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The episode also sheds light on international issues, notably the situation in the Middle East. Our speakers analyze the evolving dynamics in Gaza, highlighting diplomatic efforts and the role of US foreign policy. From potential ceasefire agreements to the complex relationships impacting regional stability, learn how these developments might shape global politics. We wrap up with a discussion on changes within the House Oversight Committee and what ‘trench warfare’ might mean for future legislative agendas.
SPEAKER 09 :
from the heart of our nation’s capital in Washington, D.C., bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and soundbites into conversations with our nation’s leaders and newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today’s host, Jody Heiss.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, good afternoon and welcome to this Wednesday edition of Washington Watch. I am Jody Heiss, Senior Vice President here at the Family Research Council and President of FRC Action. It is an honor, as always, to be filling in for Tony and Deepley. Honored and thrilled to have you joining us today as well. We’ve got a lot to bring your way. In fact, some breaking news as we enter the program. Let me give you some of the highlights. Of course, we’ve been waiting for it for the past couple of days, and now we finally have it. I’m referring to the text for the continuing resolution that would keep the federal government open through March 14th.
SPEAKER 01 :
With this agreement, we are now on our way to avoiding a government shutdown. The sooner Congress acts, the better.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, that was Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate floor a little bit earlier today, but now… There are some breaking news. It came out just minutes before the program started. And how is that breaking news going to affect things? Well, I’ll be joined here in just a few moments by Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde to discuss all of this. So you want to be sure to stay tuned as all this unfolds as we speak. And earlier today. The Senate voted 85 to 14 to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, moving it along now to President Biden’s desk to be signed. So was it a victory for conservatives? Well, I’ll be discussing this later in the program with FRC’s Senior Director for Government Affairs, Kena Gonzalez. And Democrat Congressman Jerry Conley beat out Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the top Democratic position on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. Now, Conley is making it clear to Republicans that there will be what he refers to as trench warfare in the next Congress. So what in the world are we to make of that comment? I’ll be joined a little bit later in the program with Congressman Andy Biggs, who also serves on that committee to continue that discussion. And then in the Middle East, Hamas is now signaling its willingness toward a potential hostage and ceasefire agreement. So is a deal really closer than ever, as some have been saying?
SPEAKER 11 :
Ultimately, at the crux of this, at the crux of getting a ceasefire in Gaza, what we’re talking about is a deal that would be implemented in phases. And we’re all currently focused on trying to get to that first phase, which is about hostages being released, a temporary ceasefire, and a surge in humanitarian assistance.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, that was U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Patel earlier today, and Dr. A.J. Nolte from Regent University will return to continue our discussion from yesterday regarding the latest developments in the Middle East. So, friends, we have a ton of information to bring your way today, and you don’t want to miss any of it. But if by chance you do, you can always go back and catch it at our website, TonyPerkins.com, where not only this edition of Washington Watch can be found, but past editions as well. And, of course, you know there’s a lot of resources also available there at the website. So be sure to bookmark that page and keep it handy. Also, during this Christmas season, Family Research Council invites you to join us in shining the light of biblical truth here in Washington DC and across the country. It’s a dangerous leadership transition and lame duck session and on and on and on and on we go right now. These are perilous times. And FRC is literally serving as a watchman on the wall. We’re here protecting faith, family, and freedom from all sorts of attacks coming from the left. But thanks to a $1.5 million challenge match, every dollar you give to FRC from now until December 31st, it will be doubled. So you can double your impact. We encourage you to help FRC continue to literally having a prophetic voice for biblical truth. You can do so by texting the word light, L-I-G-H-T, light. Text that to 67742 and together. Let’s have an eternal impact. All right, let’s jump into the news today. And trust me, it is unfolding as we speak. So to begin with, late last night, House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a government spending bill that would carry the federal government through March 14th of next year. And as you may be aware, without passage of this continuing resolution, as it’s called, the federal government will shut down after midnight this Friday. So, There’s a lot at stake, but just within the last hour, certainly, President-elect Trump has himself now rejected the CR plan. So what does this mean for lawmakers on Capitol Hill? Now to discuss this with me is Congressman Andrew Clyde. He is on the House Appropriations Committee. He represents the 9th Congressional District of the great state of Georgia. Congressman Clyde, my good friend, welcome back to Washington Watch. see you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Great to see you too, Jody. Always good to be with you.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, thank you so much. Boy, we got breaking news. As we speak, it’s unfolding, unfolding, unfolding. Thank you for taking time out of what must just be an incredible schedule right now to come join us. So what is the latest? What does the breaking news of President Trump rejecting the CR, what does this mean?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I’m very, very thankful that the president decided to weigh in. You know, initially, Elon Musk weighed in and said via tweet that this bill should not pass. And then Vivek came in after that, after he said he’d read the bill and it is not something that should be passed. And and Elon came back in again and said, you know, anyone who votes for this bill should be primaried. And then President Trump finally, a little while later, a little bit later, just came in and said, hey, you know, I’m not supporting this bill. And I’m very thankful for that because we have read through this bill and it is full of Democrat priorities. It is it’s a. Terrible on the financial side because you have $110 billion, up to $125 billion, depending on how you look at it, in government money, in borrowed money that is not paid for. That is not being financially responsible. You know, the American people sent President Trump to the White House and gave us the majority in both houses, the House and the Senate, so that we could get our fiscal house in order. And this bill does not do that. It goes the exact opposite way. This is not a win for the president or a win for the American people. It is a win for the swamp. And it has firmly been rejected right now. So we are waiting to see what is going to happen out of our leadership, out of Speaker Johnson. I believe it will be a much trimmer bill that will come out. And we’ll see where we should have 72 hours to to read it and vote on it. I don’t think that’s probably going to happen. But but right now we’re it’s the waiting game.
SPEAKER 15 :
Wow. Well, I know you are one of the hardest working members of the Appropriations Committee, and I know you as an extremely detailed individual. I doubt if you’ve had time to read through all 1,500 plus pages of this thing in the short time that you’ve had it. But that said, just continue your train of thought there. What are some of the most concerning provisions that you have seen so far as you’ve been going through this?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, we’ve not completely finished reading it, but from what I have read so far, it is simply unacceptable. The biggest issue that I have is the $110 billion, $100 billion of disaster aid, $10 billion going to the farmers that is not paid for. You know, it’s one thing if you don’t have any rescissions, any advanced appropriations that you can claw back the money. But we do. We’ve got billions and billions of dollars of advance appropriations that we could reallocate and actually have this disaster money paid for. But it’s not. And that’s just not being responsible. That’s not why people sent us to Congress to do the same thing and have the same result and add more money to our national debt, which is killing us. So that was the number one concerning thing. There are so many other just things that are Democrat priorities. The Global Engagement Center, for one thing, which is literally taxpayer-funded, First Amendment-violating censorship of free speech, that has a one-year extension. I thought it was gonna die this month, a painful death, but it’s being resurrected by this bill, and it needs to be killed.
SPEAKER 15 :
So it sounds like, and tell me if this would be a proper assessment from your perspective or not, but it sounds like this is probably more of a win for woke Democrats than it is for the GOP.
SPEAKER 04 :
Yes, that is a great way to say it. It is more of a win for woke Democrats. I mean, you’ve got RFK Stadium being transferred in this bill. You’ve got preferences to the Haiti in this bill. I mean, you have ethanol 15, E15, getting a subsidy in this bill. All sorts of things are getting subsidies in this bill that just – are not necessary and shouldn’t be rushed through on a continuing resolution. It’s really an omnibus actually. If you really look at it, it’s an omnibus on a continuing resolution.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, and when you look at the fact, as you referenced, $36 trillion now in our national debt, we as Republicans, we need to be going the other direction in terms of stopping, slowing down at least, suspending and stopping it wherever necessary rather than continuing, yet you said $110 billion of not paid for money. So let me just ask you this, Congressman McLeod, what happens now? What do Republicans need to do now What is going to happen now? Are there scheduled meetings to go back to the drawing board? What’s the game plan now?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, I think leadership is meeting to determine that as we speak. But what I believe should happen is a short-term, a clean CR, literally taking funding into March of next year, where we will have Republican territory, Republican House, Senate, and President, where we can then have Republican priorities, Republican spending levels. We can trim this down and get real numbers, real disaster aid numbers, as opposed to these bloated estimates. And then we should… We should be able to vote on it then when we have it in Republican territory. And for the rest of this that’s in there, the Democrat priorities, kick them to the curb.
SPEAKER 15 :
OK, so what’s the chances of that plan that you just suggested passing? It sounds like what you’re saying, just an absolute clean CR, which means nothing added, nothing taken away, just current spending levels. Just keep it going until March 14th. Don’t change anything until we have a new president and then come back and change it. Would that pass, do you think?
SPEAKER 04 :
If we added some disaster relief to that and some ag relief to that, but had it paid for, I think that would certainly, I believe, pass the House, especially after what Vivek and Elon have weighed in on. We’re supposed to be about government efficiency here. That was the whole point of why the people reelected President Trump and gave us, you know, gave him rather such a mandate. We should be listening to that and we should be moving forward in that direction. And if we do, I think things will go well. And I think the Republicans will come together and be able to do that.
SPEAKER 15 :
So as you’re talking to colleagues, you do think there would be the support for a clean CR, maybe perhaps some supplements for disaster relief, but paid for. And you think that would probably pass?
SPEAKER 04 :
I think it would pass. I think it would definitely. Well, I think it would pass the House, the Senate. I don’t know if it will pass them. But, you know, our concern is the House. We should pass it and go home. And if the Senate doesn’t want to pass that, then a government shutdown would be on the Senate. It would be a Schumer shutdown. And I don’t think that they can actually handle that.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s got a good ring to it, actually, a Schumer shutdown. Congressman Andrew Cloud of Georgia, always great to see you, my friend. Thank you for joining us on Washington Watch. I know you’ve got a long night ahead of you, and Godspeed to you.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you. Great to be with you, Jody.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right, friends, don’t go anywhere. On the other side of the break, FRC’s Kena Gonzalez is going to be joining me to discuss the latest intel on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act just moments ago. So a lot to find out about what’s in that bill. We’ll cover it right after the break. Stay tuned.
SPEAKER 07 :
During these challenging times for our nation, Family Research Council continues to serve as a watchman on the wall for faith, family, and freedom. And together, thanks to your support, we’re making an eternal impact. 2024 has been another year of shining the light for biblical truth in Washington, D.C. This fall, over 1,000 spiritually active, governance-engaged conservatives gathered for the Pray Vote Stand Summit to pray for our nation and ensure that the issues impacting sage cons were understood and advanced. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins marked a major milestone this year, its 900th episode, and added the Washington Watch News Desk, a new production that presents the top news each day from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand published 2,000 articles of news, commentary, and podcasts in 2024, garnering over 5 million views. FRC’s outlet for news and commentary continues to pursue the truth on the issues that matter most to you and your family. And with the launch of the Stand Firm app, you can listen to, watch, and read our content in one simple place. Pray for current issues, stay rooted in the scriptures, and engage the political sphere with a community of believers on our new platform. In 2024, FRC shaped public policy and culture, organizing the National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance where members of Congress and Christian leaders came together to seek God’s intervention in America. In May, FRC called upon believers to pray for and stand with Israel by dedicating a portion of their worship services to pray for Israel’s peace, prosperity, and protection. With Pray, Vote, Stand Decision 2024, FRC and Real Life Network led a powerful evening of election night coverage to analyze the election results and pray that our nation would turn back to God. We also filmed a transformative educational course, God and Government, Launching in January 2025, this series will explore the biblical and historical foundations of our government, empowering you to stand confidently in your role as a citizen of heaven and earth. Family Research Council thanks you for partnering with us for another year of standing for faith, family, and freedom.
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SPEAKER 15 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. So great to have you joining us today. I’m your host, Jody Heiss, sitting in today for Tony, and thank you for joining us as well. All right, a lot going on. In addition to the continuing resolution that we were just talking about, there’s a lot of attention that also this week has been directed towards the National Defense Authorization Act, which just passed. moments ago. And there were several concerning and frankly woke provisions that Democrats attempted to cram in on their way out of power. So did they succeed in cramming in some woke priorities? Well, here now to discuss this and answer all the latest questions that we all have is a Kena Gonzalez, he’s a senior director of government affairs here at the Family Research Council, and he has been spending a lot of time hanging out on Capitol Hill. Kena, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 12 :
It’s great to be at this desk and back from the Hill, Jody.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, you’ve been spending a lot of time there, and I must say there’s been a lot to deal with. So tell us, what’s the breakdown for us, the most concerning provisions within the NDAA? Was it good, bad, ugly, indifferent? Where do we stand?
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, this is a bill that passes every year for the last 63 or 64 years, Jody. So as you can imagine, as you know, because you were on the Hill, I don’t have to explain to you, but for our Democrats love to attach all kinds of credit to this bill because if it goes into the bill, it must pass. Without this bill, troops, funding levels, their salaries, things like that are set by the bill. So the bill must pass. And yes, there are many things that we’re tracking in this bill this year that liberals on the Hill were either threatening to put into the bill or actually did try to put into the bill. It followed a bit of a convoluted path, this being the 118th Congress. Things have been convoluted all this year and last. But the final negotiations of the bill, there were three main things that we were watching to see if they would be included. Actually, two that we were watching and then one that sort of came out of left field. One was whether or not women would be forced to sign up for the draft. That was a major priority by liberals on the Hill. Another was whether the military would fund, expand taxpayer funding for IVF without consideration for some real serious pro-life concerns about how that was being expanded. The issue that got all of the attention when the final draft was released and voted on first in the House and then again today in the Senate and passing was that the bill strips out or put into law, I should say, for the first time, protections for minors, for children, military kids, from taxpayer-funded gender transition procedures. Wow.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, that’s huge.
SPEAKER 12 :
It is.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s a biggie.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 15 :
Explain why this is so huge. In fact, say it again and then tell us why this is so important.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, so for the first time in federal statute, there will be some protection for some minors, children, from gender transition procedures that are paid for by taxpayers. And this focuses on the military, and so this applies to military family kids. taxpayers will not be paying for surgeries, for cross-sex hormones, for puberty blockers that unnaturally delay puberty in minors beyond the point at which puberty would naturally occur. And this is important because this is an issue that FRC and our allies all across the country have been fighting for for about seven or eight years, first at the state level and now at the federal level. And this is the first time, this is the first bill of its kind to protect minors from gender transition procedures.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. So let me underscore that this is the first time. So that means we now have precedent of defending children. And also, I go back to what you said earlier. This is a must pass bill. So now it’s going to the president’s desk. So more or less, he’s got to sign this thing or else he’s got mud all over his face by not funding the military. So you expect him to sign it, don’t you?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, I believe that Joe Biden will be the first president to sign protections for minors. I don’t believe he’ll be the last, but he’ll be the first.
SPEAKER 15 :
Wow, that’s amazing. So why did Democrats backtrack on all of this? You’ve been on the Hill. What’s kind of been the battleground on all of this?
SPEAKER 12 :
Yeah, the conversation about this really started earlier this year during this long election year that I’m sure most of us are glad is finally over. So during the election, Democrats really highlighted this issue of gender ideology and pushing gender identity, including gender ideology as it impacts children. and painted those on the right as bigots. And amazingly, after the election, right after Kamala Harris’s loss in the presidential election, several, two prominent Democrats came out on the Hill and said that they blamed the election, at least in part, on the left’s radical dedication to gender ideology. They felt that the party had gotten out of step, radically out of step, with the American people on this. There was an effort today to try to attach an amendment to the bill that would have taken that language out and sent it back to the House. That failed. It failed in large part because even Democrat leadership in the Senate, where they control the Senate, realized that this is a losing proposition for them and a losing issue. And so they just went around that amendment. They did not attach it. They sent the bill on to the president for his signature.
SPEAKER 15 :
So overall, a scale of one to ten, ten being fantastic, one being horrible. Where does this in the AA stand? I mean, overall, it sounds like we had some pretty significant wins in this.
SPEAKER 12 :
Well, viewers and listeners could be forgiven for having whiplash, but we’re living in a sort of moment right now where we have to recognize that this particular bill is was negotiated between the Republican-led House, the Senate, the Democrat-led Senate, and Joe Biden. So two out of three of those people at the table were pushing for all of these issues to be attached. So the fact that they were not attached in my book is a major win.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, major win. I agree with you. I’m just I’m elated while we’re talking. And of course, this passed just a little while ago. So it seemed like yet another one of those things that it passes while people are trying to throw stuff on it and attach other stuff to it while it’s in process. So this really is some encouraging news that you’re sharing. Less than a minute left. Are there any other concerns about this or we feel good with it?
SPEAKER 12 :
I’m very happy with where this year’s NDAA passed. Next year’s NDAA will be passed by a Republican House and a Republican Senate and signed by a Republican president. And that’ll be very exciting to see. And we’ll be working hard to make sure that conservative principles are further enshrined in that bill.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you so much, Kena Gonzalez, FRC’s Senior Director of Government Affairs. Appreciate so much you joining us on Washington Watch. God bless you. All right, friends, don’t go anywhere. My good friend Congressman Andy Biggs and some other representatives are going to be joining me in just a few moments to preview the kind of a shakeup, a new look that’s going to be taking place in the House Oversight Committee. You don’t want to miss how this is shaping up. We’ll cover it all right after this break. Stay tuned.
SPEAKER 03 :
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SPEAKER 10 :
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SPEAKER 15 :
good afternoon welcome back to washington watch i’m your host jody heist sitting in today for tony and uh so grateful to have you on board with us all as well all right we all know by now politics often feels like a battlefield and it often is and democratic congressman jerry conley has himself who’s a democrat he’s made it clear he recently made a declaration if you will that this is going to be trench warfare. Now what he’s referring to, he recently was made the ranking member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee. He defeated in that race Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And so now he’s going to be the lead of the Oversight Committee. And so when he talks about trench warfare, uh look as it seems obvious to me he intends to be digging in to counter republican-led efforts trump-led efforts and he’s going to do so with great discipline and great focus so what does all this battle talk mean for the committee’s priorities and the broader political landscape well joining me now to discuss this is several representatives congressman andy biggs from arizona His colleague there, Eli Crane from Arizona, Bob Good from Virginia, and Matt Rosendale from Montana. I want to start, Congressman Biggs, I want to thank each of you. Thank you for joining me. It’s great to see each of you, dear friends, great leaders. Thank you, all of you, for joining us on Washington Watch. Yeah, thanks, Joe.
SPEAKER 14 :
Glad to be with you.
SPEAKER 15 :
Let me start, Congressman Biggs, with you. Here we have Congressman Conley describing the upcoming session of Congress as trench warfare. So what do you draw from that, and what is it going to mean for Republicans, not only on the committee there in oversight, but more broadly?
SPEAKER 14 :
Well, so you were on oversight, and I’m on oversight, and now Eli’s going to be on oversight. Jerry’s going to use every procedural tool he can to slow down whatever we’re trying to do to accomplish the Make America First agenda. That’s what he’s going to do. That’s what he’s talking about. And that means that he’s going to try to adjourn meetings. He’s going to try to put a speed stick down. He’s going to make sure everybody on his side talks for five minutes. to try to make it painful for us to enact our policies. That’s what he’s going to do. And then his side is going to really try to use the floor rules to stall bills and prevent us from accomplishing what we want to. It’s a procedural tactic. We did a few of those things ourselves, Jody, you and I, and my colleagues that are here with me, Matt and Eli and Bob. But the reality is we’re going to be ready for them.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah. And listen, it is war. And I don’t know of any four gentlemen I’d rather be in the trench with than you four right there. Right beside you, Matt Rosendale, Montana. What do you make of Congresswoman Cortez and losing this? What does that say about where the Democrats are right now?
SPEAKER 16 :
I think that they did some serious analysis and started trying to figure who is going to be the best representative, the best person who can articulate their message, who can try to advance their agenda, is best equipped to stop our agenda. And it didn’t take them long to figure out that Ms. Cortez is not the person who’s going to be able to do that. We’re starting to see a lot of the committee chairs or rankers have some shifting around, and some of the more radical leftists, the self-declared socialists of the Democrat Party, are not able to obtain those high-ranking positions.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, it is a statement. I think there’s certainly there’s a battle going on within the Democratic Party, too. Eli Crane, let me ask you, what kind of effect do you think Conley’s win is potentially going to have on the committee as a whole?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, thanks for having me, Jody. As a freshman, you know, I haven’t been on that committee, so I don’t know Mr. Conley. All I know is I’m excited to serve on the committee and bring a You know, a little bit more backbone to the committee. I’m looking forward to it.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, trust me, with those of us who have served with Conley, we know that you will get to know him in very short order. So Godspeed with you on that. Let me jump over to Congressman Good. Your thoughts on that. What kind of impact do you think Conley’s new position might have on the oversight committee?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, if anybody understands true trench-like warfare, it’s Eli Crane. So he’s going to do a great job.
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s very true.
SPEAKER 13 :
He understands it in a literal way that most of us do not. But, you know, the Democrats didn’t get the memo on November 5. And they don’t understand that it wasn’t about the candidate. It wasn’t about the previous candidate who they threw off Biden to replace him with Kamala Harris. It’s not about the messaging or the turnout. The American people don’t want their radical agenda. But I hope Jerry Connolly making this statement sends a message to Republicans across our conference that we are truly at war. This is political warfare. The future of the country is at stake. And I hope Republicans bring their guns to this battle.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I think they most definitely, you guys have a lot on your plate. And I know he was just diagnosed. I was kind of shocked that he got this position. He was just diagnosed about a month ago with cancer. In fact, I reached out to him, texted him and Let them know I’m praying for them. We texted back and forth, even though we’re on strongly different sides of the aisle, just trying to kind of nudge them in the right direction, I guess, because we butted heads. Our horns locked a lot of times. I just want to say thank you to you four warriors here, Bob Good from Virginia, Matt Rosendale, Montana, Andy Biggs from Arizona, and Eli Crane, Arizona. You guys are dear friends, great champions. Thank you for coming on Washington Watch. And Bob, I know you’re not going to be there next go-round, but the three of you, the others of you, as you serve on oversight, go get them, have fun, and stand for all of us. We’re all counting for you and praying for you. God bless you. Merry Christmas to each of you.
SPEAKER 14 :
And to Didi as well. And God bless you. By the way, Matt, he’s leaving Congress too.
SPEAKER 15 :
Matt is leaving as well. That’s right. That’s right. Wow. Love you guys. Thank you for joining us. All right. After the break, Dr. A.J. Nolte, Director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University, will be joining me. A lot of news breaking in the Middle East. Stay tuned.
SPEAKER 03 :
Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn’t be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 06 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God’s will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn’t impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can’t do that. It’s not that you don’t love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God’s opinion more than your neighbor’s opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you are the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that’s not all. They’re also engaged in our government. They’re voters. They’re more likely to be involved in their community, and they’re making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That’s what we’re working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That’s S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 15 :
Thank you so much for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I’m your host, Jody Heist, sitting in today for Tony. All right, before I bring in my next guest, I want to encourage you to join Family Research Council as we are doing everything we can to shine the light of biblical truth in Washington, D.C., and for that matter, across our entire nation. This is a pretty dangerous time for our country, whether we’re talking about the leadership transition that is underway to the lame duck session of Congress, to crime skyrocketing, just a host of issues, as we all know. And FRC is serving as a watchman on the wall. Literally, we’re here trying to protect the faith, family, protect freedoms, all from vicious attacks coming from the left. And thanks to a $1.5 million challenge match, every single dollar that you give to FRC between now and December 31st, every dollar will be doubled. So you have an enormous opportunity to double your impact. And we ask you to come along, stand with FRC, as we are being literally a prophetic voice for biblical truth. You can do so. You can double your impact by texting the word light to 67742. Together, let’s make an eternal impact. Together, let’s be the light that we all need to be. And we thank you for joining us in that. All right. As Israel Defense Forces continue their operations in Gaza, there’s… attempts to broker a ceasefire and to broker the hostage release for that matter. And these efforts are intensifying right now. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the IDF is going to remain in the recently seized Syrian buffer zone to alleviate the threat of security concerns there. And so in all reality, negotiations appear to be showing some signs of progress. Hamas is signaling, at least, its willingness toward a potential agreement. So what does all this mean for Israel? What does it mean for the Middle East? We’ve got a lot of questions, and joining me now to discuss this is Dr. A.J. Nolte. He’s the director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University. Dr. Nolte, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thank you again for joining us.
SPEAKER 08 :
Jody, it’s great to be here and glad to be back with you discussing these important issues.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, we were on yesterday, and I apologize. We had to end our discussion quickly because I had a member of Congress who was calling in with an update on a classified briefing that he was a part of yesterday regarding the drone situation. So you and I, our conversation was cut short. So let’s continue that discussion. Negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release, they’ve been described by some as cautiously optimistic. Okay, so let’s start on that premise. What are the primary obstacles to reaching an agreement quickly? Are you likewise optimistic? Where does this stand as it appears right now?
SPEAKER 08 :
I would say the primary obstacles to reaching an agreement that we’ve seen since the beginning of the war are two things. One, for Israel, the destruction of the military and political capabilities of Hamas in Gaza was a necessary war aim. And so Israel has these two war aims. One is to recover the hostages. The other is to destroy Hamas’s capability to ever do October 7th again, which for Israel means destroying their hostages. capacity to be the political and military authorities in Gaza, see them removed, and essentially put some sort of military and governing capacity in Gaza that is not likely to conduct terrorism against Israel in the long run. I think that’s the goal, right? So here’s the problem with that. And this has always been the challenge the Israelis have faced since the beginning. For Hamas, those hostages were a trump card that they could use to preserve their own survival, and that they were hoping to use to preserve their ability to continue to govern and be the primary military force in Gaza. And so they put Israel in a position where it has constantly had to choose between getting the hostages back, and achieving its war aim of preventing future hostage-shaking and future terrorism. So this is a very, very difficult situation. Add this to the fact that in Jewish thought and Jewish law, the redemption of Jewish hostages that are being held, particularly in horrible captivity by anti-Semites, is a primary moral objective. It’s very important in Jewish law and Jewish thought. And so this is a particularly acute challenge and difficulty for Israel. And it was a difficulty that was created by Yahya Senwar because he got out of prison during a deal to release an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who had been held captive. He was one of the prisoners that was released in that hostage deal. So he knows what he’s doing. He set this up as sort of a deliberate trap for Israel. And it’s been challenging. The reason why people are optimistic now, frankly, is that circumstances have changed on the ground. Hamas has lost most of its outside backing. The so-called ring of fire that Iran had created around Israel is gone. And I think one of the death blows was that Hezbollah, which had on October 8th started attacking Israel as part of the ceasefire. And people have often wondered, why would Netanyahu agree to a ceasefire in the conflict in Lebanon? Well, part of that ceasefire is Hezbollah essentially is out of the war with Hamas. They have decoupled. They’ve said, we are no longer going to fight until Hamas, until there’s a ceasefire in Gaza. We’re done. And so Hamas’ allies are crumbling around them. Sinwar, of course, is dead. And so I think The leadership in Hamas at this point is trying to get whatever deal they can. And then, of course, you also have the rhetoric of President Trump, which I do think is a significant factor here. Because President Trump understands in the Middle East you have to project strength. And his comment, unspecified hell will be paid if these hostages are not freed by the time that I’m inaugurated, You know, I think Hamas is hearing that and is realizing that this is the guy who killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, at the end of his term last time. And so this is not a guy who makes idle threats like that. So I think all of these factors have put Hamas in a position where they want to try to get some sort of deal, the best deal that they can.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, you wrap that together powerfully. And this has been an amazing tightrope that Israel has walked, trying to save the hostages while at the same time destroying their enemy. And now it is interesting to me, and what you just brought up with Trump, that’s really a good point, because I’m kind of curious what role American diplomacy plays is playing right now to secure a deal. It seems as though the Biden and Trump teams are at least reportedly collaborating right now. And so what role is America having apart from perhaps Trump and his comments that you just referenced in diplomatic attempts?
SPEAKER 08 :
Let me add one other factor in terms of complicating factor for Israel, and that is there’s a particularly complicating factor for Netanyahu himself. Because on the one hand, there’s been immense pressure from hostage families to get a hostage deal, and many of them are saying, we want a hostage deal at all costs. And those are some of the most prominent voices. And I think that’s a perfectly understandable position for them to take to their family members, and we can all sympathize with that on a gut level. On the other hand, Netanyahu sees Iran as the proximate threat, and he wants to deal with that threat. And I think he wants to have his legacy be having dealt with that. And then on the third hand, there are members of his coalition that don’t want to see any kind of deal because they’re primarily concerned with Hamas. and, you know, crushing the situation in Gaza. So it’s a very complicated calculus for Netanyahu as well. And because of the bizarre political situation in Israel, bizarre from an American perspective, of course, the Israelis would think it’s normal, but it’s a very complicated internal balancing dynamic that he’s got. And that complicates things. Now, on the U.S. side, on the U.S. side, I think you’re right that both Trump and Biden have the same goal. And their goal is Israel has a right to defend itself. Israel wants to get the hostages back. But I think this is an area where we see a fundamentally different understanding of the Middle East between the Trump and the Biden teams. The Biden team sees the best way to get to a deal is by Israel not rocking the boat and sort of not escalating. And their thought is any escalation by Israel could lead to a situation where more hostages die. And indeed, to be fair to that perspective, there’s some evidence that there have been some hostages that may have been killed in the past because the IDF was getting close to them. So that’s not a totally unreasonable position, but it is a position that complicates things for the Israelis. Trump, I think, is more of a belief that at all costs projects strength. and that you project strength, you stand behind your allies. And he is going to much more want to put pressure on Hamas by saying, look, if you don’t do this, there are going to be severe consequences. And we could think in particular of the way Trump told that story in the debate about making a very personal threat to the leader of the Taliban forces in Afghanistan about consequences that were going to happen to that man, you know, with pictures attached. if any U.S. service members were killed. And so it’s a very different approach. It’s a very different tone. And I think that Netanyahu will probably find it easier to work with the Trump administration because I think he shares more of that strength-focused idea about how to project power effectively in the Middle East.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, I think you’re very correct in that assessment. So what about Turkey? I mean, we have Turkey’s military interventions in northern Syria, mounting tensions with the Kurdish forces. How is all this reality going to influence the broader dynamics surrounding the entire Middle East?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think that’s really good and a very good question and it brings into focus another pivot point which is related to this whole thing which is Syria. Why is Syria a pivot point? Because the simplest way of describing what just happened in Syria is Iran lost Turkey won, and Israel is somewhere between a win and a draw. So Iran lost. Assad was Iran’s proxy. Russia also lost. They were both very much proxies of Syria. Iran, because Syria was the pipeline to support Hezbollah, which is their queen on the chessboard, if you look at the Middle East as a chessboard. Hezbollah for Iran was the queen, because it’s a Shia power that allows them to attack Israel. Syria was a vector that they used to both protect the queen and also get supplies to them. Russia had warm water ports in Syria. That looks like it’s gone. Turkey has now won. The proxy groups that are often either Al-Qaeda-linked explicitly or descended from Al-Qaeda slash some Muslim Brotherhood forces in Syria, those were heavily backed by the Turks. And so Turkey now looks like it’s the primary actor. And so as we turn the focus to Israel for a second, certainly Iran is a dangerous, immediate threat. Turkey is not as immediate of a threat. They’re not going to take as immediate direct action against Israel, nor do I think that their government that they’re backing in Syria is going to take immediate actions to sort of, for example, purge minorities, which I know a lot of people have been concerned about. But Turkey is dangerous in the long run because they have a long-term regional strategy. And Erdogan has been very clear that he sees himself as bringing back the dominance of the region that Turkey had during the Ottoman Empire. And if you look more deeply into some of the propaganda that’s going on in Turkey, which is a side interest of mine and research that I’ve done in the past, what you’ll actually find is that Erdogan’s narrative is that the collapse of the Ottoman Empire was a tragedy. And one of the primary actors that he blames as responsible for this is Zionism. And the Zionists he sees as having undermined the Ottoman Empire and led to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. And so he wants to sort of restore that Ottoman sphere. So long term, Turkey is quite dangerous because they will have as a Sunni power legitimacy with many actors in the Middle East that Iran simply couldn’t have. And so I do think this is a short-term, potentially a win for Israel. But also the instability makes them nervous. They kind of knew how to deal with Assad. The Assad regime was horrific, don’t get me wrong. But the Israelis, for their own personal security, they knew how to deal with them. They’re a little uncertain. And Turkey has not always been a positive actor for Israel. So I think there’s a lot of concerns that this raises in the long term. Although it’s always good to see a genocidal dictator overthrown, I think Israelis are looking at it with a little bit of wariness. And that has prompted some of the actions they’ve taken recently.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, no doubt. And questionably, I get it. But Turkey being a NATO ally, I mean, that kind of complicates things as well. But we all know that Iran played a significant role in the attacks. And we also know that the Biden administration released some $6 billion or whatever to the Iranians. So is this yet another failure of leadership, in your opinion, or is this… from the Biden administration, or is this a slap in the face to Israel?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think that There’s probably no area of Middle East policy where I’m going to be more critical of Joe Biden personally and of his administration than Iran policy. And I think I’ve said this to Tony in the past or on some other media hits. You can go back to right after 9-11, there’s an article from the New Republic in October of 2001 called Rhetorical Question, which of course is about Biden, which is just a great title. But in that, he muses about the possibility of giving millions of dollars to Iran after 9-11 because they’re a Sunni or they’re a Shia country and Al-Qaeda’s Sunni. And, you know, of course, they never worked together. We know now that’s false, that Iran did cooperate with Al-Qaeda strategically when they thought it was in their benefit, even though they were fighting in other areas. So he’s just not been good on Iran for a long time. The Biden administration was very bad on Iran in a number of different ways, in some ways following after the Obama legacy on Iran, which was terrible, and in some ways even intensifying it. Contrast that with the Trump administration, which was very strong, and it looks like they’re going to be strong again. A little inside baseball for your listeners, and this is a smart audience that will appreciate this. So if you look at the Trump transition, one of the guys who was a point person for foreign policy is a man named Brian Hook. And Brian Hook, from what I’m given to understand, was a key actor in a lot of the first term anti-Iran sanctions policies and the maximum pressure campaign. And so that was a signal. And a lot of the appointments that Trump has made since then, has announced since then, have been a signal that he’s going to go back to that maximum pressure campaign with Iran. And that’s a good thing.
SPEAKER 15 :
It is a good thing. Wow. Dr. A.J. Nolte, Director of the Institute for Israel Studies at Regent University. Always fascinating discussion whenever you’re on Washington Watch with us. Thank you so much for your graciousness to come back on the program last night after we had to be cut short yesterday. I appreciate it so much. God bless you. Merry Christmas to you.
SPEAKER 08 :
Absolutely. Thank you. Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 15 :
All right, friends, that wraps up yet another edition here at the News World of Washington Watch. Thank you so much for joining us. Hope you have a fantastic evening, and we’ll be back with you again tomorrow right here on Washington Watch.
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Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
