In this episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins provides an in-depth analysis of the U.N. Security Council’s approval of a U.S.-backed resolution on Gaza. With insights from experts like Michael Rubin and discussions on significant political events including Saudi Arabia’s talks with the U.S. about a major military deal, the episode sheds light on the dynamic geopolitical shifts in the Middle East and the implications these have for international relations.
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. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
SPEAKER 10 :
Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don’t talk about it too much, because honestly, I don’t want to take it away from us. It’s really a Democrat problem. The Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them. And it’s a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax.
SPEAKER 09 :
That was President Donald Trump earlier saying he would sign a bill that released the Epstein files if the Senate gives its approval. Welcome to this November 17th edition of Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, the United Nations Security Council is preparing to vote on a U.S.-backed resolution that would establish a multinational stabilization force in Gaza, along with a new peace board headed by President Trump. The measure also outlines a pathway to Palestinian statehood, a provision drawing sharp criticism and opposition from Israeli leaders and others. Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins us later to break it all down. Plus, Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett weighs in on the debate over the Epstein files on Capitol Hill as President Trump reverses course and now supports releasing the documents. the united nations security council is set to vote within the hour on a u.s drafted resolution backing president trump’s gaza peace plan and authorizing an international stabilization force the proposal would also create a peace board to oversee gaza’s transition israel though has made very clear it will not accept any arrangement that leaves hamas armed and in power in any part of Gaza. Joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who has been following today’s Maine stories. Casey, what’s expected from this resolution and how likely is it to pass?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, thanks, Tony. So the UN Security Council resolution is backed by the US and it aims to stabilize Gaza after two years of brutal war between Israel and Hamas. And as you said, this is part of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which includes a stabilization force and a plan to rebuild Gaza and reform Palestinian institutions. Now, the resolution is backed by key Arab states, including Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, as well as Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan, though only the U.S. and Pakistan sit on the council, and Pakistan has no veto, but it’s quite the cast of characters there. Now, at the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel remains firmly opposed to a Palestinian state for obvious reasons. They’re pushing back after some cabinet ministers warned that the U.S. plan could open the door to creating that very Palestinian state. Now, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that a Palestinian state would be a Hamas terror state.
SPEAKER 01 :
There is a new obsession. in the world and mainly in Europe. We are facing three terror states. The terror states in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen have not yet been dismantled. But some people are quick to suggest that we will establish a Palestinian terror state in the heart of our tiny homeland.
SPEAKER 15 :
A rival Russian proposal is on the table, Tony, and the council’s vote could determine the next phase for Gaza’s fragile ceasefire. But giving up land for peace was really what created the situation in Gaza to begin with. So I think it’s unlikely that Israel is going to budge on their position.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I would also add, Casey, that various U.S. administrations that have advocated this idea of land for peace have all failed. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens of today’s Security Council vote. Well, speaking of the Middle East, Casey, tomorrow the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salam meets President Trump at the White House. What’s on the agenda for the Crown Prince?
SPEAKER 15 :
That’s right, Tony. This is an important meeting, and military cooperation is on the agenda. President Trump said he’s actually considering a major deal to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.
SPEAKER 10 :
I’m looking at that. They’ve asked me to look at it. They want to buy a lot of 35, but they want to buy actually more than that fighter jet.
SPEAKER 15 :
Trump also said he hopes Saudi Arabia will eventually join the Abraham Accords, though the Arab nation has held off so far. Israel, naturally, is watching closely. Their national security minister said earlier today that Israel must maintain air superiority, and Israeli officials want any sale to Saudi Arabia formally normalizing relationships with Israel as part of that deal. The IDF is currently the only military in the region flying the F-35, but that could change, Tony.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yeah, we’ll talk a little bit more about that later. Casey, also Congress is set to vote, the House is set to vote this week on releasing the Epstein files based on this discharge petition. What’s the latest there?
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, Tony, I saw your call on that this storm’s not going to blow over, and you’re right about that. It’s more of a hurricane. President Trump is now urging Republicans in Congress to release the files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Today he indicated he would actually support the Senate if it votes to release the files.
SPEAKER 10 :
You would give them everything? Sure I would. Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it.
SPEAKER 15 :
Now, Trump has maintained that he never visited Epstein’s island and that the two men had a falling out long before Epstein’s convictions. Emails that were released show Epstein believed Trump, quote, knew about the girls, though exactly what that means is unclear. Trump’s also calling on the DOJ to investigate Democrats’ ties to Epstein, while tensions on this issue rise within his own party. Democrats say more than 40 House Republicans could vote to release the files, but they would still need Senate approval, and Majority Leader John Thune said he won’t bring it to a vote. Meanwhile, President Trump called on the DOJ to investigate potential links involving public figures from the Democratic Party, such as Bill Clinton, Tony.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, as I said, it is not going to blow over until they deal with it. All right. Thanks so much, Casey. Always great to see what you’re tracking. All right. I want to dive a little bit deeper into this Epstein Files saga and the president’s latest statement ahead of the vote this week. Joining me now to discuss this is Congressman Tim Burchett, who serves on several House committees, including the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He represents the 2nd Congressional District of Tennessee. Congressman Burchett, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for having me on, Tony. It’s always a pleasure. Now, you tried to get unanimous consent on this discharge petition last week before Congress broke to just go ahead and deal with this and get this out of the way. I mean, I think that was a good move just to deal with it and move on.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, the Democrats tried to, after they realized they messed up, tried to say I was trying to hide people’s votes. And unanimous consent, by definition, is unanimous. I’ve passed several laws. And if you go look in the books, if you pass up my unanimous consent, everybody’s voted in favor of it. That’s the way it’s listed. And the Democrats have continuously just fumbled this thing. And what they want to do is just bring it up piece by piece, throw a little stuff out that’s already been disproven. And it’s really just to infringe upon President Trump. They messed up. They know they messed up big time in the shutdown. They didn’t get anything that they asked for, and they just hurt their selves with the public, which they should have. It was pretty disgusting what they did, hurting people. But under this deal, it’s just a continuation. Look, Tony, the Democrats had this thing for four years. for four years under the Biden administration. And you know, as crooked as they were, they would have had it out. They would have, if there’s anything about Trump, it had been leaked out over and over again. And it never, ever was. Trump said, I know the guy and it’s It’s been pretty well documented that Trump banned him from Mar-a-Lago because he was messing with young ladies down there. And Trump said he didn’t want anything to do with it, and he banned him from his place. And that’s very well documented. And they’re going to say, oh, Trump was on his plane. Well, guess what? So were a lot of people. But Trump never went to his island. I know a lot of wealthy people. I aspire to be one one day. I’m not currently. And I’m currently on the path of going the other way pretty much as far as money goes. But they’ll hop a ride with somebody and say, are you going to Newark? Yeah, I’m not, but my buddy is. He’s heading out here in a little bit. Just hop on his plane. And so the flight logs are going to show that Trump, in fact, flew on his plane. That doesn’t mean anything. And then you’re going to have the rumor and innuendo, the things that have been disproven in the past. And it’s just, it’s pretty pathetic, really. Tony, we need to just get to the bottom of it, get it all out. They blocked me from doing it last week. And…
SPEAKER 09 :
Tim, let me ask you this, because in your oversight role, you have been advocating for a lot of information that the government has set on to be released to the public, to let the public know. We are, I think, well, I don’t think, I mean, the polling makes it very clear. The government, in terms of the American people having trust in the government, it’s at an all-time low. And so I think transparency is the best approach. And again, you’re saying, hey, let’s just put it out there on the floor, vote, let’s let it go. I think in part, the president’s reluctance and, you know, this, I don’t want this information. And first they said they were going to release it, then they didn’t. I think if he would have taken your approach and just said, hey, put it all out there, they wouldn’t have had an issue to deal with. They wouldn’t have anything to say.
SPEAKER 07 :
Correct. And we’ve already issued over 17,000 pages. Chairman Comer out of Kentucky, he’s chairman of the Oversight Committee. He’s done a great job of putting this stuff out. And I want to remind folks, Tony, I was in a meeting with a group of these ladies and their attorney. And one lady said, you know, I’m in this under an assumed name or whatever, like X or something. I can’t remember. and and she said i want to get into these files to know what happened to me because apparently what happened to her was so horrific that she blacked it out which is uh which is something god allows people to do just when they’re into horrific situations and their mind blocks it out so they can continue with life and she said i want to see what in those files about me so i’ll know what they did to me and then i asked the question i said so you want to release the files Her attorney immediately spoke up and says, no, no, she does not. And so, you know, that should have been a national news story in itself, but it wasn’t. And there are several others, I believe, that have stated they don’t want their names out there because what’s going to happen, Tony, it’s going to turn into a carnival show.
SPEAKER 09 :
They’re not going to go anywhere. That has been one of the issues that the speaker and others have talked about is that the names need to be redacted of the victims themselves. of those who have been that were victimized by Jeffrey Epstein and his colleagues. But that’s apparently the Democrats want all the information out there. I think it’s only judicious that you protect the victims in this process.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely. The most liberal newspapers in the country, mine in Knoxville, there used to be a prominent newspaper. It’s basically just a rag that my dogs won’t even poop on anymore. But it’s, you know, they used to have that as part of one of their deals. If somebody was sexually abused, especially a minor, when they were a minor, that it never is released. It’s never released. Their names are not. But the attackers are just not the people who were abused. And that’s the way it should be.
SPEAKER 09 :
That is exactly the way it should be, Tony. We should protect those victims. They shouldn’t be victims twice. I just got a little over a minute left. Congressman Burchard, the House, it’s expected to pass the House. Will the Senate deal with it or are they just going to bury it in the Senate?
SPEAKER 07 :
I don’t have any idea. Who knows what’s going on over there? I would hope they’d bring it up. I think they just need to. If I was them, I would bring it up the day, the minute we did it, the minute we passed it, run it over there, get it to them, get it to the president’s desk. Let’s put it to rest this week and so we can continue on. But I’m afraid what they’re going to do is fall into this trap of delay, delay, delay, delay, have hearing after hearing after hearing, and they drag it out and just make the public suspect. a further cover up. And we just fall into those hands every time. We can’t resist it. It’s an ego. It’s control. It’s power. I don’t care who’s in the majority and who’s in the minority. It just seems to infect all of them. And I don’t get it.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right, Tim, thanks so much for joining us. Always appreciate your insights and filling us in on what’s happened on Capitol Hill.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thanks, Tony. It’s always a pleasure. Thank you, brother.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett. All right. Coming up next, we’re going to talk about what’s happening with the library system in East Baton Rouge Parish, my home parish. Because it’s indicative of those entities that have embraced DEI. We’re going to talk about that. Also, let me just go back to this issue. I think the House would do well to pass this release, this call to release the bills. The Senate or the files of the Senate should do the same. Put it to rest. Take it away as an instrument by the Democrats. All right. Stick with us. We’re coming back. 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. judean 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% 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 11 :
How should Christians think about the thorny issues shaping our culture? How should Christians address deceitful ideas like transgenderism, critical theory, or assisted suicide? How can Christians navigate raising children in a broken culture, the war on gender roles, or rebuilding our once great nation? Outstanding is a podcast from The Washington Stand dedicated to these critical conversations. Outstanding seeks to tear down what our corrupt culture lifts up with an aim to take every thought and every idea captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether policies or partisan politics, whether conflict in America or conflict abroad, join us and our guests as we examine the headlines through the lens of Scripture and explore how Christians can faithfully exalt Christ in all of life. Follow Outstanding on your favorite podcast app and look for new episodes.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. My appreciation to Jody Heiss for filling in for me last week as I was out doing some planning for the upcoming year. Jody always does a great job. Appreciate him filling in. All right. The left’s DEI and woke agenda has already cost Americans plenty. But now but now it’s beginning to cost them or they would ever prefer pronouns they prefer. They’re losing taxpayer funding. The latest example comes from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library System in my home parish, what most of the country would call a county. Now, over the weekend, the library system lost a key tax renewal. It was their only source of funding. Now, this is the same library that recently fired a bivocational pastor who’s been on this program, Luke Ash, for refusing to use a biologically incorrect pronoun. Well, my next guest says the consequences went… beyond the library itself because every item on the ballot failed. because voters saw this as a referendum on the library. Joining me now to discuss this, Michael Lunsford, Executive Director of Citizens for a New Louisiana. Michael, welcome to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hey, Tony. Thanks for having me on.
SPEAKER 09 :
So you’ve been tracking the issues with libraries in Louisiana for quite some time. It’s kind of a beehive of DEI woke activity all across the state.
SPEAKER 06 :
It’s almost the church of the woke at this point in many parishes across Louisiana. We’ve been fighting it. Lafayette, Livingston, East Baton Rouge is new, but we’ve been out in St. Tammany, Rapides, quite a number of them. But yeah, East Baton Rouge is a problem. We’ve seen that. Thankfully, we have this catalyst moment with Luke Ash that’s kind of revealed, you know, pulled the curtain back to show that. all of what’s going on in our library system statewide, and now people in Baton Rouge realize, oh, wait a minute, maybe it’s a problem here too.
SPEAKER 09 :
What’s interesting, Michael, is that generally these are property tax renewals. They generally just kind of, you know, kind of go through the process. Everybody just approves them. And in an election like this, it is a low turnout election because that was only three things on the ballot. There was this tax for the library. There was a tax for the Council on Aging and a tax for the Mosquito and Rodent Control. And everybody wants to get rid of them. But the problem… The problem was that the library was the focal point and it brought everything down.
SPEAKER 06 :
That happens quite a bit. You know, there’s a catalyst item on the ballot and everyone shows up and they don’t know which is which. It’s very complicated. You have to read all the details. So they just vote no on everything because they’re mad about one thing on the ballot. And it seems to me that this was the item that had everyone all up in arms.
SPEAKER 09 :
So the situation here, Michael, for the library, this was their main, well, this was their only funding because they were funded through this millage. Of course, they’re sitting on over $100 million in excess revenue, so it’s not like they’re hurting, but they’re also involved in a lot more than just providing books and educational materials. Maybe this is an opportunity for the public. I mean, this is a, as you said, a DEI woke, this is the church for the woke, Maybe this is an opportunity for citizens to say, hey, if you want to have a library, but get back to the basics.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you know, that’s a really good point, and that’s something we’ve been doing here for, golly, the last four or five years, is finding Christian conservatives who are willing to serve on their local library boards. It’s very difficult to find folks because, you know, we’re all busy. We have kids, we have baseball, soccer, we have ballet practice, we have all the things, plus homework and PTA. We’re busy because we’re conservative and we’re Christian. But the woke people aren’t busy, so they qualify for all of these boards, and they usually get on without a fuss because no one else runs. So that’s what we’ve been doing as an organization is trying to find Christian conservatives to take back our local government. And the library has been the front lines of the battle, although there are other boards and commissions. It’s where the woke happens. And so I’m excited East Baton Rouge is finally realizing – We’ve got to do something.
SPEAKER 09 :
I mean, I knew it was bad, but I really didn’t look into it until Pastor Luke Ash was fired just because he refused to use a biologically incorrect pronoun. But then I began to look into it. They are fully stocked in the DEI agenda. I mean, it is from top to bottom. And, you know, Louisiana is a pretty conservative state. It’s a red, trending red. Is this just gone unnoticed or how did this happen and what is the trend going forward?
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, you know, Louisiana voted for Donald Trump 70% in 2024. We’re 68% in 2020. So, I mean, it’s a pretty significant number. Super majority of the citizens supported Donald Trump. So what happens in a scenario where… You have this vacuum, effectively, in our local government because Christian conservatives are just busy doing what they do. And this is what happens when we take our eye off the ball and we step away from, oh, they’ll handle it, it’ll be okay. How bad can it be? Well, if you’ve seen, and I’ve seen the materials that they introduced when you get employed at these systems not just this library but all over the state you have to go through the dei training to make sure that you don’t you know use the wrong pronoun or say something insensitive or be non-inclusive all of this stuff goes through the process it’s the same junk we’ve heard about and known about for for a decade or more with our college systems all over the united states we had no idea it was in the library but All you have to do is peel back the curtain. Next thing you know, the roaches are scattering, and now we know we found something.
SPEAKER 09 :
And we didn’t even get into what they’re doing with their storybook hours and what they’re exposing our kids to with the whole LGBTQ agenda. Quickly, Michael, how can folks find out more about what you’re doing in Louisiana? I’ve got a lot of listeners in Louisiana, and I think the way to get at them is their funding and then control of their boards. How can people find out more?
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, so newlouisiana.org. You can get connected with us there. Send us a contact. Let us know you’re interested in volunteering, especially if you’re in Baton Rouge. We’re doing this in other parishes as well. St. Tammany’s been kind of really hot. as has Livingston Parish. I think most of those are pretty much settled down. East Baton Rouge is the new front. Rapides, of course, needs some help too. But if you’re interested in this and you’re not in any of those parishes, that’s okay too. Just send us a message. Let us know. We’ll get you connected with the right folks in that parish and get you started on the process to getting on these library boards. And really, most of the time, all you have to do is sit there and not vote the wrong way. Ask good questions. That’s all that’s necessary.
SPEAKER 09 :
Just use common sense. That’s all that’s needed. All right, Michael, we’re going to lean in on this as well. Folks, text the word pastor if you’d like to sign this petition that we’re going to deliver on behalf of Luke Ash. That’s coming up here in the next few weeks. Text pastor to 67742, pastor to 67742. Michael, always great to see you. Thanks so much for taking time to join us. Thanks, Tony. Good to see you. And folks, let me encourage you. I mean, this is how you make a difference. You’ve got to be involved. And… Step into the arena. Okay. All right. Text the word pastor to 67742. All right. When we come back, we’re going to be talking with Andy Harris.
SPEAKER 12 :
Three years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and bypassing the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn’t outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now, 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there’s a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12% since 2020, climbing from 930,000 to over 1 million in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple, the abortion drug. Today, over 60% of US abortions involve abortion drugs, many of these without medical oversight. In 2021, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum longstanding safety protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life-threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. The Biden DOJ then declared that they would not enforce the Comstock Act, which prevents the mailing of anything that causes an abortion. This is not only illegal, but also dangerous. A study shows nearly 11% of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses these reckless Biden-era policies, pro-life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of Mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger, and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let’s stand for life and end this mail order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at frc.org slash stop chemical abortion.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us. After the program, we mentioned that the U.N. Security Council was considering a resolution on Gaza. It just passed, approving President Trump’s Gaza peace plan. The vote was 13 to 15. Two members, Russia and China, abstained, which they could have vetoed it. They didn’t. We’ll talk more about that in the next segment. But for now, the government shutdown may have ended, but the fight is far from over. Now, Democrats are pressing to make permanent the COVID era Obamacare subsidies that were a focus of the shutdown. These subsidies, which were created as a temporary pandemic measure, are riddled with waste, fraud and abuse, just like the whole program. But it’s even worse. It continues to fund abortion and so-called gender transition programs. procedures. Well, over the weekend, in my weekend program this week on Capitol Hill, I talked to the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, Dr. Andy Harris, and I wanted to play that conversation for you. So the Democrats made Obamacare and these COVID-era extension subsidies the focus of the government shutdown. Could this actually backfire on Democrats? Because now everyone’s focused on why isn’t this system working? Why did it need $1.5 trillion to bolster it?
SPEAKER 08 :
That’s absolutely right. Obamacare is a failure. We were promised that if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. That’s obviously not true. If you like your insurance company, you keep your insurance company. That’s obviously not true. And the premiums have skyrocketed. The only reason anybody is on it is because the federal government, after COVID, subsidized 95 percent of the average premium. That’s ridiculous. We have to return the power over your health care to you. So that means price transparency. That means health savings accounts. That means getting the providers to accept the lowest that they have negotiated with some of the big insurance companies to level the playing field between the insurance companies and the average person.
SPEAKER 09 :
So could we be, I mean, this could be a seismic shift where health care decisions and funding is being taken away from government bureaucrats and big insurance companies and placed into the hands of the people with a direct relationship with their doctors.
SPEAKER 08 :
But that’s absolutely right. And that should be the goal. The fact of the matter is, is that right now, most people don’t have any control over it. It’s controlled by insurers who decide whether or not you’re going to get health care, whether or not you qualify for surgery, whether or not you qualify for some drugs. That’s crazy. That decision should be in the hands of the individuals. not the government, not the insurance companies. And we could expand this well beyond Obamacare. We could expand the HSAs and these policies that assure you that if you have an HSA, that you’re getting favorable treatment in terms of pricing. We could expand that way outside the Obamacare.
SPEAKER 09 :
This, to me, is how this has unfolded after the 43 days of the government shutdown, Democrats demanding funding of these subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this calendar year. This is an unintended consequence, I think, of what the Democrats took, the position that they took. I mean, it sounds like from the president to members of Congress that we could be looking at an overhaul of the affordable or the not so affordable Care Act.
SPEAKER 08 :
And that’s absolutely right. And again, what we can do is we can take some of those subsidies, those huge subsidies we’ve been paying to insurance companies, give the lion’s share of that into someone with an HSA and then have them go out and buy their care if they want a catastrophic health insurance plan so that they’re not going to go bankrupt. God forbid they need expensive cancer drugs or expensive surgery. That’s fine. But again, that should be their decision, not the decision of the government.
SPEAKER 09 :
So these subsidies are set to expire. And as you said, it’s underwriting the astronomically high payments that are required, the health care payments, insurance payments. They’re set to expire. People are going to be hit with a pretty big spike in their health care costs. How quickly will Congress be able to move on this?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, look, if we put the plans together, look, we can’t do a comprehensive overhaul of Obamacare before December 31st, but we could start down that path and we could start making inroads. And then if we have to, we can revisit it after the first of the year. You know, the Democrats want to extend these ridiculous Biden bonuses, these COVID-era enhancements for three years. Now, maybe we just extend some of them partially for six months while we negotiate all the rest of this. But in the end, There is going to be a negotiation on the high cost of health care premiums for the other 93 percent of Americans who aren’t on Obamacare. That’s going to be part of this discussion.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. Let me ask you something else. A minute left. Something else that is going to have to be a part of this discussion. The Affordable Care Act, the subsidies that we’ve been talking about, they do not have the hide protections that prevent taxpayer money from being spent on abortion or transgender surgeries. Is that a part of the conversation?
SPEAKER 08 :
Oh, it absolutely is. With Mike Johnson being Speaker of the House, he is not going to bring a bill to the floor that does not include hide protections. That’s taken for granted.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. Well, that’s promising because that is a big step forward from what we’ve seen in the past. Congressman Andy Harris, always great to see you. Thanks so much for taking time to join us today. Thank you. Well, again, that was part of my conversation with House Freedom Caucus Chairman Dr. Andy Harris on the weekend program this week on Capitol Hill. Now, at the end of that discussion, you heard us talking about the Hyde Amendment. Now, many may not be aware of this, but the Obamacare. that was the ACA, Affordable Care Act, not so Affordable Care Act, was deliberately structured to sidestep the Hyde Amendment. That goes back to Henry Hyde that just made sure that no taxpayer money went to fund abortion. Well, they sidestepped that. So what’s happened? Well, the result is Americans have been forced to subsidize practices that violate deeply held convictions about life and human identity because now it’s being used to fund these gender transition surgeries. So during the debate that’s going to be taking place on Capitol Hill over health care, I need you to weigh in, and I would encourage you to sign our petition that we’re going to send to the House Speaker and the Senate Majority Leader. No more taxpayer funding for abortion and gender transition procedures. Text ACA, ACA, to 67742, 67742. All right, stick around. There’s more. Our founding scripture for this is Ephesians chapter 6 verse 13, therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand, stand therefore.
SPEAKER 05 :
Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit 2025 brought together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action.
SPEAKER 09 :
We are equipping the body of Christ to understand that what is happening around us is not just political. It’s not just cultural. At its heart, it is spiritual.
SPEAKER 19 :
We gather in a nation that has torn the foundation apart, and we have separated our governing documents from our divine source, Jesus Christ. We need truth now more than ever to guide us.
SPEAKER 13 :
I’m believing, God, let this be a testimony of the American church, that we become so full of the fire of the Word of God that we cannot contain it. We have to tell people about it. We have to make disciples.
SPEAKER 18 :
The idea of America was the idea that our rights don’t come from governments. They come from our divine Creator, right? Government’s main job is to protect those rights. And because that was the foundation of America, We’ve enjoyed over the last 250 years more freedom, more prosperity, more stability than any other nation anywhere in the world, and that should be celebrated.
SPEAKER 02 :
We are living in a moment. What’s that moment? It’s a prophetic moment on God’s timeline. That’s right. And so he needs the church more than ever to act biblically for the blessing of our political leaders and of our nation.
SPEAKER 03 :
the number one issue facing America domestically, which is the epidemic of fatherlessness. 40% of all American children today enter the world without a father in the home married to the mother.
SPEAKER 14 :
We cannot win the pro-life fight without acknowledging that this is the pro-family fight, that this is the pro-marriage fight. We’re never going to end abortion if we do not secure and shore up marriage.
SPEAKER 04 :
We pray that this would be an opportunity, Lord God, for you to use us mere little mortals, but we possess the name of Jesus. God, use us mightily. We pray in Jesus’ name and all God’s people said, amen.
SPEAKER 16 :
Looking for a trusted source of news that shares your Christian values? Turn to The Washington Stand, your ultimate destination for informed, faith-centered reporting. Our dedicated team goes beyond the headlines, delivering stories that matter most to believers. From breaking events to cultural insights, we provide clear, compassionate coverage through a biblical lens. Discover news you can trust at The Washington Stand, where faith and facts meet every day.
SPEAKER 09 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch again. If you’d like to weigh in on the debate that’s going to be unfolding over the next few weeks on Capitol Hill regarding the extension of Obamacare or the underlying issues to make sure that you are not in the business of funding abortion and gender transition surgeries. and treatments, text the word ACA to 67742 and sign the petition, which we’re going to deliver to congressional leaders. All right, another point of information, the Stand on the Word store is open just in time for Christmas, and I want to encourage you to take a look at the items we’ve put together inspired by the Stand on the Word Bible reading plan, including a new study guide on Paul’s letter to the leaders. This and other resources are designed to encourage you and your family and your friends to keep standing on God’s Word. So if you’d like to get it in time for Christmas, you’ve got to actually order by November the 23rd. That’s Sunday. So to check out the full stand on the word collection, just text the word store. That’s S-T-O-R-E to 67742. That’s store to 67742. And I’ll send you a link. Speaking of the Word, our Word for today comes from 1 Timothy chapter 2, Well, after establishing the importance of sound doctrine, Paul turns immediately to prayer, and he makes it clear that prayer should be central to the life of the church. But notice where he directs that prayer, toward government and those who hold positions of authority. Which leaders? Only the good ones? Only those whose policies align with ours? No, actually all of them. In reality, the ones who trouble us the most are often the ones who most urgently need our prayers. Scripture doesn’t tell us to surrender our convictions, though. In a representative form of government, we can challenge our leaders, we can debate their policies, and we can even replace them at the ballot box. But We are also commanded to respect the offices they hold and to pray for them faithfully. I pray for our leaders, even those whose policies I strongly oppose. I don’t pray for their success of their harmful agendas. I pray that God would guide their decisions toward what is right and good so that our nation may live in peace. To find out more about our journey through the Bible, text BIBLE to 67742. All right. As I mentioned a few moments ago, the United Nations Security Council was considering a U.S. drafted resolution on Gaza. It just passed. Thirteen of the 15 members voted in favor, with Russia and China abstaining. What does this mean going forward? Joining me now to discuss this and more former Pentagon official Michael Rubin, who is now senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he specializes in Iran, Turkey and the broader Middle East. Michael, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 17 :
Hey, thanks for having me, Tony.
SPEAKER 09 :
All right. First off, your reaction to the passage of this resolution.
SPEAKER 17 :
Look, I’m always dubious of going to the United Nations. After the Camp David Accords, we didn’t go to the United Nations when we created a peacekeeping force for the Sinai, simply because we didn’t want to give the Soviet Union at the time any influence in the policies which would be unfolding there. That said, President Donald Trump did go to the Security Council. For Europeans and many Arab states, this brings a great deal of legitimacy. And the fact that he won, and that this resolution passed is nothing short of a tremendous victory for the White House, because it shows that the entire world is lining up behind President Donald Trump’s plan.
SPEAKER 09 :
Is there concern, as expressed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others from Israel, about the language in here that says it will provide a pathway forward if certain things are met to a Palestinian state?
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expressing some concern. That concern is mainly meant to blunt the criticism of some of his conservatives in his coalition. I don’t think that anyone really takes that seriously. Seriously. Look, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been consistent. He believes in a two-state solution so long as the Palestinians acknowledge that one of those states will be a Jewish state. Too often, Palestinian leaders will try to avoid that issue by saying we believe in two states, a Palestinian state and another Palestinian state, and that’s the sort of semantics that Benjamin Netanyahu’s not going to get involved in. But when we look at the actual resolution, what we see is we get the international stabilization force. The United Nations isn’t front and center, and that’s important, given how corrupted the United Nations has been by Hamas. And if it actually leads to a Palestinian state when the Palestinians forfeit terrorism, well, that’s consistent with what the majority of Israelis believe.
SPEAKER 09 :
What about—this is moving into phase two. Phase one was the release of the hostages, the return of the deceased hostages. But also, we’re supposed to be watching and witnessing the disarmament of Hamas and their removal from power. Is that in the works?
SPEAKER 17 :
Look, my criticism of President Donald Trump is often he will have ribbon cuttings for buildings where only the foundation is half dug. So you’re absolutely right, Tony, to say, hey, look, in the original plan, Hamas was supposed to disarm. And the White House has got to have a consistent – attention to the details, otherwise Hamas and some of its backers, Turkey and Qatar, are going to try to avoid this Hamas disarmament. The fact that you now have an international stabilization force, and likely countries like Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates are going to take part, actually doesn’t bode well for Hamas. That said, if Hamas doesn’t disarm, what you’re going to have is a zone in Gaza where it’s going to be free of Hamas. It’s going to be under this international security force governance. That’s going to be where the development occurs. And those areas that Hamas controls, they’re going to basically wallow in their own misery without the international aid, which Hamas wants hijacked.
SPEAKER 09 :
Will the plan make sure that the civilians in those areas can get out of the repressive thumb of Hamas and go into these areas that are being rebuilt?
SPEAKER 17 :
You know, that’s the perfect question, Tony. And what I’m thinking is we’re going to have a situation almost like what we saw in Berlin during the Cold War. The question is whether the international community is going to once again tolerate an autocracy, a tyranny, which isn’t going to allow the transit of its own people to vote with their feet.
SPEAKER 09 :
You mentioned Turkey because they’re part of this mix. I mean, really, we’ve got really the whole Arab community, Islamic community. There’s been a lot of concern expressed by Israeli leadership about the engagement of Turkey and having any Turkish troops on the ground in Gaza.
SPEAKER 17 :
I think the Israelis are absolutely right to be concerned about this. Frankly, I think the United States should be much more concerned about this too. Turkey today is as dangerous ideologically as the Islamic Republic of Iran is. The difference between the two is which sect they tend to prefer, the Iranians, the Shia, Turkey, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Sunni. But their end goal remains the same. This isn’t the Turkey we grew up with. You know, one statistic that always comes to mind when I think about Turkey comes from Turkey’s own interior ministry. And that is since Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to power, the president of Turkey, the murder rate of women inside Turkey has increased 1,400 percent. That’s because of the sense of impunity that so many of these religious conservatives have when it comes to honor crime and so forth. We need to recognize that what motivates Turkey isn’t an alliance. It’s not wanting to make the world a better place. What they are is a country within NATO, which now supports a vision of Hamas light.
SPEAKER 09 :
I think there’s reason to be concerned about the presence of Turkey and the power that they might exert in this international community. Because in the peace summit that was held in Egypt right after this deal was inked, Benjamin Netanyahu was supposed to be going, at least he was invited by President Donald Trump, and Turkish President Erdogan essentially vetoed the presence of the prime minister. That would suggest that he has a little bit of sway over what’s taking place here.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, what I’m reminded of is when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Margaret Thatcher said to George H.W. Bush, don’t go wobbly on me now, George. And George, the elder George Bush, didn’t. The victory over Iraq was tremendous. And after that, it opened a opportunity for diplomacy. We had the 1991 Madrid Conference, which was the first time the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Syrians all sat down together. And it was because George H.W. Bush didn’t go wobbly. I really wish that this White House would have had a firmer spine and actually told Recep Tayyip Erdogan, you interfere with this, you face sanctions, because what we missed was the opportunity to have a Madrid 1991 sort of conference, where after a great diplomatic shock, a military shock, you actually have an opportunity for peace. And unfortunately, Recep Tayyip Erdogan showed his true face to make sure that didn’t happen.
SPEAKER 09 :
I agree with you. I think he’s a tremendous threat for the free world. I want to go to another issue that is going to unfold this week as the crown prince of Saudi Arabia is going to be meeting with President Donald Trump this week at the White House, in fact tomorrow. And on his list is the F-35 fighter jets. Israel has been the one country that has had those, giving them air superiority. Are you concerned about how this military equipment transaction might take place?
SPEAKER 17 :
Yes and no. Look, by law, there’s something called the qualitative military edge. And this was formulated during the Cold War. And basically, the basis of this was Israel was always going to have a lesser population than the Arab countries surrounding it. So since they wouldn’t have as many troops, they wouldn’t have as many tanks, they wouldn’t have as many guns, they would have the higher technology, the higher quality ones, and we’d make sure that we wouldn’t sell the top shelf equipment to states which might go to war with Israel. Well, it’s no longer the Cold War, and many of these neighboring Arab states now have peace with Israel. The biggest challenge in the region is joint between Israel and countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and so forth, and that’s either Turkey or the Islamic Republic of Iran. So what I would actually say is this is an opportunity not simply to conclude a military deal. but rather it’s an opportunity to reformulate the qualitative military edge law to take into account the reality of the 21st century. The other thing to keep in mind with the F-35, when you have a military deal, You’re not just talking about a one-time transaction. You’re actually signing a 30-year, 40-year relationship because you have all the training, you have all the maintenance, and so forth. And so if President Donald Trump can tie Saudi Arabia firmly to the United States, to me, that’s a very positive outcome.
SPEAKER 09 :
Would the adoption or the inclusion in the Abraham Accords be a part of that deal as well, that Saudi Arabia would enter into the Accords?
SPEAKER 17 :
You know, I think that’s what the Israelis want and the Israelis are pushing for. But as they often say, Tony, all politics are local. One of the reasons why Saudi Arabia has been reticent to join the Abraham Accords right now has nothing to do with Bibi Netanyahu, nothing to do with Israel, nothing to do with the Palestinians. Mohammed bin Salman, who’s the crown prince, we always talk about the crown prince. Where’s the king? The fact of the matter is King Salman, his father, has advanced dementia. And the crown prince is scared to death of taking any decision when he himself is not king and someone could, in theory, get to his senile father and have him thrown out of the crown prince position in favor of someone else. That’s why you see such caution coming from Saudi Arabia today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Michael, we just have a couple of minutes left, and I want to kind of step back. 30,000-foot view, a lot has happened in the Middle East in the last two years, since October the 7th. I mean, the whole landscape in the Middle East has changed. Are the pieces settling, or is this still, you know, wet cement? I mean, are we going to be able to shape it, or is it taking place already?
SPEAKER 17 :
Okay, it’s wet cement that’s about to be hit by a tsunami and an earthquake. The reason is, in the United States, we tend to calibrate our policy to the here and now, but the national security legacy of every presidency is defined by the crisis no one saw coming during the campaign. Here’s what we need to keep in mind. The Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is 89 years old. He’s in the 20th year of his four-year presidential term. He’s a chain smoker, and he hasn’t appointed a successor. Likewise, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, is 86 years old. He’s partially paralyzed. He has had cancer. He’s going to not live that long. So we’re going to have a crisis of succession throughout the region. How would this be different if the Islamic Republic of Iran implodes into a civil war? What happens if we have something similar, a civil war, inside the Palestinian territories? This is what I think we need to be worried about moving forward.
SPEAKER 09 :
Very interesting. A lot to pray about. Michael, always great to see you. Thanks so much for taking time to share your insights with us. Thanks for having me, Tony. Michael Rubin with the American Enterprise Institute. It’s a fascinating time, folks, to see all of the things that are taking place, not just domestically here in the United States, but literally around the world. All the more reason to be praying as we see the persecution of Christians in many parts of the world. We see the Middle East, as we just discussed with Michael, The future is, well, we know what ultimately the future is. Scripture makes it very clear. But many of the pieces seem to be moving into place to bring about what we see in Scripture as the end. We need to be praying. And I tell you, pray for President Donald Trump as it pertains to Israel and the positions that we take. This is not one we can afford to get wrong. All right, with that, folks, we’re out of time for today, but thanks so much for tuning in. Until next time, I leave you with the encouraging words the Apostle Paul found in Ephesians 6, where he says, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, prepared, and taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 20 :
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