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The episode takes a closer look at the devastating wildfires ravaging California. With Assemblyman Bill Saley discussing the urgent need for policy reform and accountability, listeners are informed of the actions necessary to prevent future catastrophes. As the discussion progresses, attention shifts to Donald Trump's transition back into office and the pivotal role conservative values will play. Concluding with a Biblical Worldview segment, the episode furnishes listeners with a faith-based perspective on the week's political developments.
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 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. I'm Jody Heiss, your Friday host, Senior Vice President here at the Family Research Council and President of FRC Action. Such an honor to have you joining us today. We've got a lot to cover. We're going to begin with this story. Just hours ago, Israel's full cabinet... for the hostage and ceasefire deal that the Israeli Security Cabinet gave their stamp of approval on earlier this morning. And I'll be getting the latest in just a moment when I'm joined by Chris Mitchell, the Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News. And after the decisive victory of President Trump in November, interesting that California's governor, Gavin Newsom, called for a special legislative session to Trump-proof his state. Amazing. You would think that had he taken a little bit more time on fireproofing his state, perhaps the tragedy that we've been seeing unfolding in Los Angeles County could have been quite different. But is this just another example of leftist government officials driven by ideology and agendas rather than the needs of the people that they represent?
SPEAKER 11 :
While this wildfire is happening, and while people are trying to understand what's going on and are worried about disaster relief, worried about the ability to get homeowner's insurance, your chamber gaveled into a special legislative session to prepare for Donald Trump in a way that you are already able to do without a special legislative session. So, again, is now the right time for that?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that was a reporter who's confronting a Democrat California Assembly Speaker, Robert Rivas, and that happened a little bit earlier this week. So what's going on now in the Golden State? Well, I'll be joined here a little bit later in the program by California State Assemblyman Bill Assele to discuss the latest. So you'll want to be sure to catch that. And speaking about being more focused on an agenda rather than the people, do you remember this ad from the Trump campaign?
SPEAKER 02 :
Kamala was the first to help pay for a prisoner's sex change. The power that I had, I used it in a way that was about pushing for the movement, frankly, and the agenda. Kamala's agenda is they, them, not you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, interestingly, there's a new poll that was released this week that is confirming just how instrumental the so-called culture war issues really were in Trump's election victory. And Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project will join me a little bit later in the program. to discuss that. And then to close out the program and to close out the week, I'll be joined by David Claussen for our Biblical Worldview segment and discuss with him the incoming administration as well as the outgoing administration. So as always, we've got a lot coming your way today, and if you happen to miss any portion of it, The website, of course, is TonyPerkins.com. And let me also just remind you of this Sunday, this coming Sunday, FRC is co-hosting an inauguration praise and prayer convocation. It's going to take place at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. And for those of you who are not going to be there in person, I've got some really good news for you. You can join us online at The best way to do so is through our Stand Firm app. You can also follow it on Tony's YouTube channel. But if you do not have our app, friends, now's the time to get it so that you can have it wherever you go. And you can get the app wherever you typically get apps, or you can simply text the word APP to 67742. This is going to be a great time of worship and prayer for our nation, and we'd encourage you to come along and join us. All right, let's jump into the top story for today. Earlier this morning, Israel's security cabinet gave their approval on the hostage and ceasefire deal that negotiators had worked out between Jerusalem and Hamas. The deal was then advanced to the full Israeli cabinet, which just hours ago... So have we really reached the end of this 15-month war that started with Hamas' attack on Israel? Joining me now to discuss this is Chris Mitchell. He's the Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News. Chris, as always, thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. Hope you're doing well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Doing well, Jody. Hope you are, too, and great to be with you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it's pretty exciting times right now for Israel and the world and for many here in the United States as well. So the vote was originally expected yesterday, as we all know, but it was delayed after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hamas had sought out some late concessions. But both sides have now confirmed, as I understand, that the issues have been resolved. So what were those issues? Where do we stand now, Chris?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we don't know all the details of why the government delayed it for one day, but we do know that it likely, I believe on Sunday, some of the hostages will be released. There's certain to be very, very emotional scenes of families being reunited after maybe 470 days. I would say, Jodi, this is a very, very difficult time for Israel and the Jewish people. Excited, relieved that some of the hostages will be released after the horrific conditions have survived. but also gut-wrenching that they know other hostages do remain. And the deal as it's set up right now, Jody, with maybe about a thousand Palestinian prisoners, Many Israelis know that historically those prisoners go back to committing terror attacks. And so unless the deal doesn't go through and these Palestinian prisoners are not released, it's likely that other Israelis or Jews will be subject to terror attacks by these Palestinian prisoners. You can go back historically to 2011 when one IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, was released for more than $1,000. Palestinian prisoners. And importantly, one of those prisoners was Yahya Sinwar, who eventually became the head of Hamas in Gaza, who masterminded the October 7 terror attacks, the worst since the Holocaust. So it's a very, very difficult time for Israelis to both relish and celebrate the return of some hostages, but also know that this is a very difficult deal to swallow, and they're looking forward to this is not necessarily the end of the war there in Gaza.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it is a bittersweet. I can't imagine what the emotions are going to be like with that reuniting with families that you described. As we all know, Senoir is gone. Israel has shellacked so much of the infrastructure of the terrorist Hamas and Iran. I mean, on and on and on we could go, Hezbollah. Are you saying that by the release of these terrorist prisoners that they've not learned a lesson? Or do you and others there in Israel fully anticipate another attack?
SPEAKER 06 :
Many people do believe after this 15-month war plus, it seems like Hamas hasn't changed its ideology, that it continues to do what it can, not only to survive, but also to reconstitute itself, to be able to commit another October 7th. You would think after being, as you said, shellacked in so many ways and so long, they would change maybe their ideology, but they haven't. And we understand that Hamas has been recruiting new members, even though The IDF has reportedly killed maybe 15,000 to 17,000 of Hamas members. Part of this deal also, Judy, is that maybe 600 trucks per day will be going into Gaza. What happens to those trucks is Hamas actually has been stealing many of those trucks. They sell them. That's how they get much of their funding right now. And so they will be able to be – continue to rearm and rebuild, given the details of this plan. And, you know, unbelievably, after so long and so much destruction inside Gaza and damage to Hamas, they're still there. And, you know, one of the two of the main goals of the war, right after October 7th, were Hamas would be defeated militarily, and also they wouldn't be able to govern Gaza after. Some people believe this deal puts those two goals in jeopardy. This ceasefire will last, I believe, for 42 days, and perhaps the war can begin after that. And we do have some reassuring statements by incoming National Security Advisor Mike Walz, who says part of the guarantee, in his words anyway, that Hamas won't be able to govern Gaza again. That's a bit reassuring, but some people are still concerned what this means for Hamas continuing to survive.
SPEAKER 08 :
What have others throughout the Middle East, other officials in particular, been saying about this?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we know there's celebration in many parts, certainly in Gaza and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, known as the West Bank. But also in Iran, they're celebrating and different parts of the Middle East. Qatar is celebrating that part of the mediators is Egypt as well. So this sends a signal to many in the Middle East that really Israel is weakened by this. They're claiming a victory despite all the damages and destruction that they've endured. Hamas is still claiming victory and committing themselves to continuing to come after. after the Jewish people and the state of Israel. They still, their agenda remains the same, Jody. They want to destroy Israel. They want to reclaim Jerusalem and they want to kill the Jews. And that's been part of their charter, part of their raison d'etre. And they pledged to continue that after the ceasefire.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. Yeah, it really is amazing. I read that the foreign minister of Israel, of Iran, is saying just what you said, that all of this really means that Israel has surrendered to all of this. I don't know how in the world they come to that conclusion, but assuming, and this is another thing, but assuming that Hamas holds to the agreement, which is not 100% guarantee, isn't this rolled out in phases? What are those phases that are involved in this?
SPEAKER 06 :
The first phase should be 33 hostages released over 42 days. And then the second phase, which is to be negotiated during phase number one, would be eventually the end of the war. That is what Hamas is hoping for during phases two and three. And that to many Israelis would be really disastrous. You know, Jody, there is one group there in Gaza, in Israel, that is, that are opposed to this agreement. And this group is family members of those IDF soldiers, men and women who have fallen in Gaza. And they believe that their sacrifice, they don't want it to be in vain. In fact, there's another group, some of them actually family members of hostages that don't want them, they don't want Israel to negotiate with Hamas. In fact, there's a story that we have heard, Jodi, of a father and son at a Shabbat dinner. And this is before October 7th. And the son said to his father, listen, if I am ever... uh kidnapped i don't want you to negotiate for my release and so that is sort of a perspective and a point of view that really hasn't got as much attention as many of the other uh groups that represent many of the hostage families so but overall um a gut-wrenching uh scenario for jews and uh israelis and really a time i think jody to be praying for the comfort of Israel, as it says in Isaiah chapter 40, comfort ye my people, but also praying for extraordinary wisdom for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and also President Trump as he comes in to take over in just a few days.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. Chris Mitchell. Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News, as always, an honor to have you on Washington Watch. Thank you so much. And we indeed will be praying and encouraging others to do the same. God bless you. All right, friends, coming up, we're going to be talking with the California Assemblyman about the latest on the California fire. So stay tuned. Much more coming your way.
SPEAKER 03 :
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.
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SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and so glad to have you joining us today. Well, California's wildfire crisis continues to devastate the state there with at least 27 deaths now. Thousands of homes and businesses have been reduced to ash and more than 200,000 residents have been forced to evacuate. As firefighters battle the blazes across Los Angeles County, there's outrage that continues to mount over the state's preparedness and policy failures. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, but critics argue that years of mismanagement, underfunded fire prevention efforts, and restrictions on environmental policies have left California vulnerable to these types of catastrophic events. As California grapples with mounting damages with some are saying could exceed $150 billion, voters and lawmakers alike are demanding accountability. They're demanding immediate reforms. So what needs to change to prevent disasters like this from becoming the new normal for California and for other states who follow these type of woke ideologies? Well, joining me now to discuss the latest is California Assemblyman Bill Saley, who has spoken out about the need for meaningful policy changes there in California. Assemblyman, welcome to Washington Watch. Great to have you. Thanks for having me. All right, well, you've called on Governor Newsom to convene a legislative session to overhaul wildfire prevention policies. Tell us a little bit about that. What do you have in mind?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, the reason I called for it is because he convened a special session to quote-unquote Trump-proof the state of California. He wants... to hit the ground running on inauguration day and filed multiple lawsuits, frivolous lawsuits against the Trump administration. So I said, rather than doing that, why don't we have a special session to fireproof the state of California? Let's focus on responding and mitigating future wildfires. So under public pressure, he has caved and he has now called a special session on the wildfires. They're mostly, the Democrats intend to mostly focus on money and diverting millions, if not a billion dollars or more to respond to the current wildfire situation. Republicans will be pushing for policy changes in that special session.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. So it sounds like from a political perspective, there's going to be some fireworks as well. So what kind of specific changes, let's put it that way, would you like to see introduced?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, there's some changes we need to make in the law. And then a lot of the changes, honestly, has to happen in the governor's branch. He's got a lot of control as the executive over the state. But from a legislative perspective, we got to get the regulations out of the way so that way the firefighters can prepare the state for these wildfires. Specifically, we have controlled burns that we need to do across the state in the safe seasons when it's safe to do so. We need to clear all this brush. And the most efficient way to clear it is frankly to burn it. But because of decades of environmental regulations, we don't do that anymore. The firefighters have to comply with CEQA, which is our environmental policies here. They have to do environmental impact studies. So we have to clear all this regulatory burden so we can clear the brush that we need to do. We have to let the lumber industry go back into the wild lands and remove the dead trees. We need to upgrade and underground our power infrastructure. A lot of these fires get ignited by failing electrical infrastructure. So there's several things we can do to clear up the regulatory burdens so we can make the state more fireproof or at least fire resistant.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I recall when I was in Congress, I served, among other places, a natural resources committee. And what you were talking about right now, specifically, we dealt with on the federal level several times, and obviously nothing was ever done about it. So let me ask you this. It's my understanding. that California's wildfire prevention budget has drastically been reduced over recent years from some close to a billion dollars to somewhere in the ballpark of 200 million now. Has all this underfunding, do you think, contributed to the current crisis?
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, the state, the size of California to spend $200 million on wildfire prevention is kind of laughable. We're spending over $5 billion a year just to give illegal immigrants health care in the state of California. We're going to spend about a billion dollars in the budget on this high speed train to nowhere. So it just shows you where the priorities of the Democrat Party are. They're not interested in the basics of governing. They're not interested in public safety, transportation. mitigating disasters. They like to play politics. They like to get involved in really things that the public doesn't want them involved in. We don't want the state involved in immigration policy, but that's what drives these people. They're very unserious people, and they're wholly incompetent, as you could see that playing out on the national stage right now with both Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass.
SPEAKER 08 :
We have all seen and heard, there have been many celebrities, it seems many, who have lost their homes during all of this, and of course they've been very outspoken. But what seems to be going underneath the radar largely are dozens and dozens of middle-class families, largely families of color that have lost their homes. Is there any effort specifically to help these communities that probably are perhaps more vulnerable?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, they definitely are going to need a lot of help, but I think that's also upset some people in the state. We've had some really devastating fires in the past, just the last couple of years, and it didn't get the national attention that this fire got. So there is a little bit of that where now because celebrities are involved, it's become a bigger issue. Regardless, there are real victims of all socioeconomic class. The federal government is ultimately going to have to step in and help them. I fully support that and I fully support getting aid directly to the victims. But when it comes to reimbursing the state for its expenses, I think it's appropriate to attach some conditions to that because otherwise this is just going to continue the way it is.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, absolutely. And listen, we've only got about a minute or so left, but you lawmakers have got a lot to deal with right now. Do you think that you will be able as lawmakers to rebuild the trust and demonstrate really some progress as it relates to wildfire prevention?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, when you say lawmakers, California is a supermajority Democrat state. So the Democrats have the governor's office. They've got the supermajority in the legislature. So Republicans really were not part of the equation here. We'd obviously love to change that at some point. But right now, the Democrats own this. And so we're just making sure the public understands who's been in charge and who's responsible for these policy failures.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you so much, California Assemblyman Bill Issaily. Wow, you've got your hands full. We deeply appreciate you taking your time to join us today on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 10 :
Appreciate you covering this.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you. You bet. All right, friends, big question. Did cultural issues impact the presidential election? It's a big question that many people have been asking. In fact, many people said, stay away from the cultural issues. Well, American Principles Project President Terry Schilling is going to be joining me after the break to discuss that very thing. How critical were cultural issues in the presidential election? So don't go anywhere. We'll be back with much more on Washington Watch in just a moment.
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 14 :
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.
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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 04 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never going to be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's going to change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. I'm your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and so glad to have you on board with us. All right, as President-elect Donald Trump readies himself to retake the White House on Monday, the American Principles Project released a new poll earlier this week with confirmation about just how instrumental so-called culture war issues really were in Trump's election victory. So what are the takeaways of it all? Here now to talk about the poll is Terry Schilling, who is president of the American Principles Project. Terry, welcome to Washington Watch. Glad to have you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, thanks for having me, Congressman. I'm excited to be here.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we're excited to have you too. And what an incredible outcome of this poll. So tell us about it. What did the poll find?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, we did a post-election survey after November 5th. We wanted to measure how much of an impact the issue of transgenderism had on the election with voters and how it determined whether or not they would vote for President Trump or Kamala Harris. And what we found is that this was not just a small microcosm of an issue. This was a largely impactful issue. And depending on On the swing state that President Trump won, which he won all of them besides Minnesota, depending on the swing state, it shifted the electorate between 1.7% and 2.6%. To put that in perspective, this election was decided by just 2.2% of the vote in Pennsylvania. These were very tight margins, but this issue... where voters felt like Kamala Harris was much more concerned about cultural issues like transgenderism than people like them and their families. This was the largest issue of the election, and President Trump should get a lot of credit for putting this front and center and having this question be answered by the American people. It's really what led him to victory.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow, that is amazing. So tell me, going into this poll, I think whenever any of us are involved in a poll, there's a little bit of, you kind of guess what you think you might find, but you're not sure. That's why you put it out there and see. But were you surprised at all by the findings?
SPEAKER 07 :
You know what I was surprised about, Congressman? I was not surprised that we found that this issue was important to voters and that it had an impact on their vote. What I was mostly surprised about is who this issue resonated with. This was not an issue that resonated or stood out as resonating with white voters or Christian voters. They were already on board. This issue resonated with non-white working class voters and a lot of suburban women. These are the key demographics that the Republican Party has been needing to win over for decades, right? Every election we've lost is because too many people in those subsets vote for the Democrats. And what we found that the thing that was most surprising to me was that these issues of cultural insanity from the Democrats were enough to bring enough voters from these core demographics that Republicans have been struggling with for decades. It was enough to bring those voters over to vote for Donald Trump, who, by the way, Congressman, we know, from experience that Donald Trump went through hell this past election. He had assassination attempts, but more so when it comes to voters and their opinion of him, he suffered, what, 89% negative coverage from the lamestream media and was up against a candidate that was getting into the low, I'm sorry, the mid to low 80s for approval. I'm sorry, not for approval, but for positive coverage by the lamestream media. This was a totally disparate race in terms of media coverage. And because of this culture war agenda that President Trump decided to make front and center, he's now president of the United States. These are a very powerful subset of issues, and the Democrats would be wise to start toning down their rhetoric and their policy goals around them.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, so far, they're not. I mean, they're doubling down on everything so far. They are so entrenched in this radical left wing movement within the Democratic Party. It's hard for them to get away from it. But, you know, I think what surprised me with all of this is how often we were told, stay away from cultural issues, stay away from it. People don't want that. And yet it was just the opposite. And I think this ought to give encouragement for everyone to continue standing for these things, a common sense, standing against the insanity, as you said, because the majority of people agree with us on these things. So let me ask you this. This type of messaging, can this be successfully replicated in another non-Trump election, or is this unique for Trump?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think it can be replicated anywhere. The biggest thing that we need to do, the thing that we need to replicate is we need to replicate candidates making these central to their campaigns, right? You hear all the time in this town, stay away from the culture, just like what you said, stay away from the culture war, it's a loser. You would never advise a candidate to stay away from an entire section of issues like fiscal issues, right? You would never tell a politician, hey, don't talk about economic and financial issues because those are losers. No, you would tell them, hey, on economic issues, talk about this. This is very... Helping families afford to have children and helping them afford schooling and all of this. This is very popular. Don't talk about this aspect of it. But instead, these establishment cronies who are all basically Democrats, they're all socially moderate people. It's really socially liberal and leftist. They all want to stay away from it because they don't understand how politics work. The American electorate is complicated and complex, right? You have a bunch of different votes, 320 million people in this country. We all care about different things. Different things motivate us in terms of our votes. Some voters only vote on whether or not a politician is going to protect the unborn. On the other hand, some people only vote if a politician is going to allow more babies to be killed. This country is diverse. It's different. We all care about different issues. And the culture war agenda is extremely exceptionally strong because it appeals to voters that we really need in order to win elections. And it's so powerful of an issue. It brings so many voters to the table for us.
SPEAKER 08 :
Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project, thank you so much for leading the charge on this. And thank you for coming on Washington Watch to unfold it for us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Anytime. I love coming on. Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
You bet. All right, friends, don't go anywhere. On the other side of the break, FRC's David Claussen will join me for this week's Biblical Worldview segment. So stay tuned.
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 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 09 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you're the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these SageCons yourself, go to frc.org slash SageCon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm your Friday host, Jody Heiss. So glad to have you on board with us today. And again, I want to remind you about the inauguration praise and prayer convocation that FRC is co-hosting. It's going to take place this coming Sunday. January 19th. It will be held live at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. But for those of you who are not going to be able to join us in person, I have some great news. You can join us online through a couple of different options, our Stand Firm app, or you can go to Tony's YouTube channel. And speaking of the Stand Firm app, if you don't have it, You can download it wherever you get your apps, or you can simply text the word APP to 67742, and you can get a link to receive the Stand Firm app, which you want to have. And speaking of the inauguration, All right, friends, this has just been an unbelievably busy week of preparation for the incoming administration. There's been confirmation hearings underway for the president-elect's cabinet picks. Congress has been moving through various pieces of legislation. And then just before noon today, President-elect Trump announced that the inauguration is now going to be moved indoors as the D.C. could be actually seeing record low temperatures here on Monday. So there literally has not been a dull moment here in Washington. And the bottom line is, Christians, we want to try to analyze and evaluate all the headlines through the lens of Scripture to the best of our ability. And that's why we like to conclude the week with a Biblical Worldview segment, a conversation about how to look at the headline news through the lens of Scripture. So joining me now for that discussion is David Claussen. He's the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at the Family Research Council. David, as always, great to see you. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, great to be with you, Jody. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, I'm going to start by giving you a loaded question, all right? So get ready. All right, here we're preparing for Monday's inauguration. But it's also an appropriate time to look back on the outgoing administration, the Biden administration. So on issues of concern to social conservatives, issues of concern to Christians, what are your reflections on President Biden's legacy?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that is a big question, Jody. And I think when you think about President Biden's legacy on a whole host of issues, I think there's some things we could commend. And maybe I should start there. One thing that does come to mind would be after the October 7th attack, when President Biden went to Israel, first time an American president had stepped foot in Israel when they were under war. That was heroic. That was something to commend, something that made all Americans proud. I wanted to start there, though, Jody, because, frankly, everything else that comes to mind, unfortunately, is historically bad. This is a president who I remember in his inaugural address talked about the importance of unity and his desire to unify the country in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. And on issues that matter to social conservatives, and Jodi, we've talked about this, the issues that matter to social conservatives are issues that are related to the created order. These are not marginal tax rates. These are not ethanol tariffs. Things that matter to social conservatives relate to life and death, abortion, the value and dignity of human life, unborn children, things like male and female, the whole LGBT panoply of issues. And on those issues, Joe Biden has been the most aggressive proponent of a pro-abortion agenda and a pro-LGBT agenda and an anti-religious freedom agenda, Jody, that we have ever seen. whether it was the State Department flying rainbow flags at embassies around the world, including at our embassy in the Vatican, whether it was conditioning foreign aid to developing countries, that these countries, as a condition of American aid, had to get on board with pro-abortion, pro-LGBT policies. whether it was using the power of the administrative state to rewrite guidelines that affect the family, whether it was using the bully pulpit of the presidency to promote his abortion agenda. This was a historic administration on issues of social conservative that we care about, Jody, but for all the wrong reasons.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Wow. You know, I got to be honest with you. I hadn't thought about being the first president to go to Israel during a time of war, but that certainly is commendable. I heard someone the other day say the only other thing, they did not mention that. So in their words, the only thing that the Biden administration did is unify Republicans and unify conservatives. And I You know, from a Democrat perspective, that's not good news. But it really is. You know, it's amazing how God uses all things and works together for good. And even the fact that I think is not too far of a stretch to say Republicans are probably more unified on many, many issues now than they have been in years. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I would agree. And again, I think it's important. You know, I'm here at the Family Research Council. We're just a couple blocks away from the Justice Department. And just think of how the Justice Department over these last couple of years was weaponized. Everyone knows about the law fair directed against President Trump personally. Now, with some of those cases, but even just think about the way the Justice Department has gone after pro-life activists. FBI agents have shown up at the homes of pro-life dads. We have a friend, Vanessa Savage, where the FBI went after her as she was a whistleblower for that case in Texas, dealing with underage kids illegally receiving so-called gender affirming care. And so, yes, Jody, I think Republicans and conservatives are more united than we've ever have been in large part because how overreaching the Biden administration was, you know, let's be honest in the 2020 election. Democrat primary, Joe Biden was not the most liberal candidate in that field that included people like Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar and others, Bernie Sanders. But when he took office, he took a hard tack to the left. And Jody, it started with his first decision. as the nominee for the Democrats, which was to choose Kamala Harris as his running mate, who was the most liberal senator in the United States Senate. So I do think by overreaching as much as the Biden-Harris administration did, it did serve to unify Republicans and conservatives.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think there's both a sense of unity and a sense of urgency. I mean, obviously, I don't want to get too far in the weeds here because I want to move on to some other stuff with you, David, but I think there's a sense of urgency that people have that now's the time to turn the ship around on a lot of issues. This is not a time simply of reprieve. This is a time that God has given us a moment to respond to this appropriate. It's like the mercy of God has been granted to this country for this moment, and we better steward it well. And that applies both in the halls of Congress as well as in the places of churches and Christians all across the country. This is a moment of mercy that all of us need to step up at the plate and not let go to waste.
SPEAKER 02 :
And I agree with that, Jody, and I'm actually encouraged by how Congress – obviously Congress took their seats a couple weeks ago, so they've already been quite active. But even earlier today, seeing the United States Senate invoke cloture on the Lake and Riley Act. President Trump ran on the immigration issue. That is an issue that's tearing apart communities all over this country. And to see, I think it was seven or eight Democrats cross the aisle with Republicans to pass this legislation that will toughen our immigration laws. Praise God to see legislation like that even before President Trump takes office. We know next week that the House and the Senate are going to take a vote on the Born Alive Survivor Protection Act. We need to be praying that legislation like that is approved. But this is a key opportunity we have. And Jody, I'll add, you know, the first hundred days are going to be busy. And wonder, you know, part of the way our system works, dozens of executive orders that Joe Biden signed can be undone with one stroke. of Donald Trump's pen, things like reinstating the Mexico City policy, making sure Title 10 funding doesn't go to abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood providers, rejoining the Geneva Consensus Declaration that says abortion is not a matter of human rights, so many other things. putting back into place safeguards to make sure that those chemical abortion pills are not so easily obtained by women looking to use them. And so I think I would advise Christians to pay attention to what's happening in Congress and to watch the White House because it is a tremendous opportunity to not just undo some of the bad policies and executive orders of the previous four years, but to actually advance the ball. And the election, Jody, frankly shows that I think a lot of our friends and neighbors are ready to move in a more conservative direction.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And this is a time, you know, it's still a country based upon we the people. And, you know, it is the voice of the people that ultimately matters. And we've got to embrace that and take responsibility of it. But at the end of the day, we also know that we can't fix all the problems in this country with just another piece of legislation or just throwing trillions of more dollars at the problem. It is ultimately a spiritual problem, and believers need to step up and pray like we've never prayed before and engage like never before. And you talk about a busy hundred days. I read somewhere today that there's going to be like a hundred executive orders on day one. What a way to start. I mean, that's starting with a With the speed of a bullet, it's only probably going to get faster from there. But if I can shift gears with you, David, a little bit, I know that you were recently at a rally outside the Supreme Court for a very important case that we've all been watching here at FRC, a case coming out of Texas dealing with pornography. Can you bring us up to date on what's happening with that law and what's going on with that case? Why don't you explain it a little bit for folks who may not be familiar with what we're talking about?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, really briefly. And FRC has been involved. We had Meg Kilgannon, our colleague, spoke at the rally. I brought our new intern class to the rally to kind of experience a D.C. rally outside the Supreme Court. But oral arguments were heard in a case that originates from Texas. So Texas legislators put a law in place to protect minor children just to simply require age verification for the pornography industry. This shouldn't be controversial. You know, the pornography industry, Jody, is a multibillion dollar industry. And tragically, studies show that the average age of exposure is around seven years of age. And there's just no safeguards. And so what Texas has done is to provide age verification to these, you know, pornography sites. So if you want to look at this filth, which no one should, but if you want to, you have to prove that you're an adult. And no surprise, the pornography industry has sued. And this case has gone all the way up to the Supreme Court. Based on oral arguments, Jody, even some of the more liberal justices, including Elena Kagan, for example, they didn't seem to buy the arguments that were being put forth by the porn lawyers. And so this is something we'll get a decision on early summer. But again, it's pretty simple, just this law that's requiring the pornography industry to make sure that the people that are accessing this filth are actually adults and that there's safeguards in place that minor children can't access this. Because at the rally, Jody, I'll tell you this. We heard from folks who got – kind of sucked in to looking at pornography unintentionally. They weren't even looking for it, and they got hooked on it. And that ended up, for some of them, being a gateway to being exploited, to getting plugged into human trafficking. So this is an example of why politics matters. Politics matters, Jody, because policy matters, and policy matters because people matter. And so we can be praying that in the months to come, the court will make a good decision on this case.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we'll certainly be keeping a pulse on that. I'm sure you'll be keeping us up to speed as that comes forward, too. Look, I know that you're actually going to be attending the inauguration, correct? Yes, sir. All right. Well, some good news. It's going to be indoors now. You're not going to be frozen. We won't come chip you out of an icicle somewhere when it's all said and done. But what are you hoping to hear from President Trump?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I obviously, like most Americans, would love to hear his vision for the next four years on things like the economy. You know, my wife and I are new homeowners and interest rates are pretty difficult. I'd love to hear his plans for the economy. I'd love to hear his vision for American foreign policy. We live in a dangerous world. I'd obviously love to hear about his plans to further protect the southern border. But as a social conservative, I would love to hear President-elect Trump's plans to protect life, to protect family, to protect our ability as Christians and people of faith to not only worship the Lord according to our conscience, but to order our lives in accordance with those deeply held beliefs. And so I think Americans and the tens of millions of Christians that voted for President Trump would love to hear, as part of this inaugural address, some of his plans for the American family. And that'll be something I'm definitely looking forward to hopefully hearing in the inaugural address.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and likewise with the first hundred days, what do you anticipate that may be priority? I know we talked about the border, but from a Christian perspective, some of the issues are important. What do you kind of see as priority there?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. First hundred days, obviously, in Congress, we'd love to see the Lincoln Riley Act approved finally in the Senate and then go when it goes back to the House. We would love to see born alive these babies who survived botched abortions. We would love to see them get the protections that they deserve from the executive order, executive branch, Jody. Reinstate Mexico City, make sure that our embassies are flying the American flag, not the rainbow flag. Make sure that Title 10 funding can't be used for abortion clinics to make sure all the federal rulemaking process actually understands the difference between a man and a woman. And just seeing the bully pulpit used to promote good and not vice. So I know it will be a busy 100 days, but I am hopeful, Jody, that the right people are in the right places, including many of these wonderful nominees that have been going through their confirmation hearings.
SPEAKER 08 :
David Claussen, director of FRC's Center for Biblical Worldview, always great to end the week with you putting all the headlines in a package for us to look at it from a biblical perspective. Thank you so much. Enjoy the inauguration. Glad you're not going to be frozen when it's all over. Thanks for joining us. All right, friends, that wraps up this week and this edition of Washington Watch. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. We'll be back on Monday.
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.
Washington Watch Daily Live Radio Show
The episode takes a closer look at the devastating wildfires ravaging California. With Assemblyman Bill Saley discussing the urgent need for policy reform and accountability, listeners are informed of the actions necessary to prevent future catastrophes. As the discussion progresses, attention shifts to Donald Trump's transition back into office and the pivotal role conservative values will play. Concluding with a Biblical Worldview segment, the episode furnishes listeners with a faith-based perspective on the week's political developments.
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 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. I'm Jody Heiss, your Friday host, Senior Vice President here at the Family Research Council and President of FRC Action. Such an honor to have you joining us today. We've got a lot to cover. We're going to begin with this story. Just hours ago, Israel's full cabinet... for the hostage and ceasefire deal that the Israeli Security Cabinet gave their stamp of approval on earlier this morning. And I'll be getting the latest in just a moment when I'm joined by Chris Mitchell, the Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News. And after the decisive victory of President Trump in November, interesting that California's governor, Gavin Newsom, called for a special legislative session to Trump-proof his state. Amazing. You would think that had he taken a little bit more time on fireproofing his state, perhaps the tragedy that we've been seeing unfolding in Los Angeles County could have been quite different. But is this just another example of leftist government officials driven by ideology and agendas rather than the needs of the people that they represent?
SPEAKER 11 :
While this wildfire is happening, and while people are trying to understand what's going on and are worried about disaster relief, worried about the ability to get homeowner's insurance, your chamber gaveled into a special legislative session to prepare for Donald Trump in a way that you are already able to do without a special legislative session. So, again, is now the right time for that?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, that was a reporter who's confronting a Democrat California Assembly Speaker, Robert Rivas, and that happened a little bit earlier this week. So what's going on now in the Golden State? Well, I'll be joined here a little bit later in the program by California State Assemblyman Bill Assele to discuss the latest. So you'll want to be sure to catch that. And speaking about being more focused on an agenda rather than the people, do you remember this ad from the Trump campaign?
SPEAKER 02 :
Kamala was the first to help pay for a prisoner's sex change. The power that I had, I used it in a way that was about pushing for the movement, frankly, and the agenda. Kamala's agenda is they, them, not you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, interestingly, there's a new poll that was released this week that is confirming just how instrumental the so-called culture war issues really were in Trump's election victory. And Terry Schilling of the American Principles Project will join me a little bit later in the program. to discuss that. And then to close out the program and to close out the week, I'll be joined by David Claussen for our Biblical Worldview segment and discuss with him the incoming administration as well as the outgoing administration. So as always, we've got a lot coming your way today, and if you happen to miss any portion of it, The website, of course, is TonyPerkins.com. And let me also just remind you of this Sunday, this coming Sunday, FRC is co-hosting an inauguration praise and prayer convocation. It's going to take place at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. And for those of you who are not going to be there in person, I've got some really good news for you. You can join us online at The best way to do so is through our Stand Firm app. You can also follow it on Tony's YouTube channel. But if you do not have our app, friends, now's the time to get it so that you can have it wherever you go. And you can get the app wherever you typically get apps, or you can simply text the word APP to 67742. This is going to be a great time of worship and prayer for our nation, and we'd encourage you to come along and join us. All right, let's jump into the top story for today. Earlier this morning, Israel's security cabinet gave their approval on the hostage and ceasefire deal that negotiators had worked out between Jerusalem and Hamas. The deal was then advanced to the full Israeli cabinet, which just hours ago... So have we really reached the end of this 15-month war that started with Hamas' attack on Israel? Joining me now to discuss this is Chris Mitchell. He's the Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News. Chris, as always, thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. Hope you're doing well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Doing well, Jody. Hope you are, too, and great to be with you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it's pretty exciting times right now for Israel and the world and for many here in the United States as well. So the vote was originally expected yesterday, as we all know, but it was delayed after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Hamas had sought out some late concessions. But both sides have now confirmed, as I understand, that the issues have been resolved. So what were those issues? Where do we stand now, Chris?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we don't know all the details of why the government delayed it for one day, but we do know that it likely, I believe on Sunday, some of the hostages will be released. There's certain to be very, very emotional scenes of families being reunited after maybe 470 days. I would say, Jodi, this is a very, very difficult time for Israel and the Jewish people. Excited, relieved that some of the hostages will be released after the horrific conditions have survived. but also gut-wrenching that they know other hostages do remain. And the deal as it's set up right now, Jody, with maybe about a thousand Palestinian prisoners, Many Israelis know that historically those prisoners go back to committing terror attacks. And so unless the deal doesn't go through and these Palestinian prisoners are not released, it's likely that other Israelis or Jews will be subject to terror attacks by these Palestinian prisoners. You can go back historically to 2011 when one IDF soldier, Gilad Shalit, was released for more than $1,000. Palestinian prisoners. And importantly, one of those prisoners was Yahya Sinwar, who eventually became the head of Hamas in Gaza, who masterminded the October 7 terror attacks, the worst since the Holocaust. So it's a very, very difficult time for Israelis to both relish and celebrate the return of some hostages, but also know that this is a very difficult deal to swallow, and they're looking forward to this is not necessarily the end of the war there in Gaza.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it is a bittersweet. I can't imagine what the emotions are going to be like with that reuniting with families that you described. As we all know, Senoir is gone. Israel has shellacked so much of the infrastructure of the terrorist Hamas and Iran. I mean, on and on and on we could go, Hezbollah. Are you saying that by the release of these terrorist prisoners that they've not learned a lesson? Or do you and others there in Israel fully anticipate another attack?
SPEAKER 06 :
Many people do believe after this 15-month war plus, it seems like Hamas hasn't changed its ideology, that it continues to do what it can, not only to survive, but also to reconstitute itself, to be able to commit another October 7th. You would think after being, as you said, shellacked in so many ways and so long, they would change maybe their ideology, but they haven't. And we understand that Hamas has been recruiting new members, even though The IDF has reportedly killed maybe 15,000 to 17,000 of Hamas members. Part of this deal also, Judy, is that maybe 600 trucks per day will be going into Gaza. What happens to those trucks is Hamas actually has been stealing many of those trucks. They sell them. That's how they get much of their funding right now. And so they will be able to be – continue to rearm and rebuild, given the details of this plan. And, you know, unbelievably, after so long and so much destruction inside Gaza and damage to Hamas, they're still there. And, you know, one of the two of the main goals of the war, right after October 7th, were Hamas would be defeated militarily, and also they wouldn't be able to govern Gaza after. Some people believe this deal puts those two goals in jeopardy. This ceasefire will last, I believe, for 42 days, and perhaps the war can begin after that. And we do have some reassuring statements by incoming National Security Advisor Mike Walz, who says part of the guarantee, in his words anyway, that Hamas won't be able to govern Gaza again. That's a bit reassuring, but some people are still concerned what this means for Hamas continuing to survive.
SPEAKER 08 :
What have others throughout the Middle East, other officials in particular, been saying about this?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, we know there's celebration in many parts, certainly in Gaza and Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, known as the West Bank. But also in Iran, they're celebrating and different parts of the Middle East. Qatar is celebrating that part of the mediators is Egypt as well. So this sends a signal to many in the Middle East that really Israel is weakened by this. They're claiming a victory despite all the damages and destruction that they've endured. Hamas is still claiming victory and committing themselves to continuing to come after. after the Jewish people and the state of Israel. They still, their agenda remains the same, Jody. They want to destroy Israel. They want to reclaim Jerusalem and they want to kill the Jews. And that's been part of their charter, part of their raison d'etre. And they pledged to continue that after the ceasefire.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. Yeah, it really is amazing. I read that the foreign minister of Israel, of Iran, is saying just what you said, that all of this really means that Israel has surrendered to all of this. I don't know how in the world they come to that conclusion, but assuming, and this is another thing, but assuming that Hamas holds to the agreement, which is not 100% guarantee, isn't this rolled out in phases? What are those phases that are involved in this?
SPEAKER 06 :
The first phase should be 33 hostages released over 42 days. And then the second phase, which is to be negotiated during phase number one, would be eventually the end of the war. That is what Hamas is hoping for during phases two and three. And that to many Israelis would be really disastrous. You know, Jody, there is one group there in Gaza, in Israel, that is, that are opposed to this agreement. And this group is family members of those IDF soldiers, men and women who have fallen in Gaza. And they believe that their sacrifice, they don't want it to be in vain. In fact, there's another group, some of them actually family members of hostages that don't want them, they don't want Israel to negotiate with Hamas. In fact, there's a story that we have heard, Jodi, of a father and son at a Shabbat dinner. And this is before October 7th. And the son said to his father, listen, if I am ever... uh kidnapped i don't want you to negotiate for my release and so that is sort of a perspective and a point of view that really hasn't got as much attention as many of the other uh groups that represent many of the hostage families so but overall um a gut-wrenching uh scenario for jews and uh israelis and really a time i think jody to be praying for the comfort of Israel, as it says in Isaiah chapter 40, comfort ye my people, but also praying for extraordinary wisdom for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and also President Trump as he comes in to take over in just a few days.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. Chris Mitchell. Middle East Bureau Chief for CBN News, as always, an honor to have you on Washington Watch. Thank you so much. And we indeed will be praying and encouraging others to do the same. God bless you. All right, friends, coming up, we're going to be talking with the California Assemblyman about the latest on the California fire. So stay tuned. Much more coming your way.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 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 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and so glad to have you joining us today. Well, California's wildfire crisis continues to devastate the state there with at least 27 deaths now. Thousands of homes and businesses have been reduced to ash and more than 200,000 residents have been forced to evacuate. As firefighters battle the blazes across Los Angeles County, there's outrage that continues to mount over the state's preparedness and policy failures. Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, but critics argue that years of mismanagement, underfunded fire prevention efforts, and restrictions on environmental policies have left California vulnerable to these types of catastrophic events. As California grapples with mounting damages with some are saying could exceed $150 billion, voters and lawmakers alike are demanding accountability. They're demanding immediate reforms. So what needs to change to prevent disasters like this from becoming the new normal for California and for other states who follow these type of woke ideologies? Well, joining me now to discuss the latest is California Assemblyman Bill Saley, who has spoken out about the need for meaningful policy changes there in California. Assemblyman, welcome to Washington Watch. Great to have you. Thanks for having me. All right, well, you've called on Governor Newsom to convene a legislative session to overhaul wildfire prevention policies. Tell us a little bit about that. What do you have in mind?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, the reason I called for it is because he convened a special session to quote-unquote Trump-proof the state of California. He wants... to hit the ground running on inauguration day and filed multiple lawsuits, frivolous lawsuits against the Trump administration. So I said, rather than doing that, why don't we have a special session to fireproof the state of California? Let's focus on responding and mitigating future wildfires. So under public pressure, he has caved and he has now called a special session on the wildfires. They're mostly, the Democrats intend to mostly focus on money and diverting millions, if not a billion dollars or more to respond to the current wildfire situation. Republicans will be pushing for policy changes in that special session.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow. So it sounds like from a political perspective, there's going to be some fireworks as well. So what kind of specific changes, let's put it that way, would you like to see introduced?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, there's some changes we need to make in the law. And then a lot of the changes, honestly, has to happen in the governor's branch. He's got a lot of control as the executive over the state. But from a legislative perspective, we got to get the regulations out of the way so that way the firefighters can prepare the state for these wildfires. Specifically, we have controlled burns that we need to do across the state in the safe seasons when it's safe to do so. We need to clear all this brush. And the most efficient way to clear it is frankly to burn it. But because of decades of environmental regulations, we don't do that anymore. The firefighters have to comply with CEQA, which is our environmental policies here. They have to do environmental impact studies. So we have to clear all this regulatory burden so we can clear the brush that we need to do. We have to let the lumber industry go back into the wild lands and remove the dead trees. We need to upgrade and underground our power infrastructure. A lot of these fires get ignited by failing electrical infrastructure. So there's several things we can do to clear up the regulatory burdens so we can make the state more fireproof or at least fire resistant.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I recall when I was in Congress, I served, among other places, a natural resources committee. And what you were talking about right now, specifically, we dealt with on the federal level several times, and obviously nothing was ever done about it. So let me ask you this. It's my understanding. that California's wildfire prevention budget has drastically been reduced over recent years from some close to a billion dollars to somewhere in the ballpark of 200 million now. Has all this underfunding, do you think, contributed to the current crisis?
SPEAKER 10 :
Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, the state, the size of California to spend $200 million on wildfire prevention is kind of laughable. We're spending over $5 billion a year just to give illegal immigrants health care in the state of California. We're going to spend about a billion dollars in the budget on this high speed train to nowhere. So it just shows you where the priorities of the Democrat Party are. They're not interested in the basics of governing. They're not interested in public safety, transportation. mitigating disasters. They like to play politics. They like to get involved in really things that the public doesn't want them involved in. We don't want the state involved in immigration policy, but that's what drives these people. They're very unserious people, and they're wholly incompetent, as you could see that playing out on the national stage right now with both Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass.
SPEAKER 08 :
We have all seen and heard, there have been many celebrities, it seems many, who have lost their homes during all of this, and of course they've been very outspoken. But what seems to be going underneath the radar largely are dozens and dozens of middle-class families, largely families of color that have lost their homes. Is there any effort specifically to help these communities that probably are perhaps more vulnerable?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, they definitely are going to need a lot of help, but I think that's also upset some people in the state. We've had some really devastating fires in the past, just the last couple of years, and it didn't get the national attention that this fire got. So there is a little bit of that where now because celebrities are involved, it's become a bigger issue. Regardless, there are real victims of all socioeconomic class. The federal government is ultimately going to have to step in and help them. I fully support that and I fully support getting aid directly to the victims. But when it comes to reimbursing the state for its expenses, I think it's appropriate to attach some conditions to that because otherwise this is just going to continue the way it is.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, absolutely. And listen, we've only got about a minute or so left, but you lawmakers have got a lot to deal with right now. Do you think that you will be able as lawmakers to rebuild the trust and demonstrate really some progress as it relates to wildfire prevention?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, when you say lawmakers, California is a supermajority Democrat state. So the Democrats have the governor's office. They've got the supermajority in the legislature. So Republicans really were not part of the equation here. We'd obviously love to change that at some point. But right now, the Democrats own this. And so we're just making sure the public understands who's been in charge and who's responsible for these policy failures.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you so much, California Assemblyman Bill Issaily. Wow, you've got your hands full. We deeply appreciate you taking your time to join us today on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 10 :
Appreciate you covering this.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you. You bet. All right, friends, big question. Did cultural issues impact the presidential election? It's a big question that many people have been asking. In fact, many people said, stay away from the cultural issues. Well, American Principles Project President Terry Schilling is going to be joining me after the break to discuss that very thing. How critical were cultural issues in the presidential election? So don't go anywhere. We'll be back with much more on Washington Watch in just a moment.
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 14 :
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 04 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never going to be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's going to change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 05 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls, text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. I'm your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and so glad to have you on board with us. All right, as President-elect Donald Trump readies himself to retake the White House on Monday, the American Principles Project released a new poll earlier this week with confirmation about just how instrumental so-called culture war issues really were in Trump's election victory. So what are the takeaways of it all? Here now to talk about the poll is Terry Schilling, who is president of the American Principles Project. Terry, welcome to Washington Watch. Glad to have you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, thanks for having me, Congressman. I'm excited to be here.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we're excited to have you too. And what an incredible outcome of this poll. So tell us about it. What did the poll find?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, we did a post-election survey after November 5th. We wanted to measure how much of an impact the issue of transgenderism had on the election with voters and how it determined whether or not they would vote for President Trump or Kamala Harris. And what we found is that this was not just a small microcosm of an issue. This was a largely impactful issue. And depending on On the swing state that President Trump won, which he won all of them besides Minnesota, depending on the swing state, it shifted the electorate between 1.7% and 2.6%. To put that in perspective, this election was decided by just 2.2% of the vote in Pennsylvania. These were very tight margins, but this issue... where voters felt like Kamala Harris was much more concerned about cultural issues like transgenderism than people like them and their families. This was the largest issue of the election, and President Trump should get a lot of credit for putting this front and center and having this question be answered by the American people. It's really what led him to victory.
SPEAKER 08 :
Wow, that is amazing. So tell me, going into this poll, I think whenever any of us are involved in a poll, there's a little bit of, you kind of guess what you think you might find, but you're not sure. That's why you put it out there and see. But were you surprised at all by the findings?
SPEAKER 07 :
You know what I was surprised about, Congressman? I was not surprised that we found that this issue was important to voters and that it had an impact on their vote. What I was mostly surprised about is who this issue resonated with. This was not an issue that resonated or stood out as resonating with white voters or Christian voters. They were already on board. This issue resonated with non-white working class voters and a lot of suburban women. These are the key demographics that the Republican Party has been needing to win over for decades, right? Every election we've lost is because too many people in those subsets vote for the Democrats. And what we found that the thing that was most surprising to me was that these issues of cultural insanity from the Democrats were enough to bring enough voters from these core demographics that Republicans have been struggling with for decades. It was enough to bring those voters over to vote for Donald Trump, who, by the way, Congressman, we know, from experience that Donald Trump went through hell this past election. He had assassination attempts, but more so when it comes to voters and their opinion of him, he suffered, what, 89% negative coverage from the lamestream media and was up against a candidate that was getting into the low, I'm sorry, the mid to low 80s for approval. I'm sorry, not for approval, but for positive coverage by the lamestream media. This was a totally disparate race in terms of media coverage. And because of this culture war agenda that President Trump decided to make front and center, he's now president of the United States. These are a very powerful subset of issues, and the Democrats would be wise to start toning down their rhetoric and their policy goals around them.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, so far, they're not. I mean, they're doubling down on everything so far. They are so entrenched in this radical left wing movement within the Democratic Party. It's hard for them to get away from it. But, you know, I think what surprised me with all of this is how often we were told, stay away from cultural issues, stay away from it. People don't want that. And yet it was just the opposite. And I think this ought to give encouragement for everyone to continue standing for these things, a common sense, standing against the insanity, as you said, because the majority of people agree with us on these things. So let me ask you this. This type of messaging, can this be successfully replicated in another non-Trump election, or is this unique for Trump?
SPEAKER 07 :
I think it can be replicated anywhere. The biggest thing that we need to do, the thing that we need to replicate is we need to replicate candidates making these central to their campaigns, right? You hear all the time in this town, stay away from the culture, just like what you said, stay away from the culture war, it's a loser. You would never advise a candidate to stay away from an entire section of issues like fiscal issues, right? You would never tell a politician, hey, don't talk about economic and financial issues because those are losers. No, you would tell them, hey, on economic issues, talk about this. This is very... Helping families afford to have children and helping them afford schooling and all of this. This is very popular. Don't talk about this aspect of it. But instead, these establishment cronies who are all basically Democrats, they're all socially moderate people. It's really socially liberal and leftist. They all want to stay away from it because they don't understand how politics work. The American electorate is complicated and complex, right? You have a bunch of different votes, 320 million people in this country. We all care about different things. Different things motivate us in terms of our votes. Some voters only vote on whether or not a politician is going to protect the unborn. On the other hand, some people only vote if a politician is going to allow more babies to be killed. This country is diverse. It's different. We all care about different issues. And the culture war agenda is extremely exceptionally strong because it appeals to voters that we really need in order to win elections. And it's so powerful of an issue. It brings so many voters to the table for us.
SPEAKER 08 :
Terry Schilling, president of American Principles Project, thank you so much for leading the charge on this. And thank you for coming on Washington Watch to unfold it for us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Anytime. I love coming on. Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
You bet. All right, friends, don't go anywhere. On the other side of the break, FRC's David Claussen will join me for this week's Biblical Worldview segment. So stay tuned.
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 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 09 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you're the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these SageCons yourself, go to frc.org slash SageCon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm your Friday host, Jody Heiss. So glad to have you on board with us today. And again, I want to remind you about the inauguration praise and prayer convocation that FRC is co-hosting. It's going to take place this coming Sunday. January 19th. It will be held live at the Greater New Hope Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. But for those of you who are not going to be able to join us in person, I have some great news. You can join us online through a couple of different options, our Stand Firm app, or you can go to Tony's YouTube channel. And speaking of the Stand Firm app, if you don't have it, You can download it wherever you get your apps, or you can simply text the word APP to 67742, and you can get a link to receive the Stand Firm app, which you want to have. And speaking of the inauguration, All right, friends, this has just been an unbelievably busy week of preparation for the incoming administration. There's been confirmation hearings underway for the president-elect's cabinet picks. Congress has been moving through various pieces of legislation. And then just before noon today, President-elect Trump announced that the inauguration is now going to be moved indoors as the D.C. could be actually seeing record low temperatures here on Monday. So there literally has not been a dull moment here in Washington. And the bottom line is, Christians, we want to try to analyze and evaluate all the headlines through the lens of Scripture to the best of our ability. And that's why we like to conclude the week with a Biblical Worldview segment, a conversation about how to look at the headline news through the lens of Scripture. So joining me now for that discussion is David Claussen. He's the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at the Family Research Council. David, as always, great to see you. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, great to be with you, Jody. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, I'm going to start by giving you a loaded question, all right? So get ready. All right, here we're preparing for Monday's inauguration. But it's also an appropriate time to look back on the outgoing administration, the Biden administration. So on issues of concern to social conservatives, issues of concern to Christians, what are your reflections on President Biden's legacy?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that is a big question, Jody. And I think when you think about President Biden's legacy on a whole host of issues, I think there's some things we could commend. And maybe I should start there. One thing that does come to mind would be after the October 7th attack, when President Biden went to Israel, first time an American president had stepped foot in Israel when they were under war. That was heroic. That was something to commend, something that made all Americans proud. I wanted to start there, though, Jody, because, frankly, everything else that comes to mind, unfortunately, is historically bad. This is a president who I remember in his inaugural address talked about the importance of unity and his desire to unify the country in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. And on issues that matter to social conservatives, and Jodi, we've talked about this, the issues that matter to social conservatives are issues that are related to the created order. These are not marginal tax rates. These are not ethanol tariffs. Things that matter to social conservatives relate to life and death, abortion, the value and dignity of human life, unborn children, things like male and female, the whole LGBT panoply of issues. And on those issues, Joe Biden has been the most aggressive proponent of a pro-abortion agenda and a pro-LGBT agenda and an anti-religious freedom agenda, Jody, that we have ever seen. whether it was the State Department flying rainbow flags at embassies around the world, including at our embassy in the Vatican, whether it was conditioning foreign aid to developing countries, that these countries, as a condition of American aid, had to get on board with pro-abortion, pro-LGBT policies. whether it was using the power of the administrative state to rewrite guidelines that affect the family, whether it was using the bully pulpit of the presidency to promote his abortion agenda. This was a historic administration on issues of social conservative that we care about, Jody, but for all the wrong reasons.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Wow. You know, I got to be honest with you. I hadn't thought about being the first president to go to Israel during a time of war, but that certainly is commendable. I heard someone the other day say the only other thing, they did not mention that. So in their words, the only thing that the Biden administration did is unify Republicans and unify conservatives. And I You know, from a Democrat perspective, that's not good news. But it really is. You know, it's amazing how God uses all things and works together for good. And even the fact that I think is not too far of a stretch to say Republicans are probably more unified on many, many issues now than they have been in years. Would you agree with that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I would agree. And again, I think it's important. You know, I'm here at the Family Research Council. We're just a couple blocks away from the Justice Department. And just think of how the Justice Department over these last couple of years was weaponized. Everyone knows about the law fair directed against President Trump personally. Now, with some of those cases, but even just think about the way the Justice Department has gone after pro-life activists. FBI agents have shown up at the homes of pro-life dads. We have a friend, Vanessa Savage, where the FBI went after her as she was a whistleblower for that case in Texas, dealing with underage kids illegally receiving so-called gender affirming care. And so, yes, Jody, I think Republicans and conservatives are more united than we've ever have been in large part because how overreaching the Biden administration was, you know, let's be honest in the 2020 election. Democrat primary, Joe Biden was not the most liberal candidate in that field that included people like Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar and others, Bernie Sanders. But when he took office, he took a hard tack to the left. And Jody, it started with his first decision. as the nominee for the Democrats, which was to choose Kamala Harris as his running mate, who was the most liberal senator in the United States Senate. So I do think by overreaching as much as the Biden-Harris administration did, it did serve to unify Republicans and conservatives.
SPEAKER 08 :
I think there's both a sense of unity and a sense of urgency. I mean, obviously, I don't want to get too far in the weeds here because I want to move on to some other stuff with you, David, but I think there's a sense of urgency that people have that now's the time to turn the ship around on a lot of issues. This is not a time simply of reprieve. This is a time that God has given us a moment to respond to this appropriate. It's like the mercy of God has been granted to this country for this moment, and we better steward it well. And that applies both in the halls of Congress as well as in the places of churches and Christians all across the country. This is a moment of mercy that all of us need to step up at the plate and not let go to waste.
SPEAKER 02 :
And I agree with that, Jody, and I'm actually encouraged by how Congress – obviously Congress took their seats a couple weeks ago, so they've already been quite active. But even earlier today, seeing the United States Senate invoke cloture on the Lake and Riley Act. President Trump ran on the immigration issue. That is an issue that's tearing apart communities all over this country. And to see, I think it was seven or eight Democrats cross the aisle with Republicans to pass this legislation that will toughen our immigration laws. Praise God to see legislation like that even before President Trump takes office. We know next week that the House and the Senate are going to take a vote on the Born Alive Survivor Protection Act. We need to be praying that legislation like that is approved. But this is a key opportunity we have. And Jody, I'll add, you know, the first hundred days are going to be busy. And wonder, you know, part of the way our system works, dozens of executive orders that Joe Biden signed can be undone with one stroke. of Donald Trump's pen, things like reinstating the Mexico City policy, making sure Title 10 funding doesn't go to abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood providers, rejoining the Geneva Consensus Declaration that says abortion is not a matter of human rights, so many other things. putting back into place safeguards to make sure that those chemical abortion pills are not so easily obtained by women looking to use them. And so I think I would advise Christians to pay attention to what's happening in Congress and to watch the White House because it is a tremendous opportunity to not just undo some of the bad policies and executive orders of the previous four years, but to actually advance the ball. And the election, Jody, frankly shows that I think a lot of our friends and neighbors are ready to move in a more conservative direction.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And this is a time, you know, it's still a country based upon we the people. And, you know, it is the voice of the people that ultimately matters. And we've got to embrace that and take responsibility of it. But at the end of the day, we also know that we can't fix all the problems in this country with just another piece of legislation or just throwing trillions of more dollars at the problem. It is ultimately a spiritual problem, and believers need to step up and pray like we've never prayed before and engage like never before. And you talk about a busy hundred days. I read somewhere today that there's going to be like a hundred executive orders on day one. What a way to start. I mean, that's starting with a With the speed of a bullet, it's only probably going to get faster from there. But if I can shift gears with you, David, a little bit, I know that you were recently at a rally outside the Supreme Court for a very important case that we've all been watching here at FRC, a case coming out of Texas dealing with pornography. Can you bring us up to date on what's happening with that law and what's going on with that case? Why don't you explain it a little bit for folks who may not be familiar with what we're talking about?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, really briefly. And FRC has been involved. We had Meg Kilgannon, our colleague, spoke at the rally. I brought our new intern class to the rally to kind of experience a D.C. rally outside the Supreme Court. But oral arguments were heard in a case that originates from Texas. So Texas legislators put a law in place to protect minor children just to simply require age verification for the pornography industry. This shouldn't be controversial. You know, the pornography industry, Jody, is a multibillion dollar industry. And tragically, studies show that the average age of exposure is around seven years of age. And there's just no safeguards. And so what Texas has done is to provide age verification to these, you know, pornography sites. So if you want to look at this filth, which no one should, but if you want to, you have to prove that you're an adult. And no surprise, the pornography industry has sued. And this case has gone all the way up to the Supreme Court. Based on oral arguments, Jody, even some of the more liberal justices, including Elena Kagan, for example, they didn't seem to buy the arguments that were being put forth by the porn lawyers. And so this is something we'll get a decision on early summer. But again, it's pretty simple, just this law that's requiring the pornography industry to make sure that the people that are accessing this filth are actually adults and that there's safeguards in place that minor children can't access this. Because at the rally, Jody, I'll tell you this. We heard from folks who got – kind of sucked in to looking at pornography unintentionally. They weren't even looking for it, and they got hooked on it. And that ended up, for some of them, being a gateway to being exploited, to getting plugged into human trafficking. So this is an example of why politics matters. Politics matters, Jody, because policy matters, and policy matters because people matter. And so we can be praying that in the months to come, the court will make a good decision on this case.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, we'll certainly be keeping a pulse on that. I'm sure you'll be keeping us up to speed as that comes forward, too. Look, I know that you're actually going to be attending the inauguration, correct? Yes, sir. All right. Well, some good news. It's going to be indoors now. You're not going to be frozen. We won't come chip you out of an icicle somewhere when it's all said and done. But what are you hoping to hear from President Trump?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I obviously, like most Americans, would love to hear his vision for the next four years on things like the economy. You know, my wife and I are new homeowners and interest rates are pretty difficult. I'd love to hear his plans for the economy. I'd love to hear his vision for American foreign policy. We live in a dangerous world. I'd obviously love to hear about his plans to further protect the southern border. But as a social conservative, I would love to hear President-elect Trump's plans to protect life, to protect family, to protect our ability as Christians and people of faith to not only worship the Lord according to our conscience, but to order our lives in accordance with those deeply held beliefs. And so I think Americans and the tens of millions of Christians that voted for President Trump would love to hear, as part of this inaugural address, some of his plans for the American family. And that'll be something I'm definitely looking forward to hopefully hearing in the inaugural address.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and likewise with the first hundred days, what do you anticipate that may be priority? I know we talked about the border, but from a Christian perspective, some of the issues are important. What do you kind of see as priority there?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. First hundred days, obviously, in Congress, we'd love to see the Lincoln Riley Act approved finally in the Senate and then go when it goes back to the House. We would love to see born alive these babies who survived botched abortions. We would love to see them get the protections that they deserve from the executive order, executive branch, Jody. Reinstate Mexico City, make sure that our embassies are flying the American flag, not the rainbow flag. Make sure that Title 10 funding can't be used for abortion clinics to make sure all the federal rulemaking process actually understands the difference between a man and a woman. And just seeing the bully pulpit used to promote good and not vice. So I know it will be a busy 100 days, but I am hopeful, Jody, that the right people are in the right places, including many of these wonderful nominees that have been going through their confirmation hearings.
SPEAKER 08 :
David Claussen, director of FRC's Center for Biblical Worldview, always great to end the week with you putting all the headlines in a package for us to look at it from a biblical perspective. Thank you so much. Enjoy the inauguration. Glad you're not going to be frozen when it's all over. Thanks for joining us. All right, friends, that wraps up this week and this edition of Washington Watch. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. We'll be back on Monday.
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 Tony Perkins as he explores the various dimensions of the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, a topic that remains at the forefront of international concern. This episode brings you expert insights from guests like Oklahoma Senator James Langford, who discusses the intelligence and political complexities surrounding these high-stakes talks. The dialogue also covers President-elect Trump's cabinet confirmation proceedings, with particular attention to the nomination of Robert Kennedy Jr., suggesting potential shifts in health and human services. Listeners will also hear updates on legislative initiatives such as the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act and more about federal government efficiency proposals, offering a comprehensive look at current political challenges and aspirations.
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 02 :
As of this morning, the Prime Minister's office has made clear that Hamas have reneged on this hostage release agreement and has created a last-minute crisis in an effort to extort last-minute concessions.
SPEAKER 11 :
That was Israeli government spokesman David Mincer earlier today. Welcome to this Thursday edition of Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. Well, coming up, President Biden's victory lap yesterday might have been a bit premature.
SPEAKER 12 :
This is the ceasefire agreement I introduced last spring. Today, Hamas and Israel have agreed to that ceasefire agreement and the whole ending the war.
SPEAKER 11 :
The deal between Israel and Hamas is on hold with critical details still unresolved. Was the deal rushed to try to pressure Israel into accepting it? We'll get the full story from Dr. A.J. Nolte, Director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University. We'll also talk with Oklahoma Senator James Langford, who sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence about the hostage and ceasefire deal. He'll share his thoughts on the confirmation hearings that took place this week, as well as the confirmation prospects of Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Plus, last night I joined several members of Congress and my friend Yossi Dagan, mayor of Samaria, to launch a new congressional caucus, the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus. Texas Congressman Randy Weber will be here to explain its purpose and its goals. And finally, we'll meet one of the new members of Congress, Brad Knott of North Carolina. He'll join us to discuss another measure that passed the House today. the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act. And 51 Democrats joined all Republicans in voting for that bill. We'll talk about that later. So that and much more coming up on today's edition of Washington Watch. Be sure and check out the website, TonyPerkins.com. Also. Download the Stand Firm app so you can take Washington Watch with you wherever you go. You'll also have access to the Washington Stand, our news and commentary feed, as well as our daily Bible devotional, Stand on the Word. All that can be found in the App Store, Stand Firm. Well, it's been a busy week in Washington with farewell addresses from the outgoing administration and confirmation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's cabinet picks. Also in the mix over the last 24 hours has been the announcement of a ceasefire hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. However, it appears the announcement, as I mentioned earlier, was premature, and that may have been by design. Joining me now is Senator James Langford of Oklahoma, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. He is also the vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference. Senator Langford, welcome back to Washington Watch. Happy New Year. Good to see you. Thanks, Tony. It's always good to see you as well.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks for the work you're doing.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, thank you. Let me first get your take on the news we're hearing out of Israel and this hostage and ceasefire deal.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, very, very challenging. Obviously, we're all praying for peace. We're all praying for the return of these hostages. But when you're dealing with a terrorist organization like Hamas, it's not exactly a good actor here. They've been holding now 98 people that are there that they've been holding now for more than a year. Some of those more even predate October the 7th. I spent about two hours last night with a group of folks, including the Israeli ambassador, talking through all these issues, trying to be able to determine kind of next steps in this. The key issue right now is the deal that was made has a lot of ambiguity into it. And Hamas is using that to say we're not really going to do it the way that you think we're going to do it. It is also 33 hostages and they still have to have an agreement of those living hostages. or those that have already passed away while they're in captivity. Obviously, the Israelis want the living hostages to be able to come out first, and Hamas seems to be hedging on that. So there's a lot of issues still to be able to be resolved.
SPEAKER 11 :
And one of the issues that really put the brakes on this is that the ratio of exchange, there's going to be an exchange of hostages for terrorists. And I'm reportedly, it's what I'm told is it's about 50 to 1. And Israel wanted to be able to determine who that was, but that apparently was something that Hamas did not want. They wanted to pick who was going to be released. So this thing appears to be on very thin ice at present.
SPEAKER 10 :
It is, actually. This is the deal they've been working on since May. And what's interesting is the Trump administration, the new leadership that would come in for the national security and for Middle East peace and the envoy, they've been very engaged in this process, along with the Biden team. So the Biden team literally allowed the Trump team to be able to join in, help negotiate this. But that allowed both Trump and Biden team to be able to say to Hamas, this is the American position on it. And so Hamas couldn't play off on one administration to the other. So we're doing what it takes and what we need to be able to do to help bring some things together on it. Hamas, though, again, it's a terrorist organization, and they're always going to look for ways that they can gain leverage to be able to go back and kill more people simply because they're Jewish.
SPEAKER 11 :
Was this being rushed through to try to get something done so Biden could could claim credit for it? And the ink wasn't even dry. So the T's weren't crossed. The I's weren't dotted.
SPEAKER 10 :
Actually, this is the framework that actually Biden and his team actually started working since May to be able to pull together. The rush is actually just to get hostages out. All the families are obviously very eager for loved ones to be able to get out of captivity of a group of terrorists there. We have no idea how they're being treated, but it's probably not good. The push is let's get this done as fast as we can. The Israeli people are very ready to have their people home.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I was with a former hostage, one who was released about 30 days into it in the first release, and her husband is still being held captive, and she described the conditions. And yes, they are very eager, and we continue to pray for that and want to see that happen. But we also understand Israel's underlying need to ensure their security and safety going forward by the elimination of this terrorist entity, Hamas, that is right there on their border.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, Tony, you know it extremely well. The Israeli people, many of them had developed a trust relationship with some of these Palestinian families that they had been around. And then on October the 7th of last year, some of those individuals that literally they had partnered with and helped and worked alongside in Israel and knew their family THEN CAME IN AND LED SOME OF THE TERRORISTS RIGHT INTO THEIR HOMES TO BE ABLE TO SLAUGHTER THEIR FAMILIES. SO TRUST IS SHATTERED IN ISRAEL WHERE THEY TRY TO REACH OUT AND DEVELOP PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS. AND THOSE NEIGHBORS THEN CAME AND KILLED THEM FOR IT.
SPEAKER 11 :
YEAH. AND I KNOW YOUR CREDENTIALS ON ISRAEL, A SOLID ISRAEL SUPPORTER. YOU AND I WENT TO ISRAEL 12, 13 YEARS AGO TOGETHER ON A TRIP AND WORKING IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA. Let me switch gears here, Senator. I want to turn to the Senate hearings for President-elect Trump's cabinet. We've had several so far, including, I think, four today. Hearings have not yet been scheduled for all of President Trump's choices, including some of the most contentious among them, being Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services Department. And I think you've had a chance to visit with him, if I'm not mistaken. I want to get your thoughts.
SPEAKER 10 :
I have. I had the opportunity to sit down with him in December. I want the early folks. I serve on that committee, the finance committee that will do the hearing. And we are waiting for that hearing to be set still. There's some paperwork and things that have not been submitted. And so obviously we want to get that done. That's an FBI background check. That's the ethics report. Those are just things that every single nominee goes through every single time. So we've got to be able to have that before we can actually schedule the actual hearings to be able to get it done. He and I talked on a lot of different issues on food and other things. But I spent a lot of my time talking about the life issues. And he was pretty clear with me and his family. He's got members of his family on every single position on the issue about abortion. But he also said in his personal belief, he is not as pro-life as I am or you are. But he said his personal belief is America has way too many abortions. It's embarrassing on the world stage. what is happening, and we need to reduce the number of abortions in America. And he was committed to taking us back to the HHS policy of the first Trump administration, which was a very pro-life HHS. And my request to him was not just that, but also undo what President Biden did, because President Biden has used HHS to increase the number of abortions in America. That needs to be undone as well.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. In fact, front and center on that discussion is the FDA and the sending of the abortion pill via the mail, which is both a DOJ and a FDA issue. But that's now somewhere as possibly 70 percent of abortions being performed by that. So a pro-life state that has a pro-life law, it means nothing if the federal government is allowing these abortion pills to be sent through the mail.
SPEAKER 10 :
It is, actually. I asked him about that directly on it, and I said one of the issues is the FDA has used their political power to not have good science on this. They're using it for political purposes. They're literally telling hospitals if women have side effects, if they come in with severe bleeding, if they have all kinds of issues related to the use of these chemical abortion pills, don't report it unless she dies. So literally, FDA is using their power to suppress all of the bad information about these drugs. He immediately responded and said, that's just the kind of issue that I want to be able to expose where the big pharma companies are using their power, where there's a political basis to be able to not get the American people the information. So it was pretty clear about that, but we've got a long way to go on the issue of life.
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, given his distrust for Big Pharma and I would think just allowing the facts to come out there, that's all we want. We just want the truth because the truth will speak very clearly on this issue. But I want to go back just for clarity because I would agree with you that I think the starting place is back to where the Trump Department of Health and Human Services was in 2020 when he left office because it was actually in a very good place. We had seen extremely good policy coming out. Is that the commitment that you have from Mr. Kennedy?
SPEAKER 10 :
That was my understanding on that. He also said that he and the president had talked about this and that President Trump had said, I am pro-life, we're going to have a pro-life HHS on it. I said, that's terrific. I'm following up with the president to be able to clarify that and make sure that conversation, I hear both sides of that conversation. But for me, that's baseline. We need to at least have the policies that were in President Trump's first administration, HHS, and in the State Department, because as you know, there's many different grants that are done to promote abortion and provide abortion worldwide. with Biden's State Department, those need to be turned off. And so that my tax dollars from taxpayers in Oklahoma are being used to take human life.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, that would be a huge, huge step forward, just going back to where we were four years ago. Now, speaking of the life issue, the Senate is expected to vote next week on the Born Alive Survivors Protection Act. What do you expect when that hits the Senate floor next week?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I would expect to bring that up. That's my bill, along with Jim Banks, that we're actually bringing that bill forward to be able to protect children. If there's a botched abortion and a child's actually born alive, there should be basic American decency and values that that child is then protected. They're not in a womb. They're fully delivered at that point. That's a child everyone's looking at. We need to protect the value of that child there. That's coming up in front of the Senate. I have no expectation, quite frankly, right now that my Democratic colleagues will vote any different than they did last year. We feel it's very important to be able to continue to bring this, as we did with partial birth abortion decades ago. The Congress brought it up multiple times before they could actually get that settled in law. We believe we're going to continue to bring this up until we get this settled, until every American sees a child fully born. We should not have an argument about this, whether that child is actually a child in front of you.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, the difference is that you can actually bring it up and have a vote on it and have a debate about it. You couldn't do that under Chuck Schumer when he was the leader.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yep, that's correct. And that is one of the powers of being in the majority that we get to drive what actually comes to the floor. And Leader Thune agreed immediately to be able to bring this up. As you know, he and I were the co-sponsors of this in the last session. Leader Thune has been very pro-life and he's very focused on trying to be able to get this up so we can make some progress.
SPEAKER 11 :
We just got about 45 seconds left, but next week you're going to be introducing some measures for the Department of Government and Efficiency to get that rolling. What should we be looking for?
SPEAKER 10 :
So there's several things we're pulling together. This is something I've worked on for years, actually. I release every year a book we call Federal Fumbles. It's just areas of waste and overreach in the federal government. We'll pull some of these things out and there'll be a series of different bills that we'll release. This one in particular deals with things like telework, how we do our record keeping, engagement of individuals in the process of actually forming a regulation. If I can say it this way, Tony, it's kind of the nerdy stuff behind the scenes. We all see the grant that's put out there for drag shows in Ecuador that Americans paid for. We see that and we highlight it, but I'm asking the question, how did it happen? How do we fix it before it ever starts?
SPEAKER 11 :
All right. We want to talk with you about that when that comes up. And so, Senator, thanks for joining us today and we'll see you real soon. All right, folks, we're back with more after this.
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 06 :
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SPEAKER 11 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Thursday. Download the Stand Firm app and you can keep up with us all through the day. Not only have Washington Watch, but we've got the Washington Stand. And in the morning, every morning, we've got our stand on the word Bible study. All right, as we were talking about earlier, the hostage and ceasefire deal that was reportedly struck yesterday between Israel and Hamas negotiators is not expected to be voted on by the Israeli cabinet until Friday at the earliest. The vote on the deal was previously expected today, but the office of the Israeli prime minister said Hamas' equivocation or reneging on part of the agreement has caused them to pull back. So was the Biden administration's announcement of the deal yesterday premature, or might they have known about the potential snags but wanted to squeeze the announcement into President Biden's primetime farewell address last night? Joining me now to discuss this is Dr. A.J. Nolte, the director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University. Dr. Nolte, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you, Tony. As always, it's great to be here.
SPEAKER 11 :
So give me, overall, give me your take on the deal.
SPEAKER 15 :
I think it's not great. I think that it's very similar to the deal that was proposed last year in March. Very, very little has changed in the deal. But the facts on the ground have changed significantly in two ways. One, that should have gotten the Israelis a better deal. And the other that I think is the driving factor for Netanyahu and why he's considering this is Obviously, facts on the ground have changed from Hamas's perspective. Their support has been crippled. They are now much more isolated than they were last year when something similar to this deal was initially proposed. But I think one fact that we are underestimating as Americans, and both the Biden and Trump administrations are claiming a lot of credit for this, but the Israeli population has just been absolutely traumatized by the hostage situation. And an increasingly loud, vocal percentage of that population just wants to see the hostages come home. And I think we can sympathize with that on an emotional level. And so they're wanting a deal, even if it's not in the long-term geopolitical risk, because they are so confident. Because of the recent military successes that whatever happens in the short term, I think they're perhaps maybe a little overconfident that they can just go back in regardless when Hamas inevitably reneges and pick up right where they left off.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I've had a few conversations with those over in Israel in the last 24 hours to kind of get my sense, those close to the prime minister. And here's my take. How I see this deal is that you're right. I think Biden was trying to get a deal. so he could claim something. I mean, it's interesting. This is like the ring. Everybody wants to touch it. They want to say they've solved the issue in the Middle East. And you see Biden trying to do that before he goes out of office. I also think contributing to this pressure that has fallen upon Israel is the incoming Trump administration, when the president said he wants the hostages released before he takes office, that that created unnecessary pressure to get a deal, even if it was a bad deal. I mean, let's look at the elements of this deal. Six weeks to release 33 hostages, and they're not able, the Israelis are not able to identify which of those 33 will be released. They could be actually deceased hostages. But on the other hand, and this is one of the big issues that's putting this thing on hold, is that Hamas gets to pick which terrorists get out of prison.
SPEAKER 15 :
Israel is absolutely never going to agree to that, and there's a very particular reason, and this goes to some internal Palestinian politics. One of the prisoners Hamas once released is a guy named Marwan Barghoudi. He's a terrorist, but he was actually affiliated with Fatah. The reason they wanted do this is because they can claim, we got Barghouti out and you, Fatah, couldn't. And how do we get them out? By this horrible attack on October 7th. And so Israel recognizes this would be a huge strategic failure to allow Hamas to claim credit for that. And so that's one of the things that Hamas is pushing for. And of course, Hamas also wants terrorists that will be able to join them in Gaza or cause problems in the West Bank as well.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, Yahya Sinmar. Yes, exactly. He was a terrorist that was released from prison. And what did he do? He became a leader of Hamas.
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. And so they're very cognizant of that and they're hoping for that. Now, if you're somebody who is concerned about Israel's freedom to operate under this deal, let's just always remember that every time there's been a negotiation or a deal in the past, it has been Hamas that has reneged, Hamas that has broken the deal. And so to a certain extent, I think Netanyahu recognizes that reality and recognizes Hamas is going to break the deal. And then he can go back to Trump and say, yes, see, I told you this was going to happen.
SPEAKER 11 :
So but what happens in this period of six weeks? Because I also understand why we haven't seen all the particular details. I'm told that this also calls for mass humanitarian assistance during the six week period. So what does that do to Hamas?
SPEAKER 15 :
One of the problems with humanitarian assistance in Gaza and in the West Bank and throughout Palestinian society has always been who determines how that is administered and if it's administered in a way that plays into the bad actors. And I mean, from UNRWA to the seizure of Hamas food shipments during this most recent hostage we've always seen, humanitarian assistance has not gotten to the people. And I'm very much in support of humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people if it's going to get to them. But what I'm not in support of is giving Hamas more levers to bully the civilians, which they've been doing since they came into power in Gaza in 2007.
SPEAKER 11 :
And I would think it also gives them the opportunity to regroup. Now, they are, I mean, their leadership is pretty much decimated. They've been crushed. But you allow them to regroup. And I think there's some concern that the pressure will build after a six-week ceasefire that could potentially prohibit Israel from going in and eliminating this threat from Gaza by eliminating Hamas.
SPEAKER 15 :
I think that's a legitimate concern. I'm not as concerned about that, and here's why. Given past performance and given the ideology of Hamas, they are going to do something provocative that will be directed at Israeli soil. And after 10-7, I think the Israeli population recognizes that Hamas has got to go. I think right now that recognition is just intention for the population with this desperate desire to just get the hostage situation resolved and get their loved ones home.
SPEAKER 11 :
Dr. Nolte, we just have about a minute left, but the political pressure. I mean, you have a coalition government there. The prime minister has those to his right that could pull out if he gives in to some of these demands by Hamas.
SPEAKER 15 :
One of the major figures on the right, Bitzalah Smutrich, the last report I had last night was that he was not going to pull out and he wasn't committing to that. There's another figure, Itamar Ben-Kavir, who might. And so it is very delicate for Netanyahu. But he's been in this business a very long time. He's negotiated these coalitions a very long time. And I think that my money is that he will find a way to survive this and that Hamas ultimately will end up breaking the deal and then Israel will hammer them and that the Trump administration will end up supporting that because their national security team, whatever the envoys may see, the national security team gets that.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah. I do think you're right about Prime Minister Netanyahu. He has more political lives than a cat. I mean, he survives. Dr. Nolte, thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. All right. After the break, folks, we're going to continue to talk about Israel, talk about a historic launch of the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus. That's next. Don't go away.
SPEAKER 05 :
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SPEAKER 04 :
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SPEAKER 15 :
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SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 11 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. Download the Stand Firm app so you can keep up with us. And you'll have action items as well when you need to take action. And I've got some things you're going to need to be acting on here over the next 100 days. One of the things we were working on last night, I would join several members of Congress in a historic launch of a new congressional caucus focused on preserving the heart of Israel, Judea and Samaria. The bipartisan caucus aims to strengthen ties between the United States and Israel, focusing on the significance of Judea and Samaria. Now, this happens to be the area, every time you hear about a two-state solution, this is the area that they want to force Israel to give up to the Palestinians. This is where about 80% of what we read in our Bibles took place. Here's a map. If you're watching online, you can see the map there. That in kind of the blue, bluish green, that's Judea and Samaria. That's what they want to give up. This is the biblical heartland where most of the events recorded in Scripture took place. Now, the caucus also seeks to deepen the connection between the regions and advocate for Israeli sovereignty over these historic lands. And with all that's happening in the Middle East in the last 15 months, I can't think of a better time. Joining me now to discuss this is Congressman Randy Weber, who co-sponsored the Recognizing Judea and Samaria Act in the last Congress. And he serves as a co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. He represents the 14th Congressional District of Texas. Congressman Weber, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you. It was good to be with you last night. Thank you, Tony. I appreciate that. It was good to be there. Thank you. So the launch of the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus is a historic milestone. How do you envision this new initiative in shaping U.S.-Israeli relations and really kind of reshaping the conversation in the Middle East?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, that's exactly the tact, Tony. We appreciate y'all's involvement and taking a lead role in that. Thank you for being there. It was great to see you last night. There was a lot of people there who were interested in this, and Congresswoman Claudia Kennedy did a great job by reintroducing this caucus. getting this caucus out and running. Look, and I said this last night, you heard me say this, our country was founded on Judeo-Christian values, not West Bank Christian values. And that got a round of applause from the public there because they understood exactly what that meant. I've been saying for a long time, Tony, the two-state solution is, in my opinion, DOA dead on arrival. They cannot force Israel to let terrorists live right beside them. That's exactly what it seems like the former, or maybe I should say the current administration, is intent on doing. We need to make sure, as you rightly pointed out, that biblical Judea, biblical Samaria, absolutely stays in control by the Israelis, by the Jewish people. It is their homeland. God gave it to them. And any attempt to make it anything other than that, in my opinion, is a non-starter.
SPEAKER 11 :
So one of the first initiatives of this caucus is to get the legislation that you were a part of advancing in the last Congress is going to be reintroduced. And that is simply to say in our conversation, because words matter, The federal government, when they talk about this area, Judea and Samaria, the word West Bank goes away and it's referred to as it should be, Judea and Samaria. It sounds simple, but it's profound because that terminology, West Bank, has created more division in conflict in the Middle East than anything else.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, and you've been there, I've been there, and we both know what's at stake. We've seen it up close and personal firsthand. So thank you for bringing that up. That's exactly what we're talking about. The terminology does matter. Words do matter. And how it's viewed by our federal government, by the State Department, I found some disturbance, had some more meetings with some of our Jewish friends today. And they told me that there's a lot of people in that area who Jews who have been sanctioned by the state department because of their stand and words matter. The United States needs to be Israel's best partner. I've read the Bible. God said, whoever blesses Israel, he will bless. Whoever curses Israel, he will curse. We know where we want to be in that scenario. So thank you for bringing attention to it with your viewers today, because there's a lot at stake here, and we're going to be working exactly toward that end.
SPEAKER 11 :
Now, you said, you know, this two-state solution, dead on arrival. And it goes dormant, but then, you know, four years from now, if we... God forbid, and I pray that he would if he will bless our efforts, that we will not have a Democratic administration. But we've had this ping pong match. I mean, is it four years of conservative, four years of liberal? This could come back. But this is an opportunity to bury that idea after October the 7th. That was a two state solution. I think you drew attention to that last night. It's a failure and we need to move on.
SPEAKER 01 :
Right, well, that's exactly right. You've been there, I've been there, and as I said last night, I've been there in the kibbutzes, I know you have too, and seen all the killing and the bloodshed and all the things that happened by those barbarians, by Hamas. And kind of on a side note, I'm watching the supposed... you know, ceasefire that seems like now it's dead on arrival because there's issues. The Hamas can't be trusted. You know, in their charter, when they say they want to annihilate all the Jews and Israel, take them at their word. And all this would be would be a continuation of the West Bank, in my opinion, of anybody that left Gaza going to West Bank. You've got your enemies then on both sides of you, and we cannot allow that to happen. I want the United States to be extremely upfront and making sure that we're on Israel's side in this one.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, you know, history should teach us that when someone says they want to kill you, but they want to kill you. You need to believe these crazy people. Congressman Randy Weber, I want to thank you for joining us today, but thank you on your leadership, your passion for Israel, and I look forward to working with you to advance this in the days and weeks ahead. Well, thank you, Tony. Thank you for keeping it in the forefront. We appreciate what y'all do. All right. Have a blessed night. Congressman Randy Weber of Texas, and I will keep you posted on that. It's going to be, I think, a quite significant undertaking, and I think historic in its effect if we can succeed, and I think we will. All right, coming up next, we're going to be joined by North Carolina Congressman Brad Knott. He's new to Congress. He's going to be joining us about actually one of the bills that passed today, another issue, another bill focusing on the issue of illegal immigrants and the terror that they're doing. That's next. Don't go away. 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 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 03 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you're the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 11 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. And let me invite you to join us in our effort of praying for our country, for our allies in a very, very volatile time. I told you after the election it was going to be volatile and well, events have proven me to be accurate. So you can become a part of our Operation Prayer Shield. Just text the word SHIELD to 67742. That's SHIELD to 67742. Our word for today comes from Isaiah 65. Thus says the Lord as the new wine is found in the cluster. And one says, do not destroy it for a blessing is in it. So will I do for my servant's sake that I may not destroy them all. I will bring forth descendants from Jacob and from Judah, an heir of my mountains. My elect shall inherit it, and my servant shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks in the valley of Achor, a place for herds to lie down for my people who have sought me. See, God's mercy is seen even in his judgment as this speaks to a godly remnant that would be preserved. This again underscores that God is not finished with the Jewish people. The Gentile church should be grateful and humble that God has invited us in. And we should join Him in prayer and in our work to see the restoration of His people, Israel, that is coming. This is a profound reminder of God's redemptive plan. To join us in our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. Earlier today, the House approved the Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act with all Republicans and 51 Democrats joining the effort. Maybe they got the message. Joining me now in studio to discuss this and more is freshman Congressman Brad Nutt, who serves on three House committees, including the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee. He serves the 13th Congressional District of the state of North Carolina. Congressman Nutt, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Absolutely. It's good to be here. And I welcome you to Congress. Yes, sir. And to Washington, D.C. So let's talk first about this legislation that passed today because before running for Congress, you were a federal prosecutor. So the issue of law and order is a big one for you. And I can't think of anything more glaring except maybe the weaponization of government than our southern border when it comes to the lawlessness that we've seen the last four years.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, that's correct. In large part, that was the motivation for me to run for office. And I was a federal prosecutor, like you said. I was blessed to serve. It was a dream of mine to do it and worked alongside so many wonderful law enforcement officers and agents at the local and the national level. But as we were talking about off camera, the The policies of the last four years, Tony, to say it was overwhelming is an understatement. To have well over 10 million people, in my estimation, come across the border, shuffled all over the country, welcomed with no enforcement of our laws, we're going to be dealing with that for a long, long time in a very, very detrimental way to the country. And there are a lot of people that are coming to this country to commit crimes. When you have the open incentive structure that we currently have under the Biden-Harris administration, you get what you ask for. And we've welcomed in a lot of people who are sowing pretty treacherous seeds, in my opinion, all over the country.
SPEAKER 11 :
I want to play a clip from today's debate. This is Congresswoman Laurel Lee from Florida. Clip number six.
SPEAKER 07 :
The time is now to take seriously the danger of criminal aliens in the United States. Anything that makes it easier for adjudicators and officials to ensure a criminal alien's arrest and removal should receive overwhelming bipartisan support.
SPEAKER 11 :
Now, the bill came out of the House today. As I mentioned, all Republicans voted for it, 51 Democrats. tells me it probably got a good chance of passing in the Senate. Tell us what exactly that measure does.
SPEAKER 09 :
So the bill, basically, it categorizes criminals who are adjudicated guilty of certain offenses, violence against women, domestic abuse, et cetera. And it basically allows for the law to categorize them as immediately deportable and unworthy of coming back legally. And there are so many bureaucratic hurdles currently, both from this administration that we're under right now and from previous administrations, to getting dangerous people out of the country. One of the hurdles, candidly, is the number of people. In some estimates, there's over a million people. immigrants that are backlogged in these adjudication forums to get them out of the country. And this law just says, if you've committed acts of violence against women, if you're a domestic abuser, et cetera, you can go to the top of the list if needed and expedite the deportation.
SPEAKER 11 :
I would imagine that Congress is going to have to allocate more resources to removing these people from the country because it's like you can only fit so many people through a door at one time.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's right. We will need to appropriate dollars, but the cost that no one is talking about, Tony, is doing nothing. We have over 100,000 Americans that are dying every year from one drug. We have a wave of illegal immigrants who were soaking up tax dollars in the form of free medical care. And by some estimates, up to 10% of the babies born in this country have illegal immigrant parents. They come here and they get free health care in the emergency rooms. Those are the types of costs that no one discusses. So if we can appropriate dollars to enforce the law, We'll have a solid return on investment.
SPEAKER 11 :
No argument from me on that. I'm just pointing it out that the current infrastructure is not going to accommodate this. I don't want to use the term mass deportation because I think that's the wrong characterization of it. I think it is a deportation of people who do not need to be here.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's right. That's right. And this law is a perfect example. There needs to be a separate category in the law that we can hopefully finish and write that treats illegal immigrant criminals, people who are here committing crimes actively, as separate and distinct from American citizens. There needs to be enhanced penalties. There needs to be enhanced deportation efficiency. And allocating the resources necessary to do that is a very high priority for this Congress.
SPEAKER 11 :
So let's talk, let's step back for just a moment, Brad, in terms of your making a decision to run for Congress. I mean, that's serving as a prosecutor, working in that arena and coming to Congress, which Frankly, even the latest polling shows it's not held in the highest regard and it's not always seen as a very functional institution. Of course, people don't realize by design Congress is designed not to be that efficient because if it were, it would do stuff too quickly and that would not be good in some cases.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, again, the personal motivation, of course, was driven in large part by my professional experience with what I saw as a prosecutor. I mean, I had cases all over the country, and it was exacerbated over the last four years. But really, with the exception of President Trump, there's been an open border for my entire lifetime. And it's time to secure that and to fix it so that my children don't have to grow up with the same problems. And if we don't stem the tide soon, we are going to have irreparable harm.
SPEAKER 11 :
So it was kind of as a practitioner, you saw the problem, but you saw that it was systemic because the system is broken. And the best way to do that is bring your knowledge and understanding to the table to craft policy that could fix it.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's correct. And there's also, you know, personally, my wife and I, we're very conservative. We've both been blessed with Christian homes. And we believe that America is most sound when it rests in its Judeo-Christian values and the Christian foundation that we have. and the last four years have shown that we are we're losing that in a big way and just getting back to common sense constitutional um you know hard problems but simple problems is is also a motivation that drove us to do i want to talk about that faith uh congressman because i i as i understand you uh you've taught bible study do a bible study and in fact i think you used the line and correct me if i'm wrong prosecuting criminals by day and teaching bible by night
SPEAKER 11 :
How did that factor into your decision, and how will it factor into how you approach policy decisions?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I don't know if you've heard of Bible Study Fellowship, but my parents were deeply involved in BSF for probably 35 years. My dad had to stop, actually, when he ran for attorney general in North Carolina. But when I came back to Raleigh, I joined the men's class that he started. And of all the things that I had to leave behind, that men's Bible study fellowship class is probably the most difficult for me. And Tony, I've long said that when I was a prosecutor, you kind of get a lens into various homes and communities that demonstrate clearly that there really aren't too many political solutions that can address our gravest ills. And we have to have a strong body politic, but the church must be robust as well. And whether it's the least of these in a material sense or broken homes that are coming on fourth, fifth generations of fatherlessness, unless we really get that servant's heart that the Bible talks about, and take care of our neighbors on a personal level, not a political level, I think that the future is fairly bleak. And studying God's Word, being a member of a church, that's central to my wife and to me, and it's something that, in addition to running for Congress, it's our primary motivation.
SPEAKER 11 :
In order to bring that about, I mean, we have to allow our faith to inform our decisions. No question. And as an elected official, you can't be forced to check that at your door. Some would like you to check that at the door of Congress. But what we've seen, especially over the last four years, we saw it prior to Donald Trump in his first administration. I helped get the... executive order on religious freedom passed or adopted. We've seen people of faith marginalized. We've seen people who work in public spaces, firemen, policemen, that have to check their faith at the door of service. That's got to be fixed.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, it does. And we've seen a total perversion of what the, quote, separation of church and state means. We've seen an attack on very traditional faith in the United States. I mean, just the last four years, whether it was churches, whether it was people who were trying to witness to those going to an abortion clinic. All of us have seen the clips of the FBI categorizing Catholic Church as potential terrorists or domestic terrorists.
SPEAKER 11 :
Or grandmothers praying outside of an abortion clinic and being sentenced to a dozen years in prison. It's outrageous. This is the weaponization that people—it's real. It is. How are we going to get a handle on that? And not just stop it, but reverse—turn that around.
SPEAKER 09 :
You know, the Congress does have the oversight role, and I think bringing that out, fleshing it out as best we can, putting the light on it is one way to do it. And again, Christians must be engaged. Far too many Christians and traditional believing Americans stay out of the political process. It's time to drop that by the side and to get involved because. The United States has been the greatest source of blessing to the world over any country. And I view it as a stewardship. Christians, Americans, we've all been blessed to be here. It's time to dig in and really take a stand with that.
SPEAKER 11 :
And that's why I think, and this is where I see the role of the federal government and the incoming Trump administration, not that they're going to fix the problems in terms of what ails America. As you pointed out, it is not political, it's spiritual. And so it's incumbent upon the church and followers of Christ to delve in, roll up their sleeves and work with their neighbors and their communities, mentoring these fatherless children and all the things that the church should be doing. But this is where the government comes in, is making sure that those people can do that in the name of Jesus and they can live out their faith in a way that is unhindered and unrestrained by the government around them. Amen.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's what this country was built on. But we've lost it. We have. What we've seen over the last four years and really even before the last four years, it's been a very steady and increasingly aggressive attack on that. And getting it back is paramount. And that's to Trump's credit, President Trump's credit. He's recognized that. And I think he is all in to preserve it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Talking about the weaponization, I want to kind of show how perverse this is where pro-lifers are thrown in prison. But then you have like a sweetheart deal that was given to an MS-13 gang leader by the Biden administration. I mean, this is upside down.
SPEAKER 09 :
It's very upside down, and one of the things that we've seen is a perversion of truth, a perversion of justice. Those in power think they can just declare something that's flatly impossible. They think they can dictate a narrative. And when I saw the headline that you're referring to and read about it— Give a little detail on that because I didn't mention it. Yeah, so this MS-13 member who was recently given a plea deal by the Department of Justice— He admitted to involvement in over seven murders. Two of them were young girls, 15 and 16, I believe. The murders were barbaric. The killers used baseball bats and machetes. These were American citizens. And this was the end of a long line of criminal activity, racketeering, robberies, arson, et cetera, all violence, all traumatizing to the communities. And he's here illegally. He shouldn't be here. And he's inflicting all of that harm on this country. And rather than going to a guaranteed life sentence or even death, which the law permits, the Biden administration bent over backwards and gave him what I would say is a very light sentence for the crimes that he committed. There are seven murders. He got what will be probably a 40-year sentence. So he will see the light of day again. And, again, I think that's a disgrace to every American, but specifically those victims who have suffered so mightily.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's incredible. Yep. It is. Seven murders. He's here illegally. Absolutely. And 40 years. Yep. And you have people who pray outside of abortion clinics that are serving a dozen years. Yes. Nonviolent. Yep. This is upside down. This is what angers Americans.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes. And it's happened more than the press has obviously covered.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, this is so extreme, you can't ignore this.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right, right. And it's upside down is the nice way of saying it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Wow. Well, there is so much work to be done. We've just got about a minute left. Other than the border addressing that issue, top priorities? The debt.
SPEAKER 09 :
I mean, of all the issues, if we do not deal with the border and we don't deal with the debt, they both will deal with us. And those are the systemic issues that I really am focused on.
SPEAKER 11 :
It's going to require so much education in the American public because that can has been kicked down the road so much that people just, they've heard it's a problem. but it's never dealt with, and the sky hasn't fallen. Yes, it will. We're at a point where we are now paying more on our interest of our debt than our national defense. Staggering.
SPEAKER 09 :
It is. And it's not sustainable.
SPEAKER 11 :
No, not at all. Congressman Brad Knot, great to see you. Thanks for stopping in and joining us today. And again, congratulations on your election. It's my pleasure. All right. And folks, I want to thank you for joining us today as well. And be sure and download the Stand Firm app. That way you have access to all of our information, including the Washington Stand and our daily Bible commentary, Stand on the Word, and action items. So you'll know over the next hundred days as we are working to help Congress pass some good legislation, we're going to need you to lean in. And you can do that if you have the Stand Firm app. So go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app. All right, until next time, I leave you once again with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul, where he says, when you've done everything you can do, when you've prayed, when you've prepared, and when you have 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.
In this episode of Washington Watch, we dive deep into the current geopolitical landscape with a focus on the Middle East and China. Join us as we dissect the recently proposed ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, and explore the challenges Israel faces in this tentative peace process. We'll also hear from Congressman John Molinar on the cyber threats posed by China, posing a significant long-term risk to America's security and infrastructure.
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 05 :
This is the ceasefire agreement I introduced last spring. Today, Hamas and Israel have agreed to that ceasefire agreement. and the whole ending the war.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was President Joe Biden earlier today. Welcome to this Wednesday edition of Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. While Hamas has agreed to the ceasefire negotiated in Qatar, Israel reportedly has not yet approved the deal that would trade Palestinian criminals and terrorists for Israeli hostages at a reported 50 to one ratio. In the first phase, 33 hostages would be released, not immediately, but over six weeks. In addition to releasing terrorists, Israel would withdraw their forces from Gaza. Is this a good deal? We'll talk with Frank Gaffney, president, Institute for the American Future. What is the greatest threat facing America? Outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray answered that question on CBS's 60 Minutes this past Sunday.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, the greatest long-term threat facing our country, in my view, is represented by the People's Republic of China, the Chinese government, which I consider to be the defining threat of our generation.
SPEAKER 03 :
On this issue, I agree with him. We'll talk with Michigan Congressman John Molinar, chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. And the state of Texas was at the Supreme Court today defending the right to defend the innocence of children.
SPEAKER 02 :
If strict scrutiny applies here, Texas would have to satisfy strict scrutiny to keep kids out of strip clubs. This court's cases do not require that. Neither do history, tradition, or common sense.
SPEAKER 03 :
That was Texas Solicitor General Aaron Nielsen in his opening statements this morning. We'll be joined by the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, a little bit later. Finally, yesterday's debate over the protection of women and girls in Sports Act illustrated the stranglehold that the trans movement has on the Democratic Party. In arguing against the common-sense piece of legislation, Democrats falsely claimed that the legislation would lead to genital inspections of children. They argued that the number of cases of gender-confused males in female sports is extremely small. Now, we saw a similar argument recently with the release of a study last week claiming that fewer than 1 in 1,000 U.S. teens under the age of 18 received puberty blockers or hormones from 2018 to 2022. So it's a huge problem when the left is trying to push government restrictions on counseling and force the use of pronouns. But when it comes to laws protecting children from irreversible surgeries and drugs, there's not that many cases of gender dysphoria. So which is it? Dr. Jennifer Bowens, the director of the Center of Family Studies here at FRC, will join me later for that conversation. And folks, you're going to find a lot today to pray about, so I invite you to join us in our prayer effort, Prayer Shield. Text the word SHIELD to 67742. That's SHIELD, S-H-I-E-L-D, to 67742. And join us in praying for our nation and, quite frankly, for the world. It's on fire. All right, yesterday, the Department of Justice disclosed details on a major international operation conducted by the FBI and French authorities targeting Chinese state-sponsored cyber threats. Now the effort remotely removed malicious software that was implanted in thousands of critical networks worldwide by Beijing-linked hacking groups. And the operation underscores the growing concern over China's aggressive cyber activities, which U.S. officials warn are positioned to disrupt critical infrastructure at a moment's notice. So how great of a threat does China pose to America's future? Join me now to discuss this and more is Congressman John Moulinard. He is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. He represents the 2nd Congressional District of the state of Michigan. Chairman Moulinard, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you for having me, Tony. Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 03 :
So let's start with your assessment of the FBI's and the French authorities' operation to dismantle these Chinese malware from critical networks. How significant is this and how much more is out there that we don't know about?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, that's a great question. And first of all, it is very serious. We've seen the Chinese hacking and monitoring people's phone conversations at the highest levels of government. We've seen their hacking and public infrastructure that You know, it could be water, it could be important vital infrastructure that we need to protect, civilian infrastructure. We've seen them, you know, spying on American territory right in our home state of Michigan. We had five Chinese nationals spying at Camp Grayling, watching military exercises. So they are very aggressive, and they have a surveillance state at home that oppresses 1.3 billion Chinese, and they're wanting to export that around the world.
SPEAKER 03 :
So let me ask you about that going a little bit deeper. When we look at all of the products now that are created or manufactured in China, is there concern that some of those devices could be utilized for spying?
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. And one of the goals of our committee, which is very bipartisan, is to make sure we aren't funding our own demise. We're not funding businesses that work with the People's Liberation Army. We're not funding technologies and we're controlling technologies that could be used against our people. American men and women in the armed forces. And so this is an all-hands-on-deck effort to restrict an aggressive power. When you think of the Soviet Union in the Cold War, we never would have partnered with them on the kinds of things we partner with China on. And I think Ronald Reagan had it right, peace through strength, and let's make sure we don't help our adversaries succeed.
SPEAKER 03 :
Let me explore that a little bit more, Mr. Chairman, because it's not just the government. We're talking about consumers in this country that are attracted to cheaper Chinese products that in the end are actually fueling our adversary that they're turning those profits into what we saw here, dispatching these hackers to break into U.S. databases and other infrastructures. just the government it's a kind of all hands on deck to defend America's well-being and that includes our economic well-being
SPEAKER 15 :
It really is. And there's two things that people should know about China. First, that it's governed by the Chinese Communist Party and that right at the head is Xi Jinping. They are committing a genocide against peoples in China. So we love the Chinese people, but this authoritarian regime is more and more oppressive. They have laws on the book, what they consider to be national security laws that require anyone, any Chinese person, any person, in fact, even in doing business in China, to be accountable to the Chinese Communist Party. And if they require information, there's no such thing as a private sector. They have a military civil fusion that gives priority to the military or the Chinese Communist Party. So it's a very different framework than we're used to dealing with. And so that's what makes it so serious when we trade or when we invest in Chinese entities that can all be used against us and our allies.
SPEAKER 03 :
So bottom line is that any interaction with a Chinese company, we just have to basically count on it going to the Chinese Communist Party.
SPEAKER 15 :
That's right. And they've been stealing technology, intellectual property for years. And more nefarious, they're using dollars, in fact, even research dollars from the Department of Defense for military applications that could be used against our men and women in the armed forces.
SPEAKER 03 :
That almost sounds insane, that we would be funding that, that we would be giving our adversaries the money to build technology to use against us.
SPEAKER 15 :
You know, one of the things our committee found is that there were over 30 partnerships in universities in the United States that were partnering with Chinese universities and funded often by Department of Defense dollars. And they were collaborating on research in the highest technologies of physics, even weapons, all sorts of things. So we raised this issue. And fortunately, Berkeley Georgia Tech and most recently the University of Michigan have discontinued those and we're going to take it one by one and make sure we are not allowing and that these universities make partnerships that can be used against us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Mr. Chairman, I believe you also had some success in getting the Department of Defense to back away and blacklist certain Chinese companies that have those same connections.
SPEAKER 15 :
You know, we've been advocating for whether it's the use of slave labor or partnering with the Chinese military. We don't want to advance those kinds of business in China. At the same time, we also have done a report that showed the Chinese complicity with the fentanyl crisis in the United States. And what we found is that the Chinese government was actually offering rebates, a financial incentive, for Chinese companies to manufacture the chemical precursors that go into the fentanyl that's poisoning hundreds of thousands of Americans. So it's a dangerous regime. Ronald Reagan had it right. Peace through strength. We love the Chinese people, but we have to be shrewd as a serpent, innocent and a dove when it comes to this.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. Chairman Moulinard, you've raised the concern like we just saw with this malware targeting certain infrastructures. Are you concerned about infrastructures like water treatment plants, energy grids? Are those vulnerable and how vulnerable are they?
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely, and I liken it like a sleeper cell on the grid or in the water system where they have malware that can be flipped on and off. They've actually put mobile, you know, areas of ways to monitor what's going in and out of our ports. All of this creates danger for America, and we need to be vigilant in protecting this. So we need to push back on this. I think this idea of dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party, all they respect is strength, and I'm pleased that President Trump, I think, is going to be a strong negotiator in pushing back on this.
SPEAKER 03 :
Are there any proactive measures being taken? I know we just talked about the top of the program, what the FBI and the French did, but are there more proactive measures to defend the power grid, the treatment plants and such?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, we're getting Huawei as a Chinese company. We're requiring that to be taken out of our systems. We're requiring different companies that partner with the military not to be used in our supply chains for our defense industrial base. So we're doing things, but we've got to do it in a much more aggressive, focused way. Even though it's going to cost more, it's beneficial for the United States security.
SPEAKER 03 :
Final question for you, Mr. Chairman. We just have about 45 seconds left. But the outgoing FBI Director Christopher Wray, as I played that clip at the top of the program, said China and its cyber program, that's the defining threat of our generation. And he emphasized the urgency of countering these escalating threats. Do you agree with his assessment?
SPEAKER 15 :
I do agree, and I think this needs to be a major focus. Cyber is now one of the major domains for warfare. You know, you think land, water, sea, space, cyber, all of those are key. And we need to be strong in this area, and we need to make sure that we're aware that China is trying to hack us every day and trying to pre-position malware on our devices that would threaten our way of living. So absolutely, he's right on that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Chairman Molinar, I want to thank you for joining us. And I want to thank you for your work on this, because I agree with your assessment as well as the outgoing FBI director. I think China is in the long term our biggest threat, and we have to deal with it. And it is all hands on deck. Thanks so much for being with us today.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you, Tony. Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right. Chairman John Molinar of Michigan. It really is. And this is another item we need to be praying about. All right, coming up, big news out of the Middle East. A hostage ceasefire deal has reportedly been reached. We're going to talk about it. Don't go away.
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 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.
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SPEAKER 03 :
Welcome back to this Wednesday edition of Washington Watch. Here's another topic to be praying about as we pray about the fires in California, we pray about the incoming administration, and we've been praying for the hostage situation in Israel. Well, a hostage ceasefire deal has been reached, according to the president, reports between Israel and Hamas, the negotiators in Qatar, although reports out of Israel is that the Prime Minister and his War Cabinet have not yet approved this deal. Now, the Israeli government is expected to meet at 11 a.m. local time on Thursday to approve this three-phase deal that the Israeli Defense Ministry and Israeli Defense Forces are already preparing to implement. So what's in the deal and what are the issues with it? Joining me now to discuss this is Frank Gaffney, president of the Institute for American Future and the host of Securing America program on the Real America's Voice Network under President Ronald Reagan. He acted as the assistant secretary of defense for international security policy. Frank, thanks for joining us. It's my privilege, Tony.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 03 :
So let's, before we get into the, give us the overview of this. I'm getting some signals out of Israel that this is not the best deal for Israel, and there's a lot yet to be uncovered.
SPEAKER 04 :
I'm afraid I'm going to say it's a terrible deal for Israel, actually, Tony. I fear that it amounts to... a victory for Hamas, if you could believe it, effectively surrendering the entirety of Gaza to the people who perpetrated this horrific attack on October 7th and has been at war with Israel prior to that, you know, from the inception of this terrorist organization and will be until it is put out of business, which has been the purpose of Benjamin Netanyahu. Unfortunately, what we're told is that Bibi basically had his knees broken on the Sabbath, no less, by a man who has been given the role of a special Middle East envoy, I'm sorry to say, by President Trump, by the name of Stephen Witkoff. He's a well-to-do billionaire, financial guy, real estate guy out of New York. I'd be a little surprised if President Trump knew when he put him in this position, that he had actually done a $600 million hotel deal with the nation of Qatar. It might have had something to do with the fact that Steve Whitaker said the other day that Qatar is doing God's work. In these negotiations, I think he might have meant Allah's work, because what has been done, I think, is not in the service of Israel. Yes, there will be presumably a few hostages released in exchange for something on the order of a thousand to thirteen hundred pedigreed.
SPEAKER 03 :
jihadists who were being let out of Israeli jails. I'm told the ratio is 50 to 1 for every hostage. There's 33 in the first phase of this deal, taking six weeks. And I'm a little puzzled by that because I know when we had the Iranian hostage deal, it didn't take weeks to release the hostages. And President Biden said, this is my plan that I put forward last year. So whose plan is this? He claims it's his plan. And we know what the Biden administration has been doing all along. Yeah, incredibly.
SPEAKER 04 :
I think it's in some ways worse than the plan that he put together back in, I think, May of last year, if I'm not mistaken. It's not Joe Biden put it together, but the apparat around him, obviously. But what it does, Tony, is it essentially says that all of the progress that Israel has made to root out Hamas, to deprive it of resources, to close its infrastructure, notably those tunnels and so on, will essentially be undone because they will be allowed to have the run of Gaza again. And they will, in fact, I think, have all kinds of resources pouring in to help them rebuild those tunnels, among other things.
SPEAKER 03 :
Joe Biden said this ends the war. This would mean that this, you know, after this first phase, again, I don't know why it takes six weeks to release 33 hostages. So once those are released. Well, some of them are dead, Tony.
SPEAKER 04 :
So it might be required, you know, some logistics. But still, six weeks is ridiculous. You're right.
SPEAKER 03 :
And so they're going to have to, IDF forces will have to, you know, through a scheduled withdrawal from Gaza. In the meantime, Hamas is able to rearm, re-equip, and you're right, all that has been gained will have been lost. Yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
And the fact that Biden is taking ownership of it is pretty telling. And the fact that this chap, Steve Witkoff, was an enabler of that. Tony Blinken the other day said Steve Witkoff has been very helpful. Indeed, he has. I think what he did was he took what Donald Trump meant as leverage on the Hamas terrorists putting them on notice that if the hostages were not released, and I think he meant all of the hostages, not a fraction of them, all of the hostages released by the time he came to office, as he put it, forgive the French, all hell would break loose. Now, that was intended to be pressuring Hamas. Instead, Witkoff and the Biden team, of course, turned this into leverage on Bibi Netanyahu. And I am just sick at what I think has been done here. I hope that the president, Donald Trump, will think better of this as he learns more about what's been done with his help inadvertently, I think.
SPEAKER 03 :
Frank, we're up against a break here. Just one final question. This, given what the fragile coalition that Bibi Netanyahu has been able to put together there and the strong right wing, if you will, of the Knesset in his coalition, this could cause his governing coalition to implode. I think it could.
SPEAKER 04 :
The left has, of course, wanted his head on a pike for a long time. But I think there are a lot of people now on the right who feel that all of this is for naught, all of the war efforts, if this is allowed to go forward. And I just say, if people want to learn more about this at VictoryCo.org, we have some information put together in a point paper. A briefing paper. It will help inform all of your listeners about why we need, I think, among other things, to have Steve Witkoff removed from this role as mediator or the inter-Mideast special envoy. This is a man who may work for Qatar, but I don't honestly think he's worked effectively for Donald Trump or the interests of the United States, to say nothing of Israel.
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, Frank Gaffney, we're going to have to leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 04 :
God bless you.
SPEAKER 03 :
And folks, again, this is something really to be praying over the next 24 hours as Israel will have to comb through this, the details of this deal and whether or not they accept it. The pressure obviously is on them. And the United States, unfortunately, is playing a key role in putting that pressure on. So pray, pray for the peace of Israel, the peace of Jerusalem and the way forward. Don't go away. We're coming back with more. Ken Paxton of Texas joins us next.
SPEAKER 13 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you. I think it is the best program out there.
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Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
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They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord. 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're looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you. 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.
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SPEAKER 03 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10 week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. The website, TonyBurkins.com. Earlier this morning, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case on whether age verification laws, which restrict children's access to pornography, violates the First Amendment. Now, the state of Texas was defending its common-sense restrictions on pornography by making users verify, just verify that they were old enough to access sexually explicit materials. But of course, these days, common sense, not so common. So what was the outcome of day? Well, here in studio to share about the case and how arguments went is the Attorney General of the state of Texas, Ken Paxton. General Paxton, welcome to Washington Watch. Good to see you back. It's great to be back. A little chilly here, though. It is a little chilly outside. This is the long underwear season. All right. So give us your take on it. First off, let's go back. I did talk about this last week and the fact that your case was coming up today. But for the sake of our viewers and listeners, what was this case about?
SPEAKER 11 :
So last session, a year and a half ago, the legislature, actually Senator Paxton, my wife, passed a bill that required age verification for pornography websites. And we started, and it gave my office the ability to enforce that. And we realized that these sites were not doing age verification. They were ignoring the law, so we started suing them. Well, they started suing us back, and they picked a federal court, friendly federal court, and they actually got an injunction stopping us from enforcing this law, which merely required, as you said, age verification so you had to be at least 18 years or older and they claimed they formed what was called a free speech coalition sounds good right uh to argue that we were violating their free speech rights so we actually got an injunction against us we went to the fifth circuit we got a stay of the injunction which meant we could now enforce it right and then they they appealed to the u.s supreme court to get their injunction back
SPEAKER 03 :
All right, so we don't restrict anything else that people under 18 do, right?
SPEAKER 11 :
No, as you all know, tobacco, firearms, you can't contract until you're 18, you can't get married. I mean, there's all kinds of things that we protect. We protect the military, we protect kids because their brains aren't fully developed and they just need time to grow up.
SPEAKER 03 :
So we prevent them from making decisions that would have long-term implications. That's exactly right. And if I'm not mistaken, and I haven't looked at the number lately, but it was about 17, 18 states that declared pornography as a public health crisis because of the longevity of the issues involved here.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, and that's another reason I think the legislature made the decision. It wasn't controversial to pass this bill. Even, I think, most of the Democrats voted for it. It's a bipartisan bill. I think they want their kids protected, too. And even the other side, this so-called, you know, free speech coalition, acknowledged in the arguments that the state has a compelling interest to protect kids and that they should protect kids from pornography. However, they argue out of the other side of their mouth, well, this isn't a good way to do it. The reason it's not a good way to do it is because it's effective. It works. So they... I THINK EVEN THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE PUBLIC IS BEHIND THIS IDEA OF PROTECTING CHILDREN, SO THEY CAN'T ARGUE THAT IT'S NOT A COMPELLING STATE INTEREST, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF IT IN ANOTHER WAY BY SAYING, WELL, YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT THAT WAY.
SPEAKER 03 :
I KNOW THAT A COURT SETTING IS MUCH DIFFERENT. YOU STAY FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE AT HAND. THE ISSUE AT HAND WAS THE FIRST AMENDMENT. DID THIS VIOLATE THE FIRST AMENDMENT? In this process, anywhere along the line, did it come up in terms of how profitable the pornography industry is and how much money they make?
SPEAKER 11 :
It only came up actually in the case today. One of the justices, I think it was Alito, that brought up the fact that this argument they were making Didn't make a lot of sense, except it clearly was motivated by profit. And look, I'm a free market, I'm good with profit, but not at the expense of children and the consequences that you're talking about for the rest of their lives. So yes, it came up, and I'm sure in the debate on the Texas Senate and House, I'm sure that came up, but it did actually come up in the arguments today.
SPEAKER 03 :
Your sense on how the arguments went today? I thought it was fantastic.
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, you know, getting into the legal details of whether we apply strict scrutiny or rational basis, no one really cares. I don't even care. I just care that they find a way to allow us to enforce our law and whether they were talking about If it falls in the category of strict scrutiny, maybe there's a place for this anyway. Or if we do rational basis, there's definitely a place. Or we might be able to create another category. But either way, as I think it was Justice Kavanaugh said, I don't care what you call it. We just need to find a way to do this. And I think that's where they're going to go.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that's encouraging because there are a lot of other states waiting to see what happens with your case.
SPEAKER 11 :
That's right. And they mentioned it. I mean, some of these even some of the more liberal justice mentioned like Keegan was like, well, asking the free speech. What would be acceptable? We got all these states and they said, well, I don't want to, you know. guess on what I think she said no you know what's out there I mean these states are pretty similar with her is any of this okay and he kind of bypassed it and said well it's not for me to decide what they should do but he obviously is deciding by trying to stop us from implementing what the people wanted
SPEAKER 03 :
Once again, Texas kind of leading the way on this. Last week I was talking to the Attorney General of Tennessee, who I think they may have filed an amicus in your case, but they are clearly waiting to see how this goes because they have a similar law. What's the timeline here? Is this going to be June, July before we hear something?
SPEAKER 11 :
You know, they did not disclose that to us, the Supreme Court. It seems to me like it's a case that seemed like they had... They were all pretty close. Even some of the more liberal justices accepted that something should be allowed by the state. So it's just going to be a matter of these little legal nuances and how they think that affects future cases. So I think I'm going to be surprised if it's one of the cases that they get over with sooner rather than later.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that's good. I mean, that's one of the areas that— Well, I got to be careful in how I say this, because yesterday we had a woman's girl sports bill on the House floor. And I was going to say that's where people come together. But that's not was not the case yesterday. Hopefully it'll be the case here with the case that you argued today on restrictions on access to pornography. General Paxson, always great to see you. Thanks for coming by the studio today. Glad to be here. Thanks for having me on. And folks, another reason to pray. We just need to be praying that we would have justices that would do justice and do what is right, and that we would continue to have men and women who would fight for what is right at the state level and the federal level. All right, don't go away. We're going to have more conversations about children when we return here on Washington Lodge. Don't go away. 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 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 01 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion. And this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you are the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sage con and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Wednesday afternoon. Check out the website, tonyperkins.com. Better yet, download the Stand Firm app and you can have Washington Watch in your pocket anywhere you go. Also, you'll get the Washington Stand, that news feed that comes from the Family Research Council, as well as Stand on the Word, our daily Bible study. And speaking of that, our word for today comes from Isaiah 64. Oh, that you would rend the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might shake at your presence as fire burns brushwood, as fire causes water to boil to make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence. The children of Israel were pleading for the power of God, his justice and goodness to be witnessed by the world in an extraordinary way. Now, this certainly applies to the second coming of Christ when the Lord shall descend from heaven. No one will be able to miss it. But notice the stated purpose for this request to make his name known to their adversaries. When we make the issue about God, his name, and his reputation, our concerns are taken care of. And where did their confidence come that he would act? Well, look at verse 3. When you did awesome things for which we did not look, you came down, the mountain shook at your presence. You see, God's character is unchanging. He's consistent. What he did before, he will do again. To join us in our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. Yesterday's debate on the House floor over the protection of women and girls in Sports Act illustrated the stranglehold that the trans movement has on the Democratic Party. In arguing against it, Democrats claimed that this legislation would lead to genital inspection by coaches and others. They argued that the number of cases of gender-confused males in female sports is extremely small. Now, we saw a similar argument recently with the release of a study last week claiming that fewer than one in 1,000 U.S. teens under the age of 18 with commercial insurance received puberty blockers or hormones from 2018 to 2022. It's a huge problem when they're pushing for government restrictions on counseling or forcing the use of certain pronouns. But when it comes to laws protecting children from irreversible surgeries and drugs, well, it's really not a problem. There's not that many cases of gender dysphoria. So which is it? Joining me now to discuss this, Dr. Jennifer Bowens, the director of the Center of Family Studies here at FRC. Dr. Bowens has worked extensively as a researcher and a clinician providing trauma-focused treatment to children in foster care, in behavioral health settings, and also to adults who experienced interpersonal traumas. Dr. Bowens, thanks for joining us today. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 06 :
It's good to be with you, Tony.
SPEAKER 03 :
Okay, let's start with this study that I read a story about it in the AP last week. Give us the overview and then unpack it for us.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, if you just read the AP or NPR, you'd think, oh, my goodness, this giving out puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, it's just not really that big a deal, not that many people are affected. So if you pay attention to that spin, then you might be inclined to ignore the problem. However, if you actually look at the study and Many studies that go along with this issue or address this issue, you see a number of real problems with the methodology. Starting with, for example, the sample. How did they get the sample?
SPEAKER 03 :
That jumped out to me right away because in the first paragraph or second paragraph, it says that this is a study of adolescents with commercial insurance. Right. And not many insurance covers this yet because they've not been able to force them to cover it. So they're going elsewhere to get this type of treatment.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. And we know Medicaid has been providing puberty blockers.
SPEAKER 03 :
And they excluded that from this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yes, they excluded GoFundMe, Planned Parenthood.
SPEAKER 03 :
This has become an industry for Planned Parenthood.
SPEAKER 06 :
It has become a huge industry. And I just back up so that our viewers understand a little bit more about the sampling issue. So we're just coming off an election. We're all thinking about polls, et cetera. If we look at history, we have a great example of how this study fits into our historical knowledge of research. You take, for instance, the election of FDR. He was running against Alf Landon in 1936. And everyone was predicting that Alf Landon would win. Most of us don't even know who Alf Landon is.
SPEAKER 03 :
I didn't vote in that election.
SPEAKER 06 :
You didn't vote in that?
SPEAKER 03 :
No, I didn't.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, good. Now we know your age, Tony. So what we learned from that polling data is that they went for those US citizens who had telephones and had automobiles. At that time, that was not as common as it is today. And they ended up with a faulty polling data because ALF Landing clearly did not win by a landslide. And in fact, Gallup is, that's where he got his start was because he predicted that FDR would win and that people who didn't have a lot of financial mobility would vote for FDR. And that holds true. So what's the lesson here? The lesson is when you don't accurately depict your sample, you can end up with a very bad impression about what's going on in reality. And that's the case with this study here. We are told that not many people are on puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones or getting transgender procedures. That's not true. We have other studies that show about 63,000 prescriptions have been written annually. About 6,000 surgeries have been conducted. And so what's the discrepancy? Again, going back to they're only looking at private insurers and they're making these huge claims that this is such a small problem. But in reality, we know that's not true.
SPEAKER 03 :
I'm not a pollster. I took statistics in college and I understand that. And I read polls. You can. reach an outcome that you want based upon your sample and what you try to do. This clearly had a desired outcome.
SPEAKER 06 :
Clearly. And actually, if you look at the other study that goes along with the one on puberty blockers, it specifically looked at transgender surgical procedures on minors. And what you see in that write-up is, it's just profound. The authors compare these transgender procedures to a condition in biological men, we shouldn't even have to say biological, but men, And that's where they have swollen breast tissue. And they're saying if somebody wants surgery to remove that breast tissue that may be due to hormone imbalances, that that's a type of gender-affirming surgery. So their whole study is constructed on the notion that somebody who has a physical problem to deal with, you know, to cosmetically look more like, you know, their biological sex, then that constitutes a transgender procedure. When those who are getting transgender procedures have, it's completely psychological, has nothing to do with the physical. Right. So that right there just shows you how much they're going to prove their point that this is not about good science. It's about their ideology and their worldview that they're wanting to research.
SPEAKER 03 :
A desired outcome. So let me go back, Dr. Biles, to what I said at the beginning, because correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like, you know, over the last couple of years, we've been told that this is a huge problem, that we have all of these children that have gender dysphoria. You know, I've talked about this on the program. A lot of it kind of a social media contagion that has spread. And they were putting that number out there to, one, in many cases, like California, block access to counseling. They're doing everything they can to lock these kids into that gender dysphoria, that confusion. But now that 26 states have actually passed laws that prohibit these experimental surgeries and drugs on minors and it's, you know, gone to the Supreme Court, they're changing their tune, saying it's, oh, it's not really a problem. And so you're taking a sledgehammer at a gnat. It's essentially what they're saying. Yes. So how can it be both things at the same time?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. Yeah. Now it's no big deal. But before, it's like, how can we do this to so many people? The fact of the matter is we do know that there's been a rise in those who are even getting diagnosed with gender dysphoria. So that doesn't even count for those who aren't going to clinical practice. So there is a clear rise. And there is a clear rise in the number of people perceiving it.
SPEAKER 03 :
And it's a problem. And it is a problem. And a lot of this, in your background with trauma, a lot of this is connected to trauma.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. It's connected. We're not dealing with the root issues. And the fact that we're even using these procedures on one child should constitute legislation.
SPEAKER 03 :
So I just want to be very clear here. We're not saying this is not a problem. We're saying it is a problem. It is. And I see it. And again you're the expert. But as I see it you have two issues here. Number one you have this social contagion that's out there this promotion that this is cool. This is thing. But then underlying that you have this rise in trauma. through sexual abuse or emotional abuse. And oftentimes, again, you're the expert, correct me if I'm wrong, but oftentimes this is a form of response in terms of defense against further abuse and trauma.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah. And I want to say this to Tony that, you know, we used to think about exposure to sexual material at an early age as as a type of trauma. Right. And now we've just institutionalized it. And we have kids exposed to sexual material early on across the board. It's like our own covid pandemic in the school system.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and we actually want—schools actually want to expose them with their sexual education material that is pornographic in its content.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right. So you're absolutely correct in saying, you know, we do have two different issues going on. We have the rise of trauma in our society, but then we also have this social contagion, which is— very much at work on this issue.
SPEAKER 03 :
And so we're saying, yes, we need to deal with it. Surgeries and drugs are not the way to deal with it. But counseling, therapy is the way forward. And that avenue has been blocked on many occasions by these same people that are doing these studies saying that it's not a problem.
SPEAKER 06 :
Right, right. And again, we have a whole system at play that needs to be changed because researchers It's not right to call this an objective study and have other news outlets pick this up as an unbiased... I think AP News said this is the most reliable data point. Well, we have a number of other data points that show that these numbers are not reliable. And clearly, we have a worldview that has been fueling this research question. And... And it's been used, this whole study has been used as a political weapon.
SPEAKER 03 :
To arrive at a desired place. What other anomalies do you see with this study?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I think that one of the things that probably has been less discussed is the fact that they talk about the gender dysphoria diagnosis, how they arrived at their sample. But then they also talk about gender diverse people. You know, from a research perspective, if you're going to look into something, you need to define your terms really very clearly. And here in this study, it's kind of like they're lumping in a number of terms, and we don't really know, okay, is it a diagnosis that you're looking at, or is it... What does gender diverse mean? It's like gender fluid. Okay, who are these people? How do you measure them? And how do you predict that they're going to stay in this continuum of whatever it is? You can't. You can't. It's not clear. So, you know, like this study, like many of the other ones, you can easily pick them apart. And it's sad. It really gives science a bad name.
SPEAKER 03 :
It does. Just like we saw what happened to health care during COVID, it really lessens the trust, weakens the trust that Americans have in these institutions. And I want to, we just got a couple minutes left, Dr. Bowens, I want to ask you this question because you have come out of the academic world and the research world. We've seen recently how corporate America has kind of backed away from some of this DEI wokeness, and I put this into that same category because it all comes out of the same basket. Will that reach education? Will academia, will they come to their senses and begin to do valid, trustworthy research that is not constructed to reach a predetermined outcome?
SPEAKER 06 :
I think that actually this administration has a grand opportunity before them and to address some of the things that are less exciting and interesting, and that is let's go after the grant funding. Let's go after the money that taxpayer dollars are currently spent on issues like this, on the trans issue, that most Americans don't even agree with. So I think that a number of academics will come to their senses when their pocketbooks are affected and there is no longer money to fuel this type of research. It might surprise us how quickly their ideology shifts.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it does underscore the big carrot, I guess it was almost a stick, that the federal government has with all of the funding that it provides for research because nobody else is going to pay for this stuff. Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, you have a few activists, but, you know, they were smart. They propped up a number of universities with huge endowments and, you know, with kind of the stipulation that they would research this stuff. I mean, you have to give it to them in that sense that they were smart to do what they do because they have a continued discourse that they are funding and that they've started that they can kind of back out from. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, there's just another area that we're going to need to be watching and speaking into and praying about as we go into this new administration. Dr. Jennifer Bowens, always great to see you. Thanks for stopping by. Good to see you too, Tony. All right. And folks, thank you for stopping by as well. And this is another item to add to your prayer list, that truth would come back into the realm of academia. that the research would be authentic and we would tell the truth again. What an amazing concept. All right, we're out of time for today, but I do want to thank you for joining us, and I encourage you to check out the Stand Firm app so you can stay in touch with us throughout the day. Until next time, I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul, founder of Ephesians 6, where he says, when you've done everything you can do, when you've prayed, prepared, and 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.
In this compelling episode of Washington Watch, Tony Perkins dives into some of the nation's most contested issues, starting with a robust discussion on the rights of women in sports amidst the ongoing debate over gender inclusion. Congressman Greg Stubbe joins the conversation to explore the recent legislative wins and the surprising reactions from political parties.
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 10 :
It's a sad day in our country when radical leftists are willing to erase the rights that women have fought decades to obtain, all to elevate biological males to the top of women's platforms.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was Florida Congressman Greg Stubbe on the House floor earlier today at the opening of debate over his bill, Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. Welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in and making us part of your day. While fairness in women's sports is the driving issue, the underlying debate is about recognizing the design of the creator, male and female, which may explain why the bill narrowly passed earlier today, 218 to 206, with only two Count them two Democrats voting for the common sense measure. Congressman Stubbe joins us in just a moment. We'll also get an update from the Senate as the confirmation hearings began today for President Trump's cabinet picks. Montana Senator Steve Daines, a part of the Senate leadership, joins us later. And unfortunately, Los Angeles continues to burn. The historic fire will cost billions. Should federal aid be conditioned upon the state changing their foolish policies that foster the disaster?
SPEAKER 02 :
Our politicians have obsessed over things like banning lawn mowers, banning leaf blowers, all the while neglecting our forests and leaving our communities vulnerable.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was California Congressman Kevin Kiley. He joins us later on this edition of Washington Watch. And those same DEI woke policies that the Biden administration pushed in the Secret Service that nearly caused President Trump to be killed and that Gavin Newsom has advanced in California, they all failed on the day of testing. What does that say about our nation's military, which has been captive to the same ideology for the last four years? Is our military prepared for the future? Retired Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin, a founding member of the Army's Delta Force, joins me for that conversation here in studio and from a parallel universe.
SPEAKER 11 :
Compared to four years ago, America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen. During my presidency, I've increased America's power at every dimension.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was President Joe Biden yesterday at his farewell foreign policy address at the State Department. The world is more dangerous than it's ever been. And we're going to talk about it. All right, coming up this Sunday, inauguration, praise, and prayer convocation ceremony here in Washington, D.C. It'll be at 2 p.m. If you're in the area and you'd like to join us, go to frc.org slash prayer. There are a few seats still available. It's a free event, but you have to register because seating is limited. If you're not coming to D.C., you can join us on the Stand Firm app. We'll be broadcasting the event on the Stand Firm app. Go to the App Store, download the Stand Firm app, or simply text APP APP to 67742. Well, as I mentioned earlier today, the House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act by a vote of 218 to 206, with only two Democrats joining the Republicans. The bill, reintroduced by Florida Congressman Greg Stubbe, seeks to amend Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to keep female sports in school athletic programs exclusively for biological females. Now, given how the trans issue hurt Democrats during the election, what does today's vote tell us about that? how well they were listening. Joining me now to discuss the latest is the author of the bill, Congressman Greg Stubbe. He represents the 17th Congressional District of Florida. Congressman Stubbe, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you and Happy New Year. Yeah. Hey, Tony. Thanks for having me. All right. Are you surprised by how the Democrats in the House voted today?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I was surprised two years ago when not a single Democrat voted for this common sense piece of legislation, and today only two. This is going to be an election issue for them in two years. Maybe they think that it's two years is a long time from now, but we saw this as an election issue just a couple of months ago during the presidential race. It's like 72% of Americans believe that boys shouldn't be in girls sports. This is a overwhelmingly supported issue across America. So it is very shocking. And then you had one Democrat vote present. That Democrat is in a district that he only won by like a point and a half, two points. So you can guarantee that that's gonna be an issue he's gonna have to deal with going into the next election cycle. But it just shows you how out of touch Democrats are with the majority of America.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, this has been building really over the last 10 years we've seen this. And you had this legislation several years ago, and it's been moving toward this point. And as you mentioned, it was a big issue in this past fall's election. And there are 13 congressional districts. which Democrats hold today that Donald Trump won in the election. And the Trump campaign made a big deal out of women's sports and the transgender issue. It's not going to go away, as you said. What is keeping them from Again, this is a very common sense piece of legislation. It's about fairness. You don't really have to get into the biology and the whole issue, although I do think it's ideologically the underpinning here is about creation, male, female. They reject the idea that there's absolute truth. But on the surface, this is about fairness. What don't they get?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I don't know, because it is going to be an issue for them as you move into this next cycle. And you're right. I started out my speech talking about the word and truth and that there is men and women and that God created us independently and separately. And so, yeah, I don't understand what they're getting, but they're afraid of their left flank. They're afraid that a progressive Democrat's gonna come along and that's pro-trans or whatever the case may be. The Democrats call this discriminating against trans women and trans boys and all that kind of stuff, made up terminology that 10 years ago nobody would even know what that word means, but apparently now that's a very used term in democratic circles. So the bottom line is politically they're afraid of their left flank. And if a progressive Democrat comes along and fights him on this issue, the far left of their party will root out any type of reason on these issues.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I mean, speaking of the terminology, I'm still struggling to keep up with it because it doesn't make sense. Trans man, trans woman, what exactly does that mean? But you now have a transgendered member of Congress in the Democratic Party that is in the House for the first time. Is that going to lock the Democratic Party into this view that you can choose your own gender?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, no, I think absolutely it does. I believe you're rejecting the truth when you do those type of things. And as I said on my speech on the House floor, they believe there are 74 different genders. And there'll probably, in five years, there'll probably be more than that. One of it is astral gender, that you believe that you're a gender related to outer space. I mean, that's how absurd these things are, but they can define that. They can define what astral gender is, but they can't define what a woman is. And they're so afraid of their left flank that I believe that they're just going to vote no. And they'll try to give you all these reasons as to why. And all the arguments on the floor were all outright lies. There's not going to be anybody checking the gender of sports based on the birth certificate.
SPEAKER 06 :
I want to play one of the clips of one of those from the left flank of the Democratic Party. Ayanna Pressley had this to say about the bill. And I want you to respond to a clip number nine.
SPEAKER 07 :
Imagine you are eight years old trying out for the soccer team and your coach demands that you show them your genitals. That is abuse. That is exploitation. That is egregious. But it is exactly what this Republican bill does.
SPEAKER 10 :
An absolute, complete, outright lie.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, how do they stand there and say this with a straight face?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, because they believe their own lies and then the mainstream media is going to perpetuate that lie. It's just like what the mainstream media has been doing when Trump collusion and all these other kind of things. The bill says it is the gender you were assigned biologically at birth. So none of this that they're arguing is ever gonna happen. It's a lie. It's to try to enrage people. Oh, that's horrible and Republicans are bad. And it's just, it's an outright lie and the mainstream media is gonna perpetuate that lie. It's just unfortunate. All you gotta do, the bill's very short. It's like a page and a half or two pages or whatever it is. Read it for yourself if you don't believe me, but that's exactly what it is, is it's the gender you were assigned biologically at birth will determine what sport you play in.
SPEAKER 06 :
Greg, let me just ask you this, because, I mean, look, this is very straightforward. It's not a lengthy bill. It's not complicated. It's something that 10 years ago we would have thought, why are you even talking about this? But it is reality today. But when you see that a major political party, the other major political party, the Democratic Party, only two members of that party were able to vote for this piece of legislation. Where are we headed as a country?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, we've seen just evil perpetuated during the Biden administration, the complete removal of truth. We've seen that for the last four years. Thankfully, we got President Trump coming in. But I don't think that this party is going to move to the center in any way because, again, they're afraid of their left flank. They're afraid of the trans movement and they're afraid of progressives. And so that's dictating their determinations on issues, despite the fact that that the overwhelming majority of their districts, like those 13 districts that Trump won that currently has a Democratic member of Congress, I can guarantee you if you poll that district, the majority of that district believes that women's sports should be just that and that biological men shouldn't be allowed to compete in those women's sports. But they're so afraid of their left flank, they're gonna continue to act in this manner.
SPEAKER 06 :
And if we have the pattern that we've seen over the, you know, I've been here over 20 years, we see kind of four years of conservative governance, four years of liberal governance. You know, it's an almost back and forth. As you pointed out in your speech on the floor about this today, you talked about the fact that we're created by God, male and female. And you've done that before. You don't hide that fact. You're a Christian. The way forward, is it not recognizing that this is also a spiritual battle that we're going to have to engage in, not just politically, but spiritually with boldness and courage and appealing to heaven?
SPEAKER 10 :
And more people being willing to go to the floor and talk about that, more people being willing to go to the floor and talk about their faith, to talk about the word, to talk about truth. And that's what we have to do to compete against evil in this country. And you're right, 100%, this is a spiritual battle and we should wage it that way, as we're told in Ephesians.
SPEAKER 06 :
Is the Republican Party moving on that? Because I recall over the last few years, there's been some timidity among Republicans of advancing on this issue and speaking, as you just described, openly about the fact that there is truth. Are we making progress?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I hope so. I'm honored to have the opportunity to do it, and I try to do it on a regular basis. Anytime I have the opportunity to address issues like that, I obviously bring up my faith, I bring up the truth, I bring up the word. But yeah, more members need to be comfortable in doing that. I think we've elected, I haven't gotten to know some of the freshmen very well, but most of the people I talk to are obviously Christians, and hopefully they'll allow that to dictate how they act up here, and also Be faithful about putting that out there to the American people that this is why we're doing what we're doing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Congressman Greg Stubbe, I want to commend you for your steadfastness and for your boldness and your compassion as well and for being a good representative, not just for the folks in Florida, but for all of us believers across the country. Thanks for joining us today. Yeah, thanks for having me. All right, after the break, Senator Steve Daines will join me to talk about what's happening over in the Senate. A few things happening over there. We had a confirmation hearing today, the first for Pete Hegseth, who's been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump as Secretary of Defense. And there's some other things that Senator Steve Daines is working on to advance the sanctity of human life. There's still some fighters fighting for life. Senator Daines is one of them. He joins us next, so don't go anywhere.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 14 :
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 Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, download the Stand Firm app and you can have Washington Watch with you wherever you go. You can find it in the App Store. Stand Firm so that you can stand firm. All right. With the inauguration just six days away, Senate committees will be holding hearings this week on President-elect Trump's cabinet nominee, starting today with his pick for defense secretary, Pete Hexeth. And last week, in previewing the Senate agenda and key priorities, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said senators will work to ensure each nominee, quote, has a fair process without unnecessary delays or obstruction, end quote. I wonder if he told that to the Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. He also said that they will confirm those nominees swiftly so that the Trump-Vance administration can hit the ground running. Well, Leader Thune himself has put together his own unofficial cabinet, which was rounded out by the recent selection of four GOP senators as informal advisors, his kitchen cabinet. And among them is Senator Steve Daines of Montana, who joins us now. Senator Daines, welcome back to Washington Watch and Happy New Year.
SPEAKER 05 :
Glad to join you, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, first, congratulations on being selected by the Majority Leader to be at his side to help navigate. I'm sure that has a lot to do with all of the work you did going into this election cycle. You did a great job expanding the Republican majority there in the Senate. Tell us a little bit about what you'll be doing in that role.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, first of all, I'm thankful that we have two men of faith as you look at the House and the Senate with Speaker Johnson, a man of faith. as well as Leader Thune in the Senate, a man of faith, both very committed to pro-life policies. So it was an honor to serve now in Senator Thune, Leader Thune's inner circle. The way that works is you have the elected leaders, which I served in that capacity as chairman of the NRC, elected by my peers in the last Congress. But then the leader typically asks two, three, or four senators to join his leadership team, not elected but appointed by the leader. And Senator Thune appointed me to that role. I had my first leadership meeting yesterday. I'm thankful for that. Give me a chance to continue to work with Leader Thune as well as work with the entire Republican conference as we look at strategy, setting priorities, and getting policies through the Senate and onto the president's desk.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I'm thankful that you're there as your history on pro-life. You headed up the pro-life caucus there in the Senate. And so I'm glad you're going to be there in the inner circle because I think we're at a point where we need a little agitation on the life issue because some have kind of moved away from that. The party platform moved away from it. And we cannot abandon the unborn. And I think you share that view.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely, Tony. There's got to be a voice here for those who do not have a voice, and that's the unborn. I like using the word pre-born. In fact, we have six grandchildren now, Tony, believe it or not, my grandpa. Our youngest daughter, Caroline, is pregnant with our seventh grandbaby. We're very thankful. And I think every time you go through a pregnancy, if you look at the technology we have, the insights we have into the womb, the amazing, amazing miracle of life from the point of conception. And we've got to be the voice for those little babies that do not have a voice in Congress. That's our job.
SPEAKER 06 :
And you're not just being a voice. You're also taking steps to do that. Yesterday, you led a resolution supporting the Geneva Consensus Declaration. That goes back to the previous Trump administration that Secretary Pompeo and others worked on. Talk a little bit about that and why that's important.
SPEAKER 05 :
Really important, Tony. I think it's one of the more underreported stories and policy items we have here in Washington. And I credit Mike Pompeo, when he was Secretary of State in President Trump's first term, for leading the charge there to get countries around the world the Geneva Consensus Declaration that basically affirms life and marriage. The irony is that we've seen this movement grow We're up to now 39 countries. We were once upon a time a signatory on the Geneva Consensus Declaration until President Biden took office. He removed the United States while at the same time more countries around the world were added to it. Frankly, it's an embarrassment to our country to think that President Biden took us off that important group of 39 countries under President Trump's leadership. I've already talked this with soon to be confirmed Senator Marco Rubio to be Secretary of State Marco Rubio. I've chatted with Marco about that, that we would get the United States back on the Geneva Consensus Declaration and be one of the early acts that President Trump makes, make us the 40th country.
SPEAKER 06 :
Now, that was also led by the Department of Health and Human Services, the two together working with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Are we going to have that same type of support within domestically within our Department of Health and Human Services?
SPEAKER 05 :
You know, I had that conversation directly with the nominee, you know, RFK Jr. He was here in my office, literally about 25 feet from where I'm speaking to you, Tony. And we had a very robust discussion, in fact, talking about the importance of protecting the pro-life policies in terms of regulations coming out of HHS, but importantly, restoring any policies that the Biden administration has stripped. And to make sure that, as you said, working with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of HHS, we are doing all we can within the executive branch to make sure these protections are in place and frankly expanded. And he's told me that he'll have seven direct reports, seven reports to HHS. They would be pro-life type of leaders. And I appreciate that honesty. and frighten us from RFK Jr.
SPEAKER 06 :
Is it your expectation, Senator, that where the last Trump administration left off when it came to the life issue, religious freedom issue, and that involves several departments, not just the White House itself proper, but the entire federal government at a execution level, do you anticipate them returning to that being that where they left off kind of being a benchmark of where they start going forward?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I think I do. And it's something that we need to continue to engage as members of Congress. And as you know, Tony, our success that we had in 2024 in the United States Senate by going from just 49 Republican senators and now 53 reclaiming that majority is so important. That was the fruit of our labor of working closely with President Trump as a candidate, very popular. Of course, his success led to our success of making sure we had senators running in these races that were pro-life could work with President Trump, President Trump supported, and could win. And that's exactly what we saw happen. And now we have this new majority that puts us in a strong position to keep working within the Trump administration to make sure life protections are not only protected, but also advanced.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and we're going to have that conversation with you and others, and we'll make sure that that issue does not get lost in the shuffle of the many issues and challenges that lie before us. Senator Steve Daines, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for joining us today.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. Have a great day. Senator Steve Daines of Montana. All right. Coming up next, we're going to dive in once again to the woke policies that set the stage for what's happening in California. That's next. Don't go away.
SPEAKER 13 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 12 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 12 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 13 :
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're looking for what they can pour into you instead of what they can get out of you.
SPEAKER 12 :
I have talked to so many of my friends who have interned other places and they're responding to emails or taking phone calls. 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 04 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings and he's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 06 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls, text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us on this Tuesday. Download the Stand Firm app, go to the app store and get Stand Firm. You can get Washington Watch, you can get the Washington Stand and also Stand on the Word every morning, your devotional. All right, speaking of the Bible, Proverbs 25, 10 reads, if you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. In other words, if you're overcome when trouble comes your way, you're not prepared. Now, there are some things you just can't prepare for. There are other things you can prepare for. For instance, if you're in charge of protecting your community from devastating fires, you're gonna be proactive with forest management that minimizes risk. You're gonna have fire hydrants that actually have water running to them. And you're going to have a fire department trained to fight fires, not select the right pronouns to prove your diversity. Well, this is exactly what has set California ablaze with fire and the nation with indignation as California Governor Gavin Newsom and others want the federal government to pay for their incompetency. I was on the Hill earlier today and I shared my thoughts in a meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson that any federal funding should be conditioned on policy changes. Period. Joining me now to discuss this and to give us the latest is Congressman Kevin Kiley, who serves on three House committees, including the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He represents California's third congressional district. Congressman Kiley, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 02 :
You bet. Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
So Governor Newsom has called for an investigation into the hydrant failures. What do you believe this will reveal about the state's preparedness for wildfires?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I don't think Newsom's so-called investigation is going to reveal much. If anything, it'll probably just kind of disappear. This is what he likes to do when he gets in trouble is announce some sort of investigation to try to blame other people. What we need is actually a federal investigation and oversight into the absolute political failures and failures of competence that at the very least contributed to the scale of this disaster. When you look at the years and years of just absolutely insane forest management policy and water policy and a whole host of other areas that California and Governor Newsom in particular is responsible for, I think that it's going to be important that we lay that out very clearly and that we use the levers that we have at the federal level to have aggressive oversight going forward to make sure that this sort of thing never happens again.
SPEAKER 06 :
Congressman, I know that in California, you know, I don't live there, but I visit there fairly often. You guys don't have any tax. You don't pay taxes. You know, you don't the government doesn't have any money, do they? They don't have anything to operate.
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, it's one of the most highly taxed states in the nation. I mean, everything is so expensive there. And it's because of government policy and government taxation. But everything's fine as long as everything's fine. But as soon as there's a problem, we realize that they haven't been focused on doing what you hired them to do and what they're supposed to do with this money of the citizens.
SPEAKER 02 :
That's exactly right. You know, California has the highest taxes in the entire country. And it's, you know, for example, for drivers, they say, well, I pay the highest gas taxes, and yet I'm driving over potholes constantly. Where exactly is the money going? And so on a larger level then, we have the highest taxes in the country, well over a $300 billion budget now. and yet we have fire hydrants that don't have water coming out of them. We have fire departments that were not adequately staffed. We have empty reservoirs. We have forests that are completely overgrown, tinderboxes, millions and millions of acres of overgrown forests. And so people do ask, what is happening to all that money? And so I think that what you see emerging in California is this movement of citizens who are demanding change and common sense in our government. And I like to call it back to basics, you know, build our roads, store our water, manage our forests, maintain our grid, fund our police and fire, do the things government's supposed to do, do them well and do nothing else. And instead, we have a government that's doing a whole lot of other things that it shouldn't be doing, but is utterly failing at the basics.
SPEAKER 06 :
You don't think the fire department should be focused on pronouns?
SPEAKER 02 :
I mean, maybe not a top priority or maybe you shouldn't.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me just read. Let me read the Los Angeles Fire Department. This is the bio of the fire chief. First paragraph. Now, people are saying, well, you're making something out of this. No, this is what this is. The fire department's own priority. Kristen Crowley, the 19th fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, with her wife and children by her side, becoming the first female and LGBTQ fire chief in LAFD. And then goes on to talk about her priorities are creating diversity, and she's created this whole department focused on diversity. I mean, shouldn't it be focused on fighting fires and preparing for fires?
SPEAKER 02 :
You would think. The good news is I think that a lot of this nonsense is about to end. I mean, you're seeing, for example, the Department of Defense, which has also got caught up in all of this DEI type dogma. That, I think, is all going to go under the new administration. And that these fires, frankly, and what we've seen happen in California, I think will be a wake up call as well. But I mean, you look at L.A., they warned the fire department about cutting funding. But nevertheless, they cut funding. And then at the same time, they passed a resolution just a few weeks ago to reaffirm their status as a sanctuary city. And so the priorities just could not be more backwards.
SPEAKER 06 :
Let me ask you about the sanctuary city. Is it true that the reports are that one of the persons that have been detained for starting one of the fires was an illegal immigrant? I mean, I'm just that's one of the reports. Can you verify that?
SPEAKER 02 :
I don't know that for a fact right now, but we have plenty of stories of people who committed truly heinous crimes. We had a man who murdered his own three adult daughters but had been in police custody the week before and would have been deported if he was here illegally, if not for the sanctuary state law. So I think that, honestly, there's going to be a lot of changes coming in California. I met with President Trump a couple of days ago in Mar-a-Lago, and I think there's going to be a lot of opportunities for us to bring some sanity back when it comes to water, fire, when it comes to the free health care for illegal immigrants, when it comes to the sanctuary state policy, even things like homelessness and high speed rail. California has gotten just so far out of step with with just basic sanity. There's a change coming, though, I think.
SPEAKER 06 :
It can't come soon enough. Congressman, great to see you. Thanks for joining us here on Washington Watch today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Of course. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. As Kevin brought up the issue of the Department of Defense and what's been happening in the military, Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin joins me next to talk about just that. 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 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 09 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you're the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together no matter the cost if you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active governance engaged conservative or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself go to frc.org sagecon and take the quiz to find out The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm Tony Perkins, and this is Washington Watch. Glad that you have joined us on this Tuesday. Download the Stand Firm app at the App Store, Stand Firm, and you can have Washington Watch with you no matter where you are. You can get our news feed, our online news and commentary from a biblical perspective, the Washington Stand, and our morning devotional, Stand on the Word. That's found at the App Store, Stand Firm. Our word for today comes from Isaiah 62. I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord do not keep silent and give Him no rest till He establishes, until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Now in these verses, God calls watchmen, pastors, prophets, and intercessors who, following the example of Jesus, will not remain silent. They are told not to let God rest until He fulfills His promises. The Lord is actually inviting us to join Him in His work by continually reminding Him of what He has pledged and promised to do. And we can confidently participate in this because of the assurance found in verse 8 of this chapter, the Lord has sworn by His right hand and the arm of the Lord His strength. Surely I will no longer give your grain as food for your enemies and the sons of the foreigners shall not drink your new wine for which you have labored. Here, God reaffirms that He Himself, the arm of His strength, will accomplish what He has promised. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. Well, as we've been discussing, Democrats in California are taking heat for poor planning and bad policies as wildfires rage across Los Angeles County. And a part of this is how they prioritized woke policies over safety. As I often say, elections have consequences, sometimes tragic consequences, and it's fine as long as everything's fine. But in that day of reckoning, in that day of testing, if you're not prepared, the consequences are significant. I mean, I think about what happened just a few months ago with the assassination attempt on President-elect Donald Trump and the fact that as they delved into the hearings and looking at the Secret Service, the top priority of the commissioner was what? DEI. It almost got the president killed. Now we're looking at California. What's the top priority out there? DEI and wokeness. And literally thousands of structures are burning, lives are being lost. Now, here's the question. We know that for the last four years, our nation's military has been subjected, held captive to these same DEI woke initiatives from the Biden administration. Is our military ready for its day of testing? Joining me now to discuss this and more, retired Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin, Executive Vice President here at the Family Research Council. General Boykin spent the last four years of his 36 and a half year military career serving as the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, and he was one of the original members of the U.S. Army's Delta Force. General, thanks for joining me today. Good to be with you, Tony. Am I overstating the concern that when you see these entities, these agencies that have a mission to do, Los Angeles Fire Department, fight, prevent fires, Secret Service, keep the protectees safe, our nation's military focused on our national defense and our protection. When they are distracted by these DEI woke policies that take priority, they fail in their mission.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, has anybody ever shown you any of the positive results from this woke agenda that has been forced onto our military, but also forced onto our whole government? And many of the major corporations in this country today have done exactly the same thing, although they're relooking it now. Right. So it's fine as long as everything's fine.
SPEAKER 06 :
Not fine with me. Well, but in the day of adversity, when what you're supposed to do is put to the test, if you have been, your energy and your efforts have been distracted on making sure you pick the right pronouns. And I mean, the military's actually put out videos. I know. Teaching sailors, airmen, and soldiers, and even Marines to use the right pronouns.
SPEAKER 01 :
It's disgusting. I don't know what else to say other than that it is disgusting because what we're doing is we're spending a lot of money and a lot of very precious time, particularly in the military, time that needs to be spent out preparing to win the nation's wars. And when you have our people sitting in a classroom because of this woke agenda or when you have them getting kicked out of the military because they won't take a shot that they don't want and we find out now they didn't need to begin with. That's where we are. Are you concerned about the readiness of our military? I'm very concerned about it. You and I have talked about it and I'm very concerned about it and I'm concerned about it because First of all, we can't meet our recruiting goals anymore. And I saw something today that was talking about the Navy couldn't meet theirs, and they had lowered their standards in an effort to try and meet them last year, 2024. So where are we headed with all of this? We're headed for oblivion. I mean, we're destroying our military.
SPEAKER 06 :
We are extremely vulnerable right now. Our nation is vulnerable because our military has not been focused on preparing for its mission. That's exactly right. The incoming administration has pledged to fix this. What are the top three areas that the incoming administration should be focused on to correct the course the military is on?
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, the first thing is tell all of the DEI people on these installations your day of undermining the chain of command of our people here is over. Take a walk. We've got to get rid of them. We've got to make sure everybody understands that it's gone. The second thing is we've got to relook our priorities with regards to what we're acquiring because we've got to look at what our enemies are acquiring and what technology they have that we need to be up to speed on. And maybe we need to change some of our priorities with regards to that. And then the final thing is we just need the president to go back and change the names of these forts. Now, you look at me like, well, what difference does that make? You know as a Marine that tradition is very, very important. You take pride in being part of an organization that has fought battles before. And these forts, these forts have seen a lot of young men and women go through there and now we have ruined the history and the legacy of them because we've done something as stupid as that.
SPEAKER 06 :
I don't think people understand the importance and the power of history. Because our history and our celebration of our history shapes who we become and who we will be. And when we lose that history, we then are, we kind of live in a vacuum where we can redefine everything. And that's what I think this was intended to do, was redefine our military into not a fighting force, but a politically correct, you know, I don't know what you'd, but it's certainly not a fighting force. And it's going to take someone tough to correct this. And I think and from my vantage point in the last administration, I know that President Trump never got a handle on the Department of Defense. That was one of the areas State Department actually was making progress under Pompeo. The Department of Defense never got there. And I think that's in part why he has chosen Pete Hegseth to lead. But there are some that raise questions. He had his first confirmation hearing today. Some raised question about his past. And, you know, he's young, which I don't think that's a problem. I mean, I think we've had very young leaders before. And I think energy, you're going to have to have somebody that's got some energy to come into that, into the Department of Defense and change what needs to be changed. But there's questions about his moral character that raise concerns. And I think in the military, you talk about tradition, you talk about how the military operates. It operates different than corporate America. It operates different than the political environment because you have to have trust. And that means that morality is not just a you know, kind of a ideological thing. It is a very practical element of building a cohesive fighting force. Right.
SPEAKER 01 :
And you know, up until Barack Obama was president, it was illegal for you as a married man or married woman to engage in any intimate relationship with someone, it was illegal. It was a court martial offense. And now, look at where we are with this. And I... And what was the reason for that?
SPEAKER 06 :
Explain the reason for that. I mean, there's a very practical reason.
SPEAKER 01 :
It is all about the cohesion and the unity of the organizations If you have men sleeping with another man's wife, then you have just interrupted or disrupted the cohesion of that particular organization.
SPEAKER 06 :
When you're deployed and your wife or your spouse is back home, You want to know that the military is saying, you know, I'm protecting your relationship because anyone who transgresses that relationship between a husband and a wife is going to be subject to criminal charges in the military. So that that person who is deployed at a forward post or in combat can be singularly minded on their mission and not distracted by what's going on back home. That's just one example.
SPEAKER 01 :
I tell you, it's a serious enough issue that when I was commanding all the Green Berets, I relieved a group commander. A group commander is a brigade commander. He's a colonel. And I relieved one for exactly that. And I could have court-martialed him, but I looked at the situation and I gave him an opportunity to resign. and he did when he realized that I was going to fire him and take him to a court-martial anyhow. So this is a serious issue. I mean, it's a really serious issue, and look, if you look at what has happened to our military since our president, our current president, that is, Joe Biden, has been in office, you've got... Across this country, you've got people that don't want to even talk about or think about joining our military.
SPEAKER 04 :
Right.
SPEAKER 01 :
And how are we going to sustain? You ask me, you know, are we suffering in terms of readiness? Yes. And part of it is because nobody wants to serve in the military anymore because there's a generation of people right now that were forced out of the military because they wouldn't take a shot. Over 8,000 in the army.
SPEAKER 06 :
Speaking of that, I want to transition to one final topic before we leave. Just got a few minutes left. President Biden yesterday speaking at the State Department, kind of giving his farewell address on the foreign policy front. He said, compared, I'm quoting him, compared to four years ago, America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger. Our adversaries and competitors are weaker. We have not gone to war to make these things happen. During my presidency, I've increased America's power at every dimension. The world is on fire. I was reading the armed conflict location and events data, which is an independent, impartial, international nonprofit group. In the past five years that encompasses the Biden administration, conflict levels have almost doubled. The world is on fire. This administration has been a failure from day one.
SPEAKER 01 :
Nobody but Joe Biden believes that, and I'm not even sure that he believes it. Anybody with a brain, anybody with any understanding of what's going on in America does not believe anything that he said there. He was wrong on every point, every point.
SPEAKER 06 :
You were a part of the attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran under Jimmy Carter's administration. Ronald Reagan came in, and on the day that he was sworn into office, those hostages were released. Donald Trump has drawn a line that those hostages in Gaza that Hamas is holding has to be relieved. What's at stake for him in making sure that's fulfilled?
SPEAKER 01 :
His credibility, obviously. I mean, listen, I was glad to hear him say that. But this is a different regime in Iran at this particular time. And Iran has a lot of influence over what's going on there. I hope that it does turn out that they released them over the weekend, but I remember it was on the day of his inauguration that they let those hostages, after 444 days, let them out and brought them home.
SPEAKER 06 :
The Israeli hostages have been held longer. At this point, what can we just had about a minute left? What can Donald Trump do if they're not released on that day of inauguration?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, the first thing is he's going to have to pull out the stops on all opportunities that we have to use U.S. power. And that means power in the economic sector. You're going to have to sanction them to the extent that they can't even buy bread. I mean, he's going to have to do a lot of stuff. What he can't do is go in and make a parking lot out of Gaza. because that would be the thing that a lot of people would ask for.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, it's almost that way now. I mean, 90% of the residents of Gaza are displaced already. I'm glad he said it, but I just know that the bar is high that it has to do it in order to maintain his credibility internationally. Now, there's movement. It says it may be happening soon, but we will see. General Boykin, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today. Good to be with you. All right. And folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well. If you've not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, where you can keep up with the latest news and commentary from a biblical perspective, I encourage you to do that. Go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app or text APP to 67742. Thanks so much for joining us. I leave you once again with the encouraging words 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.
In this compelling episode, Tony Perkins dives deep into the current political climate, focusing on Donald Trump's discussions with the House Freedom Caucus at Mar-a-Lago and the legislative strategies for his upcoming term. Unveiling plans for dealing with border security and crime, the episode offers a critical analysis of congressional priorities from conservative and biblical perspectives. Tune in for a riveting discussion that walks you through the maze of American politics while challenging the influence of woke policies on national security and governance.
SPEAKER 06 :
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 09 :
Donald Trump got a mandate on November 5th. The public expects us to deal with the excessive spending, the debt, the deficit. They've asked Donald Trump to seal the southern border, and they want to make sure they want peace and stability around the globe. I think that's what Congress will be working with Donald Trump to get done.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was Majority Whip Tom Emmer yesterday on ABC This Week. Welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, members of the House Freedom Caucus spent the weekend at the Southern White House discussing legislative priorities and strategies with President-elect Donald Trump. We'll get the details from Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles. Or the Los Angeles fires a warning of where the left's delusional DEI woke policies could lead.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now you've got it. You've got a situation where a catastrophe came and the billions of dollars that you and I gave was diverted to other woke, stupid Democrat projects. That's not hyperbole. It is a fact.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was Pastor Jack Hibbs yesterday at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California in his Sunday message. He joins me later from Los Angeles. Also, multiple reports out of Israel indicate that a deal between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of the hostages is very close.
SPEAKER 04 :
We are very, very close. And yet being very close still means we're far because until you actually get across the finish line, we're not there.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan yesterday on CNN's State of the Union discussing the negotiations. We'll talk with Daniel Cohen, real-life news director from Israel, with the latest. And FRC's Brent Kylan will be here with an update on the StandFirm app and some exciting, soon-to-be-released content. All of that and more coming up on this edition of Washington Watch. Don't go anywhere. Well, over the weekend, President-elect Donald Trump hosted several groups of Republican lawmakers at Mar-a-Lago to talk about his agenda and how they might be able to work together to accomplish their respective goals. Among the groups that were there to meet with the president was House Freedom Caucus members, which has had a significant impact in the House as a result of GOP's razor-thin majority in the chamber. So what came of their meeting and what were the takeaways? Well, join me now to discuss this and more. Congressman Andy Ogles, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, as well as the House Financial Services Committee. He represents the 5th Congressional District of Tennessee. Congressman Ogles, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you and Happy New Year. Absolutely. And thank you for having me. Besides the sunshine, what else did you experience there at Mar-a-Lago?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, you know, we left the cold D.C. and flew down to Miami to, quite frankly, perfect and beautiful weather. But, you know, more important than the weather or the dinner was the time spent with President Donald Trump. And we talked about we talked for several hours, as a matter of fact, into late into the evening. But it was on border security. It was on crime. It's how, quite frankly, the Biden administration has used the weapon of the pen, executive orders to attack and invade our country. and undermine every working American day in and day out.
SPEAKER 10 :
And I understand there was some discussion about reconciliation, and the president is really kind of following the House Speaker's lead on this, on one big, beautiful bill, as the president-elect describes it, to advance the priorities of reconciliation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you know, I think that's to be determined. You know, Donald Trump is strategic. I think he wants to deliver some quick wins for the American people. You know, the election was a mandate to secure the border, to, again, attack crime, to get these folks here that are illegally. We know we have murderers here. We know we have terrorists here. We need to go find them. We need to deport them. We need to get them out of our country. And so with that, I think organically there's the opportunity or perhaps even the likelihood that this could end up being two separate bills because the larger, no matter how big and beautiful it might be, the larger it is, the more complicated it becomes and the more difficult it will be to pass and the longer it will take to pass. So even if it can pass, it's going to take more time. So with that, if you deliver a smaller bill, then follow up with tax policy. We can get those done. We can make sure Donald Trump has a successful 100 days and delivers a secure border for the American people.
SPEAKER 10 :
So it sounds like you're kind of, you lean toward the two-track strategy of the two bills?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, again, I would like to see us get something done in those first 100 days. And so understanding how the sausage gets made up here by putting border security with some strategic cuts together in a package, again, addressing the debt ceiling, we can move quickly, much more quickly than we can if ever. Everything is in there. And then, quite frankly, once you have one big, beautiful bill, it ends up typically getting filled up with a bunch of nonsense and pork, which obviously I currently rank as the most conservative member of Congress. So I'm very much against the pork. I think we've got to cut where we can cut. Look, we can't cut our way out of this mess. We're going to have to grow our way out of this mess. But every cut, every penny, every dollar matters.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I agree with you. I think it's a combination. I do think we have to be more responsible in our spending, but at the same time grow. We can't grow our way totally out of this when we're spending more on the interest to our debt than we are national security, nor can we just cut our way out. So it's going to take a combination. But the counter, I guess, of the two-track strategy, and it makes sense what you've described, but knowing how that sausage that you made reference to is made, sometimes the sweetener there, the border security and some of these things that are more politically palatable are what helps pass debt ceiling. I mean, you're a member of the Freedom Caucus. I think you're going to have a little bit of a challenge with some of the Freedom Caucus members with the debt ceiling raise, are you not?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, again, this gets back to understanding that we've got to change the way this town operates. And so part of that is nerdy procedural stuff. So one of the successes we had with this, when Mike Johnson was elected, I was one of the individuals that helped whip those final votes and get him across the finish line. is that you can't do suspension bills the last day right before you fly out, because what ends up happening is they put some junk bill together, they sweeten it for the Democrats, and they pass it with the majority of Democrat votes. You can't do that anymore. You can only do a suspension bill on a Monday or Tuesday. That's one of those things, again, it's nerdy. Most people don't understand why that's important, but what it does is it stops this town from running over the American people. And so day in and day out, what we're trying to do is fix how this place operates. And one big, beautiful bill might seem great, but when you understand everything that gets thrown in there, it's really counterintuitive to the mandate that the American people delivered to Donald Trump and to Congress to fix this country.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, it's going to be interesting to see how this works out. But I agree with you that something needs to be done quickly and showing that Congress and this Republican majority in the House, now the Senate and the White House, is responsive to the American people. So I think you're right in probing to find which way will move you more quickly to responding. to those mandates. I want to switch gears a little bit. I know your background is kind of on the financial services and you're focused on those issues. But I assume that in the conversation, other issues came up, possibly what's happening in California and where these woke DEI policies are leading us. I would think this is a wake up call for the president after he saw what happened with Secret Service, if their focus on DEI We see this once again in California, the focus in L.A., the fire department, DEI, woke policies. Isn't it time we get back to mission focus?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, absolutely. And it's unfortunate. I mean, a lot of times when individuals like myself are attacking these woke policies, sometimes it may be labeled as political rhetoric, right? But which we've seen and what's unfolded with the assassination attempt with Donald Trump, DEI and woke policies were to blame. When you look at the wildfires that have taken over California, billions of dollars worth of damage, you have individuals in the fire department who aren't capable of doing the job. It's completely DEI. You know, there's a picture that I saw on X, whether it was real or not, I don't know, but it's this fire hydrant that's very elaborately painted with rainbow colors. And in the background, this entire subdivision is burning to the ground. And that was kind of emblematic of what's happening in California. And you have states like Tennessee, like Florida, like Texas that have become a destination for individuals like California, New York, New Jersey, et cetera, because they're political refugees. They're tired of the nonsense. They just want to be left alone. They want to live in God bless America. And you have certain states like California that are doing everything they can to undermine our values, and quite frankly, the family. And we've had enough. I think the American people have had enough. And look, I'll be honest with you, when Donald Trump won every single swing state, that was the wake-up call. That should be the message to the Democratic Party. You've screwed up. You went way too far left. You better find your roots, get back to who you supposed and tell the American people that you are, because right now you're lost in the wilderness, and the American people are going to make you pay for it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Politically, that is absolutely correct. And we're seeing that. I think this last election was a reflection of that. But knowing that, knowing where these woke policies lead and the next catastrophe that needs to be avoided, I immediately think of what's been happening in the last four years with our nation's military. and the woke policies that have been pushed there. And we look at what's happening in the Middle East. We look at what's happening in Europe. We look at what's happening with China. I hope that we can get a handle on the military and do a course correction before that next crisis comes.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was one of the things that we talked about at the dinner, was how DEI and the woke policies have infiltrated and infected our military and administrative state, and that one of the challenges that the president will face is rooting that out and getting back to mission focus. What's the mission statement? How are we going to execute that? How are we going to deliver excellence for the American people, regardless of the agency or department? And as you say, we've lost our way. The leadership in the military has lost its way. And part of it is priorities, too. We've spent more money in Ukraine than we spend for the entire budget of the United States Marine Corps. And look, if I have to choose between our men and women in uniform versus any other military, I'm going to choose America first. That's not rhetoric. I'm not trying to be harsh. But we're overfunding Ukraine while we're not funding our Marines. That right there is offensive. It's criminal. We've got to get back to making our military the top dominant predator on any battlefield, wherever they are, whatever the landscape is. And right now, I don't know that we have that status, but Donald Trump is going to fix it. And we will continue to be the economic top dog, the military predator. We will be the country that will lead the hemisphere. And that being said, you know, the kind of segue to Greenland, you know, why would Donald Trump talk about Greenland and maybe make Denmark upset is because you have these countries that are allowing China to have access to these precious resources. resources that really are in our backyard. And Donald Trump is putting his foot down and saying enough is enough. We're not playing these games anymore. It's America first. And you got to look at, you know, when America wins, the world wins. When America wins, the world is safer. And that's what the American people and quite frankly, the rest of the world wants.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, you know, in reality, Congressman, when the world is in trouble, they call the United States. So, again, why not be preventative in trying to make sure that we can defend and be proactive in doing that? And by the way, I appreciate you mentioning the Marine Corps as a Marine veteran. for taking care of the Marine Corps. But make sure that those dollars go to strengthen the Marine Corps and make sure that DEI policy does not continue to infect one of the greatest fighting forces in the world. I appreciate you joining us today, Andy. Always great to see you. Thanks so much and look forward to talking to you real soon.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, sir. God bless.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. I am very concerned about what's been happening under the surface in our military. I know we talk about it, but it is in those moments of crisis that the reality comes to the forefront. And that's what we saw with the state with the Secret Service. That's what we saw in L.A. with the fire department. We've got to get ahead of it before we see it without a nation's military. All right, we're going to continue our conversations on the historic wildfires in Los Angeles and what's behind it. Pastor Jack Hibbs joins me next here on Washington Watch. Don't go away.
SPEAKER 05 :
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 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 a 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 02 :
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 10 :
I'm Tony Perkins and this is Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in for this Monday edition. The fires in L.A. should be causing more than fire alarms to ring. This is a wake up call of where the godless policies of the left are leading this country. As I played at the top of the program yesterday, Pastor Jack Hibbs spoke. this very clearly to his church at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in his Sunday message about where these policies of the left are leading us and how they endanger us as a nation. He joins me now along with Steve Hilton with Golden Together from Los Angeles. Pastor Jack, Steve, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining me.
SPEAKER 12 :
Great to be with you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Pastor Jack, yesterday you described California as a third world state due to what you see as profound failures in leadership. Talk about that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Tony, first of all, what led up to that statement was a graphic image. And the reason why that image was graphic was because of this. Nobody knew that the local reservoirs were out of water. Nobody knew that there was not a water supply to fire hydrants in this critical area. What did I see? I saw an L.A. County fireman taking a potted plant out of a pot, going over to a home that had been burned down to the ground, and as the water dripped out of its broken plumbing, he filled up a, what might be a two and a half gallon pot, ran about 50 feet away to put out a little bit of a fire so it wouldn't spread anymore. And that's when I made that comment. I'm suddenly in a third world country here in one of the most wealthiest places on the planet. Makes no sense.
SPEAKER 10 :
Steve, they might not know that the reservoirs are empty, but they know what pronoun to use.
SPEAKER 11 :
I mean, exactly. You just hit the nail on the head because instead of what we need and we should expect, and by the way, what we pay for with the highest taxes in America, which is competent government and common sense policies, instead of that, we've had the people in charge obsessed with these fringe ideological issues. and this terrible combination of ideology and incompetence. And you end up with the very basics of what we expect from government, which is safety and security and these basic services like water and power delivered in a reliable and affordable manner. None of that happens in California because they are totally obsessed with their far-left ideological schemes. That's why what we're doing today together is laying out not just a positive alternative vision for us here in Los Angeles in this moment of crisis right now. But as I've been working on at my organization, Golden Together, it's a policy organization that for years now has been laying out an alternative, a positive vision, how we can bring this state back to what it should be, which is the best of America, not the worst.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, the silver lining to this, this tragedy shouldn't have to go down this path, but this It shakes people out of this idea that these delusional policies of the left are harmless. The idea that your fire chief has been out promoting the fact that she started the first diversity initiative in the fire department. Well, that's great if everything is fine. But when things start to burn, people realize that cost us dearly. So is this the opportunity for a sea change?
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, I don't know who you're asking, but I'll jump in, and Steve, you can back clean up. Tony, it turns out that D-E-I is actually spelled D-I-E. That's what's going on. It leads to death. And the bottom line is this, that I would hope that in this interview, I would represent not only the House and the believers who vote, and we know in this last election they came out and voted, But how about if I were to represent, for example, the Californian who's fed up with all this stuff, and they want to be safe, and they want to go shopping and be safe, and they don't want to pay $15 for, you know, a Taco Bell visit? We can bring the votes. But no one's been motivated to vote because we haven't had the politicians. And so what we want is a statesman. What California needs is statesmen. And I'm hoping, I hate to put my friend on the spot, but I'm hoping Steve Hilton runs for governor. There's a lot of great people, Tony, in this state. We're calling them to step up. We'll bring them the votes if they run for office.
SPEAKER 10 :
Steve, speak to that for a moment, because, you know, again, when things are going fine, people don't care the foolish, at least some people don't care about the foolishness that political leaders engage in. But this is where the rubber meets the road. I mean, this is people's lives. It is their property. It's their it's their it's everything they've worked for going up in smoke because people are playing games.
SPEAKER 11 :
Exactly. And, you know, it's so interesting. This is the kind of thing we've been focusing on today. We were joined, Jack and I, here today with a retired L.A. firefighter, with a retired unit chief from CAL FIRE, the state firefighting organization. And they're all saying the same thing. It's not complicated. We know how to do this. We used to do this. We used to have good governance in California, competent leadership that got things done and then let people live their lives, let families build their lives, let businesses do what they want to do. That's what California was all about. When was it like that? When Republicans were in charge. That's the honest truth. I mean, I was speaking just today, sorry, just this weekend with Governor Wilson, Pete Wilson. And he was telling me about his attitude to the recovery from the Northridge earthquake in 1994. Totally different from what we're seeing from the leadership, if you can call it that, in the state today. But the real point of hope for everyone is exactly as you say, this has shone a spotlight on all these failures. You've got these Democrat politicians now going on about red tape and bureaucracy as if they've just discovered it. Well, we know, and we've been going on about it for years. They're making our arguments for us. They are digging their own grave. And so what's gonna be happening in the weeks and months and years ahead as we focus on helping Los Angeles recover, we also need to focus on helping California recover and get back to what it used to be and what it can be again. But it's only gonna happen if people change the way they vote. But I'm now very confident that that's gonna happen.
SPEAKER 10 :
Gentlemen, I would take it one step further with the reality that we first saw this DEI and the deadly consequences with the Secret Service when President-elect Donald Trump was almost assassinated. DEI policies and wokeness had invaded the Secret Service. We see this now with the LA Fire Department as this tragedy sets upon Los Angeles. My concern is our own nation's military that's been saturated with this wokeness in these DEI policies that if we don't do a course correction, our nation is in tremendous danger. So hopefully not only will California wake up to this, but maybe the rest of the nation realize that these policies, as you said, Pastor Jack, it's not DEI, it's D-I-E. Gentlemen, we're out of time. I want to thank you for joining us today. Thank you for taking a stand there in California. Hopefully the rest of the nation will heed the warning as well. Great to see you guys. Great. Thank you, Tony. Good to see you. Folks, this is something to pray into. This is serious business as we're seeing it has consequences. We need to pray. We need to vote and we need to stand against this nonsense. Don't go away. We're back after this.
SPEAKER 07 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you. I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 01 :
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. 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. 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 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and he's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 10 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, better yet, get the StandFirm app. In fact, the reason we are moving toward the StandFirm app, because the landscape of communication has greatly changed over the last couple of decades. And there was a time when FRC staff and experts were frequent guests on CNN, MSNBC, Fox and the mainstream networks. But over time, the biblical worldview that we offered became less welcome as the LGBTQ agenda really began to dominate in newsrooms all across the landscape. And that includes some of the conservative ones like Fox. And as we saw the cancel culture, we were really at the tip of the spear. It began to impact other mediums of communication. And Family Research Council made adjustments to safeguard our messaging against those who would suppress it. That includes the launch of Washington Watch over a dozen years ago, daily program. Some of you have been listening all that time. We then, just a couple of years ago, launched the Washington Stand. And out of a desire to help ensure that our message continues to encourage and equip Christians across this country with resources that Help them stand, help you stand for biblical truth. You know, pray, vote, stand. We give you information on how to pray. And obviously when it's election time, how to vote and how to speak to your elected officials, but also how to stand firm for biblical truth. And so out of that, we developed the Stand Firm app. which, as it is being developed, will be a council-resistant platform so that we can continue no matter what the future may look like. Join me now to talk about this, Brent Kylan. He's the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives here at the Family Research Council and FRC Action. Brent, welcome back to the program.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thanks, Tony. Good to be with you today.
SPEAKER 10 :
So these days you can put the most ridiculous as well as helpful apps on your mobile device. What's the difference about the Stand Firm app that makes it of value? I would say great value to Christians.
SPEAKER 14 :
Tony, the Stand for Map really is designed for SAGE cons, spiritually active, governance engaged, conservative Christians, which you've talked a lot about on the program. We've been working to reach them and equip them for quite a few years now. And there's an estimated 20 plus million of them out there. They're doing incredible things. They're engaging at incredibly high levels, which is awesome. One of the things we've encountered, though, as we've worked with them is just a need for ways to connect and certain tools. And really out of those conversations and the research we did really specifically with that group to a large degree, we developed this app. And so what you'll find on this is tools to help you. It's going to be grounded in the words. We've got that stand on the word. that FRC puts out, Tony, your daily video, because, you know, with SageCons, everything they do is rooted in the word and in their faith. But then there's also tools to engage. So there's ways to contact government officials. There's ways to stay up to date on what's going on with places like, of course, Washington Watch, but also the Washington Stand and things like that. So it's really kind of been tailor designed to help meet those needs that we've uncovered in a lot of the conversations that we've had.
SPEAKER 10 :
So the three major daily news feeds you have, you have the Stand on the Word, which is the morning devotional that many folks are involved in. That's at the top of the feed each day. We've got our Washington Stand, which is FRC's news and commentary news feed, online publication. That is constantly updated, so you're getting new content constantly. And then, of course, the Washington Watch, which is right here, will appear on the app as well. Talk about some of the other features. I mean, this is all obviously content all coming from a biblical perspective, but when you talk about Engage, you can go straight from an issue oftentimes, if it's an action-related item in the Washington stand, to contacting your member of Congress, all right there at one place on the app.
SPEAKER 14 :
That's exactly right, Tony. We've been developing toolkits, and some of those are resources in the app that are just always going to be there. And then some of them are built around specific needs or specific issues or things that are happening on in culture. We had a voter impact toolkit. over the fall that got a lot of participation and engagement. We've got, just as an example for what you're bringing up here, in about a week, we're going to roll out the first 100 days toolkit. So this is going to equip you with ways to stay informed on what's going on you know in these first these critical first 100 days of the new administration but then there's going to be ways you can take action so i know with a lot of people hey if you're like me there's a lot of government officials to keep track of you know you've got federal you've got state you've got local there's going to be a tool in that tool kit where you can look all of those up just punch in your address um i put mine in and it took me all the way down to my county commissioner and city council so it's got a lot of really helpful info ways to contact them But it's also going to be tracking key issues that you can get engaged with as those come up. So if there's a key piece of legislation that we really think you as a believer need to weigh in on because it's really going to impact you, we're going to put that there, send you an alert, let you know about that. Or maybe it will be a petition on a really important issue or something like that. But there's going to be a lot of those ways to equip you to also take action on the important issues. Right.
SPEAKER 10 :
And there will also be special content like coming up next week. We'll have our inaugural praise and prayer convocation with Dr. Jim Garlow. If you can't be in D.C., you can actually watch it on the app. And then coming up next month, we'll be rolling out our God and Government series that will be exclusively on the app. Of course, we'll have more about that in the days ahead. Brent Kylan, thanks so much for joining us and appreciate all the great work you do on keeping the Stand Firm app going.
SPEAKER 14 :
You're appreciated, Tony. Thank you.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, folks, after the break, Daniel Cohen from Real Life Network joins me from Israel to discuss the latest on the hostage negotiations. 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 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 13 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. but you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor, you do, but you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you are the only one. But there is good news, you are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sage con and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks again for joining us on this Monday. And to follow up with my conversation with Brent Kylan, if you want to get the Stand Firm app, and I highly recommend it because there's a lot of resources there for you. You can go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app, or you can just text the word APP to 67742. That's APP to 67742. And I'll send you a link and make it real easy for you. The word for today is from Isaiah 61, which proclaims, Jesus quoted this passage in Luke 4, but he stopped halfway through verse 2, emphasizing the gracious aspects of his mission at his first coming. Yet Isaiah continues foretelling a day of the Lord's vengeance, a time when Jesus will return to right every wrong and bring justice for his people. The prophecy also promises beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise instead of heaviness. highlighting how the Lord transforms sorrow into hope. We could be certain the same spirit who anointed Jesus is with us, bringing restoration and freedom. The ultimate goal, that we may be called trees of righteousness, that he may be glorified. Even when life's trials feel overwhelming, we can look ahead with confidence, trusting God's perfect plan. He will, He will fulfill His word and receive all glory in the process. May we find comfort in that promise today. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. Earlier today, news emerged that Israel and Hamas were given a final draft of a proposed hostage and ceasefire deal that could hopefully bring an end to the war that Hamas started with the October 7th attack on Israel. What's in the deal? And this is not the first time Hamas and Israel have been at the threshold of a deal. But here's something that's different. We have an incoming Trump administration. Is that driving Hamas to agree to a deal? Joining me now from Israel to discuss the latest is Daniel Cohen, news director for Real Life Network. Daniel, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you, and thanks for staying up late to join us.
SPEAKER 12 :
Always great to be with you, Tony. We're seven hours ahead, but it's always, always a pleasure to be with you and your audience. Big day. Yeah, big day.
SPEAKER 10 :
It is. And you and I were talking earlier. You know, this is not the first time. I mean, we've we've been to this point before with Hamas pulling back. But there's something different this time.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, it's cautious optimism. And I heard you set up there, and you're spot on. They are taking the threat of a President Trump. When he speaks, and the unpredictability, sometimes it's good if a leader is... They knew all along what Joe Biden said, what he meant, what he didn't mean, what Antony Blinken, when he would... you know, threaten Israel, and then Hamas would pull back from these negotiations. But they're clearly taking President Trump's all-hell-will-break-loose threat seriously if the hostages aren't released by inauguration, which, by the way, is a week away. So let's talk about what you mentioned, the significant breakthrough. They're in Doha. It's President Trump's envoy. This is now President Biden's looped in. The Biden team is there. I guess they're sort of joining arms. But Steve Witkoff is the name of the man who's been leading President Trump's envoy. And because President Trump is involved and because it's Trump's envoy that reportedly has some kind of a draft agreement, we're talking about what could be a 42-day ceasefire, the release of 33 to 40 hostages, which, by the way, include two Americans. They're U.S. and Israeli, both nationals. So Hamas is reviewing the proposal. It's... It seems to me sad, sick, wrong that we have to negotiate with terrorists. But this is the state of play. This is where we are with the Biden administration. There are Americans, and they're negotiating with terrorists. And at this point, it sounds like Israel's bought in, and we're waiting to hear from Mohamed Sinwar, Yair Sinwar's brother, about what Hamas wants to do with this, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
So that's my understanding is they were going through these negotiations in Dubai that they have now taken back kind of the final proposal to their respective leaders. And really the onus is on Hamas to accept what's there. And we could be 24 hours, 48 hours away from from a deal.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, and we're also hearing that there could be hostages being released next week. So again, cautious optimism. Everyone here in Israel, we've been at the one-yard line many times with the terrorists, and then Hamas will pull the carpet out, or at the one-yard line, they'll pull the rug out. But again, President-elect Trump's team, they are not playing games. And Steve Wetkoff, he is actually in Doha right now. So Hamas is more willing. The key sticking point, Hamas wants a permanent truce. Israel doesn't want a permanent truce. They want a temporary pause. There are disagreements about where the IDF would withdraw to the forces from Gaza. Hamas wants to sort of reclaim northern Gaza, but it's very important that Israel maintain. There's a couple of strategic passes to make sure that they're able to contain what goes on and what goes in and what comes out. They want more humanitarian aid. Israel's fine with humanitarian aid. What they're not fine with is a pause that allows Hamas to rearm, to, you know, they were armed to the teeth before. And remember, this is Israel. They're not firing missiles from outside of Israel. They're inside Israel. They have their own, you know, this was as of 2007, there was the pullout, but that's why, this is what we have. So, The hard thing, I'll say, Tony, lastly this and send it back to you, is what do you do if you're Prime Minister Netanyahu? Because there's a heavy price to pay for the hostages that they want to release. What I'm hearing, and again, it's etched in jello, but that Israel is willing to give up 50 terrorists in exchange for one hostage and 50 women who were convicted, again, Hostages, 50 terrorists for one hostage. What do you do, right? Is the price too high? At what point does the price become too high? Everyone here in Israel is ready to really swallow hard and say, we'll pay the price if it means we get Israelis out that have been in for 465 days today, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right, and it's good to remind Americans back, and I remember this because I was in high school when the Americans were taken hostage by Iran and and incoming President Ronald Reagan. I didn't have a chance to vote for him the first time, wasn't quite 18 at the point, but very similar parallels to what we see with Donald Trump. And Ronald Reagan had studied the communists, he understood the Middle East as well, and he was an unknown. I think Donald Trump is a known because he already had one term, but when you talk about the unpredictability, Richard Nixon kind of used what the madman theory of dealing with foreign policy with Russia and even with China. So I do think there's that element that's there. But when you look at Israel, and you can speak to this, you touched on it, the prime minister has his own political situation to deal with, a very narrow situation. margins in the Knesset. And he has some hardliners, about 10 to 12 of those who are not wanting to give up an inch to Hamas.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah. I don't know how you have this baby, Tony. And that's really the only thing. I don't know what you do here because there are on the far right who say it's too steep a price to pay. Remember, Yahya Sinwar was in an Israeli prison. Yahya Sinwar had a brain cancer. He had some kind of a brain issue, brain tumor. Israeli doctors performed surgery. He was released from a prison, and then he went on to mastermind the October 7th terror attack. Is there another Yahya Sinwar as part of this release? But, you know, I think big picture, we have to look at it this way. The Netanyahu government and Israel's enemies know the difference between an administration that has... President Biden as the big brother, you know, kind of standing over their shoulder, and a President Trump. There's no fear of President Biden. I mean, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, made a shocking admission in an interview last week saying when we would pressure Israel publicly, Hamas would back off from a hostage ceasefire deal. Exactly. I mean, they were not a friend to Israel. Terrible. I mean, terrible. So they believe President Trump means it when he says there will be all hell to pay. We're looking at one week. The youngest hostage, by the way, Tony, is one year old. His name is Kafir Bibas. He's been in Gaza as a hostage. He was taken on October 7th at nine months of age. He's now been a hostage longer than he's not been a hostage. And he turns two years old in August. Five days, five days from now. It's sad. I don't know why there aren't more world leaders pressuring Hamas like they've been pressuring Israel to come to a deal. But that's heartbreaking to think this one-year-old baby, who knows if he's alive, has been a hostage longer than he's not been.
SPEAKER 10 :
Speaking of that, in terms of the hostages alive, what information is available as to the status of many of these hostages still being held?
SPEAKER 12 :
We don't know, but I was just seeing on Twitter before we came on here to speak with you that the Red Cross is admitting they were doing very little to even reach out. The Red Cross has been an epic failure in this. So there are 100 hostages or so. Again, it's always an estimate because we don't know an accurate number, but 98, 99, 100, seven Americans dead. President Biden is about to leave office, having done very little to nothing to free the Americans that have been held hostage for 465 days. The hostage families here in Israel are all very cautiously optimistic because, again, of these false promises. But it comes back to strong American leadership. They know that when there's a real leader in the White House that exudes strength, strength for the United States, strength for Israel, We'll see. We'll see what happens. But if there are hostages coming back next week, which happens to be when President Trump is sworn in for a second term, then we'll know that they took the threat from President Trump seriously.
SPEAKER 10 :
Besides the swap, the release of terrorists, which in and of itself, as you pointed out, historically has not worked out well, what are some of the other terms of the ceasefire deal that we're aware of?
SPEAKER 12 :
Right. We're talking about women. We're talking about seniors. We're not talking about the release of men. And again, Hamas has refused to provide not only proof of life, but proof of names. Israel has asked over and over again repeatedly for a list of names of the hostages that Hamas could never seem to provide. And that led Israelis to believe it's maybe because they're dead. You know, and President Biden has been coddling the terrorists since October 7th and has been riding the fence and splitting the fence. And I support Israel. I don't support Israel. You know, pressuring Netanyahu, trying to overthrow the Netanyahu government. So I could tell you, you know, in terms of the terms themselves, Tony, are just... for lack of a better term, squishy. You know, one report in the Times of Israel says this, the Jerusalem Post says that. I think what we all agree and what they all agree on is that it's not men, it's not fighting age, it's women, it's seniors. Goodness, if they would release the baby, that would be incredible. But, you know, Tony, one other thing, there's been a lot of hostility and fighting here. While everyone there is talking about California and the epic failure of Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass and the wildfires, There were five IDF soldiers killed in Gaza today. The oldest was 23 years old. One was a Jewish believer in Jesus, which is pretty rare. I'm a Jewish believer in Yeshua. And again, 18, 19, 20, 23 years old. These are young men. And so the death toll for the IDF and for Israeli forces is 804. But I think everyone here, Tony, is optimistic that it seems like as of next week, there will be no more coddling of Hamas. the Houthis, Hezbollah, no more coddling of terrorists who mean Israel's harm.
SPEAKER 10 :
Daniel, I was going to ask you about that, because my sense, you know, when I was over there just a few weeks ago and was with you and then in my conversations, there was that sense of optimism. Even then, there was discussions of a of a ceasefire deal. But the bigger issue is Israel's long term security. And that's much bigger than just Gaza. As you mentioned, it's the Houthis, it's Hezbollah, but it's also Iran. There's a sense that America is not going to get in their way now with Donald Trump in the White House.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right. Yeah. You know, and by the way, Prime Minister Netanyahu has never said, send us your soldiers. He just said, just give us, excuse me, just give us the ability to defend ourselves. We'll spill our own blood. And they have done that. Israel, I say we, I'm Israeli and I'm American both. So when I say we, that's what I mean by that. But President Trump has only said, get it over with, Prime Minister Netanyahu. We support you, get it done, and get it done quickly. Again, it's been 465 days, way too long. And I've said this with you before, Tony, but I'll say it again. This all could have been over months ago. Hamas, if they would just do two things, lay down their weapons and release the hostages. Israel has no interest in dead babies, dead women, dead civilians in Gaza. We have cowards. The terrorists are cowards who are hiding weapons in mosques and children's bedrooms, in UNRWA facilities and hospitals. And Israel can never allow October 7th to happen again. We know they're planning. We know they're planning to carry out or try to carry out another October 7th. And Israel says, just give us the ability to defend ourselves so these people can never pull off this atrocity and this evil against babies, Holocaust survivors, seniors, women, men, ever again.
SPEAKER 10 :
Daniel Cohen, we're just about out of time here, just a couple minutes left. Donald Trump, to quote him, has said, if these hostages are not released when I take office, there will be hell to pay. And as you pointed out, Israel's not asked for U.S. troops, and we're not going to send U.S. troops. We may have some support on the outside. What does that look like, that threat from Donald Trump? What would that look like to ensure that Hamas pays a price?
SPEAKER 12 :
You're a great journalist, Tony. You get it because you're asking all the right questions. That is the question. I heard a reporter trying to pin President Trump down on this very thing. Well, what does that mean? And guess what? Sometimes not revealing your cards is the best play. I don't know. That's the answer. We don't know. What could President Trump do? As long as it's supporting Israel, and not pulling back on weaponry, not pulling back on congressionally approved weapons like the Biden administration did after Congress approved a weapons package to Israel. They were slow walking. Even if it's just as simple as that, Israel knowing. There was a rocket fired, a ballistic missile fired from the Houthis in Yemen literally two hours ago. toward Jerusalem and people in the north. There are still sirens that are going off here in Israel daily, although you're probably not talking about them on the news so much anymore. The Iron Dome is very strong. And so if it's technology, if it's weaponry, if it's personnel, but sometimes it's just no one. Big Brother is standing over your shoulder watching over you, Tony, and that speaks volumes in the Middle East where the only language they speak is power. That is the language. Who's stronger, you or me? Who's more powerful?
SPEAKER 10 :
And Daniel, one thing that we can be doing is praying. All of our viewers and listeners, I encourage them to do that. Daniel, out of time. Always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for joining. Great to see you, Tony.
SPEAKER 12 :
God bless you. Good luck next week with your inaugural coverage as well, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. Thanks, Daniel. And folks, I do want to encourage you to pray. Join Operation Prayer Shield. Text SHIELD to 67742. All right. Out of time for today. But when you prayed, you're taking your stand. Know what? Keep standing.
SPEAKER 06 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
In this episode of Washington Watch, guest host Joseph Backholm takes listeners through a comprehensive discussion about pressing national issues. We delve into the House Republicans' upcoming meetings with President Trump and the key topics on their agenda, including fiscal policies and spending. With extensive insights from Congressman Russ Fulcher, the conversation highlights the political landscape and the conservative priorities shaping policy discussions in Washington, D.C. Additionally, we provide an on-the-ground update from California, where devastating wildfires have wrought significant community disruption and loss. Reconciling faith with natural calamities, moving through grief, and embracing communal unity are explored with insights from Pastor Josh Swanson. The episode also covers the monumental legal victory regarding Title IX rulings, imparting a fresh perspective on gender identity inclusion in education systems. Concluding with an overarching worldview conversation, we reflect on Jimmy Carter’s historical and spiritual legacy, juxtaposing the profound contrasts found within his funeral service. This episode is a profound exploration of faith, policy, and the events shaping our world today. Join us for these conversations and more as we navigate these dynamic issues with clarity and resolve.
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. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Joseph Backholm.
SPEAKER 09 :
Hello and welcome to this Friday edition of Washington Watch. I'm Joseph Backholm, a senior fellow for biblical worldview here at Family Research Council. It's my pleasure to be sitting in for Tony and with you this afternoon. Quick news. Note and reminder, as we prepare for the transition of leadership in Washington, we believe this is the season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance and unity. So during this pivotal time from now until January 20th of 2025, we invite you to join us for Operation Prayer Shield, a collective effort in which we'll seek God's divine protection and guidance. So to be part of the effort, text SHIELD, S-H-I-E-L-D, to 67742. You'll receive weekly alerts, daily prayer points, and more. Again, text SHIELD, S-H-I-E-L-D, to 67742. Today on the program, fires continue to devastate California. A local pastor will join us to give a report from the ground and tell us what we can be doing to help. Also, a court ruling out of Kentucky has stopped the Biden administration's efforts to redefine gender. We'll tell you the details of that decision and what it means practically for people's lives coming up as well. Also, in our worldview discussion, is God the one burning California? And what should we think about the fact that the Beatles song Imagine was sung at Jimmy Carter's funeral? We'll discuss all of that coming up in the program. But first, our headlines. Different groups of House Republicans will be meeting this weekend with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago, starting later today with the House Freedom Caucus.
SPEAKER 05 :
I talked to the president about those meetings and his idea. It was his idea to bring in small groups of House Republicans to come together and just have fellowship together and talk about the issues and talk about the vision that we have for the year ahead of us.
SPEAKER 09 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson yesterday speaking with reporters. What can we expect from some of the discussions to include, and what are some of the conclusions that Republicans will be hoping for? Here now to discuss this and more is Congressman Russ Fulcher, a member of the House Freedom Caucus. He represents the 1st Congressional District of Idaho. Congressman Fulcher, welcome to Washington Watch. Joseph, thank you so much. Appreciate your program. Great to have you. What do you anticipate will be the focus of the meeting with President Trump and the Freedom Caucus?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, first of all, President Trump is a businessman, and he knows the importance of relationships and a positive rapport. And I'm confident that part of the reason that we've been invited is to work on that rapport and build that relationship. And that's a good thing. And I'm very thankful for the opportunity to do it. I know that my colleagues are as well. I'm sure that as we go through these discussions this evening, that it's going to have to do with the debt ceiling. It's going to have to do with the upcoming reconciliation bill or bills and all the budget content that comes along with that. But that's the genesis and I think the baseline for what we're going to be talking about.
SPEAKER 09 :
So do you expect these meetings to be as much relational as they are policy?
SPEAKER 01 :
You know, I really do. And at the same time, it's important for those of us that are on the fiscal conservative side to be able to communicate to the president just how important it is to us that we address some of these debt-related issues, Joe. So if we've got a $36 trillion-plus debt that's just simply unsustainable, and I know that the president has requested a debt ceiling increase. A number of us opposed that. But it wasn't because we were opposing the president. We're simply concerned about the spending that's coming out of Washington, D.C. And so that policy is going to be talked about a lot and the importance of changing the paradigm in Washington, D.C. so that this is not just always growing the spending side of the ledger, but we're also cutting things, too.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, there are very narrow Republican majorities in the House. Do you think that gives the House Freedom Caucus more leverage when it comes to negotiations about things like spending and raising the debt limit?
SPEAKER 01 :
Oh, no question. But to be honest, everybody's got leverage when you're when you're this evenly yoked, if you will, Republican Democrat on the House floor. And so I think right now we've got about a one person margin that can go on a swing that will that will potentially change as some of the the the members that got appointed to or potentially appointed to various offices get replaced. However, any way you slice it, it's going to be very, very narrow and everyone's vote, everyone's opinion is going to be very important. It's extremely important that we know where everybody is at before we go out there and cast votes.
SPEAKER 1 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 09 :
Do you have a sense for the Trump administration's priorities when it comes to spending in the budget?
SPEAKER 01 :
Not by line. Well, I shouldn't say that. Border, of course, first and foremost appears to be on the agenda, and it should be. We've got a lot of damage that we need to try to fix regarding the border. Right on the heels of that is going to be energy-related issues. The United States has tremendous potential to once again embark on more domestic energy production. and energy exports, which also gives you leverage on the foreign policy front. So those are gonna be right up there. Of course, the foreign wars issues and how that gets dealt with is gonna be right there as well. And then just the overall swamp, if you will, and how you deal with these major bureaucracies and the leverage that they have gained over the years. We've got a full plate, Joseph, and I think that that's probably going to be on the discussion roll tonight.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, Congressman, apropos of nothing, probably, why are all these meetings always happening at Mar-a-Lago? Everybody seems to be going to Trump's house to do everything.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, well, I can tell you I left 25 degrees in Washington, D.C. this morning and it's 70 degrees here. So maybe that's part of it. But seriously, I think it's wherever the the incoming president is. I think is where you need to be. And right now, he extended an invitation, and I think it's probably most convenient for him to do it where he lives. And the least we can do is to accommodate that. Once again, this is not only, I think, for rapport building, but it's going to be discussions of the major policies that we're all going to be voting on within a few days. And so if we need to come to Florida, And in order to have those discussions, I am more than happy to do it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah. And the weather, of course, is a great bonus. Congressman, we mentioned the very narrow majorities that exist right now and kind of the challenge that presents. What do you get – what's the sense of the mood in Congress? Is there like – A lot of anxiety because of how narrow those majorities are and some of the differences that have flared up in very recent years? Or is there a sense of optimism that we really do have shared goals, we expect to get on the same page, we all want to get on the same page, and we think we can't?
SPEAKER 01 :
You know, that's a great question. I just have to respond by saying since the election, it's like a dark cloud has been lifted over Washington, D.C. Of course, I'm on the conservative Republican side and there's more evidence there of that. However, I would argue, Joseph, that even my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are somewhat encouraged because. They don't have to necessarily defend all the stupid policies that they've had to defend for the last four years. And I apologize about being so blunt, but let's be honest. My friends on the other side of the aisle are very good at towing the party line. They're very good at following and defending what the administration on their side puts out front. And some of those policies, quite frankly, are just plain stupid. And I'll start with electronic vehicle mandates in a very short period of time, transgender issues, open borders, and all the things that come negatively with that. These are policies that my friends on the other side of the aisle have had to defend. And that's why, in my opinion, they lost the election. That's why the Republicans came out on front. And I think that everyone is relieved that we're just not having to defend stupid anymore. And again, I apologize for the bluntness, but that's just the reality as I see it.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I think there are a lot of voters who would agree with that. And to that point, the 119th Congress has already been sworn in. You guys are already busy working. A lot of attention given to the reconciliation bill and how we're going to get that passed. There's a debate over whether that should be two bills, one bill. What's your preference and how do you see that going?
SPEAKER 01 :
I don't particularly have a preference, and that's going to be discussed tonight as well. But here's what is important. We need to demonstrate that we are willing to cut spending. And so part of the discussion tonight will include things on the docket that can be done. If we simply put workforce requirements, for example, on some of the Medicaid recipients that are able-bodied, there's over $100 billion there. If we get rid of these electronic vehicle mandates, there's over $100 billion there. If we get rid of this IRS Army funding that the previous or the current administration wanted to do, there's billions and billions of dollars there. How about the Federal Department of Education? These are all things that uh our as far as is i'm concerned and my conservative colleagues this is low-hanging fruit and that's just a start so we intend on communicating that to the president frankly i think that he has already exhibited a willingness to listen to those things but uh more than anything we've got to be able to demonstrate to the american people who put us in charge who gave us this responsibility and this privilege of leading that we're not going to just continually run up the credit card. And so that's going to be a real focus for our discussions.
SPEAKER 09 :
Congressman, are the 80,000 new IRS agents going to survive?
SPEAKER 01 :
I hope not. And I don't think so, to be honest. Because again, I'm going to go back to my blunt comments earlier. I think that falls in the category of stupid when we start looking at doing things like that. And those are some of the policies that just don't need to be there. You know, there is a argument, a fiscal argument for raising the debt ceiling. I did not support it prior. And I know at least I think I know why the president wants to do it. That's to give some fiscal running room for default and the bond markets and all of that. However, when you do that, you send a message to the people of America that you're willing to increase that credit card limit that we don't have backing for and you're willing to spend it. I'm not saying necessarily I wouldn't support it for fiscal reasons, but I would need to see some spending cuts with it. And I think my colleagues are of the same mindset.
SPEAKER 09 :
Programs like Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare are something that a lot of people have come to depend upon and expect kind of the third rail. Is it possible to reduce spending in the way that you would like to see so that we see that $36 trillion debt go down rather than up without touching those kind of programs?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, that's a conversation that's going to take longer than what we have. However, I think the short answer is long-term, no. That's simply too big of a part of the overall budget that is on kind of an autopilot. And it's not been solvent for some time. It does need reform, but it's not a simple one to address. But there are some things we can do in the meantime. And so we want to try to attack first things first. But to your point, I think that will have to be addressed if we're going to solve this problem long term.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah. It's easy to blame politicians. But in reality, there's a lot of people in the public who want what comes with that debt. And we're all going to have to take our medicine if we're going to fix this, I think. Congressman Fulcher, thank you so much for your time today.
SPEAKER 01 :
My honor. Thanks for having me on today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Coming up, we'll get an on the ground update from the historic wildfires in Los Angeles from a pastor of one of the oldest churches in the area. Stay with us right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 10 :
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 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 a 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 03 :
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SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm Joseph Backholm sitting in for Tony today. As devastating wildfires ravage Los Angeles County, the toll on the community is staggering. With over 35,000 acres burned and at least 10 lives tragically lost. These fires are among the most destructive natural disasters in California's history. Tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate, and as critical fire conditions persist, the heartbreak and uncertainty weigh heavily on all those affected. Communities hit particularly hard by the Eaton Canyon fire include Pasadena, Altadena, and the town of Sierra Madre. Residents are grappling with immense loss and are searching for hope. Joining me now to provide an on-the-ground update on the latest and what the needs are is Dr. Josh Swanson, senior pastor of one of the oldest churches in the area, Christ Church Sierra Madre. Dr. Swanson, welcome to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thanks. It's great to be with you.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thank you for taking some time from I know very important things that you have. Give us an update about how things are in your community.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, so it's been really devastating on so many people in our church family. There's been a number of families in our church who have lost literally everything. I was talking with a friend of mine yesterday who had lost his home. He was up in Altadena and he said he drove up the street and he said he just saw person after person standing in front of these empty lots, almost like people at a graveyard. you know, standing over a grave. And so it's really, really devastating. And the loss is immense. And so, you know, we're seeing on the one hand, people grappling with immense loss, but we're also seeing really beautiful ways in which people are stepping up and caring really well for each other. And so we see both a mixture of grief and loss, as well as hope and the love of God kind of emerging in this place right now.
SPEAKER 09 :
We know that fires are constantly moving and understand they're still burning. Is the threat ongoing in your community or has it moved through?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, so the threat has moved through for now. They have lifted some of the evacuation mandates in Sierra Madre. And so more of the residents are coming back. Our family was evacuated and we returned home last night and talked to many other families who have kind of had the same thing. So we're not in imminent danger right now. And we're thankful for that. I understand that on Monday, It sounds like winds are supposed to pick back up again. And so they're trying to get a handle on things over the weekend to prevent the communities that are most at risk from being in danger.
SPEAKER 09 :
What you're dealing with is just a husband and a father in your own right, but also as a pastor of a broader conversation, you're going to have church on Sunday. What are you thinking in terms of how are you going to talk about what it is that you're experiencing and what is the way for Christians to navigate this?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, so one of the things that we've done as a community last night and then the night before that and then tonight we're going to do it again is we've just had these prayer gatherings where our community gathers together for support and for sharing and just to pray together. And so we've had people who have lost. who have dear friends that have lost everything. There were people at our gathering that I went to a couple nights ago who had themselves lost everything. And so to come together and to be able to share with one another about where we're at, we're feeling disoriented and confused or maybe some people oddly at peace in the midst of the chaos, and then just to pray together. So that's what we've been doing over the last couple days. And as we move into Sunday, we're also going to spend space in our church service in prayer. We're going to have somebody get up and share who's lost. a home. And yeah, and we're just going to lean into God and to him as our great rock in the midst of all of the chaos. So that's the plan moving into Sunday.
SPEAKER 09 :
Amen to that. And I know it's very early in terms of the reaction, but do you expect this to create hostility amongst your community and a closeness to a God who would allow something like this to happen? Or are they going to look for perspective and hope that the gospel might be able to provide?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I don't at all expect hostility. I actually look forward to seeing our community, as they have been over the last couple of days, really unite together. And you see first responders, you see government officials, you see church leaders, you see leaders in the community and teachers and this sort of thing kind of working together toward a common end. And so that's really hopeful for me. And so I... And I do think that in periods of chaos and crisis, oftentimes people do look to God, and so we look forward to that. I had a conversation with a guy the other day who had lost his home, and he just said, you know, I'm recognizing in losing everything – what really matters to me. It's relationships. It's God. And I think that this moment can really provide that for a lot of people, kind of a wake-up call in some respects. But yeah, I haven't experienced anything like hostility, and I wouldn't expect that in the future. I think people will work together and unite together across denominational lines and people who believe, people who don't believe, working together for the common good.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's encouraging to hear and we will pray for more of that. But Josh, last question I think I have time for. A lot of us from around the country are just observing in horror what's happening there in California and our hearts go out. How would you like us to pray? What are the practical things that we may or may not be able to do from our vantage points in Iowa and New Jersey and wherever we are around the country, just being sympathetic? What would you ask us to do?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, thank you for that question. And thank you to everyone who is watching this, who you've been praying for us and we don't know one another, but you love the body of Christ and your heart is broken over what you're seeing. So thank you for your prayers. And there's been a number of people that have given financially to organizations in the area that are working. That's something people can do. Our church is collecting funds and resources to distribute to those who have needs. And people I know are rallying together to support us in that way. And that's really helpful, you know, way to support. And I think one thing that that has just kind of occurred to me over the last few days in watching how people have lost everything has felt like supported during this time is what came to mind is that phrase, think global, but act local. And in many respects, what is carrying people through is the body of Christ being the body of Christ. checking in with each other, caring for each other, loving each other, having each other's lives.
SPEAKER 09 :
I'm gonna have to cut you off right there. Do that. Because we are out of time. We will try to do that, bear one another's burdens. Dr. Swanson, thank you much for joining me today. Godspeed. Yeah, blessings, thanks. We'll be right back here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 04 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you. I think it is the best program out there
SPEAKER 06 :
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. 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. 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 11 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and he's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 12 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm Joseph Backholm sitting in for Tony today. Yesterday, a federal district court in Kentucky issued a decision blocking the outgoing Biden administration's unlawful attempt to change the meaning of sex in Title IX of the Civil Rights Act to include gender identity. Now, Title IX is a federal law designed to create equal opportunities for women in education and athletics. We touched on this briefly yesterday, but we want to get a legal perspective today. So here to discuss the ruling in the state of Tennessee versus Cardona is Matt Sharp. He's a senior counsel and the director of the Center for Public Policy at Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF attorneys represent a West Virginia high school female athlete and the Christian Educators Association International in the lawsuit alongside the state of Tennessee. Matt, welcome back to Washington Watch. Hey, thanks for having me on. Well, give us your rundown of this ruling and what it means.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, this was a colossal ruling. We've had several courts across the country that have issued a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration's unlawful Title IX rule, this rule that impacts women's privacy, safety, fairness, and sports. But what the Kentucky court did for the first time is actually vacate this rule. That means it's essentially wiped off the books nationwide. So whether you're in a red state, blue state, no matter where you are, The Biden administration and any future administrations cannot use this rule to try and force a school or college to allow men and girls locker rooms, restrooms on women's teams or violate any other rights to free speech or parental rights.
SPEAKER 09 :
How do you expect life to be different now post this decision?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you think back, 2016 is when this whole battle first started. We had the Obama administration issue this dear colleague letter trying to rewrite Title IX to include gender identity. So we've had these ups and downs that all culminated with earlier this year, the Biden administration pushing this Title IX rule. So across the country, we've had parents, female athletes, and others reach out saying, our school's telling us they have to allow a boy in my girl's locker room, in the restroom, on even overnight school trips. And everybody kept pointing to this rule and to what the Biden administration was doing. So this federal court ruling, wiping the rule away, is going to really take the government's boot off the neck of schools across the country and make sure that they're doing good policies that protect privacy, that protect speech and parental rights, rather than undermining those important constitutional rights.
SPEAKER 09 :
I know that's very encouraging news to a lot of people who are watching and listening to our conversation who have been, you know, dazed and confused by the developments over the last four years in particular. But Matt, this is one lawsuit involving Title IX where we got this good decision, but there are many more. How do you expect this decision out of Kentucky to impact all of the other litigation around Title IX?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, as I mentioned, when this rule dropped, Alliance Defending Freedom, we filed five different lawsuits across the country on behalf of students, teachers, even school districts challenging this rule. And so far, every single one of those courts in our cases has issued a preliminary injunction, but it's been limited. It's only applied to the specific states involved, the specific school districts involved. So this ruling, number one, makes a difference because it has that nationwide application. But second, because this is the first time the court has actually said we're going to vacate the rule, we determined that the Biden administration didn't have the authority to do this. that as the court described, it actually flies in the face and turns Title IX on its head to try and say that a man can be a woman and have access to women's spaces and opportunities. So we think this is sound ruling. What we hope to see is that in those other court cases I mentioned, the four other court cases that have been going through the process, that those courts are gonna adopt this same ruling. And so that we end up with court after court after court consistently ruling that this is unlawful, the administration doesn't have the authority to do it. What the next step is though, is while this takes the federal governments out of the role, while it takes it away from the pressure on schools, we still have a lot of states that are adopting bad policies. So you have like the situation in Connecticut where they as a state have adopted a policy saying men should participate in women's sports. So the next step is taking the same reasoning that Title IX doesn't require this and that it could actually violate Title IX to put men on women's teams and take that into states that are adopting bad local or statewide policies. So we've got a big victory at the federal level. We've still got work to do at the state level to go any place where they're trying to undermine privacy, safety or fairness in sports and challenge those policies as well.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's a good reminder. Matt, why is this case different in the ruling? You mentioned the other cases where there were favorable results, but they were limited to the circumstances of that case in a preliminary injunction. But in this case, the judge made a much broader decision. Is that because the facts in this case were different or the judge just saw the situation differently?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it's actually because this is what all of these cases were working towards. Every one of them, we were asking the courts there involved to vacate this rule, to wipe it off the books so that it couldn't be applied anywhere. The court so far had not reached that final determination. So this Kentucky case was the first one to sort of go to the finish line, to look at all of the facts, look at all of the evidence, look at all of the arguments and properly determine that if you look at Title IX and its original intent, that the goal there was to ensure women had equal opportunities in athletics and education, that that original intent was completely undermined by what the Biden administration was doing with this rule. So this is really the culmination of all of those cases. Every one of those other ones, this is what we're asking for as well. And so we hope those courts will follow suit and reach the exact same outcome. But again, the big part of this is it is a nationwide ruling. No matter where you live, the Title IX rule cannot be enforced against you.
SPEAKER 09 :
That is great news. Matt, very quickly in our remaining seconds, because we are seeing a change in administration, do you expect this decision to be appealed?
SPEAKER 08 :
We hope not. You know, we've only got a few days left in the Biden administration. We fully expect and hope the Trump administration will not appeal this and, in fact, start taking steps to enact better rules that protect women's privacy and safety and equal opportunities in sports.
SPEAKER 09 :
Matt Sharpe, thank you so much for your time.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 09 :
When we return, our weekly worldview conversation with David Cross. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 12 :
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 09 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. but you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor, you do, but you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you are the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm Joseph Backholm sitting in for Tony today. Quick reminder that FRC and Wellverse to the ministry of Jim Garlow are hosting an inauguration praise and prayer convocation on Sunday, January 19th at Greater New Hope Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. If you plan to be in the area, I invite you to join us as we worship the Lord and pray for our nation leading up to the presidential inauguration. Registration is free, but space is limited. So register today. You can do so at frc.org slash prayer. Well, we're now 10 days into the new year, and there has been no shortage of news so far. With so much going on, it can be easy to gloss over the headlines. But as Christians, we want to make sure we analyze every headline through the lens of Scripture. How do we think about these things biblically? That's why we like to conclude the week on Washington Watch with a biblical worldview conversation. So joining me now for that discussion is David Claussen, who is the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at Family Research Council. David, good to see you. Happy New Year.
SPEAKER 07 :
Happy New Year. Great to see you as well, Joseph.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, we're going to cover a couple of stories, and I think we want to start with the fires in California, because that really does have the nation's attention. Our hearts go out, of course, to everybody who is suffering a tremendous loss. Did God do this?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, Joseph, this is kind of an age-old question. I think I first, as a young boy, had to think about a question kind of along these lines. It would have been the summer of 2004. I was living in Orlando, Florida, and we had three hurricanes blow through in a series of, I think, four or five weeks. And I think that's where I first started to really think about kind of what you would now call natural evil. And I think it's important for Christians to realize there is a distinction between natural evil, versus moral evil. I think moral evil is a category we're more familiar with. These are sins that are carried out by moral agents, individual people, whereas natural evil is kind of what you just observe, things that take place in the natural order. And I think it's important to note, Joseph, this is part of the consequences of living in a Genesis 3 fallen world. Romans 8, Paul makes this point, actually, that creation itself groans, creation itself longs for redemption. And so we live in a fallen world. Now, you know, we could look at some of the political decisions, Joseph, that have led up to why some of these fires are maybe as big and bad as they are. And maybe there is some moral blame there. But I think in short, this is a good example, such as a hurricane or tsunami of natural evil, the fact that we do live in a fallen world that, again, we see reflected in the headlines.
SPEAKER 09 :
Does that make us feel better about what we're experiencing? I mean, what's the way to process this, whether you live in a hurricane region, and a lot of people do, and they've had their lives ruined in that way, their homes, I would say, ruined in that way, and now you're seeing entire neighborhoods and maybe even towns just obliterated by these fires. Is this just, you know, we just chalk it up to we're unlucky?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I don't know if I would put it like that, Joseph. I think, you know, as a Christian looking at this through the lens of the biblical worldview, even, you know, unimaginable evil, we know, and if you're a regular listener to this program, you've heard me reference Romans 8.28 that says, all things work together for good to those who love God. You know, Christians do have a category that even the worst things that can happen in our lives can be used for good. They can accomplish purposes that we can't see in the midst of it. But, again, some of the images that my wife and I are watching on cable TV last night of people losing their homes and their possessions and just getting out by the skin of their teeth, I think the category that we as Christians have is, again, the category I mentioned earlier of natural evil. The fact that we live in a Genesis 3 fallen world, again— Theology is always just behind the headlines, and I think that is kind of the theological category. But again, as Christians, and praise God for some of the stories we're hearing of churches there in L.A. that are just doing heroic ministry, mercy ministry, and helping folks. Again, we have the category of prayer as well, and I think around the country, we need to be praying for our brothers and sisters who are living through something that, again, is pretty unimaginable.
SPEAKER 09 :
David, one of the things that we've observed from those who are observing this situation is the tendency to blame. And, you know, of course, sadly, we live in a world where everything is the fault of your political opponent. And so that's kind of an instinct that seems to have been hardwired into us. You know, somehow I've seen people blame Trump I don't know what the logical connection is there because he hasn't been president for a while, but certainly they do it. And, you know, oh, it's climate change and it's all you mean, you know, Republicans and conservatives who haven't done enough to stop climate change. And then you've seen from right to left. Well, you didn't capture the water because you cared too much about climate. smelt and so you didn't have any water to fight this thing and you did bad forest management because you worship the forest and you thought it was bad for people to go in there and clear the underbrush, so you've made this much worse than it needs to be. Now, how much logic there is to any of those arguments, you know, we'll debate that for a long time, but there does seem to be in kind of our human nature, this desire to blame someone when something bad happens. But you just kind of described, well, in a fallen world, Things are broken and things decay and there are storms and there are fires. And, you know, our life is just going to be challenging because we live in a world infected by sin. What do you make of the instinct to find someone to blame?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I think that speaks to the human instinct to try to explain our lives. I think all of us are, you know, when something like this happens, you want an explanation. We are rational reasoning creatures and we're trying to explain. And for a secular kind of world that's almost post-christian in many ways i think the only rationale or the only justifications that a lot of people have is well there must be some sort of political problem that look for the political solution again the category that i described earlier of natural evil and of living in a fallen world that is an alien concept to a post-christian world joseph And so, again, I do think, you know, in the months and years to come, I'm sure there's going to be the political blame game. And some of the things that are being suggested by whether it's a CNN anchor or a Fox News anchor, there might be merit to some of these critiques on how the forests are managed and whatnot. But I think right now. As the fires are still raging, I would say that the first impulse of a Christian should just be prayer, praying that people, those who are made in God's image, are safe for wisdom, for the authorities that are on the ground, from President Biden all the way down to the fire chiefs there in L.A. County. I think that needs to be kind of the first impulse, first instinct of a Christian.
SPEAKER 09 :
And there's one other point that I hesitate to make, but I'm gonna make it anyway, because really the harm is ongoing and we are genuinely sympathetic for the loss that people are experiencing moment by moment in California. But Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 6 specifically, gave us some wisdom that I think this is a great reminder of, and the fact that we should not store up for ourselves treasures on earth where moth and vermin destroy, or fires destroy in this case, where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. where moths and vermin and fires do not destroy, where thieves do not break in and steal. And this seems to be a painful but important reminder of how temporary everything that we have is. And some of the neighborhoods that are being destroyed are some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in America and therefore in the world. And these are people who presumably Five days ago, felt a tremendous sense of security and financial security and that all is well in the world and in many ways. And then in a moment, they've lost so much of what made them secure. And again, while we remain sympathetic for that, it's a reminder of the fact that everything here is temporary. And if we hold too loosely, to material things for our security and for our joy and our satisfaction and our contentment, we may get a very rude reminder and we can't take it with us. And it's a good reminder to really store up our treasures in places where they are eternal and where storms and fires cannot take them from us. But David, let's pivot to the next story, kind of of this week. I think it's got some important worldview implications for us. And that's the funeral of President Jimmy Carter. And we know he died at 100 years of age, lived a long life. By all accounts, a good, honorable man. By many accounts, not our best president. You know, that's debated, of course, but this isn't the time to go over his presidential record. What were your thoughts from a worldview perspective, again, as you observed how our country honored him?
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, a moment ago, Joseph, I used the term post-Christian, this idea that we've kind of moved into an era that is—we've moved beyond supernaturalism. We've moved beyond theism or Christianity. And yet— This week has reminded us that maybe we're not quite as post-Christian, or maybe another way to put this is that when something of the magnitude of a world leader passes from the scene, the only language that really can communicate the moment is language borrowed from the Christian tradition. So even in the cathedral, the National Cathedral built in the late 1800s, it took them over 80 years to build that. Even the architecture of that building, Joseph, is kind of based on the medieval architecture The idea is that when you walk into a cathedral with these huge, lofty ceilings, the impulse is that you look up. Well, Joseph, I'm sure you know this, but that's intentional. That's why cathedrals have been built that way. They're communicating the transcendence of God. And so even you have the kind of the vestiges, investments of Christian worship service yesterday. You had scripture readings. You had hymns, a beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace. And so, again, it's interesting that a lot of our culture wants to move beyond Christianity, and yet I think we're, I guess, Christian enough that, again, in a state funeral, the Christian vocabulary is really the only thing that communicates kind of the seriousness of the moment, the transitory nature of life. But I'm sure we can talk about other aspects of the survey yesterday, but those are initial thoughts that came to mind.
SPEAKER 09 :
yeah the architecture of a cathedral and indeed is a an exhortation and maybe even a tool to help us do what i think it's colossians to set your mind on things above not the things of earth right and it is an encouragement to look up because that's where we find ultimately our purpose and our meaning and and our creator But despite the, as you described, unambiguously Christian nature of parts of this service, there was another moment that was less Christian, and because The song Imagined by the Beatles was played. And we know that Jimmy Carter was a lifelong Baptist, self-described born-again Christian, an actual Sunday school teacher, not just a proverbial Sunday school teacher. So a committed Christian man. And then, at his service, honoring his life, the song Imagine was sung by the Beatles. Quick reminder of what this song says. Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky. Imagine all the people living for today. Now, that is... not a Christian message to imagine there's no heaven and there's no hell, because Jesus exhorts us to live with a constant awareness of the fact that there is a heaven and there is a hell. What do you make of that interjection into this service, David?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, yeah, John Lennon in the lyrics goes on to say also the idea that no religion too, no possessions. And what's interesting, Joseph, is we know that President Carter planned this to the minute. You know, presidents actually, I've been told, weeks into their presidency are asked to plan out their funeral in the case of a national emergency. So we know President Carter's fingerprints were actually all over the service yesterday.
SPEAKER 09 :
So he actually requested Imagine to be part of the service?
SPEAKER 07 :
which would be my understanding, because again, presidents are told that they need to plan this out. So again, a lot of thought went into this, that there wasn't anything that just happened accidentally.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's news to me. It felt like somebody hijacked it and wanted to do kind of what the secularists do whenever they're trying to be like poetic and philosophical, which is play the Beatles song, Imagine, because we've seen that in other contexts. But okay, continue your point.
SPEAKER 07 :
My understanding is, again, every president plans every detail out. But what's so interesting, Joseph, is the juxtaposition of this Christian architecture, Christian hymns, Christian scripture, and then basically a song to secular humanism. John Lennon, by the way, himself admitted that the lyrics sound a whole lot like the Communist Manifesto. Lennon himself recognized that. And I think the point I'll make, Joseph, briefly, is that here in our Center for Biblical Worldview, we talk about a lot how 6% of Americans have a biblical worldview, but 88% have a synchronistic worldview, meaning that most of our friends and neighbors pick and choose ideas and thoughts from this worldview. Then they'll pick some thoughts from this worldview. They put them together. That's their worldview. Now, because they're picking and choosing, almost like you go to a cafeteria, your worldview is going to have ideas, thoughts, thoughts. that really don't cohere. They're not coherent, but again, most people don't realize that or even care. And so I think this is a reflection of the modern age of, again, even a worldview that Jimmy Carter had apparently really influenced by Christianity. Nevertheless, these other ideas, these other thoughts clearly found a resonance in his worldview. So I think it really is in one sense that funeral yesterday is a parable of the modern age that wants to leave Christianity but it maybe isn't ready to make the break cleanly yet.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, it does. It is kind of this syncretistic symbolism of very Christian and then very secular, all kind of compiled into one as if they are consistent. But that does seem to be an explanation of kind of the confusion that our country is experiencing spiritually in many ways. But I saw somebody, I think it was on Twitter, They said that if Imagine was ever played at their funeral, they would jump out of the coffin and make sure it was your funeral as well. I kind of share that sentiment, but hopefully that won't happen. I'm confident it won't be at my funeral, and it definitely won't be at yours. David Claussen, thanks for joining me today. I imagine it won't. God bless, Joseph. Well played on that one there, David Klassen. Thank you for joining us, friends. We'll see you next time here on Washington Watch. Until then, fear God and nothing else.
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.
In this thought-provoking episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins offers a heartfelt tribute to President Jimmy Carter, emphasizing his achievements that extend far beyond his presidential term. We explore the pressing issues of wildfires in Southern California as we await ground reports from Samaritan's Purse. Additionally, the show breaks down legislative efforts focused on border security and the impact of recent Title IX court rulings on women's sports, featuring insights from key political figures and analysts.
SPEAKER 10 :
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 05 :
Throughout his life, he showed us what it means to be a practitioner of good works, and a good and faithful servant of God and of the people. And today, many think he was from a bygone era. But in reality, he saw well into the future.
SPEAKER 04 :
That was President Joe Biden at the National Cathedral today, where our nation's leaders paid their final respects to America's 39th president, Jimmy Carter. Good evening and welcome to Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks for joining us for this Thursday edition. Well, meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Southern California is ablaze, creating what many have described as an apocalyptic scene.
SPEAKER 09 :
We continue to confront a big one-level firestorm. Historic winds and extensive drought have created a perfect storm that has driven people from their homes and have taken people's homes and that has taken people's lives.
SPEAKER 04 :
That was Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass earlier today. There are currently five major wildfires with the two largest still uncontained. The Palisades fire is reported to be the most destructive in L.A. history. Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritan's Purse, joins me later to discuss the situation and pending relief efforts. In other news, the Biden administration's efforts to redefine sex in Title IX were struck down today by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves, who ruled that the administration had overstepped its authorities. Meg Kilgannon with FRC will be here to explain what this means for women's sports and beyond. And before leaving Washington for the weekend, the House passed legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The measure passed with bipartisan support, 243 to 140. We're going to talk with California Congressman Doug LaMalfa later here on Washington Watch. And also Dr. Ronnie Floyd joins us, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, to discuss the supernatural power of prayer and fasting. And frankly, I can't think of a more appropriate time to not just talk about prayer, but to actually pray. So with that in mind, mark your calendars for two upcoming prayer events, Sunday, January the 19th, Inauguration Praise and Prayer Convocation at 2 p.m. just down the street from the Family Research Council. If you plan to be in the area, I invite you to join us as we worship the Lord and pray for our nation. leading up to the presidential inauguration. Registration is free, but space is limited. So to attend, you have to register. Go to frc.org slash prayer. That's frc.org slash prayer. You can also join via the Stand Firm app if you're not able to be in D.C. And then mark your calendar for Wednesday, February the 5th, the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, which will be at the Bible Museum. We invite you to come and join us for that. Find out more, go to the website, TonyPerkins.com. All right, we've got a packed program, so don't go anywhere. Just a little while to go. The U.S. Senate voted to advance the Lake and Riley Act by a vote of 84 to 9. This is the first of the border bills to be advanced by the 119th Congress. Here to discuss this is Congressman Mark Alford, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the Small Business Committee. He represents the 4th Congressional District of Missouri. Congressman Alford, thanks for sticking around and welcome back to the program. Thank you, Tony. Good to be with you. So before we talk about some of the other wins that the Republicans scored this week, let's go over the Lake and Riley Act. The House passed that this week. Now the Senate takes it up. They advance it. Talk a little bit about what this bill would do and why it's important.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, the reason it's important is because Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas have left some 12 million illegal aliens into our great nation, compromising our security and our national security, our security here in the homeland. And because of that, last February, almost a year ago, Lakin Riley, a jogger, a student in Georgia, was killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra. He had been let out of jail three previous times by police, and yet he was not detained by ICE, not detained by anyone. No one cared that he was an illegal alien out on the streets. And he continued to perpetrate his crimes. And his last one was the rape and murder of Lakin Riley. And so now we passed Mike Collins' bill from Georgia Very proud to know him. He worked hard on this bill to get it through committee and on the House floor, and we got the votes. And in fact, we got 48 Democrats this time to vote along with us in the U.S. House of Representatives. And we'll make sure that illegal aliens who are arrested for shoplifting, burglary, theft, and what have been considered maybe minor crimes that should not lead to incarceration or deportation, repatriation of illegal aliens, We're going to make sure that happens now. They are going back after they serve their time back to their home country.
SPEAKER 04 :
Congressman Alford, there's actually several bills related to the border that were in the rules package last week that will be fast-tracked. This was the first. What other measures can we be looking forward to?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I think there's a whole host of them. And this is part of the president's agenda, part of the mandate that the American people said, we have got to secure our border. Some of these things are going to be talked about this weekend in Mar-a-Lago. I'm not going to be there, but I know other members of Congress are. The reconciliation package is also a big, big part of what we're going to be doing in the first 100 days. But securing our border is number one, making sure we have the funds available. And I'm on the Appropriations Committee, so I'm going to be working hard on that, that we have the funds available to build the wall, to reinstitute the Remain in Mexico policy. A new member, Brandon Gill, is introducing a Remain in Mexico policy to make sure that that gets back into play. And that basically, Tony, for the viewers who may not know, you have to stay in Mexico or your home country while you appeal or while you apply for asylum into our nation. Only about 10% of those who apply for asylum have a legitimate claim. And yet the Biden administration has let those people into our country. Most of them never show up for their hearings. It takes 10 years to have these hearings. And by the time it's all done, only 10% of them have a worthy claim. And so this is going to say you have to remain in Mexico and have that heard there before you come to our nation.
SPEAKER 04 :
That was the policy that the Trump administration put in place during their last administration, which basically shut down this flow coming into our southern border. One final question for you, Congressman Offord. You mentioned reconciliation. The president last night meeting with Republican senators to discuss reconciliation, whether reconciliation one bill or two bills. He said he was leaning toward the one bill, one big, beautiful bill. I spoke with the House Speaker this morning, and that was his preference. And it sounds like that's the direction it's going to go.
SPEAKER 07 :
I certainly hope so. Look, we've got to get this done. We don't have much time to get it done. The American people, we have to educate folks as we move along. And we've got to get people on board, not just the American people, but everyone in our conference. So if we can do that, if we can get the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that Jason Smith, our chairman of Ways and Means, wants in there. He wants one bill, by the way. If we can get that done, we can raise our debt ceiling. That doesn't mean we're going to spend up to that level, but that's going to give the President of the United States some cushion and keep the bond markets settled while we reduce spending some $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years. That's $250 billion in savings that we are going to make through various programs. And each committee is going to be charged now with finding these savings, not cutting into Social Security, and Medicare, but finding the savings where we can to hopefully within 10 years balance our budget. That's what our budget director, not our budget director, but budget chairman Jody Arrington is aiming for. We've got a lot of work to do and a short time to get there.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, that would be huge and much needed. Congressman Mark Alford, thanks so much for joining us today and have a great weekend. You too, Tony. God bless you. All right. Congressman Mark Alford of Missouri. Well, in other breaking news today, a federal district court judge struck down the Biden administration's attempt to redefine sex in the Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, a federal law designed to create equal opportunities for women in education and athletics. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky's Northern Division ruled that the Biden administration's rewrite of Title IX would exceeded the Department of Education's authority under Title IX and violated the Constitution. So what does that mean? Well, joining us now to discuss this, Meg Kilgannon, Senior Fellow for Education Studies at FRC. She previously served in the U.S. Department of Education during the first Trump administration. Meg, thanks so much for joining us on this breaking news.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thanks for having me, Tony. It's a really great day.
SPEAKER 04 :
So you've had a chance to read through the opinion. What are we looking at here? What does this do?
SPEAKER 16 :
This basically, as they say, as the judge says at the end of the decision, vacating this rule returns the state of play to the status quo of the last 50 years. And we know that that state of play for the last 50 years has been that men are men and women are women, and we can each have our spaces, and women don't have to have men on their sports teams. So this was a really good ruling. It said that the rule, as the Biden administration had conceived it, was unconstitutional, that it compelled speech, that it overstepped the bounds that were allowed to the department in terms of writing a rule like this. And so it was a short but a really thorough ruling.
SPEAKER 04 :
The speech related to the pronoun usage, forcing teachers and others to use certain pronouns. So 26 states, previous states, had challenged this. This came as a result of about three or four states challenging this in their districts. So what's next? Does this put it to rest? Is it over? Or what will be the next step?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, you know, today's a national day of mourning and the government is closed today. So we haven't heard anything from the Biden administration to react to this ruling. But they, I suppose, could try to appeal to the Supreme Court. I think that they don't have time to do that, obviously. And I think it would be a dangerous thing for them to do. But hopefully we will just see the rule withdrawn. And we will then go back to continuing to fight for the rights of women and girls in states where these kind of rules are being enforced at the state and local level. And sadly, that's happening in about half the country. The state of California, states like Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, they have rules similar to this Title IX rule on their books already. And so they can be... they can be changed in the future. And I think that's where our movement in the fight to protect children is gonna have to focus. We need to make sure that we are rooting this out of our own states because in plenty of red states and school districts in red states, there are policies like these and children are being harmed by them and teachers are being forced to enforce them. So we have to make sure that we're continuing to fight this ideology because it's not rooted out yet.
SPEAKER 04 :
That's the great opportunity that's here on so many fronts is under this incoming administration, we have the ability and opportunity to do some very important work that will have lasting effect. But we can't just assume it's going to happen. We have to make it happen. Meg Kilgannon, thanks so much for jumping in here at the last minute and giving us that update.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 04 :
So with the Biden administration, Department of Education, on its way out, the bell is ringing on this administration. The next administration is certainly not going to defend this rule, this change. So as Meg says, it goes back to status quo. And that's what we have because the Trump campaign and the incoming administration has said, we're going back to the way it used to be when men were men and girls were girls. A novel idea. Coming up next, Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse joins me as we talk about what's happening in California. Don't go away. We're back after this.
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 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 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 a 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 15 :
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 04 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us on this Thursday. Well, much of Los Angeles County remains under a red flag warning through Friday night as firefighters continue to battle multiple major wildfires. Roughly 179,000 residents have been told to evacuate and thousands of structures have been damaged or totally destroyed in the outbreak of at least five fires that have been spreading across the Los Angeles area. Five people tragically have lost their lives so far, but officials say the death toll is likely to be higher. Firefighters work to contain the fires. Our friends at Samaritan's Purse are monitoring the situation and waiting for officials to give them the green light to go ahead and provide physical and spiritual aid to those affected. Joining me now to talk about this and more is Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. Franklin, welcome back to the program.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you, Tony. Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Franklin, before we jump into what's happening there on the West Coast in Los Angeles today, it was a day of mourning for the passing of former President Jimmy Carter. The state funeral was today. Your father had a close relationship with him. What should people keep in mind at moments like this?
SPEAKER 01 :
I've heard people say Jimmy Carter was a better president after he left the White House than when he was in the White House. I would disagree with that, Tony. I look at the one moment where he brought Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin together at the White House, and they signed that peace accord, the Camp David peace accord between Egypt and Israel, which is still in effect today. This was huge. And of course, when he did leave, he was just a one-term president, but when he left, He just didn't sit around. He did things. He helped people. He had a real burden for parts of Africa that were suffering from the Guinea worm. He focused on that and tried to draw attention to get funding for it, to help relieve suffering to people. He built houses. He was an incredible emissary for our country around the world after he left the White House. And he just, one of the most positive people And I've spent quite a bit of time with him and he was always kind and gracious. A Southern gentleman, Tony.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, that was my sense as well. And I do want to just say, as you pointed out, the critical role he played in facilitating the peace between Israel and Egypt, that really is a cornerstone of peace in that region, which I think the Abraham Accords were able to build on in the last Trump administration.
SPEAKER 01 :
No question. What Jimmy Carter did opened up the door. And so we just pray that as President Trump comes next week, as he comes into office, that he'll be able to get that rolling again. And hopefully we can see some peace initiatives once again in the Middle East.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, Franklin, let's shift gears here from the historic hurricane of Helene there in your backyard to the other side of the country just a few months later. We've got these historic fires in Los Angeles. Help us make sense of all this, and what do we need to do?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, Samaritan's Purse, we have a ministry center in Fullerton. We keep trucks and equipment and supplies in a warehouse there. So we're ready to move once the local authorities let us go in. One of the problems you have, first of all, the fire's still raging, so we're not firefighters, and you have to just let this play out. But once it plays out, we have to wait for the local officials to give you the green light to go in. One of the problems is there could be bodies that are still in homes that were burned in the fire that they have not discovered. And they will have to canvas the area and go to home by home to make sure that they're clear. And at some point after that, they will give the green light for people like Samaritan's Purse to come in and homeowners to come back to their homes. And we will help. One of the big things that we do is sift through the ashes. These fires leave nothing behind. But there may be a mother's wedding ring or maybe a picture album, something that might've survived. And so we'll take teams of people, go in and we'll sift the ashes, looking for things of value. We've found coin collections, we've find diamond rings, we have found things in the past. And you give that back to the homeowner and just to be able to have something that survived that fire that they can hang on to. And it's very important. Now, some counties don't allow us to go back to do anything else. Many communities where we have these problems, they allow us to come and help clean off the lot, get the homeowner into a position where they can build again. And I just don't know what they'll do there in L.A., but I'm sure they'll let us come in and help sift through the ashes. And then we have, of course, chaplains. And we want to talk and pray with people that have lost everything. A lot of people are asking why. And that's a hard question to answer is why. But we want to reassure them of God's love and God cares for them. And he hasn't turned his back on them. So we'll have chaplains there helping as we have volunteers with Samaritan's Purse sifting.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, and I can't say enough positive things about Samaritan's Purse in both the ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the chaplains, and then the hands-on volunteers. But I was just looking in the last 20 years, we've had the 10 most costly natural disasters in the history of this country. These things are growing with their frequency. I think the church has to be prepared. I think it's a sign of the times, but we need to be prepared to minister in these moments because people are open when they're hurting.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, they are. And that's when you have an opportunity to share with them God's love that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, from heaven to this earth to take our sins. And he died and he shed his blood for our sins and was buried. And on the third day, God raised him to life. And if we're willing to repent of our sins and just by faith, simply believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, we'll be saved. And this is the message that we need to share with everyone, Tony. And of course, the world's population has doubled in my lifetime, your lifetime. And so there's more people and there's gonna be more storms. And of course, everybody has a cell phone, an iPhone, takes a picture, able to send it to everyone around the world. So we see it instantly now where we didn't have that before. So I don't know if we have more frequency, but it is affecting more people because our population has doubled.
SPEAKER 04 :
Franklin, very quickly, we've got about 20 seconds left. How can people find out more about helping Samaritan's Purse?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, go to Samaritan'sPurse.org, our website. You can check on what we're doing here in North Carolina, but also there in California, and how they can volunteer and be a part of this. We do need volunteers.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right. We will continue to check in with you as things progress there. Franklin, thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you, Tony.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, folks, stick around. We're back with more after this.
SPEAKER 13 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 14 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I absolutely love 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. 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 14 :
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 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and he's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 04 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. You can find out more about Samaritan's Purse at tonyperkins.com. But I highly recommend that if you're going to help, help Samaritan's Purse. Help through Samaritan's Purse. Volunteer. Give money. They do a great job. Also pray. This is another example of why we're doing Operation Prayer Shield. So if you'd like to join us in praying for our country, we're extending this beyond the inauguration on January the 20th. Text SHIELD to 67742. Earlier today, the House of Representatives passed legislation to sanction the International Criminal Court and their officials, which you may recall, issued a arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for their actions during Israel's war against Hamas. The illegitimate Court Counteraction Act passed by a vote of 243 to 140, with 45 Democrats joining Republicans in support of it. It now heads to the Senate where the Majority Leader John Thune says he will put it onto the floor and advance it. So what message does this send to the world and what does it tell us about what we could expect out of the 119th Congress? Here now to discuss this and more, Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who is a member of the three House committees, a member of three House committees and chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus. He represents the 1st Congressional District Congress. of California. Congressman LaMalfa, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 12 :
Tony, thanks so much for having me. I appreciate your covering today.
SPEAKER 04 :
First, before we jump into this topic, you're from California, very familiar with fires. In fact, it wasn't too long ago you had fires in your northern part of the state. What can you tell us about what's happening there in California?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, ours is a little more seasonal up in North where we do get rain and snow and Southern California being more arid. Well, it's not a surprise that the threat is there every year. Every year you can count on the Santa Ana winds coming in and, you know, possibly affecting fire if one's occurring. And so at this time, They were extremely unfortunate in how severe it was this go around. But it's to be expected every year. And so what is our level of readiness for being able to have a chance to fight the fire or the resiliency against a fire that will happen occasionally anyhow? So are homes being built out of the right material? And is the lands around there being treated in such a way that you don't have the brush and the fuel that will carry the the fire to areas where you really don't want to burn.
SPEAKER 04 :
Is the criticism of state and local officials there justified?
SPEAKER 12 :
In fairness, yes, because the priorities have been something else. You can see how the fire department down there has been hiring DEI-type people. priorities instead of just who are the best people they can bring in. You might have seen a video from a fellow last name Corolla who tried to join the fire department, had to wait seven years merely because he was the wrong gender or color or something. That's ridiculous. And then we saw with the city there chose to downsize their fire department by about $17 million in funding. And that doesn't reflect that there's a lower fire risk in the area. And obviously we're seeing that, that the fire risk is still very high, especially with the Senate.
SPEAKER 04 :
So policy matters. The policies we adopt matter. It affects people.
SPEAKER 12 :
That's what directly affects people by what government does, yes.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes. All right. Well, let's talk about this. Tell us about the bill voted on earlier today, the ICC that would sanction the ICC. Tell us exactly what it does and why it was important for Congress to take this up first in the 119th Congress.
SPEAKER 12 :
It sends a strong message that the disinformation that's been around Israel and and this whole battle here in Gaza was, obviously Hamas is the aggressor on that. I mean, until two October 7th ago, There really wasn't an issue like that. So they've taken this to the next level on the whole phony concept of what Palestine should be, which is more fictitious than anything. And so the whole, you know, Israel's bent over backwards for most of its existence to try and accommodate. You know, the Gaza was a kind of a land for peace deal. And they never got peace. So they were setting up rockets before the settlement was, the ink was even dry on that deal. And so... We know the source of the attack, the heinous things, the ugly things that the Hamas-related people did to those people starting on October 7. That's all on their lap. The blood is on their hands. Israel is doing what should be done. It's actually bending over backwards and maybe succumbing to world pressure, unfair pressure by UN and media and others. And I think some pretty bad handling by the Biden administration, where they should have had stronger backing by the United States from the beginning. This would probably be over a long time ago. And the hostages either released or if these guys were going to torture and murder them, as we've seen happen with some of them, the situation would have been settled and still it drags on. So now when you see with Trump coming in, they're paying more attention and it seems like there's gonna be a stronger effort to end this thing as it is. But it has to be pretty much unconditional. We can't allow Hamas to continue to doing what they're doing with that massive tunnel system. And there's a cell everywhere that they can launch rockets from and abduct people. So for the ICC to be somehow blaming Netanyahu as some kind of war criminal because he's resisting and pushing back and trying to end this. Israel has always sued for peace. It's always... And even when they do an airstrike or try and wipe these guys out where they are, they send leaflets and they send warning. Hey, we're going to do this very surgically. They don't just indiscriminately bomb everything like those rockets that they launched indiscriminately into Israel. They don't care who they kill or what it affects. So it's ridiculous that the ICC would even... Consider that. This just shows the politics of the U.N., the Security Council, and a lot of the really irresponsible world media on blaming it on Netanyahu.
SPEAKER 04 :
And it's certainly encouraging to see Congress taking this up in their first week. Doug, we're out of time. Up against the break.
SPEAKER 12 :
And thank you for joining us. This also affects American citizens, possibly. So I want to protect them, too. Thank you.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right. Have a great day. Don't go away, 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you are the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 04 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Thursday. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Let me remind you, two prayer events coming up. January the 19th, we'll have our prayer preceding the inauguration of President Donald Trump. That'll be 2 p.m. in the afternoon. To find out more about how you can be a part of that, go to frc.org slash prayer. If you can't make it to town, you can still join us on the Stand Firm app. And then February the 5th, we have the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, which will be at the Museum of the Bible. I encourage you to come and be a part of that. This will be our third year. Dr. Jim Garlow will be joining me. And we'll talk more about that later. Well, speaking of prayers, we watched the devastating wildfires in Southern California continue to rage. And as I was talking with Franklin Graham earlier, it was just three months ago that we saw the historic level of destruction in the Carolinas with the Hurricane Helene. And we just look back to all the many natural disasters our nation has faced in recent years, and somebody's saying, how do we get through such challenging times? And I do, number one, I think the Lord warned us that as we move toward the end of time, we're going to see more things like this. We need to be prepared. And one of the ways we respond to this is in prayer. We do preparation. But we, just knowing that this is not unusual, that these things, I mean, it's unusual, but we've been warned that it was gonna be happening so that our peace would not be robbed from us, nor our joy. And it's interesting, throughout history, our nation's history, Christians have turned to God in prayer, asking for hope for healing and guidance during disasters. And that's needed now perhaps more than ever. But also, as we were talking earlier with Meg Kilgannon about the opportunities that we have with this incoming administration, I want to encourage you not to think we've crossed the finish line, but rather this is the starting line. And the way we affect change as believers is first in prayer, and then we walk it out. Well, with me, joining me now to talk more about this, about the power of prayer and its role in both personal and national transformation, is Dr. Ronnie Floyd, pastor emeritus of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas and author of the recently released book, The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting, 12 Ways God Will Change Your Life. Dr. Floyd, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you, Tony. Great to be with you always.
SPEAKER 04 :
So let me just ask you first off, what prompted you to write this book?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, Tony, I have been on journeys of fasting really since my collegiate days and was approached about doing it because I haven't written about it in about 14 years in a book. And so that's what it was. Plus, I felt like the moment in America and across the world where is perfect in relationship to the church stepping into this space, which is desperately needed by individual believers, as well as churches where we spend time in prayer and fasting, not only for ourselves, but also for our country.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, you headed up National Day of Prayer for a season. I mean, prayer has been fundamental to your ministry, you know, the power of that prayer. So this is not new. Is this a culmination of experiences that you've had as you've walked in prayer and fasting?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think it probably really is. God shapes our lives and God gets us ready for various things in life and preps us through the course of life. And I believe that this book really speaks clearly and soundly biblically as well as practically and spiritually, that it should inspire people to walk into those moments at a little different level with God. You know, Tony, I was thinking the other day, while the church today must always be the salt and the light, one thing the church can do that the world cannot do is to really pursue God with deep prayers and fastings over our nation and the condition of our nation. And I think in this time in America, I'm telling you, you know, it's prime time and we need to be praying for those who lead our nation.
SPEAKER 04 :
You know, many see prayer as, It's almost therapeutic. It's just so you can express yourself and you can calm down. But it's much more than that. I mean, when you look at what Jesus said in Matthew 18 about the keys of the kingdom, what we bind in heaven will be bound in earth. The actual activity is in heaven. And the way we, as you said, as believers, as followers of Christ, we have access to heaven. We are able to pray to God himself, who is the one, the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who holds the keys that opens and shuts.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, there's no question about that. And those keys are the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of Christ that we're able to share. And, you know, we have been given those keys because we are followers of Jesus. And we're thankful that we get to represent Him, you know, in this world to be the ambassadors we need to be. And, you know, I just, I tell you, I just really... really appeal to people today to understand where this country is today. God is giving us a moment in history for us to pray like we've never prayed, to spend time in seasons of fasting, but also just really, really, really getting involved all across our nation in every way possible to make a difference in a positive way.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, this is definitely not the time to think we can put this on autopilot. It is going to work its way out. That our responsibility ended on November the 5th. It's just beginning. Now, your book outlines the 12 ways that God will change your life through this process of prayer and fasting. In what ways? What are some of those 12 ways that God begins to change us through prayer and through fasting?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I believe that we will begin to experience the power of God in our lives. There's something mysterious and powerful about obeying the word of God. You know, most people don't know this, but, you know, there's 57 verses in the scripture with the word fast or fasting. And it's mentioned 69 times in those 57 verses, and all of them have to do with the abstinence of food. So in relationship to this, you know, it was prominent in God's Word. God only has to say it one time, and He's called us to do this. And I think it's so important that when God leads us and when we know that we are pleading with the lord that we'll do that and when we do we will experience god's power you know one of the things tony that that we think at times that when we fast and pray or or just pray we think we're going to change the mind of god and perhaps you know i don't know about all that i don't understand the divine in that manner but here's what i do know the divine will change us God will change us. Even if we go to God in the midst of prayer and fasting, pleading with God, pouring our hearts out to God over one item in our life or over several items in life or in the country or wherever we are, we can be assured when that fast is finished, if God has not met that just as we need to to see him in our minds, You know, God gives us a peace in our heart because what happens is we realign our will with God's will. And that's the power of prayer itself.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, and I mean, I don't understand it all either. The ways of God are higher than our ways. But I know Hezekiah prayed and the Lord heard his prayer and reversed the order that he had given that his life was over, that he was going to die. And he gave him additional life. time on this earth. So we know that God does hear our prayers, but you're right, we're the ones that are transformed by them. But there's also a peace, a joy. When you talk about the power of God, it's a peace and a joy. It's the ability to have the abundant life that Jesus Christ came to give us by abiding in him. It enables us to walk on the waves of the turbulent life in which we live.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, there's no question about that, Tony. And one of the groups, obviously the most important group in that other than the church would be the family. And this book talks about how to believe God for your family in prayer and in fasting. And I think it's really important that we understand that the fight, while we think at times it's out there, It really is in us and with our family where we need to do what we need to do to minister in prayer and at times in a season of fasting for our family because we need to see our families being representatives and instruments of God all across the world.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah. If we had our families in proper alignment with God, you know what? All of a sudden, our communities would be... You know, before you know it, our whole nation would be. So it does. It does start with the family. The supernatural power of prayer and fasting, 12 ways God will change your life. Dr. Floyd, how can people get a copy of the book?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, they can get a copy on Amazon. They can get a copy on Barnes and Nobles and get a copy on Christian books or even in your local region. There's somewhere maybe that may be carrying it, but you can do it online immediately. And thank you so much for the opportunity to tell people about it.
SPEAKER 04 :
Before we wrap up here, Dr. Floyd, you know, we've been talking about it, but when you look at... Franklin Graham was on earlier with Samaritan's Purse. But you look at, and I brought this up to him, the frequency of these natural disasters. Of course, he brought the point up that we're more aware of it. But I do think that we're living in the end times described in the church or in the scripture. Now, how long are those end times? How long is it? I don't know. I don't know everything. But I think we're in that season. How do we not just survive but thrive during these times?
SPEAKER 03 :
I think keep perspective of even looking at what you just said, because I think what you said is correct. You know, what we must understand is that in this moment, in this era, for whatever reason, and God is doing something, and I don't understand it all. I wish I did understand it all. I could tell everybody I did. But what I do understand is that what you said biblically is correct. That something is going on, and that something going on is that we are nearing the time, whenever that time is. And isn't it amazing, Tony, the rapid succession of those things, of those events, of those times. Terrible circumstances. I mean, what is happening, you know, not only in the Carolinas earlier, but think about what's happening today, what you just stated about the fires. I mean, that is beyond our imagination and is absolutely heartbreaking. And so it is definitely a great time to have a perspective biblically, but also go to God about it because he's the one who can minister peace and healing and a future for everyone.
SPEAKER 04 :
And Jesus and John talked, he said, you know, I'm telling you these things so that you might have your joy, that my joy might be in you, that you won't be robbed of your joy nor of your peace. And if you think about that, he was telling them in that context, he was saying, you're gonna be hated. People are gonna be against you. Hey, but I want you to have joy. I want you to have peace. And he's warning us that these times would come. But as you say, through prayer, fasting, and abiding in him, which would be in his word. I think those three things, if we're in his word, we're praying and we're fasting, we're going to have the strength not just to survive, but literally... thrive in this environment, whatever that environment might be, because God's going to be able to use us to minister to others. And as Franklin was talking about earlier, when we come into these disasters, and you and I both have seen it, people are hurting, they're looking to make sense of all of this, and they're open to having deeper conversations about what life really means. And that's an opportunity to share the love of Jesus Christ with them, the gospel message that Christ died for them, and that they can have that abundant life. But in order to do that, we have to have our wits about us. That means we have to be prepared for these moments.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. Yes. And Tony, you know, following the Holy Spirit and his leadership and all that is just pivotal. Just like you try to follow the Holy Spirit's leadership in every broadcast you do, every sermon you ever preach, everything you ever do with the FRC and through the FRC. And that should be our heartbeat out here with people every day. What does God want me to say? How can God use me today? And who needs to hear today? And ask God for the open doors. I really believe that when we pray, God will open those doors.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, He will. In fact, in Revelation 3, verse 7 and 8, He talks about, and I've talked about this a lot because it's been a verse I've been chewing on, about Jesus at the Church of Philadelphia, the door that He opened because they... They did not deny his word, nor did they deny his name. And powerful. Dr. Ronnie Floyd, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us, and we'll encourage people to check out The Supernatural Power of Prayer and Fasting, 12 Ways God Will Change Your Life. Thanks for being with us, and Happy New Year.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, Tony. You're the same.
SPEAKER 04 :
All right, Dr. Ronnie Floyd, you can find out more about the book. Go to TonyPerkins.com or go online to Amazon, get a copy of the book. I do want to encourage you that in these times, and I think they're going to become more intense. I mean, we're seeing the evidence of that. We need to be prepared. And I would encourage you, as you increase and enhance your prayer life, that you also have a regular time of study in God's word. And if you don't have a Bible reading plan, guess what? We've got one for you. It's called Stand on the Word. And I invite you to join me every day for a devotional based upon that reading plan and get in the word. You can find out more about it by texting Bible to 67742, Bible to 67742. It is just a, it's a journey through the word of God and it will change your life. All right, folks, thanks so much for joining us today. Always great to have you as a part of Washington Watch. Until next time, I want to leave you with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul, which we find in the Word of God in Ephesians chapter six, where he says, when you've done everything that you can do, when you've prayed and when you've prepared and when you've taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 10 :
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.
Furthermore, engage with a comprehensive examination of religious persecution across the globe, spearheaded by Global Christian Relief's revealing report. Isaac Six joins to discuss the harrowing statistics of Christian persecution in Nigeria and beyond. The program also delves into the controversial judicial blockade of Tennessee's Protect Minors Act, with Attorney General Jonathan Scrimetti offering his legal perspective on ongoing state efforts to safeguard children from harmful online content.
SPEAKER 07 :
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 06 :
The Panama Canal is vital to our country. It's being operated by China. China. And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama. We didn't give it to China. And they've abused it.
SPEAKER 05 :
That was President Donald Trump speaking from Mar-a-Lago yesterday. Good evening and welcome to Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins and I want to thank you for tuning in. We begin with President Trump's bullish foreign policy statements regarding Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal. His remarks have left some on edge. In just a moment, we'll get reaction from Nebraska Senator Pete Ricketts. Also yesterday on the program, we covered President Biden's release of al-Qaeda terrorists to Oman, a move sparking legislation aimed at preventing future releases. But the administration is pushing back.
SPEAKER 12 :
I think the president has been pretty clear that and what you've seen over the past few months is more detainees, you know, leaving Guantanamo Bay. I think every administration has made a concerted effort to try and get detainees out of Guantanamo Bay and slowly close that facility.
SPEAKER 05 :
That was Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh earlier today. So does this make America safer or does it put us at risk? We'll talk about it later. In other news, a federal judge has blocked Tennessee's efforts to protect minors from harmful pornography sites under its Protect Tennessee Minors Act. Nineteen states have adopted similar laws, but several are tied up in court, including Texas' law, which the Supreme Court will consider next week. We'll get an update from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scrimetti later here on Washington Watch. Plus, Nigeria is yet again labeled the most dangerous place in the world for Christians. Isaiah Sick, Senior Director of Advocacy for Global Christian Relief, will join us to discuss the findings of their 2025 Red List and what the incoming administration might be able to do to make it safer for Christians around the globe. And finally, the raging fires in Southern California serve as a reminder of our need for God's protection and intervention. That theme will be part of the inauguration praise and prayer convocation on Sunday, January the 19th, which I'll be hosting along with my good friend, Pastor Jim Garlow. Dr. Garlow joins us later to share more about that event. Well, we've got a lot to cover, so let's get started. President-elect Donald Trump is drawing a lot of attention over remarks he made regarding Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal, all three of which he said the United States would be better off with. Now, some have brushed the remarks off as crazy talk and some have called the ideas bad. Or are they really? Here to discuss this, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts of Nebraska, who serves on four Senate committees, including the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Ricketts, welcome back to Washington Watch and Happy New Year. Thank you very much. Happy New Year. Thanks for having me on. Well, there's not a dull moment going to be in that we're going to have in Washington, D.C., as President-elect Donald Trump moves back to the reins of government. His comments yesterday, putting some on edge regarding Greenland, Canada and Panama Canal. Your thoughts?
SPEAKER 10 :
What the president is doing is thinking long term about our safety and security here in the United States. For example, the president knows that Russia and increasingly China have been involved in the Arctic and that we need to secure that northern flank. And also he knows that Canada has not been pulling its weight with regard to its defense spending. I think last year it spent 1.3% of its GDP on its defense when it's supposed to be spending 2% and committed to that years and years ago and still has not made it. So he's thinking about how can we protect our people here in the United States? Are we gonna need to put bases, for example, up in Greenland? He's thinking the same thing about the Panama Canal, the event of a conflict with Chinese Communist Party and the People's Republic of China. We're going to have problems because two Chinese companies own ports or one Chinese company owns a port on both ends of that canal. And you bet that they will try to shut that down if there's a conflict and harm us from being able to respond to anything going on in the Pacific. So the president is thinking long term about how do we keep our country safe? And we ought to be thanking him for it. And I'll tell you right now, there's a lot more people thinking about the risks that are being posed by Russia and China, for example, up in that northern Arctic area today than there were just a couple of days ago.
SPEAKER 05 :
I would think, Senator Ricketts, that for those that observed the first Trump administration, that they would understand that even though he makes statements such as he did yesterday that are maybe uncharacteristic of an incoming administration, there is a method. to what he is doing. And I think he is putting our adversaries on alert. He is keeping the deck kind of shuffled. But I think, as you pointed out, he is doing this with a clear mission in sight.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, absolutely. And the other thing to remember is that, you know, Trump is a negotiator and he's a disruptor. So we shouldn't be surprised that his negotiating style is very disruptive. The negotiations for Greenland or Panama, the Panama Canal, haven't even started yet. So Trump is certainly not going to give up anything in his hand before the negotiations have even begun. And again, it's about thinking about the long term safety and security of our country. So this is something that is this at the beginning, not the end. And but it is a good sign that the president is thinking about how do we secure our nation long term.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, I agree 100% on Panama Canal. We should have never given that back to Panama. We should have retained control of that. And China, as we saw during COVID, when they clamped down on personal protective equipment after they created the crisis, we know that they are – clearly an adversary, and to allow them to control such a vital waterway is unacceptable. But Greenland, is that realistic, to think that the United States could take control of Greenland?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, again, it's currently Greenland is owned by Denmark. And what the president has suggested that Denmark sell us Greenland. And it would be a way for us to help secure the northeast United States by making sure we would be able to put up our military bases there. We also have Chinese ships that are there. They're dual purpose. They're supposed to be doing research. But we know that there's nothing in the Chinese Navy that is just purely civilian, right? Whether it's research ships, they've all got dual purpose, they all report to the same dictator who tells them what to do, or even private companies like the companies that own the ports down in Panama, they have to do whatever the Chinese government tells them to do, whatever the dictator Xi Jinping tells them to do, right? This is called communism. Right. They're all under one central government and they have to do what the dictator says. So we should be very concerned about what the Chinese are doing in the Arctic and what they're doing with these so-called research vessels because they're dual purpose. Just having the ports down in Panama. We know that for no other reason, the Chinese will be monitoring the traffic there and make be making intelligent decisions. you know, guesses about what would happen in times of war and being using and using that against us.
SPEAKER 05 :
With that in mind, Senator, let's let's talk about a contrast, because Donald Trump is concerned about American security, our national defense. But yesterday, the Pentagon, the Biden Pentagon, announced that it released 11 al-Qaeda linked terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. in Cuba to Oman. Now, do we have any guarantees that they won't pick up where they left off and go right back to the business they were in before, terrorism?
SPEAKER 10 :
Sadly, this is pretty standard for the Biden administration, but they don't tell us anything about what is going on. I read about this in the paper just like everybody else. There was no advance notice to us to say, hey, here's who these people are, here's what they did, here's the guarantees we have from the Omanis to make sure they'll never do it again. We have no such assurance that I know of that at least has been communicated to the US Senate with regard to why we should feel good about these detainees being released. We know they were terrorists. They've been terrorists for a long time, and we should not be letting them out. And what kind of guarantees do we have? They won't just return to their terrorist ways, We've certainly seen that in the past with previous people who have been released. They've gone back to being terrorists again. So this is something where the Biden administration has told us nothing about why we should feel good about this. And again, it's just part and parcel of why this administration has been such a failure. They just don't put the well-being of the American people first. They put their own woke agenda first.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, the track record of Oman, I think we have roughly 30 other detainees, terrorists have been transferred to Oman. They've been released without explanation. So there's no reason to believe that these would find the same freedom there in Oman to go back to the field of terrorism. Now, there are a few left there in Guantanamo Bay, and I know some of your colleagues are at least messaging, moving legislation, trying to move legislation forward that would prohibit the Biden administration from releasing any more of these terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. Is that a possibility of seeing that legislation move forward?
SPEAKER 10 :
I have not seen the legislation, so I can't speak to that legislation directly. But one of the things that I think we should all keep in mind is, look, while these people are being detained, they're not a threat to American citizens. Why you would change that status quo is beyond me. You'd have to make a pretty darn good case that, for whatever reason, you can move these people someplace else and American people are going to be safe. The Biden administration has not made that case to us on the people they just released. And we need to have better than just their word that somehow this is going to all turn out OK, because the Biden administration has shown time and time again that their appeasement first policy has put Americans at risk and made us less safe.
SPEAKER 05 :
Senator Ricketts, you've been very strong in support of Israel. And one of the pieces of legislation that the Now, Majority Leader John Thune has said he is going to be moving through a companion bill that is in the House, and that is taking action against the International Criminal Court for their efforts to actually arrest the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. They're talking about sanctions for those individuals. I understand that may be making its way to the Senate floor this week?
SPEAKER 10 :
My understanding, that's a possibility that we might be voting on that this week. It'll either be that or the Lake and Riley Act, which is designed to make sure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has to arrest and deport illegal immigrants who commit criminal crimes here in our country. So those are the two things that we've been told we may come up. And I do think it's important to note that this is an issue with regard to the International Criminal Court that we did not sign onto it, neither has Israel. So they really have no jurisdiction in either one of our countries. And there's a reason for that, because we don't trust them. And they're taking action against Israel while really doing nothing against Hamas, who started all this with their terrorist attack. So Tom Cotton had sent a letter to the ICC. I was one of the signatories to it. It said, if you pursue this, there will be consequences. This legislation is the consequence that the ICC will now face.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, and I think it's good because I think that is a part of the giving rise and fuel to the anti-Semitism that we see around the world. So I'm grateful that this is actually a priority of the new Republican-controlled Congress of the 119th. Senator Pete Ricketts, always great to see you. Thank you for coming on the program today. Great. Thanks again for having me on, Tony. I appreciate it. Happy New Year. All right. Happy New Year. Have a great day. All right, folks, more to be praying about. And we're going to give you more on how you can join in our prayer. But let me give you this right now. If you'd like to join the Operation Prayer Shield, where we're praying for our country and our allies, both domestically and internationally, all the issues going on, text the word SHIELD to 67742. That's SHIELD to 67742. All right, coming up next, a new law to protect children in Tennessee from online pornography was blocked from going into effect at the 11th hour by a federal judge. What was the reason? Well, we're going to talk with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scrimetti next here on Washington Watch. Don't go away.
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. 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 Govern. 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 13 :
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 05 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Glad to have you with us. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, best way to get in touch with us is the Stand Firm app. Go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app. That way you've got Washington Watch with you no matter where you are. A new law to protect children in Tennessee from online pornography was set to go into effect New Year's Day, but it was blocked the day before by a U.S. District Court judge. Her reasoning? It was supposedly suppressing of the free speech rights of adults. Well, the Tennessee Attorney General, Jonathan Scrametti, has asked a federal appeals court to allow the Protect Tennessee Minors Act to take effect while litigation proceeds. And he joins us now to discuss this. General Scrametti, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you and Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you, too. Thanks for having me back. This is not something that Tennessee is doing in a vacuum because there's 19 states in total that have taken this step because increasingly over the last decade, we've seen pornography. In fact, many states have labeled it a health crisis because of its effect, particularly upon minors and how this industry is preying upon them. Give our viewers and listeners an understanding of what the Protect Tennessee Minors Act would do and why it's been blocked and how you're gonna fight for it in court.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, the Protect Tennessee Minors Act is intended to make sure that only adults are able to access explicit, obscene material on the internet. Right now, there's evidence all over the place of children who can access some really disturbing and horrible stuff with virtually no effort. It just pervades the internet. And so this requires age verification to access these sites. It passed unanimously. Every single member of the Tennessee General Assembly either voted for it or didn't vote. There was not one vote against. this law when it went through. And it's pretty similar to laws in Texas and Indiana and Florida, many other states that have adopted similar laws. The whole point of it is not to keep adults out. There are all sorts of privacy protections for adult information used for age verification. But protecting our kids from the psychological impact of ready access to these materials is a incredibly compelling reason for the state to do this. And the law just seeks to make sure that kids can't see what kids shouldn't see.
SPEAKER 05 :
General, you said it's pervasive. It certainly is pervasive. I would say it's pernicious. I would also say that There's evidence to suggest that it's not passive in terms of the pornography industry, that they are pursuing people to kind of catch them in their net. This is simply trying to provide, if I read the legislation right, a wall of protection that just makes sure that whoever crosses into that is, in fact, 18 years of age.
SPEAKER 01 :
Correct. And we do that all the time. There are laws protecting children from things that adults can do all over the place, buying alcohol, buying a gun, voting. There are all sorts of activities that you have to be 18 to do. This law just says that going to these obscene and explicit sites is one of those things that you need to prove your age to do. And it's consistent with laws in other states. The Supreme Court next week is hearing Texas' case. And we're optimistic that the court is going to further validate the legitimacy of these laws. But it's just common sense. There are things that kids should not be able to do, and we as adults need to protect them.
SPEAKER 05 :
So very common sense, rational argument that you've made there that you have to show an ID to get alcohol, to buy cigarettes. Why not pornography? What are the opponents saying that would separate this from alcohol or from tobacco or any other product that we protect children from?
SPEAKER 01 :
So the First Amendment is very important. It's a cornerstone of our American republic. And free speech is something that we need to protect vitally. But they read free speech very broadly. There are some opinions from way back from the Supreme Court that talked about inhibiting adult access to materials in the course of protecting children. But at the end of the day, The First Amendment does not apply to obscenity, and a lot of the material out there is obscene by definition. And if you go back and look at even the very liberal justices back in the 60s, Justice Brennan, who was perhaps the most liberal justice of all on free speech, He had no problem with limiting kids' access to pornography. He didn't see any free speech implications there. The case law seems to back us up. But there are people out there, some maybe self-servingly, who say that even trying to restrict kids' access to this material poses a grave threat to free speech and needs to be stopped. And those are the arguments that are raised against us.
SPEAKER 05 :
Now, General Scramatti, you pointed out that Texas, their law is going to be before the Supreme Court on the 15th. They'll be presenting that case. The Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas will be there. How might the outcome of that case impact your law there in Tennessee?
SPEAKER 01 :
We're optimistic that the Supreme Court is going to say that, of course, states can require age verification. That's not a constitutional obstacle. And our hope would be that that trickles back down through the Sixth Circuit and through the trial court. to validate our law, to allow us to proceed with enforcement. Now, in any law involving speech, there may be situations that arise where there are constitutional problems. But invalidating a law on its face paints with a very, very broad brush. And there are many legitimate applications, and we would like to enforce those applications and make sure that Tennessee kids are not able to zip right onto the Internet and find these obscene materials that will have terrible impacts on them as they grow into adulthood.
SPEAKER 05 :
It's quite significant, as you pointed out earlier, that this was supported unanimously by the legislature there in Tennessee. I mean, you really have to read. That's a pretty high threshold. And I know it's a conservative Republican state, but even so, that's a pretty high threshold.
SPEAKER 01 :
It really is. It's very unusual for anything controversial to move unanimously. And here you have a very wide range of legislators, people with very different political ideas, but all of them recognize that we need to protect our kids. And it's America. You're allowed to disagree. People come at things from different directions. But this is something that we can all unite around. Our children are assailed with these negative, evil influences, and we have to take steps to protect them.
SPEAKER 05 :
And there is an abundance of evidence now to suggest that this has long-term implications for them. General Scametti, I want to thank you for joining us. Always great to see you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Thank you. Great to see you, too.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right. And folks coming up with the inauguration day fast approaching. How can we be praying in these days leading up to it? Well, after the break, we're going to talk about it. Don't go away.
SPEAKER 14 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC. They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord. 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 03 :
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 11 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and he's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 05 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls, text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. This is Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins, your host. Good to have you with us. Hey, what does last week's terrorist attack in New Orleans and the fires raging in Southern California have in common? Well, they should both make it abundantly clear that we need God's hand to be upon this nation. In 12 days, our nation will inaugurate its 47th president, Donald Trump. That is not the finish line for us as Christians, it's the starting line. So working with Dr. Jim Garlow, I am co-hosting a special event the Sunday before the inauguration, the inauguration praise and prayer convocation. It's an opportunity to gather, celebrate God's faithfulness to our country, his mercy and his grace, and lift up our country in prayer. Joining me now to discuss this, Dr. Jim Garlow, founder and CEO of the ministry Well-Versed, who, as I mentioned, is co-sponsoring this event along with FRC. Dr. Garlow, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you. Good to be with you, Tony.
SPEAKER 05 :
And you are in Southern California. That's your home. Now, you're down in San Diego, a bit of a ways from the fires. But these are historic fires that are raging there in Los Angeles.
SPEAKER 04 :
Very sobering. Bring back memories. In 2013, we had 2,800 homes burned here in San Diego. In 2017, we had 1,600 homes burned. HERE IN SAN DIEGO. THERE WERE EXACT MEMORIES OF THAT. SO WE'RE EXTREMELY CONCERNED FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN LOS ANGELES RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW, FOUR DIFFERENT FIRES OR SO THAT ARE OCCURRING AND NONE OF THEM ARE CONTAINED AT ALL.
SPEAKER 05 :
VERY SERIOUS. I think I see this as there are things that are beyond our control. Now, certain things we can do to prepare and protect, but we need God. And just as we see a new administration coming in that is certainly going to be more favorable to things we care about, we need to be praying. And that's a part of this event that we're doing on the Sunday before the inauguration is just to thank God for what he has done for but pray and intercede for our nation as we go forward. Talk a little bit about the motivation here and what we'll be doing.
SPEAKER 04 :
Tony, it's interesting. Almost everywhere I listen to or talk to, people use the same word, reprieve. We've been given a reprieve. Well, it's a two-year or a four-year reprieve, I don't know. But the church has been given a reprieve, a time to really get its act together. We're so thankful that Trump will be our new president, but Jesus is our king, our messiah, and our savior. And so for that purpose, we're coming before him to honor Jesus, to honor the Lord. We'll be praising and worshiping, and then we'll be praying for our new president in very specific areas that he literally have the mind of Christ, that he have a biblical worldview as he moves forward in all of these areas, protection over him. And then, Tony, I'm thankful you're going to be sharing, I think, a very prophetic and extremely important word about this reprieve and what the church needs to be doing at this particular time. I love your phrasing. This is not the finish line. It's the starting point. So the church has an incredible opportunity. right now that's been given us to step up in the arenas of holiness and righteousness, biblical justice and truth before a holy, righteous, and just God. So we invite people to come January 19th at 2 p.m. in the afternoon. That's a Sunday to the Greater New Hope Baptist Church on 8th Street Northwest, very close, Tony, to the FRC headquarters there. We invite them to come be a part of this important event.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, information on how folks can be a part of it.
SPEAKER 04 :
They can go to two places, wellversedworld.org, wellversedworld.org. They can sign up. There's no charge. Or they can go to the FRC. Tony, you ought to tell them exactly where on the FRC website to go. But either one of those they can go to. They can sign up. They don't need to. There it is right there, frc.org forward slash prayer. And we encourage you to come. Now, you need to sign up right away because the space is limited and we're almost at capacity. And because of the crowds and because of street closings that sometimes the Secret Service does, you know, it starts at two o'clock on Sunday afternoon. We urge you to arrive around 1245 or so, because there could be a number of crowds in the streets from other events. There's another large event going nearby. And then Secret Service may have some streets closed. So allow plenty of time to get there. We have to go through security as well to protect everyone. But we encourage you to come and worship the Lord with us, and we'll have a great celebration.
SPEAKER 05 :
And by the way, dress warmly because it's cold. And you'll be outside a lot if you're there in D.C. just kind of making your way around. So do dress warmly. Some of the folks that will be involved with this event, as you said, it's a prayer. We'll have a number of people praying as we pray over various aspects. Who are some of the other leaders that are going to be joining us?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, Sean Fioik will be leading the worship. I already mentioned what Tony's going to be sharing, and so I think it's a word from the Lord. David Barton will be sharing just very briefly a history of presidential proclamations to pray, to fast, solemn assembly and such. And then we have everyone, Paula White, Jenny Korn, who've been involved in the last administration a great deal, a host of us, Matt Staver, Robert Tyler, Individuals praying. We're praying for Israel, Mike Evans. We have a high-level governmental official from a member of parliament in Ukraine that will be there. and some, frankly, some wounded soldiers. And I just received word this morning, Tony, I didn't have any chance to tell you this, that a member of the Knesset, Ohad Tal, was able to come. He just called me this morning, a few minutes ago, saying he was going to be able to come, and he'll be with us. He'll give an update on the hostage situation, an update from Israel. Then we'll be praying. for Israel. So there's a lot of people praying for different categories, praying for wisdom on the president. And then, Tony, if they also want to, we want to invite them to come to February 5, the event you and I are doing together, the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, the Museum of the Bible, and they can sign up at the same site.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, Dr. Jim Garlow, I look forward to seeing you on the 19th as we pray and kick off the administration of Donald Trump in prayer and praise. All right, folks, coming up next, a new report exposes the top offenders of Christian persecution. 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 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 02 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you're the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 05 :
Welcome back to Washington, Washington. Again, if you plan on being in D.C., I invite you to join us for the worship service leading up to the presidential inauguration. The registration, as Dr. Garlow said, is free, but space is limited. It's filling up very quickly. To register, just go to frc.org slash Bible. That's frc.org slash Bible. Also, if you're not able to, I'm sorry, that's prayer, frc.org slash prayer. And if you're not able to be here in D.C., you can, we'll be streaming it on the Stand Firm app, so make sure you have the Stand Firm app. Today's word is from Isaiah 55, verses one and two. Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters. Why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy? These verses remind us that salvation is free. It cannot be earned or purchased, only accepted. Yet many still chase empty things that never truly satisfy. God's invitation is universal, crossing cultural and ethnic boundaries. But notice that it's extended only to the thirsty. Unless we long for what God offers, a righteousness that restores our relationship with Him, His gift remains unopened. Jesus reiterates this in Matthew 5, verse 6, Many look elsewhere for fulfillment, yet only God meets our soul's deepest need. We must personally respond to His call. We've all heard the saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. The same principle applies spiritually. God sets before us living water, but we must decide to drink. Are you thirsty for him? If so, he promises to satisfy. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. Yesterday, a new annual report was released that exposes the top offenders of Christian persecution worldwide. The red list, compiled by Global Christian Relief using the Violence Incident Database, highlights the top five countries where documented killings, arrests, displacements, attacks and assaults, and abductions against Christians are most severe. and it notes some troubling trends. Joining me to unpack the new report is Isaac Six. He is the Senior Director of Advocacy for Global Christian Relief. Isaac, welcome to Washington Watch. Good to see you and a happy new year.
SPEAKER 08 :
Good to see you too. Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 05 :
So before we jump into this list, share with what makes this list unique, Isaac.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I'd be happy to. So a couple of years ago, Global Christian Relief identified a need when it came to reporting on Christian persecution. There are several great annual reports that come out from organizations that we cooperate with on assisting the persecuted, and those reports have their role to play. But we noted that there wasn't any reporting happening of hard, verifiable data using public sources on some of these numbers. So a lot of the We'll look at, they'll take surveys, they'll make estimates about the numbers. But we noted that when we're talking with policymakers and we're talking with leaders, they want numbers that can be verified, that can be sourced easily in public sources, and that are very hard to refute. So that's where we decided to come up with the Red List. And that's built on the violent incidents database, which is research that we've commissioned. So this is over two years of very intense research. looking at every single possible public source and report on persecution over the last couple of years and then tabulating those numbers. The second reason we did this is we also, for our own work, wanted to be able to focus and be effective on the ground. We're in these countries doing work with the persecuted church. And so we need to see what we were missing and where we need to help.
SPEAKER 05 :
So let's go through the categories. Let's start with what is obviously most concerning. That is the killing, killing of Christians. This is where we find Nigeria to be the most dangerous place in the world for Christians.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. We documented 9,814 killings in a two-year period. That confirms a lot of other reporting out there that Nigeria is the most dangerous place on earth for Christians where they face the most intense violence. Our number is a little lower, again, than you're going to see in some other reports because we're only using numbers that we can source from verifiable quality sources. So, but yes, Nigeria for a long time now has been one of the most dangerous places for Christians to operate. The stories coming out of Nigeria are almost unimaginable. And I think if the American church heard some of these stories on a regular basis, they would be shocked. Just one example. Go ahead.
SPEAKER 05 :
No, this is something I've been discussing for some time, going back to when I was on, you worked at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and so we first connected there. This picture has grown increasingly dark for Christians in Nigeria. There was a ray of light during the previous Trump administration when Secretary Pompeo took our recommendation to list Nigeria as a country of particular concern. The Biden administration immediately removed it from the list when they came in, and it has only gotten worse since then in the last four years. What's it going to take to turn things around there in Nigeria?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it's going to take a lot. And you're absolutely right. At the very end of the Trump administration, that was the first time Nigeria was ever designated a country of particular concern, despite years of targeted killings. So, to see that designation removed, and that designation is important. It signals to these countries that the United States and others are extremely concerned about what's happening. And it can open up these countries to economic sanctions and other measures. So it's going to take a concerted, organized effort at the policy level and also at the ground level to shift the tide in Nigeria. But it's simply been unaddressed. The federal government and the state governments in Nigeria need to be put under a lot more pressure to do something about this. They probably have the resources, but they're just not prioritizing protecting Christians in the middle and northern parts of the country.
SPEAKER 05 :
So, I mean, this is... Before we move on to one of the next categories, this is one that is... for me, very problematic because these people have very little defense and their government is not helping them, basically just turning a blind eye as these Muslim radicals are killing Christians, burning their homes, their churches, attacking them. You said the church needs to become aware. What can be done to aid in the plight of our brothers and sisters there in Nigeria?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Well, if you go to our website, gcrelief.org, you're going to see some of the stories and the projects that we're doing. It's a whole range. We're going in and bandaging the church. We're finding those who've lost everything. One of the stories I just wrote after we conducted an interview with one of the survivors there, and we haven't published it yet, but as a woman who was taken by Boko Haram, which is one of the primary Islamist groups there committing persecution, And with her children, several of her children and four of her sons were executed in front of her as soon as she was taken captive. And then she spent another year and a half in captivity, finally escaped and had nothing at all. So through our ministry and one of the pastors we support there who found her, we were able to provide her with a new home to live in, to be reunited with her children. We helped her start a new business and basically start her life again and get back on her feet. So, there's — but we are just a drop in the bucket compared to the need there to restore the church. At the same time, though, it's going to take political pressure as well, because a lot of these areas where Boko Haram and these other groups have come in and wiped out Christian communities, other Muslim groups have moved in and taken over their land and property. And they're not planning to give it back anytime soon.
SPEAKER 05 :
JOHN YANG All right. What other countries make that top five in terms of the killing of Christians?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, so there's several other countries on the top five list with killing of Christians, although they are leagues away from Nigeria. They're in the hundreds in terms of what we were able to document. And again, I should clarify, there are probably more killings than what we're documenting. These are just carefully verified sources. So number two is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Number three is Mozambique. Number four is Ethiopia. And then sort of surprising, number five is Russia.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, let's talk about Russia. Now, I know that Russia has been a problem for religious freedom because my time on the commission for speaking out, they sanctioned me. I've been sanctioned by both China and Russia. But is this related to what they're doing in Ukraine, where they're the targeting of Christians in the territories in Ukraine?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, it's actually a mix with Russia. So, in terms of the killings, a lot of the numbers we verified are the result of an Islamist insurgency in the North Caucasus, in a region called Dagestan, which borders Azerbaijan and Georgia and the Caspian Sea. And so there we see Russian Orthodox Christians and others being targeted by Islamist violence. At the same time, Russia also makes our list for arrests. And that is taking place primarily in occupied areas of eastern Ukraine, where, at the behest of Russian Orthodox leaders, evangelicals, Baptists, Pentecostals are being arrested and detained if they refuse to comply with new rules, if they continue to try to worship freely, if they don't hand over property to the Russian occupying forces, things like that. There are also some killings we've confirmed in eastern Ukraine of evangelicals by Russian forces or Russian proxy forces.
SPEAKER 05 :
Do we know what is happening to those Christians who are being arrested and detained there by Russian authorities?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, some of them are being sent away. Some of them are facing long term sentences. Others are released on various conditions, but they're in hiding. I heard from someone who survived or who has family members who are living essentially in an underground church type situation now, a Baptist family. And so, yeah, there's various outcomes, but it's not good for most of them. And there's really no due process for any of them when it comes to the charges that they're facing.
SPEAKER 05 :
Isaac, another country that has been on my radar in my time with the commission and one that is kind of getting a pass from many in the West just because of their growing economic power, and that is India. India has become a very difficult country for Christians.
SPEAKER 08 :
That's right. And India tops our list in terms of attacks on Christian property, targeted attacks. A lot of that is from riots that have taken place over the last couple of years in Manipur, India, where thousands of tens of thousands of Christians have been displaced and thousands of Christian buildings and churches and homes have been wiped out or destroyed. But, yes, India is a good example of why our focus on violence is so important, because the persecutors—this isn't just random violence. Persecutors use violence to drive out Christians and then to take control and capture the culture in some of these countries. So, in India, for example, this is a decade of systematic, planned, organized occupation of some Christian areas. And it's now at the point where every Every single rung of civil society and government is armed against Christian communities, impoverished Christian communities in some of these places, meaning you have no recourse. The police aren't going to help you. If you manage to get in front of a judge, the judge is biased against you. Every institution has sort of been captured over a decade in some parts of India, and that's leading to mass suppression of the church.
SPEAKER 05 :
Very similar situation in Nigeria from a standpoint of the government being against you. You have no recourse. And this is, you know, I always like to look at these issues internationally from a domestic standpoint as well, is this is why we need to make sure that we have religious freedom in this country, because this is what happens when you don't have it. We just have about four minutes left, Isaac. Let's talk a little bit about the, first off, where can people see the full report? Give us that information.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, please go to GCRelief. That's GCRelief.org. You're going to find a link to the report on the front page of our website, or you can go to the tab labeled Research at the top. There's a drop-down box. You can fill in your email address through a link there and get a full copy of the report.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, and if you didn't get that, just go to TonyPerkins.com and follow the links over. All right, let's talk about the trends that you're seeing here that are troubling.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I think one of the big ones, and again, this is why this kind of research is important, because one of the trends we've noticed, and it's just so far outside of the public eye, but the growth of radical Islamist insurgencies in the sub-Saharan Africa, the Sahel, sub-Saharan Africa, and now deep into the southern and southeastern parts of Africa is uprooting things there. I mean, places like Mozambique, which makes our list instead several places where there's been mass displacement of Christians. These are places where only 10 years ago, Christians and Muslims generally got along peacefully. There was not as much dissension. And that whole landscape is changing. So a lot of the southern half of that continent, which there is immense mineral wealth, Places like the Congo, where 75 percent, 70 percent of global cobalt production happens, which is for all the batteries that we use for everything, these areas are riven by this conflict. So it's going to have effects across the globe. And that's why we need people in the church in America to become involved, because they can help us stand against this time.
SPEAKER 05 :
So let's talk about, in just a couple of minutes we have left, policy recommendations in terms of what the incoming administration might do to provide greater protection through influence with these foreign governments for Christians around the globe.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah. Well, the number one by far that we have been pushing for quite some time, and I know you have as well, but we need to redesignate Nigeria a country of particular Trump can do that on day one when he steps into office, and that'll signal to Nigerian authorities that it's time to pay attention to this again. And then there's further measures that we can go beyond that. They need to understand that the relationship with the United States is going to deteriorate quickly if these mass killings and attacks continue to happen. So that's first. There's others. With India, we're recommending that the next administration build relationships at the state level with leaders there. relationship with the United States is dependent on upholding certain values like religious freedom. And then we have several other recommendations. The last one I'll note is with Azerbaijan. As you know, Azerbaijan drove out 120,000 Christians in late 2023. They wiped out 1,700 years of Christian presence in an area called Nagorno-Karabakh. And so we've pushed and others are pushing Azerbaijan to reopen that corridor, allow these, give these people the right to return home, even if they're not going to relinquish the territory.
SPEAKER 05 :
A lot to be done, and it shows the influence the United States can have. We were trending in a positive direction during the last Trump administration, and all that was lost, and we've fallen back during the last four years. Isaac, I want to thank you for joining us. Appreciate the work that you do. It's very, very important work.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you so much for having us. We really appreciate it.
SPEAKER 05 :
All right, Isaac 6. To find out more, go to the website, TonyPerkins.com, and you can follow the links over. And this is another reason to be praying. We all are affected by this, and we need to be praying for our brothers and sisters and sharing in the challenges that they have. We can use our voice to help them regain theirs. All right, we're out of time, folks. Thanks for joining me. 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 07 :
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.
In this engaging episode of Washington Watch, Tony Perkins leads a riveting discussion on the current and future states of American politics and corporate freedom. With the nation's capital buzzing amidst the cultural tipping point influenced by recent electoral outcomes, major players in government and business are making vital decisions. Explore the role of political reconciliation in the legislative agenda with insights from Congressman Kevin Hearn, and discover how Meta's policy transformation could spell a new dawn for expression in the digital age. Whether it's political strategy, corporate responsibility, or grassroots movements, this episode offers profound insights for all.
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 sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 08 :
We have a wonderful Republican Congress. We have a leader that I have a lot of confidence in. I think he's going to be hopefully a great leader, a great speaker. And we have a leader, by the way, in the Senate, I think has been great. John Thune has been doing a fantastic job. They'll be coming down, the senators also will be coming down, and then ultimately we'll be meeting in the White House in a few weeks, but right now this is the winter season.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was President-elect Donald Trump at a press conference earlier today in Mar-a-Lago discussing a number of topics, including a meeting with Republican lawmakers this coming weekend at his Florida estate. Welcome to Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks for tuning in. Also among the topics in today's wide-ranging press conference was reconciliation, which is a budgetary mechanism that will be used to accomplish a number of the incoming president's priorities. We're going to talk about that with Oklahoma Congressman Kevin Hearn, who's the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. The Biden administration announced that 11 terrorists who were being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were transferred to Oman. Now, previous terrorist detainees, terrorist detainees that were sent to Oman have been released by the Oman government. Meanwhile, Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett is urging the incoming Trump administration to end the funneling of U.S. foreign aid to the Taliban. Congressman Tim Burchett joins us later to explain what's going on. McDonald's announced yesterday that they will be holding their special DEI sauce from their burgers. McDonald's said they would end their racial quotas for hiring. Then, today, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Chief, said they would be ending their fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram, which has led to many conservatives being censored.
SPEAKER 01 :
We've reached a point where it's just too many mistakes and too much censorship. The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech. So we're going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platform.
SPEAKER 10 :
So do you believe him? I should make that a poll question. Zuckerberg said the change comes as a result of the November election. He said it points to a cultural tipping point for free speech. I didn't know we had to have an election to underscore that free speech was important. Stephan Padfield, Executive Director, Free Enterprise Project at the National Center for Public Policy Research, will join us for that conversation. You know what, this political awakening that is happening with corporate America is encouraging, no doubt about it. However, however, We should not believe that the problems are solved and that corporate America is becoming a champion of these fundamental freedoms. We need to see what is happening here as an opportunity, an urgent opportunity that requires action. Suzanne Bowdy, editorial director and senior writer for The Washington Stand, joins me for that conversation. If you've not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I encourage you to do so. Go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. You can watch Washington Watch no matter where you are. You can also get our daily devotional, The Stand on the Word, as well as our news feed, The Washington Stand, news and commentary from a biblical perspective. You can find it in the App Store, Stand Firm, or you can text APP to 67742. Republicans on Capitol Hill are plowing forward with their agenda despite the impacts of yesterday's snowstorm on Washington. And this weekend, many of them will be heading down to where it's a bit warmer, Mar-a-Lago, to meet with President-elect Trump. What might we see unfold in the days ahead? Well, here to discuss is Congressman Kevin Hearn, the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, which serves as the advisory committee to the House Republicans. He represents the 1st Congressional District of Oklahoma. Congressman Hearn, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Great to be with you, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
Happy New Year to you. Hope you stand warm.
SPEAKER 07 :
It's a little snowy here in D.C., but it's very nice. Very pretty.
SPEAKER 10 :
So let's talk about some of the items on the Republicans' plate this week. Let's start first with reconciliation. Yesterday and again today in the president's press conference talked about whether or not there'll be one or two reconciliation bills. What are we looking at?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, here's what we don't disagree on at all, and that's all the policies, the border policies, the energy policies, making sure our military is strong, making sure our tax policies are not increased on all Americans and businesses across America. that we continue this ability to limit the size of the federal government the president came out sunday night and wanted one big beautiful bill that's what we intend to deliver on the house side on the senate side there's still some questions about can we move quickly enough so the president as he stated today he said you know he'd really rather have one big bill and get it all done at one time But if it took two, then he would certainly look at that. And that's part of the reason he wants to get everybody down to Mar-a-Lago and out of D.C. to listen to the concerns and do what a good business guy does, take all the input and then make the final decision.
SPEAKER 10 :
So two bills, only half is beautiful?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you know, we'd like one big, beautiful bill on the House side. We have a very narrow margins of votes and much more, much less than what the Senate has actually for the first time in a long time. So Speaker Johnson and the people involved in this process on the House side understand what we need to do to get a bill passed. And we think one bill is the way to go.
SPEAKER 10 :
So just take just a moment. Let's explain to our viewers and listeners. I've done this before, but this is pretty deep into the weeds in Washingtonese, talking about a reconciliation. This is a 1970, goes back to the 1974 Budget Act, which allows policy related items that have budgetary impact to be addressed in such a way that it does not require the super majority in the Senate. A simple majority vote in the Senate allows us to go forward. Correct?
SPEAKER 07 :
Correct, it was a process put in place in 1974. I would argue sort of as a fail safe that if you couldn't get the budget done, the appropriations done, then you had a way to actually do it. It's sort of an alternative pathway that was even more restrictive, more difficult, very narrow, no policy changes that you'd normally get in a budgetary process. So it's really about, as you said, had budget impact. And then it's really about how do you get around the 60 vote filibuster rule in the Senate, so the simple majority in the Senate. So it takes a lot of coordination between the House and the Senate. And at the end of the day, it's the parliamentarian on the Senate side that really controls the integrity of the reconciliation bill. So you have to work very quickly. You have to work very earnestly in making sure it's correct, and then you make sure the policies in there meet the criteria that the parliamentarian says, and then you get it on the floor. And you can move rather quickly. We'd like to have it done by Memorial Day.
SPEAKER 10 :
What are the policies, with budgetary implications, obviously, what policies are we looking at in the reconciliation bill or bills?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you know, you'd like to get some pay-fors and you'd like to make sure everybody has something that they can vote on. As you know, the president's team and the president has said in many meetings that I've been involved in, none of us in these tight majorities are going to ever get everything that we want. So we try to create a bill that everybody can get something that makes them feel like they've achieved their representation of their constituents back home. But Border security is one, making sure that we can save money there with implications on what we've been spending to offset the housing of illegal immigrants, shipping them all over the country. One thing we've understood in the Biden administration, they've spent hundreds of millions of dollars doing that. Energy policy, unleashing the energy production in the United States, huge revenue generators for the federal government. for the Federal Treasury, and then certainly the tax policy. You know, when you looked at 2017, the Trump tax cuts were done under reconciliation. I think it's also worth noting that when you do reconciliation, it's not necessary because you can get bipartisan reconciliation bills, but generally speaking, they're partisan. So on the House side, it would be necessary to have all Republicans so you couldn't lose but one. And then on the Senate side, you need the 51 percent vote. So, you know, it's real challenging, but it can be done. All the big moves in Congress in the last 30 years have been done. Actually, the last time this happened in a big way and it was very meaningful was under President Clinton. Well, the first time President Clinton and Newt Gingrich when they got a balanced budget. So a lot of opportunity. And I feel good that we're going to do it. We're going to move as quickly as possible.
SPEAKER 10 :
Congressman, let's talk just a moment about that narrow margin, because the legacy media would like for us to believe that there is great disunity among the Republicans in the House, the Republican conference. Can you speak to that?
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, it's interesting you say that. I actually just told a group of media reporters I've been here six years. I've probably never seen the Republican Party more unified than it is today. We have no agreements or disagreements on the policies. The only narrow, you know, eye that we could look at right now would be to look at how we're going to do the process. But when you look at the policies, border policies, energy policies, plussing up our military to regain our national security posture and securing our tax cuts that we have from 2017, we're all in agreement on that. I think when you see what happened with you know, the mandate that President Trump got with the vote, the electoral vote, the popular vote. Yes, you know, Speaker Johnson had to, you know, go talk to two individuals, two of our members, friends, to get some assurances that they needed. But we got it done in the first-round ballot. And you contrast that to two years ago. It took 15 rounds and a speaker race in the middle of all that. The Republican Party is very united. I've talked to people around here a long time, very united. So we're looking forward to getting President Trump's 100-day agenda going and getting the reconciliation package and getting America safe and secure and low taxes.
SPEAKER 10 :
I just want to put, I guess, highlight what you said, that there is agreement on the policies. It's the tactics or the way we get there. And that's understandable because everybody has their own ideas on things. But you do have a pretty unified conference when it comes to the big ticket items of what is important. And one of those items you've been very good about talking about with your business background, it's one that is increasingly popular. a concern to many Americans that are paying attention is the debt, our nation's debt that is ticking up rapidly. What are we gonna do about that?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, it is a grave concern. And one of the drivers of that now in mandatory spending is our ever-growing interest rate on the debt, the massive debt. You know, we have $36 trillion in debt, so every 1% that increases on an annual basis, that's $360 billion more. We're now spending more on interest on our debt than we are on military. We've got to curtail spending. When you look at the revenues as a percentage of GDP over the last 20 years, it's hovered around 18%, 19%, 20%. But when you look at spending, spending has gone from 18%, 19% to 25%, 26%. So we've spent $8 trillion in the last four years. And then when you talk to people that are adverse to cutting, they can't seem to find any way to cut any money. And so it's one of those things where we all do need to come together. I fear at the end of the day, the bond market's going to control what we ultimately end up doing when they control what they're willing to pay, you know, we're willing to give us for debt as far as the interest rate goes. And it's going to come to a screeching halt. But we have an opportunity on reconciliation to look at some of this, some of this that, you know, what could be some revenue drivers to offset some of these costs? And we'll do so.
SPEAKER 10 :
Final question, just following up on that, we just have about a minute left. Are you optimistic that we are going to trim government with the Department of Government Efficiency? Do you think we're going to find those areas where it began to trim some government spending and bring it in under control?
SPEAKER 07 :
I do. It's going to take somebody outside of the Congress to do it. And I think you're going to see what Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy and the Doge work that they're going to do is cut down on the need that these agencies have to have authorized and appropriated. That's where it's going to start. And we've got a long ways to go. Government is out of control on its size. I believe that the real work in America is done at the local level. And that's the way our country was designed. And this fine men are going to make that happen.
SPEAKER 10 :
Congressman Kevin Hearn, thanks so much for joining us today. Always appreciate your insight and input.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. A lot of work ahead and we're going to be tracking all of it. All right. After the break, 11 terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay were transferred to Oman to restart their lives. Should the move by the Biden administration be a cause for concern? That's next.
SPEAKER 06 :
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 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, 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. 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 Govern. 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 14 :
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 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, download the Stand Firm app. The release of Yahya Senwar in a 2011 prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas should serve as a stark example of the risk involved in freeing terrorists. Senwar went on to become a senior Hamas leader and the chief architect of the October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel. He was killed by Israeli defense forces this past October. Well, the transfer of 11 Guantanamo Bay detainees to Oman, facilitated by the Biden administration, has sparked fears that these individuals could go back to their old ways of business, terrorist networks, and target the U.S. or our allies. Joining me now to dive deeper into this issue is Congressman Tim Burchett, who serves on three House committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee. He represents the 2nd Congressional District of Tennessee. Congressman Burgett, happy new year and thanks so much for joining us here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thanks for having me on, brother. It's always a pleasure.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Tim, let me ask you this question. Are you concerned at all by the Biden's release of these 11 terrorists from Guantanamo?
SPEAKER 11 :
100 percent. I believe in the last four years we've been run by a group of anarchists. I don't think it's just one. I don't think Joe Biden's cognizant about half of what he does. But from this to awarding people that just hate our country all these medals. The border, 14 million people. You've got people on a terrorist watch list. I have a bill myself to stop us. We send about $40 million a week to the Taliban. They'll hate us for free. I can't even get the Senate to take it up, members over there, Republicans or Democrats. I think we're completely compromised. I think If Donald J. Trump was not elected president, America would cease to exist as we know it. I think there was a movement afoot. You can say it's a conspiracy theorist or not, but there's just too much anarchy and craziness that's being put into our laws and people that are put into place. I mean, today, that Lakin Act that we passed him, honoring that poor little girl who was murdered in Georgia and brutally raped by an illegal. You know, we had over 150 Democrats who didn't even vote for that. Where's the outrage? We've got a border that's porous. We've got these cartels bringing children over to be traded off as sex slaves. Not really sex. At that age, it's an act of violence. But, you know, where's the outrage? Where are the preachers calling out, saying, Stop this. Why are we not electing people that are God-fearing or at least adhere to the Constitution of the United States? We are fallen, and we better realize this is our last great chance. And when we send 15 to 20 percent of the population to the polls, this is what we get. We have preachers that are afraid to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we are reaping what we've sown.
SPEAKER 10 :
I agree with you on all of that. And I want to put a fine point on something you said, is that we've been given really an opportunity. This country is not saved, but it's not been destroyed by the outcome of this election. We have an opportunity to save it, but it's going to require us to do something. And it's along the lines of what you just described. But I want to go back to a point you made about the foreign dollars from the United States, United States giving foreign aid to the Taliban. You wrote a letter. You made it public to President-elect Trump calling on his incoming administration to stop this funding, indirect funding of Taliban. Explain.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, you know, you're familiar with NGOs, non-government organizations. They were created to do good things. And as most of these type deals, they've run astray. And so we're sending this money as aid packages And as you know, money is fungible. It can move. It's like water in a glass. It moves to every corner of it and fills it and covers it. And so does money. And that's exactly what we're doing. And we're disguising it as aid. But we've found out through, there's a guy named Sean Ryan, who's a former Navy SEAL, who has a podcast. And he had a fellow on there. It goes by the name of Legend. He's a Middle Eastern. He's a Muslim. But he fought for this country. And he's fighting for a free Afghanistan. And and so he has disclosed this. We've researched it and find out that it is that it is the truth, Tony. And we're spending it's around 40 million dollars a week. It is getting to our enemy. Now, those folks are sworn as Taliban. They're sworn to hate and want to kill Christians and Jews. I dare say that probably is everybody listening or watching to this story. this telecast right now, that applies to you all. Yet our government is sending 40 million a week. I've got people in Upper East Tennessee and North Carolina that don't have running water because of that hurricane that we've forgotten about. And we can't seem to get any money there. We spent over $200 billion to Ukraine. And we sent over a billion down Central America for somebody to protect some lake or stream down there. And all that money is just getting stolen. And we are compromised. to the highest levels in this country.
SPEAKER 10 :
As you have validated and verified this information regarding the money going to the Taliban, you've inquired about that. The State Department is aware of this, are they not?
SPEAKER 11 :
Oh, yeah, 100%. either ignore me or tell me that it really isn't working that way. But if they're able to take this money that we send them to buy food and they slide it, once it gets into their hands, they can go anywhere. And we're finding out it is going to the worst possible places. And these people are going to be coming after us with our own money and our own guns because of it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, we left them behind. Yes, sir. And one of the ways this works, and we're almost out of time here, but these NGOs that are doing this humanitarian work there are being taxed by the Taliban. And so it's that money from the United States funding these NGOs that's going into the coffers of the Taliban.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yes, sir. It's not just the United Nations that's funding our enemies with our own money. It's our own money. funding our enemies. So we're going directly to them. So yes, sir. And we know what's happening, and they allow it. I can't tell you how many times I've been in testimony and talked about it. And they'll say, well, it's just 1%, or it's just 2%. But they're admitting, I don't care if it's one penny. As it turns out, we're sending a few billion dollars. A few percentage points of that is a lot of money in East Tennessee.
SPEAKER 10 :
ED HARRISON That is crazy. Congressman Tim Burchett, thanks so much for joining us. Always great to see you, my friend.
SPEAKER 11 :
Hey, brother, I pray for you. Please ask your folks to pray for our country. We we need to take our country back.
SPEAKER 10 :
We absolutely will. And we are. Thanks so much. And folks, that's a great reminder. Join us with Prayer Shield, our Operation Prayer Shield. Text SHIELD to 67742. And we're going to be praying for this country. We're praying now. We will be praying. We'll continue to pray. So join us. Don't go away. We're back after this.
SPEAKER 04 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 03 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I've absolutely loved my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 03 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord.
SPEAKER 04 :
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 03 :
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 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never going to be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's going to change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 10 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls, text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back. If you've not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I encourage you to do that. You can have Washington Watch with you no matter where you go. Go to the App Store, download the Stand Firm app. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will be ending supposedly, according to Mark Zuckerberg, their fact-checking program and lifting speech restrictions as a part of an effort to restore free expression on their platforms. Now, in a video message today announcing the changes, the Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, called the recent election, quote, a cultural tipping point toward once again prioritizing speech, end quote. So what could this mean over the next four years and beyond? Joining me to discuss this, Stephan Padfield, executive director of the Free Enterprise Project at the National Center for Public Policy Research, which presses corporations to stay out of the political and social engineering fields. Stephan, thanks so much for joining us. Welcome to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thanks so much for having me. It's great to be here.
SPEAKER 10 :
So can you unpack a little further for us what Zuckerberg and Meta announced, starting with their fact-checking program? What does that mean?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, it seems to mean that while they have previously relied on third parties and algorithms to essentially take down posts and comments, that they're basically shifting to the system that we see many of us that use X, formerly Twitter, where the post will stay up absent some really glaring, egregious, you know, Could be child sex trafficking, something like that, that might take it down. But anything other than that, I think Zuckerberg was quoted as saying, if you could say it on the House of Congress, then you can say it on our sites now, would just get community notes that would clarify that. provide various perspectives. And so certainly seems like a step in the right direction. We have certainly complained, those of us on the right, for a long time about how these fact checkers, quote unquote, unbiased fact checkers, were really just partisan, left-leaning censorship shops. And so it does seem to be a step in the right direction. But as always, we do have reason to be cautious in our enthusiasm for these changes as well.
SPEAKER 10 :
Agreed. Very much agreed. Trust but verify. Stephan, let me ask you this question. Would we be having this conversation if we were looking at Kamala Harris as president?
SPEAKER 09 :
I don't think we would at all, and I actually give Mark Zuckerberg credit for being somewhat transparent about the fact that he is simply responding to, among other things, but certainly it seems like it's primarily the election results, right? He saw what happened. And he took that in, and this is something where I think we can give him credit for acting like a good capitalist and taking the feedback, seeing the direction of the country, what his customers want, which is free speech, certainly, and then providing it. And again, this doesn't mean that his own political views have necessarily changed dramatically or that the makeup of the internal employees at Facebook, that their overall political leanings have changed. But it clearly would not happen. I think that's I think that's fair to say. And I think that's what he's telling us without the election. But still, there is something to feel good about that. He is actually being responsive to that rather than doubling down and trying to create. You know, I think one of the alternative platforms is blue ski, I believe, is the name of it, where they sort of try to create elections. The new the old leftist censorship utopia. And I think that's not faring very well. So he could have done that. But instead, he's actually trying to provide some free speech and give the users what they want. And we should reward that.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. agree when people are moving in the right direction. But as you said at the beginning, I think we've got to verify that this is, in fact, true. But I would also underscore, Stefan, that This is today. But what happens four years from now if we get another leftist that emerges because, you know, public opinion is somewhat fickle. I mean, I think the First Amendment is ironclad in the Constitution. It's a principle that Americans have fought and died for. We shouldn't need an election to remind us that it's important. But I do believe that this is a window of opportunity in which we need to fully exercise this freedom and kind of cement it back into the public mindset so that the next election won't affect it.
SPEAKER 09 :
That's absolutely right. I mean, there's a couple of things going on here that we can look at positively. So one is with the leftist radicalism, including their war on free speech and their enthusiasm for censorship, it eventually falls apart. It eventually eats its own tail, so to speak. Now, the only question is how long does it last? How much damage does it do along the way? But really part of what we're seeing here is the inevitable on some level culmination of the radicalism with the censorship, with the war on free speech. And so that's reason for optimism. And as you say, we need to now keep building upon that. And we need to use the speech that we're given on those platforms to really engage positively, to drive home the need for free speech. But to some extent, I think we can take comfort in, this is a saying I hear a lot, the common sense of the common man. Right. These censorship efforts have failed ultimately because of the common sense of the common man and the integral belief in free speech. It has made its way through ultimately after some tumultuous times. And as you say, now we get a chance to prove that it works and continue to defend it. We've just got about a minute left.
SPEAKER 10 :
Do you think this is going to impact other tech giants that are in the social media field?
SPEAKER 09 :
I think it has to. Now, some will try to differentiate themselves, right? So again, I think Blue Sky is the other network that's trying to sort of position itself as the old Twitter. But at the same time, it's hard to ignore when a force like Meta, when a person like Zuckerberg sort of just tips his hat to the cultural shift and makes this dramatic change. So I would expect to see more rather than less. It's similar to what we're seeing with a lot of corporations walking back DEI right now. We're seeing more of it rather than less once the truth breaks out as to how problematic the left's agenda is.
SPEAKER 10 :
Stefan, thanks so much for joining us. Appreciate your insights on this. Thank you. All right, folks, we're going to continue this conversation on the other side of the break. Don't go away. 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 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 13 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God's will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn't impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can't do that. It's not that you don't love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God's opinion more than your neighbor's opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you're the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that's not all. They're also engaged in our government. They're voters. They're more likely to be involved in their community, and they're making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can't do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That's what we're working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That's S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins, your host. Good to have you with us on this Tuesday. The website is TonyPerkins.com. I want to invite you to join us in Operation Prayer Shield as we've been praying for our country leading up to January the 20th. But because of events as we felt led to do this prayer, we're seeing the validation of that call with what's been happening both here domestically and internationally. And so we're going to continue to pray and I invite you to join us. So text the word SHIELD to 67742. That's SHIELD, S-H-I-L-D. I-E-L-D to 67742. And you can join with thousands of others across this country praying. You get daily prayer points. We'll have periodic prayer calls. So text the word SHIELD to 67742. Our word for today comes from Isaiah 52. The Lord has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of God. Through the Jews' return to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity and through the gospel today, the Lord is revealing his power. He is bearing his arm as a warrior would do. It continues in verse 11 of that chapter, "...depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing, go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord. For you shall not go out with haste nor by flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard." Similar to the Great Commission commanding us to go, the captives were told to go. But the unknown is often intimidating. Living for the Lord and stepping out in faith to stand on His promises is not easy. But the Lord says He will go before you and lead you and behind you to protect you. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. Yesterday, fast food giant McDonald's announced that it would be ending a number of woke DEI policies, making it the latest company on a growing list to do so. McDonald's listed a number of reasons for making the changes, including the Supreme Court's 2023 decision banning race-based college admission policies. But is it simply that they saw the writing on the wall, as more and more companies have been doing? And what do these and other developments tell us about the moment in which we are living right now? Joining me to talk about this is Suzanne Bowdy, editorial director and senior writer for The Washington Stand. Suzanne, thanks so much for joining me.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 10 :
So, Suzanne, you've been tracking the whole DEI woke stuff before it was even popular. Kind of give us a sense of how the momentum is building. It's really kind of snowballing right now as we see more and more companies moving away from this.
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely. I think a lot of this we saw really kicking off in 2023 with the advertisement done by Dylan Mulvaney for Bud Light. And after that uproar over Dylan Mulvaney, I think we saw companies and especially Americans just sort of shocked by the outlandish transgender agenda that was right in front of their faces. And so it's In 2023, I think we started to see the groundwork being laid for this. After the Dylan Mulvaney, consumers decided, hey, I'm ditching Bud Light. And then when groups like Target and Kohl's and Nike and others decided to either display transgender merchandise or really lean into this transgender agenda, you saw consumers really back away from them and With a force that I don't think we'd seen before. And while I believe that Robbie Starbuck, who's the activist that's behind some of these latest decisions, does deserve a lot of credit for what he's doing, especially this year. I think this really kicked off in 2023. You saw the sports leagues decide. sort of unanimously to no longer force players to wear pride jerseys, which was a major development that sort of kicked off this avalanche. And then I think heading into this year, we had a lot of companies sort of apologizing in 2023 saying, oh, we're sorry, like Rip Curl Doritos both had controversies with transgender spokespeople. But then I think really this all started to happen in July and June with Tractor Supply when Robbie Starbuck said he was going to threaten to expose the DEI policies that they had. And instead of exposing them, what happened was Tractor Supply proactively came out with a huge list, sort of a mea culpa list. of things that they were rolling back, DEI, they were no longer going to be participating in the Human Rights Campaign's Equality Index, which was a major blow to the LGBT movement. And from Tractor Supply and from their proactivity, from them coming out and not being exposed, but rather taking the bull by the horns and coming out and agreeing to all these changes, you started to see John Deere, you started to see huge companies like Lowe's and Ford and Coors and Harley Davidson and just on and on and on until what we're seeing now is what happened in 2024 with Walmart, one of the biggest employers in America, has carried over into 2025 with McDonald's, which has also agreed to not only end its hiring quotas, which was an easy thing to do with their Supreme Court out. But also they're saying that they're no longer requiring suppliers to hold fast to those quotas. And they're also not participating in HRC's Corporate Equality Index, which was a major thing because they had 100 percent score.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. That's pretty big. You know, that's That's pretty significant. You see these companies backing away. And I go back to my conversation I had in the previous segment with Stefan, that this is the result of an election. I think had the election gone the other way, I don't think we would see corporate America doing this. So I think this is reflective of their read of the culture. It has been trending, but I think it manifests itself in a greater way in the election. And they know there are consequences for going down this path. But I think and you've been tracking this for quite some time. We've been at the Family Research Council. You know, we were at the tip of the spear when it came to the council culture. We've been walking through this for a long time. It would be a mistake to think that this problem is solved and that this election will resolve this once and for all and that these changes corporate America is making is the end of it. I mean, I think if four years from now, if as we've been seeing this back and forth of elections from one extreme to the other, if it goes the other way in the next election, I would not be surprised to see these corporations once again move to the left.
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely. I think the biggest mistake we can make is to be satisfied with what we're seeing. Because while, yes, Walmart and McDonald's and some other major brands that Americans recognize have come out and said they're no longer participating, just this week, HRC released a corporate equality index showing that they had an increase in companies who are participating. So we can't let our foot off the gas pedal here. We can't be complacent. We can't be satisfied. And I think this is a unique moment in history. You've talked about this where where, yes, we have an election. And I would tend to agree with you, but also say that I think the election results were part of this movement. I think that people felt we can make a difference. They're seeing it in all of these anti-woke policies coming out. And they decided to turn out en masse for Donald Trump and for the MAGA movement that supports these types of policies. But yes, the worst thing we can do is be complacent. And I think that's something that you've talked about quite a bit.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, to borrow from our Sunday night prayer cast that we did for the nation and my conversation with Pastor Jack Hibbs that we heard a little bit of last night in the program, I do believe, and he agreed in our conversation, that there is an open door. Right now, these issues, we could have lost the country. I said this going into the election. The election was not going to save the country, but it could have destroyed it. Fortunately, it's not been destroyed because Americans woke up and did not vote for a leftist. But the work is not done. This just gives us the opportunity to do the work. And I think when we see things like Facebook, and I've not gone into great detail on this program, the number of social media outlets and big tech firms that have censored us, going all the way back to the beginning, So we know what that's all about, but here is an opening, and I think we have to rush through this when I say we, as Christians in this country, exercising our free speech as these doors open so that we can solidify this freedom in the minds of Americans, talking truth, speaking the truth, talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, confessing the Lord Jesus Christ, Putting these things out there in the public domain and having that discussion, this is not a time to hold back. It's not a time to be timid. It's time to be compassionate, kind, civil in our conversation. But we need to exercise these freedoms so that we can strengthen them and keep them.
SPEAKER 12 :
I think one important part of this whole development, this massive shift that we're seeing across politics and across sports, even across entertainment, as we've seen Disney sort of back away from the transgender agenda, is that this is a grassroots movement. People are making a difference. And I think that sort of feeds into what you're saying about this open door, that we actually do have the momentum right now. I think there's a clip that Robbie Starbuck had earlier on his webpage where he said, you know, we are the mainstream now, not the anti-woke. And I think Christians really need to lean into that and say, we do have the momentum and we need to use it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Right. And not, you know, we've kind of, we, I mean, I can't put myself in that category. I haven't really censored myself. But as Christians, we've kind of, we don't want to offend anybody. So we've kind of self-censored ourselves. We've, you know, we're told religion and politics are things you don't talk about in polite company. Well, you know, when I hear that, I say, well, you don't want to hear from me. I've got nothing else to say. I'm not going to talk sports. I'm not going to talk weather. I know you'd like to talk sports, but I don't go there. The reality is this is a moment to begin to educate people. When I say, you know, we need to exercise these freedoms, it's for the benefit of sharing truth with others so that they might experience the freedom that comes from the truth. This is a time to use these platforms to change local communities. I mean, school board elections, and that's one of the things Zuckerberg said, is that they're going to allow more political discussion on their platforms. We need to take this moment, not thinking it's going to be forever. It could be a very short window, but we need to take it, utilize it, and make the most of it so that we can, again, I'm being redundant, but I think it's important to hear, solidifying these freedoms in the minds of a generation that has lost the importance of the First Amendment. and those freedoms, the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the freedom to gather together peacefully, to have our concerns addressed by government. This is a unique moment, and we cannot take it for granted.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right, absolutely. And I think one of the things Christians have been so afraid of in the past and the church has been afraid of is that they're alone. And I think what we see in these movements and with this election is that we're not alone. There are a lot of people who hold the values that we do, who believe in truth and transcendent truth like we do. I mean, you've been in the political world for 30 years. Did you ever think that we would see such a shift in corporate America? I did not. And I have... This has been, as we call it, an issue of passion of mine for more than 15 years. I never thought we would see the progress that we're seeing today. So what do you think is possible? If we can accomplish this in the corporate sphere, what else could we accomplish?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, I was – last week I had the privilege of praying at the inaugural ceremony for the mayor in my home city of Baton Rouge. And I had been involved in the kind of the political – atmosphere, structure in my home city of Baton Rouge for a long time, going back 30 plus years. And I came out of the inaugural ceremony and I told my wife, I said, this was like a church service. I never would have thought. I mean, there were amazing, I think it was amazing grace, How Great Thou Art. I mean, there were just a number of songs, all of them spiritual in sense or patriotic. There were so many prayers, I lost track of them. And everyone was giving glory to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. And I said, you know, I would have never envisioned that. Now, here's the contrast. We're living in the worst of times, but it's the best of times. We have one of the highest murder rates in the country, violence in Baton Rouge, unfortunately. That's a part of what fed into this election. People have had enough of it, same thing we saw on the national level. There's a moment here that people are so desperate that they're open to moving away from the woke ideology, the leftist ideas of silencing. And this is a moment to bring truth to the table, have frank conversations, because we know the truth can bring us to a place of consensus, but also resolution of some of these issues that are facing our local community. Again, I can't encourage people enough to take this moment to respectfully, redemptively, as Ephesians 6 says, speaking the truth in love. We're not trying to win a debate here. We're trying to win hearts and minds, and we're trying to set people free with the truth. But this is the time to have those conversations. This is that door of opportunity that I believe has been open to our country, and to the church in particular, in the wake of the events that have occurred.
SPEAKER 12 :
Absolutely. And I think that it would be a huge mistake to just think that this is always going to be this way. It's up to us, as you say, to seize this moment, to have those conversations, to live boldly, to stand firm, and not just where we're spending our dollar, but with education. If you have kids in school, speak up if you see bad curriculums. It's a political debate. It's an education debate. It's everywhere that we live out our faith, which, as you always say, is not within the four walls of the church, but everywhere we go.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, and to reemphasize what you said, the wind is to our back because we're seeing success and nothing breeds success like success. We've got momentum and we need to be thankful for it. Thank the Lord for this momentum. Thank the Lord for this opportunity, for what he did in the election. But it's going to be up to us to define what the outcome. outcome is of all of these things that are unfolding. Suzanne Bowdy, thank you for joining us and appreciate your work on The Washington Stand.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 10 :
And by the way, folks, The Washington Stand, if you've not yet seen it, is news and commentary from a biblical perspective from the Family Research Council. You can go to The Washington Stand or better yet, You can get the Stand Firm app, and you'll have the news feed right there in your pocket. You'll have the Washington stand. You'll have Stand on the Word, and you'll have Washington Watch right there on your smartphone. All right, folks, thanks so much for joining us today. I leave you with the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 6. where he says, when you've done everything that you can do, when you've prayed, when you've prepared, and when you have taken your stand, by all means, no matter what comes your way, just 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.
As we mark four years since the January 6th Capitol riot, this episode examines the ongoing legal and cultural ramifications. The discussion shifts to the recent controversial awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to George Soros, examining the implications of such decisions on domestic and international politics. Listen as Tyler O'Neill and others analyze Soros' long-standing influence in shaping numerous left-leaning policies and what this reveals about current governmental paradigms.
SPEAKER 10 :
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 :
The state of the vote for the President of the United States as delivered to the President of the Senate is as follows. The whole number of the electors appointed to vote for President of the United States is 538. Within that whole number, the majority is 270. The votes for President of the United States are as follows. Donald J. Trump of the state of Florida has received 312 votes.
SPEAKER 09 :
That was Vice President Kamala Harris reading the final electoral vote total earlier today in the House chamber. Thanks for tuning in to Washington Watch on what is a cold Monday for most of America. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Well, as the 119th Congress tackled the certification of the 2024 election, what's next on the agenda as they prepare for the incoming Trump administration that takes the reins of government on January the 20th? We're going to talk with Congresswoman Erin Houchen of Indiana, the House Republican conference secretary. She's the second highest ranking Republican woman in the House. Also, today marks the fourth anniversary of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Well, earlier today, a group of January 6 defendants and a federal watchdog group held a press conference in Washington. Participants called on President-elect Trump to issue pardons for the nearly 1,600 Americans who have been charged for their involvement in that protest. Senate Majority Leader, or Minority Leader, I should say, Chuck Schumer, responded to the anniversary with this comment.
SPEAKER 11 :
It is shamefully, utterly outrageous that the President is considering pardons for these rioters who broke the law, attacked our police officers on January 6th. Pardoning the criminals who assaulted police officers and tried to halt the democratic process would be a dangerous endorsement of political violence.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, Mr. Schumer has always been a champion of law and order. Virginia Congressman Morgan Griffith will join us to discuss. For four years, President Joe Biden has claimed that those who were at the Capitol on January the 6th and those they represent were a threat to democracy. You remember him saying that over and over? Well, this weekend, President Joe Biden's actions suggested his rhetoric about democracy was empty, totally empty. The president awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom, to 19 people. Among them, billionaire and leftist mega-donor George Soros, who has done more to undermine conservative democratic governments around the world than any single human being. We're going to talk with Tyler O'Neill, managing editor of The Daily Signal. And yesterday, thousands of Christians from across the country joined for a special broadcast, Pray for the Nation, in wake of the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans. I'll share what Pastor Jack Hibbs had to say a little bit later. I encourage you to visit the website, TonyPerkins.com. and also download the Stand Firm app. You can find it in the App Store, and you'll have access to Washington Watch, Stand on the Word, and the Washington Stand, our news and commentary right there in your pocket. So go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app. Well, undeterred by the snowstorm that hit Washington overnight, members of Congress convened today for a joint session to count and certify the electoral vote for the 2024 election. Now, that is the final step in the election process that cements the victory of President-elect Donald Trump and paves the way for the transition of power that will take place on January the 20th. Now, Republicans are looking forward to that day, but they won't be sitting on their hands until Inauguration Day. What's on their agenda? Well, here to discuss what we might expect to see over the next two weeks is Congresswoman Erin Houchin. She is the House Republican Secretary for the 119th Congress. She represents the 9th Congressional District of Indiana. Congresswoman Houchin, thanks so much for joining us. Welcome to Washington Watch and Happy New Year.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you for having me, Tony. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 09 :
So take just a moment and share with us your insights on what took place today in the joint session of Congress as the election final step took place as it was certified.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, it's amazing to be in the chamber today for the historic moment when Kamala Harris died. stood and declared Donald J. Trump as the next president of the United States. Really, really exciting, arousing standing ovation for J.D. Vance, our new vice president. And honestly, Tony, January 20th can't come soon enough. We've already seen Joe Biden issuing additional executive orders on his way out of the office. We are excited to hit the ground running to get to work as soon as possible. Republicans worked over the weekend on our agenda, and we're ready to go.
SPEAKER 09 :
So let's talk about that, because last Friday marked the start of the 119th Congress. And we had the election on the first ballot. We saw that Mike Johnson of Louisiana was reelected as House speaker. This process of what we're looking at now going into the first 100 days, this is something that Republicans have been working on for quite some time in preparation for. So tell us what the next two weeks are going to look like in preparation of January 20th.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, we saw about 12 bills that we prepared to start to pass through our rules package that was passed on January 3rd. Um, Mike Johnson was elected on the first ballot. He's a principled conservative. Who's done a really, um, he's had a tough job and he's done well and admirable job in, uh, performing as speaker. He had the full and complete endorsement of president Donald Trump to serve as our speaker. He'll be spearheading along with leaders, Scalise, the rest of our agenda, which includes border security, restoring this economy, uh, unleashing American energy and just getting us back to American prosperity. putting parents back in charge of education, getting rid of some of these woke policies that have unfortunately infiltrated every corner of the United States.
SPEAKER 09 :
Talk for just a moment. Explain to our viewers and our listeners, you mentioned the rule package. This was adopted. This sets the rules for the 119th Congress. But there were some bills that went through last time that will be fast tracked this time. They passed the House last time. Now they'll be fast tracked. You mentioned a couple of those. Explain how that works.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, so ordinarily, in order to bring a bill to the floor under what's called regular order, it has to go through the Rules Committee. I serve as a member on the Rules Committee. And when we passed the rules package, we included bills that we already passed in the last Congress. And we included those because we don't want to have to bring those bills on suspension. And we don't want to have to spend a lot of committee time that's unnecessary in the rules committee to bring these bills to the floor. So by including these 12 bills in the rules package, we can bring them to the floor in the upcoming weeks. And we don't have to have a two-thirds majority to pass them. They can pass with a simple majority. We do expect that we'll begin to pass some of these bills very quickly, which will give a jumpstart to the Trump administration on January 20th.
SPEAKER 09 :
We don't have time to unpack all of what's going to be in reconciliation because that's going to be a key part of this first 100 days, and that's a bit complex. But some of the issues that you've already dealt with in the House that are a part of this rules package but will kind of bleed over into the reconciliation is, number one, we've got the border issue. But then energy is a big issue, and we had President Biden say, You know, trying to on his way out, he issued another executive order kind of barring exploration and drilling on more land offshore. And so, I mean, that's meaningless because President Trump can come right back in and basically rip up those executive orders with one of his own.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, that was just a stick in the eye of the American people, Tony, on his way out the door, because we can quickly turn that around. We were energy independent for the first time in 40 years under former president Trump's former presidency. We will get there again. H.R. one is our Unleash American Energy Act program. And that will get to work very quickly. We want to drill here. We want to take advantage of every resource that we have. You'll see in the reconciliation package that we may include some NEPA environmental permitting reform. which will help to fast track some of these pipeline projects that have been stalled by the Biden administration. H.R. 2 is part of that package, and that is our Border Security Act. Again, we want to get hit the ground running. We are ready to go. We want to give the president as much of a head start as we can before he takes office on the 20th.
SPEAKER 09 :
And this is going to have real-time impact on the American people. When we increase our energy production, that's what we saw after the Trump administration, the spike in the cost of gasoline. I mean, these are real things that people are going to see at the gas pump. Hopefully, pretty soon, we're going to see them on the grocery store shelves as the cost of delivering these items to the stores will decrease dramatically. We increase the economy and it's going to it's going to affect in a positive way the the family budget.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, it's one of the quickest ways we can get the economy back on track is to begin producing our own energy that will reduce the cost of goods. It will reduce the cost of transporting goods and products across the country. That is one of the quickest ways we can begin to turn the economy around and generating prosperous revenue for American families. We'll see that, I think, in the next few weeks. And quickly, I think the American people will see some relief.
SPEAKER 09 :
Congresswoman Houchin, I want to ask you this question to switch gears a little bit. President Biden over the weekend awarded 19 individuals with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Now, this is the nation's highest civilian honor. former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was one of them. But the one that I take issue with, well, there's actually quite a few, but one I want to talk about for just a moment, George Soros, who, you know, mega donor to the left, has done more to undermine democracies around the globe with his funding of leftist policies, pro-abortion, radical policies that he pushes. I mean, I can't think of a stronger contrast between the worldviews of administrations and what President Biden is doing on his way out and hopefully the policies that we'll see advanced by the Trump administration as they come in.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, that was outrageous, Tony. It's a slap in the face to crime victims across the country, to conservative Americans to have this award given to George Soros, who has made it his mission to undermine every American city that he can elect a soft on crime prosecutor who will not prosecute the even property crimes, let alone other crimes. And so we've seen a destruction in society, in American cities because of George Soros and what he has funded. And victims of crime are are worse off today than they were prior to President Biden, certainly, but predating George Soros, you know, moving around the country and electing these soft on crime prosecutors. That's not to mention the anti-democratic efforts he's exhibited around the world. Again, I think it's a way to poke the American people in the eye on his way out of office. And it's sad.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, but thanks for pointing that out in terms of what he's done domestically in supporting these DAs and others who have been soft on crime. And that is even more ironic when you look at even today where Attorney General Mary Garland was bemoaning President Trump and the possibility of him pardoning these political prisoners that were connected to January the 6th. We're out of time. Can't unpack that. We will later in the program. But Aaron, I want to thank you for joining us today. Congratulations on your election to a leadership post in the 119th Congress. We look forward to working with you and having you back on the program.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you, Tony. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. Have a great day. Congresswoman Erin Houchin from Indiana. She's a member of the House leadership team. All right. When we come back, we're going to talk more about this Presidential Medal of Freedom to George Soros. I mean, this is it is an insult to the American people, but it also is very revealing of worldview. It really is. We're going to talk more about that on the other side of the break. So don't go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
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 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 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 a 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 04 :
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SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to this Monday edition of Washington Watch. Glad you're with us. Be sure and download the Stand Firm app and you can take us with you wherever you go. All right. President Biden's decision to award major left wing donor George Soros the Presidential Medal of Freedom has sparked intense backlash and criticism. And I'm among them. While Soros was recognized for his so-called contributions to democracy, education, social justice and human rights. Critics like Elon Musk condemned Biden's decision as a travesty. Soros has faced accusations of funding anti-Semitic movements as well as left-leaning activist networks that undermine conservative values and democratic governments, as we were just talking about in the previous segment with Congresswoman Erin Halchen. He's the one that's been funding a lot of these soft-on-crime DAs across the country. Now, the decision to bestow America's highest civilian honor on Soros has left many outraged and disappointed. But should we be surprised? And what does this reveal regarding the worldview of the left? Joining me now to discuss this further is Tyler O'Neill, managing editor of The Daily Signal and the author of the forthcoming book, Woktopus, The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government. Tyler, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for having me, Tony. All right. In your new book, you highlight how George Soros' Open Society Foundations has driven left-leaning policies across various sectors, private and public. How do you believe his influence has shaped the federal government's approach to things like law enforcement, immigration, and education?
SPEAKER 12 :
It's massive. I mean, and it's interesting to talk about George Soros because President Biden decided to honor George Soros, but it's very revealing that it wasn't George Soros receiving that physical medal. It was his son, Alex Soros, who currently is running the Open Society Foundations, which is the vast dark money network that his father created. And so when you have Open Society Foundations running, funding groups like the Human Rights Campaign, like the Southern Poverty Law Center, these organizations that then go to the federal government and push the federal government in a woke direction, sometimes in a very aggressive direction against conservatives, mainstream conservatives like you yourself, And at the Family Research Council and Alliance Defending Freedom, comparing you guys to the Ku Klux Klan and putting you on a hate map with them and then going to the federal bureaucracies, going to the DOJ and the FBI and saying, look, this is hate in America. We need to combat it. This is connected to domestic terrorism. This is the sort of influence we're talking about. And George Soros, as you mentioned, he funded the rogue prosecutor movement, which is making life unsafe on U.S. cities, including for many of the communities that the left claims they want to help.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right. I mean, look, I don't have a problem if someone disagrees with me and has a different ideology. But what George Soros has been funding, as you pointed out, are organizations that want to silence conservatives using whatever levers they have access to. And so I want to ask you about this, because for four years, We've seen Joe Biden has gone around the country in every speech. He's talking about January 6th and how those people who were there and those that they represent were a threat to democracy. We hear that over and over and over again. In fact, we just heard it from Chuck Schumer today on the Senate floor as he talked about January the 6th. I can't think of anyone who has done more individually to undermine democracy and freedom and the ability of people to shape their own future than George Soros. And he gets a Medal of Freedom? I mean, what's this about?
SPEAKER 12 :
It's because of his far-left ideology. As you noted, he's undermining religious freedom. He's actually part of the group that's supporting Demos, which is a far-left group that worked with the Biden administration trying to turn federal agencies into efforts to register voters, likely Democratic voters. And that's another chapter in my book where I talk about this effort to change the way that we vote And it's essentially weaponizing the federal government to make the voting system more palatable, more likely to get Democrats elected. And so you have somebody like George Soros, and you're exactly right. The main problem that we have is Biden has this false veneer of himself as a moderate, as the adult in the room, when in reality, he is... I mean, he is the most radical president we've ever had if you look at his policies. And one of the main reasons is because of the woke bureaucrats that George Soros is helping to fund and staff the federal government with.
SPEAKER 09 :
Tyler, let me ask you this. Is it that we have different definitions for the words that we use? When we talk about democracy, of course, we talk about our country as a republic because that's what it is. It's a constitutional republic. But when we talk about the concepts of democracy, that's people being able to freely engage in the process. We can't be talking about the same thing if we're going to—if the left is going to honor with the Medal of Freedom a guy like George Soros, who is anything but— enabling people to determine their own future and their own destiny.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we've seen, I mean, I don't know if you've seen these, I've seen these super cuts where you have all these democratic figures saying that our democracy is under threat. And it's every single time they say democracy, somebody has edited the video to say bureaucracy. And I think that is extremely revealing because one of the main points of my book is that the system of government that the left favors is a woke system. bureaucracy by those they consider to be experts pushing their agenda on climate, on sexuality, on every woke issue in the book. When they're talking about democracy under threat, they're really talking about their bureaucracy under threat. President Trump does pose a threat to their bureaucracy and to the deep state. My book explains exactly how nefarious this deep state effort is. and what he needs to do to combat it.
SPEAKER 09 :
That is a very good differentiation, because I think you're absolutely right. That's what it is, because it's the bureaucracy that gives them the power. Because the bureaucracy is unaccountable to the people, the people can't get at it. And when it's attacked by elected representatives or dismantled, that drives them crazy because they lose their power. We just have a minute left, Tyler. How can folks get prepared to get a copy of your book?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, you can go on to Amazon.com, search Woktopus, and it'll be the first result. You can pre-order it today. I'm also going to be speaking at the Leadership Institute this week, sharing it. So if anybody is in D.C., you can come to the Leadership Institute on Wednesday morning, and I'll have copies there before they go on sale on Amazon.
SPEAKER 09 :
When does it come out very quickly?
SPEAKER 12 :
The day after the inauguration, so January 21st.
SPEAKER 09 :
Okay, well, we'll get you back on to talk about when it comes out. Tyler O'Neill, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us today.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thanks again for having me, Tony.
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely. After the break, I'll share an excerpt from last night's Pray for the Nation event that Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and I put together in response to the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans. So stick around.
SPEAKER 03 :
So if you like to think and you like to pray, FRC is the place for you.
SPEAKER 17 :
I think it is the best program out there.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yeah, I absolutely love my experience interning at FRC.
SPEAKER 03 :
They really are making waves out in the political world and doing it from the light of the Lord. 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 17 :
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 :
The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it's never gonna be on the ballot. He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords, and nothing's gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we're to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
SPEAKER 09 :
America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, in prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You'll have access to prayer points, scripture, prayer calls. Text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Well, last night, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and I brought together some Christian leaders for a one-hour virtual prayer event in response to the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans. You can find it at the FRC Stand Firm app as well as on YouTube. But I'd like to share an excerpt of what went into what we talked about last night with Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. Here's a clip of last night's event. You have obviously seen a lot of challenges in California over your years in the ministry. But these challenges, these tragic events seem to be intensifying, whether natural disasters or man-made disasters. And there's a vulnerability in our nation. And I believe it's reflective of the spiritual condition of our nation.
SPEAKER 08 :
Tony, I cannot agree with you more. I have an overwhelming sense, like I have never had before in my 47 years of being a Christian, a sense of urgency. I mean this with hope, Tony. There is some looming event, good, bad, or ugly. I do not know, but I know this. It's under the watchful eye of our God. Is it revival, as was prayed about? Is it coming catastrophe? I don't know. But he knows, and I tell you, Tony, I am just consumed right now in my life of pursuing him and pressing into him like never before.
SPEAKER 09 :
This is a moment. We're seeing many changes politically in our country. And I think there's some that are maybe thinking, well, we've taken care of the problem. We'll just turn this over to the elected officials. We've got conservatives. But this is a spiritual moment. problem. And we're seeing it internationally. We're seeing the world is on fire. This is a time that we need to be listening to the Holy Spirit and responding.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, Tony, I'm so blessed by your comment. I won't show you my notes, but as the participants were praying, I wrote down some things. First thing I wrote down, Tony, was this. This last November on that Tuesday when the election was decided, I wrote down, nothing has been finished. The door has been opened. We've got to go through the door as the church did in Revelation. When that election took place, I fear that a lot of believers put their feet up and put their hands behind their back and celebrated a victory. If that's true, they've missed it completely. God gave us mercy. God gave us grace. He opened up a door, Tony, a very small door, very brief door that if we do not see spiritually, not politically, if we seek him spiritually, God's going to take care of the political things. The book of Deuteronomy chapter 28 is crystal clear on that. But the overwhelming issue, Tony, is that we've heard, and I wrote things down, that there's been this connected thread, harmony, unity, love, justice, wisdom, peace, truth. None of this is possible unless the church seeks the face of God. Politicians do not have the skill sets, nor are they called to bring unity. People are saying we're divided as a nation. Of course we're divided, but they're making a mistake in thinking that it's due to political issues. It is not. church family, it is due to leaders failing to address the issues from a biblical worldview. We've got to pray. 2024 has got to be, 2025 has got to be a year of prayer, intercession for our nation, because it's clear to me, Tony, that the church is the only hope. It's not Trump. It's not Mike. It's not Congress. It's not the Senate. God gave us those gentlemen and women to allow us to freely petition God. The hour of this year is upon the church.
SPEAKER 09 :
Hey, can I read that verse you made reference to? Because that's a verse that the Lord has given me as a theme verse for this year. Revelation chapter 3, verse 7 and 8. And it says, the Lord is speaking to the church at Philadelphia. It's the... Only one of the seven churches in Revelation that he actually commends. It says to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, right? These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. see i have set before you an open door that's the open door you were talking about and no one can shut it and here here's that really the conditions for you have little strength now some read that as as a criticism it's not a criticism it's saying they relied on him they didn't try to do it in their own strength they did it in the strength of the lord and in their weakness he was made strong And then it says, they have kept my word and have not denied my name. And that's where I do believe the church has to be. We have to rely on the Lord, not the political structure. We have to be in his word and we have to confess his name.
SPEAKER 08 :
Tony, so good. That is the verse, as you well know, that is the verse that the Lord gave me when COVID struck and Gavin Newsom began to do what he did in California. Tony, that's the verse to the church at Philadelphia that he gave to me. It was overwhelmingly convincing that I had to have the doors of the church open. And so I believe that verse is going to continue on because you're also describing the one and only end times church that was faithful. faithful to the word faithful to his name didn't waver they were not fearful but um this is a time to stand i really believe and this is not a doomsday announcement this is an exciting announcement we've got a little bit of time to get this right for the name of jesus and for the glory of god and i do not believe there's going to be a revival of music there's not going to be a revival of attendance there's not going to be a revival of you call it you name it There's got to be a revival of holiness because when you read the last days, the church, the believer, it's her righteous acts whereby she has a wedding gown, a garment, clean and white, brilliant. And it says that that gown of white and brilliance is the righteous acts of the saints. So Tony, we've got a window. We cannot, we've got to press into this year like we have never pressed before.
SPEAKER 09 :
That was Pastor Jack Hibbs during last night's Pray for the Nation event. And you're listening to Washington Watch. You can watch the entire prayer event from last night on the Stand Firm app. Just text app to 67742 if you don't have the app or go to the app store and get it. All right. More Washington Watch straight ahead. Don't go away. 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 16 :
Let's not be discouraged. Don't lose heart. Don't lose the faith. Stand now strong because the Lord has given us the great privilege of living in a time when our choices matter, when our lives matter, when our courage matters. So let's stand together and save this great country. God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 15 :
The American Republic has a freedom like no other. It has roots in the scriptures far more than any other heritage. And if we as followers of Jesus and conservatives don't defend it, who will?
SPEAKER 02 :
Neutrality is not an option. There are many Christians who believe that if we just keep our heads down, if we just don't say the wrong thing, that somehow we will come out of this unscathed. You're naive if you think that, because what they want from us is not our silence. What they want from us is our submission.
SPEAKER 07 :
Part of the dilemma of Christianity in our generation is that we've relied a little too much on human wisdom and human reasoning, human strength, human resource. and we've relied too little on the power of God and God's ability to open doors that we can't open and do things that we couldn't even hope to begin to do.
SPEAKER 05 :
This may not be an easy task, But we are living in a moment of challenge, but also a great opportunity. And we know always that we are not alone, that his spirit empowers us and protects us, and that he can do the unimaginable. Dobbs, after all, was never supposed to have.
SPEAKER 09 :
Father, we thank you. You have entrusted us with this moment in history, and I pray that we would be found faithful, and that as a result of our faithfulness to you, that thousands, millions would come into the kingdom as they would experience the forgiveness of sin and the new life that is found only in Jesus Christ. Amen. This is Washington Watch. I'm Tony Perkins. The website is TonyPerkins.com. Our word for today comes from Isaiah 51. Listen to me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is my law. Do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults. You know, standing for God often means standing alone. Yet if we fear the Lord, we need not fear man. To do that, we have to have the right perspective, really an eternal perspective. As in verses 8 through 13, God reminds us that people's threats fade like moth-eaten clothes, while his righteousness and salvation endures forever. He alone comforts us. Why fear those who die like grass when we worship the eternal maker of heaven and earth? Earthly criticism can be loud, but it's temporary. God's favor, it's everlasting. And His promises span generations. So, do not lose heart when facing disapproval or rejection for standing for the Lord. Remember that the one who stretched out the heavens is your defender. Walk with God even if it feels lonely, trusting His eternal perspective. The approval of man is fleeting, but the Lord's comfort and salvation lasts forever. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That's BIBLE to 67742. And I invite you to join us as we begin this new year. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is patting himself on the back for the work that his Department of Justice has done over the past four years with regard to the January 6th riot at the Capitol, an event that he and others on the left continue to claim was an insurrection and an attack on democracy. The left is also throwing a fit over President-elect Trump's promise to issue pardons for many of those who were accused or convicted of crimes related to what unfolded four years ago. But what does the legacy media But what they failed to tell the American people about the events of January 6th and the weaponized response from this DOJ. Why aren't they covering that? What have they not told us? Joining me now to discuss this, Congressman Morgan Griffith. He is a member of the House Administration Committee Subcommittee on Oversight, which last month released an interim report on their findings on the events surrounding January the 6th, including the politicization of the January 6th Select Committee. He represents the 9th Congressional District of Virginia. Congressman Griffith, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 06 :
Glad to be with you this evening.
SPEAKER 09 :
So just as we as we begin this, give me your general thoughts on the narrative that we keep hearing. I mean, even as today, the attorney general, Merrick Garland, you know, spending more money, more time and energy going after January 6th protesters. I guess I can throw the backdrop, the attack in New Orleans by a terrorist that the FBI agent who spoke right after the attack said it wasn't a terrorist attack, maybe because it wasn't a January 6th.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, they certainly, I think, overdid it. Now, that's not to say they weren't bad actors on January 6th. There were some. But the vast majority of folks were there. They were there to protest, but they were planning on a peaceful protest. And then everything broke loose and got out of control. But it is amazing how they don't want to tell the whole narrative. And what we need to do is tell the whole truth.
SPEAKER 09 :
Right.
SPEAKER 06 :
The good, the bad, the ugly on both sides of this thing. But one of the biggest things that has struck me from our investigation is the fact that The president authorized, President Trump authorized the National Guard to come in and said, you know, do whatever. It was the D.C. politicos. It was, you know, Nancy Pelosi and company who, and I can't say that she made the decision herself, but they didn't want to have this image of the National Guard coming in. They had bicycle racks. up for a perimeter, knowing that there were going to be tens of thousands, if not more than 100,000 people in Washington that day to protest. Today, for example, and they've been putting them up for about a week, we had these huge fences up that kept people from getting anywhere near the Capitol. None of that was done in advance. So if you look at the whole picture, you had a failure to recognize or to give information to the people that needed that information, Chief Sund in particular, to make sure that we were prepared. We were not prepared. Our law enforcement was not prepared. Nobody in D.C. was prepared. And then the people who could have ameliorated this issue were left sitting on the sidelines. The National Guard was told just to sit by and wait for orders. And then even after the military folks gave the orders at the highest level, A general decided he wasn't going to issue that order right away and held on for another couple of hours before sending in the National Guard. So we need to look at all the totality of the circumstances. And look at each individual case, if we're really going to make a decision as to whether or not these people had evil in their hearts on that day, I would submit a lot of them did not. And that's what the Justice Department doesn't seem to understand or even care about. And yet when we look at New Orleans, as you pointed out, clearly that individual had evil in his heart. And originally, notwithstanding the death of at least 10 when they first were reported, an FBI agent says, oh, this isn't a terrorist attack, when there was an ISIS flag either on the vehicle or in the vehicle. It's a no brainer. This was a terrorist attack.
SPEAKER 09 :
Congressman, I agree with you. There were some people who perpetrated crimes on January the 6th. I'm a former police officer. I'm a law and order guy. I think civil disobedience is the very last step. We need to utilize the legitimate process that we have. But part of that is the ability to gather and to have rallies. And for those who are on the outside that did not go into the building— I have a problem with how aggressively the Department of Justice has pursued people, not who were inside the building, but who were outside.
SPEAKER 06 :
I mean, they're never attacked a police officer. They were just out there shouting, which is part of our system.
SPEAKER 09 :
And so they've they've prosecuted about 1600. And they're even saying as late of us as of today that they're still going to pursue charges on possibly up to 200 more.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, it's hard to believe. Any good prosecutor will tell you you want to go after the bad guys, but you've got to have that sense of knowing which ones are the bad guys and which ones were just there. And maybe you need to take some action, but you don't need to be throwing the book at all of these people. And that's what they did. They threw the book at everybody they could tag. It was in any video that could be identified.
SPEAKER 09 :
So from your vantage point, Congressman Griffith, as you have looked at all of the facts closer than probably 95 percent of members of Congress, because you've had to go through all of this, was this politically motivated by the Department of Justice?
SPEAKER 06 :
Can't speak to their prosecutions. It certainly appears that way, but I haven't studied that as much as the failures that took place here on Capitol Hill. And there's no question that the failure to bring the National Guard in before, the failure to put up proper fencing, was all about creating an image. They were worried about creating an image that looked bad. And for fear of looking bad, they created a really bad day for Americans across the country and took something that could have been a small riot with a handful of people being arrested and turned it into something bigger. And sitting on, I believe for political purposes, this is my opinion, sitting on the National Guard just a few miles away from the Capitol and not letting them show up, not giving them the orders, is just a travesty. It was interesting. We were having a hearing on that, and one of the Democrats said, well, why didn't the president call up and call the head of the National Guard in D.C. and tell him himself? And I looked at the Democrat, and I said, because then you would say he was bypassing the chain of command. He gave the orders. He gave the authority. He gave somebody the ability to make that decision. They made the decision. And another general didn't follow those orders and get it to the National Guard in time while the National Guard was sitting there waiting to come help control the crowd. And they weren't allowed to because of optics.
SPEAKER 09 :
A couple of questions on that, Congressman Griffith. The. Intel leading up to January the 6th. Did they have intelligence or data that would suggest there could be a problem on January the 6th, 2021?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I think it's important you said that there could be a problem. They did not have intelligence that said there would be a problem. But there were certain reports that said there could be a problem. And that information was never relayed to Chief Sund. Some of his own people had it in there. It was buried in some places, sometimes on page 16 of a report. It was not in the summary or in the action sheets. So they... For some reason, they didn't want to face up to the fact that there could be a problem when you bring 100,000 people or more into DC, many of whom are upset, many of whom are concerned about what happened in the election with number of states violating the laws and changing the rules of the election, sometimes within days before the election. These were all concerns, but the Capitol Police were not given at least not Chief's son, was not given the information so that he could act. And they didn't act on the president saying, you can use the National Guard if you want to, do what you need to do. And they didn't act on that. And as a result of them not acting on that, you saw what happened on January 6th.
SPEAKER 09 :
Congressman, the second question following up to that I want to ask is you said it was politicized. They were concerned that it might create the wrong image. Was there any evidence to suggest that there were some that were in the chain of decision making that they would have preferred the outcome that we had so that it furthered a narrative that would have been helpful to the left?
SPEAKER 06 :
I don't know that I can say that. I do think that my personal opinion is that the general who didn't give the order in a timely manner to the D.C. National Guard may have been trying to curry favor with the incoming Biden administration. But other than that, I don't think it was an intentional act. I think it was mostly negligence, and they failed to recognize that they needed to do the job. Now, we weren't anticipating any problems today, and they took the actions today that they should have taken when we knew that there were going to be at least a large number of protesters on Capitol Hill, and they didn't take the actions necessary to secure the Capitol building or to make sure that we had sufficient backup for our Capitol Police, who are brave men and women who do a great job, and none of that occurred in advance. And I think it was more negligence than overt calculation, but there wasn't a political undertone in the sense that They didn't want to have an image that reflected negatively on Speaker Pelosi and other Democrats.
SPEAKER 09 :
I struggle a little bit with that, having lived through COVID and the riots in D.C. And, I mean, we had to board up our building, you know, in the heart of D.C. Buildings were boarded up because you had riots, you had, you know, fronts of businesses smashed in. You know, it was the Lafayette Square across from the White House was, you know, barricaded for months. So I don't know. I struggle a little bit with that idea that it was all about not wanting that perception.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I'm in the difficult position of I'm trying to act responsibly as a lawmaker looking at the facts that are in front of me and not to jump to conclusions or make conjecture. I think that some of those may be legitimate. But I'm trying to be more cautious.
SPEAKER 09 :
And I appreciate that. I'm just kind of expressing what I think a lot of people see and think. I think a majority of Americans agree with you.
SPEAKER 06 :
I'm just trying to be cautious.
SPEAKER 09 :
I want the facts. I want the facts. When you add those facts and these perceptions with what happened post-January 6th with the investigation, the sham investigation that took place by Nancy Pelosi and the January 6th committee, it only fuels that idea that this was politically motivated to advance a narrative.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I don't think there's any question the January 6th select committee that Nancy Pelosi put together was politically motivated. I think the evidence is clear on that. From the very beginning, from day one, they wanted to project that this was all Donald Trump's fault, that he was the big bad guy, and the evidence just didn't bear that out. Was he disgruntled over some of the states that didn't follow the law? Yes. Was he concerned that there were fraud in some of the states? Yes, but they wanted to turn it into not only the big legal witch hunt that we've seen over the last four years, but they also used the January 6th Select Committee as a tool to promote that political agenda. And they did so without revealing all the facts. I mean, you know, we always talk about the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They gave partial truth, and sometimes maybe even given—I think Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony was clearly in error, if not just falsehoods. And there was all kinds of evidence from witnesses who were there that her testimony was untruthful. Maybe there's something going on in her head. because I like to give people grace, but that testimony was just flat out wrong and false. And the witnesses who were on the scene that the January 6th committee, select committee had in their position before they issued their report, was not in that report, and they should have given the American people the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They chose not to do so because they had a political agenda. Nancy Pelosi had a political agenda in keeping conservative Republicans off of the commission who could have asked the pointed questions, who could have brought out the information, whether it be Cassidy Hutchinson or the four National Guard officers who testified that the testimony in the J6 committee, those folks knew it wasn't true, and that one of them who had talked on the promise of being kept anonymous, his identity was leaked. And he was angry about it when he came to testify in front of us. He said, my identity was leaked. I talked to the J6 select committee in confidence because they promised me they wouldn't reveal my identity. And then somebody leaked it from the J6 select committee. The whole thing was a travesty, and their report is a piece of garbage. And I haven't even gotten into mentioning yet, sorry, haven't even gotten into mentioning yet that there was about a terabyte of information that was deleted or attempted to be deleted by the J6 Select Committee that should have gone to the archives of the United States. It's just gone. Some of that is just gone forever. That is not proper in the United States of America. Again, whether it's good or bad, All the evidence needs to come in. And you're a former police officer. I'm a former attorney, and particularly a defense attorney. you know, let all the proper evidence in and let the chips fall where they may. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. But you know what? They didn't do that. They tilted scales of justice for political reasons, and it's atrocious.
SPEAKER 09 :
And it undermines credibility of the government and the people's trust in government. Congressman Griffith, thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 10 :
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.
