Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the

Zeldin engaged in a similar rhetorical match with Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.Whitehouse said Zeldin and others at EPA have made “baseless accusations of fraud” about grants awarded under Democratic President Joe Biden, removed “career officials who stood up for the rule of law” and deployed FBI agents “to harass career civil servants.’'

Whitehouse also challenged Zeldin’s contention that he had personally reviewed 781 Biden-era grants totaling nearly $2 billion that the Trump administration later canceled. The grants were intended to address chronic pollution in minority communities and jump-start clean energy programs across the country, but Zeldin said they were plagued by conflicts of interest and unqualified recipients.“You don’t care about wasting money, but the Trump administration does, Senator,” Zeldin said.When Whitehouse pressed to see Zeldin’s schedule to prove he personally reviewed the grants before canceling them, Zeldin said he’s worked on the issue “almost every single day” since taking office.

“We are cracking down on every waste, every aspect of abuse,’' Zeldin said, adding that Whitehouse seemed unable to grasp that more than one person could review EPA’s grant program.“I am insisting on the facts,’' Whitehouse said.

American taxpayers “put President Trump in office because of people like you,” Zeldin replied. “They have Republicans in charge of the House and Senate because of people like you. You don’t want me to go through the list of all the evidence of waste and abuse.”

Whitehouse replied that Zeldin should explain why Justice Department lawyers, speaking under oath on behalf of the agency, have “said that everything you just said is not true. That’s what I want.”Northside did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. Emory Healthcare said it could not comment on an individual case because of privacy rules, but released a statement saying it “uses consensus from clinical experts, medical literature, and legal guidance to support our providers as they make individualized treatment recommendations in compliance with Georgia’s abortion laws and all other applicable laws. Our top priorities continue to be the safety and wellbeing of the patients we serve.”

Emory University Hospital Midtown is seen on Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)Emory University Hospital Midtown is seen on Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Smith’s family says Emory doctors have told them they are not allowed to stop or remove the devices that are keeping her breathing because state law bans abortion after cardiac activity can be detected — generally around six weeks into pregnancy.The law was adopted in 2019 but not enforced until after Roe v. Wade was overturned in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, opening the door to state abortion bans. Twelve states are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy and three others have bans like Georgia’s that kick in after about six weeks.