In this episode, guest host Jody Heiss delves deep into the ongoing debate surrounding the Save America Act, a bill poised to change the landscape of voter ID laws in the United States. With guest appearances from key political figures like Senator Roger Marshall, the discussion sheds light on the complexities of ensuring election integrity. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard offers insights into the global threats facing the U.S., particularly the escalating conflict in Iran that has seen an unprecedented rise in military activity. This episode provides an incisive look into the legislative battles being fought on the Senate floor and
SPEAKER 29 :
FROM THE HEART OF OUR NATION’S CAPITOL 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 17 :
IN CITIES IN VERMONT, CALIFORNIA, RIGHT HERE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., NON-CITIZENS ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE IN LOCAL ELECTIONS. So it should be no surprise that Democrats seem not to care very much about ensuring that American citizens and American citizens only are voting in our national elections. But it is deeply concerning.
SPEAKER 16 :
That was Senate Majority Leader John Thune earlier today as the Senate prepared to open debate on the Save America Act. Welcome to this March 18th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your guest host, Jody Heiss, filling in today for Tony. Thank you so much for joining us. All right, coming up… We’ll discuss the debate over the Save America Act and the battle over DHS funding when we’re joined here in just a few moments by Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. And also there’s been a troubling trend of anti-homeschooling bills that have been introduced all across the country, including one in Connecticut that was voted on just today. We’ll discuss this a little bit later in the program when I’m joined by attorney Ralph Rodriguez with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. All that and more is straight ahead. All right. For a second day, the U.S. Senate is debating the Save America Act. This is a bill, of course, backed by President Trump. It would require voters to show a valid photo ID at polling stations. And joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper. Casey, let’s start with this one. What are some of the latest developments on this news?
SPEAKER 31 :
Yeah, thanks, Jody. We’re seeing a lot of debate on this bill, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Top Democrats, which include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Alex Padilla out of California, are pushing back pretty hard against the president’s Save America Act. Now, the Senate advanced the measure yesterday in a 51 to 48 vote, but that does not mean it passed, as you know. It just means that they can begin this debate, and boy, has it begun. In fact, it’s expected to go on for many days. Schumer and his colleagues warned the act is a major threat to voter rights. We have a clip from Schumer from the Senate floor.
SPEAKER 08 :
Voter suppression. That is what the Republican Senate is wasting our time on, pushing a voter suppression bill that most Americans do not support, a bill that appeals to only the most fringe element of the MAGA base.
SPEAKER 31 :
Now these debates, Jody, could stretch out for the next week and a half, and I’m sure you’re excited to hear more from Senator Schumer.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. I mean, just the fact that somehow voter ID is voter suppression. It’s incredible to think of. All right. Well, Casey, earlier today, I wanted to give this to you as well and get the latest. The U.S. Director of Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, actually testified at a Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual report hearing on worldwide threats to the U.S., I’m sure you’re up on that. What are some of the highlights that came out of that hearing?
SPEAKER 31 :
Yeah, a couple of big hearings on Capitol Hill today, and this is one of them that everyone was watching. So Tulsi Gabbard, she testified on a range of topics, but foremost among them probably was Iran. She identified the Iranian regime as largely degraded but still appearing intact. In fact, we have a clip from the hearing.
SPEAKER 02 :
I don’t stand by any leaked so-called intelligence to the media. I do stand by the intelligence community’s assessment that was included in the annual threat assessment that speaks directly to this issue that, as of this moment, the regime maintains power within Iran, even though they are vastly degraded on almost every front.
SPEAKER 31 :
Now, Gabbard also asserted it’s not the responsibility of U.S. spy agencies to determine what is and isn’t an imminent threat. The hearing also identified China, Russia and North Korea, along with Iran, predictably as top adversaries. But it did focus on the Iran war, which is now in its third week. Gabbard, importantly, declined to comment on what information or intelligence the president was given leading up to his decision to begin the war in Iran, Jody.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you, Casey. I know you mentioned there were a couple of very important hearings. There certainly was. And one of the other ones was the confirmation hearing today of Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. Of course, he’s President Trump’s pick to replace. Kristi Noem is the Department of Homeland Security secretary. I was actually communicating back and forth with him earlier early this morning as he was prepping and so forth, just encouraging him and praying for him. But I knew it’d be a pretty brutal hearing. How did it go?
SPEAKER 31 :
Well, brutal is the right word, but I don’t know that that’s so much a reflection on Senator Mullen as it’s just a sign of the times. I’ve been covering many of these hearings and they’re becoming increasingly contentious regardless of the topic, Jody. But yes, Senator Mullen faced tough questioning in a very heated confirmation hearing. And one of the most contentious moments came from Senator Rand Paul, a fellow Republican who confronted Mullen for calling him a snake. Now, he also stressed the importance of tamping down the political rhetoric. There’s also some praise for Mullen for working across the aisle. Democratic Senator John Fetterman said that Mullen has shown him nothing but consistent kindness and professionalism. Now, we do have a clip from Senator Mullen from the hearing.
SPEAKER 15 :
I get some of it’s got to be political theater. I understand it. I’ve had to really pray about my attitude. But I will say… Once it’s over, I hope we can work together and get them funded. So when I walk in, if I’m fortunate enough to be confirmed, if I walk in as secretary, that these guys are ready to go to work day one.
SPEAKER 31 :
Jody, the committee could vote as early as tomorrow on this one.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right. We’ll be keeping a pulse on that for sure. Casey, as always, thank you so much for giving us the highlights of what’s happening. I want to go back now to the latest from Capitol Hill. And joining me now is Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. He serves on several different Senate committees. Senator Marshall, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always great to see you and an honor to have you on Washington Watch with us.
SPEAKER 25 :
Yeah, Jody, it’s great to be with you as well. We missed you here on Capitol Hill, though. Hey, can I just start by giving my condolences to Tony and his mom, Jean, at the loss of his father, Richard, and just I know his dad was a godly man and the Lord took him home, but I still know it hurts right now. So we just wrap Tony and his family up in prayers as well.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you so much for that, Senator. Yes, we’ve been doing that here at FRC and encouraging our audience to do the same. But thank you so much for that personal comment. And absolutely, totally in order. Let’s start with the Save America Act. As you well know, you were there. The Senate voted 51 to 48 to open debate on that bill yesterday. And of course, that’s expected to probably take several days. But What do you hope that the American people will see as the Senate debates this?
SPEAKER 25 :
Yeah, Jody, you know, I think I’d start off by saying that 80% of Americans believe in voter ID. 70% of Democrats want voter ID. 70% of Democrats… But why will not one Democrat senator say they support voter ID? Maybe two of them have kind of touched the edge. There’s only two out of 47 senators, Democrats, that said they support voter ID. You know, the real question Americans should be asking, and I wish the national media would ask these senators when they come on their shows, why don’t you support voter ID? I understand that this bill’s not perfect. You know, what this bill does is it, number one, is it requires proof of citizenship when you register. It requires proof of ID of who you are, when you vote. And then we basically verify who you are when it comes to mail-in ballots and put some guardrails around that. So if they’re against any of those other two rails, why are they against voter ID? So I think that’s what you’re going to be exposed to. You’re going to hear lots of rabbit holes were going down. But at the end of the day, carefully listen for any senator, Democrat senator, to say, I support voter ID.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, and there’s so much. I watched some of Schumer’s comments. It’s just stunning to me. But he’s also saying that this bill appeals to only the most fringe element of the MAGA base. What is your response to that?
SPEAKER 25 :
Well, again, 70% of Democrats, 80% of Americans support voter ID. I didn’t know they were MAGA.
SPEAKER 16 :
I didn’t realize they were part of the MAGA movement.
SPEAKER 25 :
Yeah, so if 80% of Americans support voter ID, but let’s back up why the concern is here. I hate to use so many numbers, any type of a hit like this, but 60% of Americans are concerned about election integrity. Why? Two reasons. Number one is just the number of illegal immigrants, especially that are coming in this country. 50 million non-American citizens live in this country now. Out of 300 million people, 50 are non-American citizens, some legal and some illegal. And now they’re being registered to vote. in the four states. It was great to hear the leader mention that. I’ve been talking about that for several days. Four states allow non-citizens to register in their so-called local elections. So there’s a lot of people out there worried, is my vote gonna be canceled? Is my vote gonna be canceled by an illegal voter? So that’s one big concern. And I think the other thing that really got folks’ attention are these unsolicited mail-in ballots. Now there’s a right way and a wrong way to do mail-in ballots. We want our military to have them. There’s other reasons for good for mail-in ballots, but we need to verify who you are and take that extra step as well. So again, 80% of Americans believe in voter ID and a good chunk of them are concerned about the election integrity in general.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah, absolutely. And this is a fundamental part of we the people having the voice in regard to who’s going to represent them and provide direction to our country. I know one of the other amendments to this Save America Act is really an attempt to save children. Senator Tuberville, Tommy Tuberville, protecting girls’ sports, the whole transgender ideology. I know this is something that you’ve also personally pushed back on a great deal. So what is fringe about trying to protect our children?
SPEAKER 25 :
Yeah, again, Jody, this is probably not an 80-20 issue, but a 90-10 issue that 90% of Americans don’t think is right for boys to compete in girls’ courts. And we certainly don’t want them in our girls’ locker rooms for a whole lot of reasons. But But I just couldn’t imagine that young lady who’s got up every morning and ran five or ten miles since she was in seventh grade. She’s a senior in high school. She broke her school record, and now she’s going for that state championship to be beat by a guy. Could you imagine that, what it must be like? So I think we need to protect the sanctity of girls’ sports for many, many reasons. They earn that opportunity. And I just want to, you know, these are fads, right? These are fads. This transgender ideology, by the way, that’s a knock on God. It’s like saying, God, you didn’t know me in my mother’s womb. You didn’t make me fearfully and wonderfully. And it’s saying that God got it wrong. Look, my heart pours out for these young adults that are obviously struggling. And it is a mental illness that’s going on there. And we need to reach out to them with compassion. But let’s don’t permanently disfigure them. That’s child abuse.
SPEAKER 16 :
Absolutely. While I have you real quickly, I wanted to get your take over the battle of the DHS funding. How does that appear to be going from your vantage point right now?
SPEAKER 25 :
Yeah, well, again, the Democrats are the party of defund the police. Republicans are the party of secure borders, of safe families, making your families safe. So this is the next chapter in defund the police. What your listeners need to know is President Trump sent them an offer 19 days ago, they finally sent back a counter letter, a counter offer yesterday. So they sat on it for 18 days and during that time span, they refused to sit down with the White House, Democrat leadership, Senate leadership refused to sit down with the Republican leadership and try to say, well, what do you disagree with? So here we are, 18, 19 days later now, and what separates us are two things, Jody, and I’ll try to be brief. Number one is this issue of judicial warrants versus administrative warrants, and the other issue is unmasking our ICE agents. I’ve talked to these ICE agents. Look, they’re being doxxed. Their children, their spouses are literally their life being threatened, and we can’t make them take their masks off. I want them to be clearly identified who they are. Absolutely. This is the world we live in now.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you so much, Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas. Always great to have you. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. And friends, we do have a petition urging Congress to pass the Save America Act. This is very important for election integrity and more. Text SAVE to 67742. All right. The Middle East is our next discussion. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 22 :
When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them.
SPEAKER 21 :
A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal That they’re endowed by their Creator.
SPEAKER 22 :
With certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men. Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Happy 250th. Happy 250th. Happy 250th. Happy 250th birthday, America. May God bless America.
SPEAKER 23 :
You see, America has freedom for a purpose. The question is, are we living by that purpose today? See, the founders understood we as a nation would be accountable to God for what he had granted to us. They sought freedom for a purpose, and that freedom was given to us as a nation for that same purpose, to serve God, to honor him, and to live as a people under his authority.
SPEAKER 04 :
At the 2026 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance in Washington, DC, members of Congress, state leaders, evangelical leaders, and intercessors from across the nation united as one voice in prayer.
SPEAKER 32 :
Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this gathering. We do repent. And we ask for your continued favor and blessing over our nation, even when we don’t deserve it.
SPEAKER 06 :
I thank you that because of the shed blood and the glorious righteousness of your son, Jesus Christ, a sinner such as myself can boldly approach your throne. You said that you helped to humble. And we’re asking just now that you would help us, Lord.
SPEAKER 26 :
We pray that you humble us, help us to follow after you with all our hearts so that we can see righteousness exalted in this nation and this nation restored to you. We know that it’s not by our power, it’s not by our might, it’s by your spirit.
SPEAKER 23 :
Freedom has a name. His name is Jesus. And freedom has a purpose. It is to honor and glorify you. We pray that we would return to that purpose. Amen.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I am your guest host today, filling in for Tony. I’m Jody Heiss, and thank you for tuning in with us. All right, the U.S.-Israeli military operation in Iran is now in day 19 as that conflict continues to escalate. And in a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing earlier today, the U.S. Director of Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, said that the regime in Iran appears to still be intact, although the government there has largely been degraded. Well, meanwhile, global energy markets certainly are reeling as oil prices have spiked, as we all know, all that amid limited transit activity in the Strait of Hormuz. So bottom line, where are we now? in this conflict, and where is all of this headed? Well, joining us now to discuss this and more is Greg Roman. He’s the executive director of Middle East Forum. He previously served as political advisor to Israel’s deputy foreign minister. He also worked for the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Greg, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always an honor to have you join us.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you, Jody. Good evening from Jerusalem.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, thank you for staying up late. And I did want to mention that. But what do you make of where we are right now in this conflict as a whole?
SPEAKER 10 :
the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard, its government, the Assembly of Experts, Guardian Council, and all vestiges of the Islamic Republic are reeking of desperation, trying to increase the kind of attacks that they feel are punitive to their Gulf neighbors, to Israel, to the United States, to 13 different countries which have been suborned to their violence and desire to engage the region in chaos, only so that others will sue for peace. But at the end of the day, my belief is that the temporary increase in energy prices, the damage which is being done to Gulf energy markets, and the attacks, the incessant attacks on Israeli civilian locations and American bases will all be worth the final conclusion, which will be the fall of this regime. I think based off of the intelligence the military intelligence services, that the longer that the president keeps on pressing, the higher likelihood it is that there will be a new government in Tehran by the end of this operation.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay, so let’s go down there. We have several different assessments coming out. One, of course, from the U.S. intelligence officials, basically saying that the Iranian government remains intact, albeit very much degraded. So given that, are we any closer to a regime change, do you think, now than we were when Operation Epic Fury started?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, on the first day of this operation to leader was taken out. 40 of his generals, senior ministers, intelligence officials, those who constitute , which is the supreme leader’s office and the entity behind But there is not a very deep bench as it relates to those who both have the willingness to abide by Iran’s theocracy and also the willingness to sacrifice themselves for it. So if you really break this down into four command levels, one, those people in national government, those who are really… of the nature of drinking the Kool-Aid, if you will, of the Islamic Revolution, there are less of them today than there were of them at the beginning of this operation. Over 2,200 casualties on the Iranian side, of whom many are senior officials in the regime. those attacks against them, those degradation attacks have to continue. But if you go all the way down to those who are governors of provinces in Iran, those who are commanders at the mid-rank levels, majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels, those below the rank of general, and even those who are the foot soldiers of the regime, the besieged militia, the irregulars who were responsible for engaging in the massacre of Iranian protesters and civilians back in March, They are also being targeted. Instead of having checkpoints out in the open, they’re now hiding under bridges. Instead of riding around in patrol cars, they’re taking taxis. Instead of trying to come out in the open to have a show of force, they’re dressing in civilian clothes and getting ready for what they believe might be an insurgency. However, there’s also a significant part of the Iranian government, which is unlike Libya, unlike Iraq, unlike other countries which saw civil war after the downturn of their governments. Energy, transportation, the local police units, defections are even being reported to rise right now. So I think there’s a middle ground between taking out the ideologues and moving forward and having a partner to work with that would be willing to see a pluralistic transitional government in Iran rather than the Islamic Republic, which is there.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, so let’s hit on the Strait of Hormuz. Of course, you’re an expert in all of this, your background with the ministry defense and so forth. What kind of military options are there to try to break the blockade of the sea passage there?
SPEAKER 10 :
So we just wrote a paper about this actually, five options for the US Navy and for CENTCOM to be able to break the blockade. The first we recommend is that the United States and Israel start an insurgency against the IRGC in the Arab-Iranian majority provinces, which are the land barrier that go around the Strait of Hormuz. So we think of it as a horseshoe. There are many different towns there which have been suppressed and have been unfairly treated by the IRGC in the past 40 years. It’s time for them to rise up, and if they haven’t yet, to encourage them to do so. Secondarily, you have to make this hurt on China. If the Chinese don’t feel the pinch of this at the pump, because most of their oil is either through that point or through a land pipeline, which can be severed, then I think that seeing Iran’s trading partners starting to feel the heat on this is a way in which to de-incentivize Iran from moving forward on it. Thirdly, there’s land routes that you can take. Instead of exporting the oil by way of the Persian Gulf, you go west through the Red Sea, across Iraq, into Turkey. And the fourth and fifth items that we had encouraged were trying to punish those officials who are responsible for that blockade. convoys, which will be akin to other major blockade attempts, World War II, World War I, Operation Praying Mantis that took place in 1987 and 1988, which was transitioned to blockade then at the end of the Iran-Iraq War. There’s a historical precedent to do this, and the U.S. should engage in that.
SPEAKER 16 :
So, listen, wait literally just a few seconds. Do you think this is going to end soon?
SPEAKER 10 :
I don’t. I think we’re looking at a period of weeks for major conflict, but low intensity conflict and other combat operations akin to the no-fly zones in Iraq will continue for months.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right. Thank you so much, Greg Roman, Executive Director of Middle East Forum. Always great to have you on the program. All right, friends, coming up, we have some new legislation that was introduced today that will not only protect women from the dangers of the abortion drug, but it will protect all Americans. The author of that bill, Congresswoman Mary Miller, will be joining us next. So don’t go away.
SPEAKER 28 :
I think all people really need to have this type of education.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I can tell you that it’s been an amazing course, period.
SPEAKER 14 :
I think this course is a reminder that a biblical worldview should really impact everything. It impacts our government from the federal to the state to the local. It should impact what we’re doing with our families and with our work.
SPEAKER 20 :
God and Government is a video-driven, Bible-based training course from Family Research Council that explores the connection between biblical principles and American government. In this six-session video series, FRC President Tony Perkins equips participants with a practical understanding of civil government from a biblical worldview.
SPEAKER 09 :
I would encourage all people to take it. I almost wish I would have took it earlier that I could have taught my kids this.
SPEAKER 28 :
I wish I had known these things when we were homeschooling because I think children and my adults now would just greatly be influenced by that information.
SPEAKER 03 :
So I’m an attorney, and for me, it gives me some direct practical knowledge of what I can do to try to impact my legal community to make better legislation, to try to encourage legislators to make choices that have a biblical worldview, which is what we really want.
SPEAKER 13 :
Any pastor would benefit from taking this course. Because we are dual citizens, right? We are citizens of the kingdom of God, but we’re also citizens of this great land, and that comes with responsibility.
SPEAKER 14 :
Even as someone who has been involved in these types of issues for a while, you’re learning little bits and pieces of new stuff all the time. But it’s also approachable enough that newer people, younger people, high school, college students, they can really glean something from this. So… I would encourage everybody to take this course, whether it’s the videos, whether it’s doing it in person, bring your Bible study group through it, bring your homeschool group through it and equip yourself for these challenging days ahead.
SPEAKER 20 :
View the course at frc.org slash God and government or on the Stand Firm app.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, an honor to be sitting in today for Tony, and thank you for joining us as well. All right, earlier today, Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller introduced some legislation addressing the safety and environmental issues posed by chemical abortion drugs. Now, if passed, this bill, the Clean Water for All Life Act, it would, number one, prohibit chemical abortions conducted without the in-person presence of a health care provider. That’s great. But in addition to that, it does something that very few people ever talk about. This bill establishes safeguards to ensure proper medical oversight and responsible disposal of of abortion-related medical waste, which currently is being flushed into U.S. water systems. So this bill doesn’t just protect pregnant women. It could potentially protect all Americans. I mean, really, does anyone want chemically tainted medical waste in our water supply? Wow. Well, joining me now to discuss this by phone is Congresswoman Mary Miller. She’s the chair of the Congressional Family Caucus and also a member of the Pro-Life Caucus. She represents the 15th Congressional District of Illinois. Congresswoman Miller, as always, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to inform people of more egregious action by the Democrats. It was under Joe Biden, that the FDA dismantled basic safety standards. They eliminated or they removed in-person requirements to take the abortion pill. So my legislation is going to ensure that these reckless practices stop. These reckless practices harm women. It’s degrading human dignity and contaminating our environment. This is This is like a crisis for the environment and for just human health. And we’ve had people draw to our attention that water treatment facilities are wondering why they’re seeing so many tiny babies in the water because these do-it-yourself-at-home chemical abortion pills are allowing women to expel the baby into the toilet. and it’s going into our wastewater. So my bill is going to put an end to this reckless practice that harms women, degrades human dignity, and contaminates our environment. It’s so bad.
SPEAKER 16 :
Do we have any idea just how much chemically tainted waste is being flushed into our water system?
SPEAKER 07 :
Actually, Students for Life have done studies, and they’ve proven that over 50 tons of of abortion-related waste are being flushed into our water every year. And obviously, our water treatment systems were never designed to handle this. And so my bill, three things. Oh, go ahead.
SPEAKER 16 :
No, no, no. Go ahead. I want to hear your three things real quickly.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay. Well, number one is that chemical abortions cannot be conducted without the physical presence of a healthcare provider. there has to be a medical examination of the patient, and then there has to be a medical waste catch kit to, number one, catch the human remains and other remains, and then it will have instructions, and then it has to be returned to the health care provider for proper handling. It cannot be flushed down the toilet.
SPEAKER 16 :
So how is that going to be enforced? How does your bill actually address the medical waste?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I think the biggest thing is that we cannot allow the chemical abortion pills to be mailed out willy-nilly. That’s what’s been happening. And, you know, even at college campuses, they have to be given out by a medical – a health care provider that is in physical presence while the woman takes the pill. So there has to be a medical examination and physical presence of a health care provider. And then a medical waste catch kit will be provided.
SPEAKER 16 :
Okay. So how – easy are these dangerous drugs right now to obtain? How accessible are they?
SPEAKER 07 :
Thirteen-year-olds can get them. And if they have a cell phone, they can access the ability to order them and to get them and never have a physical exam. So that’s another problem is these girls and women may not even know how far along they are. And it’s one in 10 girls and women that take these pills are getting some kind of medical care afterward, either end up in the emergency room or some kind of medical attention. And we know that because they have used their insurance to pay for that. And that is how we’ve come up with those numbers.
SPEAKER 16 :
Wow. Well, I know the FDA could solve so much of these issues we’re talking about simply by restoring and strengthening the safety standards for mifepristone. And the DOJ, for that matter, could reinstate enforcement of the Comstock Act to prohibit the shipment of these abortion-inducing drugs like you’re talking about. But I just want to say to you, thank you. It’s lawmakers like you who are taking action on issues like this that make such a huge, huge difference and an impact. And Congresswoman Mary Miller of Illinois, we want to thank you so much for the incredible work that you’re doing. And as always, it’s an honor to have you joining us here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you’re doing the great work in sounding the alarm and allowing us to communicate what’s going on.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, thank you. All right, friends, and I want to encourage you. We have a petition. You can text the word LIFE to 67742 and urge enforcement of these laws that we just talked about. All right, coming back, there’s some disturbing anti-homeschooling bills moving across America. Stay tuned.
SPEAKER 23 :
We have state leaders that want to keep the deadly drugs out of their states. Maybe if these abortion pills were coming by boat, the administration would change its tactics. It’s time to respect the rights of the states, and it’s time to end death by mail.
SPEAKER 24 :
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, alongside Senator Lindsey Graham, led a press conference on Capitol Hill, urging the Trump administration to end the Biden-era policies that have allowed dangerous abortion drugs to be shipped across state lines. They were joined by state attorneys general, pro-life advocates and multiple Republican congressmen.
SPEAKER 18 :
There are more abortions today in the United States than when Roe versus Wade was the law of the land. And why is that? It’s because of the chemical abortion drug, Mifeprestone. Nearly 70% of the abortions that are committed in the United States today are committed because of Mifeprestone.
SPEAKER 12 :
The federal government is allowing a chemical abortion pill to be sent through the mail that wipes out every state unborn protection law in the land.
SPEAKER 20 :
It’s harder to ship alcohol in this country than it is to ship the abortion pill.
SPEAKER 19 :
And that should never be the case. This is a drug that takes the life of every child. So there is always a death that’s involved in this drug, but is also incredibly dangerous for the mom as well. We think that we should require a doctor to be able to get access to this drug.
SPEAKER 27 :
As a doctor, I think it’s essential that there be human contact before the pill is prescribed.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s not about a national abortion ban. It’s about validating Dobbs and preventing other states from nullifying the legislative policy choices that have been made by our states and facilitating the illegal, unethical, and dangerous drug trafficking of abortion pills into our states without any medical oversight whatsoever.
SPEAKER 12 :
We can simply fix this if we have the courage to do it. So what are all of us telling the administration? You’ve been a great pro-life president, Mr. President. It is now time to deal with this issue.
SPEAKER 18 :
We want to protect life, and we want to give voice to the American people and their right to protect life state by state, city by city, and yes, here in the United States Congress. That’s what this fight is about.
SPEAKER 24 :
Let your voice be heard. Text LIFE to 67742. Sign the petition. Tell the Trump administration to act.
SPEAKER 01 :
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SPEAKER 16 :
Hope you’re having a great afternoon. Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. Before we get to our next guest, I want to encourage you to join us in urging specifically congressional candidates Democrat leaders to restore full funding to the Department of Homeland Security. Look, we’ve talked about this program today. We’ve talked about it over and over, what we’re seeing underway in Iran and what we’re seeing underway right here in our homeland. Terrorist attacks and so forth and lone wolves operating in terrorist activities. Look, this is no time. This is no time to leave unfunded the Department of Homeland Security. And we ask for your help to make that voice and that message known, and you can do so by texting DHS. That, of course, stands for Department of Homeland Security. Text DHS to 67742. All right, speaking of threats, as I mentioned going out of the last segment, there’s a troubling trend of anti-homeschooling bills. It’s making its way and being introduced all across the country. And it’s making the message clear that the left does not trust parents when it comes to the education of their own children. But thankfully, many of those attempts are failing thanks to a tremendous pushback that they’re getting. And we’re seeing this all over the place. In fact, as I mentioned earlier, there was a bill that came up in Connecticut today. But just last week, hundreds of homeschooled parents and kids showed up in force against that bill, taking a stand for homeschool freedom. And among those was our next guest. Joining me now to discuss this is Ralph Rodriguez. He’s an attorney at the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, which, as the name implies, advocates for homeschooling. Ralph, welcome to Washington Watch. It’s our honor to have you join us.
SPEAKER 30 :
Thanks so much. It’s an honor for me to be here today.
SPEAKER 16 :
All right, let’s start with, there seems like a rash of these kind of bills taking place across the nation, but let’s start with Connecticut. Tell us about that bill.
SPEAKER 30 :
Definitely. I was dealing with it just an hour ago. So today was the meeting with the Education Committee to contemplate the bill as to whether they would move it forward in the committee to the House floor. And as you mentioned, last week was the meeting to present the bill before the committee. It was actually almost 19 hours, which is unprecedented in the time that HSLTA has been doing advocacy in the state level. And so 19 hours of families waiting to have their voice heard. I personally was able to testify at 4.45 in the morning. And so just a tremendous response in opposition to the bill that would really The most significant shift in homeschool policy in the country, and we’re talking about 50 years of backwards policy here. And just to talk about a few things that the bill would do, it would require in-person registration with the school district to file a notice of intent. It would require annual continuation filings if the family wishes to continue homeschooling. It would require proof of educational progress through certain state approved methods. And most egregiously, it would involve the Department of Children and Families when a child is withdrawn from the public school system. And so the Department of Children and Families is a child welfare system in the state, and it would empower them to basically render the withdrawal effective or ineffective based on prior involvement with the agency.
SPEAKER 16 :
Would they be authorized to take further action like threatening removal of the child from the family?
SPEAKER 30 :
Well, certainly that’s all on the table because it involves the agency that has that power to do so. And that’s what’s so problematic. The language of the bill speaks to whether there’s an open case. So like I said, prior involvement. So it’s just very vague and it empowers the state to sign off on the parents exercising constitutional rights to home educate their children.
SPEAKER 16 :
Wow. So I’ve mentioned it. This is almost like a rash that we’re watching across the nation, a very troubling trend. Where are some of the other places that we’re seeing this anti-homeschooling emphasis?
SPEAKER 30 :
Yeah, so my colleague went to Hawaii a few weeks ago where he was able to testify against the bill that had to do with testing. And so that was a legislation there that was contemplated before the House, which would require participation in state mandated testing. So now currently the law in Hawaii empowers parents to choose from different levels and different methods of testing. And so this would require homeschool families to engage in those state programs for testing. So right now there’s a little flexibility. Hawaii, if you look on our heat map on HSLDA.org, it is a heavily restricted state, but there’s still some flexibility, but that would have gone away with this bill. Thankfully it was deferred. And so it’s no longer being contemplated this session. So, you know, that’s good news there, but we also have New Jersey, in which there are multiple bills moving simultaneously to the legislature. Nothing has been scheduled before the committees just yet, but they’ve just been introduced in the beginning of the year. One of the ones that we fought last year is the requirement for an annual health and wellness check with school officials. So just imagine you’re homeschooling your child, and once a year, a public school official gets to come into your home and check up on your child for quote-unquote health and wellness and There is no definition in the bill for that, but we believe it doesn’t need a definition because it’s unconstitutional either way.
SPEAKER 16 :
Wow. So what do you attribute this new wave to? What’s behind all of this?
SPEAKER 30 :
Well, you know, HSLDA has been around for over 40 years and before homeschooling was known as a viable option of education. And before it was legal all across the country, there were a lot of wins to be had. And we thank that to our founders. And there was a lot of work to be done in the 80s and 90s. And so there was a relative period of peace, if you will, in which homeschool freedom was not attacked. And so I guess we’re just seeing this new generational shift in which freedom continues to, it needs to be continued to be defended. And so there are organizations that are vying for a spot in the public debate that are trying to present themselves as a moderate look on homeschool policy. But, you know, we’re of the mind that if you regulate homeschool, if you regulate homeschoolers and these are law abiding citizens, I call them the best of us because I’ve been able to hear from so many over the over the course of these processes, then you’re just infringing on freedom altogether. So there is no such thing as responsible regulation of homeschooling compared to what we have currently.
SPEAKER 16 :
Yeah. And, you know, I mean, like you said, homeschooling is such an incredible privilege. We homeschooled both of our children. My wife did a spectacular job leading all of that. And, you know, I think one of the aspects of good news with all of this that we’re seeing right now in the midst of all the anti-homeschooling efforts is The reality is it seems like these efforts are not succeeding. They’re getting tremendous pushback. I think I heard that there were some 3,000 homeschool parents that submitted written testimonies opposing Connecticut’s bill. So how critical would you say it is for people to stand up, to speak up for the right to homeschool their own children?
SPEAKER 30 :
Yeah, that’s exactly right. Participation in the process is crucially needed. And actually, to positively fact-check that number, it’s almost at 4,000 online submissions in which families have presented opposition to the bill. So it’s just a tremendous amount of engagement. And as I mentioned earlier, the hearing to vote on the bill as to whether it will go forward to the House floor… It was recessed earlier in which there was more votes in opposition to the bill on the committee than in favor. But unfortunately, some members of the committee were not present, so they recessed for an hour so that all votes can be accounted for. And it looks like, unfortunately, the bill is going to go forward out of committee. But I mention that because it’s a significant development compared to what we were expecting. It’s so far not been a party-line vote. And so far, we believe it’s going to be a relatively small number of votes that we just missed in terms of getting it defeated in committee. And so we believe there’s tremendous momentum to that end. This is going to, if it goes forward, this will allow every representative in the state to examine the bill and look at it upon its merits. And we believe that all the facts are in our favor. And we We think that we have a solid chance to defeat the bill at its next stage. But you’re exactly right. Engagement is critical because we’ve seen all these efforts elsewhere in the country so far be defeated. And so that’s why Connecticut would be such an anomaly. It would be the first and only state to go backwards in homeschool freedom.
SPEAKER 16 :
So the facts being in favor here, there’s pretty significant legal precedent backing up this, isn’t there? I mean, the courts have affirmed parental rights and the right for homeschooling in the past, have they not?
SPEAKER 30 :
Absolutely. I mean, unfortunately, the Supreme Court has yet to opine on homeschooling per se in a specific case. But it really boils down to parental rights in which the Supreme Court has said time and time again that parents possess the fundamental right to direct the upbringing and education of their children. Supreme Court actually reaffirmed that a couple of weeks ago in the Mirabelli case, which had to do with a public education incident. But the facts are clear that parents hold this fundamental right, and we believe it should not be infringed upon.
SPEAKER 16 :
Is there a place for Congress to get involved in this? I know there’s some discussion, I think right now in the Senate, a bill recognizing homeschool rights. Is there a place for Congress to step into this arena?
SPEAKER 30 :
Yeah, I’m glad you asked that. And many times when folks hear about the federal government getting involved in homeschooling, they say, rightfully pause and they wonder what role they have doing that. But we actually have before us the Homeschool Graduation Recognition Act. And it was, if you could believe this, it was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives And so far passed unanimously out of the Senate committee that it was contemplated in. So right now it’s before the full Senate. And it’s really a simple bill. It’s to ensure that homeschool graduates are recognized as high school graduates for federal purposes, including financial aid. So it’s really just a bill that clarifies current policy. And we’re really excited about it because we get a lot of our members who possess a homeschool diploma, especially states that don’t have recognition and reciprocity laws. And so it really protects these students for, you know, graduation purposes or placement purposes and certain programs. And we believe it’s going to do a great deal of good for these students.
SPEAKER 16 :
Very good. Yeah, I think it’s also worth noting that not only are children surviving within the homeschool setting, but they tend to literally survive, I mean thrive in that setting. What do we know about how homeschoolers are doing compared to those in public education?
SPEAKER 30 :
Yeah, great question. There are a lot of peer reviewed studies that demonstrate that homeschoolers are on par at least or do even better than their public school educated peers. And so a lot of the controversy that goes into the Connecticut bill has to do with child safety and education. purporting equivalent instruction. And we’ve been able to cite to those studies that show that, just like you said, homeschoolers are not just surviving, they are thriving. And that’s because of the vast flexibility it affords these students. Parents can allow their child to learn at their own pace. Perhaps there’s a struggle in a certain subject or they show great aptitude in a subject and they want to accelerate Well, homeschooling affords that ability, that flexibility to those students, and they thrive as a result. They don’t have to be subjected to being in an institution for seven, eight hours a day and working. sometimes dragged down by their peers or dragged down by, you know, just other school policies that don’t forward their interests or educational progress. So we see that it’s homeschooling in and of itself is what allows students to thrive.
SPEAKER 16 :
That’s amazing. So in light of the trends that we’re seeing, the trends that we’re discussing right now, what is your message to our viewers and our listeners right now, both to those who are homeschoolers, but also those who are not?
SPEAKER 30 :
Yeah, I would say be paying attention to the direction these policies are heading. Truly, it’s not a partisan issue. It’s not a red versus blue issue. We see homeschool freedom coming under attack in virtually every corner of the country. So definitely pay attention to what’s going on, especially if your state is contemplating any legislation to this end. Some states are expanding oversight in ways that would fundamentally change homeschooling in your state, while others are reducing regulation. Think of New Hampshire as a neighboring state to Connecticut that’s getting ready to undo virtually all of their homeschool regulations and allow true freedom to thrive in the live free or die state. And so really these decisions in the legislatures will truly shape the future of homeschooling all across the country.
SPEAKER 16 :
Tell us how people can get in touch with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
SPEAKER 30 :
Yeah, go to hslda.org. And our website is very easy to navigate. You know, you could, Find more information about the laws in your state. Like I said, we have a heat map of whether the state that you live in is low regulation, moderate, or high regulation, like the state that I’m from, New York. And you’d be able to just see cases and insights, updates. If you want to get on our mailing list, it’s very easy to do so from our website. The bottom line is to get engaged. If you’re a homeschool family, then we would encourage you to become a member in which you get access to our legal resources.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you so much, Attorney Ralph Rodriguez with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Thanks for all that you and that great organization do. All right, friends, that wraps up this edition of Washington Watch. Hope you have a fantastic evening. We’ll see you again right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 29 :
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.
