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Join Washington Watch host Tony Perkins as he interviews prominent political figures tackling today’s pressing issues. From Lindsey Graham’s insightful breakdown of budget and foreign policy to Senator Tim Sheehy’s views on restoring military focus, this episode covers it all. Learn how Title IX policy adjustments are influencing women’s sports and the potential repercussions of President Trump’s decisive measures. Get an inside look at initiatives by the Family Research Council to shape public policy for faith, family, and freedom. Hear about Senate maneuvers to support strategic defense initiatives, the debate around Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, and critical discussions on Iran’s
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From the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
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So we’re planning to take up our budget resolution as early as today, which is a major step, as you know, to unlock the process in delivering President Trump’s America-first legislative agenda. We’re very close right now. As you just heard the leader, Leader Scalise, explain, there’s always more work to do right up to the end for a big vote like this, and this is a big one. We’re very, very close, and we’re excited about the progress, and I’m very positive, and I’m absolutely convinced we’re going to get this done.
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That was House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier today. Good evening and welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. On today’s agenda, the House is moving toward a vote on the budget resolution, but four Republicans remain opposed. We’ll talk with budget. We’ll talk budget and reconciliation with Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. We’ll also discuss the latest efforts to bring peace to Eastern Europe amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. And meanwhile, Iran is on high alert, anticipating a possible Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities. We’ll get perspective from Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry, retired Brigadier General and a member of the House Intelligence Committee. We’ll also speak with Montana Senator Tim Sheehy about the extent of woke ideology within the military’s top brass. And later, we’ll hear from Army Captain Scott Warner, who volunteers with Life Camp USA to mentor children who have lost their fathers in the line of duty. And we’ll also hear from the White House on the clash between President Trump and the governor of Maine over men and women’s sports. All of that and more on this edition of Washington Watch, so be sure and stay with us. All right, a new episode of God and Government was released yesterday. This video-driven, Bible-based training course is designed for anyone looking to have an impact on the world around them with biblical truth. In this latest session, we explore the four institutions of God-ordained government. Do you know what they are? Well, tune in and you’ll learn what they are. You can access the God and Government course on the Stand Firm app by texting COURSE to 67742. That’s COURSE to 67742. All right, the House is slated to vote on a budget resolution later today, meaning that sets up the reconciliation process. Now, the Senate has already moved forward. What does the prospects look like for success in the near future? Joining me now to discuss this, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham. He’s the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. Senator Graham, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Thank you, Tony, very much. All right, so you moved forward last week while the House was out with a Senate budget resolution. The House moving forward today. Yours calls for a two-step process. Theirs is the one big, beautiful bill. Yeah. What’s going to happen?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I hope they can pass the one big, beautiful bill today in the House. President Trump wants the tax cuts of 2017 to be permanent. So do I. That’s good for the economy. The House bill has eight years, and you have to do it all over again. So if they pass the bill that’s before the House, it will not pass the Senate without changes, but that’s okay. If it passes today, send it to the Senate. And we will change it in a way to make it more compliant with President Trump’s vision of the tax cuts. Current policy versus current law is a very boring conversation. I will not have it with you. But current policy allows the tax cuts to be permanent. Right now they’re due to expire in eight years. We want to do tax on tips. We want to deal with tax on Social Security. The House bill doesn’t allow you to do that, so we’ll create more room in the Senate for additional tax cuts. But I applaud Mike Johnson for getting the bill this far. If they pass it in the House or to come to the Senate, we’ll change it. Then we’ll have a conference. If they don’t pass it, I think our bill will become center stage. The Border Patrol is running out of money in weeks. Tom Holtman, the border czar, came up here two weeks ago begging for money to maintain the momentum of deporting people, finish the wall, and create detention space so you don’t have to release people. Our bill has $175 billion for border security. That’s all the president needs for four years. Our bill has $150 billion for the military. This under siege, quite frankly, and $20 billion for the Coast Guard. We would do our bill first if the House fails, get that done, secure our border, and in the spring or summer do taxes. But if Mike Johnson can deliver on the one big bill, it will come to the Senate, we’ll change it, hopefully have a conference on it.
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And that’s the process. And if you get it through the House this time, this bill goes through, actually coming out of conference makes it a little bit easier.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that’s right. We’ll want to do some things on taxes they didn’t do. We’ll see if we can find a common ground there. But Mike Johnson’s dealing with a one-vote majority. I’ve always preferred one bill. The bill would be border security, money for the military, tax cuts, and reducing spending. What I worry about is that this is the best chance we’ll have in a long time to do things without Democratic votes. Reconciliation was used to pass Obamacare. Reconciliation was used by Democrats to pass the Green New Deal. When you have the House, the Senate, and the White House, you can, through the budget process, pass legislation based on a simple majority in the Senate. We have 53 Republicans. In the last hundred years, Tony, Republicans have had the House, the Senate, and the White House four times in 100 years. This is a gift from God politically. We need to get this done. Passing a border security bill for President Trump without one Democrat vote needed is literally a gift from God. Being able to get money into the Defense Department without having to increase spending in other places to get Democrat votes is a true gift. making the tax cuts permanent and cutting spending without needing any Democrats. We cannot fail. We cannot let this moment pass.
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Yes, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. All right, Senator Graham, I want to shift gears. You’ve got a big portfolio. We’re talking budget, but I want to talk something. I want to talk about something you and I talk about a lot. That’s foreign policy. I want to address the issue first of Ukraine and Russia. The president saying that Ukraine was the aggressor here. Once this issue resolved, I mean, you and I have talked about this quite a bit. Your take on what’s unfolding there between Ukraine and Russia?
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Well, I think, number one, Putin was the aggressor, not Ukraine. But having said that, President Trump’s the only guy I know of that can end this war honorably and justly. There have been hundreds of thousands of people killed and injured on both sides. Putin invaded Ukraine, I think, for a couple reasons. Ukraine is the richest country on the continent of Europe when it comes to critical minerals, about $7 trillion. That’s why Putin wants to take Ukraine for the money. He wants to reconstruct the old Soviet Union, Russian Empire. Those are ambitions he has. What will President Trump do? I’m hoping in the next week, Tony, president trump will do a deal with ukraine in the areas of critical minerals these are the sort of the oil of the 21st century for ai development and high-tech development ukraine is literally the richest country in europe they’re sitting on trillions of dollars worth of critical minerals if president trump can pull this off doing a deal with ukraine in the united states regarding partnering in the critical mineral space That gives us something to defend. We’ll have an economic interest we’ve never had before. It makes Ukraine very valuable. The goal is to make sure we don’t have a third invasion. Now, how do you avoid that? If we have economic interest in Ukraine, it makes it less likely Russia will invade because they’d be hitting American companies. We need to keep helping the Ukraine militarily by giving them, selling them, not giving them weapons. They’re the most lethal army on the continent of Europe, and I want to make them stronger over the next decade by buying American weapons, which is good for our economy. And we need European troops, not American troops, on the ground policing the ceasefire area as a tripwire. If we do those three things, Putin won’t invade again, and we will not only get our money back from Ukraine, but make money and have a new relationship with Ukraine. And only President Trump can do this.
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All right. Zelensky, President Zelensky, has offered to step down. He said, I’ll walk away from this if we will ensure peace and the integrity of Ukraine and its borders.
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Is that reasonable? By being admitted to NATO. President Trump is going to get a good deal for Ukraine, but he’s not out to humiliate Putin. Putting Ukraine in NATO now, I think, would probably be a bridge too far. My idea is if they ever invade Ukraine again, Russia, Ukraine automatically goes into NATO. Let Russia decide if Ukraine’s in NATO and let it be a tripwire. But the bottom line for me is that this war needs to end. We can’t reward aggression because China will take Taiwan. But President Trump is the best guy to bring peace and to end this conflict because Putin’s afraid of it. Biden never could deter Putin or anybody else. Putin literally does not want to cross Trump. And Zelensky has led, I think, very bravely for the last three years. His country was massively invaded. We were told they were the last three weeks, and they’re still standing. But he needs to understand, quite frankly, this war needs to come to an end. And the best way to end this war is to have a business relationship, partnership with the United States. I hope Zelensky gets that.
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You talked about Biden and his leadership on the international stage. I mean, I would think that our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan was an invitation for Russia to make their invasion of Ukraine. I’m actually surprised China didn’t invade Taiwan already. But to your point about rewarding aggressors, what does that mean when it comes to the border and the land that Russia has taken from Ukraine?
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, there will be eventually some kind of land swap here. Stop the fighting, get a ceasefire, and do a deal that prevents a third invasion. Ukraine will decide what they can accept, and there will be a negotiation. And the only way you’re going to get a successful outcome is if Russia does not invade again and they’re deterred. I don’t know how the land swap will wind up ending, but there will probably be one. My goal is to make sure that Ukraine is a sovereign, independent, democratic nation when this war is over, and that China will be less likely to invade Taiwan, and Iran is watching. So I want this war in Ukraine to end, and I believe President Trump is the right guy to do it. But of all the things we talk about on a regular basis, it’s not Russia or Ukraine that keeps me up at night. It’s the Ayatollah, who’s a religious Nazi, having a nuclear weapon because I think he would use it against Israel to wipe them off the map, and he’s way too close.
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We’ve got two minutes left. Let’s talk about that, because Iran has their forces on high alert, concerned that Israel may be making a move on their nuclear sites. Are they right to be concerned?
SPEAKER 03 :
I am hoping that President Trump will give assistance to Israel if they decide to attack the Iran nuclear program. Iran is exposed. They’ve never been this weak. They’re religious Nazis. If they had a weapon, they would use it in furtherance of their theology, which is to purify Islam, make everybody a Shiite like them, take Saudi Arabia down, kill all the Jews and drive us out. Israel is ready to go. President Trump, give Israel the green light, help them degrade the Iranian nuclear program, then talk to the Arabs about peace.
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How big of a game changer would that be in the Middle East? Night versus day. Big. Absolutely big. I mean, we thought Syria in the fall of Assad was big. This would be seismic.
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This is the biggest thing that will happen in our lifetime for the future of Israel and the stability of the region. If we neutralize, if we continue to weaken Iran, Lebanon will come our way, Syria will come our way. If Iran gets stronger, they’ll rearm and God help Israel. This is the moment. This is the time.
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All right. We got to leave it there, Senator. Senator Lindsey Graham, always great to talk with you. Thanks so much for joining us today. All right. Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Budget Committee. But I like to talk with him more about foreign policy issues because he he’s one of the few in the U.S. Senate that really understands the landscape when it comes to the geopolitical landscape of the world. All right. Don’t go away. We’re going to be talking with another senator, Senator Tim Sheehy. Next. Don’t go away.
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During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we’re making an eternal impact. 2024 was a year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. Last fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit. to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting Sage Cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC’s outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with the community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God’s intervention in America. In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel’s peace, prosperity, and protection. With Pray, Vote, Stand Decision 2024, FRC and Real Life Network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God. We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and Government. Available now on the Stand Firm app, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us in standing for faith, family, and freedom.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, as we were discussing yesterday, on Friday, President Trump removed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General C.Q. Brown, Jr., for, I mean, he openly, General Brown openly, enthusiastically supported the Biden administration’s DEI insanity, which included allowing transgender troops in our ranks, paying for their so-called gender reassignment surgeries, and paying for travel of service members seeking an abortion. Yesterday, General Brown made headlines for a LinkedIn farewell post where he highlighted what he thought he did best, quote, war fighting, modernization and trust, end quote. Now, how steeped in this woke ideology is our military brass that they can confuse the use of preferred pronouns with killing those who want to destroy us? Here now to share more is one senator in what he is doing to strengthen our nation’s military, because he’s got some background there, is Senator Tim Sheehy of Montana. He serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, as well as the Veterans Affairs Committee. Senator Sheehy is a Navy SEAL and a former aerial firefighter. Senator Sheehy, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
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Thanks for having me.
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So I want to get your take on this. It’s it’s interesting. We now have more members of Congress than we’ve had in recent decades who have actually served in our military, served in combat as a combat veteran. Do you think there’s been a loss of focus in our nation’s top brass?
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Well, obviously there has been. That’s not even up for debate. That’s not a question. It’s a fact. Unfortunately, we’ve seen the disastrous withdrawal in two wars back to back. President Obama first in Iraq when he pulled us out so he could run in 2012 for reelection and say he ended the war. And of course, we saw what that chaotic pullout led to, which was the growth of ISIS. And of course, the requirement to go back into Iraq yet again. for the third time in 20 years. And then, of course, we saw President Biden’s disgusting, chaotic, shameful withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is exactly what got me into politics in the first place. My wife also was a veteran of the Afghan war. She was a Marine Corps officer. So both of us saw that happen and realized that we were at a crossroads as a nation. So combined with what you just mentioned, that we have, you know, drag queen recruiters out there, we’re paying for transgender surgeries. In the meantime, we’re hearing that our military bases, food is being directed elsewhere. And of course, it’s not crazy to assume that those funds are being directed towards, you know, whether it’s DEI issues or who knows where it’s going. The fact is, we don’t know. And the Pentagon, as we know, hasn’t passed an audit in years. So there’s really no question as to whether the military has been focused on readiness in warfighting. It has not. That’s its core mission. And the president, Secretary Hegseth, and of course, with the full support of the Republican Senate, we’re going to try to get things back on track because our warfighters and the American people deserve better.
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So, Senator Sheehy, how deep in the ranks will you have to go of those flag officers? I mean, I know the president’s removed the top and there’s a couple of others that have been removed as well, but this has been years in the making.
SPEAKER 09 :
It has been. And I think, you know, the concept that there’s this targeted campaign going after people, I just don’t think that’s accurate. I think what is accurate is what almost every administration does, which is everybody at the end of the day serves at the pleasure of their bosses. job in America and any job in the world. And what we’ve seen in the U.S. government over the past several decades, but especially the last few years, is this concept of unaccountability where, well, I work for the bureaucracy that I that I rest inside. I don’t really have accountability because I’m above that. I’m a civil servant. I’m a general. I’m a colonel, whatever I am. And the reality is everybody in the government serves at the pleasure of their boss and their boss is the American people and the will of their boss. The American people is expressed through democratic elections in our constitutional republic. This president and the Republican Senate and the Republican House that were delivered by the American people for the American people on November 5th said very clearly, we don’t have confidence in our government or our military right now. We want change and we expect to deliver that change. So what we’re seeing here is a reorientation and those who are not aligned with that reorientation and that focus are gonna go away. And that would happen in any organization, any private business, any nonprofit, any organization who has a mission That is clearly stated. And those who don’t allow that mission are going to be dealt with.
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But that’s somewhat of a new concept when it comes to government, because those principles have not been applied. We just see kind of one layer upon another layer. People pushed aside, kept there, but still pushing forward with their agenda. This is a new approach that we see that Donald Trump is taking.
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Well, I’m not so sure it is. I think in 1941, General George Catlett Marshall, who was a fantastic, he was the chief of the staff of the army, ended up being our top military officer during World War II, did what was called a plucking board. He went through and cleared out what he called the deadwood of a lot of the officers who been held over during the interwar period between World War I and II, who were not what he deemed to be capable battlefield commanders. And he recognized we were going to need fighters. We were going to need barroom brawlers. We were going to need gunfighters who were going to be able to lead men into combat in extremely challenging situations. And that’s how we saw someone like Dwight D. Eisenhower, who went from major in the late 1930s to five-star general in just a couple of years. George S. Patton went from colonel to four-star general. Many of these officers who were junior and obscure leaders in the interwar period rose to rapid fame and success because They cleared out many of the interwar officers who did not have combat experience and relevant battlefield leadership experience and replaced them with a younger generation that did. Ulysses S. Grant was an alcoholic, you know, deemed to be a complete loser, was kicked out of the Army. And then, of course, when the Civil War began, he was brought back to the Army and became the greatest battlefield general in the history of America up to that point because he wasn’t a great staff officer. He wasn’t great in garrison. He wasn’t a great politician. He was a combat leader, and he was meant for war, and he did a great job. So that’s what we’re seeing here. And, again, I don’t think it’s necessarily new. You’re absolutely right. It’s certainly more recent. But we saw this Obama got rid of some generals that he didn’t align with. President Clinton, as well, did that in the 1990s. So I think this is nothing new. I think it’s the process that we have to follow to ensure that the military aligns with the vision of the president and the American people.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, you certainly know your military history, Senator. And I agree, there is a history there in the military. But we’ve not seen that across the board in government, which is what we see Donald Trump doing, is basically cleaning house so that he can start basically a ground zero building up. And I think it’s time. I mean, I think it’s welcomed by the American people. We just have about a minute left, Senator. You said that the Republican senators… are going to help the president in this process of getting our military focused. How so.
SPEAKER 09 :
The most important role the Senate in my opinion. Keep in mind I’ve been here seven weeks is the personnel business. We are in charge of helping vet advising and sent the cabinet secretary senior military officers. A lot of people don’t realize all the generals and admirals have to come through the Senate the Senate for confirmation as well. We’re in the personnel business. So we ensure that the people around the president who run our military, who run our civilian departments are capable of doing the job and are aligned with the president’s vision. So how we can best support the president is making sure we’re getting his team in place quickly, which we are. We’re on pace to be the fastest cabinet nomination, I think, in almost 30 years. So we’re going to keep up that pace to give the president the team he needs to get the job done.
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Senator Sheehy, thanks for joining us. Great to talk with you. Look forward to talking to you again real soon. All right. Thanks. Take care. All right, folks, stick with us on the other side of the break. We’re going to continue our discussion on the military, but in a different way. So don’t go away.
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Oh, beautiful for spacious skies.
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For amber waves of grace. At the 2025 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, hundreds gathered with Christian and government leaders at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. to pray for the nation and ask God to forgive us of our sins.
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The fruit is plain.
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We gather here not to appeal to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are appealing to heaven. Today we make our appeal not in the authority of a political party or in the name of a denomination. We come in the name and the authority of Jesus Christ. who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and we have been commissioned to operate in that authority.
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Father, we pray in Jesus’ name for our complacency, our greed, our pride, our gluttony, our sloth and tolerance of sin.
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Lord, your word is the food that can make America healthy again. May your word be exalted and believed in our nation again.
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Lord, we ask that you allow us to become that shining city on the hill once more for your love, your grace, and your mercy.
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thank you for your love and your grace and your mercy, for the opportunity that you have provided us to heal our land. We ask you to do it, Lord. We ask you for the wisdom, discernment, and stamina to do the thing that you have called each one of us, all of us here, to do. May we be found faithful. We trust it, pray it, believe it all. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Well, as a Marine and a former police officer, I’ve seen firsthand the toll losing a husband, a father in the line of duty can have on families, especially on children. The loss of a father is life altering. There are some Christian ministries dedicated to supporting the children of these brave heroes. And one of them is Life Camp USA. Joining me now to share more about this, the critical mission of Life Camp USA is Scott Warner. He’s a mentor with Life Camp USA, and he’s also a captain in the United States Army. Scott, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Yes, sir. Thank you so much for having me on. So in addition to your service to our country, you volunteer as a part of the outreach of Life Camp USA. Talk a little bit about that.
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Yes, sir. So as you mentioned, anytime we lose a service member, either overseas in the line of duty or just on our own streets in the police force, they leave behind a family. And unfortunately, oftentimes that family includes young sons and daughters who then have to go through some of the most critical and informational times of life without their father. So Life Camp USA seeks to stand in the gap for those fathers, realizing we can never replace them, but to provide godly mentors who can walk alongside these kids through that most pivotal moment. So it starts with the week of camp, as the name implies, the one week of camp, which is incredible. It’s fun. There’s challenges. They get a Bible. They learn about the gospel. But then we also follow up with the kids throughout the year to touch back on the lessons that we learn in camp. And then also just to let them know that there’s an adult who loves and cares about them again throughout the rest of the year after that.
SPEAKER 05 :
So it’s not just a one-time event. This is ongoing. You kind of build that relationship and mentor these young people, as you said, to help them navigate some of those most difficult periods of life.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, sir. Exactly. So that’s the big thing with camp. I was a mentor for the first time this past summer, and I was really impacted because throughout the course of camp week, you build some incredible bonds with these kids and with the other uncles. But you don’t want it to just be this one-time thing, this, hey, we had this great week at camp, and then it fizzles out. So what I’ve been really impressed with with Life Camp is the way that we follow up. And it takes a couple forms, one of which is through monthly Zoom calls. So we’ll do calls as the whole group. All of the campers, all of the in a given week getting on together. Again, we go back over some of the lessons that we touched on. But then at least in my experience, when we connected with the boys throughout the week, we asked, hey, if there’s one uncle, as they call us, that you’d like to stay in touch with throughout the year, who would that be? And in that way, we kind of got set up kind of a one-to-one. And so a lot of us, we’ve stayed in touch with the boys, call in every week or two, just, hey, how did that math test go? Hey, what’s been going on with your youth group? So really building the relationship beyond just the one week.
SPEAKER 05 :
Captain Warner, I’ve got a few more questions for you on that. But before I get to those, I want to make sure I get to this part. How can people find out more about maybe supporting Camp USA or even maybe they are a family that’s been impacted by this and they’ve got a young, maybe teenager that would benefit from this? How can they find out more?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, sir, absolutely. So lifecampusa.org, again, lifecampusa.org is the website. And if you go on there, you can see information about the camp, where the camps are gonna be this summer, impact videos from previous years, and there’s also a button to apply now. And that is both for campers, so if a family is in that situation, they’ve endured that kind of loss, or they know someone who has, they can go to that website and get the camper registered there. And also for those who may want to be a mentor or to donate to the camp, you can also go through that website.
SPEAKER 05 :
So this is explicitly Christian camp, so they do share the gospel with them. They address the underlying issues from a biblical perspective. So let me ask you this, Scott, what inspired you to take part in this ministry?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, sir. So actually, a classmate of mine a couple of years back found out about it, I think, through one of his chaplains. But he was a mentor a couple of years back. And then he told me about it. He’s like, Scotty, this camp is incredible. You’ve got to go and be part of this. And when he told me about it, I said, that’s too good to be true. But yeah. When he told me that, I was like, I absolutely want to be part of that. And a lot of that for me comes back to looking at my own life and the impact that my youth group leaders had on me when I was in middle school. I realized now looking back, that was my most pivotal time. And they were absolutely crucial in me taking my faith as my own, no longer just going to church because that’s what my parents do, but really that faith becoming my own. And so realizing that these kids, generally 11 to 13 is the window that we look at. that is such a pivotal time in their lives. And so if I have the chance to pay it forward, I absolutely want to do that.
SPEAKER 05 :
As you’ve gone through this process and been a part of mentoring, I know that the goal here is to help and to encourage others, but you can’t do that without being impacted yourself. What would you say, in the minute we have left, Captain Warner, what has impacted you most about this outreach and this ministry?
SPEAKER 14 :
That’s a good question. First off, absolutely. I mean, Christ tells us it is more blessed to give than to receive. And I will tell you that if I have given even just a portion of what I’ve gotten back throughout this process, it will have been well worth it. I think the biggest thing, I’ll just give one example from camp, and this one is not specifically spiritual, but there was a moment on one of our last days that we were doing this kayak, this paddle, and we came to a rock that was overlooking the water. And at first, when the alcohol jumped off, it’s maybe a 10-foot drop, and all the campers were like, oh, no, you do it. And then by over the course of the next half an hour, all 10 kids eventually jumped. And so it was seeing that that moment of I’m going from this is terrifying to I want to face my fears and I’m going to take the jump. And so getting to see those those moments of growth has been has been really, really special.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, Captain, thanks so much for joining us. And we’ll encourage people to check out Life Camp USA. Appreciate you joining us today. And folks, stick around. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
SPEAKER 17 :
What is God’s role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful 13-part series that equips you with biblical truth to engage in today’s most pressing debates, from the Ten Commandments in classrooms to the immigration crisis of America. will uncover the foundations of our nation’s history and why it’s relevant for today. Defend God’s plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. New episodes available each Monday. To view the series on the Stand Firm app, text COURSE to 67742.
SPEAKER 18 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God’s will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn’t impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can’t do that. It’s not that you don’t love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God’s opinion more than your neighbor’s opinion. And this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you’re the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that’s not all. They’re also engaged in our government. They’re voters. They’re more likely to be involved in their community, and they’re making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these SageCons yourself, go to frc.org slash SageCon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That’s what we’re working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That’s S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Great to have you along today. All right. If you’ve not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I encourage you to do so. Go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. That way you have Washington Watch with you no matter where you go. And you get our news and commentary from a biblical perspective from the Washington Stand. Also, my daily Bible commentary, which is Stand on the Word. So go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. Today’s reading from Jeremiah 30 reminds us of God’s unwavering faithfulness, even in seasons of judgment. The Lord instructed Jeremiah to write these promises in a book. For behold, days are coming when I will restore the fortunes of my people and bring them back to the land. While Jerusalem was under the weight of divine discipline, God revealed a future filled with hope and restoration. The culminating promise in verse 22 declares, And you shall be my people and I will be your God. This assurance of a restored relationship stands as a powerful source of hope. We too can cling to God’s promise that nothing is stronger than His love for us. Regardless of the darkness we face, He remains our God and we are His people. This covenant relationship instills confidence, reminds us we are never abandoned, and draws us closer to Him in prayer and trust. Reflect today on Jeremiah’s timeless reminder. In God’s hand, every season of hardship can lead to a new beginning, anchored in the faithfulness of the one who calls us his own. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. All right. Shifting gears a bit. Title nine was perhaps one of the biggest issues that brought voters to the poll last year. Now, what is that? Well, that was the issue of the Biden administration’s woke agenda that was being pushed on schools, in particular women’s sports, that men could compete in women’s sports and when men could declare themselves women. Thankfully, thankfully, sanity and common sense has returned to the White House. Now, you may have seen this exchange with President Trump and the governor of Maine, Janet Mills. I want to play clip number five, please.
SPEAKER 16 :
Are you not going to comply with it? Well, we are the federal law. Well, you better do it. You better do it because you’re not going to get any federal funding at all if you don’t. And by the way, your population, even though it’s somewhat liberal, although I did very well there, your population doesn’t want men playing in women’s sports. So you better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding. Every state. Good. I’ll see you in court. I look forward to that. That should be a real easy one.
SPEAKER 05 :
You got to love it. All right. So he’s the president signed an executive order, one of the first, saying that, you know, only women can be in women’s sports. And now he’s saying to the states that, hey, if you don’t comply, you don’t get any federal money. And there are various ways the Trump administration can enforce the original meaning of Title IX. And here to talk about this, White House deputy assistant to the president and senior policy strategist, Mae Mailman. Mae, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, thanks for having me. All right. I have to say I got a kick out of that exchange with the president, not backing down one bit. But what the bigger news is, is the next day we already saw the administration moving, the USDA announcing a review of the University of Maine’s transgender sports policy. Talk about how the tools, if you will, that are in the toolbox that the White House can use to make sure that these states comply with federal law.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, and these are, as you said, this is federal law. These are Congress’s tools. Congress, in passing Title IX in 1972, said, hey, states, we’re going to give you a bunch of money for your education programs. But it comes with a catch. It’s a pretty easy catch. You can’t discriminate on the basis of sex. And schools signed up for that. All right, I’ll take this money, but I’m not going to discriminate on the basis of sex. But if you are not providing women private locker rooms, if you are not allowing women fair or safe competition, then you’re discriminating against women. And so that’s what USDA the Health and Human Services Department and the Education Department have all now launched investigations into Maine saying we’re going to take away your funding your education funding from these three agencies. There are other agencies that give money and there are other pockets of funds that are at risk. But just these three right now Maine can very easily say, you know, I’m not going to have men win women’s pole vaulting competitions. And that would be the end of that. But Maine seems like they have no interest in doing that.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, May. So help us kind of see the connection. People saying USDA. What does that have to do with the University of Maine? Explain how that funding from USDA goes to the University of Maine.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, so the University of Maine, also K through 12 schools, take a lot of money from the federal government. So USDA funding can go toward research grants, things like vet programs, different farming majors, other sorts of aid programs. So all of this is going to look in a lot of different ways. I think there’s around $100 million that they’ve identified in this first tranche. And it spans the gamut. Obviously, USDA gives a lot of other money to K-12 schools. But really, we’re just talking about higher education. We’re talking about the University of Maine. And so these are going to be things like research grants.
SPEAKER 05 :
Do you anticipate other federal agencies stepping in to to add a little more pressure until the university or till the governor of Maine cries uncle?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I do. Of course, I always try and be hopeful because it’s funny. If you think about this as a normal person, this is one of those things that if the governor of Maine had an open heart at all, she would see how easy it is just to protect women’s sports. And the only reason that she is declining the money in this way is because she so hates President Trump. I mean, this is something that’s just rooted in hate and lack of logic. and so what i hope is that the people of maine actually go and talk to their governor and say we don’t want men and women’s sports that’s not what they want this is an 80 20 issue even democrats even most democrats do not want men in women’s sports and so while yes The White House is prepared to do other agencies, to do these same agencies, more pots of funding. Absolutely. What I hope is that the governor of Maine starts caring about her own people and the women in her state.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, this is kind of crazy. This is not a hill to compete on. As you said, this is an 80-20 issue. Most people realize we should not have men in women’s sports and in women’s locker rooms. By the way, I just, again, just thought the president was great on this. It’s good to see him standing in… firmly stating these positions and not backing down and thankful that he has now an administration that is backing him up on all of this. So grateful, May, for you joining us today and appreciate your insight on this.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is encouraging when you set a policy that you actually enforce it. All right. And that’s what this is doing. It’s a full government approach to making sure we get back to normality. Common sense. A man is a man. A woman is a woman. So anyway, you’re going to hear me applauding the president every time he does something right, and most of what he’s doing is on the right track. All right, let’s go back. I want to talk foreign policy again. I’m going to bring in Pennsylvania Congressman Scott Perry, a member of the House Intelligence Committee. Congressman Perry, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. I know it’s a busy, busy day on Capitol Hill. Give us the latest. I know the budget changes. Still anticipating a vote on the budget resolution. What’s that look like?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, this morning, we’re looking at a vote this evening. This morning, I was counting about four or five no votes. Understand, if all the Democrats show up, we need we can only lose one. So the vote would not have passed this morning. But I know that the speaker has been working. with the members that have concerns about their concerns and how to address them. I think they are valid concerns. But, you know, I’m hopeful that, look, this is the first step. This is not the end of the process. It’s actually just kind of the beginning of the process. And so to do anything, this is where we’ve got to get off the dime. And so I’m hopeful that by 6 o’clock we can have the numbers that we need.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I think you’re right. In my conversation with the speaker earlier, about four votes away, about four members that are kind of no votes right now. But I want to talk something else with you. I want to talk Ukraine and Russia. President Zelensky has, and I talked earlier in the program with Senator Lindsey Graham about this, but I want to revisit it with you. The This issue could be resolved. In fact, over the weekend, Zelensky said that he would step aside, lay down his position if there would be peace guaranteed for Ukraine entry into NATO and boundaries established. Reasonable request?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think it is. Look, Zelensky is the duly elected president. By saying he’s willing to step aside, I think that’s a huge act of sacrifice on his part and on behalf of his country. That having been said, I would modify that deal if I were President Trump. I would say, look, if Zelensky is willing to step aside, Ukraine’s original territory must be restored. And Russia cannot be involved at all in the election of the next president of Ukraine. Look, you know, NATO’s, I see them as, I see NATO as an organization that really hasn’t produced much over the course of its time. And I wouldn’t make that a sticking point to resolve this conflict.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, what Lindsey Graham earlier in the program said, that it could be a tripwire, that if Russia invades Ukraine again, crossing over their borders, that that would automatically move Ukraine into NATO.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, see, I could live with something like that. Look, at the end of the day, I think the president, the American people want Russia out of Ukraine. They want their territory restored. Russia has no business in Ukraine. At the same time, we don’t have the money to spend in Ukraine. It’s a sucking chest wound financially for the United States of America. Of course, all of the killing and the mayhem in the country, everybody would love to see that stop, but we are dependent on Russia to do that, right? Ukraine can’t force them to do that, or they would have already done it. Only the United States will be able to do that in cooperation with much of Europe. And I think that’s where the president is focused. I know sometimes I don’t like it when it seems like he’s treating Vladimir Putin better than he should be. But as long as the outcome is what we want, I can live with whatever the words are that get us there, right? Sticks and stones may break my bones, but the words would never hurt me, right? Right. So we just need to get over the rhetoric and understand President Trump is forced to negotiate in public. It’s difficult. It’s intractable. And but we got to get to a good result.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I would agree with you, Congressman Perry, that. If if we’ll get the borders back to where they were, we should not reward behavior like Putin’s invading another sovereign nation. I think that could be. And to borrow from Lindsey Graham earlier, that’s an invitation to China to take Taiwan. If we’re willing to step aside and say, oh, well, you know, that’s OK. That’s OK. Just as long as you can’t allow it. Yeah, it can’t be acceptable.
SPEAKER 04 :
That’s the old model of might makes it right. And that’s the old world of nations conquering one another because they can. We live in a civilized world. We handle our disputes differently. Russia cannot be rewarded with the territory of Ukraine.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, that would be I use this example yesterday. That would be like giving Hamas and the Palestinians a two state, their so-called two state solution after their invasion of Israel. We don’t want to reward that type of behavior.
SPEAKER 04 :
We can’t reward that. And as long as you’re speaking of it, this is the result of a two state solution, which we currently have. It cannot exist. We see the the flaw in it. And that’s why the president has moved to do something wholly different. But you’re exactly right. You cannot reward this bad behavior because that others will take notice and then and then act accordingly.
SPEAKER 05 :
We just have a couple minutes left, Congressman Perry. I want to talk Iran. Iran is on high alert. They’re concerned that Israel may be targeting their nuclear sites because, quite frankly, they’re exposed after the last raid that the Israelis made on Iran. Is Iran right to be concerned?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I guess they’re right to be concerned, but they can alleviate their concerns by abandoning their nuclear weapon program. They don’t have a civil nuclear program. It’s not about producing power. That’s not why they’re enriching uranium to the level that they are. They are doing it solely to deliver nuclear strikes to their enemies and adversaries. If they want to abandon that, then I think we could probably all get along better. But as long as they’re going to continue to lie about it and continue to pursue it, then they should be looking over their shoulder and they’ll get whatever they deserve.
SPEAKER 05 :
Any evidence to suggest that their wings have been clipped and they’re rethinking this and just kind of turning over a new leaf?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, certainly their wings have been clipped. Look, they’ve essentially lost everything that they’ve been involved in, including the Houthis, but certainly Hezbollah and Hamas. I mean, their proxies are just getting routed and, of course, their own countryside militarily being beaten down. So they are on the run. The question is, are they ever going to learn? Iran has been doing the same thing over and over again for the last… 40 years, right? So they retreat for a while, they rebuild, and then they start the same terrorist antics all over the globe, and especially with their proxies. So while I think they’re on the run and their wings have been clipped, I don’t sense that they’re going to change behavior without a strong requirement from the individuals that live within Iran that are tired of living under this tyranny.
SPEAKER 05 :
I would agree. I think there’s no way to change that radical ideology that’s rooted in their Islamic theology. I think it’s going to require a regime change in Iran. Congressman Scott Perry, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today, as always.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, thank you, Tony. God bless you and your audience.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right. Thanks so much. Folks, a lot today that we’ve covered in the program and a lot to be praying about. And that’s a part of our goal here at the Family Research Council and Washington Watch is to inform you of what’s happening. educate you give you the the information from the newsmakers themselves but also to encourage you to not only take action but also to pray and we live in a very volatile time and a lot is at stake so i encourage you to pray also download the stand firm app and you can watch the latest episode of god in government on the stand firm app as well as read the latest from the washington stand All right, that’s all we have time for today. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time, I leave you with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul, found in Ephesians 6, where he says this. He says, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, when you’ve prepared, and when you’ve taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
