In this episode of Washington Watch, host Tony Perkins delves into the intricacies of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) alongside insights from key lawmakers. Discussions include how bipartisanship might shape the future of this critical legislation, aligning with international security postures. We also explore the controversial AI race with China and the potential impacts of U.S. policy decisions on maintaining global supremacy.
SPEAKER 16 :
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 01 :
No legislation is perfect. It’s certainly not the bill I would have written. But at the same time, it’s critical that we pass this legislation so that our nation can continue to build a ready, capable, and lethal fighting force to deter our adversaries. We have some very positive pieces of legislation before us today, and our Democrat colleagues, I hope, will join us in a spirit of bipartisanship and support them.
SPEAKER 08 :
THAT WAS NORTH CAROLINA CONGRESSWOMAN VIRGINIA FOX, CHAIRWOMAN OF THE HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE, DISCUSSING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT JUST MOMENTS AGO ON CAPITOL HILL. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND WELCOME TO THIS DECEMBER 9TH EDITION OF WASHINGTON WATCH. I’M TONY PERKINS, YOUR HOST, AND I’M GLAD YOU’VE JOINED US. COMING UP, KENTUCKY CONGRESSMAN JAMES COMER, CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, WILL JOIN ME TO BREAK DOWN THE FIGHT OVER OBAMACARE SUBSIDIES AS THE SENATE MOVES TOWARD A THURSDAY VOTE. And an increasingly urgent question, will China beat America in the AI race? And will U.S. policy help them do it? Josh Hodges, a commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, will be here in studio to unpack the latest developments. As we speak, the House Rules Committee is still reviewing the $901 billion 2026 Defense Authorization Act ahead of a scheduled Wednesday vote. The bill strengthens America’s military posture, supports key allies in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, and it pushes back on China’s growing aggression. Joining me now live from Capitol Hill is Washington Stand reporter Casey Harper, who has been following today’s main stories. Casey, a bit cold out there tonight, but unpack for us the 3,000-page National Defense Authorization Act.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, thanks, Tony. I’m here at the Capitol, as you mentioned, and lawmakers here are working on this bill, which shows that the U.S. intends to stay engaged overseas. It provides support to Ukraine and the Baltic states, and it keeps solid American troop levels in Europe. This legislation also tightens oversight of U.S. investments tied to important and sensitive Chinese technology. However, a 2023 provision that required US companies to report investments in sensitive technologies abroad, including AI chips, was dropped from the final bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer commented on this from the Senate floor earlier today.
SPEAKER 11 :
Donald Trump, you’re letting China control our future. You’re selling us out. All so you can have a little one-day ego gain of making some kind of announcement, which no one’s going to believe anyway. Donald Trump should listen to his own DOJ about the danger of giving China these chips before cutting stupid deals that cost America dearly.
SPEAKER 13 :
On top of that, some conservative lawmakers have raised concerns about the bill’s provisions to lift sanctions on Syria. Also, of course, Israel is a central priority. This bill supports the Iron Dome and David’s Sling, and it requires routine checks to ensure Israel gets the supplies that it needs. The NDAA also drops the plan to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War, citing its high costs. Now, as we noted on yesterday’s show, Tony, there was an effort to mandate coverage for in vitro fertilization, which is also very expensive, by the way. But it was killed due to pro-life concerns. So a lot of updates and a lot of things going on here behind me, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Casey, appreciate that. Out across the country, redistricting remains a major issue. Indiana is one step closer to a new congressional map after yesterday’s Senate committee vote there in Indiana. What else do we know about that?
SPEAKER 13 :
That’s right, Tony. So Indiana State Senate advanced a new congressional map on Monday aiming to strengthen the GOP representation. Now, this plan, like many others, would likely give Republicans all nine U.S. House seats in the state by reshaping those Democratic-leaning areas in the northwest part of the state, like Indianapolis. Now, as well as Indianapolis, rather. Now, supporters say it’s a chance to counter Democratic gerrymandering in other states. And as you know, this move follows similar efforts in states like California, Texas, and Missouri, as both parties position themselves ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Now, the full Senate is expected to vote on Thursday, and the measure is widely expected to pass, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
Interesting. We’ll be watching that one very closely. Let’s turn now to international news, Ukraine. Casey, bring us up to speed on the latest in those peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
SPEAKER 13 :
Sure, Tony. So Ukraine’s president, Vladimir Zelensky, he says that Kiev and its European partners are almost ready to give the U.S. an updated peace plan. This is really their rebuttal. Now, these talks follow days of intense diplomacy in London with British, French, and German leaders. Zelensky, he’s been pushing back on the U.S.-backed plan, saying that it favors Moscow too heavily. He won’t give up any territory to Russia and wants firm security guarantees to stop future aggression. Now, the Finnish president says allies are working on three important documents. One is a 20-point peace framework. Another is a set of security guarantees to put some details on that. And the third is a reconstruction plan. He says this is the closest the sides have come to a possible deal. Meanwhile, President Trump is pressuring Zelensky to move faster.
SPEAKER 06 :
I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal. That was as of a few hours ago. His people love it. But he has some Russians fine with it. Russia’s, you know, Russia, I guess, would rather have the whole country, wouldn’t you think of it? Russia is, I believe, fine with it. But I’m not sure that Zelensky is fine with it. His people love it.
SPEAKER 13 :
Now, he argues Russia has the upper hand, and he warns Ukraine may need to accept tough terms. Putin is still demanding control of the entire Donbas region, something Zelensky refuses to allow, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Casey. Well, as I said, I know it’s chilly out there. Go ahead and… Get a cup of hot chocolate on me. Thanks, Tony. All right. I want to go to one of the top Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, Congressman James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee. He represents the 1st Congressional District of Kentucky. Chairman Comer, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for having me. So the clock is ticking for Congress, and there’s still much to do before the upcoming recess for Christmas. Now, in addition to the NDAA, which is in the Rules Committee right now, the fight over health care is at a crucial juncture. What’s the latest on that debate over these subsidies and these extensions for Obamacare?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, the sad part about this debate is the reality, number one, that the Democrats’ Obamacare plan just decimated our healthcare system in America. We had the model healthcare system in the world. And because of Obamacare, we have a healthcare system that’s unaffordable to almost every American, regardless of income status. So we’re tasked with fixing it. Now, the second bad part about all this is that we’ve waited this late in the year to try to tackle this issue that we knew was coming along. So there are lots of schools of thought. as to how to fix it. There’s one school by, obviously the Democrats, their solution to every problem is more government spending. But there are proposals to extend the subsidies a year while there’s still debate. There’s proposals to completely end the subsidies and do what Roger Marshall is championing in the Senate, and that to create health savings accounts and the money that would normally go IN THE SUBSIDIES WHICH WENT DIRECTLY TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY, SEND THAT MONEY DIRECTLY INTO CONSUMERS ACCOUNTS AND LET THEM BE THE CONSUMER AGAIN. and not the government as far as which health care plans to have. And that would require transparency from the hospitals as to say, prior to your surgery, this is what it’s supposed to cost. So there are lots of proposals. I don’t know that any proposal has 218 votes in the House and 60 votes in the Senate. I don’t know how we’re going to get there in the next 10 legislative days, 10 calendar days, which is what we have, all we have before the end of the year. There are lots of proposals on the table, and I hope that we can get something resolved. But at the end of the day, this health care crisis is a direct result of the failure of Obamacare.
SPEAKER 08 :
It absolutely is. Help me here. I want to ask you a question, Mr. Chairman, because I’m thinking through this. No Republican has ever voted for Obamacare. Nor did they vote for these subsidies. It was really essentially a bailout during the COVID of Obamacare, which had failed and was not working. So I just I can’t imagine that at this point in time that a Republican would vote for the extension of those, given that they’re failed, but also thinking we’ve got an election coming up. And I mean, what Republican wants to have his name on extending a failed health care system?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, there are a few. There are always Republicans that want to kick the can down the road. There are always Republicans that number one priority is self-preservation, just like there are many Democrats that feel that way as well. So at the end of the day, there are a few Republicans, not very many, that are advocating to extend the subsidies for another year. But at the end of the day, I think that we’ve got to accept the fact that Obamacare ruined our healthcare system, and the only solution is going to be proposed by Republicans that don’t want there to be winners and losers in our healthcare system. And that’s what my criticism of Obamacare has always been. If you qualify for Obamacare, if you are on Medicaid, which is free healthcare, that’s a pretty good deal. If you get healthcare for free or if you get healthcare at a reduced and subsidized price. But over half of America doesn’t qualify for Obamacare. And those Americans who don’t, they’re having to pay significantly more because somebody has to pay for that free health care. And it’s the people who are working and trying to provide health care for their employees. So we’re trying to look at a solution for everybody. The Democrats and a few Republicans are only looking for a temporary solution for a handful of people.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, you know, it’s that that old saying, you know, at some point in time, all those people pulling the wagon are going to realize there’s more people in the wagon than are out here pulling it. I want to go. I just got a couple of minutes left. Chairman Comer, I want to go really kind of down your lane as chairman of the Oversight Committee. You’ve had a lot to track in this Congress. What investigations are you working on now to advance?
SPEAKER 15 :
Well, the one that I’m most excited about now that I think everyone watching this show will be excited about is the social programs fraud in Minnesota. We have credible whistleblowers who have come forward within the state government of Minnesota that claim that this massive amount of fraud with respect to the Somali population in Minnesota has been going on for decades. a very long period of time and that they warned both Attorney General Keith Ellison and Governor Tim Walz, both former members of Congress who I served with, that this fraud was taking place. And both men turned a blind eye because they didn’t want to offend that very important and crucial voting bloc, the Somali voting bloc in Minnesota. So we want to try to identify how much WASTE THERE WAS, HOW MUCH WAS STOLEN. WE WANT TO IDENTIFY ANYONE THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THE CRIME, NOT ONLY THE SOMALI The Somali group that have reportedly been spearheading this, but all the illegals that have been receiving government benefits, even though the Democrats said no illegal received government benefits. We want to know who all was responsible for this. Did the governor and attorney general know and refuse to do something? If so, they should be held accountable. So this is a major investigation. But I’ll say this. I don’t think Minnesota is the only state this has happened. Yeah. I think there are a lot of states. So this investigation will lead to other investigations. And hopefully, finally, someone’s going to get the back of the American taxpayer.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Chairman, we just have like 30 seconds left. But this is one of the issues that you and your colleagues have raised about Obamacare, the fraud that’s in that. That’s right. endemic in any government program. This is the problem. When government grows and spends more money, they don’t pay attention to it. And we see this fraud, waste and abuse. And it’s those people you were talking about a moment ago that are hardworking, that are having to pay the bill for this. So, Mr. Chairman, appreciate you ferreting that out. And we want to hear from you when you uncover more of that. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for having me. All right, folks, when we come back, we’re going to talk about one of the provisions not in the NDAA. 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.
SPEAKER 03 :
Should a Christian support Israel? That question has become one of the most emotionally charged issues of our time, both in the world and within the church. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins offers a clear biblical and prophetic answer. In his latest book, he examines Israel’s past, present, and future through the lens of scripture, revealing why support for Israel is not rooted in politics, partisanship, or cultural sentiment, but in the unchanging promises of God. Drawing from Genesis to Revelation, Tony Perkins demonstrates that the ultimate rationale for a Christian’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.
SPEAKER 10 :
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.
SPEAKER 08 :
Merry Christmas and welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. The website is TonyPerkins.com. Better yet, get the Stand Firm app. You can download the Stand Firm app and the App Store. That way you’ll have access to Washington Watch, the Washington Stand, and Stand on the Word. All right. The issue of in vitro fertilization has drawn renewed interest after a provision related to IVF coverage for service members was removed from the National Defense Authorization Act or the NDAA. And while not surprisingly, Democrats are up in arms over the provisions removal.
SPEAKER 04 :
IVF, we all understand, is there’s language from pro-life forces that they want to put in there about protecting the embryos forever that is very impractical. So you’ve got a lot of Republicans who are strong supporters of IVF, and you’ve got another who said, I can’t support it unless it has this pro-life language. So it was a clash within the Republican conference that they could not resolve. As far as I know, pretty much every Democrat would support it.
SPEAKER 08 :
That was Congressman Adam Smith, a ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee. And as he points out, the issue isn’t so clear-cut for Republicans who have been divided over the issue. But let’s get past all the news and the noise here. Why is there a controversy over the procedure? What does the process actually entail? Well, here to answer these questions and more is reproductive endocrinologist and infertility physician Dr. Lauren Rubel. Dr. Rubal, thanks so much for joining us here on Washington Watch. Appreciate it.
SPEAKER 14 :
Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER 08 :
Now, for much of your career, you actually did in vitro fertilization. You thought what you were doing was the best way to to help couples that were wanting to have children, which is kind of pro-life. We want kids. We want parents to have kids. What changed for you?
SPEAKER 14 :
Right, exactly. And I think the first thing to say is that these couples are truly suffering, right? And I wanted to help alleviate the suffering to help them have children. But what changed was on many different levels. I mean, first of all, medically, I felt more and more like I was putting Band-Aid over causes that I wasn’t truly addressing the root cause of that. person sitting in front of me, body, mind, soul. And in many cases, this is true. We know that IVF is kind of a blanket recommendation for most infertility diagnoses that we have. So that was one I just felt incomplete in terms of my armamentarium to help treat these couples. The second part is that there are medical issues with the practice of in vitro fertilization. Of course, part of that, like I said, is not truly addressing the whole spectrum of causes that if we heal can lead to pregnancies on their own and healthier moms and babies in that process. But again, we know there’s an increased risk of complications for moms and babies. And then finally, the last part of this is really coming to terms with the fact that as I sat there performing my daily work, I began to realize more and more how many embryos were being destroyed in this process of in vitro fertilization. And so what I initially went into thinking of as helping life, really in that interim process, if every embryo is a human being that is a unique chromosome complement at his or her earliest stage of development, We were just starting on average, you know, many more embryos potentially to get to that one live birth.
SPEAKER 08 :
So it has health implications for it, but it has moral and ethical implications when you’re talking about these human embryos that are being destroyed, discarded, or frozen in some cases. We have millions of these that are frozen. But here’s the dilemma. You started with this. These couples are suffering. They want children. I have five. There’s nothing greater than having kids, I think, as a parent. You love it. So you want to help them. But it’s been portrayed as if it’s all or nothing. It’s the IVF or there’s no other alternative. That’s not true.
SPEAKER 14 :
That’s correct. You know, there is another alternative that unfortunately has felt more and more politicized in recent months. But this alternative is called restorative reproductive medicine. And what that is, is really. again, identifying those root causes and harnessing the hormone imbalances that may be present, looking at the microbiome, trying to optimize ovulation in that woman as well as the sperm in that man, and really the timing of intercourse as well, and using medical and surgical procedures to do so. And the studies actually show that this is yielding equivalent rates of live births compared to IVF cycles. The denominators are a little bit different here, and so it does take more time. But with that being said, there is absolutely hope. And it is, again, effective, it is immoral, and it is a much less financially taxing process for couples.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I mean, that seems like that should be something that if the government wants to address this issue, starting with the military, which they always use the military first so that they can expand whatever the social program may be. So as you’re describing, this approach is both ethical, it doesn’t have the health implications, and it doesn’t cost as much. It seems like this would be something that we would be promoting.
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes, exactly. And quite honestly, Tony, this is just simply good medicine at its core, right? We want to be able to heal people as opposed, as I said, treat IVF as this episodic phenomenon that we’re putting a very fancy Band-Aid on. However, unfortunately, what I find, and I can only speak for myself, but I know that I wasn’t equipped with all of the tools. And in fact, studies that have been done looking at even fertility awareness-based methods, which can… double the chance of conception over a period of six months in people who are trying to conceive, only 4% of OBGYNs and family medicine physicians were familiar with how to effectively counsel patients on these type of procedures.
SPEAKER 08 :
Dr. Rubal, let me ask this final question here. We have just a little over a minute left. Having been involved in IVF and involved in that process and those treatments and now moving over to an ethical, more medically sound approach, how do the two compare to you as a professional in practicing medicine?
SPEAKER 14 :
Yes. I mean, again, I think that for every single medical professional, everyone’s trying to do their best, again, with the tools that they’re given. I can, again, speak for myself. And I know that I feel so much more at peace. And this is what I tell patients. Not everything is in our power here. But let’s try to optimize the parts that are. And then we can have a path moving forward in peace. And also, again, knowing that we’re going to be helping you feel better because we’re going to normalize whatever we’ve uncovered. And again, studies support that we’re having babies based on these restorative reproductive medicine procedures who are healthier, who have less preterm deliveries, less multiples, and are being born at normal birth weight. So really a win-win.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, Dr. Rubel, I want to thank you again for joining us. And I want to thank you just for speaking out on this, because as you said, it’s been politicized and sometimes that comes with risk. But I think the truth needs to get out there. And we appreciate you being willing to to speak the truth. Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 14 :
Merry Christmas. All right.
SPEAKER 08 :
Don’t go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead. 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 launchpad for terror. Today, only 21% of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a two-state solution has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran’s grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some U.S. officials still chase the mirage of a two-state solution. History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the U.S., led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza, deeply woven into Israel’s geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel’s rightful claim to sovereignty. It’s time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East. All right, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in, and Merry Christmas. All right, yesterday marked one year, one year since the collapse of the brutal Assad regime that ruled Syria for more than five decades. And while there were celebrations in major cities, the country is not, well, it’s not out of the woods yet. It’s got some serious challenges ahead of it. The country is still struggling to recover from years of war, and there have been bouts of violence alongside other concerns. Well, included in the National Defense Authorization Act, that’s before Congress right now, is a repeal of the Caesar sanctions, a move that would be considered a key to success of Syria’s new government. The question is, will it make it through? And should it? Should we not hold Syria’s new leadership accountable by lifting these sanctions as they meet certain measurables? Joining me now is Congressman Marlon Stutzman, who is one of the first members of Congress actually to visit Syria and meet with the country’s new president after the fall of the Assad regime. He represents the 3rd Congressional District of Indiana. Congressman Stutzman, welcome back to Washington Watch. Merry Christmas. Tony, great to be with you, and Merry Christmas to you and all of your viewers. I want to get to Siri, but before I do, I want to get a quick take on the redistricting efforts in your home state. I mean, I think this may possibly affect you. It might affect your district. But we talked about this top of the program, the state senate there advancing out of committee a bill yesterday that most likely will be voted on Thursday. What’s the latest?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yeah, so the House actually passed the measure last Friday. I was in Indianapolis when the vote took place, passed with a comfortable margin. Obviously, this has brought a lot of debate and some contention to the legislature there in Indianapolis, but many feel that This is such an important issue to deal with now because of what’s happened in other states. And maybe shame on us for not paying attention earlier and watching what other states were doing when they were drawing their maps back after the 2020 census. But I kind of compare it to a basketball game. Of course, being from Indiana, we love basketball. You know, we’re playing the other team and they set their goal at eight feet tall and we set ours at 10 feet, which that’s the standard, you know, and so all of a sudden it’s halftime and realize that, oh, you guys are playing on a different height than what we are. And that’s it’s really to level the playing field, you know, and also a couple of things the Democrats have done and they’ve really taken advantage of the circumstances is the census. The census, of course, counts every person. We don’t ask if you’re a citizen or noncitizen. in the census. I think that’s something that we should do because that probably gives California a four to five seat edge over other states just by simply counting all of those who are probably illegal or are illegal in California.
SPEAKER 08 :
Is that going to be addressed? Because that’s a major issue.
SPEAKER 05 :
It has to, Tony. And I think that, you know, as people are frustrated, even in Indiana, that we have to deal with this issue. Because here’s why they’re frustrated. They feel like they have been fair. They feel like they have been objective. They have tried to have a balance. Well, you look at states like Illinois, California. Look at Massachusetts. Massachusetts is as Democrat as Indiana is Republican. but yet they are 9-0 Democrat. They don’t have any Republican members of Congress. And then Indiana, of course, is 7-2. And so, unfortunately, because there is no national standard and there’s no agreement on how districts are going to be drawn, we’re in this very partisan environment right now where Democrats are trying to do everything they can to stop President Trump, and they have drawn maps to favor themselves. Republicans have finally said, look, if this is the way the game is going to be played, we’re going to fight back. And I support that measure because it’s not fair to Hoosiers that Illinois manipulates their maps and gives themselves an advantage.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, especially right now, where you have the House controlled by just like three votes, two votes, actually two vote margin. So when you have a state like California that’s making itself a sanctuary state, calling people to come in there illegally and live and then be counted for the census so that they get more congressional seats. Yeah, I can see why people are upset, because what happens is conservatives and like my home state of Louisiana or Ohio or Indiana or Oklahoma, they’re deprived of leadership that’s reflective of their vote. ILLEGALS BEING COUNTED IN INCREASING THE SEATS SO THAT YOU HAVE TWO EXTRA SEATS IN CALIFORNIA COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN DETERMINING WHO RUNS THE UNITED STATES HOUSE.
SPEAKER 05 :
ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK A LOT OF US FELT THAT THE OPEN BORDER POLICY BY DEMOCRATS AND BY PRESIDENT BIDEN WAS TO GIVE THEMSELVES AN ADVANTAGE BY TURNING THEM INTO VOTERS. WELL, ACTUALLY IT GAVE THEM AN ADVANTAGE BY SIMPLY GETTING THOSE ILLEGALS INTO SANCTUARY STATES. And they were able to count those into the census. And if we don’t do something now, the next census is going to be even worse. Even though President Trump has closed the border and has control of the border, I don’t believe that deportation is going to actually fix that problem either. There’s going to be still a lot of illegals and noncitizens in this country that are counted in the census that give those states an advantage. This has got to be something that is dealt with state by state for right now. You would hope that Republicans and Democrats would come to an agreement on where only citizens would be counted in the census towards the apportionment.
SPEAKER 08 :
Will there be an effort in this Congress to address that in terms of who is counted the census?
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes. Absolutely. There’s several of us conservatives that are already pointing that out. I know President Trump talks about that. There’s obviously a lot of people feel that way. But, you know, when it gets down to partisan politics, Democrats know that that gives them an advantage and they simply don’t want to be a part of changing that position.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Congressman Stutzman, we didn’t even get to Syria. Can you hold on for just a moment through the break? And then because I want to get your take on Syria. Big issue, very important issue. And it was addressed in the National Defense Authorization Act or going to be. All right, folks, Congressman Marlon Stutzman is going to stay with me. Also coming up in the next segment, Gordon Chang is going to be joining us to talk about China and China. chips being sold to China that might facilitate their advancement of AI. There’s an AI race. Who’s going to win, China or the United States? We’ll see. All right, don’t go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
SPEAKER 09 :
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 06 :
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 09 :
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 08 :
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 truth 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 08 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks for joining us. Our word for today comes from 1 John 4 where the apostle lays out one of the most direct and challenging teachings in the New Testament. Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God for God is love. Now John doesn’t treat love as an optional virtue, but as evidence of spiritual life. Then he sharpens the point even further in verse 20. If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? Now this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must love his brother also. John clearly believes defining love is essential. Love is not shaped by culture or personal sentiment. It’s rooted in obedience to God’s word. Anything that steps outside the boundaries of God’s commands maybe many things, but it’s not biblical love. He reinforces this in the next chapter when he writes, by this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and we keep His commandments. True love begins with obedience. Well, to find out more about our journey through the Bible, text the word Bible to 67742. And I want to invite you as we are about to complete our journey through the Bible and start another one next month. I want to invite you to join thousands of others as we journey through the Bible with a reading 10 to 15 minutes a day, Monday through Thursday. Saturday. And I’ve got a number of statements that have come back from those that have been on the journey, just comments about how the Bible speaks to the world we’re living in and how this Bible reading plan helps apply the Word to our daily lives. This is one, the videos help connect Scripture to the global issues and relate biblical truth. Another, it has opened my eyes to how the Bible relates to current events in our culture. Stand on the Word has not only reinforced my habit of daily reading God’s Word, it has opened my eyes to the government through the lenses of Scripture. So again, I invite you to join us on this journey. Text BIBLE to 67742. The Bible speaks to the world we’re living in. Let’s walk through it together. All right, I want to go back to our guest, Congressman Marlon Stutzman of Indiana, and pick up where we left off as we went into the break. Congressman, thanks so much for sticking around through the break. I want to go to the issue of Syria. You were, I think, the first member of Congress to go into Syria a year ago after the new leadership. The NDAA, you’ve been very concerned about what has been happening in Syria with the targeting of Druze, Christians, and other religious minorities. The lifting of sanctions that could be used to, if we keep them in place or at least tie them to some measurables, could get the government on the right track. Are you concerned with the lifting of these sanctions?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, Tony, first of all, I want to say thank you to you and Family Research Council and Washington Watch for the attention you’ve given to, you know, Christians being persecuted around the world. And, you know, as we saw back in July where Christians and Druze were killed down in the Soweta area of Syria, I did visit Syria and I’ve met with the new president several times. You know, as we’ve all said from the very beginning, he’s not the person that we would have selected in Syria. One thing that is good for the Syrian people is that Assad is gone. Assad murdered millions of his own people and millions of people fled the country. You know, a safe Syria would be such an incredible peace to that particular region, especially to Israel and the surrounding areas. Syria is very diverse. A lot of Christians live in Syria. Syria is one of the, of course, Damascus is where Saul was on his way to Damascus to, of course, arrest Christians and take them back to Jerusalem. And that’s where he met Christ on the road to Damascus and became Paul. AFTER HIS CONVERSION. AND SO THE COUNTRY OF SYRIA HAS A RICH CHRISTIAN HISTORY. AND THAT’S ONE OF THE INTERESTS THAT I HAVE THERE. AND SO HAVING A NEW PRESIDENT NOW IS GOOD, BUT ALSO VERY CONCERNING, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING HIS PAST. HE’S FORMER AL QAEDA, FORMER HTS. He has tried to explain to us why he fought those fights against us. But I think more than anything else, his actions are going to speak louder than his words. He’s actually the first Syrian president to meet with a U.S. president. He met with President Trump here on American soil a couple of weeks ago. We need to hold them accountable on what’s happening in the Soweto region, especially now that we know there is humanitarian aid going into those particular areas. And we’ve got solid people who are making sure that that’s being delivered. We’re hearing good reports, but then we’re also hearing reports of great concern of how the militia are still behaving in that area. Either he doesn’t have control of the country and he needs to ask for help, or if he does have control of the country and that is his government approving of those sort of attacks, he needs to be held accountable. And that’s one of the reasons that we have this conversation about controlling the Syrian government through the sanction relief. I’m for the sanction relief. I think that the people of Syria need the relief, but we want to be able to hold him accountable of any behavior that is not respectful of religious freedom and also giving people the opportunity to rebuild their country.
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Will that be the language that’s attached to the repeal of the 2019 Caesar Act? I mean, will there be a way to hold them accountable?
SPEAKER 05 :
Well, the current language in the NDAA gives the president the authority and a requirement to report to Congress what is actually happening in Syria. You know, I feel comfortable with the language having President Trump as president. I don’t know that I would feel comfortable with the language of President Biden were the president. So, you know, we have a three-year window here with President Trump. And I trust that he wants to see the Syrian people have the opportunity to rebuild. But Tony, I know you have been very vocal on this, as well as others in the Christian media world, along with those of us here in Congress. We’re going to be keeping a close eye on Syria no matter what happens. I just truly believe that this is a window, you know, it’s maybe a five-year window here that we have to be sure that the Syrian government is allowing people to rebuild their country, but also is respecting religious freedom. With that diversity in Syria, religious freedom has to be one of the core fundamentals of the Syrian government.
SPEAKER 08 :
Final question for you, Congressman Stutzman. I talked to some of your colleagues who have concerns about lifting those sanctions. Do you think there are enough votes to move this measure through with the lifting of sanctions?
SPEAKER 05 :
I think there probably are right now. There’s been a lot of discussion related to this particular language. And of course, the NDAA has a lot of other pieces of legislation that are important for the security and defense of our country. It’s not perfect, that’s for sure. I know that Congressman Burkine and Congressman Harris and others and I, we would like to see there be an automatic snapback if something takes place. But after visiting Syria, I just want to see the Syrian people to be able to have the chance to rebuild their country. The Syrian president, he didn’t ask for money from the United States. He didn’t ask for military. And those were two big things that I respect. He just simply asked that the sanctions be lifted and that they would rebuild their country. I think giving him that chance is the right thing to do. But at the same time, as I told him, his actions will speak louder than his words and that we’re going to be keeping a very close eye on what he does as the new president in Syria.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, and I know that you mean that because this is an issue that’s near and dear to your heart, and you’ve been a great advocate for religious freedom and human rights. So we will be keeping close tabs on that as well and look forward to continuing that conversation.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you, Tony. Yeah, and I tell you, you know, have all of those folks that are watching tonight be praying for Syria, be praying for the Christians in Nigeria. You know, we have to stand with Christians around the world. There is an attack on Christianity globally, and I just believe that this is a fight that we have to stand for. God’s given us an opportunity right now.
SPEAKER 08 :
All right, Marlon. Merry Christmas. Talk to you soon. Thank you. Merry Christmas. All right, yesterday on his Truth Social platform, President Trump announced his decision to allow American tech companies to, or a company, to sell its H200 AI chip to approved customers in China. Invita is the name of the company. The president further reported that the details being finalized right now are being finalized right now by the Commerce Department will also apply to other American tech companies like MDA and Intel. While the president said this policy will support American jobs, strengthen U.S. manufacturing, and benefit American taxpayers, a question being raised right now is at what cost? And there are many that are concerned that this will fuel China’s position in the AI race and could possibly eclipse the United States in this race. Joining me now to talk about this, Gordon Chang, who is a Chinese, is an Asian expert, written several books on China. And he joins us now. In fact, if you want to keep up with him, it’s Gordon G. Chang on X. Gordon, thanks so much for stepping in and joining us today.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, thank you so much, Tony. And Merry Christmas.
SPEAKER 08 :
Merry Christmas to you as well. So I want to ask you about this. This took a lot of folks by surprise. It was just a little more than a month ago that the president said he was not letting anyone other than the U.S. have the most advanced AI chips. in Vita’s H200 chips are not their most advanced. I think they’re the Blackwell chips. Those are not a part of this deal. But some are saying that this still helps them because then they can focus their resources on advancing higher, more powerful chips because we’re providing them these lower level chips. What do you say?
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, the H200 chip is far more advanced than anything that we have allowed NVIDIA or other companies to sell to China. And we absolutely should not do it. You know, there are a lot of people, including the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who say, look, we should allow American chip companies to sell second or third rate chips because we want to keep China addicted to our technology stack, as he put it. Well, China will never be addicted to our stack. They demand self-sufficiency, and they’re working very hard toward it, putting a lot of resources. What they want are good American chips because they want to bridge a gap. They know that their chips now are not as good as ours, but they could very well be in the near future. But in that gap, they do need America’s chips to train their AI models and for other things. So, no, we shouldn’t be doing this. Well, that’s the strategic issue. There’s also a moral issue. And the moral issue is just as important as the strategic one.
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, I know the scripture says if your enemy is thirsty, give him something to drink. But I don’t see that it says give them chips that will help their military advance. And I mean, China has been very clear about their objectives. They do not, as Joe Biden used to say, is friendly competition. It is not friendly competition.
SPEAKER 07 :
They want to conquer. They certainly want to conquer, and they’ve been very clear about it. May 2019, People’s Daily, the most authoritative publication in China, carried a landmark editorial that declared a people’s war on us. In 2023, PLA Daily, which is the main propaganda organ of the Chinese military, defined people’s war as total war. So we know what they want. Xi Jinping has been pushing this notion that he’s the world’s only legitimate ruler, which means he thinks of the United States at best as a colony. So, no, this is an existential struggle. President Trump needs to get on the page. We have to look at this as we did during the Cold War. This is existential, Tony.
SPEAKER 08 :
So why? Why would the administration make this decision to sell these advanced chips to China?
SPEAKER 07 :
I’m just guessing, but I’m thinking that President Trump believes that this would be a revenue generator for the U.S. government. Also, Jensen Wong, the CEO of Nvidia, has really been pressing the administration hard on this. I guess the sense is that this is not going to harm the U.S., but it is. And the problem here is that we’re talking about the domination of the 21st century. Who is going to own the 21st century? Well, that’s going to be the country that gets other countries to adopt its AI. And we really shouldn’t be helping China with a cell of H2 200 chips.
SPEAKER 08 :
Is this one of those problems of looking at the world through the lenses of economy and economic transactions?
SPEAKER 07 :
yes and it’s also looking at china as if it were organized like the united states but it’s not it’s a totalitarian society it’s communist it has made it clear that it wants to destroy the united states with its unrestricted warfare and so you can’t have cooperative relations with those who want to kill you and we know that the chinese have been very good at that with fentanyl and covid and all the rest of it so we have to look at china in a very different light
SPEAKER 08 :
I want to go back. We just have about two minutes left, Gordon Chang. You said there’s a strategic element here, but there’s also a moral element.
SPEAKER 07 :
The moral element is that we know that China will use these chips in its military. China has this doctrine of military-civil fusion, which means that everything that a civilian institution has gets pipelined to the military. The Chinese military is being configured to kill Americans. So whether this is, you know, whether we talk about strategic aspects or not, the point is we should never help any country kill Americans. It’s as simple as that. We’re going to send our boys and girls into battle. We don’t want them being killed with American technology.
SPEAKER 08 :
Could this also be used? China has one of the most advanced surveillance systems used to suppress their people and particular minorities, religious minorities. Will this facilitate that?
SPEAKER 07 :
I’m sure it will. We know that a lot of American technology has gone into China’s surveillance state, from Microsoft to other companies. And this never should have been permitted in the first place. But we are giving China a big advantage if we are increasing their ability to use artificial intelligence to surveil the Chinese people. And China has the most advanced, most sophisticated surveillance mechanisms, which are beyond anything that most Americans can contemplate.
SPEAKER 08 :
And they’re exporting it to other repressive regimes.
SPEAKER 07 :
Absolutely.
SPEAKER 08 :
Gordon, we’re out of time. Always great to talk with you, my friend. You’ve given us a lot to pray about. Thanks for joining us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you so much, Tony, and God bless.
SPEAKER 08 :
And folks, I do encourage you to take the information you get here on Washington Watch. We’re not rant radio. We’re not trying to get you all worked up and upset. Be anxious for nothing, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. So we need to pray and we need to do our part to speak truth, to love our neighbor by standing firm on that truth. Until next time, keep standing.
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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.
