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FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Navy is quadrupling the ceiling on a contract for AI-powered robots used to inspect warships to $300 million.

Just six months after initially tapping the technology to help get ships through maintenance and back to sea faster, the expanded agreement with Pittsburgh-based Gecko Robotics underscores the importance the U.S. military is putting on tech-based solutions. The initial ceiling for the deal was $71 million, but the Navy is pushing to improve fleet readiness amid a widening shipbuilding gap with China.

"While the U.S. may not be able to out-manufacture faster than China, we can outsmart the ways that we maintain, operate and are ready with our vessels," Gecko Robotics CEO Jake Loosararian told Fox News Digital.

Gecko says its technology can save the Navy up to $8 million in repair costs on a single ship and identify some structural issues up to 50 times faster than traditional inspection methods.

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The company is also unveiling a new robot developed specifically for the Navy that can inspect the steel beneath thick coatings on warship decks without first stripping them away.

Dubbed Komodo, the robot scans a ship's deck to map corrosion and material thickness, giving maintenance crews a picture of what needs to be repaired before more invasive work begins.

"It's essentially a CAT scan," Loosararian said. "You're basically understanding exactly what's going on."

Traditionally, determining the condition of steel beneath a ship's non-skid deck coating can require removing material before crews know the extent of the problem. Komodo is designed to gather that information without first taking the surface apart.

"The robots are able to actually understand what's wrong without having to take apart the ship to figure out what to fix," Loosararian said.

In another example cited by Loosararian, an assessment that initially called for roughly 1,200 square feet of repair work was narrowed to about 300 square feet after robotic inspections provided a more precise picture of the damage.

"You reduce and focus the kinds of repairs that you need," Loosararian said. "You're repairing less."

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The increased ceiling comes just six months after the Navy awarded Gecko a five-year, $71 million contract vehicle to expand the use of its robotic inspection technology across the fleet.

Under the initial agreement announced in March, Gecko was set to begin work on 18 ships in the U.S. Pacific Fleet, including destroyers, amphibious warships and littoral combat ships.

The company's wall-climbing robots crawl across hulls, flight decks, ballast tanks and other difficult-to-access areas, scanning for corrosion, metal loss and other structural problems. The data is fed into Gecko's AI-powered Cantilever platform to help maintenance planners determine where repairs are needed.

The goal is to find those problems earlier, before a ship enters a major maintenance period and crews discover additional work that can extend its stay in the shipyard.

"The biggest savings are just in speed," Loosararian said. "Speed — you can't put a price tag on it, especially if you're in the U.S. Navy right now."

The expansion comes as Navy leaders seek to push fleet readiness toward 80% while maintenance delays continue to sideline ships that would otherwise be available for deployment.

China already fields a larger battle force than the U.S. Navy and can produce vessels at a pace American shipyards cannot easily match. That has put additional pressure on the Pentagon to keep more of the ships already in the American fleet available for operations.

For Gecko, the longer-term goal is to move beyond finding existing damage and use years of inspection data to anticipate problems before they force ships into longer repair periods.

"You are able to predict exactly what's going to break before it does," Loosararian said, allowing maintenance planners to have workers, materials and repair plans ready when a ship reaches the pier or enters a shipyard.

The technology could also reduce the amount of dangerous and labor-intensive inspection work performed by shipyard workers as the industrial base struggles with shortages of skilled labor.

Loosararian said the combination of robotics and AI is ultimately aimed at allowing a limited workforce to spend more time fixing ships and less time determining what needs to be fixed.

For a Navy racing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding Chinese fleet, he argued, getting more out of the ships already in the water could prove just as important as building new ones.

"While the U.S. may not be able to outmanufacture faster than China," Loosararian said, "we can outsmart the ways that we maintain, operate and are ready with our vessels."

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America seems to be on the precipice of a future technological golden age. Whether we take steps toward that future could depend on which political vision prevails over the next few election cycles.

Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at the White House in September, Elon Musk predicted a world where artificial intelligence and advanced robotics create an "age of abundance." Musk suggests these technologies could eventually provide your average person with better medical care than what today’s wealthiest individuals enjoy.

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This optimistic vision aligns well with Trump’s repeated promises of a new American golden age. Yet, as his administration works to accelerate technological advancement, an increasingly influential wing on the far left appears determined to slam on the brakes.

The Trump administration has made American leadership in artificial intelligence a cornerstone of its economic agenda. Through its AI Action Plan and executive orders, the administration has prioritized eliminating regulatory barriers, constructing data centers and expanding energy infrastructure necessary to power the AI revolution.

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued that AI and automation could help create a new era of American manufacturing. In an interview from 2025, Bessent suggested that the advanced "smart factories" of tomorrow could overcome labor-cost issues, making manufacturing in the United States far more economically feasible.

Imagine a future in America where advanced robotics makes domestic manufacturing globally competitive, where AI leads to major medical breakthroughs and where technological innovation produces unprecedented economic prosperity.

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Of course, there are legitimate questions about how this societal transformation will unfold, but the potential benefits are incredible.

While many in the Trump administration plan for a golden age, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and his fellow democratic socialists are promoting an entirely different future.

In March, Sanders and New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposed a nationwide moratorium on new data center construction until Congress establishes a sufficient regulatory system for the industry.

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These positions have quickly become commonplace for Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) activists and candidates. Many of these DSA-endorsed candidates support data center moratoriums and push these sorts of proposals at the state and local level.

But Sanders’ anti-AI sentiment goes way further. His American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would effectively nationalize 50% of the AI industry, converting those stakes into a government-controlled fund. The plan would also include stacking the boards of these companies with federally picked appointees to influence corporate decisions.

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More recently, Sanders introduced legislation that would permanently prohibit the development of artificial superintelligence. This plan would establish a new federal AI agency and halt other advanced AI development until regulators approve continued efforts. Under this proposal, individuals who violate the research bans could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Think about that. At a time when America is competing with China for technological supremacy, one of the country’s most prominent socialist politicians wants federal bureaucrats to target AI scientists with potential prison time for developing AI research it deems too advanced.

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To be sure, the AI revolution comes with many legitimate concerns that deserve conversation. Potential job displacement, privacy violations, algorithmic manipulation and the possible misuse of advanced AI are issues that will likely need to be addressed.

However, the consequences of deliberately suppressing technological innovation are rarely given equal attention.

Consider the potential benefits of AI-assisted drug discovery, which could lead to better treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s and many other conditions. AI-enhanced robotics and logistics could transform manufacturing, increase agricultural output and help elderly and disabled Americans maintain their independence.

Imagine the lives and the industries that could be saved and the economic opportunities that could spring up from these technologies that we have only now begun to understand.

Under the far left’s proposals, we may never see these benefits materialize. Sanders says he is concerned that average Americans will be left behind in the AI revolution, but his proposed restrictions threaten to undermine the very innovations that could cause growth in societal prosperity.

Perhaps the most concerning consequence of the far left’s vision is America’s geopolitical future.

Like America, China is also pursuing AI at breakneck speeds. While America has enjoyed a substantial lead in this race, the recent Stanford University 2026 AI Index showed the performance gap between American and Chinese models has effectively disappeared.

The proposals from Sanders and the far left to stall AI research and data center construction give the Chinese Communist Party opportunity to pull ahead in the AI race. If China were to take the lead in the AI race, America’s global status economically and geopolitically could be severely diminished.

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At the same White House meeting where Musk outlined his optimistic vision of the future, Trump warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping "will take every data center that we don’t want."

The AI revolution carries great potential for increased prosperity unlike anything we have seen in our lifetime. It would be a historic tragedy if America surrendered that opportunity because our politicians were more afraid of technological progress than our geopolitical rivals.

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Republicans made their pitch to Michigan voters at a Fox News town hall Monday night, with GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers arguing Democrat Abdul El-Sayed is vulnerable among Black and Jewish voters as one of the nation's most closely watched Senate races enters its final two weeks.

Fox News host Sean Hannity also spoke with Republican gubernatorial nominee Rep. John James and House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain, R-Mich., as the candidates sought to tie Michigan Democrats to government spending, socialism and the party's progressive wing ahead of Nov. 3.

Early on in the night, Rogers argued that his opponent, El-Sayed, could underperform among a handful of key demographics that traditionally support Democratic candidates, presenting political opportunities for Republicans.

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Hannity pressed Rogers about El-Sayed's past criticism of former President Barack Obama, whom El-Sayed described as "not the right choice" to advance a progressive agenda following Obama's 2012 re-election.

"He is dismissive in Detroit. We have just dozens of black pastors that we have talked to, neighborhood leaders in the city of Detroit that we’ve talked to. They’re looking for a change," Rogers said.

Notably, Obama is scheduled to campaign with El-Sayed in Detroit on Oct. 24 and has released a video urging voters to support the Democratic nominee.

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Rogers argued the Jewish community could present a unique opportunity for Republicans amid El-Sayed's criticism of Israel.

Recently, El-Sayed declined to answer whether he viewed Iran or Israel as a greater threat.

"I think both of them have proven dangerous in their own way. One, at risk of attacking us. One, getting us into wars we have no business fighting," El-Sayed said in a recent debate.

Rogers noted that if only half of Jewish Democratic voters in Michigan felt alienated by El-Sayed’s remarks enough to support his campaign, it would provide a significant boost.

"There are about 70,000 Jewish Democrats. If we get half of them to vote for us, which we think — we had an event last night. Had over 1,000 people at it. We’re fired up and excited and scared for their children, by the way. They’re afraid for their children. They’re with us, and they’re going to vote, we think, 35,000 votes out of the Jewish Democrat — these are normally solid Democratic votes."

"That’s changing the dynamic," Rogers added.

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Rep. John James, R-Mich., the state’s Republican candidate for governor, also appeared with Hannity, presenting his pitch to attendees on what he would do differently if elected.

Alongside promises to reshape education, James promised to create more scrutiny around government programs and expenses.

"Michigan is spending 50% more right now under Gretchen Whitmer than we spent under Rick Snyder’s administration, the last Republican, and $20 billion more per year than at the height of the pandemic."

"Michigan does not have a taxation problem. Michigan has a spending problem," James added.

Snyder left office in 2019.

James also raised concerns about potential fraud in Michigan, drawing comparisons to Minnesota's sprawling taxpayer-funded fraud investigations.

"If a 19-year-old journalist named Nick Shirley can find $9 billion of fraud in Minnesota, a state with 50% of our population and 60% of our budget, what do you think he can find here?" James said, referring to a videographer who had become famous for investigating Somali fraud rings.

Shirley drew national attention to suspected fraud involving Minnesota childcare providers, although he did not uncover $9 billion in fraud. That figure came from former federal prosecutor Joe Thompson, who estimated last year that fraud across 14 high-risk Medicaid programs could total $9 billion or more. Minnesota officials have disputed the estimate. Federal and state investigators in Minnesota have uncovered fraud involving taxpayer-funded childcare, food assistance and healthcare programs, including schemes in which defendants allegedly billed the government for services they never provided.

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At the close of Hannity’s town hall, Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., the House GOP conference chair, accused Democrats of hiding their true character.

"I don’t even call them Democrats anymore; it’s the Communist Party," McClain said.

"They want to pack the Supreme Court, they want to abolish the police, they want to let people out of prisons."

With primaries in the rearview mirror, Michigan heads to the polls alongside the rest of the country on Nov. 3.

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With everyone and his brother predicting that a blue tsunami will wash over the Senate as well as the House, I want to write something contrarian. 

This way, if the Republicans do hang on to the Senate, I’ll get credit for defying the conventional wisdom. And if they don’t, I won’t get kicked out of the punditocracy – folks will just say well, he put a lot of caveats in there.

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The truth is, I don’t know who is going to capture the upper chamber, and neither do you. 

And neither do all the pontificators and speculators online or on the air. 

I do know the GOP is pouring tens of millions into contests they might otherwise lose, giving their people – even scandal-scarred Ken Paxton – a huge advantage on the airwaves in the final two weeks. But money doesn’t always move voters once they’ve made up their minds in this era of early voting. 

Is Maine’s Susan Collins liked enough to hang one more time against aggressive Troy Jackson (and thankfully not weirdo Graham Platner), when Donald Trump shouts every day ‘Pretend I’m on the ballot’?" We got it, Mr. President. 

Josh Turek is an Iowa legislator and also a wheelchair basketball player who suffers from spina bifida. His GOP opponent, Rep. Ashley Hinton, says she doesn’t want "endless wars" but welcomes a Trump visit. 

She’s talked about such issues as open borders and transgender surgery. Turek has focused on the Iran war and soaring health premiums because Congress failed to amend the Affordable Care Act.

In nearby Kansas, where Trump campaigned yesterday, Democrat Adam Hamilton is the founder of a Methodist mega-church, which would seem like a big plus in that conservative state, but some Dems are turned off by the religious aspect. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, an obstetrician who served in the Army Reserves, was hurt by a New York Times report on him suing patients who were behind on their bills.

By the way, did you ever think you’d see the day when the Republicans just gave up on North Carolina and steered their money elsewhere (conceding the win to former Gov. Roy Cooper)?

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So I can conclude three things: 

Many of these races have 1-or-2 point "leads," which is within the margin of error, and polling is often inaccurate in an off-year election.

The GOP is playing defense in ruby-red states–Trump in Kansas?—which is why Democrats are increasingly confident this is their big year.

And, in the famous Tip O’Neill saying, all politics is local.

There may be a mega-church guy or a man in a wheelchair or ex-Alaska congresswoman Mary Peltola, a former tribal judge who’s for "Fish, Family, Freedom," but who former staffers say they heard using awful slurs.

How on earth do you handicap races with so many toss-ups?

Of course, Republicans want to make the country believe that all Dems are like Michigan socialist Abdul el-Sayed, who, when asked whether he’d provide military aid if Israel was under attack, says he would rather spend the money at home.    

I still think the Democrats will need to have Vegas luck to win enough Senate races to take control. They also have to defend their own turf. But (escape hatch here) I’m not saying it couldn’t happen.

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A New Jersey attorney and former municipal official who made waves during his debate with Sen. Cory Booker, D- N. J., said his unscripted style may be the secret sauce to making history and ending a Republican Senate drought in New Jersey that stretches back more than half a century.

Justin Murphy, a Navy veteran and former deputy mayor of Tabernacle in the state’s Pine Barrens, stunned his incumbent Democratic opponent when, in response to a question about Iran War strategy, he bluntly said President Donald Trump should forcefully "finish it."

"I don’t have a speechwriter. There’s no teleprompter — I shoot from the hip because I want people to see a very sincere, genuine and authentic Justin Murphy," Murphy told Fox News Digital.

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"This came up. And I had no idea it would become as viral or explode as it has on social media. It's what I felt. I meant what I said. I said what I meant. It wasn't planned to try to spark the reaction that we got… through social media."

Clifford Case, the last Republican to represent the Garden State in the Senate, was last elected in 1972 – the same year Giants Stadium broke ground, years before the Jets joined the Giants in New Jersey and before NJ Transit was created.

Murphy said that in his 60 years, he cannot remember a time when Iran’s support for terrorism, "export" of assassination or killing of its own people was not a feature of the nightly news.

"I think we have a president now that is breaking from the past, and he's no longer kicking the can down the road. And I think that's important that our young people know tomorrow that they will not have to worry about what the words ‘Strait of Hormuz’ mean when this is over."

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Asked how his message on Iran can overcome concerns about the war’s effect on energy prices – including among Republicans and independents in the crucial Philadelphia metro area where he lives – Murphy said it is important to offer a vision focused on long-term national and energy security.

The "long-term" aspect of his message is twofold, he said, noting that he was in first grade in the Philadelphia suburb of Collingdale, Pennsylvania, the last time New Jersey elected a Republican to the Senate.

"Number one – it’s time for a change. We had a good cordial debate with [Cory Booker] but he’s been a senator for 13 years – he’s been [in Washington] longer than Donald Trump."

"I don't think he gets to blame Donald Trump for anything. He's part of the branch of government that passes our country's laws and writes our tax codes and passes our budgets. I'm wondering what he's willing to take responsibility or blame for."

"So what I tell people is that we need a new generation of Americans to serve in Washington, a new day in New Jersey politics, and our working and middle class New Jersey desperately need a voice in the U.S. Senate, and my campaign represents all three of those."

Looking to that "better tomorrow," Murphy said he understands concerns about the Iran conflict’s effect on gas prices in his area, which he put at $4.20 per gallon as of Wednesday and which have become a major point of criticism of the current administration.

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"If they're upset at gasoline at $4.20 … you were paying over $5 a gallon with Joe Biden with a 9% interest rate, with a 20% cumulative inflation rate, with an open border, rising crime rates, declining wages, and an 8% percent interest rate that is a full point or two higher than it is now," he said.

Murphy said those concerned about prices should also look to domestic energy production and support policies that increase refining capacity to reduce exposure to global oil markets.

He also pointed to legislation introduced moments before the interview by "Squad" member Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., to dismantle the Department of Homeland Security.

"This is madness and insanity, and it's not the tomorrow that Americans want or can build together," he said.

Murphy was also asked about election security in New Jersey, where hundreds of noncitizens have been found to have voted in recent elections as the Sherrill administration pushes back on federal efforts to crack down.

"Election integrity is extremely and critically important, not only to me and my campaign, but to the country. We're designed as a representative government, a constitutional republic, and we need to know our elections are secure – We know we have contaminated rolls in New Jersey," he said.

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Murphy stressed that he does not want an election system that benefits Republicans, as critics claim, but one that is fair, accurate and reflects the will of American voters. He also called Trenton’s immigration enforcement posture "utter insanity."

For Murphy, the debate’s viral "Wow" moment was more than a campaign breakthrough. He sees it as a test of whether an unscripted message on national security can cut through voters’ immediate concerns about gas prices — and give Republicans a path to end their decades-long Senate drought in New Jersey.

Booker's campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the exchange.

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Firefighters saved a historic New York City church, notable for its appearance in "The Godfather," as a four-alarm fire tore through a nearby vacant warehouse.

More than 200 firefighters and EMS personnel rushed to Mount Loretto in Staten Island after the blaze began to spread inside an empty warehouse at around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, FDNY chief of operations Kevin Woods said at a press conference that evening.

"There is heavy, heavy damage to this structure, the roof did collapse, and right now we’re maintaining a collapse zone around that structure," Woods said.

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"Upon arrival, units encountered heavy fire throughout the building and immediately went into a defensive operation," Woods said. "We set up multiple large-caliber stream tower ladders and handlines."

The warehouse at 6581 Hylan Boulevard has been vacant for five years, but it is located near several other structures on the Mount Loretto grounds, including two schools and the historic Old Church of St. Joachim and St. Anne, which was famously featured in exterior shots of the baptism scene of the 1972 film "The Godfather."

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The ornate Catholic church was largely destroyed by a fire in 1973, though its façade survived, and it was rebuilt three years later.

Firefighters managed to control the blaze on Saturday and stop it from spreading to the other buildings. The fire was under control at around 8:30 p.m.

"It’s very windy out here tonight. Our units did a great job with many of the flying embers, preventing additional structures from going on fire," Woods said.

Woods said one firefighter suffered a minor burn injury to his leg.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Fire Marshal’s office.

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The Trump administration is expected to decide by late December whether to strip the American Bar Association’s (ABA) law school accrediting arm of federal recognition, a move that would not automatically end the ABA’s accreditation of law schools or change state bar-admission rules but could accelerate states’ efforts to approve alternative paths to becoming a lawyer.

Two legal education experts told Fox News Digital that while most law students would be unlikely to lose access to federal loans if the ABA's accrediting arm loses recognition, the decision could accelerate a broader shift away from the organization's longstanding dominance over legal education, with states increasingly exploring alternative accreditation pathways that could change how law schools operate and who qualifies to practice law.

"I think the biggest thing is, everyone should know that the federal recognition of the ABA is just the first step," Adam Biggs, general counsel of the University of Austin, told Fox News Digital. "If they get knocked off their perch, that's going to supercharge the conversations of these state supreme courts to create alternative pathways that are not just the ABA."

The looming decision follows a September vote by the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI), the federal panel that advises the Education Department on accreditation matters, which remained deadlocked over whether to recommend renewing the ABA's federal accreditation recognition. Education Department staff have already recommended denying renewal, and now the decision rests in the hands of Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent to rule on whether the ABA's accrediting arm can retain its federally recognized status, which it has held since 1952.

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The ABA has long served as the primary gatekeeper for legal education in the United States, with most states requiring graduates to have attended an ABA-accredited law school to qualify for the bar exam. Although losing federal recognition would not automatically end that arrangement, critics argue it could accelerate efforts already underway in some states to recognize alternative law school approval systems, potentially allowing institutions to experiment with cheaper, shorter programs outside the ABA’s traditional accreditation model.

One such alternative is taking shape in Texas, where Biggs is helping develop a new law school at the University of Austin (UATX) that would operate without ABA accreditation. The university is considering a two-year law program or a model that combines undergraduate and legal studies. It plans to make tuition free and avoid federal funding altogether. The proposed school could also depart from traditional law school staffing models by relying more heavily on practicing attorneys and federal judges as adjunct instructors, rather than maintaining the extensive full-time faculty structure that Biggs says ABA accreditation standards require and that can pose a high bar for institutions.

Biggs argued that the ABA's longstanding influence over legal education has discouraged such experimentation by imposing what he described as a "one size fits all elitist model of education," which he said drives up costs and limits schools' ability to offer alternative approaches to training future lawyers.

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"Right now, the model they force makes it impossible to cut overhead, and it's going to be an expensive product," Biggs said, criticizing the ABA's accreditation requirements. "That makes the decision for you. Because you need to live in a big city to go work at a firm to pay off your massive amount of debt."

Biggs added that reducing the cost of legal education could help address attorney shortages in rural and underserved communities, where graduates carrying substantial student debt may struggle to pursue lower-paying legal work. Allowing law schools to operate with less overhead, he said, could give new attorneys greater flexibility to serve those communities and potentially make legal services more affordable.

The ABA faculty requirements criticized by Biggs are also facing scrutiny from the Justice Department, which has threatened an antitrust investigation over restrictions on adjunct professors teaching core law school courses. In an Oct. 7 letter, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward gave the ABA 15 days to revise or justify its rules, arguing that the requirements restrict competition and contribute to higher tuition costs, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The emergence of alternative accreditation pathways could offer aspiring lawyers new opportunities, but also introduce complications for graduates hoping to practice in states other than where they attended law school.

While the federal government determines which accrediting agencies it recognizes for federal purposes, state supreme courts generally set their own bar-admission requirements. Many states currently require graduation from an ABA-accredited law school, a requirement that would not automatically disappear if the ABA loses its federal recognition.

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That means graduates of schools approved through alternative state-level processes, such as the one UATX hopes to pursue in Texas, could qualify for the bar in their home state but face additional hurdles elsewhere. Biggs predicted that as more states adopt alternative pathways, others could face pressure to reconsider their requirements.

"Eventually there's gonna be a very large group of states that are not ABA or nothing," Biggs said, predicting that states such as New York and Illinois would eventually have to confront the issue. "They're gonna have to come to the table and try to figure out how portability is gonna work."

Several states have already begun loosening the ABA's longstanding hold over legal education. In January, Texas became the first state to end its exclusive reliance on ABA accreditation for bar eligibility, with the state Supreme Court assuming authority to approve qualifying law schools. Florida followed nine days later, adopting its own approach to recognizing law schools outside the traditional ABA system.

The movement has since extended to other states. Ohio's Supreme Court proposed changes in May to establish a state-run law school approval process, while courts in Tennessee, Alabama and Washington have also taken steps toward reducing their reliance on the ABA, as Fox News Digital previously reported.

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The potential consequences for federal student loans, meanwhile, may be far more limited. Biggs explained that most law schools are affiliated with larger universities that maintain their own institutional accreditation, allowing students to access federal aid without relying exclusively on the ABA's recognition.

"So unless you are a freestanding law school that only relies on the ABA, your students are gonna be fine," Biggs said.

Sarah Parshall Perry, attorney and vice president of nonprofit Defending Education, similarly told Fox News Digital that the more immediate federal-aid concerns would fall on standalone law schools that rely on the ABA's federal recognition rather than a parent university's institutional accreditation. Perry estimated that roughly 15 standalone law schools could potentially face federal funding complications if the ABA loses its recognition.

Beyond the immediate financial implications, Perry argued that loosening the ABA's grip on legal education could bring more fundamental changes to what law schools teach and how they prepare students for the profession.

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"These law students are actually going to get a better education," Perry argued. "Because we get the ABA meddling away from curricular inclusions, and we get them away from race mandates in admissions and in hiring and promotions, we get back to ground zero on making excellent lawyers."

"I don't care what color my attorney is if I get in a car crash. I am very concerned that he recognizes principles of contract law and insurance liability. That's what matters most," she added.

The ABA's accrediting council has already moved to roll back some of its DEI requirements amid concern the federal government could strip its accrediting status. In September, the council voted 10-6 to repeal Standard 206, which had required law schools to demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion among students, faculty and staff.

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Education Department officials previously told Fox News Digital that staff had recommended denying the organization's renewed recognition after finding it out of compliance with more than 26 federal recognition criteria, including concerns about the accrediting council's independence from the broader ABA membership and advocacy activities.

The ABA has disputed the Department's findings and defended the independence of its accrediting council. Even if the administration ultimately revokes federal recognition, the organization could continue accrediting law schools, leaving states to decide whether to maintain their longstanding reliance on ABA approval or embrace alternative pathways as some have already started doing.

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