In this episode of Washington Watch, host Jody Heiss, standing in for Tony, explores several pressing issues facing the United States and the international community. The show begins with a discussion on President Trump’s interest in Greenland, highlighting its strategic significance amidst global power dynamics involving Russia and China. The show then shifts focus to US domestic policies, examining the contentious Obamacare subsidy expansion ahead of its Senate hearing and the implications of ongoing negotiations.
SPEAKER 01 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 04 :
And by the way, we don’t want Russia or China going to Greenland, which if we don’t take Greenland, you’re going to have Russia or China as your next-door neighbor. That’s not going to happen.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, that was President Trump earlier today responding to a reporter’s question about his desire to acquire the territory of Greenland. Welcome to this January 9th edition of Washington Watch. I am Jody Heiss, your Friday host. Thank you so much for joining us. All right, some of the highlights that we’ll be covering for you today. Top representatives to the U.S. from Denmark and Greenland reportedly met with White House officials yesterday. And next week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland for further discussions. We’ll be getting a read on this situation a little bit later in the program when former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands joins me. Plus, Dr. David Claussen will be joining me later in the program to discuss the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court hearing on female sports. We’ll be reviewing West Virginia’s law protecting female athletes from competing against biological males and what all this could mean both for fairness and for family values. Well, House Democrats yesterday advanced an Obamacare subsidy expansion, and they did so with the aid, I might add, of 17 Republicans. They did that despite objections from GOP leadership. Republicans are warning that this measure locks in unlimited pandemic-era spending as well as increases significantly the deficit. The bill passed, though, 230-196%. So what is it going to face when it reaches the Senate? Well, joining me now is Washington’s 10 reporter Casey Harper, who’s been tracking today’s stories as well as this one. Casey, where does this leave all the negotiations? What are Republicans saying as this deadline is rapidly approaching right now?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, thanks, Jody. You’re exactly right that we had this bump in COVID era spending that you would think would be COVID era, but now could potentially become the new normal. Republicans argue that continuing those subsidies benefits higher income Americans. Now, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the plan would cost more than $80 billion over 10 years. Here’s what Representative Chris Smith had to say about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
The Hyde Amendment was not, I say again, not included when the ACA was enacted in 2010, nor was it included when President Biden significantly expanded subsidies during COVID. It has gotten so bad, Mr. Speaker, that according to a 2025 article by the Kaiser Foundation, 12 states including my own state of New Jersey, absolutely require all plans on the ACA marketplace to cover abortion on demand. We permit abortion until birth in my state, as do many others. That’s all covered by Obamacare.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, GOP lawmakers, including Chris Smith, who you just heard passionately, say that the subsidies can be used for plans that include abortion and transgender medical procedures. On the other hand, Senate Republicans, they want something and are pushing for something that’s a shorter extension with income caps and stricter coverage limits, Jody.
SPEAKER 16 :
We will certainly be watching this as it goes to the Senate and see what happens over there. Transitioning a little bit, Casey, there’s protests, as we all are watching, taking place in Minneapolis, all this after an ICE agent shot a woman. And there’s similar unrest in Portland and other places there after a Border Patrol intervened. What’s the latest that we’re seeing, Casey, right now as this wave of protests is spreading across the country?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, that’s right, Jody. We have seen protests across the country, Minneapolis, Portland, other cities, including just down the street from here at the White House. And this is all intensified. These protests have been going on, but it’s intensified after the ICE shooting with hundreds and hundreds demonstrating, particularly near federal buildings. Now, in Portland, as you mentioned, a Border Patrol agent shot two people. In an incident, officials say it involved a potential vehicle attack. So another vehicle attack here. And we know there’s been a surge of vehicle attacks against ICE officers as well. The Trump administration, for their part, they emphasize that these operations and these agents being in these cities are enforcing immigration laws and protecting communities after a wave of illegal immigration under the Biden administration. Now, the protests in Minneapolis all started with this big fraud investigation, which has now led to a surge in ICE. But there’s more and more focus because of this on fraud, including an investigation into COVID-era tax fraud, which in this clip here, Treasury Secretary Scott Besant commented on earlier today.
SPEAKER 10 :
First, we have followed the money and identified the money service businesses that may have transferred taxpayer funds overseas. Our team at FinCEN has just provided formal notification to these businesses that they are under investigation.
SPEAKER 13 :
Now, the Trump administration also announced a DOJ-led National Fraud Division to investigate and prosecute fraud affecting federal programs, which, Jody, you know from your time in Congress and in oversight, is much more common than people may realize.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, it really is. And, you know, it’s encouraging to see that some attention is being highlighted with all this. The light is coming on. Casey, if I can switch gears. Of course, we have protests, as you just referenced, taking place in America. But on the international front, Iran also is witnessing massive anti-government protests there. And authorities there have even shut down the Internet. And it looks like demonstrators are challenging the Islamic Shia regime Can you give us a little more information as to what’s unfolding there?
SPEAKER 13 :
Sure, Jody. It’s pretty amazing what’s happening in Iran right now. As you mentioned, internet shut off, a lot of phone services shut off, flights not coming into the country anymore as protests have erupted across major cities with demonstrators confronting security forces and defying the regime. So what do we know? We know at least 62 people, including security personnel and protesters, and sadly, I believe reports say some children have been killed in the unrest. But this unrest, it highlights this growing anger at Iran’s oppressive regime, the poor economy, and its continued hostility towards Israel and the West, Jody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, Casey, so much happening both here and around the world. As always, thank you so much for keeping us abreast as to what’s taking place. We appreciate it. All right, I want to continue the discussion now on what’s happening in Iran and get a perspective from Capitol Hill and joining me now to talk about this and more. Congressman Keith Self, he serves on several House committees, including the Foreign Affairs Committee. He also served our country faithfully for some 25 years in the Army before retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of the great state of Texas. Congressman Self, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to have you.
SPEAKER 17 :
Great to be here, Jody. Thank you.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, listen, before I get going, I just want to let you know I was virtually in your district, literally up until just the day before yesterday, visiting family, our daughter and grandkids, all of them. And I just love the state of Texas. And your district is wonderful. They’re fortunate to have you. And it’s always great to be there. But let me first start, if I can, with just your overall assessments as to all the protests that have been taking place in Iran. What are you hearing?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, I think this could be real. You know, they’ve tried before several times over several years, but this one looks real. There are unconfirmed reports that they’ve taken at least one city, that at least one general has joined, that they have burned the grave of the original Ayatollah Khomeini. So I think this could be real. And I spoke to an Iranian-American group just weeks ago, literally, and told them that when the Iranian people are willing to accept the sacrifice that it will take to make a change, then we’ll see the change. This could look real to me. So I am very encouraged that the Iranian people have had enough. They’re ready to move on from the theocracy under which they suffer today.
SPEAKER 16 :
Looking real, that is a great description of it, and I think that hits it right on the head. On the other hand of that, Congressman, we have the Iranian regime signaling, at least, that security forces are going to crack down on all these protests and protesters. In fact, the chief of justice there is vowing punishment to these people, decisive punishment, maximum punishment, with no legal leniency. What do you make of all that?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, we also hear reports that they’re bringing in outsiders such as Hezbollah and other people to do their dirty work. So I think they realize maybe they shouldn’t use the IRGC, for instance, the army, the police, to actually kill their own citizens. So in my mind, that could be another encouraging sign that they realize they don’t want to see Iranians killing Iranians.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, interesting take there. And then we have on this end, President Trump has warned Tehran, the regime, that if they kill some of these protesters, Americans are going to come to their rescue. Do you think Iran has learned at least or at least skittish based on what happened last year when America intervened and did something about their nuclear program? Do they really understand that this president means business?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, they should. President Trump has proven time and time again when he says something, he’s going to do it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, it’s going to be very interesting to you. Do you see how, from your perspective, has Iran, just how weak have they become since the war with Israel, Hamas that started a couple of years ago and the U.S. intervention several months ago? Just how weak have they become?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, they’ve lost their proxies, the Hezbollah, Hamas. They’ve lost those. They’ve lost the Shia nations over to the Mediterranean, Iraq and others. They’ve lost so much, their economy is in shambles. The sanctions are actually hitting them. Russia is actually building Iranian drones rather than bringing them from Iran. Some of the European sanctions, when I asked them to put sanctions on the Iranian airlines, they did. So I believe they are far weaker than they used to be because of a plethora of things that have happened to them over the last few years. So, yes, I think they are weaker. Now, there are two things that are important to them. First of all is the survival of the regime. So they may crack down. They may want to crack down on their nuclear program. Those are the two reasons that they have to go hard on all of this. So I don’t think this is over. We need to be careful. Yes, they’re weaker. Yes, they could be willing to crack down as hard as they have to. It’s up to the Iranian people, though, to make the decision of how hard they are going to fight.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right. Switching gears real quickly, the Senate yesterday advanced a resolution saying that the hostilities in Venezuela cannot go forward without authorization by Congress. What’s your take on that resolution and the overall work of President Trump in Venezuela?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, that was a precise operation, the magnitude of which we have never seen. The integration, the combination of national assets down to the ground assets was truly amazing. But I don’t think this is going to stop President Trump, because I think he’s on solid ground. Look, the U.S. Marines have patrolled many of the South American capitals over the years. The Monroe Doctrine has been around since our nation was founded. Teddy Roosevelt added to it. THE DON ROE DOCTRINE, AS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS CALLING IT, HAS A LONG AND VERY TRADITIONAL HISTORY IN AMERICA. THIS IS OUR HEMISPHERE, AND HE INTENDS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYS OUR HEMISPHERE. I DON’T THINK THE SENATE IS GOING TO DO ANYTHING. I THINK THEY’RE MESSAGING. I THINK THEY’RE BEATING THEIR CHEST. BUT I DON’T THINK THAT GOES ANYWHERE. President Trump, I think, is on solid ground to bring a legal criminal out of Venezuela to stand trial in the United States.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you, Texas Congressman Keith Self. Always an honor to have you on Washington Watch with us. Thank you. All right, friends, coming up, we’ll turn our attention to Minnesota from the protests to the fraud. Stay tuned. We’ll be back. We’ll be back.
SPEAKER 15 :
The book of Hebrews says that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Stand on the Word is Family Research Council’s journey through the living and active Word of God. Follow the plan with us. Spend 10 to 15 minutes a day reading God’s Word, and over the course of two years, discover that the Bible is one big story, a story of many words, pointing to the Word, the One who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, because the Word is alive, and His name is Jesus. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us as we stand on the Word.
SPEAKER 14 :
At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52,000 Christians have been slaughtered. A staggering 89% of Christian martyrs in the world today are from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC President Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across the U.S., President Donald Trump has responded.
SPEAKER 04 :
DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States of America, Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
SPEAKER 14 :
This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door for the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
SPEAKER 05 :
Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 16 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, your Friday host. Thank you so much for tuning in. All right. Yesterday, Vice President J.D. Vance reiterated the Trump administration’s interest in Greenland. You probably have watched some of this. He’s highlighting how the territory is important, not just to America’s missile defense, but the entire world’s. He also noted the interest in the territory from the bad actors who are out there.
SPEAKER 12 :
We know that there are hostile adversaries that have shown a lot of interest in that particular territory, that particular slice of the world. So what we’re asking our European friends to do is to take the security of that landmass more seriously, because if they’re not, the United States is going to have to do something about it.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, some top representatives to the U.S. from both Denmark and Greenland reportedly met with the White House yesterday, some officials. And then next week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with the foreign ministers from Denmark and Greenland for further discussions. So how might all of this unfold? Well, joining me now is Carla Sands, who served during the first Trump administration as a U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands. She is currently chair of the Foreign Policy Initiative and Distinguished Senior Fellow for Energy Policy at America First Policy Institute. Ambassador Sands, welcome to Washington Watch. Appreciate you joining us.
SPEAKER 07 :
I’m so happy to be with you, Jodi. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, it is our honor in every way. First of all, what do you make of the Trump administration’s assessment of Greenland overall?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I think that it’s an unfinished business from the first Trump administration back in 2019. President Trump and I discussed these issues in the Oval Office. There’s no question that Greenland is unsecure. And I met with the Danish ambassador yesterday and the Greenlandic representative. He’s not allowed to be called an ambassador because they’re subjects, more or less, of Denmark. but they want to go independent. Nobody’s talking about two important facts, Jodi. One is Greenland is going independent, whether Denmark likes it or not. They’ve stated it publicly, they voted on it. And so when they go independent, they don’t have the capacity to defend themselves or develop themselves. It’s gonna be one of probably three nations that can do that. The US, China, maybe Russia, maybe not. So looking at the facts like President Trump does, he’s assessed that it’s important for the U.S. to secure Greenland. Number two is Denmark keeps talking about NATO and invoking NATO and what a tragedy it would be if the U.S. seized Greenland. I’m not saying that President Trump’s going to seize Greenland, but what I am saying is Denmark, yes, they always talk about Article 5, the US will come to the defense of their allies and all the allies will come to our defense, but they don’t talk about Article 3, which comes before Article 5. Article 3 of the NATO treaty, the NATO charter says that every allied nation, every member has to be able to defend their territory. Denmark will never be able to defend Greenland. It’s a little over 5 million people. Greenland is the world’s largest island. It’s a third the size of the continental U.S. They don’t have the money or the capacity to defend it. So it is undefended today. It’s not our job to go in and be mercenaries and defend another country’s territory. So President Trump, I think, is spot on. And we’ll see how these negotiations go with Secretary Rubio next week with the Danes.
SPEAKER 16 :
Very, very interesting. So what are the possible ways that the U.S. could… Acquire, if that’s the right word, Greenland. What’s the most likely and maybe the least likely scenarios?
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay, that’s a fair question, Jody. Number one, Denmark sends about $600 million in welfare payments to Greenland. But don’t get afraid about that. Don’t be scared because they get a lot back. They’ve taken a lot out of the ground. There’s riches in the ground. There’s riches in the sea around Greenland. So there’s money to be made by American companies, but Greenland will need some financial support in order for us to have this special relationship. So I think it’s a matter of money. It’s a matter of development. They don’t even have a road between two towns there. There is zero… development, except for mostly what the U.S. military built. Ports, airports, whatever roads, most of the structures, they were built by the U.S. military when we occupied Greenland from World War II until we were there until the mid-’90s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. So it’ll take money and then probably the right of Greenlanders to have self-governance. They want to be masters of their own government. And so there are associations that we can have, like ACOFA. It’s a free association that Greenland would have its own government, but we would do some development, we would absolutely defend it, and therefore it would be secure.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I know you have no way of knowing for sure, but I’d like to have just kind of your opinion. How do you see all of this playing out? I mean, is there a way for the Trump administration’s aims and goals, which I think most of us would totally agree with, are there other ways that those could be filled, those goals could be filled without acquiring Greenland? What do you think ultimately is going to happen here?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, so first, I didn’t finish answering your last question, because you asked me, what do you think is the least likely scenario? Well, in spite of the fact that Denmark’s prime minister said, any American activity in Greenland, we’re going to shoot first and ask questions later. Sounds like Texas to me. I think that it is very unlikely that we go and invade Greenland, but I don’t take anything off the table because President Trump hasn’t, of course. But I think the other scenarios, well, I mean, I don’t know how else to get it done. I don’t think by the time President Trump leaves office, he’s going to leave Greenland unsecure and the Danes, those arrogant Danes, they’re arrogant. Here they are, five and a half million people with the economy the size of Colorado. And they’re saying, we want to own this asset, even though they can’t afford to own it. It’s like when you own something and you have to sell it because it’s just too expensive. That’s what this situation is. So I don’t know how else to I don’t know how else to it’s sort of a box. And there aren’t that many options, in my opinion.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, it’s all going to be interesting. I think all of us are going to be watching keenly the meeting that Rubio has next week. That’s going to be an extremely important meeting that takes place, and we will see what comes out of that. And hopefully we’ll be talking to you further about all this as it unfolds in the weeks and months to come. Thank you so much, former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, Carla Sands. Thank you. All right, friends, stay tuned. We’ve got much more coming your way. Of course, as we’ve all been watching this week, so much is happening in Minnesota. And we will try to jump all over that with a state representative from that state joining me right after the break. He also testified before Congress this week. So we’ll give you all that info and go into it right after the break. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 09 :
Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn’t outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there’s a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple. The abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let’s stand for life and end this mail order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and thank you so much for tuning in. All right, we have been trying to get a state representative from Minnesota, Walter Hudson. We’re having some difficulties in getting him on. I apologize for that, but hopefully we’ll be able to get him on. If not, we’ll try again another day. But we have so much happening in Minnesota with the fraud cases and the protests. We want to keep you up to speed as that as much as we can and bring in those who are on the front line, the tip of the spear of that issue. So maybe a representative will be able to get him in a few moments. If not, we’ll cover that later. In the meantime, I want to bring in Casey Harper, who, of course, is Washington Stan’s managing editor for broadcast. Casey, yesterday, Vice President Vance announced some really, really big news related to the U.S. Department of Justice program. Let’s go down this path. What basically were the main issues that came to light?
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s right, Jody. Thanks. Good to be back. But Vice President Vance, as you mentioned, he announced that the Trump administration is creating a new assistant attorney general. So a pretty big administrative change. Assistant attorney general position focused on investigating this fraud that we keep hearing about. Of course, this announcement comes after the Department of Justice had their investigation into allegations of mass welfare fraud in Minnesota. Now, Vance said this new position will, quote, focus primarily on the Minnesota fraud case, but he said it’s going to not just be focused on Minnesota but have nationwide jurisdiction over fraud as a whole, which is quite a huge task, actually, the more you look into the fraud. So, you know, he said it’s going to be a nationwide effort because – and he’s really passionate when he speaks about this issue, if you’ve seen him. He’s saying the American people have been defrauded in a nationwide way. So I think, you know, this is really hitting on several issues that not only the Trump administration, but Vance himself has really taken on personally, which is massive illegal immigration taking away from Americans. American policies that don’t come across as American first, because here we are again looking into something on this new administration, Jody, and it turns out something that was meant to help Americans has not been helping taxpaying Americans at all.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, in fact, it’s been doing just the opposite. Things that I keep reading, Casey, would indicate that this is just the tip of the iceberg, that there’s more and more to come, and not just in Minnesota, but other places in the country as well. So you mentioned this new position. How did this really come about? I mean, how do you just create a position like this?
SPEAKER 13 :
Right. Well, to what you said just before that, one federal prosecutor said that there could be as much as $18 billion in fraud. We’ve seen the $9 billion number a lot, but I’ve seen even as much as $18 billion just in Minnesota. And so it’s no surprise that the DOJ has made this. It’s kind of amazing that this hasn’t been more of a focus. But I know, Jody, that you focused on an oversight on fraud. a lot of the fraud, and you know how widespread it is. I mean, I covered, and I’ve talked about this on the show before, but during the COVID era, for instance, we literally had hundreds of billions, not millions, billions with a B, of dollars that were wasted to waste, fraud, and abuse, totally stolen by those COVID era payments, the unemployment insurance, for instance. It was rampant, and it was kind of hard Congress wouldn’t, you know, Democratic Congress couldn’t say no to any spending. And many Republican lawmakers felt a lot of pressure because it was COVID and people were hurting. But as you know, hundreds of billions of dollars were lost and they’re not getting that money back.
SPEAKER 16 :
So, I mean, obviously, I think this came about because of what all we’re watching in Minnesota. And you’re talking about 18 billion just in that state alone, potentially. It’s just unfathomable numbers. But is it fair to say that this new position is not going to focus just in Minnesota? I mean, this is a federal position.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, we’re going to see how this plays out, but Vance made that really clear. This is going to focus primarily on what’s going on in Minnesota, but he said it’s going to have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud, probably in programs like this one to start off, but there’s many other programs, as I mentioned, as you mentioned, that are… like this. And it’s going to be a nationwide effort, he said, because the American people are being defrauded all around the country. Now, on top of this, the Trump administration is creating, on top of them creating this new position, we’re seeing that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz actually threw a temper tantrum. He’s very upset about this. Maybe he’s upset he got caught, negative attention. It’s kind of a fall from grace to go from a potential VP to governor who can’t run for reelection because of scandal in the state. But he’s upset at Republicans. And there are increasing calls for him to resign. And he actually said, quote, you can make these requests for, well, he said, over my dead body. That’s the quote. And so then he tried to turn it back on President Trump, as many are. I mean, I mentioned earlier this week on the program that Summer Lee said looking into all these allegations is actually racist. targeting the Somali community, even though many of the biggest whistleblowers in the case, by the way, have been Somali. So there’s a lot of things swirling here. Right now, it doesn’t look like Wallace is going to resign, but we’ll see. He’s certainly not running for reelection. And I don’t think this investigation is going anywhere, Jody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, but there are calls for resignation, not just coming from Washington, but from his own state. Isn’t that true?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, I mean, this is, and I think that’s only going to grow. I mean, these calls for resignation, he’s feeling the pressure. I think the ice, tragic, you know, ice shooting that killed that 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis, in some ways it’s sort of distracted from the fraud, but it’s also ensured that this isn’t going to go away. And it’s really, several problems of the Biden administration that have been layered on top of each other to create the situation. As I mentioned, the mass migration of illegal immigrants, millions coming into the U.S., and then turns out many immigrants were behind this huge fraud scandal, which led to the Trump administration sending many agents, and then we have this big shooting, which is reminiscent of the 2020 BLM situation. So a lot of really tense issues tapping into each other right here, Jody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay, so he really, really is. And I just, again, want to thank you for staying on top of so many of these issues and for stepping in for us right now. We appreciate it. All right, friends, after the break, we’re going to have our biblical worldview segment with Dr. David Claussen. So, so much is happening in the news, and we want to look at it from a biblical perspective. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 15 :
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How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture. and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch. I am Jody Heiss, your Friday host. Happy New Year to you and thanks so much for tuning in. All right, hard to believe we’re already more than a week into 2026, but not to worry, friends. Look, it’s not too late to strengthen your biblical worldview in 2026 as part of your New Year’s resolution. I want to encourage you to join the FRC team along with thousands of other believers who on standing on the Word. Come join us to stand on the Word. That’s our two-year chronological journey through the entire Bible. It’ll take you 10 or 15 minutes a day, and you will read through the entire Bible over the next couple of years. And many of you are already joining us for this, and if that’s the case, I want to encourage you to bring a friend along. Help someone else to get into God’s Word this year. For more details, simply visit frc.org slash Bible. Or you can simply text the word Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. All right, before I bring on my next guest, I just want to take just a quick point of personal privilege. I lost a very, very dear friend, Congressman Doug LaMoffa, this past week. I’m sure you’ve heard about this, read about this. Douglas Moffitt and I, in fact, we shared, we were next door in the Cannon office building, and we were next door neighbors. We served on committees together. We served on different caucuses together. He was absolutely one of the nicest people. members of Congress. He was genuine. He was sincere. He was polite. I never heard him raise his voice. And I’m going to miss him. Doug LaMoffa was a dear, dear friend and died unexpectedly this week. I want to ask you to join us in praying for his family, his wife, Jill, their four children, grandchild, He served in the area of the northeastern part of California. He was a farmer, just a tremendous member of Congress, a tremendous believer, and a great, great friend. And I just want to say publicly that I will miss him and my prayers to the family. And I encourage you to join us in that regard as well. Okay, moving on. Whether we’re talking the U.S. military operations in Venezuela, whether we’re talking the tragedy in Minneapolis, the protests in Iran, there’s so much to talk about. This week has brought us so many different aspects of the news, and like we do each Friday, we want to conclude the program and the week by looking at the news through a biblical worldview. and looking at it through the lens of Scripture. And joining me now for this Biblical Worldview discussion is Dr. David Claussen, who, of course, is the director here at the Center for Biblical Worldview here at FRC. Dr. Claussen, welcome back to Washington Watch, and Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 11 :
Happy New Year. Great to be with you again, Jody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, thank you. Look, there’s so much to talk about, so much to get into. But in terms of issues of great concern to social conservatives, I suppose is a good way of saying it. President Trump had some comments on the Hyde Amendment that were probably. some of the most important news items for those of us who are biblical conservatives. And for those who might have missed it, I want to play this clip. If you would, play clip number one for me, please.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, you have to be a little flexible on hide. You know that. You got to be a little flexible. You got to work something. You got to use ingenuity. You got to work. We’re all big fans of everything, but you got to be flexible. You have to have flexibility.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, flexibility. David, give me the context. Let’s start with the context of these comments, and what’s your response to it?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, Jody, the context of the president’s comments, it took place Tuesday at the Kennedy Center. It’s where the House Republican caucus was gathering. And President Trump gave a 90-minute speech. And really, if you listen to the speech as a whole, he mostly talks about the midterms. And he talks about health care and the importance of the GOP as these conversations about Obama subsidies are continuing. They really need to get a plan together. But again, it’s really focused on the midterms if you listen to his speech. And that’s where those comments came in. And I think it’s really important. I think most viewers and regular listeners of this program are familiar with the Hyde Amendment. This year marks 50 years of the Hyde Amendment. It’s named after former Republican Congressman Henry Hyde. And in short, the Hyde Amendment just simply prohibits tax dollars from going to fund abortion. And let’s be really clear, the Hyde Amendment, many groups say that adding this rider to appropriation bills year after year has resulted in 2.6 million babies being saved. So it’s incredibly important. And I think it’s important to also recognize that President Trump has been a champion on the life issue, in particular his first term. But even at the beginning of his second term, Jody, just days after taking office last year, the president signed an executive order literally titled Enforcing the Hyde Amendment. AND THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, IT REPEALED BIDEN ERROR, PERMISSIVE ABORTION DIRECTIVES, AND THE PRESIDENT’S EXECUTIVE ORDER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE’S A CONSENSUS THAT TAXPAYERS SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO SUPPORT ABORTION THROUGH THEIR TAX DOLLARS. You know, as far as my response, Jody, I’m grateful for the speaker. I’m grateful for Leader Thune and other elected officials who have said the Hyde Amendment, this is a red line. This is a non-negotiable. And I think as social conservatives, as Bible-believing Christians, we need to be equally clear. The Hyde Amendment is not negotiable. If you want the support of social conservatives, of conservative Catholics, of evangelicals, you must hold the line on Hyde. And why is that? Well, because this is an issue, Jody, that transcends politics. Just a few years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention actually passed a resolution on the Hyde Amendment. It was in the context of the Biden administration’s And it framed this in moral terms. Let me just very briefly read one sentence from this resolution that the Southern Baptist passed a few years ago. They put it in the resolution saying that if you oppose Hyde, this represents, quote, an effort to make every American citizen complicit in high-handed moral rebellion against the author of life. And I think that language is so helpful because, Jody, forcing taxpayers to fund the killing of our unborn neighbors, this is an untenable position for Bible-believing Christians. Preserving the Hyde Amendment, this is the bare minimum when it comes to federal legislation protecting our unborn neighbors. There can be no flexibility on this, Jody, because we have no flexibility when it comes to protecting unborn image bearers.
SPEAKER 16 :
I think you’re exactly right on that. And making this, declaring this, not making it, it already is, but declaring this a red line is important for us to declare. David, I recall, I’m trying to think of who it was who made this statement, but I remember when I was in Congress, one of my colleagues said, had met with a group of pastors or whatever, and this whole conversation came up. But the bottom line is that the congressman said to this group of pastors, why do you expect me to take a strong stand on life and other moral positions when so many of you as pastors refuse to speak to these issues from your own pulpits. And I thought that was such a powerful and potent statement. And while you’re speaking at Southern Baptist, it just reminded me of that. Why is it so important to David, for pastors and Christian leaders to lead on this issue and other issues for that matter. But now we’re talking specifically Hyde Amendment. Why is it so important for pastors and Christian leaders to lead on this issue?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, and the research that we’ve even done in the Center for Biblical Worldview shows that pro-life identification in the church has actually slipped just in the last two years, whether that’s a Catholic church, mainline Protestant, or even evangelical. And it’s important, Jody, because the Bible is really clear. God’s Word is really clear. This is not an issue that we need to guess what God’s opinion is. This is not a question, really, that you can come up with two valid positions. There’s a Bible verse, Psalm 139 verses 13 through 16. There’s Luke chapter 1 verses 39 through 45. The Bible is just really clear that abortion, that the shedding of innocent blood, it’s sinful, it’s wicked. And Jody, a nation that allows not just for abortion, but goes even that next step and requires taxpayers to fund it, I think that’s a pretty clear sign that a nation has entirely lost its conscience and its moral framework. We don’t want to go down that road. And, you know, this, again, For years, even there was a lot of Democrats, even Joe Biden up until just six years ago was in favor of the Hyde Amendment. This has had broad bipartisan support. And so great question, Jody. And again, we as Christians need to be clear because God’s word is really clear.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, would you agree with what I was saying as well, that it’s very difficult for us to expect our political leaders to take a stand for life when we’re not willing to do it from the pulpit with the biblical conviction that it should have coming from our pulpits?
SPEAKER 11 :
We shouldn’t. We shouldn’t expect our legislators and our elected officials to take a stand where we’re not willing to take a stand. And so if you have preaching, teaching, discipling opportunities, this is an issue, especially now that it’s in the news. Take a stand. Be clear in your teaching. Don’t beat around the bush. This is an issue, again, that the Bible speaks clearly to. So I agree, Jody. I think everyone, especially those with preaching, teaching, discipleship opportunities, be really, really clear. People shouldn’t have to guess where you stand on this issue.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, let me switch gears. I know we’ve got a lot of different things in the news to deal with. But next Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a potentially groundbreaking case dealing with women and girls sports. Can you give us kind of a quick overview of what to expect at those oral arguments and remind us why this case could fundamentally change the entire conversation about transgenderism and women’s sports?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, Jody, it’s actually two cases that the Supreme Court’s gonna hear back-to-back, the oral arguments in both of them. The cases are West Virginia versus BPJ and Little versus Hecox. These are two cases that come from West Virginia and Idaho, respectively. They both revolve around women’s sports acts, Save Women’s Sports Acts. About 20-plus states have adopted these. Idaho is actually the first. And in both cases, a boy who is identifying as a girl has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination because these laws wouldn’t allow them to compete against girls. What’s interesting actually in the West Virginia case, a biological boy who identifies as a girl actually did compete on sports teams. And in fact, this person took 57 medals over the past couple of years away from girls. And so, again, this will be the first time, Jody, that the Supreme Court has had a chance to weigh in on this issue. What’s really interesting is the transgender plaintiffs in both cases, actually, have actually tried to drop the case. And I think the transgender activist legal community, after the Scrimetti decision, last summer, where the Supreme Court said that minor children, that states can pass laws that protect minor children from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, irreversible surgeries. You know, that was just a nationwide precedent in that case. A lot of court watchers think that’ll happen in this case. And so even the transgender activist community has tried to withdraw from the case. They haven’t been allowed. And so oral arguments are going to go forward. And very basically, the court’s going to ask the question, Can states pass laws that ensure women receive equal opportunities in sports? And so we’ll hear the oral arguments on Tuesday, likely get a decision in the summer. This could be precedent setting and something to really watch and monitor on Tuesday.
SPEAKER 16 :
Amazing that we’re even dealing with this at the Supreme Court level. But, you know, since the last election, it seems to me, David, that this whole transgenderism and transgender activism, as you will, it’s lost a lot of ground. I know we’ve talked a lot about this on the program, but why do you think that’s the case? And do you think we are actually seeing the beginning of a return to sanity on this issue?
SPEAKER 11 :
I do think that, Jody, and I think it’s because the transgender kind of activist community really has overreached. If you think about issues such as compelling pronoun usage, or the issue of fairness in women and girls sports, or even the fact that so many of the activists were pushing for minor children to be given these irreversible surgeries. I think even very progressive parents don’t want their little girl having to shower with boys. Again, most progressive parents don’t think their daughter should be compelled on the volleyball court or the basketball court or the swimming pool to have to compete against biological boys. And so I do think that the pendulum has shifted. And one stat that really stood out to me, Jody, was actually a UN study showed that just in the last couple of years, 900 medals have been won by biological boys who think they’re girls and have been competing against girls. 900 medals have been stolen from girls. And so again, I think even progressive parents look at that and say, this isn’t fair. And so I think the overextension, the overreaching of the activist committee has really set them back. And I think that’s good. And it’s an opportunity for sanity, good biology, and I would say good theology to prevail.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, final question. We’ve only got about a minute left. Yesterday, Mark Walker, former colleague of mine, former pastor and a member of Congress, was appointed as the principal advisor for global religious freedom at the State Department. With everything that’s happening around the world, give me your thoughts on this position and the importance of it real quickly.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, briefly, I’ve shared a stage with the former Congressman. I think Mark Walker’s fantastic. I think he’s going to do a great job. We know that this administration is prioritizing religious freedom as a human right rather than what the previous administration did. So I’m grateful for Marco Rubio at the State Department. I’m excited about this appointment. And I’d encourage Christians around the country, be praying for Mark Walker. That’s someone to put on your prayer list as he’s going to be advising Marco Rubio and the State Department on very important issues over the next few years.
SPEAKER 16 :
I agree with you. Mark Walker from North Carolina, a dear brother. So we want to take your advice and be praying for him. Thank you so much, Dr. David Claussen, Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at Family Research Council. Thank you so much for joining us as well. That wraps up yet another week as well as another program. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. God bless you, and we’ll join you here again next week at Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 01 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
