On today’s program: John McGuire, U.S. Representative for the 5th District of Virginia, reacts to news that Russia is ready to continue negotiations with Ukraine and reflects on his recent trip to Israel. Clint Lyons, Executive Director of iReach
SPEAKER 13 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, good afternoon. Welcome to this Wednesday edition of Washington Watch. I am Jody Heiss, a senior fellow here at the Family Research Council. An honor to be filling in this month for Tony. All right, coming up on today’s program, European officials are actively discussing plans to send military personnel to Ukraine as part of the security guarantees that they’re offering for that country. And of course, all this is coming after the White House summit with President Trump that he hosted with those leaders. And the Trump administration is at the same time saying that American boots will not be on the ground. But we may support in other ways.
SPEAKER 04 :
When it comes to security, they’re willing to put people on the ground. We’re willing to help them with things, especially probably if you talk about Bayer, because nobody has the kind of stuff we have. Really, they don’t have. But I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, that was, of course, President Trump. He was speaking yesterday during a telephone interview with Fox & Friends. And I’ll discuss this and more here when I’m joined in just a few moments by Virginia Congressman John McGuire. And in other international news, there is a report that is claiming more than 7,000 Christians in Nigeria have been massacred so far this year. Friends, that’s more than 30 a day. And I’ll unpack this situation a little bit later when I’m joined by Clint Lyons of iReach Global. And then in domestic news, there’s a battle over redistricting in California, and that’s now headed to the courts.
SPEAKER 21 :
Gavin Newsom and the legislative leaders in pursuing this unconstitutional redistricting plan have shown that they are willing to violate our laws, violate the Constitution and the will of the people, and yesterday violate their own rules.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was California State Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher speaking to reporters yesterday after the California GOP leaders filed a lawsuit over the Democrats’ redistricting effort. And I’ll be discussing this further when I’m joined by California Congressman Doug LaMoffa. And Virginia’s Loudoun County public school districts continue to make the headlines, but for all, all the wrong reasons. This time for suspending two male students for expressing discomfort that they felt when a biological female was in the boys’ locker room.
SPEAKER 03 :
These boys have religious beliefs that conflict with this type of policy, and they have a free speech right to express that, and that’s all they did. And these boys are the real victims here, and they have constitutional rights, and we fully intend to vindicate those if necessary.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was Josh Hetzler. He’s the attorney representing the family of one of the suspended boys. And I’ll be discussing the details of all this when I’m joined later in the program by Victoria Cobb. She’s the president of the Family Foundation of Virginia. She and I also will highlight what the Department of Education is doing regarding school districts that choose to abide by woke gender ideology rather than federal law. And then lastly, I’ll be joined by Angela Morabito of the Defense of Freedom Institute to discuss what’s going on in four school districts in Kansas and why her organization has drawn the Department of Education’s attention towards that situation. So we have a lot to bring your way today. Certainly, you don’t want to miss any of it. If you do, you know where to go. I encourage you to keep it handy. Our website, TonyPerkins.com. And, of course, there’s a lot of resources there available for you as well. And don’t forget, coming up October 17th and 18th, our PrayVoteStand Summit in Chino Hills, California. You can visit PrayVoteStand.org for more information on that. Okay, let’s jump into some of the specifics for today. The European leaders are back to work in their own home countries now after participating in Monday’s White House summit on the Russia-Ukraine war. And part of that work is on peacekeeping efforts and forces that they plan to provide. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., the Trump administration maintains that there will not be American boots on the ground, but says there might be some other options, including maybe air and satellite support. So how might the coming weeks unfold with all of this? Well, let’s see. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman John McGuire. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, as well as the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He represents the 5th Congressional District of Virginia. Congressman McGuire, welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to see you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Hey, good to see you, Jody. Thanks for having me on. I gotta tell you, blessed are the peacemakers. And by the grace of God, we got President Trump back in the White House. I think he’s negotiated six treaties. And I remember during the campaign, the only world leader that said, I just wanted to well, I just want people to stop dying. And that was President Trump. So he’s working very hard to get peace in Ukraine. He met with Putin. He met with Zelensky. And I think we’ve all been asking for that for years. But the one thing that should be noted is that Putin himself said there would have never been a war if President Trump was in the White House. President Trump is an incredible leader. He’s once in a generation, once in a lifetime. And I trust the decisions he’s making. I don’t want boots on the ground either. But if you look at when Israel took out, well, they got air superiority in just two days in Iran. And we took out the ability for Iran to kill millions of people with nuclear weapons. We did that without boots on the ground. So technology is advancing and we have the greatest military, the greatest air force. And so I know if anyone can make the deal, President Trump can make that deal.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I was actually just thinking of that verse as well this morning, going over it in my head with the Sermon on the Mount and the peacemakers. But let me ask you this, after the meeting that Trump had with Putin, what do you take now of Putin’s actions having the very large attack on Ukraine today? How is that, do you think, going to interfere with potential peace talks?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, I think the world saw who the stronger leader was. And obviously, I believe that’s President Trump. And I think he’s trying to show that he’s still strong. But like I said, Trump is actually getting them in the room. And no other leader than Trump could have gotten all those world leaders to come in and talk to the table. They’re willing to put boots on the ground in Europe, and they should. That’s their neck of the woods. And like I said, it’s going to take some time, but I think we’re going to make some progress.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you were, and I don’t know that all our viewers and listeners are aware of this, but you were a Navy SEAL before coming to Congress. So as these efforts for peace and the talks continue, can you go over what a peacekeeping force in Ukraine might look like? And that would include both from the European leaders’ perspective, but also the U.S. here. If we’re not going to have boots on the ground, but possibly in the air or satellite or whatever, what might those peacekeeping forces look like?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, one thing is that I think President Trump is playing 3D chess. You remember he talked about in Ukraine negotiating mineral rights. Well, if those negotiations work out and we have Americans there and we build American mineral mining facilities and we have Americans there, that makes it a little bit different if Russia wants to come back into Ukraine. So I think developing partnerships, helping out with air superiority, although there’s a trick with that as well as accidents do happen. But I think having troops from other countries in Europe on the ground, I think that’ll send a different message to Russia, maybe deter them with further aggression.
SPEAKER 07 :
Is it not looked upon, though, even if we have maybe not boots on the ground, but boots in the sky, so to speak, with air support? Is that not considered boots on the ground and participating in this as well? In other words, how can the U.S. be involved without having boots on the ground in some regard, be it literally on the ground or in the air?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, technology has come a long ways and we can provide information that helps other air forces. I mean, there’s just many ways we can collaborate. And I saw a control room where they went in and took out the nuclear facilities in Iran, where you had Israeli soldiers and American soldiers in the same room communicating.
SPEAKER 07 :
So do you think there’s maybe a possibility then through sharing intelligence and so forth, maybe European troops in Ukraine under U.S. command? Is that type of thing an option?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, I wouldn’t say they’d be under U.S. command, but I think what you said, sharing intelligence makes a big difference. And how could a smaller country stand up to a country so much bigger? For example, there’s only 10 million people in Israel and probably… 90 million in Iran, yet they had air superiority in just two days. So with the right technology, the right intelligence sharing, the right equipment, makes a big difference.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, so if Russia, let me just throw this out, if Russia strays from the path, which seemingly they seem to be doing already, but if they stray from the path that President Trump has laid out, what kind of actions do you think this administration should take?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, one thing I’ve learned about President Trump is he says what he means and means what he says. So if he comes up with a negotiation and there is an agreement and you break that agreement, he’s going to handle that in a very strong way. Like I said, he’s the art of the deal. We have the best military in the world. I don’t want to see our troops on the ground and get involved in a foreign war any more than any other American. But I think President Trump’s going to have a very strong deal.
SPEAKER 07 :
Good point. He does say what he means and means what he says. I think the world is becoming more and more aware of that all the time. If I can, Congressman, switch gears with you a little bit and let’s hop over to Israel. Of course, you were recently there. In fact, why don’t we start with that? Why were you there and what were the type of things that you saw and heard?
SPEAKER 05 :
So as a freshman member of Congress, they have a freshman trip led by AIPAC to Israel, every freshman class. And it was heartbreaking. It was enlightening. It was inspirational all at the same time. It was heartbreaking in that I was at a university UVA the day before I went to Israel, and students were yelling, free Palestine. I didn’t know what to say, so I would respond back, free the hostages. but after going to israel and seeing video footage from the hamas terrorist where they cut off body parts played soccer with it burned people shot teenagers in the back and i told the media you know how i know this they videotaped it and the media is not reporting it it is unspeakable evil It’s a story that’s not being told. And I even talked to Bibi Netanyahu. I talked to Ambassador Huckabee. I said the United States and Israel is losing the messaging on this issue because it’s just one sided. And of course, Bibi talked about algorithms and big tech. It’s a battle. As you know, it seems like the left owns the media. But I saw people that despite having seven fronts, we visited the Golan Heights, we went into the West Bank, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem. We were in Jerusalem. Despite all of the challenges, these folks are still getting married, still celebrating, and they’re very resilient people.
SPEAKER 07 :
Very resilient.
SPEAKER 05 :
Amazing.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, it is. Less than a minute left, but let me, last question. Israel’s defense minister said they’ve approved now that they’re going into Gaza City and calling up as many as 60,000 reservists to do that. Your thoughts on this latest development?
SPEAKER 05 :
So I had a one-on-one discussion with Bibi Netanyahu, and he was a special ops guy. I’m a Navy SEAL. From one special ops guy to another, I said, look, you understand there’s a bully on every corner in the world, and if you don’t stand up to a bully, it just gets worse. And you’ve got to rip the Band-Aid off. I’ve got a heart for the hostages, but if you don’t finish the job, you’re going to have more Israelis dead and more hostages. The next day, he announced he was going to go in and finish the job. I’m not saying it’s because of what I said, but maybe I was one more voice in his ear. We gave Hamas terrorists $40 million a week under the Biden administration. Trump and Congress, we stopped that. But instead of feeding their children, building buildings, they built 500 miles of underground tunnels and they used that money to get through the Israeli border and murder people. And we’re putting an end to it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you, Congressman John McGuire of Virginia. Great to have you on the program. Appreciate you joining us today.
SPEAKER 05 :
God bless you. Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Coming up, I’ll discuss some shocking, shocking numbers coming out of Nigeria, the most deadly place in the world for Christians. So don’t go away.
SPEAKER 14 :
Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn’t outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there’s a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple, the abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger, and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let’s stand for life and end this mail order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
SPEAKER 20 :
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory. Family Research Council invites you to join our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan as we reflect upon the life of Jesus, the Word who dwelt among us. Come with us and discover the glory of the Word. Read the Gospels and witness the life-changing story of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection. Come read how Jesus transformed the lives of common people and how those same people transformed the known world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Come with us for 10 to 15 minutes a day and read the entire New Testament before the new year. Find our Bible reading plan in daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc.org slash Bible. Join us in Stand on the Word.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, filling in for Tony. All right, a watchdog group in southern Nigeria has released a new report that’s absolutely shocking. They’re claiming that at least 7,087 Christians have been murdered, massacred across the country this year. In addition to that number, they’re saying more than 7,800 were violently seized or abducted for being Christians. Now, statistically, folks, we break this down, it comes down to like 32 Christians being killed every day in that country and 35 Christians being kidnapped every day in that country. And these are like at minimum numbers. In the report, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law noted that a designation of Nigeria by the Trump administration as a country of particular concern is, quote, belated and long overdue. And I can tell you my next guest is among those who would agree. Joining me now to discuss this is Clint Lyons. He’s executive director of iReach Global. He recently visited Nigeria, where his organization has been serving affected believers despite the threat of violence. Clint, welcome to Washington Watch. It’s great to have you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Thanks for having me on, Jody. Appreciate it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Okay, let’s talk about over 7,000 Christians massacred in Nigeria so far this year alone. That’s much more than what we’ve seen in recent years, and we still have four months to go. So how big of a shock are these numbers?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I would say it’s shocking, but it’s not surprising. Last year, we had probably around 3,100 Christians who were killed for their faith in Nigeria. And just to see in the first eight months of this year, that number skyrocketed to over 7,000. And like you said, 30 Christians a day in Nigeria are being wiped off the face of the earth because of their faith. And this is something that’s been a long time coming. We’ve struggled with this administration in Nigeria, the current president and the officials there. They have over and over again shown that they are a little bit uncaring about the plight of the persecuted Christians in their country.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. Now you were recently there. I mentioned that introducing you first. Tell us, if you would, probably many are not familiar with the work that you do. So tell us about the work of your organization, what y’all do, and then tell us about what you saw, what you heard while you were there in person.
SPEAKER 02 :
So I Reach Global, we work to support these persecuted communities. We do it through caring for them physically, helping them grow spiritually, and then eventually our goal is for them to be able to impact their communities with the love of Christ and even reach their persecutors. And I was there just a few weeks ago, actually, and I met with many of our frontline workers who had just returned from some of these areas that had been attacked recently. They walked into villages where the mass graves were still fresh, where the buildings were still smoldering. And to call it disheartening, it just doesn’t capture how you feel about those types of things. You know, you see videos. I see videos from our contacts on the ground with mothers’ bodies on the ground with crying babies strapped to their backs. And I see videos of fathers who were gunned down just going about their day. This is a level of brutality I could not have ever even imagined.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. Well, I know back in 2020, during the first Trump administration, Nigeria at that point was rightfully so designated as a country of particular concern. But then the Biden administration came along and lifted that designation, despite the fact of what you’re describing, it’s the deadliest place in the world for Christians. So what message did that send when the Biden administration lifted that designation?
SPEAKER 02 :
It sent the message that the US is not going to hold you accountable. You know the US gives so much money billions in foreign aid every year and especially looking at Nigeria. Nigeria is a big recipient of that and to just give him a blank check and say you’re not going to be held accountable for these violations in your own borders. it sends a terrible message. And I think a lot of it is where we are today is a result of that. And so I firmly believe, and I would encourage Secretary Rubio and President Trump to redesignate Nigeria as a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, you know, I can only imagine had it been during the Biden administration, this type of actions being brought against the LGBT community in Nigeria, what kind of response there would have been. You can only imagine that. But when it comes to Christians, it’s like we’ll take away that CPC designation. So what, in your understanding, your opinion, should the message be to this administration when it comes to Nigeria?
SPEAKER 02 :
I think we as Christians in America must speak with our voice and speak with our vote. We need to contact our local representatives, and while it’s the State Department that would designate a country of particular concern, we know it’s Congress that holds the purse, and so we need to put pressure on our elected officials to ensure that this happens. And you know, form of action we can take. We need to pray and we need to take action here. You know, a lot of times we feel like we don’t know what we can do, what we should do, but go in and help these communities to recover, to care for them in their suffering and to help them grow and to help them go from just surviving, those who survive, surviving to thriving. You know, so many of these are internally displaced persons who have nowhere to go and we need to help them.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. And one more time, Clint, real quickly, how can people get in touch with iReach Global for more information?
SPEAKER 02 :
Right. Well, iReachGlobal.org is our website, and if you feel led to go and to help in this particular situation, there’s a giving link right on the front page where you can help us rush what we give as what we call survival kits to Nigerian believers. And this is food, it’s daily toiletries, other necessities, and many times if the person wants, we give them the Word of God as well, a Bible, so that they have that. And not only just to help them feed their souls physically, but spiritually as well.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you so much, Clint Lyons, Executive Director of iReach Global. We appreciate you keeping this on the forefront, and we will certainly call on our folks to pray. By the way, FRC has a publication that unpacks why the Trump administration should label Nigeria a country of particular concern. If you’d like to read that, visit frc.org slash Nigeria CPC. and you can read that report. All right, coming up next, the redistricting battle in California is headed to the courts, and we’ll talk with Doug LaMoff about that. Stick around.
SPEAKER 12 :
At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. That’s why FRC President Tony Perkins went to Capitol Hill to testify on behalf of persecuted Christians in Nigeria. Islamist terror groups target Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria with brutal violence. Representative Chris Smith, who chaired the hearing, said 55,000 people have been killed and 21,000 abducted in the last five years alone. The congressman also stressed that 89% of Christians in the world who are martyred are from Nigeria.
SPEAKER 19 :
Yet the government of Nigeria has failed to make progress against religiously motivated persecution of Christians despite religious freedom being enshrined as an essential human right in their constitution.
SPEAKER 12 :
Tony Perkins called for the United States to send an unmistakable message.
SPEAKER 08 :
This is systematic religious violence. Nigeria must be redesignated a country of particular concern. The Biden administration’s removal of this designation was a reckless mistake that emboldened the very terrorists who are slaughtering Christians.
SPEAKER 12 :
Redesignating Nigeria will enable the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians.
SPEAKER 08 :
These are not just numbers. These are fathers, their mothers, their children, their families.
SPEAKER 12 :
Bishop Wilfred Anagabe risked his life to speak out, sharing firsthand accounts of the danger faced in his church district in central Nigeria.
SPEAKER 18 :
We live in fear because at any point it can be our turn to be killed. But to remain silent is to die twice. So I have chosen to speak.
SPEAKER 12 :
FRC is calling on President Trump to act now to promote religious freedom around the globe and speak up on behalf of Christians in Nigeria.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your host Jody Heiss filling in for Tony. Thank you so much for joining us today. All right. Yesterday, Republican state lawmakers in California filed a lawsuit to stop the rushed backroom redistricting efforts of California Governor Gavin Newsom, along with the Democrats there. And during a press conference yesterday, California State Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher He noted how Democrats are willing to evidently violate state laws, violate the Constitution, violate their own rules that were designed to ensure that voters can engage in the legislative process. And Republican lawmakers are urging California Supreme Court to stop the effort because of all those reasons. And, you know, after all the talk these days about threats to democracy, You have to ask yourself, are the Democrats really championing that threat? Well, joining me now to discuss this is Congressman Doug LaMoffa, who served in the California State Assembly and the State Senate before coming to Washington. He represents the 1st Congressional District of the Golden State, and he joins us now by phone. Congressman LaMoffa, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 24 :
Hey, Jody, thanks so much. Glad to be on with you and on Tony’s show. Really appreciate it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, we’re glad to have you as always. All right, for those who are not aware, break down for us, Congressman, how should the redistricting process actually work?
SPEAKER 24 :
Well, it’s really clear in my own state of California, the voters spoke very loudly that they wanted it in the hands of an independent group of people, not in the hands of legislators as witness. As long as I’ve been around, well, let me put it this way. Back in 2001, when they drew them themselves, The joke was that they drew what was called the incumbent protection plan. So after the propositions were passed to put commission in place, the last two times, the last two censuses, and then the redrawing of the maps were done independently by the commission. And you didn’t have legislators taking an eraser to the state of California’s maps and drawing lines that fit themselves. We’re actually seeing in this scenario here, that in order to gain favor amongst their colleagues and get the aye votes they need, they’re actually asking them to draw these five new districts. It’s like, hey, it’s a free fall. There’s actually five new Democrat districts under this plan that they’re actually going to draw them in such a way it’s favorable to create at least a couple for termed-out Democrats from the legislature so they have a congressional seat to run in. So you tell me, I mean, you said democracy at the height there, and the Dems use that word. I don’t use that word because we’re a constitutional republic. But whatever the word democracy means to them, this isn’t it. This is something, it’s the most blatant example, I think, of a power play I’ve seen in all the years I’ve even observed politics, at least in my home state here. So it’s amazing that they think they’re making away with it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it’s what a democracy really is, which basically is, to them, mob rule. And that’s what they’re trying to do here. So if the Democrats’ plan actually goes through, Congressman LaMoffa. What will the effects be? What would happen? You started going there, forgive me for cutting you off, but what would happen if their plan actually goes through?
SPEAKER 24 :
Yeah, if this survives, I mean, they have to legislate something onto a ballot. They’re going to hold a special election in California in November that the price of about $235 million… And we’re getting the feedback from each county on what the counties believe it will cost them. We’re getting numbers like $350,000 for some really small counties that already have trouble keeping their deputies on the street. But it may not even be legal for these lawmakers to be making maps because the measures that put the commission in place clearly states lawmakers are not to draw the maps. So what they’re doing is they’re going to draw the maps first, and then they say they’re going to go to the ballot and ask people the permission to set aside the Constitution on that. There’s an interesting interview of one of the lady assembly Democrats. They were asking her, so who actually drew the maps? And she just wouldn’t answer this question. She said, finally, basically it doesn’t matter. I mean, do you ask the chef at the restaurant how he made the food, you know? This is a public process. And so if you want to see that, a reporter named Ashley Zavala was reporting that. The Assemblywoman would not answer the question. So it’s amazing. The Democrats have a three-to-one majority in Sacramento, so it’s easy for them to pass two-thirds legislation and still have members to spare. And so they’re only affecting the congressional seats. They’re not doing this on the… the Assembly or state Senate seats because this is a pure power play on trying to affect Congress. But the commission is clear. The Constitution is clear. The people spoke clearly. They do not want legislators’ grubby hands running the eraser and the ink on new maps.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, it’s already way out of balance. How many Republican representatives from California versus Democrats?
SPEAKER 24 :
Oh, good, good point. There’s 52 members of the House in our state. It’s 43 to nine right now. OK. And so this would take it down to only four surviving Republicans if their scheme somehow works out. And maybe there is an upset or two or whatever. So you would end up with, what, 48 to four, you know. And so I never believed that. Yeah. And so, you know, the last election here. Trump was able to poll, I think the number is about 38%, so that means over a third proportionally would be that way. So, I mean, district lines are drawn differently. You don’t necessarily get a representation based on proportion. But the proportion might be at least somewhat at the ballpark, right? So it would be so distorted this way. And we see a lot of other blue states. We’re going to have to end it right there. Okay, sir. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
Congressman Doug LaMoffa of California, thank you so much for joining us. I appreciate you coming on.
SPEAKER 1 :
Okay.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Coming up, we’re going to turn to developments on the education front coming out of both Virginia and Kansas. So stick around. We’ll be back right after this break.
SPEAKER 22 :
Download the new StandFirm app for Apple and Android phones today. You can join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We’ve created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective. Read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events, and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family, and church members. And of course, stand firm wherever you go.
SPEAKER 01 :
At Family Research Council, defending the family isn’t just a mission, it’s our daily calling. Every team member at FRC uses their God-given talents to stand for biblical truth, protect life, and uphold religious freedom.
SPEAKER 09 :
Here at Family Research Council, we face many threats to the family, threats that have been with us for some time. Abortion, the gender ideology threat, the attacks on marriage, the attacks on parental authority, and the attacks on religious freedom. We have to promote, support, strengthen, and incentivize family growth so families take their place in society in a place of honor.
SPEAKER 23 :
I’m defending the family by working in the Center for Biblical Worldview to provide cutting edge research and resources for pastors, ministry leaders, and Christian parents.
SPEAKER 17 :
Through my work at the Washington Stand, I passionately defend what God has defined for marriage and family. I don’t see the Washington stand as just a place to talk about cultural events. It’s a place to share biblical truth. It’s a perfect outlet to advance and defend what God has defined as good, true, and beautiful.
SPEAKER 16 :
Because of you, we’re able to frame things in such a way that help Christians stand for truth on the things that matter most like life, faith, family, and freedom.
SPEAKER 09 :
Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for your support. It is so critical to the work that we at Family Research Council are doing day to day as we support and strengthen the family. So thank you.
SPEAKER 06 :
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 15 :
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.
SPEAKER 06 :
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 15 :
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 06 :
Order today at embracethedesign.com.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, good afternoon. Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss, filling in for Tony. And just a quick reminder, our PrayVoteStand Summit is coming up in Chino Hills, California, this October 17th and 18th. And you can learn more about it. You can even register by going to PrayVoteStand.org. That’s PrayVoteStand.org. Okay, we have five school districts now in Northern Virginia that will be stripped of federal funding because they’ve chosen to abide by woke gender ideology rather than federal law. Among them is Loudoun County Public Schools, which recently suspended two male teenage students for expressing discomfort with having a biological female in the boys’ locker room. Incredible. Well, with me now to talk more about these developments is Victoria Cobb. She’s the president of the Family Foundation of Virginia. Victoria, welcome back to Washington Watch. It’s great to see you.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks so much for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Let’s, if you would, go into more details about what happened to these two teenage students in Loudoun County.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes, our legal arm, the Founding Freedoms Law Center, is representing technically three boys who were all investigated under a charge of sexual harassment because a girl decided to go into the boys’ locker room and record, cell phone record, these boys complaining about the fact that there is a girl in their locker room. One of the boys was exonerated by the school district, and two have now been handed down a guilty punishment. They are expected to serve a suspension, 10-day suspension, and they have been given the assignment of working with the administration to create a plan of correction. So that’s what’s going on.
SPEAKER 07 :
So why was the girl not charged with sexual harassment for going in there to start with, but then going in there and videoing the whole thing? Why is it that the victims are the ones who are charged here and the one who’s really created the problem gets to walk?
SPEAKER 10 :
That’s exactly right. The boys did actually file a Title IX against the girl for being in their private space and recording them. The school district dismissed that effort, and then we know that that is a complete violation of a Loudoun County policy that one cannot videotape in a locker room. And to date, we know of no punishment for that activity that she did to start this whole mess.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. Well, of course, this is not the first incident that we’ve seen even on getting national attention from this particular school district. What kind of history do they have?
SPEAKER 10 :
this is just the thing when you have bad policies they create bad situations so they have a terrible policy allowing biological boys and girls bathrooms and vice versa and it started we had the situation in this county where they actually had a sexual assault in a bathroom because a child used this policy to walk in and and commit a crime um they also had a teacher that was fired um and we had to deal with that that was a a different organization that did the litigation there but again because he wasn’t willing to lie that a boy can become a girl and vice versa. But this idea that people stick to the truth, that they speak out, and that the county tries to come against them is just tragic. And parents are gonna protect their kids in private spaces. They’re going to defend these boys’ rights to be in a locker room without a girl.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. It’s interesting, too, and I’d like for you to go into this with me if you can. While all this story was breaking, the U.S. Department of Education has now announced actions that it’s coming against Loudoun County Public Schools and for other schools, for that matter, in Northern Virginia. Can you kind of lay out for us the details on that?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, we’ve got five counties in Virginia. This one, Loudoun County, is one of them who are all refusing to comply with President Trump’s understanding and executive order of how Title IX should be interpreted. And that would require them in this county to undo this 80-40 policy that they have, this idea that boys can be in girls’ bathrooms and vice versa. And so they refuse to do that. And so it has come to the point where the Department of Education is saying they’re likely to revoke federal funds into these school districts. And even knowing that the school district to say thanks, but no thanks. Now how Loudoun County has $100 million to spare and they can just sort of, you know, casually say we’re not interested. I have no idea because you know, normally we hear the case where school districts are just pleading that they need more money, but apparently they are more wed to the woke ideology and to a false reality than they are to ensuring that kids get the proper education and receive the funds that the district needs.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I mean, that’s a great point that they are married to this whole woke ideology in spite of federal law and so forth going against it. What does this tell you about certainly with these these four school districts, but even what we’re seeing culturally, a willingness to just in your face violate the law?
SPEAKER 10 :
It really is remarkable, and I think the average American is stunned that we have gotten to the point where this delusion of transgenderism, that we can allow people to pretend that they are a sex that is not the biological sex that they were given by God, the fact that this delusion has gotten to the point and that we have entire school districts held hostage to this idea and that they are willing to literally suspend children, fire teachers, and now reject federal funds. And everyone knows it’s not just a Loudoun County problem. Many people experience this in their counties all across the country. And parents know it’s not just these boys getting suspended. If it can happen to these boys, it can happen to their children. And so there really is a tide turning. Parents are finally coming out and saying, look, we’re not willing to abide this. And we are seeing movement on this issue.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, Victoria Cobb, thank you for being one of those voices that is being loud and clear. President of the Family Foundation of Virginia, Victoria, thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 10 :
Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, the five school districts there in Northern Virginia are not the only ones that the Department of Education has its eyes on. In fact, under investigation right now are four school districts in Kansas that have also been accused of violating Title IX. Joining me now to discuss this issue is Angela Morabito. She’s the Director of Media Outreach and spokesperson for the Defense of Freedom Institute, which had… Frankly, they were the ones that drew the attention of the Department of Education to these four school districts. Angela, welcome to Washington Watch. Thank you so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you so much for having me, Jody. It is great to be with a fellow Georgian.
SPEAKER 07 :
Hey, well, go dogs. Of course. Well, we better move on from that. All right. Angela, talk to me. Your organization has informed the department student privacy policy office about these four different school districts. What brought all of that about? What brought issues to your attention?
SPEAKER 11 :
Sure, well, DFI is on the forefront of protecting Title IX from attacks from the left. And those attacks come from, in many cases, woke bureaucrats in the states who have decided that for some reason they believe Title IX is optional and that schools should keep secrets from parents. We know that is not true either morally or legally. So we hear from parents and folks in their communities. We also do our own research. But we file complaints all across the country, among our other work encountering the teacher unions and protecting education freedom. We filed this series of complaints against school districts and states that have decided to allow boys and girls sports and spaces And in this case, in these four districts in Kansas, they’ve decided that it should be school policy to not tell parents when a child rejects his or her own body.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. All right, so the complaints have come, I mean, y’all were, you were there right in the middle of the complaints. Were these school districts notified previously of their violations? Did they receive previous complaints from parents? Or was it just y’all? How does this process develop?
SPEAKER 11 :
So the Department of Education has an Office for Civil Rights, and as a former Department of Education press secretary, it would be hard for me to overstate just how important that office is. We don’t have any way of knowing who else might have filed complaints, but we do know that Secretary McMahon credits the Defense of Freedom Institute in her press release announcing investigations into these four districts. So we know that the complaint we filed actually prompted the Department of Ed to take a very strong interest in this and to investigate whether or not the law is being followed. And ultimately we hope bring these districts into compliance.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. Congratulations on that. That is huge. And listen, that just illustrates the point that as we speak up and expose things like this, that action happens. I mean, things happen when we are a voice and when we bring to light things that need to be brought to light. So thank you for doing that, and congratulations for being heard to this extent. Now, let me ask you this, Angela. Is there… Anything within any of these school districts in Kansas, is there anything, any loophole, any way whatsoever whereby they might be able to justify their failure to abide by the law as it relates to Title IX?
SPEAKER 11 :
I don’t believe so, because there are no loopholes in Title IX, and there aren’t really any loopholes in FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Those laws are really clear about what schools’ obligations are to their students and to parents of minor children. So even when these districts’ policies sound a little bit wishy-washy, like, well, we might involve a parent, or we’ll handle gender identity issues on a case-by-case basis, That right there is a problem because it violates Title IX, which says no discrimination on the basis of sex. That means doesn’t matter how you woke up feeling this morning, doesn’t matter your self-image or what you would like to be, matters who you are and how you were born. We’re working with biological reality. And until there are loopholes in that, I think these four districts are going to have a very hard time defending policies that just don’t add up.
SPEAKER 07 :
Very well said. So what does it communicate to you? What does it communicate to parents? When we see school districts, and I don’t know if you heard my previous guest from Virginia, they’re dealing with similar things, just outward defiance of the law. What are we turning into when we are watching one school district after another in different parts of our country thumb their nose at federal law And and thunder knows that parents and parental rights and just indoctrinate these kids with what they want to teach them. What are what is this communicating from a broader perspective, do you think?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, it tells parents that they don’t matter and that schools have more authority over children than the parents do. That’s just wrong. It violates basic common sense, common decency. And in these cases, it also violates the law. But when we have investigations like this one from the Office for Civil Rights, it puts every district on notice. It signals to them, you can’t hide your misbehavior. We’re going to find these unlawful policies and we’re going to get them corrected. we’re either a nation of laws or we’re a nation of feelings i think the past administration wanted us to be a nation of feelings but there is thankfully a new sheriff in town who is saying if you want federal dollars you need to play by federal rules yeah and you would think that that would be listened to you would think so what what do you anticipate is going to come from all of this shining of the light on these violations I love that you use the phrase shining the light because sunlight is the best disinfectant, and I think we’ll see that here. When I talk to people about this story in Kansas and similar stories in Northern Virginia, places like New York and California, the answer I get is like Kansas. Really? And I say yes, Kansas really just because you live in a red state or even a red district does not mean that woke bureaucrats are not trying to break the law. So parents really cannot afford to ignore what’s going on in their children’s schools. They can’t afford to look away. This is something everyone needs to be aware of, and I look forward to seeing the results of the department’s investigation.
SPEAKER 07 :
So are you seeing parents come on board with this? I mean, is there momentum developing to address this from a parental perspective?
SPEAKER 11 :
There is absolutely motivation and energy behind this movement. And these parents, a lot of them are unlikely activists. I lived in DC for almost 13 years. So I’m kind of what people might think of as a political person. But what I’ve seen and heard from around the country is people who have little to no interest in politics these are just moms and dads saying i don’t want my daughter to be forced to change clothes with a man in the locker room it’s not a partisan issue this is an issue of right and wrong and i think that’s part of why we see such a strong uprising of parents who regardless of who they are where they live maybe even how they vote they know that violating Title IX is not right. And it’s transformed into this massive issue that school districts cannot ignore any longer.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, you mentioned the surprise, and I’m glad you did bring it up as a surprise, because it was to me as well, that Kansas, of all places, I was not anticipating, I would not have anticipated something like this in a place like Kansas. But you referenced North Virginia, New York, California, all these other places. Angela, we have viewers and listeners all across the country. And as you referenced, things like this seem to be happening everywhere. What would you say to parents right now across the country who either are experiencing this or are suspicious that something like this is going on or that it could go on? What would be your message to them?
SPEAKER 11 :
I’ve got two pieces of advice, and the first is really simple. It’s just be aware. This back to school season, you’re probably getting a flurry of emails about district policies and bus schedules and sports schedules and all that good stuff. Don’t just click delete. Please know what is in your school district’s policies. You cannot afford to be unaware. The second is, if and when you see something wrong, please reach out to us at the Defense and Freedom Institute. We’re at dfipolicy.org. We hear from parents all the time, and it is at the core of our mission to protect your rights and the rights of your children. So please do not be shy about reaching out if there are ways that we can help.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, looking into the future real quickly with all this, are we going to see a victory?
SPEAKER 11 :
I believe so. I think the tides are turning, not just in Washington, but very much in communities around the country where parents are standing up and saying, we’re not going to take this anymore. Your previous guest had a great story about teenage boys calling out the gender ideology nonsense and saying, yeah, we’re not going to put up with this. So I think the days of wokeness are numbered, and I can’t wait to see it become a thing of the past.
SPEAKER 07 :
We join you in that. Thank you so much, Angela Morabito. I’ve got my tang tongled up there. Thank you for joining us so much. God bless you. Thanks for standing firm. And friends, that wraps up this edition of Washington Watch. Hope you have a fantastic evening and we’ll see you again tomorrow right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 13 :
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.
