In this insightful episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins delves into some pressing issues facing the nation today. The show begins with a candid discussion on President Trump’s reaction to recent military actions by Russia in Ukraine, highlighting the complexities of international diplomacy in conflict zones. Subsequently, we explore legislative movements within the United States as states like Texas consider bills that would bring back the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, underscoring the ongoing debate over the role of religion in education.
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from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
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I’m not happy with what Putin’s doing. He’s killing a lot of people, and I don’t know what happened to Putin. I’ve known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all.
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That was President Donald Trump this weekend reacting to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s largest drone barrage of the war, an assault that shattered hopes for a quick end to Ukraine’s three-year ordeal. Good afternoon. Welcome to this May 27th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in. Russia’s expanded air offensive and its drive to seize more Ukrainian territory have dim prospects for a U.S. brokered peace. We’ll get perspective from Virginia Congressman John McGuire, a former Navy SEAL and now a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Well, 60 years after Bible reading and prayer were forced out of public schools, faith is reemerging in state houses across the country. Texas is poised to join Louisiana in requiring every classroom to display the Ten Commandments.
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The displaying of the Ten Commandments in our Texas classrooms will bring back this historic tradition of recognizing America’s foundational heritage in both our educational and judicial systems and remind students of the importance of this cornerstone of American and Texas law.
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That was Texas Representative Candy Noble. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick of Texas will bring us the latest in just a moment. I’ll also share part of my weekend conversation with House Speaker Mike Johnson on the reconciliation bill that now moves to the Senate.
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The ball’s in the Senate’s court now, and I’m already talking with all of our friends and colleagues on the other side, and I’ve encouraged them to please make as many minor modifications to this as possible, because if they dramatically change the product, it presents an extraordinary challenge for us.
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And in Seattle, Washington, Mayor Bruce Harrell blames a Christian Don’t Mess With Our Kids rally for violent protests by LGBTQ activists and anarchists, akin to Rome faulting Christians for feeding the lions. FRC’s Travis Weber and Mary Sock will unpack that story and more later on this edition of Washington Watch. All right, before we jump in, I want to invite you to join FRC’s 21-Day Family Bible Challenge through the Gospel of Matthew starting June the 11th. Simply text MATTHEW to 67742 for the reading plan, discussion questions, and kid-friendly activities. Again, just text MATTHEW to 67742 and take the challenge. Well, on Sunday, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments. Texas Republicans hailed the bill as a way for students to recognize America’s foundational moral heritage. But Texas Democrats criticized the legislation as nothing more than a promotion of Judeo-Christian religious favoritism. The bill now heads back to the Texas Senate for approval. Here with the latest is Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who earlier this year was tapped by President Trump to chair the Religious Liberty Commission. Lieutenant Governor Patrick, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. Hi, Tony.
SPEAKER 09 :
Always great to see you and be with you.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you made this bill a priority for this legislative session. Next door in my home state of Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry signed the bill into law last year. Texas, I think Arkansas also is pursuing something similar to this. Why is this important?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, first of all, and it was Senate Bill 10, so the perfect number for the 10 commitments we passed several months ago and finally got through the House and back. And by the way, Tony, we actually had some Democrat support on this bill out of the Senate. It was unanimous by Republicans. About a third of the Democrats voted for it, so not as much on the other side. But this is important because It’s part of our history. It’s part of who we are as a nation. It’s part of why we were founded. And by the way, that’s the reason the Supreme Court really ushered this in for us, because the Bremerton case back in 2022 overturned cases before they prohibited this. So think about this. In Texas, we have five and a half million kids in public schools. We have about 8,000, 8,500 campuses. 1,200 school districts. So in every classroom, we’re going to have the Ten Commandments. And the way it’s set up, Tony, is we don’t have an unfunded mandate. What we do is simply say anyone who wants to donate a 16 by 20 frame, Ten Commandment, you can take it to the school, and they are required to put it in the classroom. So what we hope are the churches, businesses, individuals will go to their local schools and say, how many classrooms do you have? 50? Here are 50 Ten Commandments, and you are required to put it on. So in every classroom in Texas, they’re going to see the Ten Commandments, and they’re going to know about God.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, Governor, this is something I mentioned at the beginning of the program. It was 60 years ago that prayer in the Bible was taken out of our schools. It really launched the moral majority in, I think it was in March of 1984. That was at the pinnacle where they tried to get a constitutional amendment through to require prayer school. It failed in the United States Senate. But here we are 40 years after that. And we see a vibrant effort in states across the nation to bring back an understanding of this foundational moral truth that really founded and has guided this nation.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, and also, Tony, this session, we have a bill that’s passed to put prayer back in public school in a private time. So individuals will have that right to have a private moment of prayer in school. You know, a few years ago, it wasn’t that long ago, really before the last election, that I think we thought we lost our culture in this country, we lost our faith foundation. Look, the last administration was attacking Christians primarily, but all faiths, attacking religious liberty in this country. And then November happened, and Donald Trump came into office, and the president and I talked about this religious liberty presidential commission that I’m chairing with such notables as Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Franklin Graham, Dr. Phil, who’s a solid Christian, and Franklin Graham. And so, let’s see, Ben Carson, Eric Metaxas. So this is an outstanding committee I have. I feel like a pair of brown shoes in a room full of tuxedos with the scholars and the clergy that I have with me. But I think we’re taking our country back, Tony. And this president, as I said in the Rose Garden on National Prayer Day, No one has invoked the name of Jesus more than this president. And, you know, I believe and I believe the president believes that, you know, there’s this saying, Tony, that no one should get between a doctor and a patient. But we believe no one should get between God and a believer or God and a seeker. So our Presidential Liberty Commission, I think, is an outpouring of what you’re seeing around the country. We are taking this country back on God’s word. And our commission is for all faiths. You know, we respect all faiths. but we are a primarily Judeo-Christian country. And so that’s the magnificent inheritance that we were given by our founders, and it’s time for America to reclaim it again.
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And I think it’s appropriate that we begin looking at our schools, which have been the source of the indoctrination from the left for the last several decades. And what we’re seeing is with each successive generation, about a 10% decline in identification with Christianity. So I think exposing kids to these moral truths is going to be absolutely critical. There’s another piece of legislation which you’ve been supportive of there in Texas, which is called Release Time. and it simply allows students an hour or two a week to be released to go to a faith-based church or something that would be able to share the gospel with them. What’s the status of that bill?
SPEAKER 09 :
I will check with my staff right now where we are on the bill. We’re down to the last 36 hours, so it’s a rush of hundreds of bills crossing our path. Hopefully I’ll find out before we get off the air.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I think it’s past the Senate, and I think it’s over in the House, I think coming back. Yeah, I think it may be coming back to the Senate, but it’s another one of those good bills that simply allows the faith community to be engaged in the process.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, you were one of the ones who really put me onto that bill. You remember we were talking about that months ago, and I love the idea of it, and it is spreading across the country. But this has been a great session for God in Texas, and when you think about, Tony, putting the Ten Commandments in every classroom, there are going to be a lot of A lot of young people are going to look at that and say, teacher, tell me about that. Just tell me about it. What does that mean? And it’s going to, you know, I’ve always thought this has to be tough for kids. You know, when you were growing up and I was growing up, we had prayer in public school and and we were able to talk about religion or faith and then that was taken away. And so here we take our kids too and our grandkids to Sunday school or church on Sundays and then we send them to school and they have been in the past forbidden to talk about it. And so now we’re going to have this little natural connection, I think, between Sunday school or whether it’s whether it’s a synagogue or a church, whether it’s whatever denomination, Baptist or Catholic, it doesn’t matter. Students are going to come in and I believe feel more comfortable. And, you know, the Democrats who are against this Look, this battle, Tony, as you know, in this country is not really Republican and Democrat. It’s darkness and light. That’s what it’s all about. And there’s a big movement in this country that wants to kick God out of the country. Marxist-Socialist left. That’s how they take over a country. Break up the family, kick God out, make government God. And so I’m proud of everyone who’s pushing back, and I’m proud of our Texas members who voted for this in both chambers. You know, the Book of Jude, which is a very small book, I think it’s 600 words, one chapter. If you go to the Bible, you know where it is. Some of your listeners or viewers, it’s the one before Revelations. But it talks about… And Jude, of course, was the half-brother of James, who was the brother of Jesus. And he talks about contend earnestly. And most of the other books of the New Testament were really about, whether it was Thessalonians or Philippians or Galatians, it was Paul and others talking to non-believers. But in the book of Jude, as you know, it was talking to believers that you have to contend earnestly. In other words, you have to fight for the faith. And right now, I can tell you in America, those of us who believe in all faiths, we’re fighting for our faith and we’re not going to be pushed around anymore.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think it’s commendable, and I want to thank you in your leadership position for doing that. But I would also say this, Governor Patrick, that more people share this concern and a desire to have a moral society than the left wants everyone to believe that Marxist. element is small, vocal, but small. I’m looking at a poll out of Texas voters from Scott Rasmussen regarding 72% of Texas voters believe behavior and discipline in public schools has gotten worse.
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80%.
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80% would like to see values, moral character based upon biblical truth made available to public school students. So the public is with you in what you’re doing.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah. And by the way, we have a new curriculum called Blue Bonnet that we’ve designed in Texas over the last few years. And it’s based on biblical stories because there’s so many stories in the Bible that are part of who we are. You know, it doesn’t have to be about faith. It’s just these wonderful stories. And we’re now teaching them in our curriculum. And we give incentives to school districts who take in this curriculum. I think we are now up to about 400 school districts out of our 1,200 or so. So this Blue Botta curriculum is another thing that I think will lead the nation. You know, we take great pride as being Texans, and we like to lead. We see good ideas in other states, so we’ll take their ideas and incorporate them into ours. But we like to lead, and we have one of the largest – let me say I’ve got a note on the question you asked. Senate Bill 1049, the release, just passed the Texas House on third reading today. That’s why I did it today with no amendments. So it goes to the governor, Tony. So we made news right here for you.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. There we have it, Governor. Thank you for your leadership on that and the Ten Commandments. We’re out of time for today, but I look forward to talking to you real soon once again. I’ll see you in D.C. All right. Keep up the great work. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick of Texas. All right. You heard it here. The release time bill just passed the House. It’s on its way to the governor. This allows students an hour or two a week to be released with parental authority to go to a Christian ministry that would share with them the love of Jesus, the gospel. It’s in many states across the country. We’ll talk more about that. All right. Don’t go away. When we come back, we’re going to be joined by Congressman John McGuire. So don’t go away. Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, and we’re here in Jerusalem, the city of King David, and I’m excited to announce the launch of our Family Bible Challenge to read through the Gospel of Matthew. Now, this 21-day challenge begins on June the 11th, and it’s a part of our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan. It’s in bite-sized readings. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes a day, and we provide a toolbox full of resources to help you along the journey, including a study guide titled, Matthew, the King and His Kingdom. We also provide downloadable resources such as age appropriate questions to engage children. And we have a variety of family friendly projects as well as this, listen, a coloring book, coloring pages about the life of Jesus for the younger kids and your grandkids. Think about it. What could be a better summer activity than to go on a journey through the life of Jesus as a family? Just think what God could do in the lives of your loved ones as they read Matthew. Unforgettable stories about the greater son of David, Jesus the Messiah. I hope you’ll join us for our family Bible challenge beginning June the 11th. Text the word Matthew to 67742. I hope you’ll join us. Thank you.
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In a time when Washington seems clouded by compromise, a bold group of lawmakers are standing firm in defense of the values which our nation was built upon. At FRC Actions 100% Awards, 171 members of Congress were honored for voting 100% in line with policies that promote faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 01 :
Faith and family made our country, it’s the foundation that made our country not only great, but good.
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The values that make America, faith, family, hard work, personal responsibility. I mean, that to me is the heart of FRC and grateful for everything that they do.
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It’s very important for us to have organizations such as FRC. First of all, I think it keeps us grounded. In addition to which, the issues that you champion are issues that we should all be championing.
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FRC is very, very good at honing in on those things that really affect Christians’ lives. Also, working with members of Congress, too, to make sure that those values are instilled in the legislation that we create.
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Having the Family Research Council to guide us is critically important to being able to do the right thing consistently.
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These lawmakers have drawn the line, not just in policy, but in principle. This is more than politics. This is conviction in action. Visit frcaction.org for more information on how you too can make a difference.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Tuesday. All right. Over the weekend, Russia steadily bombarded Ukrainian cities with drones, missiles and airstrikes. The new attacks provoked a reaction from President Donald Trump, who on Sunday called Russian President Vladimir Putin absolutely crazy. Following the first reports of the strikes, the U.S. has already been weighing their involvement in negotiating a peace between Russia and Ukraine. But could this be the final straw for Trump and what might be the outcome between Ukraine and Russia? Joining us now to talk about this, Congressman John McGuire, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. He represents the 4th Congressional District of Virginia, and he is a former Navy SEAL. Congressman McGuire, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us.
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Yes, sir. Thanks for having me. As a veteran, as you said, as a Navy SEAL, I see this as a way to continue service to our country. I’m a very limited federal government, limited government type of guy, but I do believe if the government does anything, it should keep us safe. And I believe the American people are less safe at home and abroad. And during my campaign last year for the Virginia 5th Congressional District, I listened to what world leaders had to say about Ukraine and Russia. And they all had something different to say. But one thing that one leader stood out, and that was President Trump. He said, I just want people to stop dying. He’s working really hard to try to negotiate with Zelensky and Putin. But as you can see, it seems like it’s escalating. But President Trump is the art of the deal. And as a Christian, I think life is precious. It’s a miracle. It must be protected. But I tell you what, either side doesn’t seem like they want to give.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, let’s talk about that, Congressman, because, I mean, you’ve traveled the world. You were a Navy sniper in the SEALs. You understand that not everybody sees the world through the Judeo-Christian lens that we do. Even nonbelievers in this country still have this Judeo-Christian worldview where we value, for the most part, we value human life. That’s not the case everywhere in the world. And when we see what’s happening with Vladimir Putin and we know the history of Russia, What do you think is a likely outcome here?
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Well, it remains to be seen. I know that if you don’t stand up to a bully, you know, one thing we learned in the military is a bully on every corner. If you don’t stand up to them, it just gets worse. We have to have a strong leader. You saw under President Trump’s first administration, none of these foreign wars, strong leadership. And we see what happens when you have a vacuum with American leadership. But it’s a tough situation. In the last couple of days, Putin has gained more ground. Now, he’s fighting a war of attrition. And if you look at how many artillery shells he’s making, it would take him three, four, five years to take over all of Ukraine if we did nothing. But hopefully we can do sanctions. I know President Trump’s talking about more sanctions. I know that some of the European countries are stepping up, but it’s a messy war. People are dying on both sides. And I don’t see, you know, it’s not something that’s not productive for the world.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think one of the steps that the president’s already taken in this Congress is unleashing American energy, which can offset some of the money that Putin is making with their energy production.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. You know, we were energy independent in his first administration. First thing Biden did was he cut the Keystone pipeline. Instead of making money on energy, we were spending money on energy with countries that don’t support the United States or our goals. And so we are we are fast approaching doing everything we can in the one big, beautiful bill to make America not just energy independent, but energy dominant. And the second bill that I introduced in Congress was to make uranium on the list of critical minerals, which would allow the US to use federal land for uranium. Right now, the majority, I’d say 70, 80% of the world’s uranium is mined and processed in Russia or China. And we should not be getting these important minerals, these critical minerals from countries that don’t like us. And so energy dominance will change the world. It will help grow this economy and get us out of this national debt.
SPEAKER 06 :
Congressman, you and I have spent a little bit of time visiting, talking with one another. And I want you to just kind of share a little bit. We’ve got about three minutes here left in this segment. Your path, your journey from Navy SEAL to Congressman, it’s not a normal path, although it would appear that maybe the Navy SEALs are trying to take over Congress. There’s quite a few in there right now. How did that happen for you?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, sir. Well, we have six Navy SEALs in the House of Representatives and my good friend Tim Sheehy in the U.S. Senate. So Speaker Mike Johnson says he thinks we’ve reached our Navy SEAL quota. But Ryan Zinke said he thinks we’re halfway there. But no, it is a way to continue service. Let’s see. I guess you may know just briefly I was abandoned as a child. My sister and I ended up in foster homes, nine different elementary schools. My grandfather rescued me and my sister. and raised us until my dad got sober. And on November 5th, through the grace of God, we got President Trump. In the same one week, we got President Trump to win his election for president. My dad celebrated 42 years sobriety. My youngest brother got promoted to brigadier general. Everybody thinks he’s older than me, but he’s more mature. And I got elected to Congress and my brother and I went to my dad, age 83 and said, had you not fought so hard to be sober, he wouldn’t be Brigadier General and I wouldn’t be in Congress. But I was in the state legislature, you know, and I got the highest reward for conservatism. You know, I, uh, I last year in the state Senate, I passed a pro-life bill. Every Republican in the, in the, in the house and the Senate said, John, you’ll never pass this pro-life bill. But what I found that if you build relationships, Even if you disagree politically, sometimes, not always, if you treat people with respect, you can turn a no into a yes and an impossible to a possible. And so faith and family are just number one. Our country was founded in the church, Judeo-Christian values. And on my campaign, I’ve been to almost 400 different churches in the district. And I got a long ways to go. But this is what I did when I was a Navy SEAL. I don’t drink or smoke because of what it did to my childhood is why I ended up in foster homes. But when I was a Navy SEAL, I would go to church no matter where I was. Sometimes I’d have to carry a gun to go to church because, as you know, it’s dangerous to be a Christian in some places. But I believe this is a calling. I believe this is where God wants me to be. And I would ask you and your audience, any prayers or advice, appreciate it. success so far, but we got a long ways to go to save this country.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, John, I can assure you that there are folks across this country that will be praying for you and your colleagues to be successful in laying out just what you just described. You know, I believe we need civility in our process. We need to treat one another as image bearers of God and work to move this nation back to a place of alignment with biblical truth. And I appreciate you being willing to do that. And thanks so much for coming on today. Always great to see you.
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You as well. And you know, the devil divides, Jesus reconciles or unites. And so I certainly fall short like everyone else, but we’ve got to be the salt and the light and I’m going to do my best.
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I know you will. Congressman John McGuire of Virginia. And I would encourage you folks, there are many men and women like John who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray for them as we’re instructed to do by Paul in the book of Timothy. All right, don’t go away. We’re back after this.
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The Center for Biblical Worldview’s all-day workshops delves into the formation of a worldview, what it is, how it’s formed, when it’s formed, what that means to them personally and their churches and communities.
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My hope for people when they come to these worldview workshops is that they will come away better equipped to engage the people and the ideas that they’re living with and around. And our goal is to give people more confidence in the gospel and the fact that what God said to us actually is true, actually is the path to happiness and human flourishing for all of us, but also more confidence in their ability to have these conversations and help lead other people to the truth.
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for Bible-believing Christians to know what God’s Word says on these issues and to learn how they can apply it to their lives. And we believe that the more Christians that we equip, that’s how we’ll change the nation.
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Hey, fam, listen, Pastor Sammy here at Lighthouse Church, and I cannot tell you how equipping, how empowering, how… incredibly educating this conference has been. And so I just want to encourage anybody that either has not been part of or is thinking about hosting this event, certainly to pastors, leaders, even CEOs for that matter. This conference is lights out. Stand behind it myself. I can’t commend it enough. We’re going to be talking about this for some time to come.
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The culture is kind of squeezing in on us as God’s people, forcing those of us with biblical views to change those views or to suppress those views. It’s forcing us to engage with issues that we’ve never had to engage with. And so what this teaches us is what those issues are, what the Bible says about those issues, and then how we can critically engage our culture on these things in a way that is committed to biblical principles.
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Visit frc.org slash worldview for more information.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in and making us part of your day. Let me encourage you, if you’ve not yet, text Matthew to 67742 to join the 21 Day Bible Challenge, the Family Bible Challenge. Text Matthew to 67742. Last week was a big one on Capitol Hill. It culminated with the House passing President Trump’s one big, beautiful bill by one vote. Before heading into the weekend, I discussed the bill with House Speaker Mike Johnson on our weekend program this week on Capitol Hill. And I’d like to share the tail end of that conversation with you right now here. It was that discussion. I want to go to the elements of this bill. I mean, we pray over this, and I think some on the left would be critical, saying, well, how can you pray for this bill? How does this bill line up with, as you see the Constitution and biblical principles for guiding our nation?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, that’s a great question. We might need more than a segment for that, but that should govern what we do and how we put legislation together. We want to do the best by the American people. We want to have public policy that comports with the principles that we all believe in that are founded and grounded in biblical truth. The idea of individual freedom and a more limited government and the importance of the rule of law and maintaining peace through strength and Speaking of that, there’s military helicopters flying over. We want to make sure that we have fiscal sanity, responsibility, that we handle the Treasury and the treasure of the American people responsibly. And we want to have human dignity flourish. So in this big legislation, over 1,100 pages, all of those principles are interwoven.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, Mr. Speaker, let me go to the criticism on your side of the aisle among Republicans who say it doesn’t go far enough. I mean, we’ve got Senate Republicans already saying they’ve got enough votes to block it. They don’t like the state and local tax deductions, the SALT, the debt limit increase of $4 trillion, the CBO projections of deficit. How do you address those?
SPEAKER 02 :
Great question. So when we struck out to begin this process, we said we are going to turn the metaphorical aircraft carrier that you and I talk about all the time. It took us many decades to get the country into the mess, financial mess we’re in. We cannot flip a switch and fix it overnight. But we have a responsibility to begin to steer out of the debt crisis. This bill is truly historic, Tony, in its scope and what it does. For the first time in history, this legislation is written so that we save $1.9 trillion with a T in taxpayer funds. There’s never been anything like that. It’s twice as much as the last time Congress even attempted such a thing, which was more than 30 years ago. So truly historic in turning the aircraft carrier and beginning us on a new trajectory. And in the process of that, we’re going to extend the debt limit, not because we’re going to spend more money, but because you have to do that to show the bond markets and the rest of the world that America is good on its debts. And that must be done. Everybody knows that. But President Trump is insistent about it. He says, we’re not raising a ceiling to spend it. We’re extending the debt limit. so that we can get our fiscal house in order. This is a really important thing. The CBO, Congressional Budget Office, scored it and said it’s going to add to the deficit. The last time they scored a big bill like this, Tony, was the TCJA, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. trillion dollars off in their calculation. The CBO is run by Democrats. Eighty-four percent of the employees there that are crunching the numbers are donors to big Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. So we dismiss that. What they do not count for, Tony, is the pro-growth policies in this bill that is going to grow the U.S. economy. And that is how, in a combination with savings, we’re going to get ourselves out of this mess.
SPEAKER 06 :
So is it safe to summarize, Mr. Speaker, that this 1,000-mile journey back to sanity begins with the first step, and this is moving us back in that direction?
SPEAKER 02 :
It is. And it’s not just one step. It’s a giant leap forward. Russ Vogt, who runs the Office of Management and Budget in the White House and the Trump administration, a famous fiscal hawk, wrote as much on his social media post over the last week. He said, listen, we can’t turn it overnight. This is a massive leap forward. It’s by far the most savings that any Congress has done. And, Tony, we did it out of the House with a three-vote margin. It’s not an easy list, but we got it done.
SPEAKER 06 :
Do you think this reality is settling into Republicans? By the way, I would just say, and we go back to the process before of you giving everybody a voice, I actually think the bill turned out much better at the end of the process because, like the Freedom Caucus, they were working, and they actually achieved some things, which I think you’re happy with, that ultimately will get this down the road and should satisfy many of those in the Senate.
SPEAKER 02 :
Of course. And look, you know me and my heart and my background. I can make an argument, I’m the most conservative, philosophically the most conservative person in the House, but I’ve got to get 217 or 218 votes to advance anything, 217 this week because of vacancies. So in order to do that, you’ve got to get people to come along who don’t necessarily share that conviction. But I will say this, you’re exactly right. My Freedom Caucus friends, and those are some of my closest friends in life, They held out to the end, and we were able to move, for example, the work requirements back pretty substantially on the calendar, or move it forward, in other words, so that those take place sooner. We were able to, because of that, kind of push the bureaucrats and the executive branch who are going to be charged with implementing and enforcing those new restrictions to put their models together faster. So there were some good innovations. Everyone had a voice. And at the end, we have a product that we can really be proud of. It’s truly historic in its scope, and I’ve said probably the most consequential legislation that Congress has passed in many generations and maybe, I think, in maybe the top two or three measures of all time. I mean, really, it’s going to be absolutely essential to get this done.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Mr. Speaker, final question, 30 seconds. What’s next? When will this hit the president’s desk in your projections?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, the ball’s in the Senate’s court now, and I’m already talking with all of our friends and colleagues on the other side, and I’ve encouraged them to please make as many minor modifications to this as possible, because if they dramatically change the product, it presents an extraordinary challenge for us. As you know, in the House, we achieved a very delicate balance, and we can’t disturb that too much.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was my conversation this weekend with House Speaker Mike Johnson. You can hear the entire program on the Stand Firm app. If you don’t have the Stand Firm app, go to the App Store, get the Stand Firm app or text APP to 67742. And I’ll send you a link so that you can stay up to date with what’s happening here at the Family Research Council. You’ll get our news feed, the Washington Stand. You’ll also get on the weekends this week on Capitol Hill that I do with House Speaker Mike Johnson. All right, don’t go away. We’ve got a lot more. Washington Watch straight ahead, so stick around.
SPEAKER 16 :
Family Research Council is committed to advancing faith, family, and freedom from the East Coast to the West. So FRC is going to Southern California for this year’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit, October 17th and 18th at Calvary Chapel, Chino Hills. Join us for this powerful gathering of Christians desiring cultural renewal and spiritual revival. The Pray, Vote, Stand Summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action. Together, we will seek God’s guidance for our nation and engage in meaningful discussions on the intersection of faith, government, and culture. If the spiritual foundations and the cultural walls of our nation are to be rebuilt, we all have a role to play. May we each find our place on the wall as we build for biblical truth. Register now at PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org.
SPEAKER 11 :
Jennifer, it’s so exciting to be here with you today talking about our new book, Embracing God’s Design. Who is actually going to benefit from reading this book in your view?
SPEAKER 25 :
There’s so many different audiences that can benefit. The first one are counselors themselves, because we have some material in there where we really address the gender dysphoria diagnosis and what is wrong with it. We have information for people who are wanting to go back to embracing God’s design for their life.
SPEAKER 11 :
This is really magical to have the therapist and the individual who suffered come together and write about why this is happening and why we’re seeing this.
SPEAKER 25 :
And we brought all of that experience to the table. We want to see people walking in the fullness of who God has called them to be and not a false identity.
SPEAKER 19 :
Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 23 :
How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture. and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes each week.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. All right, I want to encourage you and your family to join FRC for a 21-day family Bible challenge through the book of Matthew. It starts June the 11th. It’s a part of our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan. But in June, June the 11th, we start Matthew, the New Testament. Well, you and your family can walk together through the life of Christ. We have a study guide, weekly discussion questions, even kid-friendly activities, and much more. We want to engage everyone we can with the transforming power of God’s Word. So if you’d like to be a part of this or share it with someone else, text the word MATTHEW to 67742. That’s MATTHEW to 67742. All right, speaking of the Word, today’s Word comes from Ezra chapter 7. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month, he had set out from Babylon. And on the first day of the fifth month, he came to Jerusalem because the gracious hand of his God was upon him. Why was God’s gracious hand on Ezra? Well, verse 10 explains. For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, to practice it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel. Now, notice the sequence. First, study. Ezra disciplined his mind to understand God’s Word. Second, practice. What he discovered, he immediately folded into his daily life. And then third, teach. Out of personal obedience flowed credible instruction for others. Head, heart, and hands moved in unison. And God honored that alignment with tangible favor, a safe four-month journey and authority to reform worship in Jerusalem. Well, that pattern remains. When we place scripture at the center, let it reshape our behavior, and then pass it on, we too attract the good hand of God on our endeavors. For more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE. to 67742. The long Memorial Day weekend may have given us an opportunity to pause and remember the service members who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. But there was much more that happened this weekend. In Seattle, May Day USA, Don’t Mess With Our Kids rally resulted in about two dozen arrests when an LGBTQ activist group held a counter rally. Now, Seattle’s mayor, Bruce Harrell, blamed the Christians for the outbreak of violence by their very presence. A message echoed by the LGBTQ community.
SPEAKER 14 :
So what you’re going to put an anti-queer group that tries to do conversion therapy with people in the middle of Cal Anderson Park, named after the first openly gay legislator in Washington state history. I think the mayor owes the queer community an apology.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think he owes the Christian community an apology. We’re here to discuss the Don’t Mess With Our Kids rally and much more. Mary Sock, director of FRC Center for Human Dignity, and Travis Weber, FRC’s vice president for policy and government affairs. Mary, Travis, thanks for joining me today. Tony, good to be with you.
SPEAKER 24 :
Thanks so much for having me on.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Travis, I want to start with you. This past weekend, the Don’t Mess With Our Kids national tour hosted a peaceful rally in Seattle. What can you tell us about this?
SPEAKER 18 :
Yeah, I mean, Tony, this is something that’s been going on for some time as parents and people of common sense around the country, even around the world, are saying we want to protect our kids. We don’t want these ideologies finding their way through public school systems. emanating down from certain institutions of government, harming our kids and interfering with our kids and being promoted to our kids behind our back. So this goes back to an event in Peru, which the people of Peru pushed back against the infiltration of Peru by far left radical ideologies, gender ideologies, that are not consistent with God’s design for the family and for parents raising children and families. This has been something that’s going on for some time. There was an event here in Washington last fall in which people stood in defense of family and God’s design. And so this is a continuation of this in Seattle. And if you look at this, Parents are saying we’re standing for family, we’re standing for marriage, we’re standing for parents raising their children. It’s the family, as God sets forth in Genesis 1 and 2. And so that’s what it is. And so when we see opposition to this, we have to understand, people should understand observing this, that the opponents are opposed to God’s design for the family.
SPEAKER 06 :
So according to one of the co-sponsors, Ginny Donnelly, she said there are three really primary purposes of this rally. Number one is stand for our children, as you just explained, as this transgender ideology is moving through the culture. Secondly, to restore the family unit, mom, dad, kids. And then third is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, Travis, how did this become a violent event?
SPEAKER 18 :
Well, because it’s becoming violent because what we see here is the opposition to, Tony, what you just laid out. Parents, children, family, and God’s design in Genesis 1 and 2, the opposition to the word of God, the opposition to what God himself is saying about the family. This is sad to see because when people are opposing that, they’re opposing something that is good and beneficial for them and for those around them. And so, The violence in the opposition should be a warning sign. It should be a warning indicator, like one of those flashing yellow lights on a machine or in a system or an airplane when something’s wrong. You don’t just ignore that. You deal with the problem and you address the concern. And so here, people should be, anyone who supports the family as God designed, and we know, Tony, that the years now of parents pushing back against what was being pushed through public schools in America on their children, We need to understand the opposition here is opposition to the family unit and just stand with those who are standing with the family. Just stand with them. Speak the truth. We don’t have to do anything else but stand on the truth of what God says and on his word. And we’re not going to be dissuaded. You know, there could be screaming and yelling at us, but we know we’re standing in the truth for blessing for those around us in our communities and around our nation.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, and just to wrap this up with a statement that was released by the mayor’s office there in Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell. He said, quote, Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ plus communities, I guess for them and no one else. And we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice. Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason, to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ plus neighborhood, end quote. So I guess if you don’t line up with their values, which apparently seem to be driven by the LGBTQ ideology, then you’re not welcome into the city. I want to I want to transition to what happens when we have elections in transition of government, because we saw something very similar, Mary, in the District of Columbia, where we back in 2022, an abortion clinic had the remains of five babies. And they were uncovered by pro-life organizers because they had been left out in the trash. Those pro-life advocates were actually prosecuted by the Biden administration. Now, a host of organizations, including the Family Research Council, is calling on the U.S. attorney in D.C., the acting U.S. attorney, Judge Gian Piero to pursue this. Give us the latest on this.
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, as you said, Tony, these bodies, these fully formed. Likely viable unborn babies were born babies were recovered from Cesare Sant’Angelo’s abortion facility just blocks from the White House. These babies had they had injuries that showed evidence of partial birth abortion or perhaps even infanticide. And the Biden administration told the D.C. government to burn these bodies without conducting autopsies. Thankfully, members of Congress stepped in, and now there is an opportunity for the Trump administration to bring justice for these five babies who, again, exhibited injuries consistent with partial birth abortion, which is illegal in this country and is barbaric. So we’re praying and hoping that the Trump administration will bring about justice for these five.
SPEAKER 06 :
So under the Biden administration, they destroyed the evidence, right?
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, they attempted to. Thankfully, members of Congress stepped in and said, look, if you destroy this evidence, we’ll have no option but to bring a full hearing open to the public. And so presumably the bodies of those five are still there. Presumably the evidence could still be reviewed.
SPEAKER 06 :
Any response yet from Jeanine Perrault as to whether or not they will look into this?
SPEAKER 24 :
Not yet. The hope, though, is that the Trump administration has consistently been an administration that has stood up for the weak and the vulnerable. They pardoned those who actually recovered the bodies from the abortion facility. And so the hope is that they are interested in in protecting the rule of law and making sure that Americans follow the law. And that should include the law against partial birth abortion.
SPEAKER 06 :
You know, Travis, to Mary’s point about this administration being consistent, they pardoned these pro-lifers who uncovered this, where the Biden administration was prosecuting them instead of the abortionists who alleged to have done late-term abortions. The Trump administration meeting recently with pro-life advocates from the U.K. that were the subject of prosecution simply for praying. This shows a consistency and a concern from the Trump administration.
SPEAKER 18 :
That does, Tony. This is something we could be encouraged by as Americans, where we saw the previous administration going after people standing up against abortion and speaking out and exercising their freedoms. Here, Trump is coming to their defense, and they’re doing so by sending a clear signal to the UK, the people prosecuted by the United Kingdom government for prayer, for prayer, outside of abortion facilities in the UK, times silent prayer. These have been prosecutions. We have a list of them. FRC compiled a resource explaining what’s going on here, listing out where this has developed in Europe. And folks can find that at frc.org slash prayer in Europe. But as our resource explains, this has been a concerning trend in Europe recently, the UK, other countries as well. But the recent news reports have indicated that the United States, the administration, State Department officials from the Bureau of Human Rights and Labor have gone to the UK, met with those prosecuted. And as reported in the news, the people in the UK are encouraged by this. So we’re showing, we’re standing with them, standing with a foundational, you know, value of freedom and free speech, the freedom to exercise a religious beliefs. This should be common to Western Europe. However, as the vice president explained at the Munich security conference a few months ago, this needs to be protected. And European leaders were alarmed by the fact that vice president Vance would address prayer, the prosecutions of prayer in Europe, which is, it’s concerning that they should be alarmed by it, but we’re glad that he addressed it. And we’re hopeful that this will shift the tide back to the defense of its foundational freedoms across Western Europe. And, Tony, as you know, we have been tracking the threats to religious freedom in the West, in Europe, the United States, Canada, the other Western countries, because this has been overlooked. But it’s a concern not just in many places around the world that people are more familiar with, but there are threats to religious freedom in the West, which is the historic Christian heartland in the last few hundred years.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, Mary Travis, is there any evidence to suggest that leaders in Europe are taking note of the priority that the United States is placing on this?
SPEAKER 18 :
I mean, Tony, I think they are. You know, the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quoted as in defense. He was quizzed on this and defended himself by saying, look, we protect free speech. We’re a country of free speech. OK, that’s good. We want to see how the country is going to react to that. We want to see some There should be some policy changes that follow that. One of the other things that was raised by US officials was the UK’s online speech safety regulating body. It’s a serious problem because this body has been and will continue to be used to go after free speech in defense of traditional values, defense of family values in the UK. So Tony, I think the answer is they’re on notice, they’re aware of what the Trump administration is doing. So we believe the Trump administration should continue to kind of state and exercise its foreign policy prerogative as it’s been doing, continue to lay out and explain that family values, free speech, and religious freedom should be something that’s protected everywhere around the world.
SPEAKER 06 :
When you look at the issue of life, Mary, the sanctity of human life, and as Travis was making a point earlier about these pro-life advocates in the UK, the opposition or the prosecution of them came from praying. Most of those who are advocating for the unborn, for the family, for children, do so out of deeply held beliefs that come from their faith. Is that not the case?
SPEAKER 24 :
Absolutely is. And in fact, when we look at those who were put in jail for praying outside Cesare Sant’Angelo’s abortion facility, where the five bodies of babies who may have been partially aborted were recovered, those people are sitting in the abortion facility singing songs to God, singing songs of praise, singing songs of of repentance. This was a completely peaceful protest. And the Biden administration also threw those people in jail. So the situation here under the Biden administration, perhaps not quite what we see in the U.K., where silent prayer was prosecuted, but it’s very close to that. And thank goodness the Trump administration has stepped in and taken over.
SPEAKER 06 :
Travis, you just have about 45 seconds left. But this speaks to why, as a foreign policy priority, we should be promoting religious freedom around the world, not just in Europe, but everywhere, because from it comes the advocacy for the sanctity of life, family, and everything else we care about.
SPEAKER 18 :
absolutely and tony i think we’re off to a good start with that because as trump’s been very focused on trade resets negotiations globally in bilateral discussions this issue of prayer prosecutions in the uk has come up as part of the discussions with the uk government on their the trade agreement with the us so this is something we should continue we know there was a recent speech in africa where the administration laid out an africa policy that was much more trade-centric so what i see them doing is moving away from the old models of dispersing of aid which came with all sorts of conditions, including anti-family conditions in some cases, moving to a reset, trade-oriented, but we can see the U.S. promote its historic values that are rooted in our own founding, religious freedom, faith, and family values to the world for the blessing of the world in this reset moment.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, Travis, Mary, thanks so much for joining me today. And, folks, I want to thank you for joining me as well. Check out the website, TonyPerkins.com. Until next time, just keep standing.
SPEAKER 20 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
