On today’s program: Kevin Cramer, U.S. Senator from North Dakota, reacts to House GOP leadership’s legislative priorities and reflects on the first week of the second Trump administration. Valarie Hodges, Louisiana State Senator, shines a light on
SPEAKER 09 :
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 01 :
If you’re in the country legally, you’re on the tape. because it’s not okay to violate laws of this country. You’ve got to remember, every time you enter this country illegally, you violated a crime under Title VIII, United States Code 1325. It’s a crime. So if you’re in a country illegally, you’ve got a problem.
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That was Border Czar Tom Holman on ABC’s This Week. Welcome to Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for tuning in for this Monday edition. As federal authorities continue to arrest and deport those here illegally and work to secure our borders, is there a next step to address the broader issues in our broken immigration system? We’ll talk with North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer about possible solutions. And House Republicans are gathered in Miami today and tomorrow to discuss with President Trump the way forward on several issues, including a one or two bill approach to reconciliation.
SPEAKER 10 :
Some big decisions will be made here in the next few days, and we’ll align with the Senate and our colleagues there, and we will move forward on that agenda. The reconciliation process, the appropriations that we have to wrap up, and the other issues that are upon us.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier this afternoon. Well, speaking of the speaker, I’ll share a portion of my conversation with him over the weekend about the importance of protecting the unborn.
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It’s really never been more important than it is right now for all of us to speak with moral clarity and conviction and consistency about that issue. It is the foundational principle of America that we recognize the right to life as a self-evident truth.
SPEAKER 07 :
More of that conversation with the House Speaker coming up later on Washington Watch. Sports fans, of course, are gearing up for the big game, the Super Bowl, coming up in a couple of Sundays in New Orleans. But along with the excitement, there’s growing concern about whether or not the halftime show will be family-friendly. Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges joins me to discuss the concerns being raised by a group of legislators and pro-family organizations. And finally, today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. 80 years have passed since the Holocaust ended and the international community once vowed never again. Yet with the brutal actions of Hamas in Israel, those words are being tested. Over the weekend, four hostages were released, though their release was anything but humane. More are expected to be freed this week as a part of the ceasefire hostage deal between Hamas and Israel. Carolyn Glick joins us later from Israel with the latest. Stay tuned for these topics and more right here on this Monday edition of Washington Watch. And be sure and get… the first 100-day toolkit, so you can go to work during these first 100 days of the Trump administration to get your toolkit and everything that’s in it. Text the word toolkit. That’s one word, toolkit, to 67742. As I mentioned, House Republicans are in Florida right now for their annual issues conference. And as we speak, the main event is taking place. It’s a keynote address by President Trump. Now, the goal of this gathering is to merge with a clear path forward on a number of must do items, including what we’ve been talking about or hearing about for a number of weeks. Reconciliation. Is it a one bill, two bill or a three step process? Well, hopefully they’ll know later this week. Joining me now to discuss this and much more is U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. He serves on four Senate committees, including the Armed Services Committee and the Banking Committee. Senator Cramer, welcome back to Washington Watch and Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you.
SPEAKER 02 :
Good to be with you, Tony. I sound worse than I feel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I’m glad. I’m glad. You look great. So from what you’ve heard and what you’re saying, what’s going to be the top items that Republicans are going to be working through this week to move things forward?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah, I think the main topic has to be the reconciliation process. And it’s important and it’s appropriate that the president is with House Republicans because they really have to drive this ship. They have the narrowest margin. They have some discontent among the troops. They need to unify. And I think whatever we get done, whether it’s one bill, two bills, three bills, one big, beautiful bill, it’s really got to be driven by Speaker Johnson in the House because he’s got the bigger task to get them united. So whatever they can get done in the House, I’m pretty sure we can follow up with the Senate.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, in my conversations with the Speaker and other members of the House, there’s still a lot of division on that side of the Capitol, let alone what happens in the Senate. I do think it’ll probably be a little bit easier to get the Senate to come along. But it’s important. Timing is important because the clock is ticking.
SPEAKER 02 :
It is. So the good thing about the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act being extended is they don’t expire until the end of the year. So we do have some time there. That’s why this debate about do we take up reconciliation, a small package that deals with the border, make sure that Tom Holman and Kristi Noem have the resources they need to continue the work they’re doing to build the wall and all of that, because that’s an immediate crisis. Or do we have more leverage with a big package? And so those Those are the things you have to work through. But you’re right, the clock is ticking. And what I worry about, Tony, as much as anything, the tax cuts are gonna take a while. It’s complicated. Frankly, I actually value the simpler the better. A clean extension of the existing Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would make it all permanent law. While we should be able to improve it, maybe that’s gonna be too much. We’ll just have to see about that. But you’re right, we can’t waste any time. And remember, Right now, our priority in the Senate is to confirm as many of the cabinet secretaries as possible as quickly as possible. And on that front, we’re quite a ways ahead of time.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, you’re doing quite well considering past frames of reference. But you’ve got a lot to do because President Trump, I mean, he hit the ground running last Monday with a whole list of individuals that need Senate confirmation. So you’re going to be busy for a while confirming different posts, not just the Cabinet posts, but different appointees and nominees that he’s made. I want to go, Senator Kramer, I want to go to the issue that you brought up about the border. Because what we’ve seen is about a 90 percent increase in detention and removal of illegal aliens that came into this country illegally. And we played a clip at the top of the program. Yes. Homan’s been very clear about this. They’re going after the worst first. They’re going after those who are criminal. But just to put this in proper reference, 538 arrests on Thursday, 493 arrests on Friday, 286 on Saturday, and 956 on Sunday. I think everyone is—I would think everyone but the criminals are happy that these violent gang members, rapists— violent immigrants that are here illegally are being removed. But there are some that have been in this country because of our broken system for decades that have families that are very much a part of the community. What’s the next step here?
SPEAKER 02 :
Yeah. So it’s a great point, Tony, because not all illegal immigrants are created equally. Well, they were created equally, but not all of them are equal today. And that’s why the focus has been on the criminals, the violent criminals and whatnot. At the same time, when you pick up some violent criminals, you’re going to find some other people that are here illegally. probably more recently, and they certainly need to remove them as well. With regard to people who have been here decades, I think we have to have a different track. And the president has always, in fact, in many cases, been much more open to different pathways for DREAMers and others than most Republicans. But I also think it becomes a bit of a negotiating tool at the same time, because to really deal with the problem, we have to fix our legal and our illegal immigration system, and make sure that our economy can meet its potential We should have a skills-based immigration policy. If you need more engineers or surgeons, we should have more H-1Bs. If you need more farm workers, we should have more H-2As. And we just don’t have that flexibility in our system. Every other country in the world does, but we do not. Tony, I think the reality is that first things first, and that’s what really sends the message to the other countries. Look what the president did over the weekend with the president of Columbia. And the other would-be illegal immigrants are looking at what’s going on in the last week in the United States and going, I think I’ll change my plans next week. I’m not going to try to get into the United States. And also that there are people who are here who suddenly don’t feel as welcomed as they used to. And maybe we’ll leave. I think you’re going to see a big shift in the behavior of countries and would-be illegal immigrants that will help sort of work through this. But we do have to get our house in order when it comes to the one million plus legal immigrants that come in every year, about 800,000 or more of which don’t bring a skill set or an education that’s in high demand and an economy that is constrained by A workforce shortage. So there’s a lot of opportunity here, Tony, for people on all sides to come up with solutions, I think.
SPEAKER 07 :
But we’ve we’ve broken the stalemate, which is a good thing. And as you said, by this action, the president, by doing this, he is forcing resolution. And people who are looking at what’s happening say, you know, I’m as you said. I’m changing my plans. I’m not going to be crossing that border illegally. We’re already seeing detention centers at the border being closed because they’re not coming in. He did it in the last term when he was president, and I’m certain he can do it again. And then hopefully we can get people to the table to talk about a realistic solution. immigration system that, as you said, is based upon what is best for America. I just want to add something, and I think you would agree with me, Senator. You made the comment that we have a shortage of workers, and we do. We have a shortage of workers. We’re also skilled workers in working in particular fields. I would also say that our view historically of the sanctity of human life and the abortions that we’ve allowed in this country has been a part of creating that vacuum.
SPEAKER 02 :
Indeed, Tony. When you think of how many potential workers have been murdered in the womb, it’s a crime on so many levels. The humanitarian crime is first and foremost, obviously. But what it’s done to hurt our economy and our economic growth, robbing people who can’t have children from the opportunity to love another child. Tony, this is why I’m the co-chairman of the Adoption Caucus, because I just think we need to deal with all sides of the life issue, including demonstrating compassion for mothers that find themselves in a difficult pregnancy, their children who find themselves, you know, facing an abortionist rather than a future. We as the church and as people of faith need to talk about this in every aspect of it because that’s what the church is supposed to do.
SPEAKER 07 :
And that should be reflected in our policy. Last week, the president taking a number of executive steps to address the life issue. So he’s approaching it on all fronts. But you as well, you last week, in honor of the annual March for Life, you and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney reintroduced the Unborn Child Support Act in support of mothers-to-be and their children. So we’ve just got about a minute left. Talk a little bit about that bill. Sure.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, what that bill does is it puts the fathers on the hook with an unborn child just as they would be with a born child. And by the way, it gives the mother the first right of refusal, if you will, so she can opt into this. But we just feel like both parents should have some responsibility in an unwanted pregnancy, perhaps, including the father. The challenge with that, Tony, is there’s a lot of liberal groups that have supported that legislation, but people who are strongly pro-abortion, they don’t like it because there’s a recognition there, even if they’re a liberal, there’s a recognition there that the baby is, in fact, a human. And so it’s important legislation that I think we can get some bipartisan support for. Who knows? Maybe this is the time that we can actually pass it.
SPEAKER 07 :
100% agree, and it helps change that conversation and bring the humanity… to the unborn. Senator Kramer, always great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us here on Washington Watch today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Always my pleasure. Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right. Take care, my friend. All right. Coming up, the Super Bowl is less than two weeks away and more than 100 million Americans are expected to watch the big game. Question is, will families this year again be forced to switch the channel during the halftime presentation? Well, there’s some lawmakers here in Louisiana taking steps. We’ll talk about it.
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During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we’re making an eternal impact. 2024 was a year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. Last fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray, Vote, Stand Summit to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC’s outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with the community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God’s intervention in America. In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel’s peace, prosperity, and protection. With Pray, Vote, Stand Decision 2024, FRC and Real Life Network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God. We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and Government. Launching early this year in January 2025, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us, and we look forward to 2025 and standing for faith, family, and freedom.
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Looking to grow closer to God in the new year? FRC’s Stand on the Word spiral-bound journal is here to help. Dive deeper into scripture with thought-provoking questions, note-taking space, and context for each book and author. This second edition, covering Isaiah 2 Revelation, will guide you in tracking your journey through God’s Word while deepening your faith in Christ. Order now at frc.org slash store or text journal to 67742. Perfect for you and your loved ones.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. Well, sports fans are preparing for the big game. Yes, the Super Bowl coming up February the 9th in my home state of Louisiana in New Orleans. Unfortunately, though, there is more than just football. At the big game ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl, a group of Louisiana legislators led by state Senator Valerie Hodges are raising concerns with local sports officials and organizers about the lack of family friendly content in past Super Bowl halftime shows. And they’re calling for this year’s performance in New Orleans to align with the state’s community decency standards. Louisiana taxpayers heavily invested in hosting the event. They emphasize the importance of protecting children and upholding family values. What a novel idea. Well, here’s the question. Could this year be the year families won’t have to switch the channel during the halftime presentation? Joining me now to discuss this is Louisiana State Senator Valerie Hodges. Senator Hodges, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to see you.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you. Good to see you too, Tony. Thank you so much for having me on.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I appreciate you initiating this effort. I’ve actually signed on to this letter that went to the sports, the Super Bowl officials. Explain the main concerns that you have raised in this letter.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, the main concerns, Tony, is the fact that what you stated, whenever we have a Super Bowl, which millions of people watch, tens of millions of people watch it, we have to turn the channel during the halftime show. And my family included, we’re big football fans, and we’ve had to turn it off in the last few years almost every time. And this is not a new thing, but It’s increasingly over the years becoming more and more inappropriate and more vulgar for children, especially. And we just wanted to send a message and raise awareness that Louisiana is a family oriented state. And we’ve done a lot in the legislature to protect children from that. being exploited. And so when you have to turn the channel, I remember the speaker of the House saying he had to cover his children’s eyes when the halftime show came on. And so the fact that Louisiana taxpayers are funding this event, I think we have a say. And we’re hosting this massive sports event And Louisiana is a family oriented state. Right. And we’re just asking him to be aware of that. Why did these halftime shows have to be have so much obscenity or just inappropriate, vulgar material in it? It’s just really necessary.
SPEAKER 07 :
In the letter to the officials, you go all the way back to citing different incidents going back to 2004 where we had the wardrobe malfunction. And it’s kind of like they push the envelope. What can they get away with? And then it just increasingly gets more provocative. The sexual content is blatant. What better time? to draw a line and say, hey, you’re coming to Louisiana. We have community standards. In fact, in this last legislative session, we passed even more laws to protect children. This could be the place where the Super Bowl cleans up its act.
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I hope so, because they certainly have not listened to the viewers. In the past, there were thousands of complaints, formal complaints, to the SEC about this and to the NFL, but they continually get worse. And when we saw the sexual crotch shots and the sexual groping and, like you said, the wardrobe malfunction, Every year it’s gotten worse in the profanity that the children are exposed to. You know, Tony, when you go to the movie, there’s a content warning, you know, P or R, and you decide whether or not you want to see that. But when that flashes upon in the middle of a football game, it’s unexpected. And so our job as parents and citizens is to protect children and protect their innocence. And I’m excited about that. Hopefully this message will be heard, and they have not heard in the past, but I believe the fact that we have lawmakers on here, we have national pro-family groups, statewide family groups, local family groups raising their voices saying, we’ve had enough, and just make this family-friendly, family-oriented. That’s what we’re about.
SPEAKER 07 :
And Senator, it’s not only about just protecting children, as important as that is, but it’s also about upholding community standards, which we elect. We elect people to pass laws that reflect those community standards. And we shouldn’t let someone come. You’re not going to let somebody come into your house and dump garbage in your living room. And that’s what we’re talking about here when it comes to inviting them into Louisiana. They need to abide by the community standards that have been adopted by the citizens of Louisiana. Now, have you heard back from any of the officials associated with the Super Bowl regarding the letter?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I haven’t heard back from any of the officials. I have got confirmation that they did get the letter, and they are taking a look at it. You know, we had the event last week with all the snow, so a lot of people couldn’t even get to work. But they did receive the letter. They’re not necessarily opposed to what we wrote in the letter, and we’re waiting to get a response from them. You know, Tony, I read something yesterday, even the airline industry. is putting codes of decency for dress. Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines are saying, I wrote down a quote, it said that no see-through clothing, exposed breasts, robotics, or other parts, private parts would be permitted to be on the plane. And that, so you’re seeing a move towards decency standards. And even on the airline industry, the movie industry does content warning. And the NFL, I believe they should be responsible and uphold those community standards that we have in Louisiana, that Louisiana is leading the way in so many things. And I believe in this this time that we can lead the way on this issue, too.
SPEAKER 07 :
One final question for you, Senator. Part of this provocative halftime show, I would argue, fuels something else that unfortunately has become associated with Super Bowls, and that is human trafficking. It becomes one of the largest human trafficking events is the Super Bowl. Are officials going to be looking at that issue and monitoring that more closely to try to enforce the law when it comes to human trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes?
SPEAKER 13 :
Absolutely. I’ve served on the Human Trafficking Commission, and we are very well aware that human trafficking is exponentially higher during the Super Bowl. There’s going to be added state police, law enforcement. I believe they’re monitoring the Internet for different, in the dark web, that those transfers take place. And so there’s groups that will be down there. talking about human trafficking. So hopefully that this can set a precedent, the fact that the halftime shows are, I believe that they can be family-oriented, family-friendly, and they don’t need a content warning to go with them. And if they don’t change, then hopefully we can do some things to enforce those laws that we have. But they are laws on the books, and hopefully they won’t be violated.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, Senator Valerie Hodges, I want to thank you for joining us today and thank you for leading out on this to to try to make the Super Bowl family friendly.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I appreciate you, Tony. Y’all have a great day. Thank you. All right. Coming up, we’ll I’ll share with you a little bit of my weekend interview with House Speaker Mike Johnson. So don’t go away. We’re back after this.
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Have you ever been to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC? Well, now you have a special reason to be there on Wednesday, February 5th. First, you can take part in the third annual National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. God’s ways are higher than our ways. The Lord clearly reveals in Scripture any nation that genuinely worships Him is a nation with leaders willing to repent and ask forgiveness for sins. The NGPR is a unique public gathering where scores of congressional leaders, including Speaker Mike Johnson, join with international leaders representing more than 50 nations for one sole purpose. Forgive our nations against you and you alone have we sinned. You can be there in the room to pray along with members of Congress, dignitaries from other nations, and Christian leaders from across the U.S. The NGPR is hosted by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Dr. Jim Garlow, founder of Well-Versed World, along with Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and former Congresswoman Michelle Buckman. Right after the prayer and repentance gathering, participants will move to the World Stage Theater for a private update on important events happening in Israel. and watch a preview of the historic new documentary on the Megiddo Mosaic, the most remarkable archaeological find in Israel since the Dead Sea Scrolls. This is truly a one of a kind opportunity to learn what’s going on behind the scenes in Israel and how it could affect the whole world. Both of these Bible-honoring events require tickets. Go to PrayDC.org, register today to attend in person on February 5th. As a bonus, your ticket grants you free admission to experience the rest of the Museum of the Bible. Seating is limited for both events. Go to PrayDC.org to get tickets today.
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This is Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. If you’ve not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, I want to encourage you to do so because available exclusively on the app is our first 100 days toolkit, which will help you get involved with moving important policies forward during the new Trump administration. The toolkit equips you with tools to find your members of Congress, support key legislation, and get insights on nominees, pray effectively, and much more. So go to the App Store and download the Stand Firm app or simply text TOOLKIT to 67742. Well, following Congress’s busy first week with President Trump back in office, I spoke over the weekend with House Speaker Mike Johnson for the latest edition of our weekend program called This Week on Capitol Hill. And we discussed several developments that we saw unfold last week. Among the topics was the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which passed the House last Thursday by December. A vote of 217 to 204, with only one Democrat joining the Republicans in support. The day before, the bill failed to advance in the Senate when none of the Democrats voted in favor. What does this tell us, when only one Democrat in Congress is willing to support a common-sense bill that says you’ll give aid to a child who survives abortion and is born alive? Well, that’s… This is how I got into that discussion with Speaker Johnson. Listen. Mr. Speaker, the House passed the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, and this is a big deal because they’ve been trying to do this for a long time and it was blocked repeatedly. Now they had the opportunity, they passed it, but the Senate fell short when every Democrat in the chamber voted against it. Now, this is a bill that would simply say if a child survives an abortion, is born alive, that they should be given medical attention. What does this tell us about the state of our nation and quite frankly, the Democratic Party.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, it tells you a lot about the Democratic Party. I mean, they’re so wed to their positions, you know, being against life that they will take this vote. We only had one Democrat in the House voted with us. And think of it, Tony, and, you know, this is a—everybody needs to understand what this is. A child is born alive, a failed abortion attempt. There’s an infant child lying there on the table gasping for breath and crying. And they voted that that child should not receive medical attention, life-saving attention. It’s just stunning to us that they would do that. But that’s how dug in they are on their pro-abortion strategy and their pro-abortion ideology. And they can’t even acknowledge the humanity of a child that is actually born. I think there’s going to be a lot to say about that in the days to come and in the 2026 midterm elections. I mean, people need to see elections really do have consequences. And you send someone to Washington who votes against the life saving measures for an infant. It’s really something it’s hard to get around.
SPEAKER 07 :
I mean, I guess to be accurate, this shouldn’t be described as. abortion, it’s really infanticide because you have a child who is alive. If you think about this, if you have someone that’s on the street that is gasping for air, having a heart attack, everyone’s going to respond to try to help that individual. In fact, other lives are risked to help that individual. But here in this case, you have an entire party saying, let them die.
SPEAKER 10 :
Yeah, and it shouldn’t be a political question. I mean, it’s a question of basic humanity, like basic morality and ethics, and they could not bring themselves to vote the right way on that. It’s really, to me, it’s just almost hard to believe, but here it is again. We had the same bill in the last Congress, and almost every Democrat voted against it. This time, again, only one House Democrat voted to save the life of a child in that situation, and it’s really shocking.
SPEAKER 07 :
Speaking of the life issue, Mr. Speaker, this week, President Trump issued pardons for nearly two dozen pro-life activists who had been imprisoned by the Biden administration, the Department of Justice, under the Federal Access to Clinic Entrances Act, FACE Act, for simply, in some cases, you had grandmothers who were simply praying outside of these abortion clinics. And these were all nonviolent individuals. First off, I’m grateful that the president has done this, but it’s shocking when we have to wait for an election to get justice for the American people.
SPEAKER 10 :
It really is. In my prior life, you know, before I get into politics, as you know, as a constitutional law attorney and litigator and defended a lot of pro-life cases and on occasion in the state of Louisiana, where we’re both from, you know, someone would be arrested on a sidewalk for peacefully praying outside of an abortion clinic. In this day and age, in this era now, under the Biden Department of Justice, we’ve talked about so many times how it was weaponized. They really did. They very aggressively prosecuted anyone who would get anywhere near a clinic just to peacefully pray, peacefully protest. Clearly protected activity under the First Amendment. And they put all these people in jail. And finally, you have a new president who says enough already. And he pardoned them. And that was a really important step. You know, this past week, we… Also had the March for Life, a great event to stand up for that freedom and for the sanctity of human life. And it’s really never been more important than it is right now for all of us to speak with moral clarity and conviction and consistency about that issue. It is the foundational principle of America that we recognize the right to life as a self-evident truth. And we need this generation of Americans to see it the same way and to exercise those freedoms to talk about it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, again, we are grateful and celebrate President Trump releasing these political prisoners, is what they were. But the underlying issue is the law, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act phase, which was enacted back in the 1990s under Bill Clinton. Is there a chance that we’re going to see many of these tools that have been used to weaponize government removed during this administration?
SPEAKER 10 :
Yes, we’re looking at all of that. And you’ve seen the flurry of executive orders to begin to attack this stuff. And we’re going to have to codify a lot of these changes. So in the legislative arena here in the House and Senate, we’ll be looking to fine tune the law to ensure that our most fundamental freedoms are protected. And that’ll be an ongoing theme of this administration.
SPEAKER 07 :
That was my conversation with House Speaker Mike Johnson on This Week on Capitol Hill. You can watch the entire program on the Stand Firm app. After the break, I’ll be joined by Carolyn Glick of the Jewish News Syndicate from Israel. So don’t go away. More to come.
SPEAKER 14 :
As President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration approached, a powerful prayer gathering took place in Washington, D.C., drawing Christians together to intercede for our nation.
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The church does not recapture its prophetic zeal. It will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority. God help us to recapture that prophetic zeal.
SPEAKER 05 :
This is not an inter-religious service. We will not be praying to Allah or Buddha. We’ll be praying to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We’re talking to God, a holy, righteous, just God from a nation that desperately needs the touch of this God.
SPEAKER 04 :
We’ve not been a secular nation. We don’t want to be a secular nation. We’ve been a nation built around God, and our history shows that.
SPEAKER 14 :
The well-versed and family research council led the inauguration praise and prayer convocation, urging attendees to pray for the incoming presidential administration and for the church to embody holiness and righteousness, champion biblical justice, and proclaim truth prophetically.
SPEAKER 07 :
Lord, may this not be the end, but may this be the beginning, this convocation, this gathering. And may we commit to pray and to seek you and to walk in your word and in your ways. In Jesus’ name, amen. Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But do you know the Bible talks about four institutions of government? Do you know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn’t be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 15 :
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SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us on this Monday. Let me encourage you to join us next Wednesday at the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance. It’ll be at the Museum of the Bible Wednesday morning, 7 a.m. If you can make it to D.C. There’s room for you. There’s still room. Seats are going quickly, but you can still join us. To find out more, go to PrayDC.org. That’s PrayDC.org. Or you can also join us online via the Stand Firm app. You know, as we want to see America made great again, the only pathway to political greatness is through moral goodness. And that’s the role of the church. And in this moment that we’ve been given, we need to call America back to God. So join us this coming Wednesday for the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance, Wednesday, February the 5th. Our word for today comes from Jeremiah chapter 1, where the Lord tells Jeremiah, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I ordained you a prophet to the nations. God said he knew Jeremiah in the womb. How do you know a fetus? How do you know a blob of tissue, as Planned Parenthood describes the baby in the womb? Well, God makes it very clear. He recognizes human life in the womb as fully known and destined for his purposes. Thankfully, Jeremiah’s father, Hilkiah, was not influenced by the evil king Manasseh, who seduced the people into sacrificing their own children on the altar of the false god Molech. Not unlike sacrificing of children today on the altar of convenience, abortion. The killing of children is a symptom of idolatry, removing God from preeminence, which will eventually bring judgment upon a nation. We must recognize abortion is a symptom of spiritual compromise. and the church must lead the way in dealing with the underlying spiritual apostasy. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742. On Saturday, the Hamas terror organization released four female Israeli soldiers as a part of its hostage and ceasefire deal with Israel. In exchange, Israel later released 200 Palestinian prisoners, including 121 who were serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks against Israel. While Israel celebrated the release of the four women, it is keenly aware that the agreement that was made with Hamas comes at heavy cost. And part of that cost appears to be allowing Hamas to regroup and even rebuild. Join me now to discuss this and more is Carolyn Glick. She’s a senior contributing editor at the Jewish News Syndicate and host of the Carolyn Glick Show on JNS. She joins us from Israel. Carolyn, thanks so much for joining us this evening.
SPEAKER 08 :
It’s always a pleasure to be with you, Tony. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let me start with this. Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II and the Holocaust and the nations coming together saying this promise never again. But with what we’ve witnessed in the last year and a half in Israel with Hamas, those words lack meaning, do they not?
SPEAKER 08 :
They do. And, you know, I think it’s notable as well that the prime minister of Ireland, who’s an anti-Semite, was given the honor of doing the keynote speech at the ceremony yesterday. And he gave a speech that was riddled with slanders against the state of Israel and the people of Israel. So, you know, I think the never again issue is a two way street. One is the Jews must never allow this to happen to us again. but also the Gentiles of the world have to stop hating Jews. And it’s that kind of genocidal Jew hatred that we saw on display on October 7th. And then with the massive support that Hamas received from nations and from political movements throughout the world, we see that, unfortunately, 80 years have passed, but the sort of outburst and wave, really, of anti-Semitism that has washed along planet Earth over the past year and three months has been somewhat of a shock for most people. And it shows that we have to fight this. It’s not a matter of just being vigilant. It’s actually fighting it.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, and I would add, it’s not just the Jewish people who should be fighting this. I believe, and my call has been to Bible-believing Christians, people of the book, that would stand with Israel and fight back on this as well. You’re right. I mean, it’s been there, it’s been latent, but in the last year and really last few years, We’ve begun to see this percolate up and then, of course, obviously reaching a crescendo, a zenith on October the 7th. I say that as a backdrop to this conversation that we’re going to have about the four hostages that were released over the weekend. Obviously, that’s being celebrated. There are still more that need to come home. Let’s talk about those four for just a moment because there’s some controversy surrounding the release and the way they were released and how Hamas paraded those four young females through the streets there in Gaza.
SPEAKER 08 :
Look, I mean, Hamas, we know, has been victimizing women. The Israeli women who fell in their path on October 7th were brutalized in a way that nobody imagined was possible, not only in every way. and by large mobs. And then they stole from Israel also seven of our soldiers and many, many civilian women and girls, children who they were holding as hostages. We know that one of the released hostages who was released in the first trench of hostages back in November of 2023 was acknowledged, admitted publicly that she was raped by her captor. And so these four that were released on Saturday are IDF soldiers who were captured in their pajamas from their base. while 16 of their fellow soldiers were massacred in the most brutal way. And they saw it happen as they were being captured. And they were brought back to Gaza. There were seven in total who were taken. One, the last one, is expected to be released hopefully on Friday. One was murdered and one was rescued shortly after October 7th by the IDF because she was able to snatch a cell phone and call for help. And they located her and they were able to save her. So Hamas is a horrible organization or movement or mindset for its adherents. in terms of the way that they treat women, particularly captive women who are not Muslims. And so that was a national nightmare, having these women. And hopefully, in the course of the lifespan of this 42-day deal, we’re supposed to get all of the females that are being held captive in Gaza. home, at least the ones that are alive. And so that’s what we’re looking towards. But yes, they’ve been serially victimized in the most brutal ways. And then on Saturday, it was no different. And actually, on Saturday, when they were released, you saw not only that, but you saw how everything that Hamas does is theater. And they’re backed, of course, by the Qataris and by so many others in the international media who credence all of their lies. So they built up this fake stage for where they were declaring victory over the Zionists or whatever. They put the girls in fake uniforms and they paraded them up on stage in front of a crowd of men carrying automatic weapons and whooping and made them play roles. And so they were told, you know, that they had to smile and put their hands up and stuff like that. And it’s all theater. And it’s to demoralize Israelis. And it’s to make people who support Hamas and support October 7th feel triumphant and that, look, this is a side that’s winning. And we should side with them and we should join their cause because the cause of jihad is triumphant. So it was a revolting display, but it was also very authentic in the sense that you saw all of the cruelty and perniciousness and insidiousness of Hamas on display.
SPEAKER 07 :
So let me contrast that. After those four were released, Israel released 200 terrorist criminals. Where was that parade held and what cameras were they marched in front of?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, well, they were actually, you know, they were received in triumph in villages all around in Judea and Samaria and in Gaza. And, you know, again, I mean, hopefully we’ll find them and we’ll just kill them all afterwards because, you know, these are mass murderers. I mean, some of the worst murderers, you know, I’m sure you remember and maybe your viewers do as well. But in 2000, the Palestinians rejected a state and peace with Israel, and they launched under Yasser Arafat at the time. In the PLO, they launched a jihad against Israel. And we were having almost daily suicide bombings that were massacring Israeli civilians in cafes and universities and their homes on buses. Everywhere you turned, there was another suicide bombing. And we had four years, there were peaks, like in 2002, of almost daily or daily and almost daily assaults and almost daily massacres. And a lot of the people who perpetrated those massacres, which are very fresh in the memories of any Israeli who was alive at that time, are being released now. And so, you know, this is what they value. They value murder. And it was kind of clearly on October 7th.
SPEAKER 07 :
My point is Israel did not try to exploit those 200 criminals when they released them. They released them according to the deal, unlike what Hamas did in releasing these four hostages and exploiting them for theater.
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, we didn’t humiliate them.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right, exactly. That’s my point, because Israel, even though they don’t like the terms of the deal, they treat humans as humans, and they’re not exploiting it as we see with Hamas. And I think this shows the difference between the two sides. Now, let me talk a little bit— about the hostages that remain. There’s 33 due to be released in this first stage. And now, we found out over the weekend, 25 of those are alive. Eight have been killed. So, it’ll be eight bodies that will be returned. There’s 90 remaining hostages. I believe there’s 35 of the remaining have been killed as well by Hamas. Is Hamas living up to the terms of the deal?
SPEAKER 08 :
I mean, they’ve been breaching the deal from the outset. I mean, from being late and giving us the names of the women who they released in the first tranche to not releasing the hostage that they were committed to releasing last Saturday to, you know, having these kinds of pageants when they released the soldiers, as we saw yesterday, and just an innumerable number of breaches. They’re Israel prefers to get back the hostages for now before we—I mean, we’re obviously tabulating all the breaches, and we’re waiting, because the whole point of this deal is to get as many live hostages back as possible. It’s not to make peace with Hamas.
SPEAKER 07 :
Right. Well, there’s two war goals. Right. We’ve talked about that. There’s two more goals. And one is to get the hostages back, get the Israelis back into Israel. And the second is to eliminate Hamas as a threat. Now, during this six-week ceasefire, there seems to be evidence, I’ve been reading reports, that Hamas is regrouping, reorganizing and rearming. Is there concern that that is in fact happening?
SPEAKER 08 :
There’s tremendous concern about what’s happening. But, you know, it’s the nature of the beast. I mean, Hamas is a genocidal terrorist organization. So we’ve killed a lot of their terrorists, but they’re, you know, hiring new recruits because also there’s fake humanitarian aid that they’re demanding, 600 trucks of goods coming in. It’s all under Hamas control. And so they can sell it all. And that’s just money in their pockets so that They have the money to hire new recruits, and they’re really the only hiring game in town since Gaza is just a smoldering pile of rubble. So, you know, they’re hiring new terrorists to join their ranks. But that’s not the same as having those sort of veteran, well-trained people who came in and invaded Israel on October 7th, albeit unarmed. with thousands and thousands of civilians from Gaza who joined in the carnage. All the same, it’s not the same military organization today that it was on October 7, 2023. I think, you know, these are calculated risks. I mean, if Israel were to agree to go, you know, any further in this deal without Hamas being completely dismantled, then that would already represent an existential threat here. It’s just, it makes our job harder because it’s setting us back significantly in terms of the military achievements we’ve been able to accomplish on the backs and with the lives of the best of our young boys who are the soldiers in this war. So I think, you know, it’s a horrible price that we’re paying, but, you know, we have to get as many hostages back as we can without endangering the victory in this war. And I think that the prime minister made a calculated risk, and he believes that we’re going to be able to accomplish the goal of annihilating Hamas and preventing Gaza from ever posing a threat to Israel in the future, and get this deal done and get the 33 home.
SPEAKER 07 :
Carolyn, we only have a couple minutes left. Final question here for you. What appears to be a ray of hope in this deal is President Trump over the weekend making the statement that Egypt, Jordan should take these Palestinian refugees, allowing Gaza to be cleaned out, which would be a great way to eliminate the threat of Hamas by moving these folks elsewhere. Is that possible?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, of course it’s possible. Look, Egypt is in breach of a binding humanitarian law of war that requires people to provide refuge to civilians in armed conflicts. And Egypt has kept their border closed and banned Gazans from coming in to seek refuge in Egypt or in any third country through Egypt. So that all of the people screaming about civilian casualties in this war really should have been pointing fingers all along at one person, which is Egyptian President al-Sisi, who has shut the borders and prevented them from leaving. The same could be said, of course, of Jordanian King Abdullah. Ninety percent of his population are ethnically Palestinians. Why he isn’t letting their brethren come into Jordan? Again, it’s—and that’s one thing. But the brilliance of President Trump is that he’s willing to look at a problem, an old problem, in new ways. And the fact of the matter is that the Palestinians proved that this was a zero-sum game. It’s either going to be them or the Jews on October 7th. And what he’s saying is, look, there are 22 Arab states. Move. And it’s not going to be you. People like you can’t have states. I mean, he doesn’t say that. And maybe he wants a state for the Palestinians. But the people of Gaza have proven themselves beyond a shred of a doubt that they have no interest in peaceful coexistence with Israel. And by the way, again, Gaza is a smoldering shard of rubble. And so what they want to do there is unclear. So he’s offering a way through. that will provide Israel with victory, its people with security, the people of Gaza with a possibility of living in peace somewhere else.
SPEAKER 07 :
Carolyn, we’re going to have to leave it there. We’re out of time. Maybe we can sort of GoFundMe account and help make that happen. Carolyn, thanks for joining us. Folks, thank you for joining us. Until next time, keep standing.
SPEAKER 09 :
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