In this episode of Washington Watch, host Jody Heiss delves into significant developments at the Department of Homeland Security as newly appointed Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen takes charge. The episode explores the current funding struggles DHS is facing and the potential impacts on national security, alongside an update on the U.S.-Iran negotiations. Join the discussion with Congresswoman Erin Houchin and other industry experts as they share insights into the pressing issues America faces today.
SPEAKER 20 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 05 :
I’ve made this very clear that I don’t care what color your state is. I don’t care if you’re red or you’re blue. At the end of the day, my job is to be Secretary of Homeland and to protect everybody the same, and we will do that. I’ll fight every single day. The President is entrusting me with this, and failure is not an option.
SPEAKER 10 :
That was newly sworn in Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen during his ceremony earlier today at the White House. Welcome to this March 24th 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 today, there appears there appears to be some optimism for the deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security. We’ll get the latest when we’re joined here in just a little bit by Indiana Congresswoman Erin Houchin. She’s the secretary for the House Republican Conference. Plus, President Trump has indicated that progress is being made in negotiations with Iran that would put an end to the conflict. But Iran’s parliament speaker does not agree with that. So we’ll be talking here in just a little bit to Congressman Keith Self. He’ll bring us the latest as to what’s happening there in Iran. So that and much, much more coming your way straight ahead. All right, earlier today, President Trump swore in former U.S. Senator Mark Wayne Mullen as the Department of Homeland Security’s new secretary. This follows a rapid 18-day confirmation process that was capped by a vote yesterday by the full Senate. And joining us now to give us the latest details is Washington Watch reporter Casey Harper. Casey, thanks for joining us. Give us the latest as to what’s happening with the new secretary.
SPEAKER 02 :
Sure thing, Jody. The embattled agency, Department of Homeland Security, finally has new leadership after predecessor Kristi Noem was ousted by the president amid a lot of turmoil that really began with what happened in Minneapolis and culminated more recently. But the Senate confirmed Mullen as the ninth secretary of the department. and a 54 to 45 vote that did not fall strictly along party lines. In fact, we had two Democrats, Democratic Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, who voted in favor of the nominee, while one Republican, Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, voted against him. Now, during Secretary Mullen’s swearing-in ceremony today, which you played a clip of, President Trump expressed confidence in Mullen, saying that there’s only one man for the job. Here’s what the president had to say.
SPEAKER 06 :
I have no doubt that, as he takes the helm of DHS, Mark Wayne will fight for homeland security, the United States, and securing the country and making it really strong and the way it should be. Everybody wanted this job. I said, there’s one man for this job, and I have no doubt he’s going to be fantastic.
SPEAKER 02 :
Now during his confirmation, Mullen said that there would be some changes as to how ICE is deployed around the country, which would be music to the ears of many Democrats who have been very critical of ICE. Mullen told senators he’d like to see ICE become more transparent than they’ve been on the front line. And he required, he pledged, and this has been a sticking point in the negotiations, he pledged to require ICE officers to obtain judicial warrants before entering private property with a few exceptions. Now, as for the Senate seat that Mullen is leaving, earlier today, Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced that Energy Executive Alan Armstrong is going to replace that temporarily until a new senator is elected in November. Jody?
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, thanks for that update, Casey. If I can just continue a little bit more on the DHS front, of course, the department continues to be negotiating a lot of things. as it relates to funding the DHS. But while all that is happening, I know the airport situation is still a pretty desperate situation. What’s going on there?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, Joe, I think you were recently in an airport. You might have a horror story, but what we’re seeing is it depends on which airport you’re at. the security lines vary widely from airport. So some airports like Houston, Atlanta, and New York have three to four hour wait times. If you’re flying out of those airports and you’re listening or watching, you definitely want to get there three to four hours early. It’s not a pretty picture. We’ve had more than 450 TSA agents reportedly quit since the DHS shutdown began. That’s up from the 360 number that we saw last week. But here’s a pretty amazing figure, Jody. DHS said that 3,200 TSA employees called out of work yesterday. That’s 11% of their national staff who decided to just not show up. If that continues and gets worse, as it will if the government shuts down, we’re going to see even longer waits, which is probably why President Trump agreed to send TSA or to send ICE officers to help TSA at these airports and has even said that he would consider using the National Guard. And we have a clip here for you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I want to thank ICE because they stepped in so strongly. They will do great. And if that’s not enough, I will bring in the National Guard. We’re not going to have the Democrats destroy our country.
SPEAKER 02 :
Relief could be on the way, Jody. You expressed some cautious optimism, and I share your caution and optimism, after reports that key Republicans and Democrats are negotiating. And Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins even said that she’s optimistic we could have a deal by the end of the week, Jody.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow, that is music to the ears of a lot of people. We certainly do hope DHS gets funded by the end of the week. Thank you so much for all these updates, Casey. As always, we appreciate it a great deal. I want to go now to Capitol Hill to discuss the latest that’s happening there. And joining me now is Congresswoman Erin Houchen. She serves on the House Budget and Rules Committee. She’s also the secretary for the House Republican Conference. She represents the 9th Congressional District of Indiana. Congresswoman Houchen, welcome back to Washington Watch. It’s an honor as always to have you. Great to be with you, Jody. Thanks for having me. OK, well, you know, we were just talking about some potential optimism, perhaps cautious, but a little bit of optimism that a potential deal to fund DHS could be coming forth by the end of the week, which, of course, is before Congress heads out for a couple of weeks of recess and time back in the districts and so forth. But what are you hearing? Is it going to happen, do you think?
SPEAKER 22 :
Well, I continue to have optimism that the Democrats will come to their senses and that they will fund the Department of Homeland Security. I hope that there will be a negotiated agreement by the end of the week, but let’s not forget what got us here in the first place, which is the House passed funding for the Department of Homeland Security under House Republicans in February. Here we are, I think it’s 39 days later, and Senate Democrats have been obstructing the process of passing funding in the Senate. Uh, this is a classic example of Democrats putting illegal aliens over the, um, the, the, uh, American citizens, their interests above American citizens. And I hope we’ll get a funding package, but there’s not much more to agree or to negotiate if all they’re asking for is for us to defund ICE, which we’re not going to do. So I’m hopeful that these negotiations are a A sign that Democrats will then go ahead and vote for the Department of Homeland Security funding, but we’re not going to defund ICE in process.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, good for you. That is, as I said a moment ago, music to the ears of a lot of people. It’s just been absolutely unbelievable. what all is taking place. And as you just laid it out there, it’s good news that this could finally be coming to an end. Does this have any impact on the Save America Act? What do you think it could potentially mean for that?
SPEAKER 22 :
Well, I hope it does have an impact on the Save America Act. We really must safeguard our American election so that only American citizens can vote in our elections. This is a voter ID, pretty standard. Indiana was one of the first, if not the first in the nation to do voter ID many years ago. It’s not too much to ask to prove citizenship to vote. I think that should be pretty standard. But I do hope that the Democrats will come off of their opposition because it is wildly popular among all of the electorate, including Democrats and independents, that we should have voter ID and that we should have a requirement that you must be a citizen to vote in our elections.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, wildly popular is exactly the way it is. I’m hearing also, if you can tell us a little bit about this, that the possible funding of DHS could potentially fuel another reconciliation package. What can you tell us about that possibility?
SPEAKER 22 :
I would say that Republicans in Congress are going to take whatever mechanism is necessary to protect the American people and to safeguard our elections. And if we have to go through reconciliation to do that, which essentially means Republicans, if we can do it through the reconciliation process, It won’t require 60 votes in the Senate, so we won’t have to do the filibuster. It’s a simple majority in the Senate. Now, there are rules in the Senate which may prohibit us from doing some of those things, but we should have the conversation about what Republicans can do to get the country back on track. to get DHS open to safeguard our elections. And the reconciliation process very well may be part of that, including and not limited to those things, but potentially a supplemental for the war in Iran.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. Well, that’s going to be something we’re certainly going to be keeping a pulse on as well. If I can transition a little bit with you, but it is big news earlier today, former Senator Mark Wayne Mullen was sworn in as the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Your thoughts on that? What’s your hope now that Secretary Mullen is at the helm?
SPEAKER 22 :
Well, I’m very excited to see Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen, former senator from Oklahoma, my friend in arms. I think he is going to be terrific as the Secretary of Homeland Security. I think he has a good temperament for that and working hand in hand with Tom Holman. We’ve already seen under just bringing Tom Holman in how that has made change the dynamic in states like Minnesota. But I want to reiterate when we’ve seen these blue cities cooperate with the federal authorities, these issues do not crop up. But I have full confidence in Mark Wayne Mullen’s ability to run the Department of Homeland Security, and we stand ready to support him in that effort.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and it’s been really encouraging to me as well. I served with him in Congress. I spent a lot of time with him. I’ve known him for quite a while, and I’m really pleased to see him at the helm. I agree with you. I think this is a good opportunity for DHS going forward. So from that perspective, Congresswoman, as the American public is watching all of this unfold, what are you hoping that they come away with? What do you hope they see that’s happening with Mark Wayne Mullen and DHS right now?
SPEAKER 22 :
Well, I hope they see that this is going to continue to be an organization that will put the interests of American citizens first. and that Mark Wayne Mullen is the right leader to do that. I think they’re going to see that very quickly in the way that he runs the department. But if there is a choice in this election, and it is going to be between Republicans who put America first and Democrats who’ve been putting the interests of illegal immigrants before the interests of American citizens again and again, with voting against bills like the Lake and Riley Act, voting against Delilah’s law, voting against DHS funding, and wanting to strip ICE of any funding, as well as their open border policies. All of these things have made the country, it’s made rents go up, it’s made wages go down, it’s made healthcare more expensive. And that’s all because of their open border, illegal immigrant first policies. We have to get back to putting our citizens before the people who are here illegally, House and Senate Republicans and our president are doing that. Democrats continue to fight us on that effort.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I want to thank you so much, Indiana Congresswoman Erin Houchin, for joining us on Washington Watch and for all the great work that you and your colleagues are doing. Keep the torch ablaze. Again, thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER 22 :
Thank you so much. Great to be with you.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, friends, I just want to reiterate right now the importance right now that DHS get funded. And you have an opportunity to join us in urging Democrat leaders to restore funding to DHS. Simply text DHS to 67742 and make your voice heard. All right. Coming up, Texas Congressman Keith Self will join us to discuss Iran and the debate over FISA. A very important discussion. We’ll get into it right after this break, so stay with us.
SPEAKER 15 :
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 14 :
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 15 :
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 22 :
I think all people really need to have this type of education.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, I can tell you that it’s been an amazing course, period.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 12 :
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 11 :
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 17 :
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 19 :
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 03 :
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 12 :
View the course at frc.org slash God and government or on the Stand Firm app.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m your guest host today, Jody Heiss, filling in for Tony. All right, today marks the 25th day of the U.S. military strikes in Iran. And, of course, we’re joined by Israel in all of this. And President Trump has said that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are productive. Currently, as a result, the U.S.’ ‘s pause strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure while these productive talks are taking place. Some officials in Iran, on the other hand, have denied that talks are taking place. However, no doubt President Trump appears determined to reach a deal with Iran and to put an end to the conflict in the Middle East. So where are we now in all this conflict and where is it all headed? Well, joining us to discuss this is Congressman Keith Self. He served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of Texas. By the way, he also served our country faithfully for 25 years in the Army and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Congressman Self, welcome back to Washington Watch, my friend. Always great to see you. Always great to see you, Jody. Thanks for having me. Well, listen, President Trump has indicated that progress is being made in the negotiations with Iran. He’s hoping to put an end to this conflict. And we have a U.S. official saying that they have indeed exchanged messages and so forth, back and forth. All that while Iran’s parliament speaker is saying that it’s all fake news. What do you make of all this?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I tell you, we need to end this. And I applaud President Trump for knowing that there needs to be an end to this. But look, Iran has already rejected the ceasefire. So we’ve got to be prepared to defend ourselves now from these kind of little random 10 percent of their capability left. So you’ve got to be able to defend yourself during this period. But what I make of this is they’ve set up their IRGC, their military commands, to be semi-autonomous. So they may decide they don’t care what the politicians are agreeing to. They’re going to continue the attacks. That’s what concerns me, because we might say there’s a ceasefire, and their military apparatus may say we don’t think so.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, so what happens in that scenario if there is not some sort of deal that’s reached? What should the next steps be for the U.S.? I mean, how do we deal with that scenario?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, frankly, you do not defeat a nation with air power alone. It takes ground forces. I am not advocating for ground forces, except perhaps on the islands in the Strait. But you do not defeat a nation with air power alone. So we’ve got to decide when we have degraded their leadership, when we have taken out their offensive capability, TO SOME LEVEL WE CAN ACCEPT. WHEN WE THINK WE HAVE SET THE STAGE, THE ENVIRONMENT FOR REGIME CHANGE INSIDE IRAN, THAT’S WHEN WE NEED TO DECIDE WHEN WE HAVE DONE ENOUGH TO PROTECT AMERICA FROM IRANIAN OFFENSIVE CAPABILITY. NOW, I WILL HASTEN TO SAY ISRAEL MAY NOT AGREE WITH THIS BECAUSE ISRAEL HAS ITS OWN OBJECTIVES, ITS OWN GOALS, AND THEY MAY DECIDE TO CONTINUE TO PROSECUTE THEIR WAR EFFORT INDEPENDENTLY.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and that’s a good thought, too. But from the perspective of the U.S., I mean, there’s no question there’s been massive damage done to weaken Iran’s military, their navy. I mean, everything that they have has been weakened. Does that give us greater leverage with the pressure that they are experiencing from their weakened military?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, it all depends on their regime, because regime survival is their number one goal. The clerics, the mullahs, the ayatollahs. And that’s what the Iranian people themselves do not want. They do not want the clerics, the mullahs, the ayatollahs to continue to rule Iran. So I don’t know at what point we say we have done enough. because we can’t demand the Iranian people rise up again. They lost 30,000 people just a couple of months ago. So I don’t know that they’re prepared to do that. And I ask people all the time, who is the George Washington of Iran? Who is going to step up and lead the people, be charismatic enough to lead them to freedom? I think that’s what’s missing, and we’ll see if that can happen. But from our perspective, when have we done enough to protect America? And then you’ve got the uranium. They’ve got 900 or so pounds of 60% uranium. How in the world are we going to ensure that they don’t simply take that uranium, which is a very short step to 90% weapons-grade uranium?
SPEAKER 10 :
Great questions there, all of which need to be answered. If I can, Congressman, let me shift gears with you a little bit on domestic news. In coming weeks, all of you Congressmen are going to be dealing with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, also known as FISA. And of course, this law is intended to provide surveillance of foreign agents who are acting here in the U.S. and hopefully catch any spies or terrorists and so forth who may be here. But, of course, we saw under the Biden administration how FISA was abused. The president and his family were targeted. Many of us were. I was just informed today I was a part of some of that. So does FISA give the government too much power today? to spy on U.S. citizens. This is going to be an important battle that faces Congress in the coming days.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, the Section 702 that you’re referring to targets foreign agents in foreign lands. Now, occasionally someone will mention or an American will be swept up kind of tertiarily. But that requires a warrant once you then target a U.S. citizen. It doesn’t include it today. Three million warrantless targets of Americans under Biden in 2021, almost 10% of which were illegal, which were improperly done, 10%. Yes, we need a warrant. There is a significant number of members of Congress that say we need to protect the privacy of American citizens. In fact, 70% of Americans agree. We want privacy over that. Yes, it’s an important tool. Yes, we need 702 under FISA, but we also need to protect Americans’ privacy while we’re doing it.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and that’s the issue. That’s the issue, to protect American citizens. So with that, the battle to reform FISA, we’ve only got about 30 seconds or so, but is there going to be a battle to reform FISA? Is that issue that you brought up going to be corrected? There will be a battle.
SPEAKER 08 :
I don’t know if we’ll manage to get it corrected, but there will be a battle. I assure you of that. Look, there’s bipartisan bill out of the Senate to protect Americans’ privacy. Bipartisan. Let’s get it done. Let’s protect Americans’ privacy that they are entitled under the U.S. Constitution.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah. I mean, bingo. That’s it. This is a constitutional issue. And look, we all know we’ve got to deal with the terrorists. We’ve got to deal with those who are improperly here in the country. But there is a way to do that while protecting, guarding the United States Constitution and the citizens of this country. Congressman Keith Self, always an honor to have you on Washington Watch. Thank you for joining us. Thank you so much, Jody. All right, coming up, abortions in the U.S. are rising. There’s a new bill in West Virginia that would put a stop to mail-in order abortions. You don’t want to miss this upcoming discussion. We’ll get to it on the other side of this break. So stay with us here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 16 :
For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launchpad for terror. Today, only 21 percent of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
SPEAKER 10 :
Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. Thank you so much for joining us. All right. There are a couple of pro-life bills that are advancing in West Virginia. One of those bills would allow pregnancy resource centers to use state funds to offer abortion pill reversal. The other bill would ban mail-in order abortion drugs in West Virginia, where pro-life laws are already in the books. So this advancement of these important pieces of legislation comes as the overall number of abortions throughout the country is increasing. In fact, according to the Guttmacher Institute, there are about 1.1 million abortions in 2025. That’s up from about 1 million that were estimated in 2023, which is, of course, the years after Roe v. Wade was overturned. So what is it going to take to reverse this trend of increasing abortions? And how will bills like this in West Virginia help protect women as well as life? Well, joining me now to discuss this is West Virginia State Senator Brian Helton. He’s the lead sponsor of the abortion pill reversal bill. He’s also co-sponsor of a bill that would prohibit mail-in order abortion. He serves as chair of the Health and Human Resources Committee in the West Virginia State Senate. Senator Helton, welcome back to Washington Watch. It’s our honor to have you join us.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, thank you for having me today and a great topic to talk about here in West Virginia as we try to maintain pro-life values and more importantly, protect our women and our unborn.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, absolutely. And hats off to you and your colleagues there in West Virginia for leading so much on this. So let’s start with the abortion pill reversal bill. Walk us through what this bill would mean for women.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, in West Virginia, over the past five years or so, we have really done a great job with pro-life legislation. We right now have really nice pro-life abortion bills on the books, which only allow for exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. As part of that, what’s happened is our young people in particular are being marketed to by abortion pill manufacturers that are chemical in nature. They are mailed across the state line. We actually had in our testimony in our Health and Human Resources Committee this year an 18-year-old young man who went online, I punched a few buttons on his computer, had no age verification, no personal identification, didn’t ask if he was male or female. He was able to acquire around 18 abortion pills to his home in about three days.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow.
SPEAKER 09 :
And that is just unbelievable, these chemical abortions. are a total atrocity the things they do to the baby in order to terminate life are just despicable and not only that we’re seeing across the nation serious health concerns even resulting in death from these abortion pills to the women. So anytime we talk about the ability to self-abort with these chemical abortion pills, we’re leaving medical professionals out of the picture. We’re leaving women who at that most desperate and lonely part of their life had no counseling, had no one to reach out to, and they’re given access and marketed to for these deadly chemical abortion pills.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, so let’s talk about the bill that would prohibit mail-in order abortion drugs. How would this protect women? How would it protect the unborn?
SPEAKER 09 :
Sure. Well, this is Senate Bill 173, and the intent of the legislation was to stop the loopholes from out-of-state actors, which in a lot of cases are anonymous websites, in many cases coming from foreign countries, from sending these dangerous pills across our border. So it targeted them both civilly and criminally, gave our Attorney General of the State the ability to prosecute those who would enter these into the stream of commerce. So that would be those who knowingly and willingly produce and manufacture these pills, who also put them across the state lines in a knowingly and willing for way to women. And in a lot of cases, it’s young women in college campuses right now are being targeted across the nation. So we want to have a law that’s closed those loopholes and protects these women from the harmful side effects of these chemical abortion pills.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, we’ve got it. We’ve got to close the loopholes. There’s got to be some way to go after these people. So I I think I know how you’re going to answer this, but the general trend right now of abortions in the U.S. is that it’s increasing. What do you attribute that to?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I think more and more we’re seeing in our society, number one, a promotion of values that are not consistent with life. We’re seeing across the nation when Roe v. Wade went away, we’ve had a lot of states be able to offer their own laws up and then These loopholes that are being created, we’re seeing a lot more chemical abortions, a lot more mail-in abortions, and the ease of use in order to subvert the laws of the states like West Virginia that have good legislation in place to protect life. we’re seeing a lot more subversion of those types of laws. So all of those things combined along with, in general, our culture continues to move away. So we have to really do a good job in our country of protecting our culture. And that is always displaying a culture of life for our young people.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, I want to thank you and your colleagues here in West Virginia. I think in many ways you’re leading the way, not only in your own state, but across the country. And it’s certainly our hope that we’re going to see other pro-life states advance similar legislation. Just in a matter of a few seconds, do you think that’s going to happen?
SPEAKER 09 :
Sure, I think so. You know, in West Virginia, we are leading the way. I sponsored a bill a year ago that we brought online the Mothers and Babies Support Program. We previously had the program, but it wasn’t fully funded in a way that allowed these mothers and babies program that take care of women who decide to choose life and keep their babies. It provides the basic necessities such as diapers. Yes. strollers, support, housing, all those areas that young women in particular who find themselves in a difficult situation, they have somewhere to turn to.
SPEAKER 10 :
Senator Hilton, we’re going to have to end it right there. I want to thank you for your leadership. Thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. All right, friends, great news on biblical worldview and concerning news. We’ll get to it after the break.
SPEAKER 11 :
The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained. And yet, there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure. That’s why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
SPEAKER 20 :
Family Research Council began over 40 years ago, like all great movements of God, with prayer. Today, rooted in the heart of the nation’s capital, FRC continues to champion faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
SPEAKER 18 :
FRC is one of those bright lights that helps us focus on true north. And I shudder to think, had they not been here, that it could have been worse, worse, worse.
SPEAKER 21 :
The Family Research Council is key. It’s one of a handful of groups that I think will determine whether our children live in a country that enjoyed all of the freedom and all the opportunity that we enjoyed in this great land.
SPEAKER 23 :
It’s just a wonderful parachurch organization that doesn’t seek to take the place of the church, but it seeks to assist the family and the church as we try to move forward successfully, not in a defensive mode, but in an offensive mode as we seek to live our lives according to the Holy Scriptures.
SPEAKER 01 :
FRC is not going to be whooped. You know, we’re going to fight. We’re going to take a stand. And again, we don’t retreat.
SPEAKER 16 :
You will never see in front of this building here in Washington, D.C., a white flag flying. We will never step back. We will never surrender. And we will never be silent.
SPEAKER 12 :
Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, he examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian support for Israel is spiritual. Should a Christian support Israel invites believers to see beyond headlines and ideologies, returning to the foundation of God’s Word to understand His heart for His chosen people and the blessings that flow when we stand with what He has established forever. Text the word Israel to 67742 for more information.
SPEAKER 10 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Hope you’re having a great day. I’m Jody Heiss, honored to be filling in for Tony today, and thank you as well for being on board with us. All right, in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli conflict in Iran, there’s certainly been a great deal of heightened concern here in the United States of a possible terrorist attack from sleeper cells, cells that may be associated with Iran or some of their proxies. And of course, there’s also the real threat of lone wolf attacks, which we’ve already seen. And the bottom line of all of this is we simply cannot afford to leave unfunded the federal agencies who are tasked with safeguarding our homeland. So we are asking you to join us in urging Democrat leaders to restore full funding to the Department of Homeland Security. So if you would help us, simply text the word DHS to 67742. That’s DHS to 67742. Let’s make sure we protect the homeland. All right, new research coming from Dr. George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that there is a major gap between belief and practice among American Christians. Example, the survey found that only 4% of American adults have a biblical worldview. That is shocking. I guess the good news, if you will, has been at 4% since 2023. So I guess we can take some confidence and some cheer in the fact that the number has not gone down in recent years, but still 4% only have a biblical worldview. So we want to get further into all of this and joining me now is Lynn Munsell. He’s the president of Arizona Christian University. He’s also author of the book, Transforming Culture with Truth. This dives into the principles and the values that built a Western civilization and how those values are under assault and how a decaying and divided culture can be transformed. through biblical truth. So, Mr. President, welcome to Washington Watch. It’s always great to have you, and it was great to be with you a couple of weeks ago in Arizona when we were out there with you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, thank you, Jody. It’s great to be with you as well. And it was fun to see you in person instead of just virtually. Yes.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right. So let’s start. Let’s begin by just defining. I think probably most people are aware, but let’s make sure we’re all on the same page. When we talk about a biblical worldview, what are we talking about?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, very simply, it’s thinking and living like Jesus. It’s taking what Scripture tells us as to how we should live our lives, how we can think about what happens in the world and the circumstances of life, and then applying biblical truth to every aspect of the way that we go through life. So it’s really simple. Really what we’re talking about is discipleship. We’re talking about not just somebody coming to faith in Christ, but actually learning how to walk out that faith over the course of a lifetime.
SPEAKER 10 :
All right, so I gave, I guess, a few little comments about the survey, but give us a little bit more, just an overview, a broad overview of the survey itself. What did it find?
SPEAKER 04 :
So as you know, we do an American Worldview inventory every year with George Barna here at Arizona Christian University through our Cultural Research Center. And if you follow the work of Dr. Barna over decades, you know that we’ve been watching The commitment of Americans, the percentage of Americans who are thinking and living biblically as they go through life, we’ve been watching it decline precipitously. Just in the 1990s, the number was 12%, about one in eight Americans. And then in recent years, it had dropped first to 6% and then to 4% in 2023. So I noticed that you mentioned at the beginning, maybe that’s some good news that it hasn’t further declined since 2023, which was post-COVID. but still over three decades, it’s a third of what it was then. So now it’s 4%, one in 25 Americans that is thinking and living biblically. And I think more concerning than that for all of us that are concerned about the future, as I am and as I know you are, uh joden the percentage drops with each generation so if you’re in the baby boomer generation uh which which i am on the tail end of uh or even gen x you’re at about seven percent of americans who have a biblical worldview when you go to millennials that drops all the way down to two percent one in 50. And then when you look at Gen Z, ages 18 to 22, one in 100, only 1% of Gen Z Americans are thinking and living biblically. And we’re seeing a generational decline that is very significant. The study that you just mentioned today, real briefly, is the latest release from the Cultural Research Center. And it really talks about, you know, are people, are Americans thinking and living biblically? Are they able to carry out their faith, even if they have a biblical way of thinking? Are they living it out? And Jody, we see huge gaps, even in the church, even among those who are integrated disciples, which is the highest level of biblical worldview, is like we all do. We struggle to actually live out that which we believe biblically. But in some areas, in certain categories, like family and value of life, Even among integrated disciples, the highest amount of biblical worldview overall, less than half, 49%, are actually living out their commitment to family and the sanctity of life.
SPEAKER 10 :
Wow. Shocking information. I mean, I just, I’ve heard this before. I’ve seen some, and I still, every time I hear it, it just is like a dagger in the heart with where are we going today? When you talk 1% of Gen Z, it’s just horrifying to think about what are their children going to be like and what are they going to believe. So let me just throw this out there to you. On average, 4% of American adults have a biblical worldview. Why is this percentage so low in the church? What’s happening?
SPEAKER 04 :
For me, it’s fairly simple. And that is that all of us in the culture that we live in now tend to be categorized, tend to be trained much more in the way that we think and even in the way that we live by the culture around us, by the things that we’re taking in. And I guess I would look at it from the standpoint of just time. If you’re going through life and you’re taking in you know dozens of hours every week of bad messaging from social media from the music that you listen to from the television shows or the movies that you watch um from you know obviously from all the different kinds of social media if you’re taking in dozens of hours of bad messaging And then you want to offset that by going and sitting in church on Sunday and getting a 30 minute message. That’s going to be very difficult to do. And so it’s a factor of what are the influences? What are the things that are hitting us constantly with messaging? And frankly, we’re not doing enough. You know, whatever we’ve been doing as the church, and I’m speaking broadly, as the body of Christ has not been working, or we would not have these kinds of declines. But I think a large element of it, Jody, is just the amount of time that is spent And that’s where I know we talked in Tucson a little bit about what’s happening at ACU, where we have an immersive four-year experience with college students that gives them a chance to actually compete against the cultural messages that are coming at young people today.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and I want to get into that here in just a few moments because it’s been, there is to me the silver lining and the hope of what can be done. But from a broader perspective to kind of segue us into what’s happening, What you just described is Christians, if you will, succumb, we have succumbed to a secular culture, and that 30-minute sermon isn’t enough, particularly when most of the time, at least a lot of the time, that 30-minute sermon is not really addressing biblical worldview issues either. Effectively. And I don’t want to just throw a blanket over everyone because I know there’s some great out there. But what can be done to turn the tide nationally? What needs to happen on a national scale for us to move the needle here?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, my argument is that the place that we can move the needle the furthest and the most is with young people, especially with children. And that’s what all of George Barna’s data shows of decades of research is that it is among children. Most of us have a worldview that’s mostly formed by the age of 13. Now, we see changes after that if there’s a traumatic life experience that somebody coming to faith later in life obviously is going to change their worldview as well. But the most effective area that we could minister, whether it’s in the church or in our Christian schools or homeschools, is to children and to pour biblical truth into them in ways that will stand the test of time as they come up against a very aggressively secular culture that essentially is lying to young people about who we are, where we came from, and what our life is about, what the meaning of life is. We’ve got to do better at reaching young people. For those of us who are older, what we have to do is pour into institutions, into Christian schools, And we have to make sure that our churches are focused on children’s ministry much more than they typically are if we’re going to see a turnaround in future generations, which I not only believe is possible, I think is likely to happen.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, you know, when you say we’re Gen Z, we’re looking at 1%, that says to me we are on the verge. We are just this far away from a total disappearance of biblical worldview values in that entire generation. And that’s horrifying to me. So let’s start moving into the direction of what you’ve seen at But first, give me a glimpse of what are we talking about when you refer to biblical alignment?
SPEAKER 04 :
Yeah, I mean, if you take the things of Scripture, let’s take a real basic thing. Are people basically good? or not. And, you know, I know you know the answer to this as a pastor, and I’m sure you preached it when you were in the pulpit. But we know from Scripture that man has fallen. And so because of that, for example, in America, where we had a foundation in biblical truth that our founding fathers understood, they created a form of government that required checks and balances, that required accountability, because we knew that if any one person or any one group of people amassed too much power, they would tend to use it corruptly because of man’s fallen nature. So we’ve got this system of government in America that’s rooted in biblical faith. Well, if you look at today where the majority of Americans don’t have a biblical worldview, where they are likely to believe that you can just find a really good person and put them in charge and they’re not going to be corrupted by having that much power, it leads to consequences in our culture. So that would be an example of the difference between someone who’s thinking biblically, who’s skeptical of power at some level. knowing that even good people require accountability at some level because of their fallen nature. Again, that’s just one example of biblical alignment and the way that it affects the way that we go through life, potentially the way that we vote, and the way that we even think about institutions in our culture.
SPEAKER 10 :
I want to encourage everyone to get a copy of your book, Transforming Culture with Truth. That’s what you’re talking about here. Transforming Culture with Truth. Real quickly, how can people get a copy of that? And then I want to transition to ACU and what’s happened there.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thanks. I mean, they can certainly get it online. uh off amazon transforming culture with truth that came out a couple of years ago um but uh amazon’s probably the easiest way to get it or i’m really easy to find uh here arizona christian.edu is our website uh just reach out to us and and we can be amongst the folks but what that book does jody is it lays out the principles um the biblical foundations that are you know that undergird western civilization and then talks about how we’ve incorporated them into the core commitments of this university at Arizona Christian University and how we implement that not just in the classroom, but in extracurricular activities and athletic activities in all aspects of what our university is achieving. So not only are we providing an award-winning quality education that could lead to a great job. But what we’re also doing is we’re creating disciples, we’re making disciples on our campus. And we’ve got George Barna actually measuring that data for us. And so we know how we’re doing and we can document what’s happening with students who come to ACU.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, it’s a covenant school to begin with. So the only ones who get to even attend there are already professing believers. So it’s a culture of believers to begin with. And then within that culture, as you said, everything about it is reinforcing biblical values. So what are you seeing? We’ve got about a minute, a little over a minute left. What are you seeing from the time a student enters ACU to the time they leave? What happens?
SPEAKER 04 :
I’m just going to hit the highlights for you. So you’re right, we’re a covenantal school, so the students have to be professing Christians. And we know from the data that 94% of them, under George Barna’s rigorous definition, are saved. They’re theologically born again. But by and large, when they arrive at ACU, even though they’re born again Christians, they are thinking and living saved. like their peers, a little bit better, but basically one to one. By the time they graduate, they are 28 times more likely to have a biblical worldview. And we see increases in every category of issue that… We didn’t really talk about this, but I don’t come from academia. I come from the Family Policy Council, Family Research Council world, as you know. And so I care about these things. I want our students to be thinking and engaging the world from a biblical truth standpoint. So our students come in and they grow faith. by 31% in their commitment to marriage. They grow by 54% in their belief that pornography objectifies people and is corrupt. They grow by 59% in their commitment to the sanctity of human life. And their opposition to socialism doubles over there. The one thing we can tell you, if you send your student to Arizona Christian University, they will become more committed to their faith and they’ll become more conservative.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thank you, Lynn Munsell, president of Arizona Christian University. Phenomenal job that you’re doing there. And may the good hand of God continue to use you and ACU. Thank you for joining us. All right, friends, that wraps up this edition of Washington Watch. Hope you have a fantastic evening. And we’ll be with you again tomorrow right here for more Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 20 :
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.
