In today’s episode of Washington Watch, the focus intensifies on the ongoing government shutdown, its impact on SNAP benefits, and the backlash from the political standoff. With SNAP benefits drying up, particularly affecting 1 in 8 Americans, host Jody Heiss and guests dig into the current state of our political landscape. We also cover the pivotal case of Finland’s Bible tweet trial, potentially affecting Christian free speech in Europe, as Paivi Rasanen faces charges over a tweet.
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from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
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Democrats need to stop playing politics with the livelihoods of hardworking Americans and open the government now by voting for the clean resolution. We are here today because SNAP benefits run dry tomorrow.
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That was Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins earlier today warning that vital programs supporting millions of Americans in need could run dry if Democrats continue to hold the government hostage. Welcome to this October 31st edition of Washington Watch. I’m your Friday host, Jody Heist. Thank you so much for tuning in. Coming up today, Finland’s Supreme Court takes on the Bible tweet case that could literally reshape free speech in Europe. A Christian lawmaker there faces hate speech charges for quoting scripture on marriage. Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, will be joining us to break that down. Also, Congresswoman Mary Miller from Illinois will share the latest on the impact of the government breakdown. All right, the government shutdown now enters day 31 and millions of Americans are just days away from losing food assistance. The SNAP benefits are scheduled to expire Saturday with no deal in sight and Congress still largely at a standstill. And joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper. Casey, all right. We’ve been hearing it day after day all week long, but what happens next? Is there any sign that lawmakers might act before millions of people actually go hungry?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, unfortunately, Jody, no, not right now. We don’t have that sign. The Senate has adjourned for the weekend, and, of course, the House remains out of session. So this shutdown, which is already stretched on for a month, is about to cost about $8 billion a month for SNAP, or the food stamp program, which is running dry. And it’s actually going to run dry for the first time in 61 years.
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If there was any way to fund SNAP during the Democrat shutdown, you can be assured that your commander-in-chief would do it. But we are now reaching a breaking point. Thanks to Democrats voting no on government funding now 14 different times, SNAP benefits for millions of American families are drying up. It’s about one in eight people in this country who rely upon this to literally put food on their table.
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Now, states say the government should tap emergency funds to keep the benefits flowing, but federal lawyers say the money can’t be used that way legally. And even if they did use it that way, they don’t have enough in their reserves to pay for the full month’s benefits, let alone into the following months. And even if the courts intervene, those delays in the legal process could still leave families waiting for weeks for their grocery cards to delay. So these issues and other things like airport delays are ratcheting up the pressure on Democrats, Jody.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, the pressure certainly is ratcheting up, as you say. Let’s switch gears, Casey, a little bit. At the center of a lawsuit in Loudoun County, the public schools there, this is drawing national attention right now. Why is that?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, it’s drawing national attention for good reason, Jody. So Loudoun County Public Schools is facing a new lawsuit accusing it of punishing two Christian boys. So you might ask, well, what did these boys do? Well, their crime was they complained about being filmed by a transgender student while in the boys’ locker room. The boys got in trouble with the school. They got suspended. But the biological girl who filmed them didn’t get in trouble, didn’t get suspended. So the boys’ lawsuit claims that the district ignored evidence, deleted recordings, and even leaked confidential details to a political group that then publicly smeared them. federal officials have already warned the district it could lose federal funding if the suspensions aren’t reversed and this case it comes from this is kind of amazing but it comes from the same Virginia school system that was previously criticized you may remember for covering up a transgender assault at Stonebridge High School in 2021 Jody
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, not all the right reasons to be making national news for sure. Casey, let me ask you one more question. There are reports going around right now that the DOJ is investigating the left-leaning group Black Lives Matters. What are they looking into? Do you know?
SPEAKER 17 :
Sure. Well, the Justice Department has launched a federal investigation into whether Black Lives Matters leaders defrauded donors out of tens of millions of dollars collected during the 2020 protests. That’s according to AP and other media outlets. Now, investigators have issued subpoenas and executed search warrants targeting the BLM Global Network Foundation, which raised about $90 million after George Floyd’s death. Critics say the group misled supporters and used donations for personal gain, including a $6 million mansion. Of course, BLM denies any wrongdoing, but the probe is adding new scrutiny to a movement that has long been accused of exploiting racial unrest in the country for political and financial gain, Jody.
SPEAKER 07 :
Casey, thank you so much for these updates. Certainly no lack of news out there. Thank you for keeping us in the loop. All right, I want to go back now to the government shutdown and discuss the latest with a member of the House. Last night, for some of you, you joined us. FRC and the House Freedom Caucus hosted a prayer call in light of all that’s taking place right now in our nation and in the world, and the government shutdown was among the topics that was prayed about.
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We need your guidance and we need your wisdom, Father, for each member of Congress. Father, we just lift up the Senate right now and pray for the Senate and pray for unity there where we can actually pass these bills and get the government going again.
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That was Congressman Andrew Clyde last night praying. He was a part of that prayer call. Also participating in that was my next guest, Congresswoman Mary Miller. She represents the 15th Congressional District of Illinois. She also serves on the House Agricultural Committee, which is highly in the news right now. And I’m honored to have her joining me right now. Congresswoman Miller, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thank you for having me, Jody. And it was great to be able to participate with the other members in the prayer meeting. And specifically, I really appreciated your prayer and your comments about the deception that is so widespread in our country. And, you know, Washington Watch, what a great opportunity for people to actually get the truth. Thank you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, thank you for participating in that as well. I thought it was just a powerful thing. And whenever you have a prayer time that is led by members of Congress and put together, I think there’s something spiritually that’s very powerful in that. So thank you as well as all your colleagues in the Freedom Caucus for putting that together. And it was an honor for FRC to be a part of that. If I can turn and shift gears now a little bit to the shutdown issue. What’s been getting seems like all the attention right now is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, which is a part of the Ag Committee, which you’re a member of. But literally, we have millions of people who could be impacted by this as these funds begin to come to a close beginning tomorrow. Are you surprised at all that the Democrats are willing to go this far to appease the far left in their base?
SPEAKER 16 :
I am not surprised at all. I want to remind people that under Joe Biden, they, in my opinion, committed treason. He and my workers orchestrated the invasion of our country. And now they are like the Democratic whip. who is in leadership for the Democrats, Catherine Clark came out and said that they are using the suffering of Americans, the shutdown, as leverage to try to get their radical priorities, which would include healthcare for illegals.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, it really is stunning that they’re willing to go this far. And the legacy media, quite frankly, is right in this. They’re no doubt going to vilify Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. She joined the Speaker of the House today, as you well know, for the press conference. But she actually made the comment that perhaps a silver lining in all of the upcoming freeze on the SNAP program is that it’ll be drawing attention to just how bloated that program is. Your thoughts on that comment?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I think that’s great, but I just wanna remind people that the Democrats lie without shame. I wanna remind them again, they said the border was secure when they let over 10 million illegals in, and now they want us to pick up the tab and cover their benefits, in particular healthcare, but also SNAP benefits. So I think that this is highlighting the abuse And it’s basically unsustainable. Our national debt is probably 37 or 36 or 37 trillion now. They want us to spend another 1.5 trillion in the short term. And they’ve already voted for this CR over 10 times. This is the exact thing that they voted for. They are using this as leverage for political reasons and to advocate for illegals.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and you know, as of right now, at least there’s no end in sight. There’s perhaps a little bit of communication that gives some people at least a glimmer of hope that this might see some sort of end at some point. You would think that the SNAP program, I would, is treasured as that is to not only a lot of people, but the Democrat Party especially loves the SNAP program. You would think that this might be the issue for them to come out of it. Are you hearing, Congresswoman Miller, are you hearing anything from your colleagues or elsewhere that suggests that next week might be a little bit different on Capitol Hill?
SPEAKER 16 :
Actually, I just heard that we are going to be in session next week. I just heard that right before we came on. But I do want to bring up the media. The media has been covering for the Democrats for decades. They’ve been getting what they wanted, which was basically free coverage for their radical agendas. They haven’t. been forced by the media to um defend their policies but the what’s happened is it’s made the democrats more out of touch with americans and more radical and i think americans see it and this is backfiring on them i do want to say from my colleagues we are standing united we’re standing strong we’re not going to be bullied by the democrats into supporting their radical agenda and their spending for illegals
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, and I actually think that’s a part of the reason why the House just, and we just heard that literally as well right before coming on the program, will not be back next week because it puts more pressure on the Senate to act. And I actually think that that is what you are saying. It puts more pressure on them and indicates that y’all are not going to cave. Let me ask you this final question. What is your encouragement right now to the American people at this point in our nation’s history? What would you say to them?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, how important relationships are. The Democrats and the left have tried to divide Americans, and we need to be united. We are a great country, the most free country in the world with great opportunities, but we need to look for building relationships, look to our neighbors, see how we can help each other.
SPEAKER 07 :
Congresswoman Mary Miller, thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. It’s always an honor to have you and deeply, deeply appreciate your leadership on so many fronts and especially for joining us last night. I thought that was a powerful time together. And again, your role and that of the Freedom Caucus to call America to prayer at such a time as this just absolutely means so much, not only to me and us here at FRC, but for our whole nation. Thank you so much. I appreciate you joining us. Take care. All right, friends, we’ve got a lot more to cover. Coming up after the break, we’re going to talk about what’s happening in Finland because this could have enormous implications for free speech all across Europe. The Finnish Supreme Court yesterday started to see the case, the Bible Tweet case. It covers a case involving Dr. Paivi Russo. We’ll give you the latest as to what’s happening there. Enormous implications, so don’t go anywhere. We’ll be back right after the break, so stay with us.
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Our founding scripture for this is Ephesians 6, verse 13. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day. and having done all to stand, stand therefore.
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Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit 2025 brought together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action.
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We are equipping the body of Christ to understand that what is happening around us is not just political. It’s not just cultural. At its heart, it is spiritual.
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we gather in a nation that has torn the foundation apart and we have separated our governing documents for my divine source, Jesus Christ. We need truth now more than ever to guide us.
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I’m believing, God, let this be a testimony of the American church, that we become so full of the fire of the word of God that we cannot contain it. We have to tell people about it. We have to make disciples.
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The idea of America was the idea that our rights don’t come from governments. They come from our divine creator, right? Government’s main job is to protect those rights. And because that was the foundation of America, We’ve enjoyed over the last 250 years more freedom, more prosperity, more stability than any other nation anywhere in the world, and that should be celebrated.
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We are living in a moment. What’s that moment? It’s a prophetic moment on God’s timeline. That’s right. And so he needs the church more than ever to act biblically for the blessing of our political leaders and of our nation.
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The number one issue facing America domestically, which is the epidemic of fatherlessness. 40% of all American children today enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.
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We cannot win the pro-life fight without acknowledging that this is the pro-family fight, that this is the pro-marriage fight. We’re never going to end abortion if we do not secure and shore up marriage.
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We pray that this would be an opportunity, Lord God, for you to use us mere little mortals, but we possess the name of Jesus. God, use us mightily. We pray in Jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen.
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Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your Friday host, Jody Heiss. Thank you so much for joining us. All right, over the past few years, we’ve discussed an ongoing case of Dr. Päivi Russana of Finland. She’s a Christian, she’s a medical doctor, she’s a member of the Finnish parliament, and she was prosecuted in June of 2019 under hate speech laws for merely expressing a biblical understanding of marriage and sexuality on social media and in a radio interview as well as in a pamphlet, catch this, that was printed some 21 years ago. Well, this is now known as the Bible tweet case, and it reached the Supreme Court in Finland yesterday. So how did it all go? Well, here to fill us in is Paul Coleman. He’s the executive director of ADF International, which is in Vienna, Austria. And ADF International has been coordinating PIVI’s legal defense in all of this. Paul, welcome back to Washington Watch. It’s great to have you.
SPEAKER 13 :
Thank you so much for having me. It’s been an extraordinary.
SPEAKER 07 :
It is. Go with that. Kind of introduce us to this case. What is behind it really? Give us how this is unfolding right now.
SPEAKER 13 :
It has been an extraordinary six and a half years. As you say, it began in the summer of 2019. And so just in terms of numbers, PIVI has endured over 13 hours of police interrogation, four criminal charges, two court hearings, or three now, including yesterday, involving 11 different judges. And the case just goes on and on. But in both lower courts, at the district court in Helsinki and then the Court of Appeal, she and Bishop Yuhanna, who was also charged for publishing this booklet 21 years ago, they were acquitted unanimously both times. But under the Finnish system, the prosecutor is allowed to appeal, not guilty verdict. So having lost twice… The prosecutor then appealed this case to the Supreme Court, which took place yesterday. And so it has just been an extraordinarily long and grueling process, both for Pivie and for Bishop Yuhanna. But it went well yesterday. Pivie spoke well, as always, as did Bishop Yuhanna. And we are very confident that the Supreme Court will decide the same way as both the Court of Appeal and the District Court, and hoping and praying for a not guilty verdict.
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So break down for us precisely what is it that they are being charged with? What is the actual crime?
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So Finland, like all other European and Western nations, has criminal hate speech laws. Now, they often don’t use this phrase, hate speech. It’s a generic term that incorporates any number of different laws. But essentially, they are laws that ban speech that some people find insulting or offensive. And Finland has one such law. It’s contained within the Criminal Code of Finland that has the chapter on war crimes and crimes against humanity. And so within that section of the Criminal Code is this hate speech offence. And essentially what it comes down to is Ivy expressing her deeply held beliefs on matters of public interest, matters of personal interest to her in accordance with her Christian faith, matters that emanate from the Bible, the prosecutor says that these things are offensive and insulting and therefore should be criminalized, should be banned, should be punished. And so the case has always been about deeply theological concepts. When Paivi was in the police interrogation stage of this, She actually sat in the police station with her Bible as police officers asked her, what is the meaning of the book of Romans? For example, what is the meaning of Romans chapter one? And then even yesterday at the Supreme Court, I was sat there behind Pivy during the trial, And again, once again, concepts of, for example, sin, what does this mean, was discussed in court. And essentially the view of the prosecutor is that the Christian concept of sin is offensive, and therefore Christians are on notice that if they use this sort of concept that they could be also charged with the criminal offense of hate speech.
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So the real crime is being offensive. I mean, and that’s what it comes down to. And the Bible is looked upon as being offensive in itself in this case. It’s just unbelievable. Now, I’m not sure how the Finnish court system may or may not be similar with the U.S. court system, but I would assume that the Finnish Supreme Court’s decision would not only determine the fate of the defendants, but it would also set a precedent going forward. Is that a fair assessment?
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s exactly right. In fact, there’s never been a case like this in Finland. It will set a precedent for the whole of the country. And the ramifications of the case will extend beyond the borders as well. We live now in this world of globalized law and policy. And what we see all over the place is what happens in one jurisdiction transfers over to another. And so the case will not only set a legal precedent in Finland that will have a huge impact for the entire nation, but it will also have an impact for many other nations across Europe. And the stakes could not be higher, not only for Christians, but for everyone. Because if the prosecutor is successful in this case, then essentially, all finished people will be living in a situation where if what they say, even going back in time two decades, is deemed to be insulting or offensive or hurtful or whatever, then they could find themselves hauled before the courts as well.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow, unbelievable. How would you encourage our viewers, our listeners to be praying right now for this case?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I would say that the encouragement that Paivi and Bishop Johanna have received from the global church has been incredibly encouraging to them both. After the trial yesterday, we sat and had dinner together along with our wonderful legal team in Finland, and we talked about what a blessing it has been to have the global church praying for them, reaching out, offering support. And so I want everyone to know that that is really felt by both Paivi and Bishop Johanna. They really appreciate that and would just encourage everyone to continue praying for them, for their perseverance in what has been a very long trial and ultimately for a victory, not just for them, but for Finland, for all of Europe.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you so much, Paul Coleman of Alliance Defending Freedom International. Powerful case. We look forward to a good outcome and we’ll be praying. All right, friends, coming up, there are more revelations this week on the Arctic frost investigation that some are calling Joe Biden’s Watergate. What more do we know? Well, we’ll let you know right after the break.
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Stay with us.
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For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current landmass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launchpad for terror. Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
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Good afternoon. Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your Friday host, Jody Heiss. Thank you so much for joining us. Okay, this week, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, made public 197 subpoenas that former special counsel Jack Smith and his team issued back in 2023 as part of their case against President Trump over the events that took place on January 26th of 2021 at the Capitol. Well, the 197 subpoenas requested testimonies, communications, and records related to at least 430 named Republican individuals and entities. In speaking with the press, Senator Grassley said the American people can draw their own conclusions from these records that are now public, but the conclusion seemed pretty clear to him.
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Contrary to what Smith has said publicly, this was clearly a fishing expedition. If this had happened to Democrats, they’d be as rightly outraged as we are outraged.
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So what else can we conclude from the latest disclosures? Joining me now to discuss this is former FBI special agent and former Navy SEAL Jonathan Gilliam. Jonathan, welcome back to Washington Watch. Great to have you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, so I’m not sure, obviously, how much of the records you’ve been able to dig through since they were made public, literally hundreds and hundreds of pages. But can you share in greater detail what came out this week?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, I’ll tell you something for me. Yeah, it’s been there’s so much information coming out and I’ve been myself on a protection detail down in South America, so it’s limited what I could go through. But I just started with the actual EC that’s electronic communication to open the case. um and when you look at that going from a preliminary to a full case what typically happens is that an agent will present the information that they found in the preliminary investigation so when you open a preliminary investigation you have a complainant or you have information that leads to the fact that there may be that there’s reasonable suspicion that something is going on illegal so you’ll open up a limited case You’ll look into it and if you find evidence for actual criminal activity, then you can request to open up a full case, which means then it goes fully open so you can access any of the resources of the FBI and carry out a real actual investigation. And when you lay this out in an EC, you will present these evidentiary findings and show that you have reasonable expectations and evidence of these things that there is criminal behavior going on. As I look through the beginning of the EC, I mean, from the very beginning, you can look at the approval, all the different people on the approval list that approved the full case. It reads like a who’s who and who hates President Trump and the FBI. And so when you go past that and you start looking at the fact of what they were presenting, they were just presenting… statements made on new shows and information that was put out by cnn about those new shows by steve bannon and others and they would and they use that as their evidence to further go into it and say we have evidence that crimes have been committed they have no evidence just to actual evidence to actually start a case yeah
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, and based on what you’re saying there, it reminds me, Senator Ted Cruz this week actually called this Arctic Frost case Joe Biden’s Watergate. He called it an absolute and egregious abuse of power. Would you agree with that assessment from what you’re seeing so far?
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, what’s interesting in Watergate is you actually had people break into a place and take information so they could utilize that information. In this case, what I’m seeing, not just here, but really all over the world is that media and social media is now being used as evidence to further cases and investigations in our own FBI. And that’s terribly horrifying when you think about that because the people who are out to use lawfare can go and make public statements that something is wrong or that there’s criminal behavior the media would report that and then they can turn around and use that as evidence that’s what’s occurring so they don’t even have to break into something like in watergate they can just create the evidence through media and sound bites and that’s what occurred here
SPEAKER 07 :
And how dangerous that is when we’re relying on social media as so-called evidence. Real quickly, we’ve just got a little over a minute or so, but it’s been noted that these records that were made public did not come from the agency, but rather through a whistleblower. I think this in itself highlights the importance of whistleblowers for the good of our country. So what’s it going to take to restore confidence for the FBI?
SPEAKER 01 :
excellent question i’ll tell you what my opinion is as we saw today that the fbi has stopped and thwarted a halloween attack right you have dhs that is going after the illegal immigration issue and taking care of that but what is not being faced across the board is this leftist ideological movement that uses media, political lies, created evidence, and really a global movement to injure this nation. What I would like to see is President Trump create a justice czar that works with the agencies, but separate from them, with investigators from all these agencies that goes through and almost does a doge, but looking for all these cases where these leftists exist and work. I think if they did that, it would take the pressure off of these agency leaders and allow somebody to actually focus on this exact thing, which I think is the biggest national security threat we have.
SPEAKER 07 :
great great place to start thank you former fbi special agent and former navy seal jonathan gilliam appreciate your insight all right don’t go anywhere on the other side of the break david clausen will join me for our weekly biblical worldview discussion you don’t want to miss that bring your way right after this break stay tuned how are you handling the pressure of life
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The Apostle Paul knew what it meant to face pressure. He wrote some of the most powerful letters of the Bible from prison. Yet those letters overflow with joy, courage, and unshakable freedom in Christ. Paul’s prison letters is Family Research Council’s 14-day Stand on the Word study guide that takes you deeper into these life-giving truths. calling you to stand firm, rejoice in every season, exalt Christ above all, and extend forgiveness that sets others free. Starting November 1st, join us as we read God’s Word, reflect on God’s Word, and apply God’s Word to our lives. Order your study guide now at frc.org slash prisonepistles. or text letters to 67742. Join us and discover where true freedom is found.
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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 U.S. 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 07 :
good afternoon and welcome back to washington watch i’m jody heiss your friday host thank you so much for joining us today all right before i get to my final guest i want to remind you tomorrow is of course november 1st and for those of you who have joined us on our stand on the word bible reading plan that is the date that we begin our first of paul’s prison letters Over the course of 14 days, we’re going to be going through Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. And we want you to come along and join us and to help you go through the journey of the Bible with us here. We’ve got a new study guide. It’s called Paul’s Prison Letters, and it’s available in print or digital. And to find out or to get a copy, find out how you can, simply text the word LETTERS Letters, plural, to 67742. Come on and join us. This is going to be an exciting 14-day journey. Okay, as we like to do each week on Friday is to conclude the program and the week with our Biblical Worldview segment that basically looks at the headlines of the week through the lens of Scripture. Joining me now for this weekly discussion is David Claussen. He’s the director of the Center for Biblical Worldview here at the Family Research Council and the author of Life After Roe, Equipping Christians in the Fight for Life Today. David, as always, thank you for joining me. Happy Friday and happy Reformation Day.
SPEAKER 11 :
Happy Friday and happy Reformation Day to you as well, Jody.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you so much. Listen, before we get started, speaking of Reformation Day, I know one of the big events for us here at FRC this week was hosting a Watchman on the Wall pastor’s briefing. And it took place at the Museum of the Bible. And part of that program was I know you were there and you led pastors through the Museum of the Bible and actually included a discussion about Martin Luther and the Reformation. So here we are on Reformation Day. Kind of recap for us, if you would, the origins of Reformation Day and why it still matters.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, absolutely. And that was such a joy to take so many of our Watchman pastors through the Museum of the Bible. which just has so many incredible artifacts and resources, Jody. And in fact, one of them being a first edition Martin Luther New Testament, which was published 501 years ago. And the story of Luther is just, it’s incredible. He grew up at a time of great superstition, a time of plague and death, when most young men would have constantly been thinking about death and the state of their soul and whether they were right with God and had an extremely sensitive conscience and you know the story goes he was returning home one day and there’s a storm that breaks out he’s afraid this is it for him jumps into a ditch and he cries out that if he survives the storm he’ll give his life to the ministry he survives goes into the ministry again just a very troubled conscience as a young man even he becomes a priest becomes a monk and even begins teaching theology. And it was finally one day after years of studying theology, Jody, that he gets to Romans 1, verse 17, which is, of course, where Paul is quoting the prophet Habakkuk, where he says, the righteous shall live by faith. Of course, Luther had looked at that verse many times before it, studied it, had probably even taught it But he said in that moment, he understood that he wasn’t made right with God because of his works, but that he was made right with God by putting his faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And he said at that moment, he felt that he was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. And that was really the start. You know, he puts his 95 Theses together, and that was when the Reformation was off and running. It matters because it helped us understand issues of authority, biblical interpretation, and, of course, the significant issue of justification by faith, which is—that’s the heritage, that’s the legacy of the Reformation. still is incredibly crucial as we’re teaching the gospel today to make sure we’re right on the question of justification by faith.
SPEAKER 07 :
Wow. Well, David, I’m not going to show them to you, but I have a pair of socks that actually are written on it, the words of Martin Luther that says, here I stand, I can do no other. And just hearing you go over that story afresh, what a powerful thing. So again, to you and all our viewers and listeners, happy Reformation Day. What a turning point that was. All right, David, don’t know if you saw earlier we were talking about the case coming out of Finland with Rivey Roshana and the continued hassle really she’s going through is she’s been prosecuted for tweets. from back in 2019, stemming from Bible verses that she posted about homosexuality. And I know that you actually cited this case in your PhD dissertation, which you recently turned in, by the way. But what is your response to the latest trial with the Finnish Supreme Court that took place yesterday? What are you looking to come out of this?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, hoping that the Supreme Court will agree with the other two courts, the district level and the appellate, that unanimously sided with this longtime member of parliament, Pavi. You know, Jody, this is a six-year kind of saga that began really when she posted a picture of the Bible open to Romans chapter one, specifically The latter part of that, verses 24 through 27. And she directed that tweet towards the leaders of her church, actually. She was concerned about what they were doing as far as participation in some LGBT events. And it was someone who filed the complaint. And then, of course, again, amazing. She had been a former minister of the interior where she would oversee the police force. And then all of a sudden, the person who oversaw the police force finds themselves in a police station being interrogated about their views on the scripture. And from what I understand, the arguments went well yesterday at the Supreme Court, Jodi. And I would actually encourage all of our listeners to go to the website Public Discourse. One year ago, Pavi herself wrote a lengthy article kind of explaining why this is such an important case, not just for her, not just for Finland, but for the United States and Christians all over the world. And her point is, if they can come after me, this is meant to send a chilling message that those of us who are people of faith, of Christians, who are pro-life and pro-family, who do think that the Bible has a negative pronouncement on homosexuality and homosexual behavior, if they can silence her, a longtime member of parliament, someone who’s been in the cabinet over there in Finland, well, they’re going to come after us as well. And I think, you know, right now, Jody, we’re kind of in a reprieve right now Kash Patel at the FBI, the Attorney General Pam Bondi have made it clear that the FBI and Justice Department are not being weaponized against conservative Christians. But this is not a time for us to be complacent. We need to be articulating why religious freedom is so important. Religious freedom, the freedom to believe what we want to in terms of theology and doctrine, and the freedom to live that out according to those deepest beliefs. My Baptist forebearers, Jody, often talked of soul freedom For years, Baptists didn’t have the freedom to practice their beliefs. And this was so important to the founding of this country. And so, again, we can’t afford to be complacent, even though the Trump administration is being good on this issue. The fact that this is happening just across the pond with an allied nation tells us very quickly it could turn on us. So we need to remain vigilant.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. And that’s one reason. And I’ll just use this kind of switch gears on you about elections matter. And I’ve heard you say that over and over and over. I’ve said it. We all say that. Pray, vote, stand. That’s it comes down to them. We’ve got some very important elections coming up this next Tuesday. I think probably one of the big high stakes is the New York City race for mayor. But we also have gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. Absolutely. I don’t know which one you’re going to be watching on Tuesday, but lay out for us, David, how Christians should be thinking right now in regard to being biblical stewards of their vote, particularly those in these particular states.
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, Jody, that’s the category I think those of us who are Christians need to kind of look at elections and voting and campaigns through the lens of stewardship. Every week I have an opportunity to be with the FRC interns and we have kind of roundtable discussions. And actually yesterday, we talked about a little booklet I wrote on political engagement. And we talked about two theological principles that I think should guide Christians at election time, one of those being love of neighbor. In a constitutional republic, can I say that I am holistically and comprehensively loving my neighbor and If I’m not engaging in the public square, love of neighbor, really significant. And then the other category is stewardship. As Christians, we know we are called to steward all that God has blessed us with. We normally think of, you know, stewarding our money and stewarding our time. But again, those of us who live in the United States, who live in a constitutional republic, part of that stewardship includes the franchise, includes the vote. And when we go into that voting booth, we are delegating some of our own power to those who will wield that power on our behalf. And so I think these elections are really important. You know, some of these candidates like Abigail Spanberger, she scored 8% on Family Research Council Actions Scorecard. from the 118th Congress, 8%. And so again, this is across some of the other elections as well, Jody. Some of the issues that are really on the ballot are issues of creation order, issues as fundamental as the value of human life and dignity, issues related to religious freedom, issues related to human sexuality and whether we should allow biological males to compete against biological women in sports and have access to locker rooms and changing facilities. All of this is on the ballot. And so I think I would encourage all of our viewers and listeners, wherever there’s an election taking place next week, to really consider what is your Christian obligation, what is your stewardship, and to make sure you exercise that. Because if we sit out, others will engage, and those decisions will have real-world consequences that will profoundly affect our neighbors.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. Real quickly, you mentioned a couple of excellent resources. Where can people get those resources, David?
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, so you can go to frc.org slash worldview. And I wrote a little booklet. I understand thousands have been distributed called Biblical Principles for Political Engagement. It’s a pretty short read, but it kind of lays out some of this. It looks at the party platforms, looks at the issues that the Bible speaks clearly to. And so I’ve been encouraged over the years that people have found it helpful. So again, you can find that resource at frc.org slash worldview.
SPEAKER 07 :
Great. All right, let me switch gears with you again. I always like if we can find some, and one week after another kind of varies, but some good news. And I think this past week we had some really good news from some polling information, attitudes toward the chemical abortion pills in particular. The report showed that seven out of 10 voters believe that a doctor’s visit should be required to obtain an abortion pill. That’s a pretty significant number of people. How do you respond to that?
SPEAKER 11 :
I respond with encouragement because you’re right, Jody, that is a significant, that’s an overwhelming majority of Americans And you know what’s interesting, when these chemical abortion pills were first approved 25 years ago in the fall of 2000, part of those safeguards that were put in place, you had to go to a doctor three times. Only a physician could dispense these pills. You had to report any adverse health outcomes. Of course, it was the Obama administration in 2016 that really walked back some of those safeguards. And then it was the Biden administration using kind of the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse for really walking back those safeguards. No doctor visits at all necessary. You can now request these dangerous pills through the mail. And, you know, the abortion industry, Jodi, has been lying for years saying that these pills are as safe as Tylenol, even though the black box warning says that it is 2.9 to 5.4 percent of women who take these pills have a terrible health outcome. And our friends at the EPPC in the spring said the number is actually closer to 11%. And so, again, these pills are always dangerous and lethal for the precious unborn child, but they are also dangerous for women. And so, again, at FRC, we’ve been encouraging the Trump administration and the FDA to walk back their approval of mifepristone. This summer, Jodi, I was honored to author a resolution at the Southern Baptist Convention that called for the immediate revocation of the approval of mifepristone which is that first abortion pill and then also putting in those safeguards in the meantime and we want those safeguards in place for women we actually want them to add an ultrasound requirement because this is what’s safe for women and right now this is the wild wild west as far as it being unregulated but jody this shows the vast majority of our friends and neighbors fellow americans understand that these pills are dangerous and that women deserve to have these safeguards put back in place.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely, and it is very good and encouraging news. Listen, we’ve only got a couple of minutes left, but I did want to ask about your article that was published yesterday on the Washington Stand, which, of course, is FRC’s official news outlet. But it provided some discussion on the original research statement It was published by the Center for Biblical Worldview. And we’ve already discussed a good bit of that on the program. But I did want to ask you about your article and what you were arguing in behalf of and where people can find it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Yeah, you can go to the Washington Stand. We also do link it at frc.org slash worldview. And I just walk through the survey research looks at what regular churchgoers believe on basic theological questions, political issues, and cultural issues. I specifically break down those cornerstones of the biblical worldview. And then I do provide some practical advice, Jody, for pastors, ministry leaders, and those with discipling opportunities to just walk through those issues, doctrine of God, doctrine of Scripture, the doctrine of sin, and how do we bring people along to think theologically well about these issues.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, it is great information. And, of course, as I said, original information that’s come out here. And it’s always, always great to be able to promote that kind of thing. Any final words as we wrap up today, David? Anything that I’m missing?
SPEAKER 11 :
You know, just again, with that research, Jody, my hope is that pastors, ministry leaders will use that in their sermons, in their Sunday school lesson planning. Again, you can go to frc.org slash worldview. This is research we did with George Barna that shows what regular churchgoers believe on some of the most fundamental issues of our faith. Lord willing, folks will find this helpful.
SPEAKER 07 :
As always, David Claussen, love having you on our Friday programs to go over biblical worldview and to look at the news through that lens. We appreciate it.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thank you. God bless.
SPEAKER 07 :
All right, everyone. Happy Reformation Day to you. Hope you have a fantastic weekend. And we look forward to being right back here with you on Washington Watch again next week.
SPEAKER 18 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
