As we move into summer, Washington Watch continues to shine a light on pivotal topics affecting our nation. Today, State Representative Laurel Libby shares her courageous battle for free speech and representation, highlighting the struggles of maintaining Christian values amidst political adversity. Don’t miss insights from Kena Gonzalez on the behind-the-scenes efforts on Capitol Hill to make impactful changes, as our guests engage in discussions that are not only timely but transformative.
SPEAKER 21 :
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.
SPEAKER 20 :
The media and the Democrats have consistently dismissed any possibility that House Republicans could get this done. They did not believe that we could succeed in our mission to enact President Trump’s America First agenda. But this is a big one. And once again, they have been proven wrong. Today, the House has passed generational, truly nation shaping legislation.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson early this morning, just moments after the House passed the one big beautiful bill, appropriately by one vote, 215 to 214. Welcome to Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for joining us. Family Research Council action was actively engaged in some of the 11th hour negotiations that helped to get the bill across the finish line. We’ll talk about a few of those key changes with Missouri Congressman Eric Burleson, a member of the House Freedom Caucus. And just five blocks from FRC headquarters and just steps from the Capitol, evil struck last night. Two young members of the Israeli embassy staff were shot and killed by Elias Rodriguez, an active member of the far left Marxist pro-Palestinian group PSL.
SPEAKER 01 :
Yaron and Sarah weren’t the victims of a random crime. The terrorists who cruelly gunned them down did so for one reason and one reason alone. He wanted to kill Jews. And as he was taken away, he chanted, free Palestine. This is exactly the same chant we heard on October 7th.
SPEAKER 08 :
And sadly, it took place on the streets of the United States. That was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We’ll talk with Ilan Carr, former U.S. Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Antisemitism, about the rising tide of anti-Jewish violence here in the United States. There was also a significant win at the Supreme Court this week for free speech. The court sided with Maine State Representative Laurel Libby, restoring her ability to speak and vote after she was censured for a Facebook post criticizing transgender participation in high school sports. Representative Libby will join us later in the program. And with Congress heading out of town for the Memorial Day recess, we’ll get a wrap-up on the week from The Washington Stand’s Jared Bridges and FRC’s Director of Government Affairs, Kena Gonzalez. But first, as we look ahead to summer, I want to invite you and your family to join FRC’s 21-day Family Bible Challenge beginning June the 11th. We’ll be walking through the Gospel of Matthew, just 10 to 15 minutes of reading each day. Now, over the years, I’ve seen the impact when families read Scripture together. And I continue to hear stories from children to grandparents, how this daily time in God’s Word has transformed lives and it has strengthened faith. why not start with just one book? And pastors, you can encourage your church to join as well. We have all the resources available for you, and you can set the tone for the summer by starting in the book of Matthew with the 21-day Matthew Challenge. So to join us, text MATTHEW to 67742. That’s MATTHEW to 67742 to take the challenge. Well, working through the night, House Republicans were able to defy the odds and pass the one big, beautiful bill. And after weeks of negotiations, some 11th hour changes skillfully succeeded in unifying most of the Republicans to gain this historic legislative victory. And we’re going to be joined here shortly by Congressman Eric Burleson. But before we do, I’m going to go to Kena Gonzalez, Family Research Council Senior Director of Government Affairs. Kena, welcome back to Washington Watch. I know we’re going to talk a little bit more about this later, but what are some of the highlights that got this bill across the line early this morning?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, Tony, as you said, this bill really had to satisfy different parts of the Republican Party. Republicans representing high tax states wanted to see tax breaks, federal tax breaks for folks in their states that are related to the state and local income tax that those states charge. Other states didn’t want that so much. Some states really rely on Medicare. And so efforts to reform Medicare and Medicaid and make those more sustainable for the future ran into some opposition and really had to be negotiated. And finally, there were a number of fiscal conservatives who just really wanted to put the nation on a firm financial footing. And so Mike Johnson, for the last several weeks, has increasingly in public been negotiating between these sort of three wings of the Republican Party. As you said, to just get this bill through the House of Representatives last night and this morning.
SPEAKER 08 :
And, Kena, there were some elements that we were working on. In fact, we had asked our listeners and viewers to weigh in on. And later in the program, we’ll talk about the outcome of that. But I want to go to Congressman Burleson now. So we’ll catch up later with the details of, folks, how you made a difference in this bill by using your voice. As I often say, our republic was not made for spectators, but it was made for participants. Congressman Eric Burleson is a member of the House Freedom Caucus. He represents the 7th Congressional District of Missouri, and he joins us now. Congressman, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to be back. I know it’s been a long night. You attended the White House meeting yesterday with the House Freedom Caucus members to kind of discuss through some of the concerns that you all had. Walk us through the final hours of this in reaching a point, because you weren’t really on board until kind of later in the process where some significant changes were made.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, I would say that the bill moved from being a bill that I was absolutely not going to accept back in January. Those numbers back then were $300 billion in savings to pay for $5 trillion. in new tax cuts. I ran on balancing the budget and not growing the deficit. And so that was something that just was too much for me to swallow. I think that Freedom Caucus and myself were successful and able to, over the course of the last few months, get us in a position that was stronger and stronger and stronger at each step of the way. And yes, we certainly, while we weren’t able to get everything that we wanted, I think that we were able to make progress this week on Sunday and on Monday night and even into Tuesday, able to make incremental progress on the language of the bill throughout that. And look, it’s not perfect, but you have to take a step back. And I took a step back and said, look, there’s a lot of wins. We banked a lot of wins in this bill. We were able to defund Planned Parenthood. That is massive. That’s huge. Something that I never thought this town would be able to accomplish. We were able to eliminate the funding through Medicaid for transgender surgeries. We were able to, you know, reinvigorate our industry sector and our energy sector through a lot of deregulation, obviously extend the Trump tax cuts, which are huge to our economy and making sure that middle-class Americans, working Americans are able to keep more of their money. There’s an expansion of education savings accounts in this. And I believe there’s an expansion of health savings accounts as well. All very free market ideas. And so at the end of the day, we can bank this as a win. It doesn’t mean that we have solved the debt problem. And it’s just something that we’ll just have to continue to fight for in the future.
SPEAKER 08 :
Now, the debt, as you rightfully mentioned, was a significant part of the conversation. A lot of the concern was the the savings that this 10 year and the way that these things are projected, they’re done over a 10 year window. All of the savings were pretty much back on the back end. But as a result of the negotiations, with the House Freedom Caucus and the Republican leadership in the White House, those were moved up. That was moved up in the manager’s amendment and the 11th hour so that those savings will be realized starting in 2026.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s right. That’s very much right. In fact, this chart was one that we used often. And this was what the CBO had scored. And as you can see, at the beginning years, we were actually increasing the deficits. Only by the latter years were we reducing the deficits. And so this was of grave concern while the complete 10-year window did meet expectations. the framework of what we were requesting by backloading. And as you know, Tony, this town is known for extending a lot of the things that the industry wants extended. And so there was another chart that we demonstrated that since 1992, the green energy tax credits have been extended 11 times during that period. And so we just know as elected officials, we’ve been there, we’ve done that. We tried to, and I think successfully, we’re able to move a large portion of the savings into the more immediate years.
SPEAKER 08 :
which is going to realize those savings because also when you look at the turnover in Congress, the Congress that voted for this is not gonna be here in 10 years, just a small portion of them. So it’s a little deceptive, it’s budget geometry that we often see with this. So again, I commend the conservatives for fighting for this to get these savings up in the front part so that we’ll actually see them. But the process is not over. It now goes to the Senate. So what’s the sense of how the Senate will handle this?
SPEAKER 11 :
You know, if history tells us anything, it’ll probably get worse. This apple might start to rot. Maybe there may be a worm or a few worms appear. But I do have high hopes. The senators, many of them are talking very positively about taking the cuts that we had made and going further. And I think of the fact that in the course of these last days of negotiations, we had Moody’s downgraded the U.S. bond rating. That’s the third credit agency to downgrade our bond rating. And as you know, having a downgraded rating means that every dime that we take out in new debt is going to be at a higher cost to the taxpayer and to our budget. So I think that this is a wake-up call, and I think that the Senate now has the opportunity to reflect on that downgrading and hopefully be able to find more opportunities for savings.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I would think that the White House will be leaning pretty heavily on the Senate to get this moving. The speaker this morning says that he hopes to see this on the president’s desk and signed into law by July the 4th, which means that the Senate’s going to have to move at an unusual pace because they usually don’t get things done very quickly.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, this town, everything moves at a very slow pace. And so, but yeah, I think that they have the time if they really commit to it to be able to accomplish this.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Congressman, the Congress is out next week, Memorial Day, the recess. Congress will be coming back the following week. So what’s on tap now? What’s Congress going to, it’s been consumed with the reconciliation. So what’s next on the agenda?
SPEAKER 11 :
Next, we’ll be working on the appropriations or the budget for next year. So as you know, our funding deadline ends September 30th. We need to pass a new appropriations bills, the 12 appropriation bills by September 30th. And so that’s what we’re gonna be immediately working on.
SPEAKER 08 :
It seems like, as the House has been very focused in getting things done, that you’re kind of in a mode that it hadn’t happened in a long time, but we could see Congress actually do appropriations through the normal process. So it’s a real possibility.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, we went through this last year. And a lot of the rust came off. And so we now have lawmakers that have experienced this process. And I think the muscle memory is good. So I think we hopefully are able to pass all 12 appropriation bills. Last year, we passed, I believe, seven of the 12. But the more that we can pass, the more that we can ensure that we get towards a more fiscal solvency.
SPEAKER 08 :
Right, right. Those continuing resolutions cost us a bunch. Congressman Burleson, thanks so much for joining us. Have a great weekend. Thank you, Tony. You too. All right, folks. Still a lot of Washington. Watch straight ahead. So don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back after this.
SPEAKER 22 :
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SPEAKER 23 :
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.
SPEAKER 12 :
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SPEAKER 14 :
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There’s so many different audiences that can benefit. The first one are counselors themselves, right? 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.
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Family Research Council is celebrating one year of trusted news and community from a biblical perspective, all in one place. Over the past year, the Stand Firm app has become a go-to source for Christians seeking clarity, truth, and ways to make an impact in today’s world. With over 46,000 downloads and 1.2 million page views, we thank you for standing firm with us. Download the Stand Firm app today. Text APP to 67742. That’s APP to 67742.
SPEAKER 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Let me again invite you to join the Matthew Challenge, the 21-Day Matthew Bible Reading Challenge. Text MATTHEW to 67742. It’s a great time. It would be a great time for families to read the Bible together. Again, you can find out more. Text MATTHEW to 67742. We have lots of resources to help you on this 21-Day Challenge. Well, on Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a win to Maine State Representative Laurel Libby, who was censured by the Democratic-controlled Maine House for insisting in a private social media post that it’s wrong to let boys rob girls of championship titles in sports. Now, her petition for an injunction was approved by the court, a triumph, she called, a victory not just for my constituents, but for the Constitution itself. Here to explain the significance of the court’s decision is Maine State Representative Laurel Libby. Representative Libby, welcome back to Washington Watch and congratulations.
SPEAKER 24 :
Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
I do want to commend you for your courage in standing up. And I’m going to let you tell, kind of explain what has transpired here. But as you stood up to the Democratic-controlled legislature, they said, well, if you apologize for stating the truth, then we’ll let you speak. And you refused to fold. And I just, again, I want to commend you for your courage. So the court, you appealed to the First Circuit Court of Appeals. They kind of pushed it aside. You went to the Supreme Court. So what does this decision the court handed down on Tuesday mean?
SPEAKER 24 :
We filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court specifically to get my vote back while the lower courts are considering what to do with my case. So the entire case, voice and vote, is still pending before the First Circuit Court of Appeals. But thankfully, the Supreme Court did see fit to take up the emergency application. And as of today, I am able to now vote on behalf of my constituents. So today I voted for the first time in almost three months. representing my constituents fully.
SPEAKER 08 :
Did the speaker apologize for keeping you from voting?
SPEAKER 24 :
No, and I still am not able to speak, but I can vote. I don’t expect an apology. I wouldn’t expect an apology because I don’t think it would be truthful.
SPEAKER 08 :
So your ability to speak has not been restored?
SPEAKER 24 :
Correct. That’s part of the case that’s still pending before the First Circuit Court of Appeals will be heard on June 5th regarding the full case.
SPEAKER 08 :
So the Supreme Court just forced the legislature to allow you to vote to represent your constituents but not speak on their behalf?
SPEAKER 24 :
Correct. They are required to count my vote now.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, it was interesting in one of the justices who, writing in opposition to the ruling, said there’s no reason, no big hurry. You know, there’s nothing, no votes pending that her vote would make a difference. I mean, so that’s how we decide whether or not someone has a right to represent their constituents if we think it’s going to matter.
SPEAKER 24 :
You know, there’s so many things about this case that matter so much. But, you know, the Constitution, my constituents constitutional right to representation, my right to free speech. These are our core to our democracy. And it is I’m glad that seven of the justices saw fit to ensure that my constituents do have representation. I think it’s an incredibly slippery slope and a terrible precedent to set, not just in Maine, but across the country, if this were allowed to stand.
SPEAKER 08 :
Now, I am certain that when you posted on Facebook comparing a guy who pole vaulted the year before and placed fifth to this year, you know, pretending to be a female winning first in women’s pole vaulting. I imagine you never thought you would be going down this path.
SPEAKER 24 :
Never in a million years. Never in a million years. But, you know, a lot of folks have asked me if I would do anything differently, and I really can’t say that I would. I think so much has come to light here in Maine with how Maine women and girls are being discriminated against and really the tyranny going on in Augusta, pushing an agenda that Maine people do not agree with. And so I’m thankful that so much has come to light as a result, and I think it’s worth anything that has happened in between.
SPEAKER 08 :
So Representative Libby, let me ask you this question, and I’m going to get personal for just a moment. How has this affected you in the process? What have you learned? How has this impacted you and your family?
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, certainly we’ve had some conversations I never anticipated, given that my kids are still growing up. They’re still relatively young. But I think that we’ve all learned a lot in the last three months. And I certainly do not take it for granted to have the right to free speech, to have the right to represent the good people of Auburn and mine it. I’m grateful for a lot these days.
SPEAKER 08 :
Has it strengthened you in your faith and in your commitment to standing for these principles no matter what, knowing that, you know, ultimately the truth does come out, but we have to be willing to stand for it?
SPEAKER 24 :
I certainly have seen an outpouring of God’s grace over the last few months and faithfulness. At times it has not been easy, but he has been faithful, and we’ve seen that every day. And so it’s been a hard but blessed three months.
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, I would like to say that you’re the outlier, that no one else is ever going to have to face this again. But the reality is, in the world in which we’re living, this is becoming more of the norm of simply standing up for truth and being challenged and being rejected in an effort to silence and cancel. What would you say to others out there that may run into a similar situation?
SPEAKER 24 :
No, there were multiple reasons that I did not back down and apologize, but that’s certainly one of them. Because if you’re speaking the truth and can be bullied into backing down or apologizing for speaking the truth, I think that’s a really terrible example. To the next generation, these women and girls who are watching and seeing our example, I think that we need to set the standard, and that is to speak up for truth and not back down.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I think you have set a sterling example of doing it in a gracious way, but in a firm, unyielding way. Truth is truth, and we need to stand upon it. So, again, I want to commend you, and thank you, Laurel, for joining us today.
SPEAKER 24 :
Thank you so much.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, folks, State Representative Laurel Libby from Maine. You know, Maine’s a beautiful state. It just happens to be kind of left-leaning in the big cities. But no matter where you’re at, ultimately, I think each and every one of us, you’re going to have that opportunity to stand for truth. And you don’t want to wait until that day is upon you to consider what you’re going to do. Now’s the time to consider and make the decision. You’re gonna stand for truth no matter what. All right, don’t go away. We still have a lot more Washington Watch straight ahead.
SPEAKER 07 :
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SPEAKER 16 :
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.
SPEAKER 19 :
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SPEAKER 13 :
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SPEAKER 17 :
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SPEAKER 03 :
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SPEAKER 08 :
Last night, a soon-to-be-engaged Jewish couple, Yaron Laskinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgram, working for the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., were fatally shot after leaving the Capitol Jewish Museum. The man arrested for shooting the couple, Elias Rodriguez, was heard shouting, free Palestine, as he was being detained. The attack has left the Jewish community reeling, and it highlights the very real threat that anti-Semitism poses here in our own country and across the world. Here to discuss this, Ilan Carr. He’s the CEO of the Israeli American Council and former U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor in Combat Anti-Semitism. Ilan, welcome to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 10 :
Tony, good to be with you. I wish it were under better circumstances.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, last time we were together, I think it was actually at the Capitol for Benjamin Netanyahu and his speech to a joint session of a Congress, a much better occasion. But this is something you and I, in fact, our first meeting, I was chairing the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a hearing on global antisemitism. And you were with the previous Trump administration. You testified This is not something I expected here on the streets of America. I’ll be very frank.
SPEAKER 10 :
Well, you mentioned the prime minister’s speech on Capitol Hill. And Tony, you remember well what that was like, right? They had to turn Capitol Hill into a military encampment, basically, and close the entire hill. And then there was tremendous violence. There was vandalism and violence and burning of American and Israeli flags in the street. And so we see, even in our nation’s capital, the capital really of the free world, anti-American and anti-Semitic forces running amok. And I think that’s really the story here. And this is more than just another incident. This is a major watershed moment. In this fight, we have to fight against Jew hatred. We have to understand how dangerous it is. We have to understand how prevalent it is. And we have to understand where this comes from. And when you look at Mr. Rodriguez’s background and you look at the ideological indoctrination from which he fed to get to this point, It’s very clear that we’ve got a real fight on our hands, and we need to stop the indoctrination of Americans in anti-American, anti-Western, and yes, anti-Semitic values that contradict the very spiritual DNA of our civilization.
SPEAKER 08 :
And as we are going back, making reference to that commission hearing that I chaired, Christians, people of other faiths, other than the Jewish faith, need to realize that that’s the canary in the coal mine, which was part of the testimony of that commission, was that when the Jewish people are being attacked, that’s just a first wave. And the Christians will be next. And, you know, I know the violence and we’ve seen what happened on college campuses. But to come to a point where someone in cold kills someone in cold blood and then, you know, shouts free Palestine. I mean, it’s we’ve reached a new level. As you’ve pointed out, this is a watershed moment of a calloused culture. that this has to be not just more speeches. I will tell you, I was a little disappointed with what I’m seeing out of Israel. The Israeli politicians need to be fighting, blaming each other. This is a time we’ve got to come together and denounce this one and all.
SPEAKER 10 :
I couldn’t agree with you more, Tony. I think our only answer is to unify around our shared values. The good guys, those with a spiritual commitment to a better world for our children have to unite. And by the way, this is a moment to unite. I mean, look, let’s think about this. Yes, this was an anti-Semitic attack on a Jewish event in a Jewish institution, the Capital Jewish Museum. But you know, one of the two victims here is a Christian Zionist who paid the ultimate price for his love of Israel and the Jewish people. And so this has to be a unifying moment. We have to understand that all of us are in the crosshairs. And we are facing a despicable, violent, evil enemy that is bloodthirsty. We saw that on October 7th. We saw that on October 8th, and the global reaction of glee and joy at the murder of 1,200 Jews with medieval barbarity. And we see it today. We see it today in the United States. And that has to be the message here. And another thing, Tony, I want to talk about this free Palestine. You know, the New York Times Once again, getting it wrong, reported that he was arrested uttering a pro-Palestinian statement. He wasn’t uttering a pro-Palestinian statement. Free Palestine, let’s be clear, free Palestine is not a pro-Palestinian statement. It is an anti-Semitic call for genocide against the Jewish people. That’s what that is. And we have to understand that when Americans are indoctrinated in anti-Semitic genocidal hate, They are being ruined. A generation of American kids are going to be ruined and raised in a culture of violence and aspiration to jihad, which is what we saw. And so we’ve got to fight this indoctrination of America’s young people.
SPEAKER 08 :
Elon, we need to have a longer conversation about this because I think what I see anti-Semitism is, at its core, is a hatred of God. And it’s been fostered and fomented in this country by pushing God out of our culture and out of our country. And the Jewish people are most closely identified with the J.O. Christian God. And that’s what it is at its core. And we have to come together and stand with God. And we do. At the Family Research Council, we stand with our friends in the Jewish community and the nation of Israel. Elon, we’re out of time, but I do want to get you to come back on. We need to talk more about this and talk about how we address these underlying issues because we cannot sustain this as a country.
SPEAKER 10 :
Correct. Thank you, Tony. Thank you for your moral leadership. And together we will win. That’s the Israeli motto. Together we’ll win. I believe that. Together we’ll win. This is the time to unite and to win.
SPEAKER 08 :
Amen. Ilan, great to see you. Folks, stick with us because we’re going to talk more about this and other items taking place this week on Capitol Hill. So don’t go away.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
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SPEAKER 22 :
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 08 :
All right, welcome back. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. This is Washington Watch, the website, TonyPerkins.com. And better yet, get the StandFirm app. Download the StandFirm app and the App Store, and you’ll have access not only to the… Washington Watch, but you’ll have access to the Washington Stand, our news and commentary coming to you from a biblical perspective. And you’ll have my daily commentary, Stand on the Word. And by the way, the word for today comes from Zechariah chapter 14. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming and your spoil will be divided in your midst. So what is the day of the Lord? Well, it’s a term the Bible uses to describe the end times, the return of Jesus Christ. For those who reject God, it will be a day of reckoning. But for those in Christ, it will be a day of joy and justice. Listen to what the prophet Zechariah says. I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. Half of the city will go into captivity, but the remnant will not be cut off. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. So here’s a news flash. Jerusalem will be at the center of global attention. Sound familiar? I mean, just look at the headlines. But let me be clear. There will be no permanent peace deal in the Middle East. Yes, we might see periods of managed peace, and we should work for those. but only if we recognize the spiritual dynamics behind the political ones. True peace, lasting, genuine peace will only come when the Prince of Peace returns and reigns. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text the word Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. All right, as we’ve been discussing today, this has been another big and busy week here in our nation’s capital. From the all-nighters on Capitol Hill that led to the one big beautiful bill passing the House by one big vote, well… The week has been, well, quite busy. Joining me now to bring their insights to a number of issues is our panel of FRC experts, Kena Gonzalez, FRC Senior Director of Government Affairs, and Jared Bridges, the Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Stand. Jared, Kena, thanks for joining me today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Good to be back.
SPEAKER 08 :
So, Jared, I want to start with you first. I just finished a conversation with Elon Carr, former envoy for anti-Semitism in the previous Trump administration. You know, just blocks from FRC last night, two staff members from the Israeli embassy were shot and killed. What can you tell us about the victims of this senseless crime?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, Tony, the more you look into this, the more heartbreaking this is. The two victims were Yaron Lashinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgram. Yaron was 30 and Sarah Lynn was 26. They were engaged or planning to be engaged. Iran had bought a wedding ring and planned to propose very soon in Jerusalem. So this is very poignant in how it brings forth the victims of terror. These are people who have lives ahead of them, and it just underscores the fact that the humanity that this has taken away. As Elon mentioned earlier, Yaron Lachinsky was a Christian, a Jewish Christian. Our friends over at CBN just did an interview with a member of his congregation who talked about how just wonderful he was. And Sarah Lynn Milgram was a U.S. citizen as well. So these are, it just drives home the fact these are real people with real lives ahead of them.
SPEAKER 08 :
Was there any evidence yet to suggest that they specifically were targeted or were they just shot because they were coming out of this Jewish museum?
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I think that’s that’s going to be determined there right now. The charges on Elias Rodriguez. He was charged just this afternoon about an hour ago. He was charged with murder or foreign officials causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm. The discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of first degree murder. So those are the initial charges, and I think as. As more comes to light, they’ll put on, but the fact remains is, one, it was at a, the Capital Jewish Museum, and they were Israeli embassy officials and the attacker yelled free Palestine after he murdered them.
SPEAKER 08 :
I would have to think that this is ultimately going to be a case of terrorism, domestic terrorism.
SPEAKER 09 :
I wouldn’t be surprised.
SPEAKER 08 :
And, of course, we know a little bit about that. We had one at our own building over a dozen years ago. All right, Kena, I want to go to you because you’re kind of, been in the the spotlight of what’s been happening in our nation’s capital this week you’ve spent a lot of time in congressional offices in recent weeks leading up uh to the vote that took place early this morning now we talked about this top of the program but i want to dive a little bit deeper into this because there were some things that we were working on that we have been calling on people to weigh in on number one is total defunding of planned parenthood or abortion providing organizations. That happened. We also wanted to see the defunding of any type of government dollars, taxpayer money going to transgender procedures. That was not in there until the final hours of the bill last night. So what can you tell us about the final posture of the bill?
SPEAKER 15 :
Oh, Tony, it’s always great to nerd out and tell people what’s been going on in Washington for months. FRC has been advocating, as you said, to defund gender transition procedures and defund large abortion providers. And really, when we say defund, it’s not about taking money away from them. It’s about removing taxpayer liability to pay them. Abortion providers like Planned Parenthood receive hundreds of millions of dollars a year from the taxpayers. And this is abhorrent for those of us who are pro-life because their main business is abortion. And so it’s been vitally important that this Republican Congress, that this Republican and pro-life administration and Congress working together remove taxpayer funding from abortion providers and remove taxpayer funding from gender transition procedures, which we know and a study just out from… Let me put a number on that.
SPEAKER 08 :
Let me put a number on that just so people know what we’re talking about here. Last year, $800 million is what Planned Parenthood, just Planned Parenthood, that’s not other organizations, that’s just Planned Parenthood. So that’s a lot of dollars.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yes, and last year, by the way, Planned Parenthood’s political arm spent almost $80 million against President Trump. So it’s a very politicized and very abortion-focused organization. It really does not deserve taxpayer funding.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, but Planned Parenthood also getting into the transgender space. Programs getting money there as well. But that now is removed from Medicare and Medicaid or Medicaid and other forms of government funding. So taxpayers are not going to be facilitating these experimental drugs and these irreversible surgeries on youth or anyone else.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s right. Until yesterday, it looked like that would come out of the House, but only meaning that the taxpayer would not be paying for these experiments on children, on young people under the age of 18. And last night, the House of Representatives amended that. Taxpayers need not pay for gender transition procedures, which are really experimental, as you say, for anyone.
SPEAKER 08 :
And again, I just want to commend our listeners and viewers. Tens of thousands of you took action, and your voice was heard. I had conversations with the speaker about this, and this, as Kena was talking about, was added in. and what’s called the manager’s amendment very late in the process. So some good things coming out. I mean, it’s not perfect. We were talking with Congressman Burleson earlier, and even in our messaging, you know, there’s more that can be done. Hopefully what we have will be preserved and added to in the Senate. So talk, Kena, just a little bit about that, the next steps.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s right. Now this bill goes over to the Senate, which has been sort of eagerly awaiting whatever would pass the House. And then it will head to the president’s desk if the Senate and the House can agree. So it’s got several more steps in it. Now is not to lay off, not the time to take our foot off the gas. And as you say, I and my team have been on the Hill nearly constantly for the last several weeks and frequently in the last several months. But we have supporters who are listeners and viewers of this show who have sent over 100,000 messages so far to Congress to get these provisions into the bill and to get them strengthened in the bill. And they can still do that, Tony. We have a tool online for them to do that.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right. Jared, other news this week. We were talking just earlier with Maine State Representative Laura Libby, regarding her case where she has been censored by the Democratic-controlled legislature there because she has brought up the issue of women’s sports, transgenderism. This issue of transgenderism and It’s really pivoted. I mean, we’re actually getting ready to go into June, which has historically kind of been Pride Month. But we’re seeing a lot of corporations pull back. There is a cultural shift that’s taking place.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, there certainly is. Momentum has been going the way of—or seemingly going the way of sanity. The question remains, though, are—I think if it’s left to corporations to decide how that goes— They’re probably gonna find their way going back the other way Because I think this issue is not dead I think you know some of the loudest voices have silenced their voices a little bit and kind of gone underneath so I think Christians need to be very vigilant on this issue. People like Laurel Libby, you saw what happened to her. They basically told her to shut up. And the margin on that censure vote for her is 75 to 70. Now, that’s bigger than the margin that’s in the US House right now. is 7%, if I did my math right. It’s not huge. And we can’t allow the left to have a totalitarian or act like totalitarians when there are plenty of people standing up for what’s right, like Laurel Libby.
SPEAKER 08 :
Let me throw that out to both of you, though. When we look at this, and I agree with you, I don’t think we could say that we have turned the corner here and that the entire culture has regained common sense. But I do think there’s a shift that’s taking place. My take is, and I want to hear from both of you, is that it has been because of people like Laurel Libby. It’s been because of moms and dads at school board meetings. refused to allow the cancel culture to have its way, and they continued to stand and speak truth. And eventually, eventually, it got traction.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, I think being silent does not work. I think we saw that for years and years, and people standing up, people taking action, getting out of their seats, going to the school board meetings, and experiencing losses along the way, but still continuing the fight. I think that’s what… needs to be done.
SPEAKER 08 :
And, Kena, we saw that really kind of with the House Freedom Caucus pushing back on the one big beautiful bill. It wasn’t strong enough. And they had legitimate concerns. And they kept bringing them up. And they refused to support the bill until it got into a posture that it was acceptable. This process of making legislation, I remember back when I was in the legislature, they always called it kind of making sausage. It’s not a pretty process. It’s kind of ugly. But it’s working. I mean, when you see what House Speaker Mike Johnson has been able to do by working through the process, giving everybody a voice, listening, instead of ramming things through, at the end of the day, it is working.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s right, Tony. This is in some ways what people are witnessing in Washington. Trump celebrated a new morning in America. But what we’re really witnessing on Capitol Hill is a new morning of transparency. This is the difference between legislating where deals are made and contending factions push and pull and see where they can reach an equilibrium and where they can move a common goal forward as they are here. versus political theater which is what really I think a lot of Americans are used to and quite frankly sick of. So in some ways even though the process is at times slower, more frustrating, this kind of transparency is really good for the American people to see, There are other people in other parts of the country who have a different viewpoint, and their representatives in Washington are putting forward a different agenda. How is my representative going to be voting? How is my representative going to be negotiating for the things that I sent him or her to Washington to do?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I know every time that there is a, you know, like a rule vote that that goes down or the leadership has to pull back a bill, you know, those in the press and others go crazy because that stuff doesn’t normally happen unless you have an open, transparent process that allows everyone to bring their voice to the process, have a seat at the table and work to arrive at consensus. Now, you and I talked about this bill is not 100 percent of what we would put forward. Maybe 90 were close. It’s a lot better than it started out. But that’s the process. And I just think we need to be prayerful going into this process, but also realize that gains are being made along the way.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, real gains, solid gains, Tony, and gains that are honest and not political theater. It’s really important. And folks that are listening and watching can still weigh in by going to frcaction.org slash defund and help us continue to hammer that message to the House has now passed it. Now it’s going to the Senate. Your senators need to hear from you. And by the way, while you’re there, you can see how your House member voted.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Kenny, you get the last word. And Jared, thanks for joining us. Folks, I want to thank you for joining us as well. And I’m going to leave you with the word from the Apostle Paul, where he says, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, when you’ve prepared, and when you have taken your stand, by all means, just keep standing.
SPEAKER 21 :
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.
