Fifth Escaped Louisiana Inmate Recaptured; House Panel Works Overnight on Big Budget Bill | NTD Good Morning (May 21)

A fifth inmate has been captured in the wake of the New Orleans jailbreak. The captured inmate was facing second-degree murder charges and had pleaded not guilty. Five other escaped prisoners remain at large. A prison maintenance worker has been arrested for allegedly assisting the breakout. The worker said he was acting under duress, having been threatened.

A House panel met on Capitol Hill at 1 a.m. on May 21 to continue debating the budget bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is working out details on tax and savings to appease both wings of his party. Despite President Donald Trump’s meeting with the House Republican Conference on Tuesday, the bill is still on shaky ground. Republicans in the Senate are already working toward breaking up the House’s bill, with the chamber passing a bipartisan bill on Tuesday to end taxation on tips.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified on Capitol Hill on Tuesday at the State Department’s budget hearings. Lawmakers used the opportunity to address key concerns, including the department’s cuts to foreign aid. Rubio said the United States still provides more humanitarian aid than the next top 10 countries in the world. He also touched on foreign policy changes, including U.S.–Syrian engagement, and defended Trump’s handling of the Russia–Ukraine war.