In this episode of Washington Watch, host Jody Heiss explores the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran and the implications of delayed military strikes. The conversation delves into the diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts and the challenges faced by the Save America Act in the Senate. Notably, discussions with Congressman Robert Aderholt shed light on the controversies surrounding the Department of Homeland Security funding and the resulting impact on airport operations. Shifting focus to domestic issues, the episode highlights the Trump administration’s commitment to ensuring religious liberty within the healthcare sector, as touched upon by Admiral Brian
SPEAKER 20 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 09 :
Based on preliminary conversations between the United States and Iran over the past two days, I’ve directed the Department of War to temporarily postpone planned strikes against major energy and electricity targets in Iran.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was President Trump earlier today reiterating his announcement of a five-day hold on strikes to Iranian power plants and infrastructure. Welcome to this March 23rd edition of Washington Watch. I’m your guest host today, Jody Heiss. An honor to be filling in for Tony and thank you for joining us as well. All right, coming up, we’ll discuss the ongoing debate over the Save America Act. That’s, of course, over funding for Homeland Security Department. We’ll also be joined with that discussion by Alabama Congressman Robert Adderhold, who is, of course, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. And then later on, we’ll discuss the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, what they found in an investigation into Planned Parenthood of Illinois. and what it’s costing the abortion mill. Andrea Lucas, who chairs that federal agency, will join us later to discuss that. All that and more straight ahead. So the Senate is now heading into its second week of debate over the Save America Act, which of course is a voting law that would mandate, among other things, that citizens show a valid ID at polling stations. And Senate Majority Leader John Thune is working hard to push the bill through. Joining us now is Washington Watch reporter Casey Harper. Casey, thanks for joining me as always. Let’s jump into the Save America Act and the efforts of John Thune. What’s going on there?
SPEAKER 01 :
Sure, Jody. All eyes are on the Senate as pressure is building for Republicans to pass the Save America Act as they’re coming up against this two-week-long planned recess at the end of the month. Though Thune has signaled that working through the weekend is an option, so maybe canceling a recess could be an option. But we’ve seen marathon debates leading up to today and should continue this week over this key piece of voter ID legislation. In fact, we have a clip here of U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune earlier today.
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The Save America Act is not radical. Radically common sense, maybe. So common sense, in fact, that only congressional Democrats could oppose it.
SPEAKER 01 :
Also earlier today, President Trump doubled down on his calls for Republicans in Congress not to make any deals with Democrats until they agree to pass the Save America Act. Here’s the president.
SPEAKER 09 :
It should be part of the Homeland Security Bill. And I’m requesting that the Republican senators do that immediately. You don’t have to take a fast vote. Don’t worry about Easter going home. In fact, make this one for Jesus, okay? Make this one for Jesus. That’s what I tell them.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, we’ll see if that happens. But it brings the question of what does this bill actually do if it’s such a priority for the president? Well, as a refresher, it requires that voters, when they register to vote, they prove that they’re actually U.S. citizens. And then when they go to the ballot box, they have to bring a photo ID. Now, Democrats have made clear they’re not going to be flexible in the fight over this bill. Meanwhile, yesterday, the U.S. Senate did have a win after they advanced Republican Senator Mark Wayne Mullen’s nomination to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which paves his way toward final confirmation. All this comes as the government still remains partially shut down, Jody.
SPEAKER 06 :
Amazing information. You just wonder how in the world can anyone oppose ID for voting. It’s going to be interesting how this goes forward. Casey, let me shift gears to the conflict in Iran. President Trump made some pretty startling comments today as it relates to an ultimatum for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. But he has postponed some potential strikes because evidently some good talks are taking place. What are you hearing there?
SPEAKER 01 :
Yeah, you’re right, Jody. The president’s threat to conduct those strikes on Iranian power plants and infrastructure certainly raised a lot of eyebrows, but now he’s paused them for five days. The president has said that there’s, quote, good and productive negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which would definitely be a change in the status quo. Now, President Trump said on True Social that conversations are taking place with Iran about a complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East. Here’s the president in Memphis today.
SPEAKER 09 :
To determine whether a broader agreement can be reached, we’ve had very good discussions, very, very good discussions. And you have to understand, I know my whole life has been a negotiation. But with Iran, we’ve been negotiating for a long time. And this time, they mean business.
SPEAKER 01 :
Now, in a sort of curious move, some Iranians today actually said that they are engaged in negotiations, but say that they’re not – this isn’t accurate, what the president is saying, and that it’s only an attempt to lower energy prices. So that’s an interesting development, that they’re sort of denying publicly what the president said. There could be different reasons politically that they have a motive to do that. And it’s kind of hard to know who can really speak for the Iranians at this point, after so many leaders have been taken out, Jodi.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, absolutely. I guess time will certainly tell us. Thank you so much for these updates, Casey. Always. We appreciate it very much. All right. I want to go now to Capitol Hill to discuss the latest as to what’s happening there. And joining me now is Congressman Robert Adderholt. He, of course, is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. He’s also on the Defense Subcommittee. He represents Alabama’s 4th Congressional District. Congressman Etterhold, always great to have you. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Jody, it’s always good to be with you and see you again. And thanks for having me on today.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, great to have you and to see you as well. Let’s start with the Save America Act. You know, this thing seems to be a ping pong match going back and forth. And Democrat leader Chuck Schumer is saying that it has nothing to do with Homeland Security. President Trump on the other side saying it has everything to do with Homeland Security. What’s your take in all this?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, really the heart of it is Homeland Security in the sense that having fair elections and having secure elections is the utmost to having a secure nation. And I have long been a proponent of the fact that we should have voter ID. I don’t want this to be something that’s complicated. It shouldn’t be where ID is very difficult to get. And I think everyone has some kind of ID. But we need to make a program in each state so that anybody who wants a voter ID can easily have an identification. That will take away any argument that you have about saying that people will be disenfranchised from voting. And I understand everyone may not, but give a grace period. Let people get an ID very easily. No red tape, no piles of paperwork. Just simply go in and get an ID when you show them that you’re an American citizen and you can vote.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and elections are about the voice of the people and specifically the voice of the citizens and that voice being accurately heard. So guarding that seems to be absolutely common sense. And that’s what this Bill to Save America Act is. It’s just provisions of common sense. In fact, there’s a couple of other provisions in it, one on transgender. And, you know, I mean, this type of stuff, isn’t it? just common sense that is in this bill that you would think. I guess that’s why the polls show the vast majority of Americans support this.
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I think it’s something like 80% of Americans support this and believe it’s the right thing to do. And so it’s just really unbelievable that the Democrats want to stand in the way of something that’s just very straightforward. And as you just had on there, Majority Leader Thune in the Senate, he said this is not radical. It’s radically straightforward to have someone to be able to Show an ID that’s a photo ID to vote and to be a citizen of the United States in order to register to vote. And, you know, it still puzzles me why the Democrats don’t get on board again when you’ve got 87 percent, 80, between 80 and 90 percent of the American people say this is a great idea, Democrats and Republicans.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, absolutely. Another thing that is very puzzling to me that goes right along with this in terms of the Democratic resistance is funding DHS. Are you hearing anything regarding negotiations and this DHS funding? Is there any movement at all that you’re hearing?
SPEAKER 08 :
You know, I was with Senator Katie Britt, who is our senator from Alabama, who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee, and she felt like Friday that they had a very good meeting with the Democrats on this, but evidently things have gone south over the weekend. And now we’re in the 37th day, and there’s no resolution to it. And as you’re hearing on the news reports, lines at the airports are getting longer and longer. Now, I flew out of Birmingham this morning. I left on a 6 a.m. flight this morning. So at 5.30, the lines were not very long. But I know that airports like Houston and Atlanta and other airports around the country are experiencing very long two- to four-hour lines. And I think the American people are going to get very frustrated with this, especially because this is spring break. And another thing that I think needs to be mentioned is that our cybersecurity is also under Homeland Security. And our cybersecurity is not at its full potential. because the people are not there to try to make sure that our cyber is safe in this country. So there’s a lot of things that needs to be dealt with in this bill that could be dealt with very easily with the Democrat support.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, those are great points that I think a lot of people overlook or not aware of. As it relates to the DHS and specifically the long lines at the airports, TSA and so forth, word is now that some ICE agents have been deployed at some airports to help expedite those long lines. What do you think of that move?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, I think it’s fine. And you saw the report earlier that the president says he’ll put the National Guard if he needs them in there. And I think that’s the right thing to do to make sure that the American people are saved from these inconveniences that they’re being put through right now. So now I understand that the ICE agents are going to the larger airports where there’s a lot of traffic. And right now, like I said, some of the smaller airports and moderate and medium-sized airports around the country have not had quite as much problems as the larger airports. But if this goes on much longer, I think you’ll see almost every airport in the country experience some problem.
SPEAKER 06 :
So what do you think of the Democrats? I mean, like, what are they proposing? What are they wanting out of this? And why are they refusing to budge?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, the bottom line is they are saying that they don’t want any funding for ICE until the ICE agents are identified who they are and unmask. And that sounds reasonable if you just hear it. But the problem is, is that you’ve got a lot of… these agents that are going on into very rough areas that are putting these ICE agents in danger. And they are identifiable, but they do wear a mask so that they cannot be attacked later on in their families. And it’s all revolves around trying to make sure that these ICE agents are kept safe along with their families. But at the end of the day, they have identification on them. But obviously just their name is not on their identification. And you can see their face so that they could be retaliated against.
SPEAKER 06 :
Alabama Congressman Robert Aderholt, as always, thank you so much for joining us on Washington Watch. And thank you so much for you do for all that you do here on Capitol Hill. Keep it up.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you, Jody.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, friends.
SPEAKER 08 :
You’re welcome.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you. All right, we want to encourage you to encourage your representatives to defend the homeland, urge Democrat leaders in particular to restore funding to DHS. You can do so by helping make your voice heard. Text DHS to 67742. All right, much more straight ahead on Washington Watch. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back in a moment.
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When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature’s God entitle them.
SPEAKER 12 :
A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal
SPEAKER 14 :
That they’re endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men.
SPEAKER 12 :
Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Happy 250th. Happy 250th. Happy 250th. Happy 250th birthday, America. May God bless America.
SPEAKER 17 :
I think all people really need to have this type of education.
SPEAKER 21 :
Well, I can tell you that it’s been an amazing course period.
SPEAKER 24 :
I think this course is a reminder that a biblical worldview should really impact everything. It impacts our government from the federal to the state to the local. It should impact what we’re doing with our families and with our work.
SPEAKER 03 :
God and Government is a video-driven, Bible-based training course from Family Research Council that explores the connection between biblical principles and American government. In this six-session video series, FRC President Tony Perkins equips participants with a practical understanding of civil government from a biblical worldview.
SPEAKER 21 :
I would encourage all people to take it. I almost wish I would have took it earlier that I could have taught my kids this.
SPEAKER 17 :
I wish I had known these things when we were homeschooling because I think children and my adults now would just greatly be influenced by that information.
SPEAKER 18 :
So I’m an attorney, and for me, it gives me some direct practical knowledge of what I can do to try to impact my legal community, to make better legislation, to try to encourage legislators to make choices that have a biblical worldview, which is what we really want.
SPEAKER 13 :
Any pastor would benefit from taking this course. Because we are dual citizens, right? We are citizens of the kingdom of God, but we’re also citizens of this great land, and that comes with responsibility.
SPEAKER 24 :
Even as someone who has been involved in these types of issues for a while, you’re learning little bits and pieces of new stuff all the time. But it’s also approachable enough that newer people, younger people, high school, college students, they can really glean something from this. I would encourage everybody to take this course, whether it’s the videos, whether it’s doing it in person, bring your Bible study group through it, bring your homeschool group through it and equip yourself for these challenging days ahead.
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View the course at frc.org slash God and government or on the Stand Firm app.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. I’m Jody Heiss filling in today for Tony. Again, thank you for tuning in. All right. Last week, the Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission held its sixth hearing, focusing this time on religious liberties in health care. Now, you probably recall how that was something that took a backseat during the previous Biden administration as they tried really to force Americans to do everything from take the COVID jab against their religious objections to supporting to do or being forced even to do abortions against their religious convictions. So the Trump administration has made it clear that religious freedom is And the freedom of conscience is not something that medical professions have to check at the door. Look at this clip.
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To call abortion healthcare and to compel the American people to fund it is to demand that taxpayers subsidize the eradication of innocent life. President Trump is committed to restoring a culture that champions life. And that endeavor starts by ending taxpayer funding for abortion and protecting conscience rights for Americans who should never have to check their morals at the door to practice their profession.
SPEAKER 06 :
Great words. That was from the opening address that was delivered at the hearing last week by Admiral Brian Christine, who’s the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. And he now joins us to go into this discussion a little bit further. Admiral, welcome back to Washington Watch. It’s always a great honor to have you join us.
SPEAKER 16 :
It’s good to be here. Thank you so much for allowing me back on today to talk about what’s really an incredibly important subject. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you’re not kidding. The importance of this cannot, in my opinion, be overstressed. Now, for those who may not be aware, you yourself are a medical doctor. You’ve trained surgeons literally around the world. Tell us about, from your perspective, the threats to religious liberties in the medical field.
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, I think what we see is there can be really actions to have a physician or a medical student or a resident or a nurse. There can be pressure to violate their deeply held religious conscience in terms of engaging in procedures they find morally unacceptable. And things like abortion or transgender surgery on minors, those things come to mind. But there is a pressure that can be exerted upon physicians, nurses. therapists and medical students and residents even to do these things. And we have to be really careful that we are protecting those individuals. After all, just because you become a doctor or become a nurse, you shouldn’t have to check your conscience at the door. It shouldn’t ever be a choice between being persecuted or ridiculed or obeying your inner health conscience.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. So what is the problem? Is there somehow, when it comes to the issue of conscience and so forth, is this some sort of gray area or is it an area that’s just being trampled on against the protections that are already in existence?
SPEAKER 16 :
Well, no, it’s not a gray area. As you just point out, there are protections in existence. It’s a matter of in this administration, in the Trump administration, we absolutely will defend individuals’ conscience protections. We will stand up for the doctor or the nurse or the medical student who says no. my religious beliefs, my deeply held beliefs will not allow me to participate in whatever it may be, we will absolutely defend those individuals. And the prior administration, the Biden administration, they simply look the other way. So no, there are conscience protections out there. There are 25 federal conscience protection statutes that are on the books. It’s not a matter of there not being protections out there. It’s a matter of of the last administration not having the will or the fortitude to actually hold individuals accountable when they try to trample these conscience protections or try to trample these rights rather.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and when these rights are not defended, when they are not upheld, then you have people on the other side who are emboldened, who, you know, as the old saying goes, you give them an inch and they want to become a ruler. And that’s kind of where we are with this. So what do you say to those who believe— that faith has no place in the medical and science fields, that you should be required to check your faith at the door because the two are not compatible, or something along those lines. What do you say to that argument?
SPEAKER 16 :
I absolutely vehemently disagree with that. Again, I am a Catholic Christian, and my faith is the compass that helps guide me no matter what I do. I’m not saying I don’t make mistakes. I’m not saying that I’m not a sinner. What I’m saying is that faith guides me and is my compass, and that’s how it should be. For individuals who have deeply held religious convictions, we should never ask them to put those aside or threaten them with retribution or sidelining them. We should never ask them to put those things to the side. In this administration, it’s important for people to know that we do take this seriously. In fact, the Office of Civil Rights actually has five conscience enforcement investigations have been launched in the first year of the Trump administration. That’s more than all the years put together under the Biden administration. We take it very seriously, and we are going to defend those individuals. That goes for doctors, nurses, medical students, or residents. I’m happy to say that in November of last year, November of 2025, Senator James Lankford and Representative Greg Murphy have put together, joined together on bills, the Conscience Protections for Minors Residence Act. Basically what it says is if you are a resident in training, a residency training individual, and you have a deeply held religious belief that you shouldn’t be engaging in something, that you can’t be forced to engage in that procedure or engage in those activities, we are gonna defend individuals rights to not do the things that their conscience says they shouldn’t do this administration is going to stand up for these individuals prior administration didn’t seem to care
SPEAKER 06 :
That is great news. Now, we’ve got probably less than a minute left, but of course, during the COVID, we saw all sorts of medical professionals who were forced to choose a path of really forsaking their religious beliefs. And climate, as you describe, is different now. But what is your message to those who may even now be facing these kind of challenges?
SPEAKER 16 :
I would say absolutely stand firm in your beliefs. Don’t do something if it’s against your deeply held convictions. Reach out to individuals, to peers, to let them know what’s going on because this administration will absolutely defend you. You know, it’s a perfect example would be that OB-GYN residencies, obstetrical gynecology residencies have what they call an opt-out system. In other words, it’s assumed that all of the residents will want to and will participate in abortions. You have to actively as a resident say, no, I don’t want to do that. Well, that opens you up to ridicule. It opens you up to discrimination. What we are fighting for in this administration, and again, the bill that I referenced, it’s an opt-in system. In other words, you wanted to participate, you would opt in. The opt-out system is terrible. It’s designed to intimidate. We don’t stand for that. We’re working to change that.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you so much, Admiral Brian Christine, HHS Assistant Secretary for Health. Great to have you on. All right, another controversy at Planned Parenthood has come to light. We’ll discuss it right after this break. 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 land mass, 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 launch pad for terror. Today, only 21 percent 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.
SPEAKER 06 :
welcome back to watch and watch thank you so much for joining us i am jody heiss filling in today for tony all right we’re all aware of the push by the left for diversity equity and inclusion also known as dei and All right, these in and of themselves may not be all bad, but the left has certainly turned them into something that is bad. Bad for companies, bad for customers, bad for employees, I mean, on and on. But this was in particularly highlighted last week when the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the EEOC, they announced what they had found over the course of its investigation into Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Now, according to the federal agency, Planned Parenthood of Illinois violated federal law when they segregated employees by race, subjected white employees to harassment, engaged in disparate treatment against white employees, and all this in the name of DEI. So how bad did it really get? Well, joining me now to discuss this is Andrea Lucas, who is chair of the EEOC. Andrea, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thank you so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 22 :
Thank you so much for having me. It’s great to be here.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, so your findings were part of a class investigation into charges brought by multiple Planned Parenthood employees. Can you go into further detail about what the complaints were and what the EEOC actually found?
SPEAKER 22 :
Sure, I can go into a little bit of a details. You know, EEOC’s investigations are typically completely confidential until we’ve reached a resolution. We’ve reached that resolution at this point. So I’ll have to mostly stay in the context of the press release. But, you know, I just want to highlight that for your workers that this was a rose out of multiple employees bringing their own charges. And all of the money is going to go directly to those employees. So the EEOC doesn’t recover fines. And in this case, our career civil servants found that Title VII, which is the law that we enforce, was violated. That Planned Parenthood subjected white employees and to all their employees to essentially racial struggle sessions in which employees were harassed, told divisive concepts around white supremacy, told that they were essentially all racists. that they couldn’t feel pain the same way as a non-white employee or a non-patient. So a bunch of generalized statements about individuals who were white and their experiences and views of them. And they were also forced to undergo these trainings every single week. They had to be forcibly segregated. They weren’t allowed to opt out of them. If they didn’t attend them, they were not going to be able to have any work-related travel or benefits were tied to them going through these basically weekly struggle sessions separated out by race. And then they gave Black employees time off when they did not give them to other employees who were not Black. So really Maoist struggle session kind of stuff.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, that’s stunning. So as a result of this investigation, have there been any actions that Planned Parenthood has taken, or where does this whole thing stand right now?
SPEAKER 22 :
Sure. So after our cause finding, they agreed to settle. So this is a voluntary resolution by the organization. They fired the manager who was responsible for some of these actions, and They have to pay out $500,000 to the aggrieved employees. They also have to post a notice at every single one of their locations indicating this investigation and that we reached a cause finding. So, you know, there’s accountability here. But, you know, this is just one example of what we saw over the last four years happening in hundreds, if not thousands, of workplaces. But I’m really excited that we’ve stuck the landing here and said, no, there’s cause. There’s discrimination here when you do something like this. This kind of mandatory segregation is wrong. And throwing a DEI label on it doesn’t suddenly make it good. It’s still unlawful discrimination. And if you’ve experienced that in your workplace, you might have a cause of action as well.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, and I’m glad you brought that up because, I mean, Planned Parenthood is known for a lot of horrible things. And so from that perspective, I guess some people would not be overly surprised that something else is happening there. But what’s the process for detecting similar violations across other organizations? You talk about hundreds. How do you find this and how does this unfold?
SPEAKER 22 :
Sure. So the majority of our work comes when an employee or an applicant files a charge with the EEOC. So it’s a confidential complaint that you file with the EEOC. And if you want to be able to bring a claim under Title VII in federal court eventually or to pursue your claims under Title VII, you have to file with the EEOC first. That charge would go to your employer if you decide to formally file it. Your initial contact with the EEOC will be 100% confidential. And then other than notice being provided to your employer, if you formally file it, it’ll be a completely confidential investigation. So that’s the best way is the public has to reach out to us if they have experienced discrimination or they think they might have a claim. You can talk to one of our professional investigators who can talk you through whether or not to decide to file with us. But if you don’t do that, you can’t proceed in federal court. Like we’re the first stop to remedy this.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, probably about 30 seconds or so, but once an investigation gets going and this moves forward, do you generally see successful outcomes with all of this?
SPEAKER 22 :
It really varies. Again, we are neutral fact finders. We’re here to investigate, so we try not to have preconceived decisions, but we are interested. Our doors are open to everyone, and for a long period of time, You know, the prior administration didn’t signal that if this had happened in the context of a DEI program, that someone could bring a charge. But you can. If there’s race discrimination, no matter what your race is, we’re ready to remedy it.
SPEAKER 06 :
EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, thank you so much for joining us. All right, coming up, we’ll discuss the latest on the Iran conflict. So don’t go anywhere. We’ll be back.
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The family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained. And yet, there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure. That’s why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
SPEAKER 20 :
Family Research Council began over 40 years ago, like all great movements of God, with prayer. Today, rooted in the heart of the nation’s capital, FRC continues to champion faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
SPEAKER 04 :
FRC is one of those bright lights that helps us focus on true north. And I shudder to think, had they not been here, that it could have been worse, worse, worse.
SPEAKER 19 :
The Family Research Council is key. It’s one of a handful of groups that I think will determine whether our children live in a country that enjoyed all of the freedom and all the opportunity that we enjoyed in this great land.
SPEAKER 23 :
It’s just a wonderful parachurch organization that doesn’t seek to take the place of the church, but it seeks to assist the family and the church as we try to move forward successfully, not in a defensive mode, but in an offensive mode as we seek to live our lives according to the Holy Scriptures.
SPEAKER 02 :
FRC is not going to be whooped. You know, we’re going to fight. We’re going to take a stand. And again, we don’t retreat.
SPEAKER 11 :
You will never see in front of this building here in Washington, D.C., a white flag flying. We will never step back. We will never surrender. And we will never be silent.
SPEAKER 03 :
Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, he examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian support for Israel is spiritual. Should a Christian support Israel invites believers to see beyond headlines and ideologies, returning to the foundation of God’s Word to understand His heart for His chosen people and the blessings that flow when we stand with what He has established forever. Text the word Israel to 67742 for more information.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thank you so much for joining us today. It’s an honor to be sitting in today for Tony. All right. While U.S. military operations are underway in Iran, certainly here at home, there are concerns that possible terrorist sleeper cells that are associated with Iran and its proxies are poised for retaliation right here on our own soil. In addition to that, we’ve already seen some lone wolf attacks, and those continue to be very real threats. And we simply cannot afford to leave unfunded the federal agents that are tasked with safeguarding our homeland. So once again, please join us in urging Democrat leaders to restore full funding to the DHS, the Department of Homeland Security. Text DHS. to 67742. That’s DHS to 67742. All right, speaking of the conflict in the Middle East, you’ve already heard, we’ve shared it on the program, President Trump has postponed military strikes on Iranian energy and electricity targets for five days. That, as talks with the U.S. and Iran continue, he announced today on Truth Social that U.S. and Iran have had some good and productive conversations over the last two days or so regarding a total resolution of the war in the Middle East. Meanwhile, catch this, meanwhile, Iran fired missiles at the U.K. at a U.S. Air Force base there. It was in the Indian Ocean, and it was roughly the same distance as many European capitals. Of course, as you can imagine, that is raising all sorts of concerns across Europe. So what will come of this latest round of U.S. talks with Iran? Where is this escalating conflict headed? Well, joining me now to discuss this is National Security Analyst and retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Bob McGinnis, who served for more than 23 years as a civilian strategist at the Pentagon following his retirement from active duty. He is currently a Senior Fellow for National Security here at the Family Research Council. Colonel McGinnis, it is always a joy and an honor to have you join us on Washington Watch. Welcome aboard.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, thank you, Jody.
SPEAKER 06 :
So what do you make of President Trump pausing the strikes for five days? I mean, he’s threatened these nuclear plants and so forth, and now all of that is on hold. What’s your take of all of this?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, it’s good that the president is doing everything diplomatically to resolve this. Obviously, our military has done a profound job of destroying much of the Iranian capability. And they’re continuing to do that. And, of course, the president calling off what was supposed to have been an attack on their energy, especially their electric grid infrastructure, I think is good news for the Iranian people. And, of course, the IRGC that I assume is in charge of that country today is willing to talk, and evidently that the Turks are being helpful as an intermediary in fostering those discussions. And I hope that we can resolve this and get back to something that is in all of our collective interests.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, I certainly hope we can, too. Now, the president, like you, I’m encouraged that he has expressed that a good deal could be reached with Iran. Do you think five days is enough? Do you think the regime could be serious about negotiations amid mounting pressure, certainly that they’re experiencing? But as military strength seems to continue pounding them, what do you think of this? Is five days going to be enough?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, there’s no let up, as you’ve indicated. The blast or the two rockets that went to Diego Garcia, one shot down and the other didn’t reach it. But of course, it has the Europeans, as you indicated, Jody, on alert. They’re very concerned that the capitals of Paris, London and Berlin could be hit by Iranian missile. Now, having said that, the president has inbound two Marine Expeditionary Units, 5,000 pairs of boots that are ready to go, and perhaps seize Kargilin or to secure the eastern coast of the Strait of Hormuz, so that we can really get the movement of Iran, Iranian, as well as Saudi and other oil through the straits without interference. And of course, you know, bring stability back to the energy markets around the world because, you know, they’ve just shot up like a rocket. So there’s a lot that’s going on here.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, there sure is. I’m glad you went down that path because I think that’s a question everyone’s asking. Suppose these negotiations over the next five days, over this week with Iran are not successful. Where is all this conflict headed? I mean, what you mentioned, we’ve got boots on the ground. Do we go there? What do you think happens?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, I think those are options that the president has available to him. The Iranians have already transitioned into an asymmetric warfare, and that’s why they’re going after the energy infrastructure on the east or the western shore, especially after the desolification plants and the energy infrastructure in Bahrain and Saudi and so forth. You know, that could just ruin that entire region. and then, of course, result in, I think, many decades of trying to recover from this war. So there’s a lot at stake, not only for the West and for the Middle East, but also for the Iranians. And perhaps they think that the IRGC can survive. And it’s quite possible, if they’re negotiating with Trump, and that something could replace the current level of hostilities.
SPEAKER 06 :
There’s growing concern, and you brought this up a few moments ago, over Iran’s long-distance strike capabilities, particularly as they fired missiles at a U.S. Diego Garcia military base. Fortunately, the missiles didn’t hit. But does this suggest that they are indeed capable of longer distance attacks than most people previously understood? And, you know, what does that mean for this conflict?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, clearly we don’t know, at least in the unclassified realm, how many long distance attacks. ballistic missiles they still have hidden in the mountains of Iran or elsewhere. Some people think that Hezbollah has some in the Bekaa Valley. So given that reality, I think we have to assume that there are remaining long-range missiles. They’ve been ranging, obviously, Tel Aviv and all of Israel for some time. But if they can reach out and touch European nations, Central Europe certainly, but in Western Europe, that would really cause quite a pause on the part of most of the NATO allies, especially the Germans, French, and the UK. Now, there, at least the UK and the French are signing up to help patrol the Straits of Hormuz. But five days that the president has given us gives us more time to move the Marines in, more time to move the allies in from Europe, and, of course, reset to a certain degree the capabilities that we have arrayed across the Gulf. So I think there’s a serious effort here. We will have to wait and see whether or not we can reach a compromise that It would be good for the Iranian people, good for the United States and the Middle East. I’m concerned, though, by leaving IRGC in charge and the Ayatollah’s son, if he’s alive, wouldn’t change a lot of the things that we’re concerned about that have been dominating those people for the last 47 years.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, so let me take your assumption that Iran does have the capabilities to strike Europe. Are European countries prepared for that?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, NATO does have Patriot SM-3s, a host of other anti-ballistic missile systems, but it’s not a comprehensive, you know, setup. You know, it’s It’s not like Israel, Jody. And so they don’t have multilayered capability to shoot down an incoming medium or long-range ballistic missile. Now, of course, the Iranians would have to lighten the payload to a certain degree. And of course, If they were to shoot as far as London, that would have far less capability to deliver a killing blow, and the accuracy would be very diminished, just because they don’t have the same technology that we do. But they have obviously demonstrated a robust capability, but it’s not going to do what we could do if we wanted to.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, so kind of a twofold question. Do you see NATO potentially being dragged into this conflict? Let me start with that, and then I’ll give you my second part after your answer there.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, the director, Mark Rutte, who oversees all of NATO, has been the primary leverage that Trump has used to push some of these NATO allies into contributing to the security of the Strait. After all, 20 percent of the oil exiting the Strait goes immediately to Europe. So I see that NATO grudgingly, much like we brought them into Afghanistan, will in one way or another become involved, at least in securing the Straits, and doing perhaps postwar reconstruction. Those are, after the fact, not what we would have liked to begin with, but it’s the reality that we’re dealing with, because these allies, they’re somewhat tepid in their support of robust military operations.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, so the second part then is, are other countries in the Middle East, let’s say especially those Iranian neighbors, are they worried that the United States might pull out too soon? before really dealing completely with the Iranian threat? I mean, on the one hand, is NATO being dragged into this? On the other hand, I mean, there seems to be some indication that we may be at least considering pulling back.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I suspect we might pull back. But, you know, the Fifth Fleet is located in Bahrain. The Saudis have a very robust capability, and we have many, many hundreds of people on the ground helping maintain and train them. Same thing in Kuwait, Iraq. We still have a healthy number of people, especially in the north, against ISIS. So in 18 facilities in eight different countries, the United States has a footprint in that part of the world. Would we pull back the aircraft carriers, the MEWS, perhaps in time? I don’t think it would be. On Friday, the president were hypothetically announced, well, we have a deal. You wouldn’t find the Bush, the Ford and the other aircraft carriers and battleships and so forth exiting the Persian Gulf. It’s just not going to happen. It will take weeks, if not months. But I do believe that we have a capable force there. Admiral Cooper, the CINCOM commander, is ready to use it for more effect. What we don’t know, and the president needs to tell us, what is the endgame here? Obviously, we don’t see an organic replacement for the Ayatollah and the IRGC that’s emerging. It’s not the Crown Prince. It’s not the MEK or the NCRI and other diaspora groups. And we haven’t seen any evidence that there’s internal resistance that’s trying to knock down the IRGC. So, you know, those are all unanswered questions. And they are part of, I think, the ultimate deal that we have to understand what’s going to happen with Iran once the bomb stops, you know, destroying much of the infrastructure that
SPEAKER 06 :
So you’re not too worried that Operation Epic Fury could be wrapped up before we actually achieve the goals. I mean, even if we do pull back, you don’t see that being immediate, that we will achieve our goals before pulling out. Is that what I heard you saying?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, I think the Strait of Hormuz will be secure. You know, that’s the bottom line for the president. I don’t think that Iran will have a nuclear program going forward, certainly, and not one like it had. Much of its IRGC will be destroyed. Now, the question I just posed, I don’t know if there’s going to be a regime change. You know, some of these bad people might still be left in charge, but they’ll be significantly humbled and perhaps will have some sort of accommodation in which we can control what they do going forward.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. While we have just a couple of minutes left, you have a new book coming out next month, the new AI Cold War, Liberty versus Tyranny in the Age of Machine Empires. Give us a little bit of info. What’s this about and where can our viewers and listeners pick up a copy?
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, of course, it’s available on Amazon and any place you find books. The book is part of a trilogy. The first part I wrote last year, came out last year, AI for Mankind’s Future. That answers the question, what is AI? This one that comes out officially next month, the new AI Cold War, really says who controls AI. And we’re in a major race with the Chinese about not only how it is employed in controlling the population like Beijing does, but how it’s influencing radically the battlefield, as we’ve seen evidenced in Ukraine and Iran, but also economically across the board. It does some phenomenal things, but also does some very threatening things. And I’ve written a number of articles there for the Washington stand that kind of calls out for Christian families, what they need to be concerned about with regard to artificial intelligence. And there are quite a few things. We need to become informed. Informed parents, informed Christians will be the way forward, not to ignore this, but to recognize that you can do both good and bad.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thank you so much, retired Lieutenant Colonel Bob McGinnis, Senior Fellow for National Security here at FRC. Fascinating discussion with you, as always. Thank you so much for joining us and for your expertise. All right, friends, that wraps it up for today. Hope you have a fantastic evening, and we’ll see you again tomorrow right here on Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 20 :
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.
