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On today's program: Chuck Fleischmann, U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 3rd District, discusses today's headlines, including the latest on the Reagan National Airport crash and possible congressional investigation. Lt. General (Ret.) Jerry
Washington Watch Daily Live Radio Show
On today's program: Chuck Fleischmann, U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 3rd District, discusses today's headlines, including the latest on the Reagan National Airport crash and possible congressional investigation. Lt. General (Ret.) Jerry
In this episode of Washington Watch, Tony Perkins dives into the recent aviation disaster in Washington, D.C., raising questions about air safety and military-civilian coordination. With insights from former President Donald Trump and newly confirmed Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, the episode examines if the recent collision highlights broader flaws in airspace management. Additionally, the episode navigates the turbulent waters of political weaponization within the federal government, drawing on expert opinions from Congresswoman Harriet Hageman and others. We transition into global politics with a focus on South Korea, where President Moon Seok-yool's impeachment adds to concerns about democratic stability in the region. Senator Ted Cruz and Congresswoman Harriet Hageman provide commentary on the ongoing struggles against political weaponization. This episode is packed with expert insights and critical analysis on pressing national and international issues. Behind the scenes, the looming Super Bowl prompts discussion on the need for family-friendly entertainment standards following controversial performances in previous years. With a letter from Louisiana legislators prompting a commitment from the NFL, could this signal a shift in cultural values at major events?
SPEAKER 01 :
From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 15 :
We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas, and I think we'll probably state those opinions now. Because over the years, I've watched as things like this happen and they say, well, we're always investigating. And then the investigation three years later, they announce it. We think we have some pretty good ideas. But we'll find out how this disaster occurred and we'll ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was President Donald Trump earlier today responding to last night's tragic collision between an American Airlines passenger jet and the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter at Washington Reagan's National Airport. Welcome to Washington Watch, and thank you for joining us. Well, this morning, the rescue effort at the crash site shifted to a recovery mission after it was confirmed there were no survivors. Now the big question is, how did this happen?
SPEAKER 18 :
We are going to wait for all the information to come in from this vantage point, but to back up what the President said, what I've seen so far, do I think this was preventable? Absolutely.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was newly confirmed. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaking earlier today. We'll get an update from Congressman Troy Nels of Texas. He's the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation. And for anyone who flies frequently in and out of Washington, it's obvious there are a lot of military helicopters in the air. But have they made the skies above D.C. too crowded? We'll discuss that with retired Air Force Brigadier General John Teichert later here on Washington Watch. Meanwhile, President Trump's nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel had his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee today. The topic of government weaponization took center stage.
SPEAKER 08 :
And in many ways, the worst legacy, in my opinion, of the Biden administration. was the complete politicization and weaponization of both the Department of Justice and the FBI, turning them into tools to attack the perceived enemies of the Biden White House.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was Texas Senator Ted Cruz. We'll get reaction from Congresswoman Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, a member of the House Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. And amid ongoing news from the Middle East and the continuing war in Ukraine, there's been less focus on South Korea, where impeached President Moon Seok-yool faces charges of insurrection. Is South Korea's democracy at risk? We'll talk with Bruce Klingner, Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation and former CIA Deputy Division Chief for Korea. And finally, as I mentioned yesterday, there's some encouraging news regarding the content of the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges will join us later to share the details. All of that and more coming up on this Thursday edition of Washington Watch. Be sure and check out the website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, if you've not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I encourage you to go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app so you can take Washington Watch with you wherever you go. Well, there was quite a bit of fireworks today during the confirmation hearing for three of President Trump's most, I'd say, controversial picks for key roles in his administration. Among the issues that came up during the hearing for Trump's nominee for FBI Director Kash Patel was the weaponization of the federal government, which Democrats claim is what President Trump is threatening to do. But as Republicans have rightly pointed out, weaponization is what we saw from the previous administration under Joe Biden. And President Trump has made clear that he will not be continuing a weaponized DOJ. Well, that message doesn't appear to be getting through to Democrats. Here now to discuss the issues, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman. She serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the Natural Resources Committee. She represents the at-large congressional district of the great state of Wyoming. Congresswoman, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always good to see you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wonderful to see you, Tony.
SPEAKER 07 :
Before we get into the confirmation hearing and the president's executive order on the weaponization of government, I want to get your reaction to the tragic crash that took place in D.C. last night.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is absolutely heartbreaking. I flew out of DCA just a couple of hours before that to head home to Wyoming. One of the observations I had was looking out the window at the Potomac and thinking how absolutely frigid cold it looked with all the ice flows in it. And to hear about that last evening as I was driving from the Denver airport, again, it's just heartbreaking. My heart goes out to those families, to the teammates, to everyone who was affected by this terrible, terrible tragedy.
SPEAKER 07 :
I am pretty confident, as we've heard from the president, Sean Duffy, former colleague of yours, this is going to be thoroughly looked at. And I think it will be, given the fact that so many members of Congress fly in and out. And we've seen it. I mean, I'm flying it out every week. And you see the aircraft. It's a very crowded airspace. So I imagine that something is going to be done there. to deal with this. Let's talk about the weaponization. Let's first start. One of the first executive orders of President Trump was dealing with the issue of the weaponization of the federal government. Talk a little bit about that and how, given the position that you had on that weaponization committee, looking at all those issues, are we going to get a handle on this quickly?
SPEAKER 02 :
I've had a front row seat to see what happens when the federal government is weaponized against political opponents. We saw it play out in a couple of different ways under the Biden-Harris administration. One of them was the manner in which they charged and prosecuted the J6 folks, going after people who might have just simply walked through the Capitol, not even knowing that there were barricades up. and overcharging them dramatically. We know that because the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of many of the people who were charged, where the Biden-Harris administration was actually using a statute that was adopted to address the Enron situation of disposing of and destroying documents and records. And they used that as a way to try to enhance the sentences of the people on January—who were involved in anything associated with January 6. Then you contrast that with what happened in Portland, what happened in Minnesota during the summer of 2020, what happened in New York City. And the reason that I say you have to contrast it is, for one group of people that were disfavored by the Biden-Harris administration, they did everything they could to destroy them. For the people such as Antifa, the people who were involved in CHOP in Seattle and those kinds of things, they not only dropped charges or didn't bring charges in the first place, many of those people they settled with and paid them tens of thousands of dollars if they were at all inconvenienced at any time while they were burning down cities and causing billions of dollars of damage. If you look at what they did to President Trump, it's so clear in the cases in New York, Florida, and D.C. that the folks aligned with Biden and Harris and the Democrats, again, were using our justice system to go after a political opponent. As an attorney, as a long-term advocate for civil rights and civil liberties and adhering to our Constitution, I was pretty shocked to see how the government was weaponized as quickly as it was. When you look at the Russia, Russia, Russia collusion hoax and what the FBI did and their involvement and what the White House knew, in fact, they knew in August of 2016, before the 2016 election, that the Steele dossier was a hoax, that it was paid for by Hillary Clinton, that there was no validity to it. Yet they use the whole-of-government approach to get FISA warrants against the Trump team, to spy on them, to continue with an investigation against President Trump for a year-and-a-half under the auspices of claiming that he was conspiring with or colluding with the country of Russia to undermine America. I mean, all of these things together give you an idea of how weaponized the federal government became under the last administration.
SPEAKER 07 :
Congresswoman, I think it's been a process, because I think back into the 80s and 90s, where, even early turn of the century, where RICO statutes, which was, they were created back in the 1970s to go after the mob and racketeering, were used against pro-lifers. So I think, you know, those things were allowed to go forward, and I think it's kind of like the camel's nose under the tent. If you don't address it, it only gets worse.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's why I refer to what President Trump is doing as accountability. People want to say, well, he's going to weaponize this against his enemies, and Dick Durbin is saying that now. No, the people who engaged in this contact need to be held accountable for the decisions that they made. And so far, no one has been held accountable. One of the things that we did a lot of work on with the Select Committee on weaponization of the federal government related to the First Amendment and the mechanism that was used by Biden and Harris and their cohorts within that administration to stop us, the conservatives and Republicans, from being able to exercise their First Amendment rights. We know that from the Twitter files and the testimony of Matt Taibbi and Michael Schellenberger, what Professor Jonathan Turley has found. All of these things, all of these mechanisms by which the government was used to suppress the First Amendment rights, not only the freedom of speech, but as you point out, freedom of religion, using the FACE Act and literally turning it on its head and taking, you know, 72-year-old grandmothers who are praying outside of an abortion clinic and trying to throw them in prison for five years, not because that woman was any kind of a threat or violating anyone's civil rights, but for the purpose of making her as an example so that no one else would dare risk objecting to and fighting back against abortion. So that's what they did.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes. And that's probably the most chilling aspect of this is that it was designed, it was to shock others into silence so that they would not speak or challenge these policies. And that's what happened with the J6 folks and what they endured. But the EO, the executive order, is great. I mean, you look at it, it addresses this issue, but it's an executive order. It can be repealed by the next administration. Congress has to deal with this. Are your colleagues ready to statutorily deal with this so that the government cannot be weaponized in the future against the American citizen?
SPEAKER 02 :
So a couple of things. In some ways, we already have. So being on the Judiciary Committee, part of our jurisdiction was revising Section 702 of the FISA warrants. And so after we learned what the FBI was doing in collusion with the Hillary campaign, in going after the Trump campaign during the 2016 cycle, we made fundamental changes to Section 702 of FISA that makes it much more difficult for the FBI to be using that process, at least to be weaponized against us. So we've already started that process. And I agree with you that this is an executive order. To the extent that any of these executive orders should be turned into statutes, we are already working through that process. so that we can be introducing them. But the other thing that I think is going to happen over the next four years, Tony, is that we're going to see so much exposed. And I think it happened over the last year and a half. I think that the reason that Donald Trump won with the resounding victory that he did was that people were horrified at what had happened with our legacy institutions, with those institutions that all of us grew up revering and thinking, hey, maybe I want to go and work for the FBI. What has been exposed over the last couple of years and what will continue to be exposed, number one, will help us to draft better legislation and make sure it doesn't happen again. But the other thing we need to do is just simply enforce the Constitution as written. I have an absolute First Amendment right in speech, in press, to peaceably assemble to petition my government for redress and to exercise my religion as I see fit. And one of the things that I have done is I have introduced a bill called the First Amendment Restoration Act. It is patterned after a similar federal law that applies to states. But basically what it says is that any federal employee who under color of federal law violates someone's First Amendment rights, they can be held liable in damages. We can get injunctive relief and we can also seek attorney's fees. So that's one of the bills that I actually worked with Jonathan Turley and some of my cohorts on the bill. Judiciary Committee, that we're going directly at these things, that it will be very clear that if you violate the First Amendment and you are a federal employee, I can sue you personally. So that's the kind of legislation we're pushing forward with.
SPEAKER 07 :
Harriet, I want to help you with that. We need that. We need accountability. That is a means of accountability. We're out of time, but always great to see you. Thank you so much for joining us today. And we look forward to working with you to protect that first freedom and to get rid of the weaponization of our federal government. All right, folks, we're going to look at South Korea next. The crisis there. 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. Launching early this year in January 2025, 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, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 03 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you on this Thursday afternoon. The website, TonyPerkins.com, but better yet, get the Stand Firm app. And by the way, on the app, we have our first 100 Days Toolkit. That will enable you to engage in the process of helping correct some of the things that have happened in the last four years. There'll be action items. You'll have contact information for your member of Congress and your senators. You can find it, and it'll keep you up to date on what's happening. So you can get it on the app or just text the word TOOLKIT to 67742. That's TOOLKIT to 67742. All right. We're waiting for our guest. I've been tracking what's been happening in South Korea. South Korean President Eun Suk-yool shocked the world when he declared martial law in his country, a move widely condemned as an abuse of power. Now, that set off a political firestorm that has only grown more intense. Well, on Saturday, the impeached president was then indicted on charges of leading an insurrection. Now, A lot of stuff sounds very familiar, does it not? And this guy, he's kind of a conservative. And it's been the moderates, the liberals that have been opposing him in South Korea. Well, this ongoing political turmoil in South Korea has raised serious concerns about the stability of one of America's key allies. I mean, their democratic form of government is relatively new going back to the 1980s. And so it has some asking, can South Korea's democratic government And it's an important question because they're a stabilizing force there in that region of the world. All right, while we're waiting for a guest, I'm going to go to Meg Kilgannon, Senior Fellow for Education Studies here at the Family Research Council. She's been tracking a number of the confirmation hearings as we're watching these go through the process. And so I'm going to bring her in. Meg, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to see you.
SPEAKER 11 :
Great to be here, Tony.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let me continue my conversation I was having with Congresswoman Harriet Hageman regarding the – weaponization of government. Today, Kash Patel had his confirmation hearing in the Senate. This issue factored in very heavily, and Harriet made reference to this. This is what was brought up in the committee, that President Trump simply wants to weaponize government to be used against the left. How do we prevent this tit for tat, back and forth?
SPEAKER 11 :
Right. Well, I think that the problem with that analysis is that you're assuming that what happened the previous four years to former President Trump and people who had worked for him was not the weaponization of government. and that it was in fact perfectly legal behavior and something to be proud of, whereas we know that it was illegal behavior that has consequences. And so when you're enforcing consequences on people who've behaved badly, that doesn't mean you're weaponizing the government against them. It means that they are paying the price for the mistakes that were made. very grievous mistakes that have repercussions across the entirety of society. I mean, everything that was done to those folks that were serving in political power could be done to you or me.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. But does it also kind of reveal with the Democrats the – They're kind of projecting. I mean, this is what they did when they had power. So they're just assuming that Donald Trump's going to do the same thing. Republicans will do the same thing. This is what they did.
SPEAKER 11 :
Right. I think you're seeing the trouble they're having sort of getting their foothold in this new paradigm since the big Republican win in November and this shock and awe campaign we're seeing from the White House and the executive branch. The Democrats are not responding, I think, very well. responding in their usual fashion, but it's not meeting the moment, right? People see through this now.
SPEAKER 07 :
So we're going to see a course correction. I mean, we've already seen the president in his executive order on January the 20th regarding the weaponization of federal government, the personnel that he is appointing. But how can the people that were targeted by the DOJ under the Biden administration and the victims of the weaponization of the federal government, how can they be made whole?
SPEAKER 11 :
Right. This age old question, where do I go to get my good name back? Right. It's it's there. These are these are crimes against people that are hard to to to really make right. And so I think maybe that is part of the reason why the other side is so focused on it. They understand on a primal level the grievous wrongs that were done, and they're probably operating out of a sense of fear that they will be held accountable for what they did.
SPEAKER 07 :
Meg, we've got our guest now to talk about South Korea. So unless you want to talk about South Korea, I'll let you.
SPEAKER 11 :
I can't wait to hear the guest.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah. All right. Meg Kilgannon, thanks so much for joining us. All right. Do we have him now? Okay. All right. So we don't have it. Okay. All right. This is the joys of live programming. So we're going to see if we can get connected with him. There's some issues there with our connections. But again, let me jump back here to South Korea. When we look at the parallels, we talked about this a while back when this was first unfolding, but it's continued. And we need to be aware, especially when you look at South Korea's spiritual history and the vibrancy of the church and what's been happening over there, and then all of a sudden it just began to implode. And The conservative, progressive, liberal, whatever you want to call it, leftist, have been fighting and taking their fragile democratic government really to the edge. And so anyway, it's something I think we need to keep an eye on while we're looking at domestic issues, looking at issues in the Middle East and elsewhere. All right. We're almost out of time in this segment. And when we come back, we're going to talk about some good news. All right. You want some good news? Good news is that the NFL is responding to a group of pro-family leaders and legislators from the state of Louisiana regarding the halftime show in the upcoming Super Bowl. So we're going to be joined by state senator, Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges next, to share their response to this letter and a commitment. We'll see if they hold to that commitment. But nonetheless, they're listening. We could be in a moment of sea change where we see a lot of things shifting. All right, don't go away. We're back with more Washington Watch after this.
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Have you ever been to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.? Well, now you have a special reason to be there on Wednesday, February 5th. First, you can take part in the third annual National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. God's ways are higher than our ways. The Lord clearly reveals in Scripture any nation that genuinely worships Him is a nation with leaders willing to repent and ask forgiveness for sins. The NGPR is a unique public gathering where scores of congressional leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, join with international leaders representing more than 50 nations for one sole purpose.
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Forgive our nations against you and you alone have we sinned.
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You can be there in the room to pray along with members of Congress, dignitaries from other nations, and Christian leaders from across the U.S. The NGPR is hosted by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Dr. Jim Garlow, founder of Well-Versed World, along with Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and former Congresswoman Michelle Buchman. Right after the prayer and repentance gathering, participants will move to the World Stage Theater for a private update on important events happening in Israel. and watch a preview of the historic new documentary on the Megiddo Mosaic, the most remarkable archeological find in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is truly one of a kind opportunity to learn what's going on behind the scenes in Israel and how it could affect the whole world. Both of these Bible honoring events require tickets. Go to PrayDC.org, register today to attend in person on February 5th. As a bonus, your ticket grants you a free admission to experience the rest of the Museum of the Bible. Seating is limited for both events. Go to PrayDC.org to get tickets today.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Thursday. Well, in just 10 days, the Super Bowl will be in New Orleans. And this year, there's some good news for families across the country. After concerns were raised over past halftime performances featuring explicit content, event organizers have confirmed that the Super Bowl, Super Bowl 59, their halftime show will be a family-friendly event. So will this be the year that families won't have to switch the channel when it's halftime? Could this be a pivotal point going forward for the Super Bowl? Joining me now to discuss this, Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges, who led Louisiana lawmakers and pro-family groups in addressing this issue to get this commitment. Senator Hodges, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you for having me, Tony. I appreciate it.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. So it's always good to have some good news. Tell us about the response that you received to the letter.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, we got a I didn't know whether to really expect a response or not. We sent the letter on the 16th and all the press releases went out on Monday and they were very quick to respond. After that, we got a letter from Jay Cicero saying, who is the CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation. And he issued a statement in response to the letter that I was very, very excited about and impressed by. And I don't know if you want to read the response, but I have it in front of me. No, go ahead and read it, Valerie. Okay, it says, he wrote, we respect and value the comments of our legislators who play a critical role in our ability to secure large events, providing an economic boost to our city and our state, Cicero said. We have shared the letter with the NFL, and we are all in agreement that this year's halftime show will be a family-friendly event befitting New Orleans' storied history hosting Super Bowls. And I was very, very pleased with that. He recognizes that the legislature does contribute greatly to this event and that we're all excited about the event being here in Louisiana and that it should be a family-friendly event. And he agreed that the NFL would do something about it. So we'll see.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I know it's a trust but verify as we look at this. But it's encouraging that they responded to it. There's recognition there's a problem. They're now on the record saying that we want to see this as well. And, of course, we also know I've been in touch with the the head of the Louisiana State Police, as well as the attorney general in Louisiana. And they are going to be watching a lot of the, whether or not laws are violated. They're also going to be addressing the issue that you and I talked about earlier in the week, and that was the issue of human trafficking, which is at its peak around such events as the Super Bowl.
SPEAKER 13 :
Correct. And I thought... the quote that was released was through the Louisiana Illuminator. And I posted the response from Mr. Cicero and the link to the article from the Louisiana Illuminator on my Facebook. It's Valerie Hodges State Senate page. And I want to ask your listeners to go to that and look at it, read the letter, read the response. And the article was really a good article. And they even referenced at the end the fact that the NFL and Roger Goodell still, They signed a contract last year with, I think, I don't remember, J.C., J.Z., that was accused of rape. And I don't know where that court case is. But these are not issues that we can any longer ignore. We've seen the issues that are going on across the nation with the... with P. Diddy, I'll just say it. And so this is not appropriate behavior, and it's certainly not appropriate behavior at one of the largest sports venues in the nation of the year. And so that's what we're hoping, that they will take the letter into account and make some changes. And that's all we're asking is family-appropriate halftime shows.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. I mean, everybody's watching a sports event, and next thing you know, you've got a script show. The good thing about this, you pointed out, when you look at everything that's happening across the country, is that you have... Corporate America is taking note of the last election. They've been taking note of the grassroots efforts pushing back against their woke DEI policies. And so I think sports is not immune from that. They've been bitten by that as well. And I think when you look at this in context... It was a great time to weigh in and ask for them to clean up their act because I think that's the moment we are in. So hopefully this will not just be for this Super Bowl, but maybe we change and raise the standard going forward.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I believe that, Tony, and it's time for our voices to be heard. And they've been, a few have spoken up, I think, even though, so many people told me, I'll never watch the halftime shows. I'm not even going to watch the Super Bowl anymore. Well, that affects their advertisers. The advertisements, the... the ads are great, that they spend a lot of money. But then when people turn off the television or they switch the channel, that's hurting their viewers, their viewership and the advertiser. So I'm hoping they take this into account. This is not a small handful of people. Everywhere I go in the last this last week, people have come up to me, gone out of their way to thank me for the letter and say because they said, thank goodness somebody is saying what we all feel. And there's And that's the thing, that when you have got 18 legislators, you have got national groups like your group, other groups, statewide groups, local groups, this is a large majority of people who are expressing the same thing. And, hopefully, they are listening, according to what Mr. Cicero said, and that they have agreed to make it family-friendly. And this is what America wants. This is who we are. We are people of dignity. And I believe we have moral values. And there are places to go if you want to see a strip show or pole dancing. But the Super Bowl is not the place to do that.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, let's play football. All right, Valerie Hodges, thanks for joining us. Great to see you. Good work.
SPEAKER 13 :
Good to see you, too.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, folks, coming up next, we'll discuss the latest developments following the Reagan Airport disaster last night. So stay tuned. Don't go anywhere.
SPEAKER 04 :
As President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
SPEAKER 07 :
The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 10 :
This is not an interreligious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 09 :
We've not been a secular nation. We don't want to be a secular nation. We've been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 04 :
The well-versed and family research council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 07 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen. Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Be sure and get your first 100-day toolkit. You can get it by texting TOOLKIT to 67742. Our word for today comes from Jeremiah chapter four, where Jeremiah reflects upon the prophetic message he has received. Oh my soul, my soul, I am pained in my very heart. My heart makes a noise in me. I cannot hold my peace because you have heard, oh my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. Destruction upon destruction is cried for the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered and my curtain in a moment. As followers of Christ, if we are following him and we are in his word, we will see the words of warning from the Lord unfolding right before our eyes. It is a burden to see and it should grieve us to see the steady drumbeat of our nation marching toward destruction because of our rejection of God and his word. Understand the reality of hell as the coming judgment for all who do not repent. We should be motivated to issue the same warnings as Jeremiah with passion. Repent and return to the Lord. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. That's Bible to 67742. Recovery operations are underway now following last night's mid-air collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight from Kansas, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircrafts. At least 28 bodies, including all three soldiers who were on the helicopter, had been recovered from the icy waters of the Potomac River near D.C. when the collision took place last night at 8.48 p.m. Eastern. Now, many right now are searching for answers in what do we know so far and what steps can be taken to prevent something like this from occurring again. Joining me now to discuss this, Congressman Troy Nels, who serves on the Judiciary Committee as well as the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation. He represents the 22nd District of Texas. Congressman Nels, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you, Tony. Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. So what's the latest? What do we know regarding this incident that occurred last night?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, we know that there are still recovery operations continuing. You know, you had 67 lives lost, and we need to make sure that we can account for each and every one of those individuals. We know that the NTSB, they've been on the ground within a few hours of this taking place last night. I believe they're up to almost 44 people or so from the NTSB is assisting first responders and others, but they will also be the lead investigative group in this crash. So we know that there are dive teams there. The FBI has sent their response team. There are dive teams there trying to recover the black boxes You know, there's two black boxes on that aircraft. There's the data recorder and then there's the cockpit voice recorder trying to get those two black boxes recovered. And I know that the NTSB has received what they'll call like a full package, a full ATC package, which is the air traffic controller. So all the communications prior to the crash and moments after the crash are all in the hands of the NTSB, and they'll be doing their investigation. I had a briefing with them, and Chairman Graves, he's the chairman of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. We had a briefing with NTSB a few hours ago, and they informed us on the most current information, and it's just, you know, very, very sad. when you see what took place. And now the real question is, you know, the NTSB report, how long will it take for them to, you know, to conduct an investigation and what kind of findings will there be. But I just, I encourage the NTSB and FAA to make sure that, you know, they have accurate information. It's all factual. And then we will look at that information and see if it leads to any type of recommendation. But that's what we have up to this point.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's been nearly two decades since we've had an air disaster such as this right here in our nation's capital. I would assume, being that so many in Congress are flying that same route, each week. And the skies in D.C. have become more crowded. We're seeing a lot of military aircraft, a lot of commercial aircraft. I would think all of those things are going to be looked at by members of Congress because they want to make sure that this is, in fact, made safe again.
SPEAKER 14 :
Sure. I do it every week. I fly out of Houston, Intercontinental, and I got a direct flight right into D.C.A., so I'm very familiar. with that route. They're very familiar with that airport. And so we'll have to wait. A lot of people coming up with their own opinions as to whose fault, pointing fingers, this and that. I think that's, I want to just say, maybe a little irresponsible at this time. We have to give the NTSB an opportunity to look at everything, come up with a report. And And speaking to them earlier today, they stated they could have a preliminary report, possibly within 30 days. So I think that's a step in the right direction. I don't want to see something like this be drug out where we don't know anything for 18 months, because I don't think President Trump is going to want that. He's going to want a very thorough, deliberate investigation into this. I believe that President Trump would want to have some answers and then to try to rectify any type of issues going forward to make sure something like this never happens again.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I would imagine that he's going to be pushing for that report very, very soon. Congressman Troy Nels, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate you joining us by phone. Great to talk with you.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you. God bless you.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Congressman Troy Nels of Texas, 22nd District. And I want to continue this discussion on last night's tragedy that took place. As Troy was saying, he flies it. I fly it every week almost as well. Same route as I fly from my home state of Louisiana into D.C. And, you know, you can't help but see the military aircraft that's around. There's a lot of it. It's also just the slightest weather issue backs up the traffic because it is so heavy coming into Reagan National. So what do we need to be looking at here? And if you look at some of the video, it looked very odd from the helicopter that collided with the jet. Joining me now to discuss this, retired Air Force Brigadier General John Teichert. He was a former command pilot with more than 2,000 hours and 38 different aircrafts. As a distinguished military career, General Teichert retired as the Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. General, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
So what can, I know you've been discussing this with others, your contacts. What can you tell us that you have learned so far from last night's crash?
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, very clearly there was a breakdown in deconfliction between the airliner and the helicopter. And normally when that happens, it's due to some sort of confusion or breakdown in communication. And as these mishap investigation boards stand up, one from the NTSB, one from the Army, They're going to be gathering the information. Part of that will be collecting the full tapes of the air traffic control transmissions over the course of that flight. And then those black boxes, or flight data recorders, are going to have information about what was being discussed within both of those cockpits. And I think the breakdown and deconfliction is going to tend back to a root cause of confusion or lack of communication that those pieces of evidence will help sort to reveal.
SPEAKER 07 :
JOHN YANG What do we know about the Black Hawk helicopter? What was its mission? What was it doing?
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, any helicopter pilot that flies within the D.C. area has special training and qualifications because it is such a congested and highly prescripted area based on national security concerns. But any helicopter that flies is either performing or training to perform one of three primary missions, distinguished visitor transport. protecting Washington, D.C., from the air or responding to a national emergency. In this particular case, the Black Hawk crew was training for one of those mission sets. And in order to train, you need to fly in the airspace in a realistic way. And that's what they were doing last night.
SPEAKER 07 :
Have you seen the video that was caught that you just see the lights? It was a clear night, as the president pointed out, that you can see. And it just appears that the helicopter just flew right into the airplane. It is.
SPEAKER 16 :
That aircraft was on a very predictable, slow and vulnerable part of its approach from the south to the north at DCA. And clearly that helicopter, for whatever reason, did not see that aircraft, was not provided deconfliction help by air traffic control. And you're right. You see a very fast vector from the left to the right that slams the helicopter into the aircraft that initiated this tragedy.
SPEAKER 07 :
Have the skies over our nation's capital become too congested?
SPEAKER 16 :
It is worth the discussion, Tony. And several legislatures have had this discussion already as the number of flights out of DCA grows. And you think about those number of flights and then all of the helicopter traffic that is only there for first response law enforcement or military purposes. But it is such a tight area of airspace because of the population and the limits based on national security that it is worth having a full discussion about whether there is too much traffic in and out of DCA and to reassess the processes, procedures and techniques of military and law enforcement aircraft to make sure that there's no unnecessary missions going on in that airspace.
SPEAKER 07 :
So, General, as you point out, the three reasons for them to be flying missions there are, We've seen an increase in the commercial air traffic because every time the FAA is reauthorized, we see more slots created for D.C. because it makes it convenient for those of us who fly into D.C., for members of Congress. But also, we live in a different time. Increasingly, the security threats to our nation's capital have increased. So is that also a part of... creating a greater need for those assets to be in the air in our nation's capital.
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, part of the answer is yes. But we have two very capable airports in the D.C. area, one up in Maryland, BWI, one out at Dulles, that could handle some of this traffic. And we need to be careful that we're not trading in convenience and creating risk like seemingly happened last night. And, you know, the investigators First, we will preserve perishable evidence. Second, they will figure out what happened. But, most importantly, they will get to the root cause of why it happened, so that we can update procedures, policies, techniques and airspace, so that nothing like this happens again. That's their primary charge. And I think part of that assessment is going to be air traffic control and the amount of volume of traffic both at DCA and those other missions around the D.C. area.
SPEAKER 07 :
Now, I know no one wants to jump to conclusions on this because there is an investigation, and I'm sure it will be thorough. Again, I think this will be investigated very, very closely because it is in our nation's capital, and so many members of Congress are directly touched by this. But some have said, and there's certainly reason and justification to say it, that when you look at both the commercial, the FAA, and you look at the military, there's been such a misplaced focus on non-essential services. skill sets, DEI, that it could distract from the necessary training that is needed to make people proficient in their jobs. Is that justified?
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, I have seen some of that distraction in the DOD during the last four years. And we see now a president and a secretary of defense who are insisting that we get back to a constitutionally grounded, mission-focused, merit-based system within the national security sphere. And we heard some of that from the president about air traffic controllers as well. And we think about how diversity has been elevated during the last four years to the sacrifice of unity and shared purpose. And I have seen many in the military who have lamented the fact that we have drifted away from the focus that the military is there to be lethal and ready because of all these other distractive elements. And now it is very welcome amongst the vast majority of the military members to get back to a focus on the mission and a focus back on merit-based elevation.
SPEAKER 07 :
General Teichert, it's sad that it requires a tragedy to bring us back to focus on what is essential. I mean, I can cite several recent examples going back to July of this last year, President Trump nearly then died. former President Trump, nearly assassinated because there was issues in the Secret Service. We're looking at California that's been on fire because their fire department looked at DEI as opposed to fighting fires. And now we see, and I hope it's not the case, but there's enough to point to it that that's probably a contributing factor to what happened last night.
SPEAKER 16 :
Tony, I think you're right. And I think the breakdown in law enforcement in New Orleans over New Year's is one of those same types of situations where when you focus on things other than the mission, then you're naturally going to have the opportunity cost where you are less professional, less capable and less able to handle the situations that are demanded by the mission. And we see it in a variety of areas in our country. And I really do hope, whether you take that away from this accident or not, that we recognize that institutions are there to accomplish a mission. And when you don't focus on that mission, then there are harms that will result from the distraction that is a part of those lack of focus and lack of unity.
SPEAKER 07 :
It unfortunately is the reality. It just is. General Teichert, I want to thank you for joining us and appreciate your insights on this.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thanks as always, Tony.
SPEAKER 07 :
And folks, that's another matter of prayer. We just need to be praying that our nation would move back to operating in truth, common sense, constitution, truth, so that the mission of our government becomes its focus, its real mission is its mission. Right, out of time for today. Thanks for joining us. Until next time, I leave you once again with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 6, where 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 01 :
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.
On today's program: Andy Ogles, U.S. Representative for Tennessee's 5th District, discusses the latest from the House Financial Services Committee, the GOP retreat, and answers questions surrounding the FAA's authorization of the mysterious drone
In this compelling episode of Washington Watch, delve into the latest policy shifts under President Trump’s administration. From redefining military priorities to focusing on America-first foreign policy, join Tony Perkins as he offers a biblical perspective on current political maneuvers. Discussions with key lawmakers like Senator Mike Lee highlight the ongoing efforts to repeal the FACE Act and protect pro-life activists. This episode underscores the pivotal choice between temporary political victories and the need for legislative permanence. In addition, this episode examines the pressing need for spiritual revival within America. As political cycles bring about pendulum swings in law and policy, speakers emphasize the importance of grounding national direction in transcendent truths. Join prominent voices at the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance as they strive for more permanent spiritual and cultural renewal.
SPEAKER 01 :
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.
SPEAKER 11 :
To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology out of our military. It's going to be great. In addition, we will stop our service members from being indoctrinated with radical left ideologies such as critical race theory.
SPEAKER 16 :
That was President Donald Trump speaking to House Republicans at their Issues Conference yesterday in Miami. Welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for making us part of your day. Well, in a series of executive orders issued last night, President Trump shifted the military's focus back to its core mission, fighting and winning our nation's wars rather than modeling the latest cross-dressing camouflage. We'll discuss these developments and more from the Republican Issues Conference with Texas Congressman Keith Self in just a moment. And guess what? It's not just the military that's returning to America first focus. The State Department is, too.
SPEAKER 10 :
In our republic, the voters decide the course of our nation, both domestically and abroad. And they have elected Donald J. Trump as our president when it comes to foreign policy on a very clear mission. And that mission is to ensure that our foreign policy is centered on one thing, and that is the advancement of our national interests.
SPEAKER 16 :
That was Secretary of State Marco Rubio. We'll talk with Dr. A.J. Nolte from Regent University about how Christians can and should lean into U.S. foreign policy in this new administration. Also, last Friday, President Trump pardoned 23 peaceful pro-life advocates imprisoned by the Biden administration under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act or FACE Act. Vice President J.D. Vance, speaking at the March for Life, made clear those days were over.
SPEAKER 13 :
No longer will the federal government direct FBI raids on the homes of people like Mark Houck and other Catholic and Christian activists who are fighting for the unborn every single day. And no longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists, elderly, grandparents, or anybody else in prison. It stopped on Monday, and we're not gonna let it come back to this country.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, to ensure that it is, in fact, a thing of the past, Utah Senator Mike Lee has introduced legislation to repeal the FACE Act, ending the federal government's overreach toward pro-life Americans. Senator Lee will join us later to explain. And finally, while a lot of bad policy is being replaced with good policy, we know from experience that it can swing back again. America needs more than a political reversal. We need a spiritual revival. Next Wednesday at the Museum of the Bible, we'll be praying for just that. And you can join us. Dr. Jim Garlow will share the details a little bit later. And by the way, don't tell him, but I'll give you a head start. If you would like to join us next Wednesday, February the 5th at the Bible Museum, it begins at 7 a.m. You can find out more by going to PrayDC, PrayDC.org. Well, yesterday, President Trump signed a proclamation and four executive orders, including orders aimed at restoring America's fighting force and prioritizing military excellence and readiness. The White House noted the military's clear mission to protect the American people and our homeland. And it said success in this mission cannot be diluted to accommodate political agendas or other ideologies harmful to unit cohesion. Music to a soldier's ears. We'll join him now to discuss this and more. Congressman Keith Self, who served our country for 25 years before retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is a member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Self, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you. Great to be here, Tony. Thank you. So before we get into the executive orders, give us an update there on how things are going with the issues conference with the GOP.
SPEAKER 04 :
We are having a lot of frank and open discussions because we want to support the Trump agenda. I think across the board, that's what we're discussing. How do we do that? Because the other existential threat, of course, is our $36 trillion in debt and, frankly, going to over $50 trillion if we don't do something about it. over the next 10 years. So the open and frank discussions are happening now. And I believe that we will come to a conclusion hopefully in the next several weeks. Thank you.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, I'm getting reports that there there is some very frank conversations and the a lot of it does deal with the debt and spending. A lot of the proposals being put forward by the Trump administration obviously requires dollars and the reconciliation. I think many conservatives I'm hearing hope to be able to cut spending. Do you think that's going to happen?
SPEAKER 04 :
We have to, Toto. We have to. We cannot continue to drive this country further into debt to put more debt on our grandchildren, because this is that we already see the bond market starting to discipline us. Congress doesn't control the bond market. The president doesn't control the bond market. The bond vigilantes could raise their ugly head at any time and start disciplining us if we do not control spending. So it's part of the reconciliation equation that we're working on very hard.
SPEAKER 16 :
Vice President J.D. Vance spoke there today. The president was yesterday, the vice president today. What can you tell us about what he had to share?
SPEAKER 04 :
J.D. Vance gave an excellent message, and he understands the need to cut. I will tell you, he's very clear. We must cut spending. The government spends 40 percent more than it did just before pre-COVID days. And I will tell you, that's unsustainable. We have got to get somewhere down toward that $2 trillion of savings, because that will take us, one, back to pre-COVID spending, and, two, will put us on a sustainable path to start cutting the deficit, which, of course, bends the curve on the debt over the long term.
SPEAKER 16 :
You know, I think that makes perfect sense when you would you if you actually look at the numbers and you look at just the mushrooming of federal spending at covid, just taking it back down to those pre covid levels. Of course, you've created monetary constituencies with those covid funds and they're going to fight tooth and nail to keep them. But you are absolutely right. This is an existential threat to the future of America, and it has to be done. And if not now, I don't think it'll ever be done.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I agree. This is the time when we have the trifecta in the federal government. We must do it now. There are some no-brainer ideas out there. If you're an able-bodied American, you ought to be working. You shouldn't be on the government dole. But there are a plethora of ideas here. We just need to translate those into the budget resolution that will then start the process toward a reconciliation bill.
SPEAKER 16 :
and come to an agreement because you don't have many votes to spare to get that across the line as the Republican conference. I want to talk about boldness on behalf of the president. I was thrilled to see that he went back to the same policy that he enacted back in 2016, one that we worked with him to get done, and that was to return our military to focusing on its mission, to fight and win our wars, you know, not modeling the latest cross-dressing camouflage that we see with the transgender agenda there. That had to be encouraging to those that have been fighting for the well-being of our military.
SPEAKER 04 :
This is absolutely necessary. It was perfect tone by the president. We will return the military to lethality, to deterring our adversaries across the world. This was perfect. I will tell you, this will help with recruiting. That will this will help with training. This will help with morale. This is the way it's done. Leadership makes a difference in the military. And our commander in chief demonstrated that leadership yesterday with these executive orders.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, he made in his comments to the Republicans last night, he mentioned that just since he took office, he's seen the recruiting numbers have gone up in our nation's military because I think once again, people see confidence, a return to common sense. And, you know, for those who joined the military, they joined for a reason. They joined because of the military's mission. And with a military and an administration pushing the military back to that mission, it can only benefit.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, absolutely. Our young people want to serve. They want to serve something greater than themselves. They want to be challenged. They want to know that their sacrifice will be honored and will be worth something. And I think that's what they see in President Trump. Our military is going to do that for them. It's going to give them a place to serve something bigger than themselves. This nation is worth saving. This nation is worth defending. This nation is worth protecting. Donald Trump set the military on that course. yesterday.
SPEAKER 16 :
So let me ask you this, Congressman South. The young people going in, obviously, as you said, they're attracted to this. And most of the ranks, they're there for that reason. But when you get to the higher ranks that have now been basically marinated in this DEI ideology, how are we going to do a course correction there?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I think Pete Hegseth has already determined that he's going to make that course of correction. But this is very traditional. This is very historic in the United States. Between wars, which we frankly are now, because we're in a sustainment in the Middle East today, between wars, we have political generals. We promote those political officers. And, frankly, when wartime comes, we have to scrub the ranks. We have to go down into the general officer ranks, sometimes deep. If you remember, Shai Meyer, I think, was promoted from two stars to four stars to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs. And I will tell you, that's what's going to happen, either the chairman or the chief of the Army. But I will tell you, that's what's going to have to happen, because, frankly, this is historic. This is what we do between wars. So, Pete Hegseth has the mission from the president. And I think he will do exactly that, to return our leadership to a warfighting perspective and those people who will train, equip and man a lethal military force.
SPEAKER 16 :
Congressman, you and I have talked about these types of things before. We're elated, excited about most of the policies. I speak for myself. Most of the policies coming forward that are within the framework of the law and moving us back to the rule of law and getting our government back to where it should be. But we saw four years ago how quickly that turned with the Biden administration coming in. And so... I'm concerned long term about our country where we see this back and forth, this ideological shift every four years. That's unsustainable.
SPEAKER 04 :
Absolutely. And because we've seen Trump, Biden, now Trump, we've got an example of exactly how not to do it. This is Congress's role, because we need to codify into law a lot of these policies, because, as you say, the next president could undo a lot of what Trump is doing now. The only way around that is to codify it into law so that we don't have competing EOs every four years. Right.
SPEAKER 16 :
Has that been discussed? Have you and your colleagues been discussing how we can take these and basically preserve them going forward by making them statutory?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, a lot of those discussions are going on in the chairman of the various committees. This is an ongoing discussion, and I think we will probably get a long way toward that once we get past the reconciliation process.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I hope so, because we cannot sustain that whiplash like that. It's not good for our country and it doesn't strengthen us on the international scene either. Congressman Keith Self, always great to see you. Thanks so much for stepping out and joining us today.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, Tony.
SPEAKER 16 :
You know, and this is another matter to pray about, folks, because literally, I mean, this is back and forth, and it is unsustainable. And here's the problem. The reason it happens is because we have policy now that is untethered to transcendent truth, and they just make it up as they go. We have to have the rule of law. That's what the Constitution's about. But the Constitution is anchored in transcendent truth. That is the moral law of God. And we've got to move our nation back to that. How do we do that? Well, as Christians, we share our faith, we live out our faith, and we change the hearts and minds of people through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We've got to be bold. This is our moment. We've got to move while we can. All right, don't go away. We turn to foreign policy when we return.
SPEAKER 14 :
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, DC. 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, launching early this year in January 2025. 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, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family and freedom.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 16 :
Washington Watch, good to have you with us on this Tuesday. Be sure and download the Stand Firm app if you've not already done so, because we've got lots of resources there for you, including the first 100 days toolkit, which will give you the tools necessary to help advance policies like we were just talking about. So if you don't have the app, just text the word toolkit. That's one word, toolkit, to 67742, and I'll send you a link. President Trump has made it clear that his policies are about putting America first, and that includes foreign policy, something that his new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has made clear. Now, my next guest says that America first does not have to mean everyone else last. A pro-faith, pro-family, pro-freedom America benefits the entire world. Joining me now to discuss this, Dr. A.J. Nolte, Chair of the Government Graduate Program and Director of the International Development Master's Program at Regent University, is also the Director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University. Dr. Nolte, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Tony, thanks as always for having me. All right, let's talk about, since I think you know this, because every time I have you on, we're talking foreign policy. I think it's very important for Christians to be informed and engaged in foreign policy. And you agree, because you've just written a piece that suggests there are 10 areas that Christian conservatives in this moment need to lean in to help shape the foreign policy of the Trump administration while we have the opportunity. Talk about it.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, absolutely. So thank you for featuring it. The piece is called Faith, Family and Freedom Beyond the Water's Edge. And it's 10 policy recommendations for how social conservatives can use the opportunity we have of allies within the Trump administration, not least President Trump himself, to advance some very important foreign policy goals. And And so I break it up into issues of religious freedom, issues of, you know, which, of course, focuses on religious persecution and Christians' support for Israel and some pro-family policies that the United States can also pursue. And then, of course, long-term Christian values of freedom. promoting humanitarian aid, which is so often delivered by faith-based organizations. And so in those four areas, there's a number of policy recommendations I've laid out for areas where we can try to advance our traditional socially conservative Christian foreign policy priorities.
SPEAKER 16 :
Let's talk about one for just a moment, because I was just talking with Congressman Keith Self. We were talking about a number of these executive orders, how Congress needs to codify those into law. And one of those is one that you write about, that every time you have a Democratic administration, deal away with it. Every time you have a Republican administration, there's advocates like us saying, please reinstate it. And that's the Mexico City policy. Explain what it is and why it's important that that become law.
SPEAKER 08 :
The Mexico City policy, very simply put, is a basic commitment from the United States government that U.S. taxpayer dollars will not be used to fund abortions abroad. It's not prohibiting health care for vulnerable women who are pregnant. It's prohibiting abortions, right? And so the idea is that with this policy, the United States taxpayers, you and I, will our dollars not be used to pay for abortions in other countries. And unfortunately, the U.S. doesn't have the best history. Oftentimes in the 60s and 70s, there was an ideology of population control that said the problem with global development is that there's too many people. And as Christians, we know every human being has human dignity, and we know that's not right. And so the Mexico City policy reverses that and says, we're not going to use our taxpayer dollars to get rid of unborn babies in other countries. And I would say, yes, it needs to be made permanent. It needs to be put into law in the same way the Hyde Amendment is domestically. And let's dare the Democrats to say that it is in the national security interests of the United States to pay for abortions in foreign countries using taxpayer dollars.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, related to that, one of your other recommendations is that in our foreign policy, we actually promote the idea that children are good. Having babies are good because we are facing many countries. Africa may be the only one that is somewhat on a different trajectory, but we're moving toward a demographic winner when you look at our reproduction rates around the world.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. There were two driving policy frames that kind of have distorted foreign aid policy often in the past. One is this idea that there's too many people in the world, and also that overpopulation causes underdevelopment. And now what we're finding actually is, as economists like Julian Simon have known for decades, people are the ultimate resource, and population growth ultimately... economic growth, and even better environmental conditions, as some demographers and economists have demonstrated. And also, population is declining globally. So instead of having an idea that more children are the problem, I think we need to think about more children as a solution to the problem, as a positive, and look at our ally Israel, which has been very successful in terms of their demographics.
SPEAKER 16 :
Dr. Nolte, at its core, is that not a humanist worldview conflicting with a biblically oriented worldview? When you look at life and the fact that we see life, children taking as opposed to giving?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, absolutely. I think, you know, from that perspective, that utilitarian or humanist perspective, it's a question of how many mouths we can feed. And we worry about quality of life. We, from a Christian perspective, start from a sanctity of life. And we believe that if you start from a sanctity of life perspective, that promotes human flourishing and actually gets you quality of life. And so it's a fundamental worldview difference. And it's time to recalibrate the U.S. government's view on that.
SPEAKER 16 :
Let's talk, we just got a couple minutes left, but you mentioned foreign aid. USAID is kind of the agency that helps humanitarian efforts around the world. This has been a place that you've actually teamed up with Family Research Council. We've done some research on that. It's been hostile toward faith-based organizations. It's time to change that.
SPEAKER 08 :
I agree. And my colleague Ariel Del Turco, who's in your Religious Freedom Center, a Regent grad as well, she and I did a report looking at promotion of religious freedom through international development. Again, U.S. foreign aid is actually pennies on the dollar in terms of increasing our influence, but we need to be smart about it. And the people that are the most efficient at providing global aid are faith-based organizations. And we have to absolutely mobilize them and give them a seat at the table in terms of foreign aid. And also think about religious freedom as not just a human right, but also something that promotes security, stability, and human flourishing around the world.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, there's evidence, abundance of evidence that says that is the case, where you have religious freedom, you have economic prosperity, and you have social stability. So we have, going back almost 25 years, made that a priority, at least in most administrations. And we're out of time here. But you point out something that's very important that we've got to address. And this is the conflict with the LGBTQ agenda and religious freedom. And that is what has moved the Democratic Party away from the holistic approach to religious freedom. Again, Dr. Nolte, we're out of time. Great piece. It's at TonyPerkins.com, folks. You can check it out. Dr. Nolte, look forward to talking to you again real soon. Thank you so much. So go to TonyPerkins.com. If you listen to this program a lot, you know we talk about foreign policy because we have to go beyond our own borders and influence the world around us in a positive way. All right. Don't go away. When we come back, Dr. Jim Garlow joins me right here.
SPEAKER 17 :
Have you ever been to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.? Well, now you have a special reason to be there on Wednesday, February 5th. First, you can take part in the third annual National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. God's ways are higher than our ways. The Lord clearly reveals in Scripture any nation that genuinely worships Him is a nation with leaders willing to repent and ask forgiveness for sins. The NGPR is a unique public gathering where scores of congressional leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, join with international leaders representing more than 50 nations for one sole purpose.
SPEAKER 02 :
Forgive our nations against you and you alone have we sinned.
SPEAKER 17 :
You can be there in the room to pray along with members of Congress, dignitaries from other nations, and Christian leaders from across the U.S. The NGPR is hosted by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Dr. Jim Garlow, founder of Well-Versed World, along with Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and former Congresswoman Michelle Buchman. Right after the prayer and repentance gathering, participants will move to the World Stage Theater for a private update on important events happening in Israel. and watch a preview of the historic new documentary on the Megiddo Mosaic, the most remarkable archeological find in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is truly one of a kind opportunity to learn what's going on behind the scenes in Israel and how it could affect the whole world. Both of these Bible honoring events require tickets. Go to PrayDC.org, register today to attend in person on February 5th. As a bonus, your ticket grants you a free admission to experience the rest of the Museum of the Bible. Seating is limited for both events. Go to PrayDC.org to get tickets today.
SPEAKER 16 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. All right, as I said at the top of the program, we're encouraged to see a lot of this bad policy is being replaced with good policy. But we know from experience that it can swing back again. Four years from now, we could be right back in the same spot. America needs more than a political reversal. We need a spiritual revival. And that's what we're going to be praying for next Wednesday at the Museum of the Bible. We'll be praying. We'll be repenting. I know that's a word we don't hear very often, but we'll be repenting. America still has sins to repent from. We need to repent of it and we need to turn. And you can join Christian leaders and government leaders as we come together next Wednesday, February the 5th at 7 a.m. at the Museum of the Bible for the third annual National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. House Speaker Mike Johnson will join us. And it's one of the most powerful events This is not my words. This is the words of members of Congress. Many of them that have been there for decades said this is the most powerful event I've ever been to. It is stirring. It is God honoring. And it is much needed. Joining me now to discuss this is Pastor Jim Garlow, who. called me and then Congressman Mike Johnson back in November 2022 with the idea about this event. And so the three of us co-founded it shortly thereafter. He's also the founder and CEO of the ministry Well-Versed. Pastor Jim, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you. Thank you. Thank you, Tony. Good to be on with you. All right. I'm telling you, this event is This will be the third year. It has impacted so many people literally around the globe. There'll be people coming from all over the world to be a part of this event. Describe it and then talk about how people can be there and be a part of it.
SPEAKER 15 :
You already mentioned it's 7 a.m. That's early in the morning. It's not a prayer breakfast. It's a prayer time with no breakfast. And there are people gathering from many different countries. Last year, I think we had 35 different countries represented of people who came to the platform to pray in repentance. These are one-minute prayers. We're not having speeches. We're not having talks. We're not having sermons. All these members, elected officials, members of Congress and then from Parliament across Europe and such, They come for one purpose, to pray a one-minute prayer before a holy and righteous God, repenting of sin. It can be personal sin, sin in the church, national sins, whatever, before a righteous God, asking for his forgiveness and for his blessing. It's a unique experience. That's from 7 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. The sixth floor in what's called the gathering room. And as we go down to the floor below, one floor down, we go to the world stage theater. At the world stage theater, we have a whole emphasis on Israel. So what's the second portion to it?
SPEAKER 16 :
This... is not, as you said, it's not a prayer breakfast. In fact, there's a lot of prayer events that take place in Washington, D.C. In fact, next week will be the National Prayer Breakfast. This is not an ecumenical gathering. This is not a, this is, as the name says, this is a gathering, a national gathering for prayer and repentance. Why is repentance such a critical message for this moment in our nation's history?
SPEAKER 15 :
You said it really well a moment ago, and I think that message needs to be strongly emphasized. We have experienced a political revolution, but we have not yet seen the evidences of a full-blown spiritual revival. And unless we are anchored to transcendent truths of the Scripture, this will be short-lived. Being a conservative is a good thing, but it's not enough. Being a patriot is a good thing, but it's not enough. Being firmly tethered to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to walk as a regenerate son of God, made possible through the cross of Jesus Christ, where we lay down our lives for him, for he who laid his life down for us. That is the anchor point which will hold us biblical truth. So as a nation, we're still, contrary to what many people believe, in a precarious role. We have to see the spiritual awakening follow in the flows of this political revolution that we have seen before our eyes and we're witnessing. And that's what we're asking the Lord for. That's what will put our nation on solid foundation once again. Make America great again is very good. Make America righteous again is the foundation by which we make America good again.
SPEAKER 16 :
And folks, that again begins next Wednesday morning, 7 p.m. at the Museum of the Bible.
SPEAKER 15 :
7 a.m.
SPEAKER 16 :
Did I say p.m.? ? Yep, she did. It's okay. It's all the same to me. I'm up all the time. So 7 a.m. in the morning. If you get there at 7 p.m., well, you can still pray, but we won't be there. 7 a.m. next Wednesday morning, Museum of the Bible, dcpray.com to find out more information about how you can be a part of this event. Jim, we just got about a minute left. What is your prayer going into this in terms of a takeaway? What would you like to see happen as a result?
SPEAKER 15 :
When you have genuine repentance of the heart, contrition of the heart, people are drawn back into the word of God. And we reestablish the word of God, the truth of God, the way of God, the will of God as a foundation for our individual lives, the lives of our families, our institutional churches, and our nation, our community. That's the first part. The second part is to realize how critically important it is to support Israel in every way we possibly can. At that second part at 10 a.m., at 10 a.m., 7 a.m. it begins, but then at 10 a.m. we go to a focus on Israel. We're going to be covering some of those amazing, exciting announcements flowing out of Israel. The Megiddo mosaics, one of them, a lot more updates on unusual things happening in Israel that people have not heard. And so that's the second part of this as well, that morning at 10 a.m.,
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, that's praydc.org, praydc.org to find out how you can be a part of this next Wednesday. Dr. Jim Garlow, thanks for joining me. Look forward to being with you next Wednesday morning, 7 a.m. at the Museum of the Bible. Thank you.
SPEAKER 15 :
We'll see you there.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right. All right, folks, stick with us. When we come back on the other side of the break, we're going to be joined by Utah Senator Mike Lee to talk about how he wants to make sure pro-lifers are protected going forward. Don't go away.
SPEAKER 07 :
As President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
SPEAKER 16 :
The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 15 :
This is not an inter-religious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 12 :
We've not been a secular nation. We don't want to be a secular nation. We've been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well-versed and Family Research Council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 16 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen. Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 06 :
Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today and join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We've created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective, read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family and church members and stand firm everywhere you go.
SPEAKER 16 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. I've got a great resource for you as we move into the first 100 days of the Trump administration. It's the first 100 days toolkit. And it's exclusively on the Stand Firm app to access your toolkit waiting for you. Just text the word toolkit to 67742. That's toolkit, one word, to 67742. Our word for today comes from Jeremiah chapter two. I brought you into a bountiful country to eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priest did not say, where is the Lord? And those who handled the law did not know me. The rulers also transgressed against me. The prophets prophesied by bail and walked after things that do not profit. The people were spiritually complacent because they had become intoxicated with the blessings of God, so they forgot God. The keepers of the law, the elite of that day, well, they ran with their contempt for God and his truth, crying out, where's God? The civil rulers then paid no attention to God and abused their authority. And the preachers and prophets, well, they gave a popular ear-tickling word. a word people wanted to hear that made them feel good rather than challenge them to be good. So here's the bottom line. Spiritual complacency, aided by contempt for truth, fuels political corruption, which brings moral and cultural chaos. Find out more about our journey through the Bible text Bible to 67742. By the way, if you like the book of Jeremiah, you can order your copy of my book, Jeremiah, Courage in a Council Culture, and you'll be equipped to stand firm for biblical truth in our nation and our culture. Just text Jeremiah to 67742. That's Jeremiah to 6742 to get your copy. While conservatives celebrated President Trump's partnering of 23 pro-lifers who were unjustly targeted by the Biden administration's weaponized Justice Department, the left was not pleased. And if you were watching them on legacy media, they sounded like the sky was falling. They were having a meltdown. But. Has the FACE Act been the shield that the left claims that it has been for the abortion clinics, or has it simply been a sword that has been exclusively used against pro-lifers? And is it time to make sure that they are disarmed when it comes to the FACE Act. Joining me now to discuss this, Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Budget Committee, is also the author of a bill in the Senate that will repeal the FACE Act. He joins us now by phone. Senator Lee, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks so much, Tony. It's good to be with you.
SPEAKER 16 :
So let's talk about this. You know, it's great that President Trump has pardoned these pro-lifers. And it's great that he has told the Department of Justice not to, you know, use these types of laws to go after people. But isn't it time to just make sure that we don't have a weaponized government by taking laws like this away?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, 100 percent. And look, President Trump, to his great credit, made history last week by pardoning some pro-life activists prosecuted and imprisoned by the Biden Justice Department, which went after grandmas and grandpas, putting people behind bars for years. And, of course, the law that the Biden administration used to do this is the law we refer to called the FACE Act, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. The law was designed ostensibly to protect access to both abortion facilities and places of worship. and provide federal penalties for those people who might attack either of those things. But while the protections for churches and places of worship have almost never been enforced, the FACE Act has been enforced. It's been used fairly consistently to prosecute peaceful pro-life activists. sometimes for something as simple as praying outside of abortion clinics.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right. The history of that, just for the benefit of our listeners and viewers, it goes back to Bill Clinton back in the 1990s, 1994. And it was actually the late Orrin Hatch from Utah that added... the provisions to protect churches and places of worship when that bill was in the Senate and that was passed. But as you've pointed out, it's not been used for that. It's been used to go after, and I should make it very clear, peaceful pro-life protesters. These individuals, these 21 individuals or 23 individuals that were released, they were not charged with violent crimes. They were simply praying and standing outside of abortion clinics.
SPEAKER 03 :
Exactly, which is a real problem. They persisted in this really unequal, unjust, politically oriented enforcement on one side of the law, despite the fact that you have hundreds of attacks on churches in recent years. And so it became clear that, as far as they're concerned, the Faith Act exists only as a political tool, just to punish conservatives and people of faith and not protect them. And that kind of one-sided enforcement is wrong. And so now that President Trump's pardoned the activists who have been imprisoned by the Biden administration, a full repeal of the FACE Act is something that I think is necessary to prevent future administrations from similarly using this unjustly for the purposes of political persecution. I think this is a bill whose time has come. I'm running it in the Senate. Chip Roy is running it in the House, and this thing needs to pass.
SPEAKER 16 :
Do you think you'll be you have to get Democratic support because you've got to get across that 60 vote threshold. Do you think you have some senators and the Democratic Party that will support this?
SPEAKER 03 :
Look, this has become something of a sacrament to the left. So I'm not going to overstate things here in terms of our ability to persuade enough Democrats to come along with us. But I'll be looking for every opportunity that we can. If we can get to 60 votes to pass cloture, to have it pass muster under our cloture standards, we'll get it done that way. We will keep fighting as long as it takes to do that. If we see an opportunity, we will take it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Senator, the left already, you know, laying the groundwork for how they're going to fight against your efforts. They say that Trump's actions and the repeal of the FACE Act will lead to an uptick in violence. Respond to that.
SPEAKER 03 :
OK, so insofar as it will lead to an uptick in violence, there are myriad laws, including myriad federal laws, which would be applicable in such circumstances. even in the absence of the FACE Act. But what we have with the FACE Act is something that's relatively easy to satisfy, something that has on occasion been used to prosecute people for engaging in relatively peaceful protests involving people doing things like praying outside of an abortion clinic. And so given how they've misused this tool, it's a tool that they shouldn't have. But in any event, it is simply unfair of them to suggest that without this, there's going to be Armageddon. that acts of violence taking place at abortion clinics will go unpunished. That's not true. Deep down, they know that's not true. And it's a disingenuous argument.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, it's also disingenuous for them to act like they're concerned about violence. Where were they when the pro-life facilities and the churches were being attacked during the Biden administration after the leak of the Dobbs decision? I mean, they weren't prosecuted. They didn't raise the issue. In fact, they were wanting to join the parade in many cases.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's right. They were nowhere to be found. And after we've had not just dozens, but arguably hundreds of instances of things that should violate the FACE Act. And criminal prosecutions were not brought, but they were consistently brought for people who showed up to pray outside of an abortion clinic or otherwise demonstrate. You get a problem with that, and that's all the more reason why it needs to be repealed.
SPEAKER 16 :
This is so important. I was talking earlier with Congressman Keith Self about this, and we cannot state this enough, that while we celebrate these actions that President Trump has made to bring us back within the rule of law, we have to codify this. It has to be secured because the next administration could be another Biden-type administration. Our society can't handle this whiplash back and forth and this lawlessness.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, that's exactly right. That's why we really shouldn't have it. It's a law that is by its nature loaded toward one end of the political continuum and against the other, and that's not fair.
SPEAKER 16 :
Before I let you go, Senator Lee, last week, in addition to the repeal of the FASAC, you introduced three other pro-life pieces of legislation on the day of the march. Tell us about those as well.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. So in addition to what we've discussed with the Space Act, I've got a few other bills that would help deal with some of these problems and that would promote pro-life principles. One is the Abortion is Not Health Care Act. This would end the tax deductibility of abortions as medical expenses and clarify that the gruesome practice is not health care. IRS currently recognizes abortion as medical care and allows certain tax benefits to flow from that practice. And that ends up being an effective subsidy involved in the killing of hundreds of thousands of unborn children each year. So we would amend Section 213 of the Internal Revenue Code to make that change. I introduced another bill called the Protecting Life and Health Savings Account. It's similar to the first, but then the preferential tax treatment of abortion in health savings accounts. There again, current law allows individuals to use tax-advantaged funds from health savings accounts, or HSAs, and flexible savings accounts, FSAs, and a few others, allowing them to count as medical expenses. So this would amend the Internal Revenue Code to exclude abortions. as something to take them outside the category of health care. And then we've got another bill called the Protecting Life and Foreign Assistance Act. This would ensure that our foreign aid is not funding or promoting abortions overseas. Many of your listeners may remember the so-called Mexico City policy, first put in place by President Reagan back in 1984, and that prohibits the availability of family planning foreign assistance funds to organizations that happen to provide or promote abortions or advocate to change abortion laws in a foreign country. Since then, the policy has been alternately rescinded and reinstated with changing administrations. We'd like to make it law, and that's what the Protecting Life and Foreign Assistance Act would do.
SPEAKER 16 :
And now this is the time. We were talking about that earlier, how we need to codify all these measures into law. Senator, I want to thank you for joining us today, but I want to thank you for boldly stepping out there on these pro-life measures, especially with the backdrop of the disappointment of the Republican Party platform kind of being... taking all the life language out of it. I think it's very important that the Republicans lead on this issue and define it by the party, by their actions. And so I commend you and I'm grateful for the pro-life stands that you're taking. So, Senator Mike Lee, thanks for joining us today. Thank you very much. Good to be with you. Senator Mike Lee of Utah. And again, it's encouraging to see a number of Republicans, both in the House and the Senate, and even the President. And with that backdrop of not having the strong language in the party platform, which I hope we'll get back in four years, But for now, actions, pro-life actions are extremely encouraging. In fact, we got about just about about three and a half minutes left. I want to bring in Travis Weber, vice president of policy and government affairs at the Family Research Council, to highlight some of the pro-life initiatives or actions that the Trump administration has taken in the first week. Travis, welcome to Washington Watch. I just got a few minutes left, but I wanted you to just kind of inform our viewers and listeners of the very positive pro-life initiatives and actions taken during the first week.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, so Tony, I think top of mind, the executive order announcing that it'll be a policy of this administration for federal dollars to comply with the Hyde Amendment. So to ensure that tax dollars are not being used to fund abortions. With all the challenges of our nation and the challenges that families are facing should be a no brainer. The tax dollars, the hard earned tax dollars that the American people should not be funding abortions. The Mexico City policy, which Senator Lee and yourself were just discussing, also prohibits US tax dollars from being used to fund abortions or abortion promoting organizations overseas. And Senator Lee was also referencing the bill that it would be great to see passed into law that would codify that as a policy of the United States legislatively. But we're glad that President Trump has reissued the strong Mexico City policy along with the Hyde Amendment executive order. This dovetails with what he announced on the foreign aid review. Because, Tony, as you know, we've been raising concerns about the use of foreign aid programs to push abortion, including the PEPFAR program, which has spent $100 billion since 2003 and was recently found to have funded four abortions in Mozambique. When Chris Smith saw that, Congressman Chris Smith put out a release saying, this is just the tip of the iceberg. We need to get to the bottom of this. And I believe President Trump and his administration will be trying to do that as well, as they announced the 90-day freeze on foreign aid and have issued memos requiring review of where US dollars are being used to fund abortions or gender ideology overseas. So ideally this will clean up everything the United States has been shamefully pushing around the world and give us a clean slate for the US to to actually correct some of the black mark that's been on our image globally. So on the life issue, Tony, these two very key announcements, obviously the FACE Act, the approach to the FACE Act prosecutions that he will take, the president will take, and the other statements they've issued, including the speech of the March for Life and the pardons of the face of the pro-lifers who were prosecuted. all good announcements on the life issue. Obviously, in addition, we're seeing some movement, positive movement on the gender issue. But Tony, we'll continue keeping an eye on what's happening through the administration, especially as the implementation of this cleanup process of the foreign aid review. We want to make sure that that's cleaned up with anti-family provisions to hopefully be used for pro-family provisions, both at home and around the world.
SPEAKER 16 :
I would just add on the gender issue that you mentioned in the definition of gender, there was a recognition that conception is the point in which these things are determined. That's where the personhood, the identity, the gender is determined in the executive order. So that is also a strong pro-life statement. Travis, very quickly, is there a place yet? I know we're writing some things as the Washington stand. Have they put out something on their life positions yet?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, I know news articles continue to come out on the Washington Stand on this topic, but Tony, I think we'll continue to refine and have resources for our followers as we track the Trump administration's executive orders, because certainly we're going to be looking at a lot more to come here.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. Travis Weber, thanks for joining us. And folks, thank you for joining us as well. And you can find out those updates on the StandFirm app. So get the StandFirm app, get the toolkit at StandFirm. That's all we have time for. Thanks for joining us. Until next time, I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul. When you've done everything you could do, prayed, you prepared, taking your stand, just keep standing.
SPEAKER 01 :
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.
On today's program: Kevin Cramer, U.S. Senator from North Dakota, reacts to House GOP leadership's legislative priorities and reflects on the first week of the second Trump administration. Valarie Hodges, Louisiana State Senator, shines a light on
SPEAKER 09 :
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.
SPEAKER 01 :
If you're in the country legally, you're on the tape. because it's not okay to violate laws of this country. You've got to remember, every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under Title VIII, United States Code 1325. It's a crime. So if you're in a country illegally, you've got a problem.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was Border Czar Tom Holman on ABC's This Week. Welcome to Washington Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in for this Monday edition. As federal authorities continue to arrest and deport those here illegally and work to secure our borders, is there a next step to address the broader issues in our broken immigration system? We'll talk with North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer about possible solutions. And House Republicans are gathered in Miami today and tomorrow to discuss with President Trump the way forward on several issues, including a one or two bill approach to reconciliation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Some big decisions will be made here in the next few days, and we'll align with the Senate and our colleagues there, and we will move forward on that agenda. The reconciliation process, the appropriations that we have to wrap up, and the other issues that are upon us.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier this afternoon. Well, speaking of the speaker, I'll share a portion of my conversation with him over the weekend about the importance of protecting the unborn.
SPEAKER 10 :
It's really never been more important than it is right now for all of us to speak with moral clarity and conviction and consistency about that issue. It is the foundational principle of America that we recognize the right to life as a self-evident truth.
SPEAKER 07 :
More of that conversation with the House Speaker coming up later on Washington Watch. Sports fans, of course, are gearing up for the big game, the Super Bowl, coming up in a couple of Sundays in New Orleans. But along with the excitement, there's growing concern about whether or not the halftime show will be family-friendly. Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges joins me to discuss the concerns being raised by a group of legislators and pro-family organizations. And finally, today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. 80 years have passed since the Holocaust ended and the international community once vowed never again. Yet with the brutal actions of Hamas in Israel, those words are being tested. Over the weekend, four hostages were released, though their release was anything but humane. More are expected to be freed this week as a part of the ceasefire hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. Carolyn Glick joins us later from Israel with the latest. Stay tuned for these topics and more right here on this Monday edition of Washington Watch. And be sure and get... the first 100-day toolkit, so you can go to work during these first 100 days of the Trump administration to get your toolkit and everything that's in it. Text the word toolkit. That's one word, toolkit, to 67742. As I mentioned, House Republicans are in Florida right now for their annual issues conference. And as we speak, the main event is taking place. It's a keynote address by President Trump. Now, the goal of this gathering is to merge with a clear path forward on a number of must do items, including what we've been talking about or hearing about for a number of weeks. Reconciliation. Is it a one bill, two bill or a three step process? Well, hopefully they'll know later this week. Joining me now to discuss this and much more is U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. He serves on four Senate committees, including the Armed Services Committee and the Banking Committee. Senator Cramer, welcome back to Washington Watch and Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Good to be with you, Tony. I sound worse than I feel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I'm glad. I'm glad. You look great. So from what you've heard and what you're saying, what's going to be the top items that Republicans are going to be working through this week to move things forward?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I think the main topic has to be the reconciliation process. And it's important and it's appropriate that the president is with House Republicans because they really have to drive this ship. They have the narrowest margin. They have some discontent among the troops. They need to unify. And I think whatever we get done, whether it's one bill, two bills, three bills, one big, beautiful bill, it's really got to be driven by Speaker Johnson in the House because he's got the bigger task to get them united. So whatever they can get done in the House, I'm pretty sure we can follow up with the Senate.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, in my conversations with the Speaker and other members of the House, there's still a lot of division on that side of the Capitol, let alone what happens in the Senate. I do think it'll probably be a little bit easier to get the Senate to come along. But it's important. Timing is important because the clock is ticking.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is. So the good thing about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being extended is they don't expire until the end of the year. So we do have some time there. That's why this debate about do we take up reconciliation, a small package that deals with the border, make sure that Tom Holman and Kristi Noem have the resources they need to continue the work they're doing to build the wall and all of that, because that's an immediate crisis. Or do we have more leverage with a big package? And so those Those are the things you have to work through. But you're right, the clock is ticking. And what I worry about, Tony, as much as anything, the tax cuts are gonna take a while. It's complicated. Frankly, I actually value the simpler the better. A clean extension of the existing Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would make it all permanent law. While we should be able to improve it, maybe that's gonna be too much. We'll just have to see about that. But you're right, we can't waste any time. And remember, Right now, our priority in the Senate is to confirm as many of the cabinet secretaries as possible as quickly as possible. And on that front, we're quite a ways ahead of time.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, you're doing quite well considering past frames of reference. But you've got a lot to do because President Trump, I mean, he hit the ground running last Monday with a whole list of individuals that need Senate confirmation. So you're going to be busy for a while confirming different posts, not just the Cabinet posts, but different appointees and nominees that he's made. I want to go, Senator Kramer, I want to go to the issue that you brought up about the border. Because what we've seen is about a 90 percent increase in detention and removal of illegal aliens that came into this country illegally. And we played a clip at the top of the program. Yes. Homan's been very clear about this. They're going after the worst first. They're going after those who are criminal. But just to put this in proper reference, 538 arrests on Thursday, 493 arrests on Friday, 286 on Saturday, and 956 on Sunday. I think everyone is—I would think everyone but the criminals are happy that these violent gang members, rapists— violent immigrants that are here illegally are being removed. But there are some that have been in this country because of our broken system for decades that have families that are very much a part of the community. What's the next step here?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. So it's a great point, Tony, because not all illegal immigrants are created equally. Well, they were created equally, but not all of them are equal today. And that's why the focus has been on the criminals, the violent criminals and whatnot. At the same time, when you pick up some violent criminals, you're going to find some other people that are here illegally. probably more recently, and they certainly need to remove them as well. With regard to people who have been here decades, I think we have to have a different track. And the president has always, in fact, in many cases, been much more open to different pathways for DREAMers and others than most Republicans. But I also think it becomes a bit of a negotiating tool at the same time, because to really deal with the problem, we have to fix our legal and our illegal immigration system, and make sure that our economy can meet its potential We should have a skills-based immigration policy. If you need more engineers or surgeons, we should have more H-1Bs. If you need more farm workers, we should have more H-2As. And we just don't have that flexibility in our system. Every other country in the world does, but we do not. Tony, I think the reality is that first things first, and that's what really sends the message to the other countries. Look what the president did over the weekend with the president of Columbia. And the other would-be illegal immigrants are looking at what's going on in the last week in the United States and going, I think I'll change my plans next week. I'm not going to try to get into the United States. And also that there are people who are here who suddenly don't feel as welcomed as they used to. And maybe we'll leave. I think you're going to see a big shift in the behavior of countries and would-be illegal immigrants that will help sort of work through this. But we do have to get our house in order when it comes to the one million plus legal immigrants that come in every year, about 800,000 or more of which don't bring a skill set or an education that's in high demand and an economy that is constrained by A workforce shortage. So there's a lot of opportunity here, Tony, for people on all sides to come up with solutions, I think.
SPEAKER 07 :
But we've we've broken the stalemate, which is a good thing. And as you said, by this action, the president, by doing this, he is forcing resolution. And people who are looking at what's happening say, you know, I'm as you said. I'm changing my plans. I'm not going to be crossing that border illegally. We're already seeing detention centers at the border being closed because they're not coming in. He did it in the last term when he was president, and I'm certain he can do it again. And then hopefully we can get people to the table to talk about a realistic solution. immigration system that, as you said, is based upon what is best for America. I just want to add something, and I think you would agree with me, Senator. You made the comment that we have a shortage of workers, and we do. We have a shortage of workers. We're also skilled workers in working in particular fields. I would also say that our view historically of the sanctity of human life and the abortions that we've allowed in this country has been a part of creating that vacuum.
SPEAKER 02 :
Indeed, Tony. When you think of how many potential workers have been murdered in the womb, it's a crime on so many levels. The humanitarian crime is first and foremost, obviously. But what it's done to hurt our economy and our economic growth, robbing people who can't have children from the opportunity to love another child. Tony, this is why I'm the co-chairman of the Adoption Caucus, because I just think we need to deal with all sides of the life issue, including demonstrating compassion for mothers that find themselves in a difficult pregnancy, their children who find themselves, you know, facing an abortionist rather than a future. We as the church and as people of faith need to talk about this in every aspect of it because that's what the church is supposed to do.
SPEAKER 07 :
And that should be reflected in our policy. Last week, the president taking a number of executive steps to address the life issue. So he's approaching it on all fronts. But you as well, you last week, in honor of the annual March for Life, you and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney reintroduced the Unborn Child Support Act in support of mothers-to-be and their children. So we've just got about a minute left. Talk a little bit about that bill. Sure.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, what that bill does is it puts the fathers on the hook with an unborn child just as they would be with a born child. And by the way, it gives the mother the first right of refusal, if you will, so she can opt into this. But we just feel like both parents should have some responsibility in an unwanted pregnancy, perhaps, including the father. The challenge with that, Tony, is there's a lot of liberal groups that have supported that legislation, but people who are strongly pro-abortion, they don't like it because there's a recognition there, even if they're a liberal, there's a recognition there that the baby is, in fact, a human. And so it's important legislation that I think we can get some bipartisan support for. Who knows? Maybe this is the time that we can actually pass it.
SPEAKER 07 :
100% agree, and it helps change that conversation and bring the humanity... to the unborn. Senator Kramer, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us here on Washington Watch today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Always my pleasure. Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Take care, my friend. All right. Coming up, the Super Bowl is less than two weeks away and more than 100 million Americans are expected to watch the big game. Question is, will families this year again be forced to switch the channel during the halftime presentation? Well, there's some lawmakers here in Louisiana taking steps. We'll talk about it.
SPEAKER 11 :
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. Launching early this year in January 2025, 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, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 03 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's Word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. Well, sports fans are preparing for the big game. Yes, the Super Bowl coming up February the 9th in my home state of Louisiana in New Orleans. Unfortunately, though, there is more than just football. At the big game ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl, a group of Louisiana legislators led by state Senator Valerie Hodges are raising concerns with local sports officials and organizers about the lack of family friendly content in past Super Bowl halftime shows. And they're calling for this year's performance in New Orleans to align with the state's community decency standards. Louisiana taxpayers heavily invested in hosting the event. They emphasize the importance of protecting children and upholding family values. What a novel idea. Well, here's the question. Could this year be the year families won't have to switch the channel during the halftime presentation? Joining me now to discuss this is Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges. Senator Hodges, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you. Good to see you too, Tony. Thank you so much for having me on.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I appreciate you initiating this effort. I've actually signed on to this letter that went to the sports, the Super Bowl officials. Explain the main concerns that you have raised in this letter.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, the main concerns, Tony, is the fact that what you stated, whenever we have a Super Bowl, which millions of people watch, tens of millions of people watch it, we have to turn the channel during the halftime show. And my family included, we're big football fans, and we've had to turn it off in the last few years almost every time. And this is not a new thing, but It's increasingly over the years becoming more and more inappropriate and more vulgar for children, especially. And we just wanted to send a message and raise awareness that Louisiana is a family oriented state. And we've done a lot in the legislature to protect children from that. being exploited. And so when you have to turn the channel, I remember the speaker of the House saying he had to cover his children's eyes when the halftime show came on. And so the fact that Louisiana taxpayers are funding this event, I think we have a say. And we're hosting this massive sports event And Louisiana is a family oriented state. Right. And we're just asking him to be aware of that. Why did these halftime shows have to be have so much obscenity or just inappropriate, vulgar material in it? It's just really necessary.
SPEAKER 07 :
In the letter to the officials, you go all the way back to citing different incidents going back to 2004 where we had the wardrobe malfunction. And it's kind of like they push the envelope. What can they get away with? And then it just increasingly gets more provocative. The sexual content is blatant. What better time? to draw a line and say, hey, you're coming to Louisiana. We have community standards. In fact, in this last legislative session, we passed even more laws to protect children. This could be the place where the Super Bowl cleans up its act.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I hope so, because they certainly have not listened to the viewers. In the past, there were thousands of complaints, formal complaints, to the SEC about this and to the NFL, but they continually get worse. And when we saw the sexual crotch shots and the sexual groping and, like you said, the wardrobe malfunction, Every year it's gotten worse in the profanity that the children are exposed to. You know, Tony, when you go to the movie, there's a content warning, you know, P or R, and you decide whether or not you want to see that. But when that flashes upon in the middle of a football game, it's unexpected. And so our job as parents and citizens is to protect children and protect their innocence. And I'm excited about that. Hopefully this message will be heard, and they have not heard in the past, but I believe the fact that we have lawmakers on here, we have national pro-family groups, statewide family groups, local family groups raising their voices saying, we've had enough, and just make this family-friendly, family-oriented. That's what we're about.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Senator, it's not only about just protecting children, as important as that is, but it's also about upholding community standards, which we elect. We elect people to pass laws that reflect those community standards. And we shouldn't let someone come. You're not going to let somebody come into your house and dump garbage in your living room. And that's what we're talking about here when it comes to inviting them into Louisiana. They need to abide by the community standards that have been adopted by the citizens of Louisiana. Now, have you heard back from any of the officials associated with the Super Bowl regarding the letter?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I haven't heard back from any of the officials. I have got confirmation that they did get the letter, and they are taking a look at it. You know, we had the event last week with all the snow, so a lot of people couldn't even get to work. But they did receive the letter. They're not necessarily opposed to what we wrote in the letter, and we're waiting to get a response from them. You know, Tony, I read something yesterday, even the airline industry. is putting codes of decency for dress. Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines are saying, I wrote down a quote, it said that no see-through clothing, exposed breasts, robotics, or other parts, private parts would be permitted to be on the plane. And that, so you're seeing a move towards decency standards. And even on the airline industry, the movie industry does content warning. And the NFL, I believe they should be responsible and uphold those community standards that we have in Louisiana, that Louisiana is leading the way in so many things. And I believe in this this time that we can lead the way on this issue, too.
SPEAKER 07 :
One final question for you, Senator. Part of this provocative halftime show, I would argue, fuels something else that unfortunately has become associated with Super Bowls, and that is human trafficking. It becomes one of the largest human trafficking events is the Super Bowl. Are officials going to be looking at that issue and monitoring that more closely to try to enforce the law when it comes to human trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes?
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. I've served on the Human Trafficking Commission, and we are very well aware that human trafficking is exponentially higher during the Super Bowl. There's going to be added state police, law enforcement. I believe they're monitoring the Internet for different, in the dark web, that those transfers take place. And so there's groups that will be down there. talking about human trafficking. So hopefully that this can set a precedent, the fact that the halftime shows are, I believe that they can be family-oriented, family-friendly, and they don't need a content warning to go with them. And if they don't change, then hopefully we can do some things to enforce those laws that we have. But they are laws on the books, and hopefully they won't be violated.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, Senator Valerie Hodges, I want to thank you for joining us today and thank you for leading out on this to to try to make the Super Bowl family friendly.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I appreciate you, Tony. Y'all have a great day. Thank you. All right. Coming up, we'll I'll share with you a little bit of my weekend interview with House Speaker Mike Johnson. So don't go away. We're back after this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Have you ever been to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC? Well, now you have a special reason to be there on Wednesday, February 5th. First, you can take part in the third annual National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. God's ways are higher than our ways. The Lord clearly reveals in Scripture any nation that genuinely worships Him is a nation with leaders willing to repent and ask forgiveness for sins. The NGPR is a unique public gathering where scores of congressional leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, join with international leaders representing more than 50 nations for one sole purpose. Forgive our nations against you and you alone have we sinned. You can be there in the room to pray along with members of Congress, dignitaries from other nations, and Christian leaders from across the U.S. The NGPR is hosted by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Dr. Jim Garlow, founder of Well-Versed World, along with Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and former Congresswoman Michelle Buckman. Right after the prayer and repentance gathering, participants will move to the World Stage Theater for a private update on important events happening in Israel. and watch a preview of the historic new documentary on the Megiddo Mosaic, the most remarkable archaeological find in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is truly a one of a kind opportunity to learn what's going on behind the scenes in Israel and how it could affect the whole world. Both of these Bible-honoring events require tickets. Go to PrayDC.org, register today to attend in person on February 5th. As a bonus, your ticket grants you free admission to experience the rest of the Museum of the Bible. Seating is limited for both events. Go to PrayDC.org to get tickets today.
SPEAKER 07 :
This is Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. If you've not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I want to encourage you to do so because available exclusively on the app is our first 100 days toolkit, which will help you get involved with moving important policies forward during the new Trump administration. The toolkit equips you with tools to find your members of Congress, support key legislation, and get insights on nominees, pray effectively, and much more. So go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app or simply text TOOLKIT to 67742. Well, following Congress's busy first week with President Trump back in office, I spoke over the weekend with House Speaker Mike Johnson for the latest edition of our weekend program called This Week on Capitol Hill. And we discussed several developments that we saw unfold last week. Among the topics was the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which passed the House last Thursday by December. A vote of 217 to 204, with only one Democrat joining the Republicans in support. The day before, the bill failed to advance in the Senate when none of the Democrats voted in favor. What does this tell us, when only one Democrat in Congress is willing to support a common-sense bill that says you'll give aid to a child who survives abortion and is born alive? Well, that's... This is how I got into that discussion with Speaker Johnson. Listen. Mr. Speaker, the House passed the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, and this is a big deal because they've been trying to do this for a long time and it was blocked repeatedly. Now they had the opportunity, they passed it, but the Senate fell short when every Democrat in the chamber voted against it. Now, this is a bill that would simply say if a child survives an abortion, is born alive, that they should be given medical attention. What does this tell us about the state of our nation and quite frankly, the Democratic Party.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, it tells you a lot about the Democratic Party. I mean, they're so wed to their positions, you know, being against life that they will take this vote. We only had one Democrat in the House voted with us. And think of it, Tony, and, you know, this is a—everybody needs to understand what this is. A child is born alive, a failed abortion attempt. There's an infant child lying there on the table gasping for breath and crying. And they voted that that child should not receive medical attention, life-saving attention. It's just stunning to us that they would do that. But that's how dug in they are on their pro-abortion strategy and their pro-abortion ideology. And they can't even acknowledge the humanity of a child that is actually born. I think there's going to be a lot to say about that in the days to come and in the 2026 midterm elections. I mean, people need to see elections really do have consequences. And you send someone to Washington who votes against the life saving measures for an infant. It's really something it's hard to get around.
SPEAKER 07 :
I mean, I guess to be accurate, this shouldn't be described as. abortion, it's really infanticide because you have a child who is alive. If you think about this, if you have someone that's on the street that is gasping for air, having a heart attack, everyone's going to respond to try to help that individual. In fact, other lives are risked to help that individual. But here in this case, you have an entire party saying, let them die.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and it shouldn't be a political question. I mean, it's a question of basic humanity, like basic morality and ethics, and they could not bring themselves to vote the right way on that. It's really, to me, it's just almost hard to believe, but here it is again. We had the same bill in the last Congress, and almost every Democrat voted against it. This time, again, only one House Democrat voted to save the life of a child in that situation, and it's really shocking.
SPEAKER 07 :
Speaking of the life issue, Mr. Speaker, this week, President Trump issued pardons for nearly two dozen pro-life activists who had been imprisoned by the Biden administration, the Department of Justice, under the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act, FACE Act, for simply, in some cases, you had grandmothers who were simply praying outside of these abortion clinics. And these were all nonviolent individuals. First off, I'm grateful that the president has done this, but it's shocking when we have to wait for an election to get justice for the American people.
SPEAKER 10 :
It really is. In my prior life, you know, before I get into politics, as you know, as a constitutional law attorney and litigator and defended a lot of pro-life cases and on occasion in the state of Louisiana, where we're both from, you know, someone would be arrested on a sidewalk for peacefully praying outside of an abortion clinic. In this day and age, in this era now, under the Biden Department of Justice, we've talked about so many times how it was weaponized. They really did. They very aggressively prosecuted anyone who would get anywhere near a clinic just to peacefully pray, peacefully protest. Clearly protected activity under the First Amendment. And they put all these people in jail. And finally, you have a new president who says enough already. And he pardoned them. And that was a really important step. You know, this past week, we... Also had the March for Life, a great event to stand up for that freedom and for the sanctity of human life. And it's really never been more important than it is right now for all of us to speak with moral clarity and conviction and consistency about that issue. It is the foundational principle of America that we recognize the right to life as a self-evident truth. And we need this generation of Americans to see it the same way and to exercise those freedoms to talk about it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, again, we are grateful and celebrate President Trump releasing these political prisoners, is what they were. But the underlying issue is the law, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act phase, which was enacted back in the 1990s under Bill Clinton. Is there a chance that we're going to see many of these tools that have been used to weaponize government removed during this administration?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes, we're looking at all of that. And you've seen the flurry of executive orders to begin to attack this stuff. And we're going to have to codify a lot of these changes. So in the legislative arena here in the House and Senate, we'll be looking to fine tune the law to ensure that our most fundamental freedoms are protected. And that'll be an ongoing theme of this administration.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was my conversation with House Speaker Mike Johnson on This Week on Capitol Hill. You can watch the entire program on the Stand Firm app. After the break, I'll be joined by Carolyn Glick of the Jewish News Syndicate from Israel. So don't go away. More to come.
SPEAKER 14 :
As President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
SPEAKER 07 :
The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is not an inter-religious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 04 :
We've not been a secular nation. We don't want to be a secular nation. We've been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 14 :
The well-versed and family research council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 07 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen. Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 15 :
Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today and join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We've created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective, read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family and church members and stand firm everywhere you go.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. Let me encourage you to join us next Wednesday at the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. It'll be at the Museum of the Bible Wednesday morning, 7 a.m. If you can make it to D.C. There's room for you. There's still room. Seats are going quickly, but you can still join us. To find out more, go to PrayDC.org. That's PrayDC.org. Or you can also join us online via the Stand Firm app. You know, as we want to see America made great again, the only pathway to political greatness is through moral goodness. And that's the role of the church. And in this moment that we've been given, we need to call America back to God. So join us this coming Wednesday for the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, Wednesday, February the 5th. Our word for today comes from Jeremiah chapter 1, where the Lord tells Jeremiah, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet to the nations. God said he knew Jeremiah in the womb. How do you know a fetus? How do you know a blob of tissue, as Planned Parenthood describes the baby in the womb? Well, God makes it very clear. He recognizes human life in the womb as fully known and destined for his purposes. Thankfully, Jeremiah's father, Hilkiah, was not influenced by the evil king Manasseh, who seduced the people into sacrificing their own children on the altar of the false god Molech. Not unlike sacrificing of children today on the altar of convenience, abortion. The killing of children is a symptom of idolatry, removing God from preeminence, which will eventually bring judgment upon a nation. We must recognize abortion is a symptom of spiritual compromise. and the church must lead the way in dealing with the underlying spiritual apostasy. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. On Saturday, the Hamas terror organization released four female Israeli soldiers as a part of its hostage and ceasefire deal with Israel. In exchange, Israel later released 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 121 who were serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israel. While Israel celebrated the release of the four women, it is keenly aware that the agreement that was made with Hamas comes at heavy cost. And part of that cost appears to be allowing Hamas to regroup and even rebuild. Join me now to discuss this and more is Carolyn Glick. She's a senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate and host of the Carolyn Glick Show on JNS. She joins us from Israel. Carolyn, thanks so much for joining us this evening.
SPEAKER 08 :
It's always a pleasure to be with you, Tony. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let me start with this. Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II and the Holocaust and the nations coming together saying this promise never again. But with what we've witnessed in the last year and a half in Israel with Hamas, those words lack meaning, do they not?
SPEAKER 08 :
They do. And, you know, I think it's notable as well that the prime minister of Ireland, who's an anti-Semite, was given the honor of doing the keynote speech at the ceremony yesterday. And he gave a speech that was riddled with slanders against the state of Israel and the people of Israel. So, you know, I think the never again issue is a two way street. One is the Jews must never allow this to happen to us again. but also the Gentiles of the world have to stop hating Jews. And it's that kind of genocidal Jew hatred that we saw on display on October 7th. And then with the massive support that Hamas received from nations and from political movements throughout the world, we see that, unfortunately, 80 years have passed, but the sort of outburst and wave, really, of anti-Semitism that has washed along planet Earth over the past year and three months has been somewhat of a shock for most people. And it shows that we have to fight this. It's not a matter of just being vigilant. It's actually fighting it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, and I would add, it's not just the Jewish people who should be fighting this. I believe, and my call has been to Bible-believing Christians, people of the book, that would stand with Israel and fight back on this as well. You're right. I mean, it's been there, it's been latent, but in the last year and really last few years, We've begun to see this percolate up and then, of course, obviously reaching a crescendo, a zenith on October the 7th. I say that as a backdrop to this conversation that we're going to have about the four hostages that were released over the weekend. Obviously, that's being celebrated. There are still more that need to come home. Let's talk about those four for just a moment because there's some controversy surrounding the release and the way they were released and how Hamas paraded those four young females through the streets there in Gaza.
SPEAKER 08 :
Look, I mean, Hamas, we know, has been victimizing women. The Israeli women who fell in their path on October 7th were brutalized in a way that nobody imagined was possible, not only in every way. and by large mobs. And then they stole from Israel also seven of our soldiers and many, many civilian women and girls, children who they were holding as hostages. We know that one of the released hostages who was released in the first trench of hostages back in November of 2023 was acknowledged, admitted publicly that she was raped by her captor. And so these four that were released on Saturday are IDF soldiers who were captured in their pajamas from their base. while 16 of their fellow soldiers were massacred in the most brutal way. And they saw it happen as they were being captured. And they were brought back to Gaza. There were seven in total who were taken. One, the last one, is expected to be released hopefully on Friday. One was murdered and one was rescued shortly after October 7th by the IDF because she was able to snatch a cell phone and call for help. And they located her and they were able to save her. So Hamas is a horrible organization or movement or mindset for its adherents. in terms of the way that they treat women, particularly captive women who are not Muslims. And so that was a national nightmare, having these women. And hopefully, in the course of the lifespan of this 42-day deal, we're supposed to get all of the females that are being held captive in Gaza. home, at least the ones that are alive. And so that's what we're looking towards. But yes, they've been serially victimized in the most brutal ways. And then on Saturday, it was no different. And actually, on Saturday, when they were released, you saw not only that, but you saw how everything that Hamas does is theater. And they're backed, of course, by the Qataris and by so many others in the international media who credence all of their lies. So they built up this fake stage for where they were declaring victory over the Zionists or whatever. They put the girls in fake uniforms and they paraded them up on stage in front of a crowd of men carrying automatic weapons and whooping and made them play roles. And so they were told, you know, that they had to smile and put their hands up and stuff like that. And it's all theater. And it's to demoralize Israelis. And it's to make people who support Hamas and support October 7th feel triumphant and that, look, this is a side that's winning. And we should side with them and we should join their cause because the cause of jihad is triumphant. So it was a revolting display, but it was also very authentic in the sense that you saw all of the cruelty and perniciousness and insidiousness of Hamas on display.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let me contrast that. After those four were released, Israel released 200 terrorist criminals. Where was that parade held and what cameras were they marched in front of?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, well, they were actually, you know, they were received in triumph in villages all around in Judea and Samaria and in Gaza. And, you know, again, I mean, hopefully we'll find them and we'll just kill them all afterwards because, you know, these are mass murderers. I mean, some of the worst murderers, you know, I'm sure you remember and maybe your viewers do as well. But in 2000, the Palestinians rejected a state and peace with Israel, and they launched under Yasser Arafat at the time. In the PLO, they launched a jihad against Israel. And we were having almost daily suicide bombings that were massacring Israeli civilians in cafes and universities and their homes on buses. Everywhere you turned, there was another suicide bombing. And we had four years, there were peaks, like in 2002, of almost daily or daily and almost daily assaults and almost daily massacres. And a lot of the people who perpetrated those massacres, which are very fresh in the memories of any Israeli who was alive at that time, are being released now. And so, you know, this is what they value. They value murder. And it was kind of clearly on October 7th.
SPEAKER 07 :
My point is Israel did not try to exploit those 200 criminals when they released them. They released them according to the deal, unlike what Hamas did in releasing these four hostages and exploiting them for theater.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, we didn't humiliate them.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right, exactly. That's my point, because Israel, even though they don't like the terms of the deal, they treat humans as humans, and they're not exploiting it as we see with Hamas. And I think this shows the difference between the two sides. Now, let me talk a little bit— about the hostages that remain. There's 33 due to be released in this first stage. And now, we found out over the weekend, 25 of those are alive. Eight have been killed. So, it'll be eight bodies that will be returned. There's 90 remaining hostages. I believe there's 35 of the remaining have been killed as well by Hamas. Is Hamas living up to the terms of the deal?
SPEAKER 08 :
I mean, they've been breaching the deal from the outset. I mean, from being late and giving us the names of the women who they released in the first tranche to not releasing the hostage that they were committed to releasing last Saturday to, you know, having these kinds of pageants when they released the soldiers, as we saw yesterday, and just an innumerable number of breaches. They're Israel prefers to get back the hostages for now before we—I mean, we're obviously tabulating all the breaches, and we're waiting, because the whole point of this deal is to get as many live hostages back as possible. It's not to make peace with Hamas.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. Well, there's two war goals. Right. We've talked about that. There's two more goals. And one is to get the hostages back, get the Israelis back into Israel. And the second is to eliminate Hamas as a threat. Now, during this six-week ceasefire, there seems to be evidence, I've been reading reports, that Hamas is regrouping, reorganizing and rearming. Is there concern that that is in fact happening?
SPEAKER 08 :
There's tremendous concern about what's happening. But, you know, it's the nature of the beast. I mean, Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization. So we've killed a lot of their terrorists, but they're, you know, hiring new recruits because also there's fake humanitarian aid that they're demanding, 600 trucks of goods coming in. It's all under Hamas control. And so they can sell it all. And that's just money in their pockets so that They have the money to hire new recruits, and they're really the only hiring game in town since Gaza is just a smoldering pile of rubble. So, you know, they're hiring new terrorists to join their ranks. But that's not the same as having those sort of veteran, well-trained people who came in and invaded Israel on October 7th, albeit unarmed. with thousands and thousands of civilians from Gaza who joined in the carnage. All the same, it's not the same military organization today that it was on October 7, 2023. I think, you know, these are calculated risks. I mean, if Israel were to agree to go, you know, any further in this deal without Hamas being completely dismantled, then that would already represent an existential threat here. It's just, it makes our job harder because it's setting us back significantly in terms of the military achievements we've been able to accomplish on the backs and with the lives of the best of our young boys who are the soldiers in this war. So I think, you know, it's a horrible price that we're paying, but, you know, we have to get as many hostages back as we can without endangering the victory in this war. And I think that the prime minister made a calculated risk, and he believes that we're going to be able to accomplish the goal of annihilating Hamas and preventing Gaza from ever posing a threat to Israel in the future, and get this deal done and get the 33 home.
SPEAKER 07 :
Carolyn, we only have a couple minutes left. Final question here for you. What appears to be a ray of hope in this deal is President Trump over the weekend making the statement that Egypt, Jordan should take these Palestinian refugees, allowing Gaza to be cleaned out, which would be a great way to eliminate the threat of Hamas by moving these folks elsewhere. Is that possible?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, of course it's possible. Look, Egypt is in breach of a binding humanitarian law of war that requires people to provide refuge to civilians in armed conflicts. And Egypt has kept their border closed and banned Gazans from coming in to seek refuge in Egypt or in any third country through Egypt. So that all of the people screaming about civilian casualties in this war really should have been pointing fingers all along at one person, which is Egyptian President al-Sisi, who has shut the borders and prevented them from leaving. The same could be said, of course, of Jordanian King Abdullah. Ninety percent of his population are ethnically Palestinians. Why he isn't letting their brethren come into Jordan? Again, it's—and that's one thing. But the brilliance of President Trump is that he's willing to look at a problem, an old problem, in new ways. And the fact of the matter is that the Palestinians proved that this was a zero-sum game. It's either going to be them or the Jews on October 7th. And what he's saying is, look, there are 22 Arab states. Move. And it's not going to be you. People like you can't have states. I mean, he doesn't say that. And maybe he wants a state for the Palestinians. But the people of Gaza have proven themselves beyond a shred of a doubt that they have no interest in peaceful coexistence with Israel. And by the way, again, Gaza is a smoldering shard of rubble. And so what they want to do there is unclear. So he's offering a way through. that will provide Israel with victory, its people with security, the people of Gaza with a possibility of living in peace somewhere else.
SPEAKER 07 :
Carolyn, we're going to have to leave it there. We're out of time. Maybe we can sort of GoFundMe account and help make that happen. Carolyn, thanks for joining us. Folks, thank you for joining us. Until next time, keep standing.
SPEAKER 09 :
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.
Join us as we dive into the geopolitical intricacies of the recently brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. We explore the potential implications for both nations and the broader Middle East context. Additionally, we discuss the Trump administration's decisive actions on various issues, including immigration and religious freedom, setting a new precedent for government involvement.
SPEAKER 15 :
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. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, good afternoon. Hope you have had a fantastic week. Welcome to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss, the Senior Vice President here at the Family Research Council and President of FRC Action. Thank you so much for joining us today. We've got a lot going on. Coming your way, as you probably are keenly aware by now, thousands of pro-lifers converged on Washington, D.C. today for the 22nd annual March for Life. And before taking to the streets, they heard from President Donald Trump, who delivered remarks virtually.
SPEAKER 02 :
In my second term, we will again stand proudly for families and for life. We will protect the historic gains we have made and stop the radical Democrat push for a federal right to unlimited abortion on demand up to the moment of birth and even after birth.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, it was cold, it was frigid today in Washington, D.C., but what was the real atmosphere like for this year's March for Life? Washington Stand reporter Sarah Holliday will join me in just a moment to share what she saw and heard firsthand. Also speaking at this year's March for Life was Vice President J.D. Vance, who was there in person. And in his remarks, he celebrated the president's pardoning of 23 pro-lifers who were unjustly targeted by the previous Biden administration's weaponized Justice Department.
SPEAKER 05 :
No longer will the federal government direct FBI raids on the homes of people like Mark Houck. and other Catholic and Christian activists who are fighting for the unborn every single day. And no longer will our government throw pro-life protesters and activists, elderly, grandparents, or anybody else in prison. It stopped on Monday, and we're not going to let it come back to this country.
SPEAKER 13 :
So what's it going to take to stop this type of thing from ever happening again? Well, Congressman Chip Roy will join me later to discuss that. And yesterday, the House passed the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which failed to advance in the Senate. But how many Democrats voted for it? Well, you'll be interested to find out if Congressman Andy Harris will be joining me in just a few moments about that. And then in international news, the Hamas terror group will be releasing some more hostages tomorrow. And while this is certainly cause for rejoicing, the heavy cost of the deal. Israel agreed to has certainly raised some concerns, and geopolitical commentator Eric Stackelbeck of TBN will be joining me about that. And then later in the program, we'll be joined by David Claussen for our weekly Biblical Worldview segment. So we have a lot coming your way today. You don't want to miss it. We've got, man, so much. Let's go ahead and get started. Today, as I mentioned a while ago, was the 52nd annual March for Life. It took place all across the country as well as here in Washington, D.C., literally drawing thousands of marchers who braved the frigid temperatures to stand in the gap for the pre-born. Washington Stand reporter Sarah Holliday was there in person to experience the march, and she joins me now to tell us a little bit of her experience. Sarah, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you for having me, Jody.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I hope you've thought out a little bit by now. But listen, real quickly, I was I sat back and I wanted to ask you this and then I want to get real quickly your overall response. But was this the first time ever that both the president and vice president had comments to share for March for Life?
SPEAKER 07 :
From my understanding, that just may be the case. I believe Trump actually in 2020 was the first sitting president to attend the march in person.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, I recall that vividly. All right, real quickly, Sarah, what was your experience? Well, I know it's frigid cold, but what was the atmosphere? What was it like for the people who were there?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, it was cold, but, you know, it was remarkably sunny. And as President Trump stated, people's hearts were warm and our spirits were high. The atmosphere was just joyful. I would even say electric. I can't help but wonder if part of that is because of this new administration that has come in and vowed to help out this pro-life movement and the cause in which it seeks to protect women and the unborn. So the atmosphere was just so exciting. There was praise and prayer going on throughout the morning, conversations, laughter, there was dancing. It was a wonderful gathering of people that despite any other differences we may have, came together to fight for the sanctity of life.
SPEAKER 13 :
That is awesome. Sarah Holliday, reporter with Washington. Stan, thank you so much for joining us on Washington Watch, and thank you for being a part of the March for Life today. I want to switch over now. I want to continue this discussion on the life issue from Capitol Hill. perspective there, specifically coming from Congressman Andy Harris, who represents Maryland's first district. He's the chairman, by the way, of the House Freedom Caucus and also chair of the GOP Doctors Caucus. He's got his hands in a little bit of everything. Previously, he was a physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital. And so most of all, most of us refer to him as Dr. Harris. Dr. Harris, welcome back to Washington Watch. So good to have you.
SPEAKER 17 :
It's great to be with you, Jody.
SPEAKER 13 :
Okay, so, man, the March for Life has been organized every year since the Roe v. Wade decision. And while certainly Dobbs' decision may have been tossed into the dustbin of history, pro-life, there is still a lot of work to be done for the pro-life cause. Wouldn't you agree?
SPEAKER 17 :
That's absolutely right, Jody. Now it might be a state-by-state fight, but we're in it. And in the end, we will show everyone and we will prevail because the fact of the matter is, is that it is a human life. It does need to be protected. And abortion does take a human life.
SPEAKER 13 :
So there were a lot of folks, I just had a brief conversation, don't know if you were able to hear it, with Sarah Holliday, who's one of our reporters who was there in person. The weather was frigid, cold to say the least, but thousands were there. What message do you hope is going to be sent to the rest of the country here again on another day of marching for life?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, the message is pretty clear. You know, we stand for human life, that despite, you know, Dobbs' decision, many states, as you know, have legalized abortion, even in their constitution. But again, it may take us another 50 years to get these efforts in the states overturned, but we will prevail. We will keep marching and we will prevail.
SPEAKER 13 :
I love that confidence, Dr. Harris. Thank you for inspiring us with that. And I believe it. I mean, life must prevail at the end of the day. I did want to throw this across your way and get your reaction. Democrats don't seem to be getting the message that you just shared at all. And it's a message that's shared from the majority of Americans. But none of the Democrats in the Senate voted for the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. What in the world does this tell us about where the Democrats are on this issue?
SPEAKER 17 :
Uh, Jody, it just tells you how extreme they are. Even in the House, only one Republican, Henry Cuellar from Texas, voted with us. Uh, but again, this is an issue, you know, the vast majority of Americans agree, if you botch an abortion and the baby is born alive, society has the right to protect that life. And again, uh, the, the, the vast majority of Democrats in the, in the Congress disagree. It's, I don't think the vast majority of Democrats, registered Democrats around the country disagree But the vast majority of elected Democrats do.
SPEAKER 13 :
What is causing this disconnect? Because I agree, this was not a strong pro-life bill. This is a bill that said if a baby is born alive, it is there in the hands of the doctor or the mother or whomever, the baby is alive there in that hospital room. A botched abortion, the baby is alive, and Democrats voted to kill the baby. There is no way in my mind the average Democrat voter across his country supports that kind of thing. What is the disconnect, do you think, with the federal National Democratic Party and average people across the country?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, it's more than just the national Democrats. It's Democrats in state houses, the ones who have voted to put these constitutional amendments on the state constitutions that allow abortion right up to birth.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, good point. Any idea what's causing this? I mean, how can there be this big of a disconnect? I mean, we're talking about a live baby. What makes this not? Well, of course, abortion does the same thing, but a born baby, they're murder.
SPEAKER 17 :
Look, these elected Democrats are beholden to the most radical wing of the party. It's not only true on this. It's true on other. It's true on immigration. It's true on other issues. Again, the American people.
SPEAKER 16 :
That's what Donald Trump is president of.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, let me shift gears to you again with the pardoning of the pro-lifers. I thought this was a fantastic step forward and a huge statement, frankly, overall. But unlike the previous administration, this administration is not going to be going after pro-lifers. And of course, that was made clear, and we had a little clip a moment ago of President Trump pardoning 23 pro-lifers. Tell me your thoughts about that.
SPEAKER 17 :
Look, I think it was a great pardon. I was shocked when the Biden administration went after these pro-life protesters violating their First Amendment rights. Again, you know, you'll have Chip Roy on later. Look, Chip has a bill and it's filed in the Senate as well to eliminate that federal law that doesn't allow people to exert their First Amendment rights outside abortion clinics.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, you're right. Chippa is going to be joining us here in just a little bit. What more are you anticipating or hopeful that you will see from this administration as it relates to pro-life causes?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, the most obvious thing is to stop the funding of abortion, especially abortion overseas. We spend we send thousands and millions of dollars to organizations that actually also provide abortion overseas, just like Planned Parenthood here. We send money to them and they provide abortion. We're doing that overseas. And I hope we could actually possibly eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood. That would be a huge step.
SPEAKER 13 :
That would be a huge step. And also, doing away with the FDA approving the shipping of abortion drugs, the abortion pill, across state lines. What is your take on whether or not some of this defunding can occur, be it internationally, domestically, or even here with the FDA and the mailing of the abortion pill?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, the international defunding, I think, is going to occur. I think there's going to be more defunding domestically. With regards to the interstate shipping, look, Jody, the problem is that what Planned Parenthood will do and the people they conspire with are just going to set up a place in every state to ship the drug. I don't think that's going to be a solution. We just have to—again, we have to— tell all Americans that we have to remind them that this is a human life. And whether you take it in an abortion clinic, whether you end it in an abortion clinic or with Mifepristone, it is still ending that human life.
SPEAKER 13 :
It is ending that human life. And in the case of Mifepristone, I mean, it's extremely dangerous for the mother as well. I think it's like one out of 20 who take it, something like that. You know better than I do end up in the emergency room. So a lot of work yet to be done just for the safety of that drug for the mother, let alone the death of the baby. Congressman Andy Harris, always great to see you. Thanks for your leadership on this and so many other issues. We appreciate you coming on Washington Watch with us.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thank you, Jody.
SPEAKER 13 :
All right, friends, we've got much more coming your way today on Washington Watch. We're covering a gamut of issues. You just heard Congressman Andy Harris mention Chip Roy and a very important piece of legislation that he has coming up. Well, Chip will be joining us right after the break in context of the March for Life and his important piece of legislation. Just don't go anywhere. Much more coming your way in just a moment.
SPEAKER 04 :
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, DC. 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, Launching early this year in January 2025, 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, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 08 :
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SPEAKER 13 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. So great to have you joining us. I'm your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and welcome aboard. All right, yesterday, President Trump pardoned 23 pro-lifers who were unjustly targeted by the previous Biden administration's weaponized Justice Department. And in signing the pardons, the president said that it was a great honor to sign this, adding that they should never have been prosecuted in the first place. And while this is certainly welcome to all of us, there's still a lot to be done. And joining me now to discuss this is Congressman Chip Roy. He serves on several House committees, including the Judiciary Committee. He represents the 21st Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Roy, joining us by phone. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 14 :
Great to be on, Jody. How are you, brother?
SPEAKER 13 :
I am doing great. Good to hear your voice. Thanks for joining us. All right. Listen, Chip, for those who have not been tracking all of this, tell us a little bit about these pro-lifers who were pardoned. What happened to them? Just how serious was this?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, first of all, let's take a step back and just consider what a great first week this has been with the president taking extraordinary action in executive orders and leadership where it has been sorely lacking, restoring the rule of law at our border, and importantly, with respect to the J6ers, who were unfairly targeted and politicized, 1,500 individuals, many of whom have been sitting in jail and dealing with that. Now we've got this issue with respect to the abuse of the Faith Act, which we've talked about on this program many times. You and I have, Tony and I have, And I introduced legislation to repeal the FACE Act because it was being abused by the Biden Department of Justice. We still should do that, by the way, because we should make this permanent. That law should not be there to be abused against pro-lifers. 97% of the application of the FACE Act has been against pro-life individuals. And unfortunately, that meant that these 21 individuals who were pardoned yesterday, thankfully, by President Trump, and great credit to him and his team for doing that, Those 21 individuals were sitting in jail, and they were sitting in jail because they exercised their free speech and their views on pro-life. And to give you an example, right, we had a gulag survivor from Eastern Europe, Eva Eidel, who was 89 years old and had survived the gulags in Eastern Europe, and she was prosecuted by the Department of Justice and to be targeted for for putting in jail. I don't know if she'd received her sentence yet before the pardon. But then we had Laura Handy, who was a progressive activist, Jody, meaning she didn't agree with you and me and most of these listeners on most issues, but she was pro-life and a valid progressive. I met with her, a wonderful lady. Again, we disagreed on a lot of issues, but she was put in jail for 57 months, five, seven, almost five years. And President Trump came in and he's pardoned these individuals. Paula Harlow, who was able to get out, she's a 75-year-old who had health issues. So these are all, this is a great victory, not just for life, as we sit here on the day of the March for Life, but for, you know, an end to, at least a pause in weaponized government. We still have more to do to make that permanent. That's why we should still pass the FASAC repeal.
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. And I don't know that everyone understands this. It's been a fantastic week, as you said, with executive orders. But at the end of the day, when a different president comes in, all of these executive orders can be changed just with a mark of a pen. So the importance of codifying these things is critical. So let's talk about your repeal of the FACE Act. What would that look like? What would it accomplish? What would it have meant to these individuals who the president had to pardon yesterday?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, I introduced that legislation, I think, two years ago. The new bill that I introduced to this Congress is H.R. 589, and it would repeal the FASE Act, a law that was passed in the 1990s, under the promise that it wouldn't be abused and used in ways that were incorrect, even though some Republicans protested at the time. Chuck Schumer guaranteed people, I think, on the floor of the House, oh, don't worry, this will never be used nefariously. Well, of course, if you look at the data, 97% of the prosecutions, arrests, and so forth by the Department of Justice were targeted to pro-lifers. For example, we've had 91 attacks on pro-life facilities that are there for pregnant women to assist them, and those attacks have been ignored. Those 91 attacks have occurred since the Dobbs decision. And, you know, so those were not pursued by the Department of Justice. Instead, they focused all of their animus on any individuals who dared to express their pro-life views at an abortion clinic. Now, look, you and I are rule of law guys. If somebody's exercising their free speech rights to talk about life in front of an abortion clinic, they block access in some way that violates the law. Or they do something, you know, is that a misdemeanor? You know, do they need to pay a fine or do something? Maybe, right? The law is the law. But 57 months... You know what they're doing here, right? And it's the same stuff they were doing January 6th. They were using the law as a political sword, and that takes the blindfold off of Lady Justice, and that kills the rule of law. President Trump is restoring the rule of law.
SPEAKER 13 :
Wow. So the FACE Act repeal would do what quickly?
SPEAKER 14 :
So it would repeal the law that was passed in the 1990s and remove it from the books so it could no longer be used as a sword against pro-lifers. It is not being used in any meaningful way to protect against, for example, church arson. There's already other legislation on the books that would deal with that. This was put on the books, and it was being used as a sword against pro-life individuals, and we should simply just take it off the books. That's it. That's all it does is repeal that law. We should do it. We should move it through the Judiciary Committee. We should move it to the floor of the House. We should make this a permanent change so that no future president has to pardon, as President Trump did yesterday, the 21 individuals who were unfairly politically targeted and charged under the Department of Justice.
SPEAKER 13 :
With the, I'm sorry, Chip, with the slim majority, what's the chances, both in the House and the Senate, what's the chances of this making it to the president's desk, do you think?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, obviously difficult when you've got 60 votes that you need in the Senate. But I would love to pass that out of the House. I mean, no Republican should oppose it. And, you know, we just passed the Born Alive Prevention Act with unanimous support among Republicans. And that was a good thing. I managed the bill before yesterday. But this is a bill that goes beyond life and goes to the weaponization of the Department of Justice for people exercising their political views. and their pro-life views. It should pass unanimously by Republicans. We should send it to the Senate. We should force them to vote on it. And if it doesn't pass, then at least we know where they stand.
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. Thank you so much, Congressman Chip Roy of Texas. Always great to have you on the program. We are all deeply grateful for your leadership on this life issue and a host of other issues. Thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER 14 :
God bless, Jody. Take care.
SPEAKER 13 :
You too. All right, friends, much more coming your way. Next, we're going to shift gears. We're going to be talking about the Hamas terror group and this hostage and ceasefire deal that's underway. What's it going to mean to Israel and beyond? Stay tuned. We'll get into that right after the break.
SPEAKER 10 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 09 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 09 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 10 :
It's really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC's internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 09 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that but here we get real hands-on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 13 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host Jody Heist. So glad to have you joining us today. All right. Earlier today, the Hamas terror organization identified the next four hostages that they will be releasing. That is scheduled to take place tomorrow. It's all part of the hostage and ceasefire deal with Israel. And while Israel certainly is going to and is rejoicing in the release of these four women, it is also well aware that the agreement that they made for the release comes at a heavy, heavy cost. And among those costs is the opportunity that it gives Hamas to rebuild after the beating that it's taken from Israel over the last 15 months. So how big of a threat does that pose for Israel in the near and as well in the distant future? Well, joining me now to discuss this and more is geopolitical commentator Eric Stackelbeck, who has spent nearly two decades covering the Middle East and national security issues in depth. He's the host of the Israel and Middle East-focused newscast called The Watchman, and he's the author of three best-selling books, including ISIS Exposed. Eric, welcome back to Washington Watch, an honor to have you with us.
SPEAKER 11 :
Jody, great to be with you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 13 :
All right, so first of all, let me just kind of a 30,000-foot view from your perspective on this three-phase hostage and ceasefire deal. What's your take on it?
SPEAKER 11 :
You know, Jody, I sat down with the former U.S. ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, just a few hours ago, and he said, you know, is it possible to hate this deal but still – support's a strong word – but still say, you know, it's a no-win situation of sorts with Israel because he wasn't clear how else Israel would get the hostages back without some sort of deal. That said, Jody, it's – look – Israel is getting 33 people back, which is great. We celebrate their release. They've been literally through hell on earth over the past 15 months. But what a heavy price to pay. I mean, Israel, at the end of the day, at the end of these three phases, will give up at least 1,900 terrorists. So it's just such a difficult, difficult situation. But I think Israel feels that – It's going to be difficult to get any of the hostages out without kind of biting the bullet, so to speak, and and and releasing some of these Hamas terrorists. I think Prime Minister Netanyahu feels more confident doing this, knowing that Donald Trump is back in office because Trump has been very clear with Israel that look. If Hamas tries to reconstitute, tries to take power in a major way in Gaza once again, you have free reign. Israel, do what you need to do. So I think Bibi is saying, OK, we're taking a major risk here, but Trump has our back. Also, Hamas has largely been smashed in Gaza over the past 15 months. Still a danger, but nowhere near where they were. And Israel also has excellent intelligence in Gaza now. So as soon as these terrorists are released, they will be tracked and monitored. And Israel also has a buffer zone between Gaza and southern Israel. So it's a lot different landscape than it was on October 7th, for sure. But still, this deal, it's far from perfect, no doubt.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, those are all excellent points, Eric, that you bring out. And great for us to ponder that and look at it from that perspective. So with Trump, I think that's a powerful point for Israel. But what is the next step for Israel? I mean, they're releasing tons of terrorists. At the same time, they're giving a significant timeframe for Hamas and other terrorist organizations to rebuild. So what's the next step for Israel from your perspective?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, Jody, I don't think that most Israelis expect all three phases of this three-phased deal with Hamas to go through. You would think, judging by their track record, that Hamas eventually will break this deal somehow and violate the deal. Then Israel is fully prepared to go back into – and they're not gone from Gaza altogether, but – to kind of use the full brunt, the full might of the Israel Defense Forces to crush Hamas once and for all. I would say Hamas right now in some ways is kind of a ragtag guerrilla fighting force now. They can still cause damage, but their rocket arsenal has been completely deplenished. They themselves have no— a possibility of carrying out an October 7th-style attack with thousands of jihadis invading southern Israel. Those days are gone. Hamas, as we know it, is gone. And, again, the IDF has had great success in smashing Hamas. Now, Hamas has had some new recruits in recent weeks and months, yes, But Jody, remember, these are a lot of young guys with no experience. Who they're replacing, and Israel has killed close to 20,000 Hamas terrorists since October 7th. These new recruits, the men they're replacing, were hardened, seasoned, battle-tested, battle-trained Hamas operatives. So it's a big step down in quality, the quality of Hamas fighter as well. But I think next steps for Israel... In the immediate future and anytime soon, really, Israel will have to maintain some sort of presence in Gaza. That's a no-brainer. They can't go anywhere. And President Trump, interestingly enough, earlier this week talked about the potential in Gaza, beautiful waterfront properties there right on the Mediterranean. Who knows down the line? But in the meantime, as long as Hamas has any sort of leadership or exercises any sort of leadership in Gaza, you're not going to see that happen.
SPEAKER 13 :
Wow. Well, and I think, too, we've only got about 30 seconds, but scale of 1 to 10, how committed do you see the Trump administration backing Israel?
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, I would say a 10 for sure. I mean, based on President Trump's first term and based on the team he has around him right now, people like Mike Huckabee, his incoming ambassador, Michael Waltz, national security advisor, Marco Rubio, secretary of state. So I would say as of now, until I see otherwise, a 10. I know there have been some concerns about Steve Witkoff, who's negotiating these deals. So we'll see there. But based on the first term team he has, I'd say a 10 right now. And I hope it stays that way. I hope it stays that way.
SPEAKER 13 :
Eric Steckelbeck, host and executive producer of The Watchman on TBN, thank you for joining us. Thank you for this great insight, and I agree with you all the way. Thanks for joining us on Washington Watch. Thanks, Jim. All right, friends, coming up next, David Claussen will join me for our weekly Biblical Worldview segment. Stay tuned.
SPEAKER 07 :
As President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
SPEAKER 06 :
The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 18 :
This is not an interreligious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 01 :
We've not been a secular nation. We don't want to be a secular nation. We've been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well-versed and Family Research Council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 06 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen.
SPEAKER 03 :
All of us are born with the desire to find truth and meaning. Where did I come from? What happens when I die? While our answers to these questions may divide us, we are united in our need for the freedom to answer life's biggest questions and make life's biggest decisions for ourselves. That's why religious freedom matters for everyone. Religious freedom matters because the powerful have long wanted to control those who are less powerful. Religious freedom matters because the freedom of those who are different is often threatened by those who believe different is dangerous. at the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council. We promote religious freedom for everyone because the only alternative is religious freedom for no one. We encourage Americans and the American government to engage and advocate for the persecuted, and they do. We work every day to bring good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. We do it because that's what Jesus does. We work to give freedom to others because we ourselves have been set free.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I'm your Friday host, Jody Heiss. All right, before I go to my next guest, I want to take just a second to encourage you, each of you, to get involved, to get involved with moving important policies forward during this new Trump administration. And you have the capacity of doing that. We've provided a toolkit for you. It's our first 100 days toolkit. That's what we're calling it. It's available exclusively on FRC's Stand Firm app, and I'll tell you how you can get that in a moment. But inside this toolkit, you'll find the ability to find your members of Congress, how you can support key legislation, how you can get some insights on some of the nominees to various positions that are being presented, how to pray effectively, and so much more. And catch this. Underscore this. Many of you have been asking, and it is now at your fingertips. That is a brand new tracker to track Trump's commitments, the promises that he made on the campaign trail, the commitments he made. You want to track that. You want to follow it. Well, it's in the toolkit. And you'll be able to monitor these commitments that were made on the campaign trail, and you'll be able to check them and see them when they're checked off. Now, that tracker is available independently if you want that. It's at frcaction.org slash Trump tracker. It's also you can just text the word TRACKER to 67742. But if you want that tracker and the toolkit to get involved, to move things forward, you can text the word TOOLKIT to 67742. That's one word, TOOLKIT, 67742. So, friends, this is an incredible opportunity we have, and it's going to take all of us, we the people, making our voice heard, and getting involved, and we've provided the tools for you to do just that. All right, and by the way, if you don't yet have the Stand Firm app, you can get that by texting the word APP to 67742. All right. It has been another busy, busy and should I say historic week in Washington, D.C. Of course, it all started Monday with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States. And with so many headlines coming at us. It is easy at times like this just to hop from one story to the next story and to miss the significance of it all. But as Christians, as believers, we want to slow down. We want to back up. We want to try to analyze what's happening in the news and evaluate the news through the lens of Scripture. And that's precisely why... We like to conclude each week here on Friday with a segment that just deals with the news from a biblical worldview perspective and have a conversation with some of the news items that have popped up over the week. Joining me for that discussion is David Claussen. He, of course, is the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at the Family Research Council. David, thank you yet again for joining us. It's been a busy week.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, happy Friday. A joy to be with you, and it sure has.
SPEAKER 13 :
All right, we're going to jump into some of it. Before we do that, though, I know you are en route or perhaps already there, but going to a conference in Florida, just real quickly, tell us what you're doing in Florida.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, so this is the Founders National Conference. Founders is a great Christian ministry that has a large pastor's network. And so this is actually the sixth year, Jody, that the Family Research Council has sponsored This conference, about 2,000 pastors, I got up this morning for a few moments and shared about the Family Research Council. So just very encouraging, at least especially this week, Jody, to escape the frigid temperatures of Washington, D.C., and to come down to the balmy 45-degree weather here in Florida, which folks down here are complaining about the cold, but I'm going to take it.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, well, listen, you took the cold with you. I mean, first time in history that much of portions, at least, of Florida received a blizzard. It's just unbelievable. Part of our family was in all of that. But anyways, David, glad you had a safe trip there and glad you're enduring the frigid 45 degrees there in Florida. But listen, let's, if we can, let's transition a bit. I know that you were likewise at the inaugural events earlier this week at Capital One Arena. And I'd just like to get your thoughts on it's been a busy week, but your thoughts there at the inauguration events that you attended. What was it like?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, Jody, the phrase that has continued to kind of rattle around in my brain really all week is what God's mercy. that this nation this week has experienced God's mercy. Now, look at the apostasy, the sin that is all around us. We talk about this often, Jody. As a nation, I don't think we deserve God's mercy. And yet, with the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president, I believe this is a form of his mercy. This is what I've been thinking about. I think this is a reprieve. Jody, just think about this. Earlier this week, Kamala Harris could have been inaugurated president of the United States. We could be living under Kamala Harris right now as president. And she, again, this is someone who campaigned on the most aggressive abortion platform in the history of American politics. This is someone who I think the issue of transgenderism hurt her campaign. This is someone who, when pressed by reporters, would not back down from her position that taxpayer funding should go to transgender inmates. And so, again, Kamala Harris could have been president, easily could have been president. And so, Jody, I think just thinking about and seeing what President Trump has done these first couple of days is extraordinary. I'm sure we'll talk about that. But I think as Christians, it's OK this week. to say, you know what, we are experiencing a reprieve. And I think there's a responsibility now on us as believers to steward these next four years, to use our influence. Donald Trump's only president because tens of millions of Christians turned out for him. We need to be putting a lot of pressure on this administration to honor the commitments they made to Christian voters.
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. And had that been, had she been elected, I was just thinking, there you are. All of Florida might have frozen over had it been someone else inaugurated this past week. But we'll leave that as it may. Listen, in terms of worldview, David, there seems to be a massive and remarkable shift. And I totally agree with what you're saying with this moment, this historical moment of mercy. and grace that has been given our country. There seems to be a remarkable shift in what seems to be driving this new administration compared to the last. So what are some of the developments? What are some of those changes that Christians should be aware of? Social conservatives, as some call us. But what are some of the things that we should be mindful of right now?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, just in these first couple of days, it's almost hard to keep track. There's just been a torrent of executive orders and pronouncements and memorandums coming from the White House. Just very briefly, I can tick through just a couple of things that we would be well to be aware of. One of those executive orders that President Trump signed repealed a Biden executive order that had established a White House executive gender policy council. If I'm being honest with you, Jody, I have no idea what that council did under the Biden administration, but I know it couldn't have been good. President Trump's on day one ended that. He eliminated DEI throughout the federal government, which that's going to save us tens of millions of dollars, I assume, but saying that merit matters, not your skin color. He undid a real specific executive order that I think a lot of people are unaware of. But Biden had put an executive order in place that he had instructed the federal government that wherever a law deals with sex discrimination, that the federal government should interpret that as referring to gender identity. which is very problematic for a number of reasons, that was repealed. He repealed another executive order that had ordered the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to specifically promote an LGBT agenda. He repealed that. Another executive order, let me just read the title of this one to you, Jodi. It was called Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government. And then just even in his inaugural, looking out at the crowd of very distinguished guests, sitting feet from Joe Biden, announcing that the policy of the United States government is that there are only two genders, which is so refreshing after the last four years. But also, who would have imagined in any other era of American politics that that would even need to be said? And then finally, Jody, at the March for Life today, J.D. Vance spoke to the marchers there in person. And President Trump also appeared via video, talked about his pardoning of the 23 pro-lifers who had been jailed. So there's a lot to be thankful for. And I think that just kind of scratches the surface.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, absolutely. And you mentioned some of the initial savings. I was informed today. I've not yet gone to look at it. But, you know, we have the debt ticker that lets us all know how high the debt is increasing. But there is now a doge ticker of how much we are saving. And it's already up in the billions and billions of dollars. So I'm not sure where to find it, but that'd be something if people are interested to go check it out. Another big issue that's happening is this whole issue of immigration. We're seeing planes fly many people away. The border is getting shut down. There's arrests being made with criminals here, all sorts of stuff. How should Christians look at this issue of immigration? immigration and what's happening with the deportation, all that sort of thing right now through the lens of scripture and biblical justice.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, Jody, this is an issue that obviously has been all over cable news, even watching cable news from my hotel in Florida last night. I've seen, you know, just the outrage that Donald Trump's actually deporting criminal illegal migrants. I saw one stat that it was over 534 criminal migrants, some of these who have committed horrific crimes, sex crimes, murder, have already been rounded up. And I think Tom Holman last night, who's the czar at the border, said we're up to 3,000 criminal aliens who have been apprehended by ICE agents. And Jodi, this is a matter of biblical justice, first and foremost, because as Christians, we believe in justice. We believe in retributive justice and the fact that hundreds and thousands, and we know it's more than that, but people who committed crimes, who shouldn't even be here, but they're committing crimes against American citizens. Some of these are heinous, Jodi. Really, it's unspeakable to think about some of these sex crimes that some of these people have been convicted of, the fact that they are off our streets is something that Christians should see as a major issue of biblical justice that, again, we should be grateful for.
SPEAKER 13 :
And is this not also one of the biblical responsibilities of government to punish evildoers? And the word punish is pretty strong because that is in the best interest of all the society, all of the citizens, if you will, when the government takes its role to punish evildoers and punish crime.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, that's Romans 13. Paul tells us, why do we submit to government? Well, because God's ordained government. Why has he ordained it? He says it is to punish evil and to promote good. And so, Jody, I think anyone with two brain cells would realize that this is good to take these horrifying criminals off the streets. This is good for our country.
SPEAKER 13 :
You mentioned a while ago, and we have started the program with today being March for Life. And of course, President Trump has already made significant progress reversing some of President Biden's policies and executive orders and so forth. So what are you tracking in terms of this new Trump administration and their actions on life?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, Judy, I am grateful that the president sent a video message to the March for Life. I'm so grateful that in his first public appearance, J.D. Vance made an appearance and gave some stirring remarks. Already, we're seeing the bully pulpit of the presidency being used to promote a culture of life. Pardoning those 23 pro-life activists, that sends a strong signal. There is more work to be done, though. Earlier in the program, I know you talked about this, but the Mexico City policy, that, you know, Donald Trump in his first term made sure that that was in place, that taxpayer funding did not go overseas to any NGO that either funded or facilitated or promoted abortion. I want to see that. And my hope is that very soon we will hear news on that front. That's a very low bar, but I think it's something that's important. I also want to see a President Trump direct the Health and Human Services Department to put back in, to reinstate the safeguards that were around the chemical abortion pills. We know that the Obama administration and then the Biden administration relaxed those safeguards to make it just very easy for these chemical abortion pills to fall in the hands of young women. I want to see that, those safeguards put back in place. I want to see Title 10, Jodi. This funding that these family planning centers use in his first administration, he made sure that none of those dollars went to abortion providers, which, by the way, Planned Parenthood defunded themselves in a sense of pulled themselves out of that program. So great start. But in the weeks to come, there's so much more the administration can do. And I think the prayer of every pro-life Christian is that Donald Trump will live up to his own kind of moniker as being the most pro-life president because he was in the first term. Absolutely. There's a lot to do in the second term now.
SPEAKER 13 :
Real quickly here, David, and by the way, for those who want to keep a track of Trump's accomplishments, you can do so by going to frcaction.org slash Trump tracker, frcaction.org slash Trump tracker. All right, you've got a new book coming out, David. You and I have talked about this, but I'm told that your publisher is offering a special deal on pre-orders. Tell us about that real quickly.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, if you go to the books Life After Row, it looks at the life issue from a theological, biblical, historical, and legal perspective. You can go to LifeWay.com and use the code AFTERROW40, all one word, AFTERROW40 at LifeWay.com.
SPEAKER 13 :
And that's 4-0, not spelling out the word 40, correct?
SPEAKER 12 :
That's right. 4-0. Yes, sir.
SPEAKER 13 :
All right. David Claussen from the Center for Biblical Worldview at FRC, thank you so much for joining us from Florida. Thanks for all you do. Thank you. God bless. God bless you as well, my friend. All right. Thank you so much for joining each of you on Washington Watch this week and today. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. There's going to be another busy week next week, and we'll keep you informed right here on Washington Watch. We'll see you then.
SPEAKER 15 :
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.
Join Tony Perkins as he explores the pivotal political events shaping our nation. Discover how President Trump's administration is reshaping DEI policies within the military, the implications of designating the Iranian-backed Houthis as a terrorist group, and the robust support rallying for pro-life activism. With an engaging blend of guest interviews and in-depth analysis, this episode provides timely information for those committed to faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 01 :
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.
SPEAKER 07 :
This bill just asks the simple question, if an abortion is botched, and the child is delivered instead of destroyed in the womb, and the child is alive and viable on the table, what happens next? Current medical practice is everyone in the room just backs away and you allow the child to die on the table. I don't think that's what most Americans would want.
SPEAKER 05 :
That was Oklahoma Senator James Lankford on the Senate floor yesterday debating the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in and making us part of your day. Well, the Born Alive Infant Protection Act failed to advance in the Senate yesterday when every Democrat senator voted against it. One of the most common arguments that was given was that it doesn't happen, so it's not necessary. Later in the program, Senator Lankford himself will join us along with Josiah Presley. an abortion survivor. Meanwhile, the big question on Capitol Hill is, will there be one bill or two?
SPEAKER 10 :
I like the concept of the one bill. I guess I said one big beautiful, and that's what everyone faces. Actually, it's sort of a nice sound to it. But I do like that concept. It could be something else. It could be a smaller bill and a big bill. Right. But as long as we get to the right answer.
SPEAKER 05 :
That was President Trump in an interview with Sean Hannity discussing possible paths forward on a reconciliation bill, which is a budgetary means to circumvent the 60-vote threshold required in the Senate. Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson will join us with the latest on this debate. And actually, he's leaning toward three bills. We're going to talk about that. Also, President Trump signed an executive order once again designating Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization. Former President Biden had previously removed that designation. Montana Senator Steve Daines, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will give us his perspective and the latest on this. Finally, in evidence that it's not business as usual in D.C., the commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan, was ousted Monday night. One reason cited, an excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, which diverted resources from operational priorities. That, of course, is a hallmark of much of the federal government under the Biden administration. Retired Coast Guard Vice Admiral Dean Lee joins us to discuss what this signals ahead for our armed services. All right. We are in the first 100 days and we've created a brand new resource for you. It's the first 100 days toolkit. It helps you track campaign promises as they become policy, provides contact information so that you can take action when necessary to contact your senators and your congressmen. And it includes prayer points for our government leaders and for the policies they're considering. To find the toolkit, you can find it on the StandFirm app, or you can text TOOLKIT to 67742. That's TOOLKIT to 67742, and you'll be prepared for the first 100 days. All right, the Trump administration continues to take shape following the president's return to the Oval Office on Monday. The Senate voted today to confirm John Ratcliffe as the next CIA director, making him the second highest level appointment for the new administration to be confirmed. And Senate leaders are pushing ahead with a series of votes on President Trump's other cabinet picks. Meanwhile, Republicans are still working to reach consensus on budget reconciliation with more members of Congress and even the president saying it's the results that matter, not whether it's one or two bills. Well, joining us now is Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Budget Committee and the Finance Committee. Senator Johnson, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you. Well, Tony, thanks for having me on. All right. Where are we on this reconciliation? We've got one bill, two bill, and now you say maybe three is the best way forward.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you know, Tony, I come from the private sector, and I'm a firm believer in the KISS principle. Keep it simple. I'm well aware of the grotesque dysfunction here in Washington, D.C., also very well aware of the slim margin in the House. We have a little bit more leeway in the Senate, but, again, that doesn't necessarily guarantee success. So when you talk about one big, beautiful bill, I recognize that one big, beautiful bill is really complex. And what I think, we need to really lay out the goals. And the first goal is what President Trump ran on in his 2016 election and then 2024, because Biden opened up the borders. We have to secure that border. We need to make sure this administration has the resources and funding for the full four years. That's something we all agree on. So get that one done off the table. Then we have this massive automatic tax increase barreling toward us. By the way, We did that because we couldn't have the pay-fors to make it permanent, but we have this massive automatic tax increase. Let's take that off the table. I understand that the whole discussion around President Trump's tax proposals, the SALT deduction, I want to take the time to simplify and rationalize our tax code. So what we can do is we can just extend current policy Get that off the table. Assure the American public there's not going to be a tax increase. I think that would be very good for our economy. Private sector wants stability. They want certainty. And then let's take our time to simplify, rationalize our tax code, and make sure that whatever we do is permanent so we're not facing another fiscal cliff like this. So again, I think three makes sense because I think we can knock the two out pretty fast. and then take our time, because we'll have the time, to get tax simplification right. Does the reconciliation process allow for three bills? Absolutely. So what we're going to first be doing is we're going to be passing a fiscal 2025 budget. We're four months into that fiscal year already. By the way, I didn't even mention the complications of increasing the debt ceiling— funding 2025 before we turn our attention. So, yeah, we would pass a 2025 budget, as bizarre as that sounds, use that for the first two reconciliation packages, and then turn our attention to a fiscal 2026 budget. And then we would use that for reducing the size of government. You know, I have proposals on that as well. We've not returned to pre-pandemic levels. 2019, we spent $4.4 trillion. Pandemic spending spree, $6.6 trillion. But we haven't reduced that. A family, if you have a major medical issue, maybe they have to borrow $50,000 to pay for bills. They're not going to keep borrowing and spending that level if they get well. They're going to return to their reasonable baseline of spending. We didn't do that for the last five years. We spent six point five trillion dollars. So we need to work hard to reduce the level of spending. I thought it was interesting in President Trump's double speech. He mentioned the fact that because of this gross mismanagement on part of Biden, we're spending one point five trillion dollars more than we would have under his projection. So I've actually been talking about the budget he proposed. proposed was about $5.5 trillion versus the $7 trillion. So we need to, in some way, shape, or form, return to that pre-pandemic baseline. And again, that's going to be complex to do.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah. Once government gets kind of attached to that funding stream, inflated funding stream, dialing it back is a challenge, but needed. Absolutely needed. When you look at the fact that our interest on our debt is more than what we're paying for national defense, there's something seriously wrong there. Is it a foregone conclusion that Democrat members of the Senate will not vote for the extension or the making permanent the tax cuts? They want to vote a tax cut upon the American people?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, they want to vote a tax increase on some of the American people. I think a good chunk of that, the middle-income tax cuts, they would want to extend as well. But, you know, to get back to spending, what I proposed is, you know, rather than talk about cuts, why don't we go back to other baselines? You know, President Trump's budget would be one. That's $5.5 trillion. if you'd use President Clinton's back in 1998, the last time we had a, or the first time we had a surplus since 1969, and if you increase that budget, it was 1.7 back then, by population growth and inflation, and you use this year's Social Security, Medicare, and interest, you know, At current levels, so you basically exempt Social Security and Medicare. You spend what you need to spend. That also would be $5.5 trillion. And President Biden is projecting $5.5 trillion worth of revenue. Tony, we'd have a balanced budget. Now, I don't think Bill Clinton spent too little. back then. So again, you're basically using his spending levels, just inflate them, we'd have a balanced budget. And by the way, if that's too reasonable, use President Obama's 2014 spending levels, do the same thing, it'd be 6.2. So there you've got your range, somewhere between $5.5 and $6.2 trillion versus the $7 trillion we're spending basically this year. So let's talk about the obstacles to get there. What stands in the way? Republican votes, probably. We can do this through reconciliation. So we really need presidential leadership, which is why I was really glad to hear President Trump talking about his projection for 2025 at that 5.5 level that I've been proposing using Bill Clinton's baseline as well. So again, it's kind of a confluence of rationales for returning to about a $5.5 to $6 trillion baseline of spending. To me, that's really good news, because if we have presidential leadership, I think House members, I think senators will get behind this concept. Again, we can do this quick. I actually printed out that budget. It's about that thick, over 6,000 line items, a couple hundred pages worth. I can drop that today. I'd vote for it.
SPEAKER 05 :
All Republicans should vote for that. If I recall correctly, Senator Johnson, before the pandemic in the last budget, I think the president, President Trump proposed, it was actually lower and Congress beefed it up. He actually had a very, in fact, I think if I'm not mistaken, it took out funding for national public broadcasting and some of the other leftist agencies. But the Congress put it back in.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we have big spenders in our Republican Party here in Congress, too, so that's why we need presidential leadership. Now, obviously, he ran on reducing the size, scope, and cost of government, its influence over our lives. If you want to do that, don't fund it. Again, we'd still be spending somewhere around $6 trillion, which is still trillions of dollars too much, but... That would be a reasonable level to return to. Hopefully, it's not going to be much of a fight. Hopefully, again, President Trump will lead us in this effort and kind of embrace this concept that I've laid out there in a Wall Street Journal column on January 2nd.
SPEAKER 05 :
That would be absolutely amazing if we could balance our budget. I mean, it can be done. But if we had the intestinal fortitude to actually accomplish it, that could be quite—I mean, the impact that that would have on our economy, I mean, that would fuel economic growth, would it not?
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. And again, I'm using a rationale. Go back to Bill Clinton's budget. Grow it by inflation population. We'll use his spending priorities. We'd be at $5.5 trillion. Or again, use President Trump's projected budget. I don't care which one we use. We can mix and match. Some things we can increase. Some things we can decrease. We can get into greater detail. But that's the general framework. That's how we control government spending.
SPEAKER 05 :
Here's a challenge. The clock is ticking and we're having this. This debate's been going on now for a few weeks about one bill, two bill, one bill, two bill. If we don't do something, we're going to miss the opportunity.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I think Chairman Graham, chairman of our budget committee, I serve in that committee with him. We're in talks. We're meeting with House Freedom Caucus individuals who are being more than reasonable, as I think we are being more than reasonable. I think Lindsey wants to plow forward. So if President Trump gets behind this effort, we'll plow ahead. We can get this done literally in weeks.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, the reconciliation process, does that have to originate in the House?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think we can pass our budget here and marry it with the House product. It's not the same thing as like a tax bill or something. So I think we can, you know, lead this effort if the House is having trouble kind of gaining consensus. Again, keep it simple. Let's break this up into pieces. I think it's eminently doable then.
SPEAKER 05 :
Senator, I have to say, it makes a lot of sense, especially if it gets back to that place of having a balanced budget. That could be huge for our country. Senator Johnson, thanks so much for joining us. Always great to see you. Have a great night. All right. And, of course, we're going to check back with him and see if he's making progress on that. It really is. I'm getting a little concerned because it's more about a debate, just back and forth, one bill, two bill. Let's just move. We've got to get something done. All right. Coming up next, could there be a change ahead in our nation's military as we see the president relieving the head of the Coast Guard for being too DEI-focused? That's next. We'll go away.
SPEAKER 02 :
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, DC. 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. Launching early this year in January 2025, this series will explore the biblical, 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 and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith family and freedom
SPEAKER 16 :
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SPEAKER 1 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Be sure and get the first 100 days toolkit. You can get it at the Stand Firm app or you can text toolkit to 67742. That's toolkit to 67742. You'll have all the information you need there at your fingertips to be engaged. As I've said many times, our government, our system of government was not created for spectators. It's for participants. So be involved. All right, in rolling back, Biden-era attempts to let DEI drive hiring in federal government. President Trump made clear that he wants to see hiring based upon merit. His administration is working quickly to do just that and move away all remnants of DEI. On Monday, the new acting head of the Department of Homeland Security fired the Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Linda Fagan. reportedly due to her excessive focus on DEI initiatives, which hindered the actual mission of the Coast Guard. Will we soon see a turnaround in our military as the Trump administration continues to shake things up? Joining me now to discuss this and more is Vice Admiral William Dean Lee, who retired from service in the Coast Guard in 2016 after 35 years of distinguished service. Admiral Lee, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, it's good to see you again, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
Let me ask you a question. Were you concerned about the kind of the DEI policies that were moving into the Coast Guard and affecting the agency's focus on its mission?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, the short answer is yes. Yes, I was. But I belong to an organization of like-minded generals, admirals, retired JAG officers and colonels called STARS.US, who has been trying to get attention placed on that issue for the last two or three years. I mean, it's not just the U.S. Coast Guard. It's rampant and deeply embedded in all of the military services. And it was our concerted opinion that it was divisive in nature. On the surface, it sounds good. But underneath, it's got its roots in Marxist ideology. which pits one group against another, one gender against another. And we do not think, based on our decades of service, that that's how you build a team. And so I'm glad to see that it's being rooted out of our services.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, the Coast Guard is different than the other branches of the service. It comes under the Department of Homeland Security. Does that—did that enable the president to take more directive action immediately?
SPEAKER 06 :
I can't speak to that, Tony. I mean, obviously, the Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security, and it's because we have a law enforcement mission that requires that. I was as shocked as anybody on Tuesday morning when I awoke and my phone had exploded with People sent me the message that my former friend and colleague, Admiral Fagan, had been relieved. I did not see that coming. I'm not surprised that they're going to let loose some generals and admirals, but I was a little bit surprised to see that she was the first. And I feel that. I do.
SPEAKER 05 :
Let's talk about something that you and I discussed sometime back on this program, back during the COVID pandemic. We saw many service members pushed out because they refused to get the jab, and that included the Coast Guard. And you were on—we were discussing that. You had real concerns about that. President Trump is looking to reinstate those who were expelled. I'm sure you're relieved to hear that. But How's that work? How is that going to work with these individuals whose reputations, their careers in many ways were tarnished, some ruined? How's that restored?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, that's a good question, sir. We've been talking about that a lot. The first thing you do is you acknowledge that we, the government, were wrong in forcing that mandate down upon them based on what we know now. And then you—and you actually—you just apologize, and you make it right to the best of your ability. For those who got dismissed with 7, 16, 17, 18, sometimes 19 years of service, they need to be allowed to come back on active duty and to— and to get the benefits that they worked so hard to earn. And I hope that that happens. And with that, you'll start to build—you'll be in confidence, again, that leaders, at least the new leaders and commander-in-chief, is willing to take a hard look at what happened, why it happened, and make sure that we don't make the same mistakes again.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think that last statement is so important that we acknowledge what happened was wrong, but how do we put safeguards in place to ensure that it doesn't happen again?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, the first thing I think we need to do is this team I've been working with has developed a draft executive order that we hope to get into the president's office for signature. We call it the Comcat. It's to develop, create a commission to study the COVID and the anthrax policies, how they rolled those out, what was done right, what was done wrong. pull it all out into the report, capture that information, and then codify it and make sure that we don't do it again. And to the extent that some people may have broken the law or breached policies, hold them accountable. Not a witch hunt, but it's just, if you want to restore trust in the military services, because this is one thing, one policy that affected all of them, we owe it to them. We have a duty of care to do just that. Let's analyze it, recognize what we did wrong, acknowledge it, and ask forgiveness and move on.
SPEAKER 05 :
I think that is so important. And I've had this discussion with those in the healthcare industry, FDA and others, where the policies that they pushed through, they now recognize were wrong, admitted it. But unless we put new processes in place going forward, we're going to repeat the same mistakes again. Somebody will. I mean, it might not be the same people, but there's going to be another challenge somewhere down the road. And it's best if we have documented and made the necessary changes to ensure that these people that serve this country are not harmed again.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. Yes, sir. So to the extent that you can help us with this effort, if you just remember this word, you know, we got a draft executive order. It's titled ComCap. And if you can talk people into at least taking that thing out and looking at it, we would be grateful, sir.
SPEAKER 05 :
We will do that, Admiral. Admiral, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 06 :
Likewise, my friend. God bless.
SPEAKER 05 :
Take care. Admiral Dean Lee. All right. When we come back, we're going to talk foreign policy. The Trump administration redesignating the Iranian-backed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. We're going to talk about it. Don't go away.
SPEAKER 03 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 04 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 03 :
It's really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC's internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 04 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that but here we get real hands-on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. I'm Tony Perkins, your host, and I've got a great resource for you as we move into the first 100 days of the Trump administration. It is the 100-Day Toolkit, and it will help you keep track of promises made and policies adopted. It will also give you... Access to contact information for members of Congress, your senators, so that you can be involved. So simply text the word TOOLKIT to 67742. That's TOOLKIT to 67742. And you'll have it right there with you. All right. Yesterday, President Trump redesignated the Iranian-backed Houthis as a terrorist organization, reversing the decision by the Biden administration. This follows Trump's continued push to strengthen U.S.-Israeli relations, including lifting restrictions on arms sales to Israel, cutting funding to the terrorist-compromised aid group UNRWA with the United Nations, and giving the go-ahead for deportations of U.S. visa holders linked to pro-Hamas protests. With all that... happened with all that's happening in the Middle East during the Biden administration. What message did these actions send to our allies and why are they important? Joining me now to discuss this is Senator Steve Daines, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Foreign Relations Committee. He represents the state of Montana. Senator Daines, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you. Hey, good to see you, Tony. Now, yesterday, you actually introduced the standing against the Houthis Aggression Act to designate the Houthis as a terrorist group. So you should be pleased with the president's actions.
SPEAKER 13 :
Tell you what, it's been a flurry of activity with President Trump out in front. There are all these executive orders and so forth, but we're doing it on the floor here to move President Trump's nominations through. But I couldn't be more pleased. I introduced the bill to designate the Houthis as a foreign terror organization, and lo and behold, Trump, through the stroke of a pen, did the same thing. Look, what I'm really encouraged by, Tony— is restoring the moral clarity that was so needed by the commander of chief under the Biden and Harris administration. They were really handcuffing Israel. They didn't know who the good guys were and the bad guys were. Now President Trump's in office. There's moral clarity with President Trump, Marco Rubio, Elise Stefanik, our next UN ambassador. You've got Mike Huckabee, soon to be the U.S. ambassador to Israel. They understand what's going on with Israel in the Middle East. And the path forward in the Middle East is first and foremost, make sure that Israel is strengthened and protected. And second, to make sure we diminish the capabilities of her adversaries, which in this case, add the Houthis to that list, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah as terror organizations.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, this isn't difficult. I mean, they've been firing missiles on Israel. In fact, when I was there in Israel the week before Christmas, two missiles were fired by the Houthis into Israel. But talk for just a moment, Senator Daines, why this designation is important. What does it mean? Why do we designate these entities as terrorist organizations?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, it gives the United States government, starting with the president of the United States, our commander in chief, more optionality as it relates to amping up necessary, whether it's force, literally preemptive, a kinetic force against a terror organization. to ramp up sanctions, to cut the flow of financial resources organizations. It just gives, again, more tools in the tool chest that allows us to ultimately destroy these organizations. That's what we have to remember, that when Obama was president, I remember spending some time at Bagram Air Force Base there in Afghanistan, talking to our generals who were frustrated by the fact that Obama required every single kill shot against what they call jackpot targets, which would be known terrorist leaders. They had to go all the way through the Oval Office to get cleared, and by the time they got clearance from the Oval Office, they've lost their shot on a terrible bad guy. President Trump's elected. He comes in. He tells the military, here's the objective. Destroy ISIS. You figure that out on the battlefield. I'm not here to run the war. I'm here to give you the tools you need to win the war. And that's exactly what happened when we took ISIS off the battlefield. Well, now they've reconstituted, certainly under Joe Biden. And you're seeing the same thing with these Iranian proxy groups of terror proxy groups of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. This just gives the United States government now, under President Trump's leadership, more tools to destroy these adversaries.
SPEAKER 05 :
And as you mentioned, as you referenced, this certainly sends a strong message to our ally Israel that we're standing with and no equivocation here on that. And speaking of encouragement, I want to shift gears here. We just got about a minute and a half left. You founded the pro-life caucus in the Senate. You've got to be encouraged by the fact that just less than two hours ago, the president signed pardons for the pro-lifers who were unjustly targeted and jailed by the Biden administration under the FACE Act. Your reaction?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, thank God for that. And thank God for the election of November. Thank God for these protesters that are standing for life out there, being the voice for those who are voiceless. Talk about injustice, Tony, to think that these protesters literally were thrown in jail in some cases. Absolutely wrong. You think about Micah 6-8 when we talk about injustice. walk humbly and to seek justice. Here's a great example of that, of justice being delivered to these individuals who are fighting on behalf of the unborn and now are set free. Very, very thankful for the President's action today.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, it is. Praying grandmothers are safe in America again. Intercession is no longer grounds for an indictment, and probable cause will not be pursued by those who protect the unborn.
SPEAKER 13 :
Tony, maybe we need to have some hats that say, making praying grandmothers safe again. Maybe some red hats and distribute them, but it's a day to be encouraged.
SPEAKER 05 :
It is. Senator Daines, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today. Thanks, Tony. All right. We're going to continue our conversation about life next with Senator James Langford of Oklahoma. So don't go away. We're back right after this with more.
SPEAKER 15 :
As President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
SPEAKER 05 :
The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 11 :
This is not an interreligious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 12 :
We've not been a secular nation. We don't want to be a secular nation. We've been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well-versed and Family Research Council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 05 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen.
SPEAKER 14 :
All of us are born with the desire to find truth and meaning. Where did I come from? What happens when I die? While our answers to these questions may divide us, we are united in our need for the freedom to answer life's biggest questions and make life's biggest decisions for ourselves. That's why religious freedom matters for everyone. Religious freedom matters because the powerful have long wanted to control those who are less powerful. Religious freedom matters because the freedom of those who are different is often threatened by those who believe different is dangerous. at the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council. We promote religious freedom for everyone because the only alternative is religious freedom for no one. We encourage Americans and the American government to engage and advocate for the persecuted. And they do. We work every day to bring good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. We do it because that's what Jesus does. We work to give freedom to others because we ourselves have been set free.
SPEAKER 05 :
You are tuned in to Washington Watch, and I'm Tony Perkins, your host, and I am glad to have you with us. And as I mentioned, we've got a resource available for you. It's the 100-Day Toolkit. It's for the first 100 days of the Trump administration. It'll help you keep track of the promises made as they become policy, and sometimes they're going to need a little push. So we've got contact information here for members of Congress, for your senators and your congressmen. And you'll get action alerts. So go, if you have the StandFirm app, you'll find it right there in the StandFirm app. If not, text TOOLKIT to 67742, TOOLKIT to 67742. Our word for today comes from 2 Kings chapter 22. Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan and he read it. Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me this book. And Shaphan read it before the king. Now it happened when the king heard the words of the book of the law that he tore his clothes. Now this is amazing. The word of God had been lost in the temple. How do you lose the word of God? The word was their authority, it was their direction, it was the core of their identity, but yet it was missing and no one even noticed. But could the same be said of the church today? The Bible remains one of the best-selling books, with sales actually increasing last year. But is it being read? And more importantly, is it being followed? What would happen if the church rediscovered the Word of God? I mean, really rediscovered it and returned to living by it. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. Well, yesterday, Democrats in the Senate blocked the advancement of a bill that would prevent a doctor from simply ignoring a newborn who survives a botched abortion procedure, an action that inevitably leads to the death of that newborn child. All 47 Democrats voted against the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. That prevents Republicans from getting the 60 votes needed to secure a vote on the measure. That's a procedural vote. It's known as a cloture. Now, they accused Republicans of using false narratives and fearmongering, saying, no, no, this never happens. It's not a problem. Well, joining me to separate fact from fiction is the senator who introduced the bill, Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma. And with him is Josiah Presley, the survivor of a first trimester abortion. Senator Lankford, Josiah, thanks for joining me today. Great to see both of you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely glad to do it, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
Josiah, good to see you again. Before we unpack this, I want to get your reaction to something that just happened within the last couple of hours, President Trump signing pardons for the pro-lifers who were unjustly targeted and jailed by the Biden administration under the FACE Act. Your response, Senator?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it's good to be able to see on that. As people get the context of this, this was a time when abortion clinics were being, or I'm sorry, where pro-life pregnancy resource centers were being attacked, were being defaced, were having graffiti on them. People were being afraid. The Department of Justice wouldn't step in and protect those individuals, but individuals that were speaking out for life around abortion clinics, they were being jailed. So literally, the Department of Justice was saying, pregnancy resource centers, you don't need protection. Abortion clinics, you do, and we're going to overprotect you. So this was a response from President Trump. It was a positive response to say, we're going to be back to equal justice under the law, and these individuals aren't going to be targeted because of their beliefs about the value of children.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, it certainly reestablishes a sense of justice in this country. It's unfortunate that we have to wait for a new president to come in to establish justice in a system that is ruled by law. We should be able to trust our laws, but it's the unequal application of them that creates this problem. Senator, let's get to the bill that you introduced yesterday on the Senate floor. It was blocked by Democrats. Unpack for our viewers and our listeners what this bill would do.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's a very straightforward, what I consider a common sense, common ground kind of bill. This is not about abortion at all. This is literally if an abortion is carried out, but the abortion, instead of destroying the child in the womb, the child is actually delivered. What do you do in that case where a child is actually delivered? They're literally crying and breathing on the table in front of you. Now you have a fully delivered child in front of you. Do they get medical care or not? This seems like a no-brainer. I don't run into anyone that says you do abortion after a child is fully delivered, but that is the current practice. The current practice now is they can't take the life of that child at the table. That'd be infanticide. So what they do is they basically back away and allow the child to die on their own right in front of them. I think that's horrific to just allow a child to be able to die of exposure. And so we're trying to step in and to say, hey, where are we as a culture? Post-abortion conversation here, just delivery conversation. Can't we at least agree? that when a child is fully delivered they should get medical care and painfully yesterday democrats said no if it was intended to be an abortion even after they're fully delivered and alive on the table their life should still be taken from them i think that's abhorrent and i think that's very extreme and well past where the american people are
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I think you made that point very clearly yesterday on the Senate floor. That's not America. That's certainly not how we want to be known. Josiah, you spoke at our Prevost Stan Summit back in 2021. And Senator, I don't know if you know this, but I know Josiah at the Prevost Stan Summit, as we began to have a conversation, his father was my youth minister back when I was in high school there in Oklahoma. So I know you have an affinity for youth ministers having overseen the campground there in Oklahoma for summer camp for churches. But Josiah, for those that haven't heard your story, can you share that with us?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, so I grew up in Oklahoma. I'm adopted. I'm one of 12 kids, 10 of us being adopted. And my story, my adoptive parents, when I was 13 years old, they told me more about my adoption story. And they told me how two months into my birth mother's pregnancy with me in South Korea, she actually underwent a DNC abortion. a type of abortion where the doctor goes into the mother's womb and rips the baby apart and brings them out in pieces. This obviously was a lot for me to take in at 13. And as a kid who'd grown up in the church, who'd grown up very pro-life, and with these Christian convictions, it was a lot for me to take in, something I struggled with for years. And then it wasn't really until I was 16, and I surrendered my life to Jesus actually at Falls Creek, that God changed my heart. And as I found value and worth in him, I also began to see that in everybody's life, in every human being's life. And that's then flowed into a lot of the advocacy I'm able to do now.
SPEAKER 05 :
Josiah, kind of walk us through how you dealt with this revelation that your parents shared with you. And then when you hear people today, just like on the center floor yesterday saying, well, this doesn't happen. It's not really a problem.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, so I mean, so at the age of 13 and for a number of years, I struggled with a lot of anger and really a lot of hatred and hurt over the circumstances surrounding my birth. I knew what we believed as Christians and what we believed as people who were pro-life. And that's just talking about my birth mother, her decision for abortion. That was a first trimester abortion. And even when we think about this act that was voted against yesterday, that's not even talking about abortion. And to me, the scary and really the disheartening thing that I think that really we should hear me thinking about as American people is, We're not talking about abortion there. What we're talking about is a baby who's been born. Right. Like, that should be an easy threshold. That should be an easy common ground thing for us to all say, hey, yeah, human life, they're born. They're valuable. We ought to protect them. And we can't even find that common ground there. And that's very concerning, I think.
SPEAKER 05 :
I mean, we're talking infanticide is what we're talking about. about, is allowing a child to die. In fact, if you go back to the origins of the church, that's where the church really made its first incursion into society, was taking those abandoned babies and caring for them. And as a Christian society, I mean, we want to identify ourselves as a Christian society, at least the majority does. This is a no-brainer, as you pointed out, Senator.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, this should be easy. Democrats were saying, well, this is going to be some secret backdoor way to instruct doctors or to be able to punish doctors that aren't doing care. But quite frankly, every physician has basic Hippocratic oath to do no harm and then to also to do basic care. If you've got a living child in front of you, there's a responsibility to be able to take care of a living child, not back away. And this doesn't happen often. But it does happen. And then the question is, when it does happen, what are we going to do? And currently, we've not even been able to agree on that.
SPEAKER 05 :
Josiah, there is a growing number of those who have survived abortions who are now speaking out. There's a network. Speak to that for a moment, how that has been helpful in just having those conversations with others who have had some of the similar experiences that you've had.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, so when I first found out the origins of my story and I was navigating what it meant to be an abortion survivor, frankly, I thought I was one that was far and few between. Like, I was not aware of very many others. And as I've been able to connect with specifically Melissa Oden, as she's the one who's founded the Abortion Survivors Network, it's It's been crazy to see the number of people who have come out of the woodworks who actually are abortion survivors, who are going through that grief or going through that pain, that anger, trying to sort out those pieces of their story. And so it's been really encouraging for me personally in my own journey, as I've been sorting through it as I go, but then also to see that I'm not alone. And it's also a reminder, though, of the humanity of the unborn. more and more of us get through. And those who get through, they're the proof. They're the reminder. They're the living, walking, breathing voice to us all that the unborn, they're human and they're valuable and we ought to protect them.
SPEAKER 05 :
Josiah, let me ask you this, because you've done a lot of this in terms of advocacy and having conversations. It's hard to push back when people hear your story. But for those that need to engage in their elected representatives, whether it's at the state level or the federal level, obviously, in this bill. How would you suggest they approach this conversation and politely push back on this narrative that it doesn't really happen, this bill is not necessary?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I think actually just talking to Senator Lankford earlier and just hearing some of the things that he brings up when he talks about asking them, okay, we have to consider there's three people involved in an abortion, the father, the mother, and the child. And he's brought up, and I think this is a really good question, at what point does a child become a child and should have that protection? And I think that's something every one of our elected officials should have to answer. I think that's something every elected official should have to answer because that's something they're answerable to the people on. We should be able to know where elected officials stand on that and how they're going to vote on that, how they're going to pass legislation on that, because we're literally talking about a life and death situation here. And it's important, I think, for the people to ask those questions.
SPEAKER 05 :
So, Senator Lankford, for now— Senator Lankford, for now, is this bill—I mean, is it going to move forward? Is there going to be another attempt on it, or is it finished?
SPEAKER 07 :
So it is finished in the Senate for now. The House picked it up. They passed it. And what's interesting, the House and the Senate both had a majority vote for this. But as you mentioned, the top of the of this conversation, you have to have 60 to be able to move it. But we had 52 votes. That's a majority of the Senate agrees with this. But we don't have enough to be able to move it. The House did have a majority when they voted on it today and they're able to pass it in the House. But we're not able to make law on it. until we get out of the Senate with 60. The other part of this, though, is there's only eight states in the country that do full reporting for abortion survivors. So many states, and this is an era where state legislators and individuals can engage with their own states to say, what does our state do? How do we protect abortion survivors? So we're talking about this on a federal level. But every single state and every single person that's listening to this program right now should be able to say to their legislators, do we report abortion survivors? Do we require that? Do we require care for children in a botched abortion? My state in Oklahoma doesn't allow abortions. Many other states do not allow that. That's great. But for those states that do, as a minimum, we should also track botched abortions, where in this case, we typically think of a doctor who makes a mistake and a life is taken. In this case, a doctor makes a mistake and a life is actually protected. We should be able to know that documented and then to know what's done.
SPEAKER 05 :
Just to have a couple minutes left, tomorrow's the March for Life, which has been held every year since the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. It's clear that even after the Dobbs decision and Roe was kicked to the dustbin of history, we still have a fight on our hands to—as we just talked about here, this— common sense piece of legislation to provide aid to a child who survives an abortion. We can't agree on that as public policy. We've got a lot of work to do, Senator. Where do we go from here?
SPEAKER 07 :
We do, even though we weren't outside for an inauguration this week, we will be outside marching for life. It's just as cold in DC, but those tough marchers are going to be out there standing up for the value of every single child. So that's extremely important. I'm telling people more and more. There are folks that are out there saying we should stop talking about this. This is a state issue. Don't discuss anymore. That's exactly the opposite thing we need. We need to talk about it more. Just like I think about 105 years ago, my wife and my daughters couldn't have voted. And I can't believe there was a time in America that women were not allowed to vote. And this generation looks back at that time and is appalled by it. I think 50 years from now, that generation will look back at now and say there was a season where we considered some children valuable and some children disposable, and they'll be appalled by it. But that doesn't happen accidentally. That happens because this generation talks about the value of every child, continues that dialogue, and we continue the work that will take a generation to accomplish. But let's keep going.
SPEAKER 05 :
Josiah, and we cannot overlook the fact that this is spiritual in nature when we look at this battle for life. Yeah. Josiah, I want to thank you for joining us. Senator Lankford, I want to thank you for joining us and for your continued fight for the unborn. I greatly, we all greatly appreciate it. And Josiah, tell your father I said hello.
SPEAKER 07 :
His father did a great job in youth ministry, clearly, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
Oh, I could tell you some stories. I could tell you some stories. All right, gentlemen, have a great evening. And folks, I want to thank you for joining us. And let us not give up standing for the unborn. And I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul, who said, when you've done everything you can do, when you've prayed, you've prepared and you've taken your stand. That's right. When you've taken your stand, just keep standing. Have a good evening.
SPEAKER 01 :
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.
The episode also touches on the profound shifts in legal norms under different administrations, highlighting the Trump administration's commitment to restoring the rule of law. Key executive orders are unpacked, addressing vital issues such as immigration reform, religious freedom, and federal policies on gender and equity. Tune in for an engaging analysis of how these rapid changes are reshaping the socio-political landscape of America.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
SPEAKER 10 :
There's a lot of issues with reconciliation and government funding that we're working through. These are healthy family discussions, not just inside the House Republican Conference, but between the House and Senate Republicans. And that dialogue is going very well. The discussions are going very well.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier today discussing the way forward on Republicans using the budgetary tool known as reconciliation to advance conservative priorities. Reconciliation circumvents the 60 vote threshold required in the Senate. Welcome to Washington Watch and thanks for tuning in. on this Wednesday. We'll be joined in just a moment by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley for an update on those Republican discussions in the Senate, as well as his call for President Trump to pardon the peaceful pro-life protesters sentenced to prison under the Joe Biden Department of Justice. And if you missed this yesterday, brace yourself. It's causing quite a stir. The inaugural prayer service at the National Cathedral has angered many, and rightfully so.
SPEAKER 01 :
And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country. We're scared now.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm scared after that. That was Bishop Marianne Edgar Buddy lecturing President Trump on his immigration policies and biological gender issues. We're going to talk about it with North Carolina Congressman and Pastor Dr. Mark Harris a little bit later.
SPEAKER 11 :
Also, President Trump is moving quickly to secure the border. And just yesterday, in the last 24 hours, ICE arrested over 308, 308 serious criminals. Some of them were murderers. Some of them were rapists. Some of them raped a child. Some were a sexual assault of a child. So ICE is doing their job, and they're prioritizing just as the president said they would. So ICE is performing excellent right now out in the field, and they're going to continue every day.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was Border Czar Tom Homan on Fox this morning. To weigh in on the topic, Texas Senator John Cornett joins us later. Plus, the Trump team is rolling out executive orders in rapid succession, addressing everything from transgender military policy, male-female definitions in federal programs, DEI to the State Department's one-flag policy. We'll unpack the most significant of these with Mike Berry, Executive Director of the Center for Litigation at the American First Policy Institute. And finally, as we move into these first 100 days, we've created a brand new resource for you. It's the First 100 Days Toolkit. It helps you track campaign promises as they become policy. It provides contact information so that you can take the necessary action when required, and trust me, it will be required. It also includes prayer points for how you can pray for government policy and our government leaders that make that policy. You can find it all on the Stand Firm app. Go to the App Store, download the Stand Firm app, or simply text TOOLKIT to 67742. That's toolkit to 67742 and get started on these first 100 days. Yesterday, the Republican leaders of the House and Senate met with President Trump to discuss how to best proceed with the budget reconciliation process, which will advance the president's America First agenda. Well, it's not clear exactly what conclusions were drawn at the meeting. House Speaker Mike Johnson, as you heard earlier, said there is a strategy they're working on together and, quote, a great spirit of unity, end quote. So how close might we be to seeing an agreed upon approach, whether it's one or two bill strategy? Well, join me now to discuss this and much more is U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He joins us by phone. Senator Hawley, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Thank you so much for having me. So let's first talk about reconciliation. What are you hearing? Are we on the path to unity between the House and Senate?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, we've got to be because in order to get anything done here, Tony, the houses have to agree. And my view is we need to move on this as quickly as possible. And I would just say that whatever President Trump wants to do, there's a lot of talk in Washington about is it one bill, is it two bills. Look, let's just look to the president here for direction, and let's get this thing going. What you don't want is a bunch of congressmen and senators sitting around staring at each other for months on end, and then we get to the end of the spring, and it's like, gee, we haven't done anything. We just can't afford that. There is too much to clean up. There is too much need to address. We've got to turn around this country and do that. We've got to move fast. And so my plea is to leadership, hey, get your ducks in a row here and let's get going. Let's reopen energy production. Let's secure the border. Let's get criminals off of our streets. Let's get back to the president's agenda that he campaigned on and start enacting it into law.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, people look at the president having a four year term. But in reality, his most impactful time is really in the first year because you have midterm elections two years into his four years. And in about a year, you're going to have members starting to look at reelection. And so they become very distracted. So now's the time to act, as you pointed out.
SPEAKER 16 :
Absolutely. The time is vital. Every second counts. What we've lived through for the last four years, there is so much to undo. You think about what they have done to law-abiding Americans. You think about the cases that have been brought against pro-lifers, the cases that have been brought against parents at school board meetings. You look at the regulations that they have tried to impose on believers, as well as on our economy. I mean, there is so much to turn around, Tony. We just don't have any time to spare. And that's why I say that It's time for the Senate and the House to have their esoteric debates about how should we structure this package, whatever. They just need to come to a bottom line and get going on it because the country is waiting for them to deliver.
SPEAKER 03 :
Do you have a preference, one bill, two bills?
SPEAKER 16 :
Nope, I don't. My view is that whatever the president is comfortable with, we know what priorities need to go in these bills. We know it's got to be reopen American energy production. get people back to work, bring those jobs back to this country, shut down the border, and start deporting the criminal illegals. This isn't hard. The president's been crystal clear on what he wants. These are certainly the things that those of us who ran in this last election ran on. So let's get them done. Let's enact them into law, ASAP.
SPEAKER 03 :
Senator, let's talk about, you talked about pro-lifers being prosecuted, even persecuted under the Biden administration. There were 30 convictions under the FACE Act, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, that was enacted by Bill Clinton back in the 90s, I think 1994. You're calling on the president to pardon, I think there's 21 still being held in prison, and most of these are grandmothers who were convicted of praying out in front of abortion clinics. You're calling on the president to pardon them, release them, get them out of prison. Have you heard anything on that request?
SPEAKER 16 :
I haven't, but I'm hopeful that the president will act on this immediately. I mean, these are people who are unjustly in prison, Tony. It's not even that they're folks who made a mistake, but at least it was nonviolent. That's not it. These are people who I believe committed no crime at all. The First Amendment protects your right to pray in a public space. It protects your right to demonstrate in a public space. And these are people who were singled out by the last administration, the most anti-Christian administration in our country's history. They were singled out to, frankly, be terrorized using lawfare to make a point, to try to silence all the rest of us, to try to put everybody who's a person of faith in fear of speaking out and exercising your faith and your freedoms in public. And so, Tony, these convictions are unjust. The application of the law to them in this way was unjust. And I hope the president will very soon pardon these folks and get them out of prison. As you said, 20 plus are still in prison right now. It's just it's wrong.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. And I mean, several of these pro-life activists are in their mid to late 70s, and they've received multi-year sentences for their protest. And of course, the president pardoning those who were a part of the January 6th. protest. I mean, again, these were all peaceful. These are not people that engage in any type of violent behavior. And as you said, they were simply exercising their First Amendment rights, which the FACE Act has made criminal. And so that's actually the next step, Senator, is to eliminate this federal law known as the FACE Act.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. And what is particularly grotesque about all of this, Tony, is that in the same time period that While the Biden administration was going after and singling out these good Americans, these believing Christians to try to make examples of them, churches were being literally firebombed. Pregnancy care centers were being attacked. Their workers were being harassed. Their places of work were vandalized, burned. And what did the Biden administration do about that? Nothing. Not a thing. So you can see the abuse of the law. And you're right about the FACE Act. It has been used for decades now and never more so than in the last four years. It has been used as a weapon of intimidation against believing Americans— particularly pro-life Christians. It has been used against them. It has been applied unequally, unfairly from day one. And this has just got to stop.
SPEAKER 03 :
Senator, I want to step back from just, you know, this immediate application of the pardons. And I would agree that, you who were peacefully protesting outside the Capitol or at an abortion clinic, those who did not engage in violence. Now, I have some concerns about those who actually broke the law by engaging in violence. But what we're seeing here is It's a radical change from administration to administration. It's like we've lost a common ground of truth and decency in our country and fair application of the law. And so you've got Biden pardoning people. You've got Trump pardoning people. It's like you have to wait for a president to get justice. That says there's something wrong with our system.
SPEAKER 16 :
Oh, it's really worrisome. It speaks to the loss of the rule of law, Tony, because as you know, I mean, the whole point of the rule of law is it's blind as to the individual characteristics of a person. The law is not supposed to look on you and say, oh, you're a Christian? Well, in that case— That means you don't have any First Amendment rights. You're a Christian. You want to pray in public? No, you can't do that. Oh, but you're a secular liberal? Sure, go ahead. You want to assault a cop? That's fine. We won't charge you at all. That is not what the law is supposed to do. It's supposed to say here is the rule. It's neutral. We apply it fairly to everybody. And, Tony, you're right. That has not happened yet. And particularly in the last four years, we have seen the unequal, unfair application of the law like I never thought possible in this country. And to me, this is one of the most important things President Trump and his Justice Department now can do is to reverse those injustices and going forward to say, we're going to get back to just following the law. We're going to put criminals behind bars. We're going to protect law-abiding folks, and we're going to stop this persecution of of Christians and others who have the temerity to stand up and to challenge people in power and the secularists.
SPEAKER 03 :
Senator, it's going to require more. It's the first step, obviously, to correct the injustices in the Justice Department. But this is a whole-of-society problem in that we've got to raise our expectations of the rule of law, and we've got to live under the rule of law, and it begins with self-government or our system doesn't work.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, that's exactly right. That's exactly correct. And we've got to get back to the place where we can expect. that whoever is in power, whatever party it is, whoever's in the majority, is going to apply the laws evenly and fairly. And as you say, we don't have to look to a president to say, well, gosh, if my guy doesn't win, then I might really be in trouble. I mean, that's not America. That's not the rule of law. And of course, as Christians, we really understand that, because you look at the idea of the rule of law, scriptural, of course, going back, founded in the Old Testament, where the principle of proportionality is set out. That's what eye for eye is, is that the punishment must be proportional to crime, is that you don't single out people because you dislike them, that you treat them fairly because our God is just. And as Christians, we really ought to be the ones carrying the banner and say, we need reform here. We need the fair rule of law.
SPEAKER 03 :
Senator, we've got to leave it there, but we'll pick up that conversation later. Thanks for joining us. Stick with us, folks.
SPEAKER 04 :
We're back after this. 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, DC. 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. Launching early this year in January 2025, 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, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 09 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into Scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's Word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to this Wednesday edition of Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. A couple of legislative updates earlier today. In fact, I should have brought this up with Senator Hawley, but we were focused on something else. The cloture motion on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act in the Senate failed 52 to 47. So that that measure will not go through. The House is going to be voting on it later today. in the week. Also today, the House has passed the Lakin-Riley Act. That is the first measure dealing with border security that will be on its way to the president and will be signed into law this week. Well, yesterday, the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral was intended to be a moment of spiritual reflection as President Trump began his second term. Instead, the event was overshadowed by what many have called the disgraceful and out-of-line words of Bishop Marianne Edgar Buddy. who used the pulpit to push her own woke agenda and deliver a politically charged attack on the administration's immigration and transgender policies. Her remarks, framed as a plea for mercy, were widely seen as a partisan critique rather than a genuine call for unity. Here's a clip of what she said. Play clip number six, please.
SPEAKER 01 :
In the name of our God, I ask you, to have mercy upon the people in our country. We're scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives.
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, I think she might do well if she actually just started reading the Bible. All right, joining me now to discuss this, Congressman Mark Harris, former pastor, actually, he's still a pastor, and former FRC team member who was in the cathedral as this unfolded. He represents the 8th Congressional District of North Carolina, and he joins us now. Congressman Mark Harris, welcome to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 15 :
Hey, Tony, it's great to see you today.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, you know, my issue is the problem was not in the pew that she was preaching to. It was behind the pulpit. The pulpit is supposed to have a prophetic voice. Her voice was pathetic in that she totally deviated from the truth of Scripture.
SPEAKER 15 :
No question. I can't tell you what a just wet blanket that that threw over the whole event. I mean, honestly, there was a lot of things that I didn't necessarily care for that were part of Other parts of it. But when she started her sermon, if you will, and went on through it, I kind of started feeling like this was going in a bad direction. And then it was like she just addressed the president. I mean, she just went right after him with these statements that were just unfounded. I mean, almost like allegations of that he is breeding fear in the hearts of every person. It was just ridiculous. And listen, everybody that was sitting around me, other members of Congress, as we watched all of this unfold, we were horrified that this had happened. And it was certainly the conversation as we left there.
SPEAKER 03 :
So let's step back for just a moment, though. What do you think this really says about the health of, and I know this is Episcopal Church, but it is a mainline denomination. What does that tell us about the spiritual vitality or health of the mainline denominations in our country?
SPEAKER 15 :
You talked about it before, and there's many of our churches, many of our denominations, that we've lost and to a certain extent that are going to have to be reclaimed if possible. We're going to have to go in and share the truth of the gospel. The only thing that can reclaim them is for there to be a spiritual awakening. We've talked about that again and again. And we saw it yesterday, just lived out before the whole nation. And in what had been an incredible period of the inauguration, the tone of everything, the president's inaugural address, the rallies, everybody felt really positive about going in and I was invited to go to a prayer service. And I was excited to, we traveled on a bus and then went as congressmen and women together. And for it to turn into this was just very disheartening. And I can tell you, I just came off the floor of the U.S. House. A few moments ago, we had votes, as you referenced, just past the Lake and Riley bill, and in the process had an opportunity to talk to Representative Burkine of Missouri, who is drafting at this very moment A resolution, a sense of Congress resolution that is going to speak clearly to the distortions of Scripture that happened yesterday as part of this event. There's a lot of questions that I have, like, how did this happen? How was she chosen to bring the sermon? I really have questions like that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. Because, I mean, she invoked these themes of mercy and compassion and then went on to say that the president's view of a position, policy position, of upholding the law that keeps illegals from coming into the country, many of them being exploited, is somehow not compassionate. And then recognizing what Scripture teaches in Matthew chapter 19, that male that God created male and female. I mean, she, she says that upholding the law and aligning with scripture is somehow not showing mercy and compassion. I mean, how do you, that's upside down.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes. You can't square that. You just can't.
SPEAKER 03 :
What, I mean, as you, as you said, the, um, Congress is going to look at how this happened. This is kind of tradition going back, I think, to the 30s where the National Cathedral has been the place for this prayer service. But I do think, Mark, and you've been talking about this, you've been working for this, is for the Bible-believing pastor, the pulpit of America has to become focused on proclaiming that truth with a prophetic zeal if we're to turn this thing around.
SPEAKER 15 :
We've got to stand on the principles of the inerrant word of God. And that's where the bulk of people that I was with yesterday would have expected or at least hoped for in that prayer service. Maybe would it be my first prayer service like that as a congressman? Maybe first inauguration in that sense that I attended as a congressman. Maybe I was naive of what to expect, but I certainly did not expect it to take a turn to be such a distortion of the word of God. And quite frankly, in poor taste to put the president in that position. And quite frankly, I think he handled it well. I think it's important for him to recognize that what she did to him does not represent what people of faith across this country are holding to.
SPEAKER 03 :
I mean, it's pretty bad when you go to a prayer service and you've got to go out to go to a prayer service to make you get things right. All right, Mark, thanks for being with us. Stick with us, folks. We're back after this.
SPEAKER 08 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 07 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 08 :
It's really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC's internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned. other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that. But here we get real hands on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government. This is Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins. Good to have you with us. Be sure and get the first 100-day toolkit, text TOOLKIT to 67742. That way you can stay abreast of what's happening and how you can be involved, all right, all at your fingertips. So text TOOLKIT to 67742. Yesterday, President Trump's first full day in office, and it was a full day. Well, immigration authorities have already begun executing the president's deportation plan based on his executive orders and other authorities granted to him as president, arresting over 300 illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes, including murder and rape. Trump's border czar, Tom Holman, says that they are concentrating on the worst first, those who are public safety threats and national security threats. And what else does the plan entail? Well, joining me now to discuss this is Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who serves on five Senate committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence. Senator Cornyn, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you. Thank you, Tony. Good to be with you. All right. A burst. I mean, this is a shock and all as the president is coming in with everything loaded and ready to go. I have to ask this question. I think a lot of people are thinking about this, Senator, as 300 have been arrested and these are rapists, murderers. Why were they loose to begin with?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it boggles my mind, but the Biden administration had this idea that you didn't need any kind of limitations on people coming across the border. They basically released anybody and everybody that showed up, whether they claimed asylum or not. And unfortunately, this open borders resulted and the volume of people coming across overwhelmed the border patrol to the point that probably around two million gotaways came across. So with the Biden policies welcoming people who showed up and claimed asylum or otherwise escaped, to turn themselves in to authorities. The two million gotaways, you have to believe they were up to no good. And unfortunately, they included a lot of the people that you just referred to that Mr. Homan and Immigration Customs Enforcement picked up yesterday.
SPEAKER 03 :
But they obviously knew their whereabouts. They knew they existed. They knew they were here. This means the Biden administration had that same information. They knew that as well.
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely. Unfortunately, the Biden administration discouraged any sort of cooperation with local law enforcement. As you know, many times individuals who are in the country illegally are picked up for other crimes, whether it's DUI, DWI or something else, domestic violence and the like. And they're required to notify ICE and ICE will then come pick them up. But if the local law enforcement agencies don't cooperate, SO-CALLED SANCTUARY CITIES, THEN THERE'S NO WAY FOR ICE TO KNOW THEY'RE THERE AND TO COME PICK THEM UP. PLUS, ICE HAS REALLY BASICALLY BEEN NEUTERED AS A RESULT OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION POLICIES. blows my mind. But I think President Trump is is bringing common sense, something that's not that common around here in Washington, D.C., back to the issue. And I'm glad to see this early start.
SPEAKER 03 :
So walk us through this, Senator Cornyn, the best you know, and I know you've had conversations with the president administration. How is this going to unfold in the days going forward?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, I think Mr. Holman, who's been put in charge of repatriating or deporting people who are not legally here in the first place, and I assume they will go through some sort of prioritization schedule, and that includes the worst of the worst, some of whom we've seen. But there are thousands of people who have committed crimes, who have been convicted of those crimes, who are in the United States in various places. So I think it's going to be a very intensive effort to try to locate them and try to get them returned out of the United States into their home country. This is really the first step. But I think this also sends a message that there are consequences associated with coming to the United States illegally, something that the Border Patrol tells me is absolutely essential to establishing deterrence to prevent people from coming in the first place, assuming they're otherwise law abiding. But I think this is going to be a long, long haul. And as as I said, we're just getting started.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, speaking of deterrence, based on executive orders that the president has signed, one regarding invasion at the southern border and national security issues, he's deployed up to 1,500 additional active duty troops to the southern border, which I'm sure Texas appreciates. What will their role be at the border?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, there are some limitations on what the military can do under existing law, but primarily what it will do is to free up the Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection that are expressly authorized by law to deal with illegal immigration. It will free up some of those resources. Due to the sheer volume of people coming across the border during the Biden administration, those federal officials were overwhelmed. And that necessitated the Governor Abbott and others deploying National Guard there to help with the Border Patrol, just to provide some basic personnel to deal with housing, transportation and and things like that. So they will provide essential manpower. But we're going to have to to to train and hire and train more immigration customs enforcement officials under the Trump administration and build detention facilities. So no more catch and release, which was the subject matter of another one of President Trump's executive orders.
SPEAKER 03 :
Senator, we just have about 20 seconds left, but I'm assuming that Congress is going to lean in because the president can't do it all by executive order.
SPEAKER 12 :
That's right. Well, we will this afternoon, 430. The House will pass the Lake and Riley Act, which we passed here in the Senate. And that will help prioritize people who have committed crimes in the United States. Right. Put them on the fast track. That's a good. All right. Thank you, Senator.
SPEAKER 05 :
All of us are born with the desire to find truth and meaning. Where did I come from? What happens when I die? While our answers to these questions may divide us, we are united in our need for the freedom to answer life's biggest questions and make life's biggest decisions for ourselves. That's why religious freedom matters for everyone. Religious freedom matters because the powerful have long wanted to control those who are less powerful. Religious freedom matters because the freedom of those who are different is often threatened by those who believe different is dangerous. At the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, we promote religious freedom for everyone because the only alternative is religious freedom for no one. We encourage Americans and the American government to engage and advocate for the persecuted. And they do. We work every day to bring good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. We do it because that's what Jesus does. We work to give freedom to others because we ourselves have been set free.
SPEAKER 06 :
As President-elect Donald Trump's second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
SPEAKER 03 :
The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 14 :
This is not an inter-religious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We're talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 13 :
We've not been a secular nation. We don't want to be a secular nation. We've been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well-versed and Family Research Council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 03 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus' name, amen. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. As we move into the first 100 days, we've created a brand new resource. It's the First 100 Day Toolkit. Now, it helps you track promises as they become policy. provides contact information so that you can take action when necessary. It also includes prayer points to inform your intercession for government and for our leaders. You can get it at the Stand Firm app, or you can text TOOLKIT to 67742. That's TOOLKIT to 67742. Our word for today comes from Zephaniah, where the prophet announces God's judgment upon Judah because of their idolatry. I will bring distress on mankind because they have sinned against the Lord. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. Now, have you noticed how everything is measured by its impact on the economy? Well, here's a newsflash. A strong economy will not stand up to the wrath of the Lord. But chapter two holds the remedy. Gather together. Yes, gather, O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect, before the day passes away like chaff, before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord. Seek the Lord. all you humble of the land and do his just commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. So here it is. Seek the Lord for he's full of mercy. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text Bible to 67742. Well, over the last couple of days, we've been looking at the executive orders that President Trump has signed so far since returning to office. It is, well, some describe it as shock and awe as so many of them are coming out. They were clearly ready for this moment. Now, blue state attorneys general have been going through them and planning lawsuits to counter whatever they can as they go through them. And, you know, as we go through them, we're actually pretty pleased with some of the things we see. primarily because they're common sense. With me now to further analyze some of President Trump's executive orders is Mike Berry, executive director of the Center for Litigation at the American First Policy Institute. Prior to joining AFPI, Mike served on active duty as an attorney with the United States Marine Corps, was deployed to Afghanistan, also was with First Liberty, and a great friend of the Family Research Council. Mike, welcome back to Washington Watch Semper Fi. Semper Fi.
SPEAKER 17 :
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, let's go through these EOs, starting with the one that rescinded executive orders and actions of the previous Biden administration. And quite frankly, there was a lot to rescind. 78, I believe. Give us some of the most notable there.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, where do we begin, Tony? I mean, let's start with none other than the Biden executive order that converted the entire federal government into a voter registration machine. If I recall, that one was executive order 14019. I know because AFPI filed a lawsuit against President Biden and his administration to try to put a stop to that executive order. And so it's great to see President Trump on day one helping to finish the job and then You know, you can go on down the list. There was the executive order under the Biden administration that permitted transgenders to serve in the military, very detrimental to military readiness, detrimental to mission accomplishment, detrimental to national security. That one is undone now under Trump's administration. And, you know, I've heard others say it, and I'll echo, that I think we saw more action in the first four hours of President Trump's second term in office than we saw in four years under President Biden. And so this is the promises that were made on the campaign trail and promises that are being delivered now that he's in office.
SPEAKER 03 :
So with one executive order, he can undo multiple executive orders from the previous administration. It does speak to the importance of legislation and statutory enactment of these policies. And I think that is a part of the focus of the incoming Trump administration. Obviously going to clean up a lot of the stuff left behind. But with the Republican House, Republican Senate, I think there'll be more of a focus on actually turning some of these initial executive orders that the Trump administration is doing into actual federal federal law.
SPEAKER 17 :
I think that's right. And really, you know, conservatives need to be keeping their eye on the calendar because really, in practical terms, we have about a two-year window to get a lot of this done because, you know, in two years from now, we're going to have midterm elections. People are going to be starting to look ahead towards the 2028 presidential election and begin thinking about that. So the window is not quite as broad as some people may think it is. And we've got to get to work now, which is why it's very encouraging to see just how ready the Trump administration has been, ready to go on day one. I've seen some commentators, when you compare it to what happened back in 2016 and when he took office in 2017, they were largely unprepared. Possibly because they weren't necessarily expecting to have won, and so it caught everybody by surprise, whether people inside the administration, but also people in Congress were maybe caught by surprise. This time around, I think we're in a much better position and much better footing to hit the ground running. We're seeing that, but I absolutely agree, Tony, that this is going to have to be a team effort, a tag team, both the administration and the Congress. Both chambers of Congress need to work with the administration to help put these policies into legislation, into law.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mike Berry, I want to dive into some of these other executive orders that were issued. But first, just to kind of play off what you said here to set the context so people better understand this. Only twice in history have we had a president who set out a term and then came back. And so you had an administration, the second administration, with full understanding of what it takes. to execute many of these things. As you said, first time, not quite ready, nor really understanding how the process worked. And then you add to that the fact that you have, we had administration for four years that was ideologically opposed. So I think that's what set the stage for this. You had black and white and you also had administration coming in that knew what to do and they wasted no time in getting it done.
SPEAKER 17 :
Absolutely. And the American people spoke loudly, clearly and forcefully that it was a total repudiation of the Biden administration and their policies and their practices. And it wasn't just a delivery of the White House to President Trump, but it was also let's not. I mean, it's no small feat to also have delivered. the Senate and the House of Representatives truly giving a mandate to the governing party now, the Republican Party, to go forth and put all of these promises into fruition and into action.
SPEAKER 03 :
A couple of the issues that we've heard a lot about, felt it over the last four years, is censorship, free speech, the censorship of free speech and the weaponization of the government. How has the president already addressed those with executive orders?
SPEAKER 17 :
I mean, it was, you know, I'm smiling and beaming because as I began to read the executive orders and not just look at the titles of them and to see what they were, but to get into the content of them, it's so exciting and refreshing as a constitutional First Amendment litigator myself to see things like declaring that there are only two genders. That's one of the things that President Trump did. declaring that life begins at conception because in declaring that there are only two genders, he defined the term sex as determined at conception. So this is one of the first times in American history where we're now recognizing the right to life at conception as opposed to at birth. And that's not a minor or subtle difference. That's a very significant distinction there and shift. And then you go on to telling every DEI office in the federal government, every federal agency that has a DEI office, which is probably every single one of them, you are to close your doors, shutter your windows, and stop whatever you're doing. Pens down, and we'll find something else for you to do, or you can enter the private workforce, whatever the case might be. It's creating Doge, right? The Department of Governmental Efficiency is another great one. That's something that was promised and it's been delivered. And so, I mean, we can go down the list, Tony, of probably naming off our three or five favorite EOs, but those are three that really stood out to me immediately. And oh, and then let's not forget what he did with the Department of State, right, saying that the only flag that is going to fly on our embassies or in Department of State buildings is the American flag. No longer are we going to try to virtue signal to the world with pride flags or any other type of flags. It's going to be the stars and stripes, the American flag. And what a fantastic message that sends not only to America, but to the rest of the world that America is back.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let me say that's a big issue from the standpoint of even when Mike Pompeo was secretary of state, he was battling that inside the government as there were others close to the president wanting to fly the pride flag at embassies abroad. And so for the president, by executive order to to state that, I mean, that's in the in the discussion. That's what's going to happen. We're only going to have the American flag flying. Mike, anything yet on, you know, last time in 2016, in May of that first year, he issued the executive order on religious freedom. And that's something obviously that's been under attack under the Biden administration. It's something you care about if you've worked so diligently to defend in advance. Where do we stand on that issue?
SPEAKER 17 :
I think there's more good news to come on that front. None of the executive orders that have been issued thus far are explicitly or narrowly focused on religious freedom. We had the one that targets censorship and weaponization of justice. That's obviously going to touch on religious freedom but it's really focused more on free speech and and censorship issues so i anticipate that there will be uh some future executive actions whether they're via executive order or other presidential type executive actions that will continue to protect religious freedom restore the religious freedoms that we began to enjoy under the first Trump administration. One example that I think myself, you, and probably others in the veteran and service member community are paying close attention to is an executive order that restores and reinstates the service members, the tens of thousands of service members who are punished and targeted and unlawfully kicked out or otherwise adversely treated in the military for having a religious objection to Biden's COVID vaccine mandate. So I think that's one that a lot of people, myself included, are watching closely to see. We want to see what it does, what it says. And that's another one, Tony, where I think there's a lot of work that Congress can do to come side by side, shoulder to shoulder with the administration and ensure that some of those gains that are done through executive action are cemented through legislative action.
SPEAKER 03 :
Speaking of that one in particular, because I know it's personal to you and I've talked to many, many members who are still in the military who have been passed over for promotion because of this. It will because they didn't get the vaccine for religious conviction reasons. Will this set that right? Will those files that have, you know, the fitness reports that have those marks in it? How is that corrected?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, the devil is going to be in the details on that one, because that's one that I said even years ago when we first started that fight and began representing the Navy SEALs, that that's very difficult. It's hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube, as we like to say, because It's difficult to pinpoint that somebody was passed over promotion precisely because or solely because of their objection to the vaccine mandate. As you and I know and anybody in our audience who served in the military knows, the military and the bureaucracy is very, very good. at papering over and sort of whitewashing and sanitizing what we all know to be blatant discrimination. But what they'll do is to say, oh, well, your performance evaluation, you didn't score quite as high as these other people did. And that's the reason why you got passed over, not because of your refusal to get the vaccine. And we all know that that's just what we in the legal we call that proofreading. It's a pretext that's being used for what is actually the real reason is they don't want people who have sincerely held strong religious convictions and beliefs serving in the military because they're worried that when they are given an order to do something that they know is wrong, it's always people of faith are the ones that stand up and say that's wrong. We shouldn't be doing that. We can't do that. I refuse to carry out that order or I refuse to follow that order because it violates the Constitution and it violates the First Amendment. They want to kick those people out. But to answer your question, I think it can be done, but it's going to require a lot of heavy lifting. It's going to require a secretary of defense who has a backbone, who's willing to go to the mat for these service members and to say, we are going to get this done, that we will get rid of any bureaucrat
SPEAKER 03 :
who resists obstructs and tries to prevent us from restoring these service members and these veterans and i hope that we have that well mike for all the reasons that you laid out there it's so important that people of faith can serve in our nation's military because that's that's the ones we want that's the ones we want with the the the lethal power of the military in their hands because they have a moral anchor and and that's so important and that Those are the very ones that were driven out during the Biden administration. Just have about 45 seconds left, Mike. But for those that were forced out because of this, is there any way to make it right for them?
SPEAKER 17 :
I think so. I think you give them the opportunity to return if they want to. I will say I've been disheartened to hear so many of my former colleagues in uniform to say, I don't want to go back. I'm done. I'm going to move on with life and do something else. I don't trust the military anymore. That's that's a national security travesty to hear. qualified, excellent service members to say, I don't want to put on the uniform anymore because I'm ashamed of what it's become. I believe that our military still has good people. It still stands for good things. It was hijacked for four years, and we're ready to take it back. And I think if that happens, I think we will see us turn the corner, and the good people will begin to start to come back.
SPEAKER 03 :
And I think, Mike, a part of that, and not through executive order, but through the administration, through Congress, is we're going to have to weed out those politically correct flag officers that enabled all of these attacks on religious freedom. Mike Berry, thanks so much for joining us. Always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for having me. All right, folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well, but we're out of time. Be sure and get the toolkit. Text TOOLKIT to 67742. Until next time, when you've prayed, when you've prepared and taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
Join us as we delve into the contentious issues of preemptive presidential pardons and their potential impact on future administrations. With insights from legal scholars and political analysts, this episode offers a deep dive into the mechanisms of executive power and its implications for democracy. Explore how the intersection of faith, politics, and policy continues to shape the discourse in Washington.
SPEAKER 01 :
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. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, good afternoon and welcome to this Tuesday edition of Washington Watch. Thanks so much for being a part of the program. I'm Jody Heiss, a senior vice president here at the Family Research Council and president of FRC Action. And I am filling in today for Tony as he was unable to get in due to inclement weather. He should be back in the seat tomorrow. So, again, welcome to the program. We've got a lot to cover. President Donald Trump wasted no time on his first day back in the office yesterday. He signed a wave of executive orders in both the Oval Office as well as at the Capital One Arena, where thousands of Trump supporters gathered following his inauguration.
SPEAKER 09 :
The first item that President Trump is signing is the rescission of 78 Biden-era executive actions, executive orders, presidential memoranda, and others.
SPEAKER 10 :
By the way, Capital One Arena is literally just a few steps away from the D.C. Office of Family Research Council. And what an incredible start he had. Travis Weber will be joining me to unpack some of those executive orders. And also we'll be discussing some of the executive orders that we would like to see the president sign in coming days. And then I'll also be joined in a little while by Oklahoma Congressman Josh McKean to get his take on some of those executive orders, including the one to end the weaponization of government against political adversaries. Of course, this is something that the Biden administration was notorious for, even as it claimed that justice was blind. And speaking of justice, if the two-tiered system of justice we saw during the Biden administration was not already crystal clear, now the former president added an exclamation point to all of that. You may have heard about this, but literally just 22 minutes before leaving the office with preemptive pardoning of his family members, he signed 22 minutes before he left office. Even many Democrats were critical of that move.
SPEAKER 12 :
I'm not a fan of these pardons, right? I wish he didn't feel that he needed to do that. It's a shame that this has happened, but I'm not a fan of the pardons because now the precedent is set.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz yesterday during a CBS News interview. So what is the precedent that former President Biden has set? That's a huge question, and I'll be joined later by Heritage Foundation's Hans von Spakowski to discuss that important issue. Meanwhile, in Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is holding its 55th annual gathering. And how will the new Trump administration affect the conversations that will be going on there? Well, Larry Taunton will be joining me from there and just a little bit later in the program to discuss that. So as usual, we've got a lot coming your way, no lack of news to report, and we want to bring as much of it as we can. If you happen to miss any portion, of course, the website, TonyPerkins.com, you want to keep that handy as both this and multiple other programs are available there for you. So keep that website handy, TonyPerkins.com. All right, let's jump into the top stories for today. It's only day two of the second Trump administration, and his White House's website already has five pages, five pages filled with various executive orders that he's already signed from yesterday. So which orders did he sign? And how will he be working with Congress to execute his agenda? These are important questions. And joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman Josh Burkine. He's a member of the Homeland Security Committee as well as the Budget Committee, and he represents the 2nd Congressional District of the great state of Oklahoma. Congressman Burkine, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you, my friend. Thanks, Charlie. Good to be with you. All right. So we have lots and lots and lots of executive orders that have already taken place and signed by President Trump. It's just day two. So what were some of the most pressing ones that he needed to address as soon as possible that he jumped on?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, look, I think that energy dominance, a return to that, and the number of executive orders that are trying to return us back to common sense so that we'll utilize the gold that's under the ground, as he likes to call it, versus things that are unreliable and that often take taxpayers to subsidize tax collection of monies, then to prop up industries like wind and solar. Sadly, that's where this administration has been moving, and Trump is correcting that. And then, of course, the border issue. the number of executive orders to end the catch and release. By law, the Immigration and Nationality Act says that they are to be detained until there is a decision, an adjudication, and this administration has opened up the floodgates of catching them, released them in the interior, and the professionals call that notice to disappear. It used to be known as notice to appear for a court hearing. They flippantly call it notice to disappear, and we all know what that implies. And then, you know, up to 12 years, these people are going to be embedded and then hide when they know that their asylum claim is fraudulent anyways. Why not just break one more law in addition to coming in illegally? In addition to that, you've also got the Remain in Mexico policy, widely popular. The physical barriers that by executive order, Biden stepped in a few days after taking office and by his pen, like a king, He overrode the will of Congress, who had voted, and it was signed into law previously, for 200 mile of physical barriers. Biden took his pen and unconstitutionally undid that. President Trump is restoring what we all know to be truth. Physical barriers work. Senator Biden said that 10 years ago. I'm quoting him almost verbatim. When he was a senator, Joe Biden said, the reason why we like physical barriers and we employ them is because of the drugs that are coming in between the pores. ports of entry. And then just the myriad of 60 plus different decisions that this administration will have to undo, that's how many decisions that by his pen Biden created havoc in the largest mass importation of illegals coming across our southern border. And so we're not done.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. You mentioned so many issues there. I wish we could kind of go one by one through all of that. But you prefaced it all by talking about common sense. That seemed to be such a major underpinning of everything from yesterday. It's like, let's return to common sense, which obviously implies, and we've all seen it. We've watched it for the last four years. It seems as though every major decision that the Biden administration made put forth was based on just the opposite of common sense. So what are you anticipating as we go forward? I mean, you just mentioned a lot of things that President Trump already has implemented and signed executive orders, reversing a lot of things. What are you kind of a 30,000 foot view anticipating the next four years under the Trump administration, particularly as it relates to just common sense? What can we expect?
SPEAKER 02 :
I think you can expect the contrast. You know, I think we all watched as whatever President Trump was for previously as 45. This administration just prior to him coming in as 47 was the contrast came in and undid every bit of that. Now, President Trump is coming back in and reversing it all. And I look forward to seeing that happen. I would love to see us lock in once and for all. the Article 1 powers that say, you know, you as a former member of the House know well that all legislative powers can be vested in the Congress. So we didn't have this constant ping pong battle of Democrat versus Republican utilizing executive orders when our founders would have said that's never where we intended. But the president has no choice. Biden has created these problems all by executive order, specifically to the border I'm referencing. And so President Trump has to come back in, undo those. I'd like to see us right-size our government back to constitutional bounds. I say this often. George Washington issued eight executive orders. And now we're at a place where, on average, every president is having to issue 200 or more in the last 20 and 30 years. We need to return back to a place to where this is not constantly occurring and where we can have stability.
SPEAKER 10 :
I think that is an excellent, excellent point, Congressman Burkine. What's it going to take to get there? What type of action does Congress need to put forth to reassert the authority that the Constitution gave it and that over the years has been surrendered to the White House?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, Jody, we've all heard the term parchment barriers. It's kind of a founding father era discussion where they said, if you have people that aren't really in their hearts beholden to integrity, these things we write down by law, they're just parchment barriers. The Magna Carta written in 1215 was just a parchment barrier. Many kings that came after began to not abide by it. As John Adams in our founding era said, we will be a nation of laws, not a nation of men. And so we've got to return there. Article 1, Section 1, all legislative powers to be vested in the Congress is sufficient. But sadly, we've had Supreme Court decisions that do not abide by that. And so I actually am working on something. It's called the Bridal Act. Kat Kamik's got a measure called the Rains Act that would put bureaucracy back into a place of restraint. And there's actually a place in the federalist papers that talk about the whole reason that the founders had impeachment was it was to be a bridle in the hands of the legislative bodies to be used upon the executive servants of the government. And in tandem with that, George Mason, founding father, he and the Constitutional Convention said, we've got to add this term, high crimes and misdemeanors, Because there's only treason and bribery until George Mason insisted upon that. If you go back and look at that discussion, he said, because we'll have people who won't abide by the Constitution. And the parchment barrier won't keep them from doing things that integrity should. And so I'm working on a measure, again, called the Bridal Act that would put a lockdown, kind of like what the RAINS Act does for federal agencies, and try to apply it to executive action. And my team is working on that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Sounds like an outstanding piece of legislation in advance. Thank you for your leadership on that. We certainly want to be keeping a pulse on it as it goes forward. We've only got a couple of minutes left here. How do you anticipate the Republican Party, the majority, now both in the House and the Senate, to work with the White House on President Trump's priorities?
SPEAKER 02 :
Look, I look forward to so many of the things that he's talked about. Of course, anybody from Oklahoma too knows that I have extensively been so concerned when I talk to Oklahomans about our deficit spending. And the highlight to me is Russ Vogt at OMB. And Russ is someone that has been a champion in the past under the Trump administration of trying to right-size government spending. And I just had a conversation with the incoming Treasury Secretary nominee. And I know Russ is in those conversations. That excites me. We've got to have people that are paying attention to the bond market and understand what's happening when we're trying to go and make sure people want to invest in the full faith and credit because of the deficit spending, because we've gone from AAA to AA plus of two of the three rating agencies that are notable. And we have a problem because investors, when they have a choice between us or Australia, are wondering, this is a sad reality right now, they are wondering, will America make good on its promise? Will this bond be really what it's designed to be, a full return on my investment? And so we've got to stabilize that. We've got to make sure we're in our 10-year securities. We get back into a range that is not costing us $950 billion. When you hear people talk about our interest payments costing more than what we spend on veterans, our defense, our total defense, flush down the toilet, just interest payments, you know in your era, we were running $300 billion on interest payments because of a much better interest environment.
SPEAKER 10 :
Congressman Josh Birkin, thank you so much for joining us on Washington Watch. Wow, it's going to be an exciting time. Thank you for your leadership on it. All right, friends, don't go anywhere. We've got a lot more to cover, specifically all these terrible preemptive pardons. We'll be back in a moment.
SPEAKER 07 :
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 has been another year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. This 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 parked 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, 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, Launching in January 2025, 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 for another year of standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 06 :
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SPEAKER 10 :
Well, good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm your host, Jody Heiss. An honor to be sitting in today for Tony, who should be back in the saddle tomorrow. But thank you for being a part of the program today. All right, just 22 minutes before he left office yesterday, former President Joe Biden issued preemptive, unconditional pardons for his siblings and their spouses, blanket immunity. for any non-violent offenses they might have committed since 2014. It's just stunning. This move was not only criticized by Republicans, but also Democrats.
SPEAKER 12 :
It's a shame that this has happened, but I'm not a fan of the pardons because now the precedent is set from now into the future. Four years from now, I mean, it's a long time from now, obviously, but if President Trump feels that he wants to pardon his family on the way out the door, right, now Democrats can't say anything about that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. So what precedent literally has been set through all of this? Well, joining me now to discuss this is Hans von Spakovsky. He's a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. Previously, Hans worked at the Justice Department as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. Hans, welcome back to Washington Watch. We really appreciate you coming on. Sure. Thanks for having me. All right. So let's just begin with this. What can you tell us exactly who was pardoned with this last ditch effort 22 minutes before leaving office? Who was pardoned and what were they pardoned for?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, basically, it was the Biden family. Everyone and anyone who may have been and probably was involved in earning the $20 million from foreign sources that has been a subject of investigation, as you know, by the U.S. House for quite a while. And no crimes were specified. The pardon basically says any and all crimes that they might or could be charged with during that specific period of time. This is unprecedented. I don't think this has ever happened in our entire history. Pardons and commutations are given to people who have already been indicted and convicted. AND SO WE'VE NEVER HAD THIS BEFORE. ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW WHO ACTUALLY MADE ONE OF THE BEST COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? WAS PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN. HE WAS ACTUALLY INTERVIEWED IN Because back then, people were saying that outgoing President Donald Trump might do this. And he criticized this, saying, you know, the whole world looks at our legal system. This would create a terrible precedent and, in essence, would make people lose faith in the adherence of our country to the rule of law. And he said he would never do it. That tells you a lot about Joe Biden, doesn't it?
SPEAKER 10 :
It certainly does. So, all right, I've just got to ask you, this has been so disturbing to me. Is the president actually allowed to do this? And what I know, I know the president can pardon, but... What you just brought up, here we have a part of people who have not been convicted, have not been charged, not been indicted. It's just kind of a blanket immunity. If they ever did anything, does this not set potentially a stage where any administration can come in and direct whatever criminal activity to take place to accomplish whatever crime whatever administration may want to accomplish, and then just basically say, don't worry about it. We're just going to give everybody an immunity when it's all said and done. Is that kind of precedent a real potential threat?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, that is exactly what it does, and that's why this should not have been done. Unfortunately, there's really not much that can be done about it. If you look at the president's pardon power in the Constitution, it's Article II, Section 2, it's virtually unlimited. And we've never had this happen before because, quite frankly, I don't think we've ever had a president as corrupt as Joe Biden and his family. And so it never occurred to anyone to do something like this. And there were never circumstances that led to this kind of thing happening. But it does set a terrible precedent. Future presidents could use this. to immunize all kinds of illegal criminal behavior. And I don't think that's the kind of country we want to be living in.
SPEAKER 10 :
No, absolutely not. So what needs to take place, what can take place to put a stop to this now to ensure that this type of thing is not a possibility in the future? I mean, like you said, we can't live in a country where we potentially have corrupt administrations that they can then cover up the behavior with a pardon.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, there's a couple of things to remember here. The only way you could change this is to, frankly, amend the Constitution. You'd have to amend the pardon power and put some limitations on it. But keep in mind, like I said, a couple of things. This only extends to federal crimes, okay? A president cannot pardon anyone for state crime. So if a state crime has been committed, these members of his family could still be prosecuted. The other thing it does is it doesn't hamper transparency and public disclosure through continued investigations by Congress. If the House wants to continue its investigation of the Biden family, and frankly, their skullduggery with these wealth transactions profiting off of the official positions of Joe Biden as the prior vice president, the one thing this does is take away the ability of any member of the Biden family, if they're subpoenaed, to come testify from asserting their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination because they've been pardoned. So they can't raise a Fifth Amendment defense. They have to answer questions. And that kind of investigation could hopefully lead, like I said, to more disclosure of the shenanigans that the Biden family engaged in.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. Well, that's encouraging to hear that, number one, this only applies to federal crimes, not state crimes. So there's probably something there if the investigations want to go further and that the investigations of Congress are not hampered. by this. Great, great points. Thank you so much, Hans von Spasskowski, Senior Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Always great to see you, and we're deeply grateful for you unpacking what's happening here. Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER 15 :
Sure. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 10 :
Always good to. All right, friends. Wow. We've got a lot happening in this program and there's a lot more still to come. After the break, I'm going to be joined by Larry Taunton, who is going to be joining us from Switzerland. Yes, he's at the World Economic Forum. And how has the new Trump administration affected the global conversations going on there? Well, that's up next. So stick around. We'll be right back.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 02 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned. other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that. But here we get real hands on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 08 :
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 sage cons yourself, 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 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm your host today, sitting in for Tony. I'm Jody Heiss. Yesterday, on his first day back in office, President Trump took aim at the globalist institutions. like the World Economic Forum, for one. He signed an executive order that underscores his administration's stance against policies that these elites seem to champion. And, of course, Trump has long criticized the forum for advancing agendas that, in his view, undermine our national sovereignty and agendas that impose unfair economic burdens on American taxpayers. And as part of this push, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing, yes, withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, which he and many others have criticized for its weak enforcement mechanisms and disproportionate demands that it has on the U.S., especially when you compare to countries like China. So what does this mean for Trump? environmental policies? What does it mean for global leadership and the growing influence of institutions like the World Economic Forum? Well, joining me now to break it all down is Larry Taunton. He's the executive director of the Fixed Point Foundation. Larry, welcome back to Washington Watch, and thank you for joining us from Switzerland.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's a pleasure to be with you.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. So what are you hearing and what are you learning from the World Economic Forum so far? And specifically, how does it all align with or conflict with the priorities that the Trump administration has?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, let me begin by saying something about my strategy here. Now, you have a variety of reporters, conservative and otherwise, who are here, and they're here with their news teams, with their camera crews, and they are ambushing, in some cases, some of the people who are speaking at the forum. My approach is completely different. I just pretend to be a weffer. That's what they call themselves, weffers. They refer to the meeting itself as the weff. And I just walk into every building like I own it and sit and listen to what they're saying. And the result of that is they tend to speak to you much more freely and openly. And I would say that this year, this is my third year in a row to attend, that what you're hearing is panic.
SPEAKER 10 :
Because of Trump? Panic because of what specifically?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, the globalist agenda, yes, because of Trump, the globalist agenda hangs by a thread. And that is because the United States has really been the keystone to the globalist agenda. If the US falls, all other smaller boats are swamped. And we, of course, have been trending in that direction. But in November, that all took a massive swing in yet another direction. And of course, in the last 24 hours, Donald Trump has been inaugurated as president of the United States. And so far, he's done the things that he said he was going to do. And that is chiefly not simply take a... let's just say, a non-globalist position. He has taken a fierce anti-globalist position. And they see that as though he's some sort of hayseed and backward and somebody who just really doesn't understand what's good for mankind. But the World Economic Forum really isn't concerned with mankind. They're all about saving the planet and, of course, power.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep. And Trump, you're exactly right. I mean, Trump, he recognizes that these elites, as you just described them, they have their own agenda. They have their own interests. And that cuts against our own national sovereignty and our own economic freedom and sovereignty. Trump is just pushing back majorly against, and we saw it yesterday. So how does Trump's approach challenge the influence of institutions like the forum? I mean, you said they're panicking, but this is going to, the United States carries so much of the weight behind these. And now that we're, you know, cutting it off, that's going to be a major challenge for them to overcome, won't it?
SPEAKER 11 :
Absolutely. I mean, let's just take one issue, one that I have spoken about on this show before, and that's immigration. As Tony would know and others involved with Washington Watch, I have been tracking, following, accompanying some of the caravans that have been making their way to the United States border from all over South America through Darien Gap up to Mexico City and then ultimately to the last jump off to the U.S. border. Now, how does that relate to the WEF? Well, you see, the WEF, globalist as they are, they're all on board with the whole open society agenda, which essentially means open borders. And so Trump coming into office, what is the first thing that he says he's going to do? He's going to close the borders. and he's going to enforce a sensible immigration policy. Well, just an issue like that is, I mean, that's just one of many. That issue imperils their agenda. And part of their agenda in open borders is destabilization of a country like the United States and to change overnight the social, political, and infrastructural nature of the United States. And yet here's Trump who comes along and says, not only am I not a globalist, I'm an American patriot. And we're not going to have any more of this kind of nonsense. So you can imagine the kind of panic that is felt at a place like the World Economic Forum. Now, they're all trying to pretend like whistling through the graveyard like this maybe isn't, this is just perhaps a blip on their radar. But of course, it's a great deal more than that, and they know it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. Oh, and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Accord also. I mean, it's just huge. Yeah, huge stuff here. Well, listen, Larry, I want to thank you so much for joining us. We're definitely going to have to bring you back and discuss some of this some more as all of this unfolds. There's so much taking place. But Larry Taunton, executive director of Fixed Point Foundation, thank you so much for joining us on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 11 :
Absolutely. It's always good to see you guys. Thanks for having me. You guys take care and keep up the good work.
SPEAKER 10 :
You too. All right, friends, much more coming your way on Washington Watch. Don't go anywhere. We'll be back in just a moment.
SPEAKER 14 :
Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this saying separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 03 :
All of us are born with the desire to find truth and meaning. Where did I come from? What happens when I die? While our answers to these questions may divide us, we are united in our need for the freedom to answer life's biggest questions and make life's biggest decisions for ourselves. That's why religious freedom matters for everyone. Religious freedom matters because the powerful have long wanted to control those who are less powerful. Religious freedom matters because the freedom of those who are different is often threatened by those who believe different is dangerous. Leah Sharibu, a Christian teenager in Nigeria, remains a captive of Boko Haram for her refusal to renounce her Christian faith. Chinese pastor Wang Yi is serving a nine-year sentence for speaking publicly against the Chinese government. In Pakistan, Asif Pervez is on death row for allegedly sending a blasphemous text message. All of this because people in power decided different is dangerous. at the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council. We promote religious freedom for everyone because the only alternative is religious freedom for no one. We encourage Americans and the American government to engage and advocate for the persecuted, and they do. We work every day to bring good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. We do it because that's what Jesus does. We work to give freedom to others because we, ourselves, have been set free.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm your host, Jody Heiss, sitting in today for Tony, who should be back in the saddle tomorrow. Before I go to my next guest, I want to, again, encourage you to get involved with moving important policies forward during this new Trump administration. And, friends, we have a tool for you that's going to enable you to do just that. So I want to encourage you to get our first 100 days toolkit. Now, this toolkit is going to equip you with the tools you need to find out your members of Congress. to support key legislation, to get insights on nominees, how to pray effectively, and so much more. Friends, there's nothing else like this out there. And you have an opportunity right now to access the first 100 days toolkit. You can do so by simply texting the word toolkit, that's one word, T-O-O-L-K-I-T, toolkit, to 67742. I encourage you, get your toolkit, and let's all be involved in helping this 100 days be all that it can be. All right. Yesterday, on his first day back in office, President Trump wasted no time. As you know by now, He signed a wave of executive orders aimed at fulfilling key campaign promises and at the same time reversing policies from the Biden administration. And earlier in the program, of course, we discussed some of the executive orders that he's already signed. And while we cannot in any way cover them all, we do want to highlight certain ones that address specific concerns that we have here at the Family Research Council. So joining me now to unpack some of them is Travis Weber. He's vice president for policy and government affairs here at FRC. Travis, thanks so much for joining me today on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 13 :
Jody, it's good to be with you.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. So we've got a batch of executive orders. It's quite in contrast, if you will, from the Biden administration, whose officials literally struggled to define what a man and a woman are. Correct. I mean, we're going in a different direction right now.
SPEAKER 13 :
No, Jody, we really are. President Trump has wasted no time in rolling out a number of executive actions starting yesterday, and I expect we'll see more in the days to come. These actions are focused on what we might expect, areas that he's highlighted a lot during the campaign, law and order, national security, the border. the economy, but there's also an overriding sense of kind of resetting and realigning America to where she should be. I think many will feel that America's gotten off the rails in recent years. We've been a nation in decline as as our leaders, including the Biden administration, have led us languished and have failed to effectively lead the nation where we should be going. And so, you know, a lot of President Trump's actions are resetting or starting the process of resetting America on the course she should be. And that comes in the areas economy, energy, you know, resetting America first priorities at home, but also abroad. There's a couple executive orders that have been issued regarding international matters, foreign affairs. And one of those is making sure that we have an America first foreign policy, one that serves our interest and not the interest of diplomats or elite global circles to the detriment of the American people who do not know what is being discussed by those who are supposed to be representing them. you know one area is is the world health organization so he's president trump has now issued an order saying that he intends to start the process of withdrawing from the world health organization a process he started in his first term that biden reversed and now trump's going to start once again and so um you know this is an issue that's that is familiar to many we were at the world health assembly in geneva last may where we were tracking the pandemic agreement which is concerning from the perspective of sovereignty being eroded as global bodies, including the World Health Organization, aggregate power to themselves. So hopefully this will be a reset in this area of the World Health Organization and other UN entities, in addition to resets of other areas like foreign aid, foreign policy, which we'll see implemented in the days to come.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes, and I want to talk about some of those, but there's no doubt, Travis, FRC has been closely tracking the World Health Organization, particularly since COVID. And quite frankly, so many have contacted us and been in touch with us. It seems like the whole country is concerned about the World Health Organization. No doubt the U.S. has been... propping it up in many ways for a long, long time. So as President Trump now comes in beginning the process, as you describe, of resetting and really starting the process of withdrawing us from the World Health Organization, what impact would that have both on the United States and on the World Health Organization as a whole?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, well, the WHO put out a statement saying that they're disappointed in the president's decision. The US is a massive funder of the WHO. Their own livelihood is on the line. But that should help them see clearly that they need to pay attention to what the United States is the U.S. perspective on the WHO and what it wants to do. This is part of the problem, Jody. We have these bodies like the WHO. They're designed for a purpose that no one would really argue with. We need to have nations have a mechanism to prevent diseases that cross borders. Okay, a lot of people will get that. But then it goes off the rails at some point. under COVID, what we saw were abuses by governments in the areas of freedom, religious freedom, free speech. There were a lot of censorship and individual rights were suppressed in many places globally. And instead of that being a topic that's discussed at the World Health Assembly, they're discussing what they could do to increase their power, increase their ability to exert control over the next policy response, which is going to be named in the name of safety, but it's control. And the discussions of rights and freedom and the violations of THE WHO POLICIES WERE IMPLEMENTED. WE'RE NOT DISCUSSED AT ALL. SO, YOU KNOW, JODY, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED THE PEOPLE AT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION AND BODIES LIKE THAT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO THOSE WHO ARE FUNDING THEM, THOSE WHO ARE GRANTING THEM THEIR AUTHORITY. It's nation states who've agreed to the WHO, who are part of the WHO, including the U.S. So Trump is going to withdraw. And certainly there are going to be discussions. Part of the WHO executive order says that the means or the ends to which the WHO, the goals of the WHO, in so many words, there are other ways we can accomplish what we are trying to do in the WHO. So this is going to be an important discussion. And it's going to be important for us to continue to have to watch what's happening, though, because we don't want the same violations, same sovereignty erosions to take place in another way.
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. You also mentioned a moment ago, if we can transition on the topic of foreign aid, there's no question President Trump has had his eye on the foreign aid that the Biden administration has been doling out. So what does the Trump executive order on foreign aid do?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, so Jody, this just pauses foreign aid for a period of time until the whole system can be reformed. And I think this is really welcome because I just want to actually read from this order. I have it in front of me here. It says that U.S. foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse of to harmonious and stable relations internal to those countries. And so this makes an important point. Certainly this language is getting at what we have been doing over the past number of years promoting LGBT ideology and gender ideology, radical abortion positions, climate positions globally, including in places that are repelled by our insistence on pushing these policies on them, places like Africa and Eastern Europe, and places that were also competing with China. So we're shooting ourselves in the foot by promoting these ideologies in these places. So certainly this language is getting at Guys, we need to stop this. Let's pause. Let's reassess. Is U.S. foreign aid serving American interests? And certainly with this 90 day pause in U.S. foreign aid that the executive order articulates, we hope to see instead of. you know, bad policies, which we need to see a rollback, a de-woking of our foreign policy gets us back to neutral. In place of that, we want to see foreign aid used to promote values that serve our interest in being a beacon to the world, a shining city on a hill, promoting true human rights, freedom, religious freedom, and life and family, and family flourishing everywhere we can see fit. So, Jody, that's my hope and prayer for what will happen under this executive order.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, so that's a great point. So it's both and. So in addition to President Trump having executive orders getting rid of some bad programs, some, in this case, bad foreign aid programs, there were also some good foreign aid programs that the Biden administration stopped, put a hold on, that probably President Trump should restore. Any comment on that?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, well, so we had in the last administration, there was a large effort to promote religious freedom globally. And this was so well received and so needed by those suffering persecution around the world for their faith, Christians and others. And the ministerial to advance religious freedom that was run in the State Department is an example of this. There were human rights efforts, efforts that expanded and displayed globally the founding ideals of America. You know, we're coming up on the 250th anniversary of American independence. And so, Jody, this is an opportunity to bring some of those out again, bring them into the light so that America may be a blessing both to its people at home, but to all people who desire freedom around the world.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, looking ahead, let me just put this. I actually had Congressman Josh Perkin on with me a little bit earlier in the program, and he actually mentioned the Mexico City policy. So looking ahead, I mean, no doubt there's going to be a number of additional executive orders that are going to find their way to President Trump's desk. And one of those may be the Mexico City policy. So tell us about that. First of all, explain real quickly what the Mexico City policy is. And do you, by any way, maybe expect that to happen this week? Is that one of those going to be a priority?
SPEAKER 13 :
We hope so. You know, certainly this one falls within the spirit of what President Trump's already articulated with resetting foreign aid, resetting foreign policy priorities. And it's one that he issued the first time around. President Biden revoked it. AND WE HOPE HE ISSUES IT AGAIN. WHAT IT SAYS IS U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE SHOULD GO TOWARDS PROTECTING AND PROMOTING LIFE AROUND THE WORLD, SHOULD NOT BE USED TO PROMOTE ABORTION. AND SO THIS ALSO FITS WITHIN THIS DEWOKING OF U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. WE SHOULD NOT BE PUSHING ABORTION ON ANY COUNTRY. And it's even more egregious when it's done in a way, done in these countries that are saying we don't want this and feel coerced by America. So that Mexico City policy executive order is one that is a healthy and needed part of what we already saw started by the president yesterday with this resetting foreign aid executive order. And I do hope it's issued again because many countries around the world, including African countries, including countries in Eastern Europe who do not want to be coerced by the U.S., WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE CLARITY THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER BRINGS, WHICH THE ORDER BASICALLY PROVIDES THAT U.S. FOREIGN ASSISTANCE FUNDS CANNOT GO TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE OR PERFORM ABORTIONS OVERSEAS. IT SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY BIDEN WAS INSISTENT ON AND HIS ADMINISTRATION INSISTENT ON PUSHING this around the world. So we hope President Trump will be part of de-woking our foreign policy. We need to put that in place again and see that no U.S. taxpayer dollars are pushing abortion on foreign countries. In addition, we should not be pushing LGBT ideology, any social policies that are offensive to these local cultures of these countries around the world.
SPEAKER 10 :
De-woke. De-woke. I love that. That kind of puts it all in perspective right there in one simple term. All right, Travis Weber, are there any other executive orders that the president has signed or has promised to sign that you think would be of particular interest and concern to evangelicals?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, I mean, Jody, we've seen a number of good orders signed so far. In addition to the ones that I've already mentioned, there's one that also resets, you know, says the U.S. foreign policy should be an American first foreign policy. So we have some good foreign policy EOs. THERE'S ONE THAT CLARIFIES THAT MALE AND FEMALE BIOLOGICAL REALITY SHALL BE THE POLICY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. SO TRUMP HAS ROLLED BACK A NUMBER OF HARMFUL BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND HE ISSUED THIS BIOLOGICAL REALITY EXECUTIVE ORDER CLARIFYING THROUGHOUT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, EXECUTIVE The policy will be guided by the reality that we are male and female. So part of that order significantly also says that U.S. federal funds should not go to funding gender ideology. This is very significant because it gets at the question of how the U.S. tax dollar is being used. U.S. tax dollars should not be going to fund these ideologies at home or abroad. And so this is a very encouraging part of the executive order. We'll have to keep an eye on that to see that it's fully implemented. And certainly, in effect, this is a no taxpayer funding for gender ideology. executive order. So that's a very encouraging one. It's quite lengthy. There's other provisions in there mentioning the need to protect women in prisons and other contexts in which gender ideology has harmed women. Jody, there are a number of other orders dealing with a lot of law and order issues, national security issues, the border. I think helpfully really kind of putting America back on the rails to give us a chance, clear the rubble So the American people can live up to their potential, can exercise their freedom, and the American church can live out its role in a robust way, seeking to bless the country and pray for the country as President Trump kind of clears the way by clearing the pathway ahead.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you so, so much, Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs here at FRC. Excellent information. Thank you for joining us. Thank you, Judy. All right, friends, you've heard a lot, and I want to encourage you, each of you, be praying for this next 100 days is critical. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. Tony should be back in the chair tomorrow. Have a great evening. We'll see you.
SPEAKER 01 :
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.
Join us for an insightful episode as Donald Trump takes the oath of office in the heart of the nation's capital. Despite the chilly weather, thousands gathered to witness history unfold. We delve deep into the events of the day, discussing the president's swift actions and executive orders, aimed at ushering in a new era of governance grounded in common sense.
SPEAKER 08 :
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.
SPEAKER 04 :
I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear... I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear... That I will faithfully execute... That I will faithfully execute... The office of President of the United States... The office of President of the United States... And will, to the best of my ability... and will to the best of my ability. Preserve, protect and defend. Preserve, protect and defend. The Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States. So help me God. So help me God. Congratulations.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was President Donald Trump taking the oath of office earlier today in the Capitol Rotunda. Welcome to Washington Watch. Thank you for tuning in on this Monday. Well, despite the cold, tens of thousands came to Washington, D.C. to witness history. We'll talk about it with Congressman Robert Adderholt of Alabama in just a moment. Before today's inauguration, Family Research Council partnered with Dr. Jim Garlow and Wellverse to host an inauguration praise and prayer convocation.
SPEAKER 15 :
This is not an inter-religious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We'll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
SPEAKER 06 :
It was a deeply moving service and I'll share some highlights with you a little bit later. Well, President Trump is wasting no time in getting to work.
SPEAKER 05 :
Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders. With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It's all about common sense.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we're looking forward to a little common sense. He's issuing a flurry of executive orders covering topics from the border to climate policy, the federal workforce, and transgender issues. Chris Gacig, Senior Fellow for Regulatory Affairs at the Family Research Council, will join us with the details.
SPEAKER 10 :
Also, since the October 7th massacre, our mission has been clear. Bring home all the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Today, as part of these ongoing efforts, we welcomed home three hostages, three young women after 471 days in Hamas captivity.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari yesterday. We'll check in with Chris Mitchell, CBN's Middle East Bureau Chief, for the latest updates from Israel. Stay tuned for today's Washington Watch. A lot ahead. Let me encourage you, if you've not yet downloaded the StandFirm app, to download the StandFirm app. There's actually a couple of very important things. Resources there for you are 100-Day Tracker. It's a 100-day toolkit. It will help you keep up with and pray into the changes promised by President Donald Trump on the campaign trail. You can track that. We can give you daily updates. Also being released next month, we have the first installment out, is God and Government. What does the Bible have to say about government? You can find out more about that at the Stand Firm app. Go to the App Store. Simply download the StandFirm app. As mentioned, Donald Trump was sworn in today as the 47th president of the United States, making him officially the second U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms. In his inaugural address, President Trump said, quote, the golden age of America begins right now, end quote. He also shared his priorities with the American people. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman Robert Adderholt, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He serves Alabama's 4th Congressional District. Congressman Adderholt, welcome to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 02 :
Tony, good to be with you. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, thanks for taking time to join us. Busy, busy day in Washington, D.C., a lot of activities. Your thoughts on today's inauguration ceremony?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, it was a great day. Just I was honored to have a chance to actually be in the rotunda there. As you know, plans changed drastically after, I guess it was Friday when they decided to move inside. So a lot of the folks I know that was hoping to be there, but I think most people understood between the weather and what all was going on in Washington that the We needed to make sure everybody was safe, and it was the call by the president, but obviously all the Congress was there, the House and the Senate, and we were there to see it, and just a lot of energy in the air, and we're just very excited to be there.
SPEAKER 06 :
And there were a lot of folks that came to D.C. despite the weather. In fact, it moved the indoor gathering at the Capital One Arena just across from the FRC headquarters here in D.C. They were lining up last night, could not wait to get in, even out there in the cold. So a lot of enthusiasm. What was it like there in the rotunda?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, no, there was a lot of energy. Of course, obviously, a lot of Democrats didn't come. Probably most of the members there were Republicans, but you did have a lot of Democrats that were there. But there was a lot of energy in the room. And just hear the president just beginning of a new day. It was really what I'm how to best describe it, because we felt like we're starting a new morning. Things are looking very positive. We're starting with a from a position of security. And so that's. I just, you know, it was just great being in the room and seeing the president and hearing him take the oath of office, seeing him right there. So, yeah, just really, I think everyone felt better after he was commander in chief.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, Congressman Adderhall, after he made his speech, kind of laying out his plans, what he wants to see America do and become, what were your major takeaways?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, obviously, I think one of the things that was very obvious that border security is going to be a number one priority in this administration. And, you know, and also it was just very great to see him, the strength of the international community. of seeing that we, that the United States is going to project now and not only project, but also be in strength around the world. And I think that's one of the things that's been lacking because we've so much been, the United States of America has not had the respect that we've really needed. And we are the, And militarily, economically, we're number one around the world. And I think it's important that we stand strong for democracy. And I think people feel better that now with Donald Trump in that role, that that will definitely be the case.
SPEAKER 06 :
I know when these types of gatherings take place, everybody's going to kind of be there and kind of waiting, milling around before the actual event takes place. There's a lot of time for conversations. Can you share a little bit about the conversations you've had today with your colleagues and kind of what they're thinking and just kind of the anticipation that they have?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, you know, it was interesting as I was sitting now next to some of my colleagues there, and this president was making his speech, as you know from listening to his speech yourself, the things that he said he was going to implement. And basically, members of Congress. And I know, uh, around me was saying, saying just under their breath, but you could hear them actually say, thank you. Thank you for standing for a strong border, uh, for, uh, that we'll have energy freedom, uh, that we will make sure that we are, uh, number one on the world stage, making sure that we put in those common sense practices that are so important that have gone lacking over the last four years. So just really a sense of gratefulness that the president is going to move forward on these policies and that it's not going to be just talk, but it's going to he's doing that. And as you know, putting those signing those executive orders today, he is not wasting time. I had a chance to talk to some of the members of the of his cabinet that he is going to be appointing or has appointed, I guess, is waiting for their confirmation to come through. And they are ready to get to work. And I saw John Ratcliffe and talked to Lee Zeldin. And they're just very excited about starting to work and to implementing the president's policies as soon as they get their confirmation.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, you mentioned the executive orders, and we're going to talk about those in a moment with Chris Gasek from FRC. But what I did not see in the list of executive orders in this first batch, and we'll see more this week, that is the Mexico City policy, which has been kind of a ping-pong policy from administration to administration. Democrats You know, rescind it. Republicans generally put it back in place, and that's simply prohibiting U.S. tax dollars for funding or promoting abortion abroad, getting its name from Ronald Reagan when he did the announcement in Mexico City. Any word on that?
SPEAKER 02 :
No, I've not heard an update, but I mean, I would be shocked if that is not within these, one of the first executive orders that comes through. But I was reminded with something that I was so happy that he pointed out, and I'm sure you heard it loud and clear, Tony, was what he said about there were two genders, male and female. And I thought that was very bold. And I think that was very good news for the American people to hear. that, you know, the transgender, that obviously that from that standpoint, that there's many genders, that that is not something the president is embracing and that we'll get back to some common sense regarding that. So by him making that statement, I think was tremendous. He didn't have to make that statement, even though I know he agrees with it. But to agree that there are only two genders and to make that publicly in his speech this afternoon was, I think, a real sign that he's going to be very serious about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I have not read the executive order related to that in the federal workforce, but I'm curious if that replies to our nation's military, because he rescinded the Obama transgender policy in his last term. I'm wondering if this would also affect the United States military, where they would go back to recognizing just two genders.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, well, I haven't seen the details either, Tony, but I do think that he's been very serious and very strong on it by him making this statement today. I think it's a good sign that he will move forward on that.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, Congressman Adderhall, we just have about a minute and a half left. Biggest challenge going forward, and how do our viewers and listeners need to be praying?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, biggest challenge will be actually, you know, this the House. We only have a very thin majority. So getting these policies through is going to be very difficult. You can have just one or two members. Matter of fact, when as we were getting ready to go out of the chamber this morning into the rotunda, we got the resignation letter from Michael Waltz. that was presented to the speaker that he's, of course, going for to be the president's security advisor, national security advisor. So that's one less member that we have now. So it's going to be very tough as we move forward on these policies. Of course, even the Senate, even though they will have 53 when everyone is there, it's still, that's going to be a close in all respects, but it's going to be one or two seats majority in the House. So that's what I see as the most challenging and just everyone getting an agreement because even though Republicans were together, we sometimes don't always agree on what the best way to move forward.
SPEAKER 06 :
That would be an understatement.
SPEAKER 02 :
Would be an understatement.
SPEAKER 06 :
Robert Adderholt, thanks so much for joining us. Always great to see you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thank you. Thanks, Tony. Good to be with you. And God bless and God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 06 :
Amen. Congressman Robert Adderholt of Alabama. And a lot of these executive orders that the president is doing are good, but we want to take this moment to put them into statute so that they cannot be rescinded by the next administration. So Robert's point, we need to be getting these things through Congress. All right. After the break, I'll share with you a little bit about last night's presidential inauguration prayer event.
SPEAKER 09 :
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 has been another year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. This 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 parked 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, 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, Launching in January 2025, 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 for another year of standing for faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 12 :
Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC's Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into Scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God's Word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to this Monday edition of Washington Watch. Well, yesterday, ahead of today's presidential inauguration, Family Research Council hosted an inauguration praise and prayer convocation service to pray for our nation. And if you missed it, you can actually catch it on the Stand Firm app. Go to the app store and download the Stand Firm app. But right now, I'd like to share with you the message that I delivered yesterday at the event. Here's what the Lord put on my heart. For America to be great again, it must first be moral again. It must first be good again. Tomorrow, as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump, is inaugurated, our nation will also celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. And as Alveda was praying a moment ago, Dr. King, a pastor, a leader, profoundly influenced the government of our nation through his unwavering commitment to proclaiming truth and pursuing justice. In his sermon, A Knock at Midnight, Dr. King made a powerful statement about the church's role in society. He said this, he said, quote, the church must be reminded that it is not the master nor the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state and never its tool. The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal. This principle is vividly illustrated in the final recorded exchange of the prophet Elisha with the king of Israel, Joash. In 2 Kings 3, verse 14, it says, Now when Elisha had fallen sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash king of Israel went down to him and wept before him, crying, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen. And Elisha said to him, Take a bow and arrows. And he took a bow and arrows. And then he said to the king of Israel, Draw the bow. And he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. And he said, open the window eastward, and he opened it. Then Elisha said, shoot, and the king shot. And he said, the Lord's arrows of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria, for you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them. Then the prophet said, take the arrows, and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, strike the ground with them. And he struck three times, and he stopped. Then the man of God was angry. and said you should have struck five or six times, then you would have struck down Syria until you had made the end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times. Although Joash was not a good king, he still recognized and respected the indispensable role of the prophetic voice of the prophet in preserving and prospering the nation because the prophet never compromised God's truth. In this passage, we see three key actions of that prophetic voice, which the church must recapture today. Number one, he instructs, verse 15, take a bow and arrows. The church must have the clarity and give direction. And that clarity only comes from the word of God. The church must rediscover the word of God. And it must bring it into the public square once again. He guides. Look at verse 16. It says, draw the bow. He drew it. Then Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. The church must be involved in government. We must be hands on.
SPEAKER 01 :
And then...
SPEAKER 06 :
The prophet never apologizes for the call of God. He corrects, verse 19, then the man of God was angry with him and he said, you should have struck five or six times. What God says is wrong. We cannot politely nod as if it is right. We must speak the truth of God's word. Amen. For nearly 60 years, Elisha served as a prophet, undoubtedly praying and interceding for the king, even though most of them walked contrary to God and his word. Why? Because that is what God told him to do. That was his mission. And there is a benefit when the prophet walks in his mission and intercedes. The apostle Paul speaks to this issue in 1 Timothy chapter 2. He says, that supplications, prayers, and intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. How many of you want peace? How many want joy and to be able to live in the tranquility of your home? We need godly leaders and we must pray for them. So how does a church today in 2025 recapture this prophetic zeal that Dr. King spoke of? We must stop seeking affirmation from government and stand firm in our identity with Jesus Christ. We cannot speak prophetically to those to whom we're seeking approval. We do not need the approval of government. We are called as a prophetic voice of God. Elisha did not need Joash's validation. He knew his master and he knew his mission. Likewise, the church must understand its authority and its purpose rooted in the power and the calling of God. if it is to rediscover its prophetic voice in our time. Church, stand firm in Christ. Pray for our leaders and boldly speak the truth of God. That was from yesterday's inauguration praise and prayer convocation that FRC co-hosted at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church just around the corner from the Family Research Council, just two blocks from the Capital One Center where large crowds were gathered there as well. And if you missed it, you can catch it all at FRC's Stand Firm app. Go to the app store, download the Stand Firm app. All right. After the break, we're going to take a look at some of the executive orders that President Trump is probably signing right now. And so we're going to talk about that with Chris Gasek on the other side of the break. So don't go away. A lot more Washington Watch coming up. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 14 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 13 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 13 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 14 :
It's really humbling for me as a college student who has been involved in the life movement for only a couple of years to be able to witness it alongside of some of the people who have spent their entire lives fighting. A huge thing that sets FRC's internship apart from others is they are looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 13 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned. other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls and doing things like that. But here we get real hands on experience and get to talk to important people and do important things that we get to see the impact of.
SPEAKER 01 :
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 sage cons yourself, 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 06 :
Welcome back to this Monday edition of Washington Watch. Be sure and check out the app for the latest on today's activities. You can also, in addition to the Washington Watch, you can get the Washington Stand, which is our news feed. You'll get news and commentary from a biblical perspective, also the Stand on the Word. Go to thestand.com. Go get the Stand Firm app in the App Store. All right, today, President Trump, first day back in office. He's wasting no time. He's signing a wave of executive orders aimed at fulfilling key campaign promises, reversing policies from the Biden administration. From declaring a national emergency at the southern border to ending federal DEI programs, these actions mark the beginning of what President Trump calls the complete restoration of America, a return to common sense. Joining me now to unpack some of these, Dr. Chris Gasek, Senior Fellow for Regulatory Affairs here at the Family Research Council. Chris, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hi, Tony. How are you doing? Good to be with you. And what a wild day it's been.
SPEAKER 06 :
It has, and I'm sure it's only going to get even wilder. Let's talk about some of the key. There's a lot of these executive orders. I think they're going to be rolling out a whole stream of them over the next several days. Let's hit the ones at the top of the list. What do we have so far?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, what happened this morning was that the president, when he was at the Capitol, signed about four or five. And one had to do with Inauguration Day ceremony and a number of cabinet, sub-cabinet appointees and making appointments and commissions and things like that. So a lot of administrative issues. But right now, just two blocks from here, the president is seated and he's about to make an address at the Capital One Center. And it looks like the Air Force Band is over there. I mean, it's a big event with like another 15 to 20,000 people inside. And there's a sort of, I don't know if it's, I don't think it's the real one, but there's an Oval Office lookalike desk sitting there with a chair. And apparently, you know, he's going to go and sign, you know, maybe a couple dozen or more executive orders and maybe talk about them as he goes through them. So at this point, there's a bit of, I wouldn't say conjecture. I think we sort of know what directions they're going, but we don't have the actual paper with the words. And we haven't seen precisely which ones have been done in what order. So I just want to spell that out.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, we've been waiting. It was scheduled at right at the top of the hour, but He typically runs a little bit behind. One that, again, we're working off of titles because we've not seen the content of the executive orders. But one, which I mentioned earlier with Congressman Adderhall, was one dealing with the fact that there are two sexes. This is an issue. It's Title VII, but he says as it applies to federal sexes. personnel. I'm wondering if this is going to reach into the military and into the transgender policy of the Biden administration.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, if we move out of this gender ideology framework and go back to a description of or a use of biological sex, the term sex instead of gender, that's going to have kind of rolling implicate, you know, it's going to have a logical effect that's going to essentially wipe out a lot of policies, even, you know, that's the way the law works. The law works is if I set a principle in motion, it's going to work its way through things. And I think that if, depending on how much of a, how many boundaries they put on this, it will do the same sort of thing. Sometimes they take the military out of these, but my sense is that the way President Trump thinks about things, it's like the military would be the first place he does it.
SPEAKER 06 :
So how does this, how will that mesh with the Supreme Court ruling on the Title VII gender issue?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I guess they're going to be, you know, kind of the Bostock decision. It's going to be interesting. You know, just some immediate points. The Bostock ruling was about a private employer, the government, the federal government may have more leeway with regard to the employees that it has in terms of setting terms and conditions, especially in areas like the military. So, again, you know, one of the things that happens here is that there are issues that have to play out in kind of legal thinking. And remember one thing, until 20 years ago, everything was framed in terms of biological sex. So it wasn't like we've never been in this world before, right? It's more like the strange new world that the Supreme Court and other institutions have created for us have created these problems. And in a sense, using biological sex again would just be a reset to the, you know, the way things should be.
SPEAKER 06 :
But but as he made very clear, this was a return to common sense. Common sense has not been that common. He's got executive orders on the border. That's been the big focus. In fact, there'll be several dealing with the border. declaring an emergency. No doubt, Chris Gazig, we're going to see a lot of legal action and there will be suits filed to try to stop the president from moving forward these executive orders. Am I correct?
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. Yes. I think I saw on a Politico flash news item that somebody has already filed to get an injunction against the Doge effort, which is kind of silly because I think the Doge you know, Musk and these people are essentially assistants to Russ Vought in the Office of Management and Budget. I think he can, you know, get people and advisors and things of this sort. I don't know. That seems, you know, kind of persnickety, but we'll see what happens. Remember, one of the things about the District of Columbia is that it's populated with all these leftist district court judges and all these, you know, very leftist appellate court judges. I mean, it's kind of a rotten burrow up here, as they would use in English politics, right? It's a company-owned town, and the deep state and the government own the judiciary, except at the Supreme Court level. And there you have a group of conservative lawyers, especially conservative on these administrative state issues.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, they've actually ruled on that recently. So that's going to be interesting. All right, Chris, we're out of time, but we're going to come back to you in the next couple of days as we look more at these executive orders. Stick with us, folks. Hello, I'm Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn't be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
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All of us are born with the desire to find truth and meaning. Where did I come from? What happens when I die? While our answers to these questions may divide us, we are united in our need for the freedom to answer life's biggest questions and make life's biggest decisions for ourselves. That's why religious freedom matters for everyone. Religious freedom matters because the powerful have long wanted to control those who are less powerful. Religious freedom matters because the freedom of those who are different is often threatened by those who believe different is dangerous. Leah Sharibu, a Christian teenager in Nigeria, remains a captive of Boko Haram for her refusal to renounce her Christian faith. Chinese pastor Wang Yi is serving a nine-year sentence for speaking publicly against the Chinese government. In Pakistan, Asif Pervez is on death row for allegedly sending a blasphemous text message. All of this because people in power decided different is dangerous. at the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council. We promote religious freedom for everyone because the only alternative is religious freedom for no one. We encourage Americans and the American government to engage and advocate for the persecuted. And they do. We work every day to bring good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. We do it because that's what Jesus does. We work to give freedom to others because we ourselves have been set free.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us today. All right, a new Congress, a new administration, and a new resource for you. Announcing today, the God and Government course that will be coming out beginning on President's Day. Each week thereafter, we'll be releasing a new episode of God and Government, but you can get the introduction right now and prepare for it. Go to the Stand Firm app. It's exclusively on the Stand Firm apps. Go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app. Our word for today comes from the book of Nahum. The Lord is a jealous and avenging God. The Lord is avenging and wrathful. The Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. You know, this kind of reminds me of the words that Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3. He said, The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Here's the takeaway. Don't mistake God's mercy and patience for acceptance or indifference toward sin. God is merciful and he is patient, but he's also just. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. Earlier today, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners, terrorists, as a part of the first phase of the hostage and ceasefire agreement that the Israeli government signed off on at the beginning of the weekend. Now, this came after yesterday's release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas following 471 days in captivity. Four more hostages are expected to be released this coming Saturday as a part of the six-week-long first phase. Now, at the end of this first phase, only 33 hostages will have been released, while nearly 2,000 Palestinian terrorists will be set free. So what's the mood like right now in Israel, and how is the Jewish nation feeling about the weeks ahead, and how is the Bibi Netanyahu administration coalition holding up. Joining me now to discuss this live from Jerusalem is Chris Mitchell, Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News. Chris, thanks for joining us. And again, thanks for staying up late there in Israel. I know it's almost midnight.
SPEAKER 03 :
It is actually. Yeah, almost. One o'clock here, but great to be with you and such an important historic day for Israel and certainly the United States.
SPEAKER 06 :
We were discussing last week, of course, you were in Israel. I mean, you were in the United States. You just made it back to Israel. What's the sense there? I know there was a lot of excitement and enthusiasm about the three females that were released yesterday. But I mean, that's just a token of what remains in captivity. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's right, Tony. I would describe, and I just arrived back yesterday, and you can almost feel the mood here of what people are feeling. First of all, they're conflicted because of what's going on. First of all, the jubilation they have, I think shared by almost all Israelis, that these three young Israeli women, Daron, Emily, and Romy, have been reunited with their families. The video of them with their mothers is just heart-wrenching. that they are finally back after 470 days, 71 days in captivity. So the jubilation is there. The emotion of seeing these families reunited is really profound. On the other hand, Tony, as you mentioned, 90 Palestinian prisoners have been released the same day. And so what Israelis know is that historically these prisoners have gone on to commit terror attacks. In fact, in 2011, there was 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released In exchange for one IDF soldier, his name, net soldier, whose name was Gilad Shalit, many of those 1,027 terrorists went on to commit terror attacks and killed more than 190 people. And, famously, among those prisoners was Yahya Asinwar, who became the head of Hamas and masterminded the October 7 massacre. So there's really a conflicted feeling about what's going on here. Israelis rejoice in the three women that have been released, but are sober minded about what's anticipated with not only the 90 today, but as you said, nearly 2000 eventually through the course of the next six weeks will be released.
SPEAKER 06 :
Chris, what information do we have on the well-being of the three that were released?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, according to the doctors at Sheba Medical Centers, where they were taking, they're pretty good, which is really surprising after this well more than a year of being in captivity. We'll find out more as time goes on exactly what happened. during their time of captivity, whether in tunnels or maybe in some homes, and whether or not they were sexually abused, what kind of torture or deprivation they all suffered. But so far, you know, they look good. And you can see from the videos, you know, they're walking and they're not debilitated in any way it seems. One of the hostages, I believe Emily, two of her fingers were shot during October 7th when she was kidnapped. But so far they look pretty good, and Israelis are quite excited about that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Chris, there's this is, as you said, this there's there's mixed feelings on this. A lot of concern about the release of terrorists in exchange and how that might further incentivize the taking of hostages. There's also the concern, although we've heard even on this week on the Hill program that I do, the House speaker, we've heard Mike Waltz, the. national security advisor to the president, make very clear that Israel has the right to eliminate the threat from Hamas as an entity. Is the Netanyahu coalition government going to be able to hold together?
SPEAKER 03 :
I would think it's actually been shaken by this more than perhaps even the threats against it by the Biden administration. And what has happened is that one of the coalition members, Ben Gavir, he has a religious party in the coalition. He's left the government. It leaves about 63 seats left. left in the majority coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu. But another threat is that Bezalel Smoltrich, who is the current finance minister, has said that after the first phase, which goes for 42 days, if Israel doesn't resume the war, then he would leave. So that puts the Netanyahu coalition government in jeopardy. And if he would leave, then perhaps the government would fall and there'd be new elections. And I would imagine that the Trump administration would rather deal with a Netanyahu government than any of the alternatives on the left side of the political spectrum here in Israel.
SPEAKER 06 :
Is there an expectation that Hamas will not live up to the particulars of this ceasefire? Because that has been the history in the past that they have not kept their part of the deal.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think that's a lot of people anticipate that that will happen and that they will continue to wage not only warfare, but a psychological warfare against Israel. For example, they delayed the announcement of the three hostages about an hour and a half. And the expectation is they will continue to try to, you know, maybe threaten Israel with these minutiae of the details, but further than that, that the substance of the deal would be violated by Hamas. So there's an expectation, as you said, historically it has happened, and that they will break the deal, and perhaps Israel can resume the fighting in Gaza. And finally, finish what had been the goals at the very beginning of the war, Tony, which, number one, was to destroy Hamas militarily, two, make sure that it never is able to govern the Gaza Strip again, and third, would free all of the hostages.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, the two war goals that they had going into this was, as you said, to secure the release of all the hostages and to eliminate this threat posed by Hamas. The future of the coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu depends on the execution of those two goals and the accomplishment of it, does it not?
SPEAKER 03 :
It does. In fact, in phase two and phase three, this is a three-phase deal, phase two leads to a permanent ceasefire, which would mean the end of the war and that Israel would not fulfill its number one and number two goals. You saw it right after the release of the Israeli women. You saw Hamas members take to the streets and parade, celebrate their victory. So it really does put these war goals long-term for this deal at risk.
SPEAKER 06 :
So they are, Hamas is holding these hostages basically as hostages for the second and third phase of this deal. You know, this, I know there's been a lot of comparison to the Iran hostage situation when Ronald Reagan came in as president. But all of those hostages were released. We see Hamas holding on to hostages, only releasing a token of those hostages. And it's going to be very difficult when you get, I think, 16 days into this initial ceasefires when they began or they're supposed to begin negotiating the next steps. As long as they're holding hostages, it's going to be very difficult for Israel going forward.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that's right. There is a similarity in the 1980 hostage release, but there's many differences. And like you said, right now, it's not all of the hostages being released. It's sort of a drip, drip, drip. Next Saturday, there'll be four released, and then the following... Saturday, more until the end of the 42 days, and all 33 hostages will be released. And we don't even know how many of those will be alive. So there's a sense among some people here that the first ones that were released were in good health, relatively. And they certainly didn't want to have Israelis see either dead hostages Israelis come out or very ill hostages come out. So it's going to be a drip-drip for the next several weeks.
SPEAKER 06 :
So 33 at the end of this 42-day period. The remainder, that would leave roughly about 60 that would still be held.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's right, and that goes on, and these second and third phases will continue to go on until presumably all of the hostages would release. But also, according to the deal, as we understand it now, the end of the war would happen. So it's quite the dilemma right now for Prime Minister Netanyahu. There are some calling, and our good friend Amir Sefardi is calling people to pray for these 42 days. And as you were sharing in... early in the program, wonderful message, by the way, prayer makes a difference. And I think for people to be encouraged to pray for Israel, pray for President Trump, to make wise and godly decisions, especially in terms of Israel, Pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu to have the fortitude to do what he needs to do to protect the Jewish people in Israel. And pray for Israel. It says in Isaiah chapter 40, comfort, comfort ye my people. They're going through excruciating emotional turmoil right now and really a psychological warfare by Hamas against them. So they need prayer to be comforted and what they're experiencing right now. Something I think in their experience in modern history have never quite gone for it, just to the depth of this emotional turmoil.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you beat me to my last question. I was going to ask you how we need to be praying right now for Israel. But I would also sense, and I was with several elected officials from Israel that were over in DC this week for the various events. There is a there's a greater awareness, I think, of the spiritual significance among Israelis, even those who do not who are not religious Jews are sensing that God is at work in their land.
SPEAKER 03 :
That's some of the commentary I've been reading or hearing here. People are just perplexed. They're flummoxed. How can we manage this deal that is so emotionally wrenching and threatens that these threats would remain on its border? And many are concluding it's God. We have to look to God. Here Orthodox Jews use the name Hashem. So they are looking to God to help during this time. And I think they're evangelical friends. And I know many are listening to us right now. They're looking to them to join them in prayer and join them in support and advocate for them during this very, very difficult time in their history.
SPEAKER 06 :
Chris, we've got about 45 seconds left. Would you lead us in prayer there from Jerusalem?
SPEAKER 03 :
Sure. Father, we do pray right now for comfort for the Jewish people, for the people of Israel right now as they go through this. ordeal, this excruciating ordeal. We rejoice in the families right now that are reunited. But we also pray for those families that our loved ones are still in captivity. And we pray for them during this time. And we pray for Prime Minister Netanyahu for great godly wisdom that he would hear from heaven during this time, and for President Trump, who has been such a great friend for Israel during his first administration. We pray that he would be as great a friend and even greater during these next four years, and that America would enjoy the promise in Genesis 12 that those that bless Israel will be blessed, and that that promise would bless America. And we ask this in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER 06 :
Amen. Amen. Chris Mitchell, thank you for praying. Thank you for joining us. And again, thanks for staying up late tonight. Thanks, Tony. And folks, thank you for joining us. And please do pray for Israel. Until next time, I leave you with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 6, where 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 08 :
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.
