if Washington halted weapons deliveries, reflecting concern that limits or delays in U.S. military support could undermine Israel’s readiness and deterrence. 

Experts have noted that U.S. leaders have not always approved every Israeli weapons request and that roughly 70% of Israel’s military imports come from the United States, underscoring the strategic calculus behind Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recent push for greater independent production.

Golov criticized that approach, arguing it risks prioritizing optics over readiness. ‘I believe that is a short-term vision,’ Golov said. ‘In the long term, Israel must first be prepared for the next round of escalation. If we are not ready, we will face another war. If we are prepared, perhaps we can deter it.’

‘Israel must remain the strongest army in the region, and that is also a fundamental American interest,’ Golov said.

Ruhe said the debate reflects lessons learned from nearly two years of war. ‘You’ve got this sort of topsy-turvy world now where the Israelis are saying we don’t want to take any more U.S. money, and the Americans are saying, no, you’re going to take our money,’ he said.

According to Ruhe, the conflict exposed vulnerabilities created by heavy dependence on U.S. supply chains and political delays.

‘The war of the last two years showed that Israel can’t afford to be as dependent on the U.S. or continue to maintain the same defense partnership that it has because that creates a dependence,’ he said. ‘Israel becomes vulnerable to U.S. shortages in weapons output or politically motivated embargoes and holdups that can impact Israel’s readiness.’

At the same time, Ruhe noted that Israel remains reliant on the United States for major platforms.

‘Even Israel will say we’re utterly dependent on the U.S. for those big-ticket platforms,’ he said, pointing to aircraft such as the F-15 and F-35 that Israel has already committed to purchasing.

For that reason, Ruhe argued that maintaining stable funding under the next MOU may be the most practical path forward.

‘It’s actually much easier for Congress just to go ahead and approve that money,’ he said, explaining that predictable funding reduces annual political battles on Capitol Hill.

Golov said Israel’s long-term objective should not be reducing ties with Washington, but deepening them. ‘I don’t want to reduce dependency,’ he said. ‘I want to increase contribution to America.’

He described the emerging vision as a fundamental shift in how the alliance is structured. ‘We are moving from a 20th-century aid model to a 21st-century strategic merger,’ Golov said. ‘Israel is the only partner that delivers a 400% return on investment without asking for a single American soldier.’

Golov said the proposed framework is built around three pillars: an industrial defense ecosystem, a joint technology ecosystem and a regional ecosystem connecting Israeli innovation, Gulf infrastructure and American power.

He emphasized that maintaining U.S. security assistance during the transition period is critical.

‘We need a final ten-year ‘bridge’ with the current security aid MOU,’ Golov said. ‘A sudden cut would be a dangerous signal of American retreat to our enemies and may hinder IDF preparedness.’

‘I don’t know who the next president of the United States will be,’ he added. ‘This is where our enemies can read it in a very dangerous way.’

A former staffer for Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is launching his own congressional bid on Thursday, Fox News Digital has learned.

Republican Austin Rogers is formally jumping into the race for Florida’s 2nd Congressional District, a solidly Republican seat encompassing part of the Sunshine State’s panhandle. It’s currently being represented by Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., who is retiring at the end of this year.

Rogers invoked both President Donald Trump and Scott in a statement announcing his candidacy in a testament to the district’s conservative lean.

‘As President Trump and Senator Scott have shown, strong leadership matters,’ Rogers said. ‘I was raised right here in the 2nd District, fishing these bays, hunting these woods, and competing on these fields. I was taught to love this country, respect hard work, and stand up for what’s right. I’ve seen firsthand how broken Washington is. Our nation needs more fighters who will fearlessly root out waste, fraud, and abuse in government.’

Rogers previously worked as general counsel for Scott’s Senate office, which he argued helped him learn ‘how Congress actually works.’

‘I have drafted legislation, conducted congressional hearings, and led investigations holding the left accountable,’ Rogers said.

Scott’s campaign team told Fox News Digital that he has no current plans to make an endorsement in the race, however.

Rogers’ statement notably did not mention Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another central Republican figure in the Sunshine State, despite the district including the capital city of Tallahassee.

Rogers, a father of two with a third child on the way, was born and raised in his district and moved back there with his wife after a brief stint in Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, a crowded field is forming to replace Dunn, a surgeon and retired Army major who first won his seat in 2016. 

Three Republicans and three Democrats have already filed to run for the district, with Rogers becoming the fourth GOP hopeful in the race.

Among the GOP candidates in the race is Evan Power, Florida’s Republican Party state chairman, and Keith Gross, a businessman who previously mounted a long-shot bid against Scott in 2024.

Dunn is part of a record number of House lawmakers announcing their departures from the lower chamber in the 119th Congress. Twenty-eight Republicans and 21 Democrats have announced retirements between this year and last year, more than during any other congressional term.