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In this episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins delves into the controversial topic of continuing Obamacare subsidies and the array of Republican alternatives that have been proposed in Congress. We also explore the latest insights on the newly proposed National Defense Authorization Act and its implications for national security and health care policy. Special guests include Senator Roger Marshall, who provides an insider look at the detailed workings of his Marshall Plan to fix the healthcare system.
SPEAKER 13 :
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 05 :
Because Obamacare is a disaster. And I said it five years ago, four years ago, three years ago. It’s bad health care that’s too expensive for people. The Obamacare premiums are going to go up. They’re going way up if the Democrats go along with it, which they don’t want to because they want to make the insurance companies very rich.
SPEAKER 06 :
That was President Donald Trump earlier today reaffirming his opposition to Obamacare subsidies ahead of a planned vote to extend those subsidies in the Senate on Thursday. Welcome to this December 8th edition of Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins and I’m glad you’re with us. Well, coming up, the Senate is preparing to vote this week on Obamacare subsidies and Republicans are rolling out the opportunity to vote. well, present alternatives to Obamacare. Senator Roger Marshall joins us to discuss the new Marshall Plan that he introduced today, a plan that includes keeping taxpayers out of the abortion business. Plus, Texas Congressman Randy Weber reacts to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments that Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire could begin by the end of December. Well, Congress has unveiled a comprehensive National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA. It’s a record $901 billion national security package for next year. That includes $400 million for Ukraine, and it lifts certain sanctions on Syria. And as is often the case, the NDAA becomes a vehicle for controversial social policies. There was an effort to mandate coverage for in vitro fertilization, but due to pro-life concerns, that provision was ultimately taken out. Joining me now is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who’s been following today’s major developments. Casey, what’s included in this NDAA proposal, and where does the IVF issue stand?
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, Tony. Well, as you alluded to, the NDAA is a huge bill that includes many, many provisions, but on the IVF issue…
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, we’ve got a technical complication there with Casey. We can see him, but we can’t hear him. Well, the bottom line is that lawmakers chose not to expand the IVF coverage under TRICARE, prioritizing protections for the unborn. Speaker Mike Johnson said he would only support fertility benefits if they included sufficient pro-life protections that do not lead to the destruction of human embryos. Now, the Senate package includes a 4% pay raise for enlisted personnel, safeguards Americans’ posture abroad by preventing major troop reductions in Europe without Pentagon review. It also repeals rather outdated Iraq policies. war authorizations and removes, this is a good one, DEI initiatives to reinforce traditional values within the nation’s military. Now, Congress still must pass a separate appropriations bill to fund these programs, and both chambers will need to approve that final proposal before it becomes law. All right, I think we’ve got Casey back. So, Casey, the Senate is gearing up this week for a major health care vote when it comes to these Obamacare subsidies. Bring us up to speed on what the Republicans are taking this opportunity to do.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks, Tony. You can’t get rid of me that easy. I’m back here. But you’re right. Democrats, they want to extend these ACA subsidies, which are very expensive, by the way, for three more years. But the plan faces tough odds in the GOP-controlled Senate, as you might imagine. Now, Republicans say the extension inflates premiums, which are already high, and narrows consumer choice. In fact, here’s what Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier today.
SPEAKER 04 :
They proposed a clean three-year extension of the enhanced Obamacare subsidies. Clean, Mr. President. No reforms. No revisions. Just billions of additional taxpayer dollars to prop up part of a program that has utterly failed to reduce health care costs.
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Now, Senators Mike Crapo and Bill Cassidy have introduced an alternative, directing funds into private health savings accounts to give Americans more control over their care. Other GOP proposals include Senator Rick Scott’s focus on expanding HSAs and Senator Josh Hawley’s plan to make health care savings more easily deductible. Some Republicans also support more narrow targeted subsidy extensions with income limits, and that’s important. Now this vote is expected Thursday as lawmakers race toward that December 15th deadline for ACA enrollment changes. But House Republicans are preparing to advance their own bill before the end of the year, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, it sounds like it’s going to get pretty crowded there, Casey, with all these different proposals. In fact, we’re going to be joined by Senator Roger Marshall, shortly discuss all of this, including a newly unveiled plan of his, the Marshall Plan. Very quickly, on the international front, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says phase two of the Gaza ceasefire is nearing.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, that’s right, Tony. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu said that that phase two to the end of the war in Gaza is, quote, getting close. Now, Hamas, this is important. They first have to return the remains of the final hostage, who was a police officer killed in that deadly October 7th attack, whose body was taken into Gaza. Now, standing alongside the German chancellor on Sunday, Netanyahu said he’ll meet with President Trump later this month to advance efforts to disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza.
SPEAKER 01 :
I think it’s important to make sure that Hamas complies not only with the ceasefire, but also with their commitment, which they undertook, to disarm and have Gaza demilitarized. We’re about to finish the first stage. We’re almost—we’re there, almost. But we have to make sure that we achieve the same results in the second stage, and that’s something I look forward to discussing with President Trump.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, phase two of this plan, it calls for Israel to pull back as that international authority takes over and Hamas is disarmed. Netanyahu also said he plans to discuss broader regional peace with the president while reaffirming that Israel is insisting on security control in Judea and Samaria, where political annexation still remains under debate, Tony. All right.
SPEAKER 06 :
Thanks so much, Casey. We’ll talk with you a bit later in the program. You know, while some are, you know, we’re on this topic of Israel, I just want to mention something very quickly. There are some voices claiming that supporting Israel is wrong. So, here’s a question. Should Christians support Israel? It’s an important question, and I addressed that question in a new e-book, wrote it very quickly. It’s the outgrowth of my own personal journey, and it’s an invitation to discover why support for Israel is not political or, you know, a military or cultural issue, all those things have relevance. This is focused strictly on the biblical and the prophetic. And you can get a copy of it. Text the word Israel to 67742. That’s Israel to 67742. I want to go back to the latest on health care issue and get a perspective from the House. Joining me now to discuss this and more, Congressman Randy Weber. He serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has a responsibility for matters including food and drug safety and public health. He represents the 14th Congressional District of Texas. Randy Weber, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 11 :
Thanks for having us, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
So it sounds like it’s going to get pretty busy this week with different versions of alternatives to Obamacare being presented. What’s this week look like? And do you hope to get something accomplished?
SPEAKER 11 :
Well, this week’s going to be very, what’s it going to look like? Very, very, very, very busy. And yes, we hope to get something accomplished. You know, let’s face it, Tony, the health care system the Democrats built has failed the American people. It’s just that simple. Premiums doubled. Choices didn’t. You remember the story. Keep your doctor if you’re on to your insurance is going to go down. All those promises they made were absolutely nonsensical. They didn’t amount to a hill of beans. Kingdoms doubled, choices disappeared, fraud exploded, and hardworking families were left paying more for less health care. That’s the legacy of Biden’s temporary COVID credits, quote unquote. We’re going to fix that. We’re going to go on there. We’re going to have a plan. Energy and Commerce will come out. We have doctors, physicians on the committee. We’re going to fix that. So stay tuned. We’re going to work hard on it. And Tony, if we need to stay there through the weekend and work on this, let’s stay there through the weekend and work on this.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, Congressman Weber, you point out here there’s no place that you could look at in Obamacare and not see its failure. It doesn’t work. So how is it that we could even be having a conversation, not you and I, but here in Washington, D.C., about extending these. subsidies to a failed system. That’s what the Democrats want to do. Now, I have to let our viewers and listeners know that no Republican has ever voted for Obamacare, let alone voting for these subsidies.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s right. And what’s really funny or sad thing I should say about this is they put the termination date right when these subsidies were going to expire, expiration date. And now they simply expect with the Republicans in charge to go back and do these things again. They have lost their mind. Once again, Republicans are stepping in to stop the bleeding. And we’re going to work on that this week. We want to get to the Senate as quickly as we can. We can’t keep, you know, just bleeding money. The Congress can’t just keep bleeding money, speaking of bleeding, stop the bleeding, because the Americans deserve better. It’s just that simple.
SPEAKER 06 :
So let me ask you this very quickly, because I want to get on to the issue of Israel. The Hyde Amendment… has never touched Obamacare. They wrote it, crafted it specifically to avoid the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits or keeps taxpayers out of the abortion business. Is that language going to find its way onto any solution to the health care situation?
SPEAKER 11 :
Tony Perkins, your lips to God’s ear. As you know, I’m a Christian conservative Republican. I tell people strong pro-life, strong pro-life. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ, and he believes in life. We Christians should believe in life, and that means unborn and born. I sure hope so. It broke our heart that the Hyde Amendment was never included. And with Speaker Johnson at the helm, I’m quite confident that we’re going to fight that battle.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right, I want to move to Israel. You co-chair the task force, the bipartisan task force for combating anti-Semitism. You were in Israel earlier this year. I want to talk about the phase two. The prime minister says we’re almost at phase two, which would be the disarming of Hamas. But he also reaffirmed Israel’s insistence on security control in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank. You were there. when you went to Israel earlier this year. Talk about that for a moment.
SPEAKER 11 :
I’ve been there seven times, Tony, and I am a member of that caucus, your anti-Semitic caucus, you’re right. And this country, what I said, and they love this, what I said is this country was founded on Judeo-Christian values, not quote-unquote West Bank Christian values. You know, Hamas has to be completely disarmed And make no mistake about it. There may be some renegades. Unfortunately, I’m confident there’s probably going to be a lot of fallout on the backside of this that are going to rear their ugly head and Israel needs to take them out.
SPEAKER 06 :
I like that. I’ve not heard that before. West Bank values are certainly true. But actually, this is connected to anti-Semitism. As we continue to foster this idea that we’ll carve up the heartland of Israel and create a Palestinian state, that’s what foments in large part the hatred and the division that is in that land.
SPEAKER 11 :
That’s exactly correct. It’s not going to go away. Read the Hamas charter. In their charter, they state that their job, if you want to call it that, is to kill every Jew and to basically cause the state of Israel to cease to exist. When the enemy tells you they want to kill you, believe them. Yeah, exactly. We should not be naive about this.
SPEAKER 06 :
Congressman Randy Weber, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks so much for joining us. And if I don’t see you before, Merry Christmas. Thanks, Tony. Back at you. All right, Congressman Randy Weber of Texas. And again, I would encourage you if you’d like to read more about why a Christian should support Israel or should a Christian support Israel is the name of the book. And you can find out more. Just text the word Israel to 67742. It’s not a political look. It is a biblical look from Genesis to Revelation. And it talks about where we should be on this issue. Text ISRAEL to 67742. All right, coming up, more conversation here on Washington Watch. Don’t go away. Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, and I want to invite you to join me for Stand on the Word, a daily journey through the Bible, 10 to 15 minutes a day. That’s all it takes. And in no time, you’ll have finished the entire Bible. And along the way, we’ll learn how to apply God’s truths to the world in which we live. As we’re about to start a new year and as our nation is about to celebrate 250 years, there’s never been a better time for a fresh start in the Word of God. To join us, text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742.
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Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, he examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian’s support for Israel is spiritual. Should a Christian support Israel invites believers to see beyond headlines and ideologies, returning to the foundation of God’s Word to understand His heart for His chosen people and the blessings that flow when we stand with what He has established forever. Text the word Israel to 67742 for more information.
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What is God’s role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government, a powerful series that explores the connection between biblical principles and the American government, equipping you with truth to engage in today’s most pressing debates. We’ll uncover the foundations of our nation’s history and why it’s relevant for today. Join us to defend God’s plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. You can view the course at prayvotestand.org slash godandgovernment or on the Stand Firm app.
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Are you looking for a meaningful gift to share this Christmas? Family Research Council has you covered. Check out the Stand on the Word official store for gear and gifts that are thoughtfully designed to help you wear, share, and stand boldly on scripture. Check out our Christmas bundle for a $25 discount. Visit frc.org slash Bible store or text store to 67742. That’s store to 67742.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in on this Monday. The website, TonyPerkins.com. Yesterday, after weeks of discussion, congressional leaders released the text for the National Defense Authorization Act, which is an annual must-pass bill for the Department of Defense. It almost always passes because it keeps our military going. Well, and what drew some attention? this year was not what was in it but was not there and what was not in it and that is language that would have expanded coverage for in vitro fertilization or IVF Why is this significant? And what will it take to make sure that language stays out? Well, joining me now to talk about this is U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who serves on several committees, including the Budget Committee, Committee on Health and Education and Labor. He is also a doctor, an OBGYN, who has practiced medicine for over 25 years and delivered over 5,000 babies. Dr. Marshall, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 15 :
Tony, great to be with you again.
SPEAKER 06 :
I want to quickly hit this NDAA and then move on to the Marshall Plan, which you have introduced today. So originally there was this provision in the National Defense Authorization Act, but it has come out. Many pro-lifers have concerns about the unregulated nature of the IVF industry, where literally thousands of embryos are either destroyed or frozen. Speak to where this policy is moving.
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, Tony, I think it’s moving in the conservative direction, and I know you and Family Research have had a big emphasis and an impact on that in particular. I think that the policy is moving towards putting some tighter guardrails around it, trying to, and the good news is the policy, the technology is improving as well, so that we’re not losing so many embryos through the procedures as well. So I always appreciate your input on it. And it is, you want to start a Bible war, you know, bring up this topic and get some different religions talking about it.
SPEAKER 06 :
It is true. There’s a lot of disagreement about it. But where we start with is the sanctity of human life, that every human being has the thumbprint of God, the fingerprint of God on it, and therefore must be treated with dignity and respect. And I think that part of that issue is how this industry has been unregulated. And I think it requires a little more work before we throw taxpayer dollars into it anymore. Speaking of that, I want to talk about one of the bills that you’ve introduced, the Marshall Plan, to fix our broken health care system and the guardrails that you actually put into your bill that will keep taxpayers out of the abortion funding business as well as the gender transition business.
SPEAKER 15 :
Right. Exactly. So every year the federal government is giving insurance companies $150 billion towards premiums for health insurance products. And you were at least around for the start of the fight of Obamacare. And there was language in that that was going to protect, have our hide protections, protect federal dollars from being spent on abortions. but to a great extent they’ve been ignored. I believe it was called Section 1302. So what we tried to do is beef up the Section 1302 enforcement, but also just go ahead and take out of the premium subsidy from the federal government what it would cost to fund abortions as well. Policy has a yearly premium, and there’s a certain part of that that’s dedicated towards abortion. So we’ll just take that part of the premium out of there and be done with it.
SPEAKER 06 :
Does that make sense, Tony? It makes sense, but that’s just a portion of what you’re proposing because you’re also talking about fixing a broken system. Obamacare hasn’t worked. That’s one of the reasons we have these massive COVID-era subsidies is because the system doesn’t work.
SPEAKER 15 :
Yeah, let’s start with the fraud. A third of the people on Obamacare have never made a claim. And what that means is they’re ghost patients. They don’t even know that they’re on Obamacare, but the federal government is still sending the insurance companies money. So we want to fix the fraud.
SPEAKER 06 :
Isn’t that criminal?
SPEAKER 15 :
Absolutely. I think it’s criminal, not just by the headhunters. There’s headhunters out there. But I would think if you’re an insurance company taking premium dollars, and you realize that there’s a group of people that never have filed a claim, that you should go back and say, are these people real? In one case, we found 58,000 dead people that we were sending dollars to insurance companies. So yes, you couldn’t make this stuff up, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
So, I mean, that should be in today’s era of technology, that should be pretty easy for the health care companies to know whether or not they have real patients. So that’s one area you’re dealing with the fraud. What are the other areas to save money for the taxpayer?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, I think what we want to do is take some of the money we’re sending insurance companies, put it in a Hyde-protected healthcare savings account, and pair that with price tags. And this would help everybody in healthcare. We would force all healthcare providers to show you the cost of something. Could you imagine deciding you need a new truck and you couldn’t tell the difference between the cost of a Ford or a Chevy? Well, in healthcare, you can’t tell that. And in many cases, this means thousands, tens of thousands of dollars per procedure. So we want to put some money in your health care savings account and show you the prices of something before you had that service done. So it’s accountability. Yeah, absolutely. So I think that we make the insurance companies accountable. We show you what the prices are. And the American consumer will figure this out. You probably know this, Tony, but women make up 80% of the decisions for health care. 80% of decisions are decided by women. They’re going to take your parents, my parents, our kids, grandkids to which doctor. So if we empower them, just like we do for our on Cyber Monday, right, or whatever they call it. We’ll give those good shoppers the prices, we’ll show them outcomes, and then go let them make their choices and start driving healthcare. The other thing I really want to get at, though, is allowing healthcare association plans and healthcare ministry plans to be expanded and sold across statewide.
SPEAKER 06 :
Competition and more options for people and more transparency so people know what they’re paying for. So let me ask you this question. We’ve just got a minute left, Senator Marshall. What’s driving this is the deadline on these Obamacare subsidies. And there’s a lot of pressure being put on by the media and others because health care costs are going to go up for some. Will Congress act in time?
SPEAKER 15 :
You know, I don’t see how we can. The Democrats kept the government shut down for so long, we weren’t able to have meaningful conversations. I still think we can come back in January with a bipartisan solution, but we’ll see. We’ll see if Chuck Schumer is going to let us actually vote on this National Defense Authorization Act. We’ll see if he’s actually serious about solving this riddle of Obamacare as we know it. I don’t think he is serious. I think he wants these problems to stay until we get to the next election.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Dr. Marshall, I think it’s important that we do the right thing, not just something, but that we do the right thing. We take the opportunity to fix it, even if it takes a couple of extra months to get it done the right way. Senator, always great to see you. Thanks for joining us. Thanks, Tony. All right, folks, stick around. We’re back with more after this. For over 4,000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank. To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It’s the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80% of the Bible’s events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in Shechem, Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim, overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, but in spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel’s current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but a vital and strategic part of the nation’s identity. The October 7th massacre, launched from Gaza, shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was once seen as the cornerstone of a two-state solution, became a launch pad for terror. Today, only 21% 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. Merry Christmas and welcome back to Washington Watch. Well, if you saw the legacy media’s headlines last week following Tennessee’s special election, the congressional election, you might think that the Republicans are in big trouble. Republican Matt Van Epps won Tennessee’s seventh congressional district by a nine-point margin, which the media pointed out is less than the 22-point margin that President Trump won that district by in 2024. But the makeup of that congressional district gives Republicans just a 10 point margin. So on my weekend program this week on Capitol Hill, I spoke with House Speaker Mike Johnson about that election and about the upcoming midterm elections. And I’d like to share part of that conversation with you. Here’s the speaker.
SPEAKER 12 :
Hey, Tony, today I’m coming to you from the green room of the Fox News studio in New York City. But aside from this background, we are focused on every city, every district around the country. And Tennessee 7 was a bellwether of great things to come. I know you’ve seen the media narrative. Everybody’s heard the media narrative that this is some sort of NEGATIVE SIGN FOR US, BUT IT’S EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. WE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY CANDIDATE THERE, MATT VAN EFF, WHO’S A COMBAT VETERAN, A CHRISTIAN HUSBAND AND FATHER, JUST A GREAT SELFLESS PUBLIC SERVANT, A PATRIOT. AND HE WON A DECISIVE ELECTION THERE IN A DISTRICT THAT WE SHOULD WIN. IT’S A REPUBLICAN DISTRICT. BUT THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY REFLECT SOMETHING VERY POSITIVE. IT’S RATED BY THE COOK REPORT, THAT’S KIND OF HOW EVERYBODY EVALUATES HOUSE SEATS, AS AN R PLUS 10. HE WON IT BY OVER NINE POINTS. And it was a large turnout. Almost 180,000 voters came out on a special election in the middle of a holiday when most people didn’t even know there was a race on the ballot. So we feel very good, very optimistic about the midterms. And this is just one more sign of it.
SPEAKER 06 :
So how did the media miss all of that. I mean, high turnout in a special election, that obviously tells you that voters are enthusiastic. This is an open seat. And so when, as you said, the Cook report, kind of the benchmark in evaluating districts, a 10-point Republican district, this is a new guy, open seat, the whole country’s focused on it in terms of the left, and he wins by nine points. I mean, that’s a huge victory.
SPEAKER 12 :
It is. And I went in, you know, I was there the day before the election on Monday, before the election on Tuesday, spent the entire day with him. We did, I think, a dozen events, about 10 hours. He has Nashville and about 14 surrounding counties. But Matt was everywhere. He worked hard. He put out a message. It is the message that is so important to the American people. We’re going to have an extraordinary record to run on. in the midterm elections this coming fall. And we are going to grow the House majority, Tony. I’ve been saying this all along. The media hates what we’ve done. They hate that we’ve had one of the most productive Congresses in the history of the institution, with so much accomplished and so much ahead of us. And so they try every day to try to divide and create these false narratives. And it’s not going to work. I mean, the facts are going to show through. And I’m excited about the months ahead of us.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court this week handed you another piece of that puzzle with saying that Texas can move forward with the redrawing of their congressional districts, which should result in a couple of more Republican seats coming out of the Lone Star State.
SPEAKER 12 :
Yes, it will. And what the Supreme Court affirmed is what we have all known and said from the very beginning. Texas followed the law. They had the right to draw a fair map that accurately reflects the population of their state. It’s a deep red state, and that’s what this map reflects. And the court said, yes, of course, the states have the right to do that. Now, there’s a number of states in various stages of doing the same thing, some red states, some blue states. We’ll see how it all shakes out at the end. I think, by most analyses, our party will benefit, will net a handful of seats out of that. But here’s the thing. For me, Tony, I’ve got to win in whatever maps are produced. And I feel very good about this, whatever it is. We’re going to run with great candidates on a great record, and we’re going to demonstrate to the American people the stark contrast between the two parties and the two provisions for the country. Ours is the one. We’ll make America great again and continue to do so.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, again, making reference to the Cook report, they say if both sides—you mentioned California. That’s still being litigated. Texas now moving forward. But if both sides gets their way in their redistricting, it still could lead to two to six new seats for Republicans. So, that’ll give you a huge margin to work with in the next Congress.
SPEAKER 12 :
Anything bigger than two is great for me, Tony. You know, we’ve been working with, as you know, with the smallest margin in history at most points along the way. And still, by God’s grace, we have delivered an extraordinary record. And we have so much more to do. We have an aggressive agenda for the new year. Affordability is going to be the big thing, of course, and bringing down the cost not only of health care. But the cost of living, cost of goods, all the rest. And we’re beginning to do that. You have the lowest core inflation rate right now in four years, lowest gas prices in four years. You have the highest wage increases in almost six decades. And that’s all before all the main components of the big, beautiful bill become effective. And that happens really beginning in January. So great days ahead.
SPEAKER 06 :
I do want to talk about that in just a moment, because that has been an issue. It’s the pocketbook issues. It’s the kitchen table issues that are motivating a lot of people. But before I do, I want another question about the court. There’s still another case pending before the court that could have significant implications for the midterm election. And it comes from our own state of Louisiana that has a case before the Supreme Court waiting on the court for a possible decision. Any idea when they might issue a ruling?
SPEAKER 12 :
I wish I could say. We were sort of expecting that early to mid-December, so it could be any day. Maybe the Texas decision is a signal that that is coming. But, of course, what’s being litigated there is Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which would be a big thing. It would make news around the country, of course, because it has huge implications. So we’ll see. I think it’s good for the court to weigh in on these things and resolve these disputes so that we have certainty going into that. The clock really matters here because qualifying for all the races next fall in many states begins very soon. And we’ve got to get these things figured out.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. That was my conversation with House Speaker Mike Johnson over the weekend on this week on Capitol Hill. Coming up next, we’re going to be talking with our panel from the Washington stand on a number of issues that have been in the news in the last couple of days. But I want to go back very quickly to my conversation with Dr. Marshall and the whole debate over health care and the. Obamacare. I want to encourage you to weigh in on that issue. And when we come back, I’m going to tell you how you can do that. So don’t go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
SPEAKER 16 :
At Family Research Council, we believe religious freedom is a fundamental human right that all governments must protect. For years, Islamist militants in Nigeria have targeted Christians and other religious minority groups with brutal violence. Since 2009, 52,000 Christians have been slaughtered. A staggering 89% of Christian martyrs in the world today are from Nigeria. The first Trump administration declared Nigeria a country of particular concern, a designation reserved for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate religious freedom violations. However, this designation of Nigeria was quickly reversed by the Biden administration. Following consistent calls from FRC President Tony Perkins and other religious leaders across the U.S., President Donald Trump has responded.
SPEAKER 05 :
Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed. I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern.
SPEAKER 16 :
This is a huge step forward for the protection of Christians in Nigeria as well as religious freedom across the world. While this opens the door for the U.S. government to pressure Nigerian leaders to protect vulnerable Christians, it is only the beginning. We must continue to pray diligently, work strategically, and stand firm for the protection of religious liberty across the globe.
SPEAKER 06 :
In times like these, we need something solid to stand on. That’s why I’m inviting you to join me on January the 1st for Stand on the Word, a daily journey through the entire Bible. Each day, we’ll read God’s Word together, discuss how to apply His truths to our lives, 15 minutes that can transform your year. Join me and thousands of others as we stand strong by standing on the Word of God. Text BIBLE to 67742. That’s BIBLE to 67742.
SPEAKER 02 :
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 each week.
SPEAKER 06 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. And I do want to encourage you to check out the website, tonyperkins.com. Also, if you have not yet downloaded the Stand Firm app, go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. That way you’ll have access to Washington Watch and all of the other resources, including the Washington Stand that we provide here at the Family Research Council. All right. I wanted to go back to this action item based upon our conversation about what is unfolding in real time this week. This debate over health care, the Affordable Care Act or the not so affordable care act. We need you to help us weigh in on this, and tens of thousands of you already have, but a few more would help as we deliver this petition to the leadership on Capitol Hill, both in the House and the Senate. It is to make sure that wherever they end up on this debate, taxpayers are not forced to fund abortion and transgender procedures. So I want to encourage you to text the letters ACA, that’s three letters, ACA to 67742, ACA to 67742. Sign that petition and we’ll add you to the tens of thousands that have already weighed in on this. So our word for today comes from 1 John 2. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” John reminds believers that the call to love one another is, it’s not new. It’s rooted in God’s character and revealed from the beginning. Yet it is also new because in Christ, the command is embodied in a fuller way. His light exposes the darkness of hatred and shows the path of fellowship. Unity is not created by sentiment or even effort. It is the fruit of walking in Christ’s light. And if we find ourselves unable to love or live in true unity with other believers, it signals a need to examine whether we’re truly walking in His light. To find out more about our journey through the Bible or to join us, text the word Bible to 67742. That’s Bible to 67742. All right. There’s a lot we’ve been talking about already today, but there’s a lot that was discussed over the weekend. And, you know, a lot are looking forward to Christmas and all that comes with it. Well, on Capitol Hill, sights are set on next year’s midterm elections. All right. And if you’ve come across what the legacy media is saying, you might be concerned. should always be praying, but the media, they wanna make sure that you feel like the Republicans are going to lose because of their conservative positions. Well, that’s why we have the Washington Stand, an outlet that brings clarity and truth and a biblical perspective to counter the media bias. Whether it’s for the Republicans or Democrats, doesn’t matter. We have the same standard for both. So as often as we do on Mondays, we’re going to discuss some of the recent news coverage with our panel of reporters from the Washington stand. So with me now for that, our managing editor for broadcast, Casey Harper, and editorial director and senior writer, Suzanne Bowdy. Casey and Suzanne, thanks for joining me today.
SPEAKER 16 :
Thanks, Tony. Thanks, Tony.
SPEAKER 06 :
Okay, very good. And you’re going to try that again. Right, we’re so in step. We’re getting ready for Christmas. We’re going to have our own Christmas caroling. Let’s talk about the speaker. The speaker was responsible for making sure that the IVF language that many pro-lifers, including the Family Research Council here, have concerns about, that was not in the NDAA. And of course, the NDAA has historically been used to advance these controversial social policies. But I want to start off with a clip from last Thursday’s segment on the 11th hour with – what is it now? It’s not MSNBC. It’s MSNOW. MSNOW. I’m not sure. I guess they needed to rebrand. But there’s a clip of a panel discussing the speaker. Play clip one, please.
SPEAKER 08 :
Peter, your colleagues at The Times have some pretty brutal reporting about Mike Johnson that some women in his caucus reportedly have suggested he will not listen to them. And the reason is because of his evangelical beliefs about the role of men and women in society. We have seen divisions within the House GOP before. We’ve seen divisions with Democrats before. But this, this one seems different.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. That doesn’t seem different because the media is always looking for these cheap shots. So this goes back to the to the they’re taking as they launch pad the in vitro fertilization, the IVF, saying that the reason that Mike Johnson is controversial and the women don’t like him is because he’s an evangelical and evangelicals don’t like women.
SPEAKER 16 :
Which is absurd and so offensive because at the very least, Mike Johnson can define a woman, which is more than I can say for the panel of MSNOW, I’m sure. But Mike Johnson is just standing up for conservative principles. And I would point out that these women are largely anonymous that have gone behind the scenes to the New York Times, to NBC News. These are not women that are willing to go on the record and slander Mike Johnson. These are women with the beef who have sour grapes because Mike won’t abandon his principles. And I have to say, that’s not a sexist issue. I mean, for crying out loud, Mike Johnson has a female chief of staff. He has women in leadership. He’s running and recruiting women to run for Congress. He’s funding those women. This is absolutely offensive. I’m embarrassed by my own sex that there are women out there saying this about Mike Johnson because I’ve seen all the good that he’s done. What is more pro-women than protecting unborn girls in the womb? What’s more pro-woman than saying that men shouldn’t be in women’s spaces, that they shouldn’t be stealing women’s titles, they shouldn’t be mutilating their bodies to become men? Mike Johnson is more pro-women than most women in the Democratic Party, I would say.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and this is, you know, you’ve got, there are some, unfortunately, I know too much. I know a little bit behind the scenes here. There’s more here than meets the eye. And it’s just some folks that didn’t get what they wanted. And so they’re looking for this as an opportunity to say things. And then, of course, being exploited by the media. There’s an underlying issue here, Casey, that I want to address, and I think it’s important, because this is the kind of stuff that causes evangelicals to hide their faith in the public realm or to step back from engagement, that somehow being an evangelical is anti-woman or is a liability politic. I mean, you heard what she said. The reason that he has trouble with women is because he’s an evangelical. Right. So they would prefer what? You want to go to the Middle East? Women in Saudi Arabia just got the right to drive a few years ago.
SPEAKER 03 :
I mean, don’t weigh in on that, Suzanne. So, I mean, what is this? Well, it’s funny, you know, there’s sort of this… attack on this presumption that Mike Johnson is using stereotypes against women, but they’re stereotyping evangelicals based on some phantom. This is a trope they pull up all the time. You saw this with this idea that the Billy Graham rule is sexist against women because it somehow blocks. It’s the same thing that keeps raising its head over and over, and it’s because the left did not learn their lesson from getting destroyed in the last election. And that is they can only, you know, we have a biblical worldview. They have an intersectionality worldview. Everything that happens in politics, they view it’s got to either be sexist or racist. And so anything that’s happening, they attach it to. And I think you made a great point about the people. If you read the New York Times article, this is all based on the only women who really went on the record were supportive of Mike Johnson. I mean, this article, they said at least Stefanik won’t go on the record. But we talked to an anonymous congressional aide, which made me laugh. That’s where we’re getting our big New York Times stories and not congressional aid, one, who won’t go on the record.
SPEAKER 16 :
But it also shows how illiterate the media is about the biblical worldview.
SPEAKER 06 :
Absolutely. Well, in history and Western civilization. Western civilization is built upon a Christian foundation, a biblical foundation, which has provided freedom to more people of different genders. There’s two genders, male and female. People of different ethnic backgrounds. I mean, look at what Western civilization has done.
SPEAKER 03 :
Right. And compare it to the other two main worldviews. One is Islam, which still oppresses women heavily to this day. It still does honor killings of women. And then secular communism. I mean, think about how many more men there are in China now because all the women were genocided.
SPEAKER 06 :
Because they didn’t see them as valuable. Exactly. I mean, I think in part this goes to, as you said, a lack of a biblical understanding, but what Paul wrote in Ephesians. This is often pointed to when he talks about the relationships within marriage and in the home. You know, wives submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. That’s what she couldn’t point. You probably couldn’t find it, but she heard that somewhere, this MS Now or MS 13, whatever this thing was. Now we’re going viral. Yeah. But they don’t read the next verse. For the husband is the head of the wife and also Christ the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body. And it goes on, it says, husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. That’s what gave women value and freedom in our society. If you go back and you look at Jesus Christ, you look at his ministry…
SPEAKER 16 :
the women that followed him.
SPEAKER 06 :
It was women. It was women that financed his ministry. It was women who stood at the cross. It was a woman that he appeared to first when he rose from the dead. Why? Because he elevated women, making it very clear that as Paul wrote, there’s now no difference between male and female in Christ. So he elevated women and Christianity as a result has elevated women. These folks don’t know their, number one, the history of Western civilization, and they certainly don’t know scripture and what it has done for mankind and womankind.
SPEAKER 16 :
No, which goes back to Genesis 1. We were both male and female created in God’s image. Biblical manhood is all about providing for the protection and worth of women, for elevating women, for seeing women flourish, which… If you look over the course of Mike Johnson’s career, you have a really hard time finding people who will say negative things about him. He’s always bringing people to the table, even people that we disagree with. There are a lot of times when Mike Johnson’s having a press conference and all of us are wondering, why are these certain people in the background? And it’s because he’s decided to give everybody a seat at the table, even those who wouldn’t pass an ideological purity test, even those who he may disagree with. He wants them to be their part of the conversation.
SPEAKER 06 :
And I’ve talked to him about these things because we’re… fairly close. We’ve known each other a long time. And he treats everyone with respect. And he’s not going to say publicly, responding back to some of these things that are said because of a biblical worldview, that we’re not to do those types of things.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right, and unfortunately, the majority in the House is so slim that anyone, any one of these two women can make a big deal and leverage their position to get what they want or to force an issue.
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s a great point here. Compare this uprising, which is really like two off-the-record people, to where we were in October of 2023 when we had three weeks without a Speaker of the House. I’ll settle for this compared to where we were 200 years ago.
SPEAKER 16 :
Right, and who do they want instead of Mike Johnson? This is what I want to ask. What man has…
SPEAKER 06 :
It’s not. They just want to burn the house down. And the media is helping now. The media is just looking for something. The media looks for controversy. They live on controversy. I want to go back, Casey. You made this passing reference to the Billy Graham rule, that you don’t meet with a woman alone. Mike Pence did that. He was vilified for doing that. But is it wrong to elevate a woman that she’s different and that you have a respect for a woman and so you’re not going to put her or yourself in a compromising position or situation? I mean, have we moved beyond that in a society where we, number one, we respect marriage and fidelity in that relationship? And we don’t even want to, you know,
SPEAKER 03 :
Get close to the line. Yeah, well, there’s two sides of it. One is the obligation of a biblical man to protect women, which is not to dominate, but to, as you referred to Christ, to lay down his life. You know, man has no greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends. Or Jesus said, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. That’s the model for manhood.
SPEAKER 06 :
So how is it disrespecting a woman to say, you know what, I respect you enough that I don’t want to… put us in a compromising position.
SPEAKER 03 :
How is that disrespectful? In the era of the Harvey Weinstein, how many women lamented being alone with Hollywood producers and being felt so uncomfortable? And then when evangelical men, well, we’ve actually been practicing something to prevent that for years. Well, that’s, you know, respect. Yeah, right. I mean, So I just, you know. Well, you’re assuming pure motives on the part of your enemies, which is not true. There’s no pure motive here. There’s no rationality. It’s just let’s latch on to whatever we can to attack Mike Johnson because it is a spiritual war. And Mike Johnson and many on the right are seen as the face of a worldview that threatened them and the demons that are behind them.
SPEAKER 06 :
All right. Let’s talk. There’s a lot of things we could talk about. We’ve been talking a lot about the health care issue. And this is really important. No Republican has voted for Obamacare. No Republican has voted for the the covid era subsidies. Why would they vote for him now? Because they’re working so well. But, you know, there’s like this pressure. And of course, the media seizing upon it. I spoke to a reporter today was inquiring about, you know, where we stood on it. We’ve been against it from the beginning. In fact, it was, Suzanne, some of us have been around long enough. We remember when Obamacare actually passed on Christmas Eve and it almost failed because of the abortion issue. But then President Obama issued this fig leaf of a executive order saying, oh, no, no, abortion won’t be funded. We know that was a lie.
SPEAKER 16 :
Absolutely. And this is a sinking ship. I mean, I honestly think Democrats want Republicans to vote for this so that when this system collapsed, that they can share in the blame.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, I just have to put on my political hat for just a moment. If I were running against a Republican in a Republican district and he voted for this, that would be my campaign ad.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah. And the private because it’s the rates are just going to keep going up. And now you can no longer say that this is a Democrat fail project.
SPEAKER 06 :
Well, and you would own the funding of abortion.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes.
SPEAKER 06 :
And gender transitions. I can’t imagine a Republican in a Republican district that would vote for something like this. Do you think they’re going to? I don’t think the only way they’re going to get something through. And there’s all this talk of we’ve got to get the extensions through because they expire on December the 15th.
SPEAKER 16 :
It’s all based on fear. I mean, they’re all worried that the prices are going to go up. Voters are going to blame them.
SPEAKER 06 :
I think, as I told Senator Marshall, I think something needs to be done, but we need to do the right thing, not just something. And that may take a little time to do it. All right, folks, we’re out of time.
SPEAKER 16 :
Already.
SPEAKER 06 :
Yeah, but thanks for joining us. Always good to see you. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. All right, yeah. Well, Casey, I’ll see you later. At least tomorrow, probably. Well, folks, thanks so much for tuning in today. Let me encourage you again, weigh in on this issue of the Affordable Care Act and making sure that you’re not forced to pay for abortions or transgender surgeries. Text ACA to 67742. Until next time, I leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul, where he says, when you’ve done everything you can do, when you’ve prayed, when you’ve prepared, when you’ve taken your stand, by all means, keep standing.
SPEAKER 13 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council. To support our efforts to advance faith, family, and freedom, please text GIVE to 67742. That’s GIVE to 67742. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information, please visit TonyPerkins.com.
