In this episode of Washington Watch, guest host Jody Heiss dives into the looming DHS shutdown as Congress heads for a recess, leaving critical funding unresolved. With the Department of Homeland Security on the brink of closure, over 260,000 employees are left in limbo. Missouri Congressman Dr. Bob Onder joins to discuss immigration politics and the ongoing battle for border security. Additionally, Jody explores a shocking admission from the New York Times editorial board, acknowledging America’s marijuana problem and its unforeseen consequences.
SPEAKER 07 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 10 :
The Senate will come to order under the previous order The Senate stands adjourned until 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday, February the 17th, 2026.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, that was Senator Chuck Grassley earlier today gaveling the Senate out for the weekend. Welcome to this Friday, the 13th edition of Washington Watch, and I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss. Thank you so much for tuning in. All right, coming up today with Congress gone for the holiday weekend, the Department of Homeland Security is certain, all but certain, I’ll put it that way, to shut down tonight at midnight. And I’ll be discussing that here in just a few moments when I’m joined by Missouri Congressman Dr. Bob Onder. Plus, there is a surprising and welcome acknowledgement, in fact, an admission, if you will, by the New York Times editorial board. They are saying that marijuana is a problem in our country, and we’ll discuss that as well as the program unfolds. All that and much more is straight ahead. The Department of Homeland Security is facing a partial shutdown this weekend. All this comes as Democrats and the White House are at an impasse over the issue of illegal immigration. And joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Sarah Holliday, who’s been tracking all of today’s stories. Sarah, what’s the latest on this one?
SPEAKER 21 :
Thank you, Jodi. Yesterday, a funding bill for DHS failed to pass the Senate, and the funding is set to expire tonight at midnight. Now, over 260,000 federal employees will be affected. Negotiations between Democrats and the White House on immigration reforms have been unsuccessful since the two-week funding extension. Here’s what Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had to say yesterday.
SPEAKER 01 :
Republicans chose chaos, and the Democrats, we refused. Republicans chose to put a bill on the floor that ignored the abuses, ignored the outrage, ignored what the American people want overwhelmingly, and they failed to get the votes to avoid a shutdown at DHS.
SPEAKER 21 :
Democrats have sought changes to how immigration agencies operate following the deaths of two Americans during ICE operations in Minneapolis. But as of 12.01 a.m., funding will lapse for FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard, all while ICE and CBP will still be able to continue their operations. As the funding deadline quickly approaches, much of Congress has already left the Capitol for a week-long recess. Jodi?
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you, Sarah. You know, and right in the midst of all of this is a report of a large, a shocking number of missing children that have been found as a result of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and all of that just in Minnesota alone. Can you tell us more about that?
SPEAKER 21 :
Yes, after announcing a drawdown of immigration agents in Minneapolis, Borders R. Tom Holman said in a news conference yesterday that thousands of unaccompanied minors have been found by federal agents in Minnesota.
SPEAKER 02 :
In addition to taking public safety threats off the street, ICE here in this state have located 3,364 missing unaccompanied alien children. Children that the last administration lost and weren’t even looking for. That’s because the leadership of President Trump and his children were located.
SPEAKER 21 :
Jody, as part of the de-escalation efforts in Minnesota, Homan asked state and local officials to tone down the rhetoric and condemn unlawful actions conducted by agitators. Homan then went on to tout the efforts of ICE, citing record numbers of arrests and deportations under the Trump administration. Jody.
SPEAKER 12 :
Wow, a lot going on. Sarah Holliday, thank you so much for keeping us up to speed on all of it. All right, I want to go back now to the fight over DHS funding, and I’d like to bring in now a member of Congress. Joining me is Missouri Congressman Dr. Bob Onder. He serves on several committees, and among those is the Education and Workforce Committee. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of the great Show-Me State, Dr. Ondor, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always an honor to have you.
SPEAKER 05 :
It’s great to be back, Jody.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, let me begin. You were able to join us earlier in the week at our headquarters at Family Research Council. You and a number of other members of Congress scored 100% on FRC Action Scorecard. And I just want to say how great it was to see you. Congratulations for standing firm and for receiving that award. We appreciate it greatly.
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, thank you, Jody. That was indeed a great honor. I’ve worked with FRC for a long time, actually on various issues going back 20 years, but it was an honor in my first year as a member of Congress to receive that award.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, keep the torch ablaze, my friend. We are so grateful for you. All right, let’s talk about the DHS shutdown. It all is going to be taking place, goodness, less than seven hours from now. What exactly is going to happen, do you think?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, it’s a tragedy, Jody, that the congressional Democrats put illegal aliens ahead of Americans. Americans depend on the Coast Guard, on FEMA. Hurricane Fern, or rather Winter Storm Fern, killed over 100 people, left tens of thousands of people without electricity. And TSA, when we travel by air, TSA helps to keep us safe. The Democrats, just like they did with the 43-day shutdown in in the fall put illegal aliens ahead of the rest of us Americans. And in this case, it’s criminal illegal aliens that they want to protect. President Trump and the congressional Republicans, I will keep the American people first, and we remain committed to the mission of securing our border.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, it’s my understanding that the Democrats are expected to send a new offer to the White House here over the weekend. Is there any indication that there will be willingness from them to compromise on any of the things that they’re demanding, do you think?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I sure hope so. I sure hope so. I’m hoping that they will hear from their own constituents and from the 270,000 employees of the Department of Homeland Security as they inflict pain on the American people in order to score points with their far left base. I mean, look, President Trump has already reassessed the situation in Minnesota. He’s drawn down forces. He sent Tom Holman of the Border Czar, a consummate professional with 40 years of experience in this area of law enforcement and border security. He’s already done some things that I think needed to be done. But the issue here is, Will the Democrats, in order to tell their base that they’re somehow fighting President Trump and they’re fighting immigration enforcement, shut down ICE, shut down TSA, shut down Homeland Security and shut down the Coast Guard in order to score political points with their far left base? Well, certainly I’ll never do that. President Trump will never do that. And eventually the Democrats will just have to come to their senses and do what’s best for the American people, not what’s best for illegal aliens.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, it’s going to be very interesting to watch. I know the lawmakers now have left Washington for a week-long recess that’s coming up. But I also understand that members have been told to be ready to come back if some sort of deal is reached. Do you think that’s really very likely to happen?
SPEAKER 05 :
Unfortunately, I wish I were wrong. I hope I am proven wrong in the next few days. But I really do think that the Democrat leadership, especially Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, they really feel like their far left base is restless and they want to shut down in the name of fighting immigration enforcement. But look, 82% of Americans overall, not just 82% of Republicans, it’s like 95% of Republicans, 82% of Americans overall believe we should detain and deport illegal aliens, especially the 10 to 12 billion illegal aliens who came recently in the Biden administration. So it is really in opposing immigration enforcement. It is Schumer and Jeffries and the congressional Republicans were really out on an extreme ledge. But will they come to their senses as their constituents and mine feel the pain of the DHS shutdown? I don’t know.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we all agree with you on that. If I can turn to another development that took place this week, the Save America Act passed the House. What’s your take, your read on what will happen in the Senate? Do you think it moves over there?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, so of course the Save America Act concerns that fundamental right of us as citizens of the right to vote and the right to vote in a way that our votes are counted and our votes aren’t canceled out by people who are cheating, including illegal aliens. So with the Save America Act, of course does is requires voter photo ID, something we need almost in every area of life from from cashing a check to getting on an airplane to picking up a prescription. and also verifying citizenship before being registered to vote. You know, unfortunately, the Democrats are not going to want to cooperate with us on this either. But I really think if the leadership, John Thune and the other Republicans, stick together and really force the Democrats if they want to, if they want to go against again, this is about an 82% issue with the American people if they want to go against the overwhelming majority of Americans who want to see our elections safe and secure. then they’re going to have to stand up and talk and obstruct the hard way, not just say, hey, you need 60 votes to pass this. So I am very hopeful that Republicans will muster the political will to get the Save America Act done.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, you know, at the end of the day, one of the most important things for Americans is to have election integrity. And that is a major, major issue. Listen, before I let you go, I wanted to get your thoughts real quickly on last week’s acknowledgement by a couple of medical associations regarding transgender surgeries on minors. You, of course, are a physician and the House sponsor, in fact, of the Clo-Cole Act. that seeks in itself to prohibit physicians in clinics and hospitals and so forth from participating in chemical or surgical mutilation of minors. But what do you make of the shift that we’re seeing on this issue across the country?
SPEAKER 05 :
yeah jody this was enormous this is really i believe the um the turning point uh seeing two major medical societies uh the plastic surgeons and then the next day the american medical association breaking with all the medical associations that have been captured by the radical transgender movement the people who would would chemically and surgically mutilate the kids I think now that these two dominoes have fallen and, you know, two very important organizations, the surgeons who actually do the mutilating surgeries have said the evidence that this actually helps kids is not good. There’s very low quality evidence for that and a lot of potential for harm. And the AMA agreed. So I am hopeful that this is going to be a sea change.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, we are right there with you. Thank you so much, Missouri Congressman Bob Onder. Dr. Onder, always great to have you. We appreciate it. All right. By the way, we do have a petition on the SAVE Act to try to get election integrity across the board. You can participate by simply texting the word SAVE, S-A-V-E, SAVE to 67742. All right, coming up next, we had a surprising statement from the New York Times editorial board. The headline? Well, it’s time for America to admit that we have a marijuana problem. Well, we want to bring that story to you, and we’ll do so right after the break. Stay with us.
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The world says love is love, but what does God’s Word say? This Valentine’s Day, discover the true meaning of love, the way God defines it, with Family Research Council’s free digital resource, Valentine’s Day, Love That Reflects Christ. Whether you’re reading on your own or sharing with others, this resource will encourage you and equip you to love the way Christ loves. Text VALENTINE to 67742 to get your free copy today.
SPEAKER 16 :
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.
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At the 2026 National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance in Washington, D.C., members of Congress, state leaders, evangelical leaders and intercessors from across the nation united as one voice in prayer.
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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.
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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 the humble, and we are asking just now that you would help us, Lord.
SPEAKER 04 :
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 16 :
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 27 :
Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at the Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 12 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host Jody Heiss. Thank you so much for tuning in with us today. All right last week we were pleasantly surprised when a couple of medical associations backed away from supporting transgender surgeries on minors. We were able just a few moments ago to talk a little bit about this with Congressman Onder. But this week we get yet another pleasant surprise. That is an acknowledgement by the editorial board of the New York Times that America has a marijuana problem. Now, they even admitted that loosening all the marijuana policies has actually led to worse outcomes than they had expected. And by the way, this is coming from an editorial board that has long supported marijuana legalization. So are they and perhaps others finally sobering up and seeing the devastation that that particular drug has caused? Well, joining me now to discuss this is Jeff Hunt. Jeff has been for a long time speaking out on this issue. He is formerly the director of the Centennial Institute and chairman of the Western Conservatives Summit, which is one of the largest gatherings of conservatives in the Western U.S., and I’ve had the honor of participating in that. Jeff is now the host of the Jeff and Bill show that broadcasts across Denver, Colorado. Jeff, welcome to Washington Watch. Great to have you with us.
SPEAKER 09 :
Congressman Heiss, it’s great to be with you as well. And it’s nice to finally see some reality coming to the New York Times, right? Every once in a while, they’ll get it right. In this case, they’re at least heading in the right direction.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, absolutely. So let’s let’s just jump off and use that as a springboard. What do you think of the this editorial report?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, there’s very few people in Colorado that look at the decision to commercialize marijuana and believe it was a good decision. Now, 14 years after we did it, this has destroyed our state in so many ways from marijuana related traffic fatalities to youth using marijuana to babies being born with marijuana in their systems to everywhere you go. You have to smell pot whether you’re driving down the road or going into downtown Denver. It has destroyed Colorado. It was part of really the turning point that took Colorado into a very progressive, godless direction. And a lot of people point back to that decision to commercialize marijuana. And here’s what people really need to understand about this. This is not just we’re not going to put you in jail for having a joint in your pocket type of stuff. This unleashed a billion dollar industry opportunity. on our state that went out there and sought to get as many people using the drug as they possibly could. New York Times finally waking up to the impact this is having that they have unleashed a monster upon the nation by allowing marijuana to be commercialized.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah. And there’s been so much happened in your state. I wish we had more time to get into that. But, you know, unfortunately, I would think and tell me if I’m wrong with this, but I would say, unfortunately, the New York Times, this editorial is not all in with where you are and where others are on this issue. But this is, on the other hand, wouldn’t you say at least a good step in the right direction?
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yeah, for the New York Times, absolutely. For years, they were promoting the idea that marijuana was harmless. Oh, if we just commercialize it, we can tax it. It’s not that bad. And reality has hit them in the face. What this drug actually does to people, we’re seeing an increase in psychosis, schizophrenia, and then there’s this weird… sickness where people vomit a lot from smoking marijuana, and that’s impacting hospitals. You’re seeing kids get poisoned as a result of marijuana. So it’s, you know, hit the New York Times. Finally, they’ve opened their eyes to what it’s doing. And they’re at least heading in the right direction of let’s put some more regulations on this because this virus THC, the drug in marijuana that gets you high, has no restrictions on it. And these marijuana companies have got it so pure and so potent that it’s almost like a crack cocaine version of marijuana. And they’re selling that in stores in places like Colorado, and it’s having a devastating impact. So New York Times at least coming to terms with the fact that we can’t let this be just the Wild West when it comes to marijuana.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, and it’s not just the New York Times. I mean, there are several other institutions that seem to be sounding the alarm over the growing awareness of the dangers of the drug. I mean, you’ve got Columbia University, among others, University of California. Some of these are systematically documenting marijuana’s adverse public health effects on people. So there is indeed a lot of data out there, isn’t there?
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, yeah, especially as it relates to psychosis and brain development for young people. We’re seeing this to have devastating impacts. And look, Congressman Heiss, a lot of the states that have explored marijuana legalization are now rolling it back. Some states are just saying, no, we look at Colorado, California, New York. We don’t want any part of that. Doesn’t look like it’s helping your state at all. You have more cartel activity. You have people crashing their cars as a result of being stoned and driving. And then it leads to all these other drugs. Congressman, 10 percent of all the fentanyl pills in America are coming through Colorado right now. So it unleashes a drug culture people don’t want anymore.
SPEAKER 12 :
Wow. Wow. That’s startling information right there. So wouldn’t you say that the public itself is also growing more and more skeptical to marijuana? I mean, is it just a matter of time before we see a sea change, or do you think perhaps that might already be underway?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I think it’s coming. Look, a lot of people that use marijuana when they were younger learned that it wasn’t that great. And this stuff’s so much more potent. But what they’re also seeing is that tobacco companies are coming back into the marketplace, utilizing marijuana to reach kids, get them hooked and addicted and using the drug. And they don’t want anything to do with that. So this was sold as, hey, you know, you’re going to smoke a joint in your basement. It’s not that big of a deal. We don’t want you to go to jail for it. But it’s now become a billion dollar industry that has been pushed upon our kids that people don’t want to see anymore. In fact, the marijuana industry is making as much revenue and as much money as Starbucks is right now. And with all the challenges our kids are facing, this is just another hurdle that we have to deal with as parents. We don’t want it. Let’s roll it back.
SPEAKER 12 :
Wow. We don’t have time to get into this. Our time is just literally about 30 seconds away. But do you think this is going to perhaps see a change in direction even there in Colorado?
SPEAKER 09 :
I hope so. Nobody in Colorado likes this anymore. In fact, I think we could repeal it if there was a vote today on it. But this is part of the Maha agenda, right? We want to make America healthy again. Pot isn’t going to help that. And people want to live healthy lives. So it’s turning around.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you so much, Jeff Hutt, host of the Jeff and Bill show. Great to see you. I love your hat. Have a great weekend. Thank you, Congressman. God bless you. You too. All right. Coming up, there’s growing concern that AI technology is a huge danger to students. And we want to discuss more of that right after this. So stay with us. We’ll be back in a moment.
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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.
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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 11 :
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 23 :
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 20 :
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 02 :
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 fly. We will never step back. We will never surrender. And we will never be silent.
SPEAKER 12 :
Thank you so much for tuning in today. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss, and an honor as always to have you with us. All right, artificial intelligence, it is rapidly becoming a standard in K through 12 classrooms all across the country. And while there certainly are some significant benefits, both for teachers and students who use AI, there’s also some serious risks that could be involved and there’s growing concern that this technology is growing faster than is our ability to protect students. So what can parents do to protect children as AI continues to quickly advance? Well, there’s an effort underway to help families safely navigate all the expanding use of AI and joining me now to discuss this and more is Tina Descovitch. She’s a CEO and co-founder of Moms for Liberty, who is spearheading the Artificial Intelligence Education Initiative. She also participates in the First Lady’s White House Task Force on AI Education. Tina, welcome back to Washington Watch. As always, great honor to have you.
SPEAKER 13 :
It’s great to be here with you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, so we all are watching the rapid rise of AI in so many different areas, but what’s your take on its overall impact, particularly on students in the classroom?
SPEAKER 13 :
I think it’s a two-pronged, two-edged sword, I guess, because we need AI to be first in the world in innovation because the rest of the world is using it. We can’t just shut it down. We can’t just say not for our kids, not in America. We have to embrace the good part of it. I like to say AI in education is like a drug. It can be used to heal our education crisis. We only have a third of kids reading on grade level in America. How can we harness AI to help kids learn to read and do math while at the same time protect them? Because we’re all starting to see the stories across America about these AI companions and other ways that AI is being used to cheat and to make sure that kids are not thinking anymore. And so it’s a two-edged sword for sure.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, so I’m assuming that’s part of the why behind the artificial intelligence education initiative that you’ve got underway. There’s some real potential serious issues behind it. So what are some of the psychological dangers that AI can pose for children who are developing and perhaps some other potential warnings that people need to be aware of?
SPEAKER 13 :
Look, as a mom of children that grew up during the time of smartphones getting launched and apps and social media, I know firsthand the negative impact that these things that have algorithms that target children can have. And I would say any parent that has children growing up right now completely understands what has happened. We didn’t know though 20 years ago that letting your kid play on a smartphone at five or six every now and then was so bad would lead to where we are today with addiction. We do know that now. And AI is 10 times more strong than smartphones or social media is right now. And so we have to be prepared.
SPEAKER 12 :
before before the damage happens we have to sound the warning bell and that’s what moms for liberty has done we have created tools and resources to help educate parents and to empower them to take action now do you think there are some other potential problems down the the pathway potentially of uh conflicts with parents and students rights in in general that ai poses
SPEAKER 13 :
I think there’s a lot of warning problems. There’s a lot of problems potentially with AI in education. For example, right now, gendered AI, for example, we know it hallucinates. It basically lies. And if children depend on that and are not taught to think critically, they will take the information that’s coming in. it also allows people with certain worldviews outside of maybe what the family believes to be to serving as the input to what the children are pulling out and so without parents having the keys to the toolbox and understanding not only the algorithms but what’s behind it what’s going into each of these systems and allowing parents to opt out if they find that their children are learning lies or falsehoods or a worldview that they don’t agree with we have to be able to shut it down as parents
SPEAKER 12 :
Okay, so let’s go down that path a little bit more. How can parents take control of their children’s use of technology? What kind of boundaries are available? What kind of boundaries are needed?
SPEAKER 13 :
Oh, my goodness. You know, there’s so many parental tools right now to help with that when it comes to social media and phone use. We use them, I know, in my family. But when it comes to AI, there isn’t anything in place right now. And when it comes to AI in education, we have a dad that reached out just the other day who said his 10-year-old daughter has been accessing an AI companion on her school laptop during school hours. that has been sexualizing her. And so what Moms for Liberty has done is we are providing model policies at the school board level. We are providing a proclamation that your school board can adopt. We’re providing speeches that you can give to your school board to start educating them on this. And we hope that you’ll take the policies to your school board, the state policies to your legislature, and let’s start putting some boundaries and guidelines around this so that we can protect children.
SPEAKER 12 :
And where can people get more information about this with some of the resources that you have available at Moms for Liberty?
SPEAKER 13 :
Momsforliberty.org forward slash AI. You can sign the pledge. You can take the pledge to your elected officials to make sure they are putting children and students first.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, that is a great, great resource, and we certainly want to encourage people to go there. One last question real quickly, and we’ve only got about 30 seconds, but AI can really replace teachers, can’t they? I mean, this is also something that we need to be very careful of and make sure that does not happen.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, we are a huge advocate for good teachers in schools to teach our children. And so what we don’t want to happen is for our teachers to be replaced by an AI system that can’t use discernment and can’t care for our children the way they should be when they’re learning in schools.
SPEAKER 12 :
Right. All right. We’re going to have to stop right there, Tina. Thank you, as always, for joining us. Great to have you, Moms for Liberty. All right, friends, stay tuned after the break. Dr. David Clawson will join me for our weekly Biblical Worldview conversation. Stay with us.
SPEAKER 16 :
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 21 :
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 03 :
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 08 :
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 22 :
It’s harder to ship alcohol in this country than it is to ship the abortion pill.
SPEAKER 15 :
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 24 :
As a doctor, I think it’s essential that there be human contact before the pill is prescribed.
SPEAKER 17 :
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 08 :
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’s now time to deal with this issue.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 21 :
Let your voice be heard. Text LIFE to 67742. Sign the petition. Tell the Trump administration to act.
SPEAKER 28 :
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SPEAKER 12 :
Good afternoon and welcome back to Washington Watch. I am your Friday host, Jody Heiss. Thank you as always for tuning in. A real quick reminder before we get into this final segment, especially for all you gentlemen out there who are listening, tune in. News flash, tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and we here at FRC have a free digital resource to help you discover how Christ-centered love shapes our relationships and inspires faithful living. It’s a beautifully designed resource and explores the story of St. Valentine and the biblical meaning of love so that you can celebrate love as God defines it, not as the world defines it. So it’s a free resource, guys. Simply text VALENTINE to 67742 and we’ll get it to you. That’s VALENTINE to 67742. All right. There is a lot of activity, a lot of focus on Capitol Hill this week, as always. We had a battle over DHS funding. The fireworks we saw in various hearings this week were incredible. But there are some other stories this week also that join us at the intersection of faith and politics, and some of those stories certainly deserve our attention. So joining me now to discuss a few of them for our weekly Biblical Worldview segment is Dr. David Claussen. He’s the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at FRC. Dr. Claussen, thanks again for joining me. Happy Friday to you.
SPEAKER 06 :
Happy Friday. Great to be with you, Jody.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, there’s several stories out there that I’d like to discuss with you, but the first is something that Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear made while he was on The View. That took place earlier in the week, and I wanted to play a small clip of that and get your response. So if you would, play clip five for me, please.
SPEAKER 22 :
People want to know what drives us, especially in a world with social media where everyone’s looking for the next authentic thing. For me, that’s my faith. Most of the decisions I make are based on that golden rule that says we love our neighbor as ourself. And that parable of the Good Samaritan that says everyone is our neighbor. And so when I’ve taken actions like vetoing the nastiest piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation that ever came through my state, I described it in those terms. I said my faith teaches me that all children are children of God. And I didn’t want people picking on those kids.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, David, your turn. What’s your response to that?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Jody, currently Democrats don’t have kind of a standard bearer or national leader. And I think in 2028, we’re going to see truly a wide open primary. You’ll see folks like Gavin Newsom, Jamie Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmore, probably Wes Moore. It’s going to be a really crowded field. And I’m I think Andy Beshear, a term-limited governor from Kentucky, clearly wants to position himself as kind of a moderate Democrat running in that race. So I’m not at all surprised to see him showing up on national talk shows like The View. Specifically looking at his comments, Jody, you know, the problem is certainly not with what Jesus said. It’s what the governor has clearly misinterpreted and misapplied. Not only Mark chapter 12, where Jesus answers the question on what’s the greatest commandment. but as well the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is a classic example. You’ll learn this on the first day of seminary. This is eisegesis, reading into the text what you want to find in the text, not actually trying to understand what Jesus meant when he said what he said in the scripture. And what’s so interesting, the context of this is actually Senate Bill 150. This was a bill that came to the governor’s desk in 2023, so about three years ago, that allowed the specific legislation prohibited gender transition surgeries, things like puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and actual irreversible surgeries for minor children. And the governor vetoed that bill. And what was really interesting, he used theological language back in 2023 when he vetoed the bill. He made the comment that, well, all children are children of God, similar to what he said in that clip that you just played, Jody. Well, worth noting, by the way, is the legislature overrode the governor’s veto. That bill actually became law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. And so I guess what I would just say, it’s not surprising to hear comments like that from 2023 when Democrats across the country were saying those kinds of things. It is a little surprising to hear him doubling down in 2026, especially because we’re one week away from major medical associations actually distancing themselves in light of that medical malpractice suit from New York that says that these gender interventions for minors are not good medicine. And so it’s interesting to see the governor doubling down on procedures that actually major medical associations are quickly distancing themselves from.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, it really is. And we’re watching a major change, both in public opinion as well as the medical field and scientists and all sorts of research shifting away and coming back to a common sense, more biblical ground on all of this. And I did notice, too, he mentions, like you brought up, a little bit of Scripture, but he does not mention what the Bible has to say about male and female and marriage and all that sort of thing, too. It’s convenient how certain things are left out. David, if I can switch topics here for a moment, I wanted to ask you about a survey on Bible reading that actually Lifeway Research released this week, and I’m sure you’ve seen that. The survey basically showed that among Protestant churchgoers, less than a third of them read the Bible on a daily basis. That’s pretty shocking to me. I know you’ve had time to review this thing. So what stood out to you in these findings that were maybe as shocking to you as they were to me?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, Jody, I have the study in front of me, and it is interesting to see that most churchgoers do have regular interaction with the Bible. It’s 31% read it every day, 30% said it’s a few times a week, and then another 14% said it’s at least once a week. So it’s actually 75% of folks at least are weekly checking in with the Bible. What’s interesting, Jody, this is actually an upward trend. So the same folks did this poll a few years ago. Actually, in 2012, it was 19% of churchgoers were daily Bible readers. And in 2027, it was 16%. So the 31% actually represents kind of a high watermark based on this survey. What I would say about this, Jody, for years, I taught Sunday school at a Southern Baptist church in Kentucky. It was a senior adult class. And I would often come into the class and I’d hold up the Bible. And I would say something along the lines, you know, God was not obligated to reveal himself to us by giving us a book, but he did. And in this book, we find out about who our creator is. We find out about who we are. We find out how we can be made right with God. And so there is nothing more foundational for a Christian to build their life upon than God’s word. 2 Timothy 3.16 says all Scripture is breathed out by God. All of the Bible is profitable for us. And if we’re only reading it weekly or even less than that, you’re not going to get the understanding and be able to apply the Bible to your life in the way that you’re meant to. And so it’s good to see the trajectories moving in the right direction. We clearly, though, have a long way to go, though.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, but that is good to hear that it’s moving in a positive direction. Any practical ways that you’d be able to offer folks to engage the Bible more effectively?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I think you should attach Bible reading to maybe an existing habit that you already have. So do you read the newspaper or drink coffee every morning? We’ll make it a priority to pull out the Bible and read a chapter. All of us have three meals a day, and so make it either breakfast or lunch. that you’re going to read the Bible as you eat lunch. My wife and I, for the last five years, Jody, we read a chapter of the Bible. At some point during the day and before bed, we will ask each other what the other person got out of it. And we have not missed a day, actually, in five years. And I think the point is you make time for what you prioritize. And I think as Christians, especially that would be my challenge to Christian men, if you want to lead your family well, you need to build your family life on God’s Word. And so to lead in this, men, whether this is family devotionals, whether this is devotional around the dinner table in the evenings, whether it’s around the breakfast table, whatever works for your family, but you make time for what you actually value. And for Christian men and women, God’s Word has to be a foundation to that.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, absolutely. We talked a lot about this at the end of December and early January, but for those who may not have a plan, we here at FRC have a great plan to just go through 10 minutes a day or something along those lines, 10-15 minutes. We’ll take you through the entire Bible. in two years. And so we want to encourage you to come on with us through a journey through the Bible. To find out more about that, just simply text the word Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. And come on board and join us. We have thousands of people all across the country participating in this, and we would love for you to join us as well if you don’t already have a Bible reading plan. All right, David, let me throw another one out to you. News coming out of the Church of England, in fact. Yesterday, the church body announced that it would not move forward with a proposal to allow priests in the Church of England to bless same-sex marriages. Tell us a little bit more about that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, Jody, I’m glad we’re covering this. I haven’t seen much coverage, actually, in American media. I’ve seen it in the BBC and other publications in England. But this is pretty significant. And so the Church of England, so if you think of the Anglican Church, Church of England is kind of seen as the head, the symbolic head of the Anglican communion worldwide. And in their general synod that met just yesterday, they officially said that this— study that they’ve been doing for about a decade. For about a decade, they’ve had what’s called the Living in Love and Faith study on what they’re going to do about same sex marriage. So three years ago in 2023, they allowed a blessing to be given by a priest to gay couples who get a civil marriage. So again, the official policy is that you can’t get a same sex marriage within the Church of England But if you get married at the courthouse, you could come to a priest and receive some sort of blessing. That was a decision they made in 2023 that was clearly seen as liberalizing the church, trying to find kind of some middle ground. And of course, that’s just very muddled. The liberals in the church aren’t satisfied with that. The conservatives rightly see this as compromise. And so it’s just interesting after like years of studying this, spending 1.6 million dollars pounds to also kind of look at this issue they basically have said we agree we’re going to agree to disagree and just halt kind of the progress right now and so the status quo right now is that the church is not going to recognize same-sex marriages they’re going to allow priests to continue to give blessings to couples but I think that the big story right now is no further progress is going to be made. But we know ultimately, Jody, this kind of halfway position that they’re in right now, this ultimately is not going to stand. And so I think, again, those of us in conservative churches and denominations, we should be watching what’s happening across the pond as a clear warning of what happens when theological liberalism begins to creep into your church.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, there’s no doubt this is not going to go away for them. They may have hit a pause button for a little while, but this issue will certainly come back. You know, David, the very issue itself as to whether or not to allow gay marriage in any church, for that matter, would have been, frankly, pretty unthinkable. just a few years ago, and now we’re seeing this be a major leader, a major issue in leading denominations, both here in the United States and abroad. So for American church leaders, how do we ensure faithfulness in our own denominations, in our own churches, when it comes to issues like this?
SPEAKER 06 :
Jody, faithfulness begins with clarity about authority. I think it’s really important to make sure in your church and your denomination that Scripture, not popular opinion, not changes in the culture, but Scripture remains your standard for faith and practice. As you mentioned, the Bible could not be any more clear on the sanctity of marriage. Genesis 1 and 2 clearly teach what God’s design and intent is for marriage. Ephesians 5 actually tells us that marriage is a gospel issue. The relationship that a man has with his wife, this reflects in an incredible way God’s relationship with his church. And so again, it’s not too far to say that, again, marriage is a gospel issue. And again, the Bible is really clear. The Bible is clear on sexuality. It’s clear on our sex as either male or female created in God’s image. The Bible is really clear. There’s a lot of things that the church debates that I think Christians can agree to disagree on. But on these issues, these are first tier issues. And I think, again, it’s just really important to have just really clarity in your church, in your denomination, that the Bible is our final authority. And on those, I think it’s just important, Jody, for churches to really make sure they are cultivating that theological conviction long before the cultural pressure intensifies. You need, as a church, as a denomination, as a Presbytery, decide now. that come what may, we are standing on the truth revealed in God’s Word. And when it comes to these contentious social issues, again, whether it’s the life issue, whether it’s issues related to family and sexuality, as I often say, there’s a thus saith the Lord. There’s a chapter and verse that we can point to. And again, I would just say it again, faithfulness in your church begins with clarity on what your ultimate authority is.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well said. And of course, that takes us all the way back to the discussion we had to get all this going, the importance of being in God’s Word daily. David Claussen, Dr. Claussen, as always, an honor to have you with us. Of course, you’re the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at FRC. Hope you and your wife have a wonderful Valentine’s weekend. Thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you. God bless.
SPEAKER 12 :
All right, friends, and again, let me just remind you, especially all men, don’t forget, it is Valentine’s Day tomorrow, and you can get a free, wonderful resource. Text VALENTINE to 67742. Have a great weekend. We’ll be with you again here next week on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 07 :
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.
