Join Tony Perkins as he highlights pivotal discussions with influential leaders on Washington Watch. Oklahoma’s Superintendent Ryan Walters shares insights into groundbreaking educational reforms, while Attorney General Liz Murrell reveals challenges and strategies surrounding religious freedom and legislation. Tune in for an engaging dialogue about the future of America as it navigates a critical transitional phase towards the new presidential administration’s vision for a stronger nation.
SPEAKER 12 :
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 :
What we saw in Amsterdam, what we witnessed there, in a premeditated attack that we know was planned in advance of the arrival of thousands of Israelis to a game that were chased down and hunted down and told to stay in their rooms for the duration of the stay on the ground, is actually a part of what we have seen as a tsunami of anti-Semitism in the wake of the October 7, 2023 massacre in the state of Israel.
SPEAKER 17 :
That was Mikael Kader-Wusch, Israel’s special envoy for combating anti-Semitism, speaking on MSNBC. We’ll talk with Rabbi Yaakov Mencken about the incident in Amsterdam and steps the incoming Trump administration can take to counter the growing anti-Semitism both at home and abroad. Welcome to Washington Watch. I’m Tony Perkins, your host. Glad to have you with us. Congress is back in session after a long election season, and the next two months will set the stage for the first 100 days of unified Republican government.
SPEAKER 13 :
On Tuesday, voters rejected what they really felt was the misery of the last four years. We’re moving on and we’re turning the page, and this is something that the American people desperately need and deserve. We are going to raise an America First banner above this place.
SPEAKER 17 :
That was House Speaker Mike Johnson earlier today as Congress returned to Capitol Hill. We’ll get the latest from Capitol Hill from Georgia Congressman Buddy Carter in just a moment. One of the many priorities on President-elect Trump’s agenda is education reform.
SPEAKER 16 :
And one other thing I will be doing very early in the administration is closing up the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and sending all education and education working needs back to the states. We want them to run the education of our children, because they will do a much better job of it.
SPEAKER 17 :
JOHN YANG We have not heard that since Ronald Reagan. Well, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters is already assembling a task force in his state to prepare for these changes. He joins us later to talk about it. And speaking of education, a federal judge appointed by Barack Obama. In Louisiana, issued a stay today on a state law that would require the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. Louisiana’s Attorney General Liz Murrell will be here to provide more details. And our nation is entering a pivotal time that requires our collective prayer, prayer for God’s divine protection, his guidance. We want to pray for the incoming administration for wisdom and discernment. And from now until January the 20th, as we prepare for this transition of leadership, and the challenges that our country faces, we believe this is a season that calls for heightened spiritual vigilance and unity. And we invite you to join us during this critical season in prayer. And if you’d like to join this prayer effort, simply text the word SHIELD, that’s S-H-I-E-L-D to 67742 for Operation Prayer Shield. You can be a part of it. You’ll receive weekly alerts, daily prayer points, and more. Again, text the word SHIELD to 67742 to be a part of Operation Prayer Shield. Well, as I mentioned, the House and the Senate are back to kick off a lame duck session of Congress that will include a short but consequential to-do list. At the top of the list is government funding. You’ll recall before leaving to go back to campaign in their districts, they passed a continuing resolution short-term funding bill that that actually expires on December the 20th. Now, Republicans will want to extend federal funding until early 2025, while Democrats want to lock in some of their spending priorities for next year before they lose power. So how might this battle play out? What is at stake? Well, joining me now to discuss this, Congressman Buddy Carter, a member of the House Budget Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce. He represents the 1st Congressional District of Georgia. Congressman Carter, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you, Tony. Good to be with you.
SPEAKER 17 :
And congratulations on your reelection and returning to Congress on the 119th. That will begin in January.
SPEAKER 05 :
Yes, thank you very much. I’m very humbled, very excited.
SPEAKER 17 :
So let’s talk about these next two months. Not as dangerous as many lame duck sessions have been. I’ve had a few conversations with the Speaker. He feels pretty confident with President Trump looking on that it’s going to be somewhat orderly. But budget funding is going to be a big, big fight because the Democrats, they’re going to want to fund some of their projects knowing that they’re going to lose the levers of government after the end of the year. So what do you anticipate?
SPEAKER 05 :
First of all, before we get started, and certainly that’s going to be one of our priorities, our priority, the top priority, but we’ve got to look at disaster funding. Remember, Tony, we’ve had a rough, rough go of it here this summer in South Georgia and North Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina. We had major hurricanes. We had Hurricane Helene that caused devastation that That was just some of the worst devastation we’ve ever seen. I’ve lived in South Georgia all my life, and I’ve witnessed many hurricanes, but I’ve never seen the devastation that we saw with Eileen. We had Tropical Storm Debbie that had a lot of flooding. We had Hurricane Milton that caused Florida a lot of damage as well. So we’ve got a lot that we’ve got to do in the way of disaster funding. That’s got to be the first thing that we take care of. We’ve got to make sure FEMA is funded, and I think they are, but we’ve got to make sure SBA, they definitely got to be funded as well. So putting that package together is going to be very important.
SPEAKER 17 :
Now, as far as our budget goes, Congressman, let me stop you there right there, but again, let’s talk about that because that’s I agree with you. In fact, we had you on the program from your district as you were surveying the damage right after Helene. So let’s talk about how that package comes together, because we know that there’s oftentimes that’s where politics are played and people will stick things in there that are unrelated to the disaster, directly to disaster. So how do you see that unfolding?
SPEAKER 05 :
Sorry, Tony, I missed some of that. But I really do think that we’re going to have to put together a package, and we’re going to have to have it in block grants. Who better understands where the need is than the states do? And keep in mind, our ag is the number one industry in the state of Georgia. And look, this could have an impact not only on America, but on the world. I mean, the American farmer feeds the world, and we need to keep that in mind. It also was devastating to our timber industry. Georgia is the number one forestry state in the nation. So our timber industry took a big, big hit, just devastation that was unbelievable. So all of that has got to be addressed, and we’ve got to make sure— that we don’t lose these farmers, that we don’t lose these tree farmers as well. We need them to sustain and to continue on. That’s going to be extremely important.
SPEAKER 17 :
Yeah, and in a responsible way, and that’s just going to have to be something that is shepherded through very, very carefully. So that is a part of the discussion, but the bigger issue is going to be the continuation of government funding. How do you see that playing out?
SPEAKER 05 :
Two things. First of all, we want to cut spending, and I think Republicans are united in that. But secondly, we want to put President Trump in the best position that we can in order to make sure that he’s able to deliver on his campaign promises, and that’s going to be very important for us. I think we’re in good shape. I think that we’re in sync with President Trump and and we all understand what our goal is, but we want to make sure that we’re giving him the opportunity to be able to deliver on the policies that he has promised the American people. And essentially, they’re the same policies that we have promised the American people as well.
SPEAKER 17 :
How do you see in terms of the spending cuts? Now, the Senate’s going to want to probably boost the spending because they’re going to want some of their pet projects that probably are going to be cut next year. They’re going to want an infusion of cash. The margins remain narrow in the House. Again, how difficult is it going to be to come up with a responsible funding mechanism? And then secondly, I know you’re just returned today to Capitol Hill, and I assume that there may be a conference meeting tonight. Has there been discussion in terms of is it going to be a short-term continuing resolution into the first part of next year, or is it going to go beyond the first 100 days?
SPEAKER 05 :
That’s to be determined. We haven’t discussed that. And you’re absolutely right. That is going to be one of the things that we discuss in our conference meetings. And a lot of that will depend on the new administration and what they want. If President Trump indicates that he’d like to just carry it on for 100 more days and give him a chance to put his fingerprints on it, his administration to put their fingerprints on it, then that may be the route that we go. The good news is that we’ve got a number of options. That’s one thing that we can do. We could, you know, try to work something out with the Democrats. And we knew this was going to happen. We knew that however the elections turned out would determine how we would address this budget. And that you’re right, it’s still going to be tight. We’re still going to have to work with the Democrats. We’re going to have probably a five-seat majority, maybe. And then in the Senate, there’s still, yeah, we’re going to have 53, I think, senators, but at the same time, it’s still going to take 60 votes. So it’s going to be compromised. There’s no question about that.
SPEAKER 17 :
I mean, Congressman Carter, I should point out that the House Republicans already passed about 70 percent of government funding those bills through prior to the election. The Senate hasn’t passed any. So we’ve seen this over and over again. They try to jam the House at the end of the year. In previous years, they’ve tried to get an omnibus. But my understanding is an omnibus is off the table. Is that your understanding?
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. That is my understanding, and I’m going to be holding us to that. I, for one, do not want to see that happen, and I don’t think really anybody wants to see that happen in the Republican conference. That would be the worst-case scenario for all of us.
SPEAKER 17 :
One other bill that has to happen, and we talked about the disaster relief funding to refill the coffers of at least small businesses administration. But then we’ve got the funding bills as funding ends December the 20th, federal government. But we also have the National Defense Authorization Act that has to pass. The left is accusing Republicans of injecting culture wars into this bill as the reason the Senate hasn’t passed adopted the House version. So there’s a conference going on. But isn’t it the really the Democrats who have injected the culture wars into our military and the Republicans are just trying to clean it up?
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely. Thank you for pointing that out, Tony, because you are absolutely spot on. That is exactly what has happened. And that’s not what the military is about. And that’s the point we’re trying to make in the Republican conference is that, guys, this is not what we’re supposed to be doing in the military. The military is supposed to be protecting. And the military is supposed to be preparing to fight and protect our country. And all this DEI and everything else that’s being included in there has no place whatsoever in our military.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, Congressman Buddy Carter, I know that the Republicans got this message, but the American people want you to hold the line. So hold the line going into this lame duck session of Congress. And we look forward to the 119th to unified leadership following the agenda that was laid out to the American people.
SPEAKER 05 :
Absolutely, Tony. That’s going to be our goal and our mission.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right. Congressman Buddy Carter, thanks so much for joining us today. Always great to see you.
SPEAKER 05 :
Thank you, sir.
SPEAKER 17 :
And folks, this is another thing to be praying about as they. First, go into this lame duck section of Congress because this is really going to set the tone for the first 100 days. So they’re trying to figure out what to get off the table, how to deal with what they have before them so that those first 100 days can be the most impactful. I can tell you just by the appointments the president has been making, he learned from that first administration. But we need to be praying for all the right moves. And you’ll hear me say this many, many times. For America to be great politically, to be strong militarily, we’ve got to return a foundation of moral goodness. And that requires us addressing the moral issues, the spiritual issues. And we’re going to be talking about those. All right, don’t go away. When we come back, we’re going to be talking about the rise of anti-Semitism, what’s been happening in Amsterdam. That’s next. Don’t go away.
SPEAKER 11 :
Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today and join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We’ve created a special place for you to access news from a biblical perspective, read and listen to daily devotionals, pray for current events and more. Share the Stand Firm app with your friends, family and church members and stand firm everywhere you go.
SPEAKER 18 :
Let’s not be discouraged. Don’t lose heart. Don’t lose the faith. Stand now strong because the Lord has given us the great privilege of living in a time when our choices matter, when our lives matter, when our courage matters. So let’s stand together and save this great country. God bless the United States of America.
SPEAKER 14 :
The American Republic has a freedom like no other. It has roots in the scriptures far more than any other heritage. And if we as followers of Jesus and conservatives don’t defend it, who will?
SPEAKER 02 :
Neutrality is not an option. There are many Christians who believe that if we just keep our heads down, if we just don’t say the wrong thing, that somehow we will come out of this unscathed. You’re naive if you think that, because what they want from us is not our silence. What they want from us is our submission.
SPEAKER 15 :
Part of the dilemma of Christianity in our generation is that we’ve relied a little too much on human wisdom and human reasoning, human strength, human resource, and we’ve relied too little on the power of God and God’s ability to open doors that we can’t open and do things that we couldn’t even hope to begin to do.
SPEAKER 07 :
This may not be an easy task, but we are living in a moment of challenge, but also a great opportunity. And we know, always, that we are not alone, that His Spirit empowers us and protects us, and that He can do the unimaginable. Dobbs, after all, was never supposed to happen.
SPEAKER 17 :
Father, we thank you. You have entrusted us with this moment in history, and I pray that we would be found faithful, and that as a result of our faithfulness to you, that thousands, millions would come into the kingdom as they would experience the forgiveness of sin and the new life that is found only in Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPEAKER 10 :
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SPEAKER 17 :
Washington Watch to join Operation Prayer Shield. Just text the word SHIELD to 67742. That’s SHIELD to 67742. Well, calls for more rioting in the Netherlands capital of Amsterdam have the city’s police force on high alert. Last night, a tram was set on fire by dozens of rioters armed with sticks and firecrackers. Now some rioters could be heard using anti-Semitic slurs. Now Amsterdam police said it wasn’t clear if the unrest was related to last week’s violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer team. But Jewish institutions in the city have been given extra security in light of the situation there. Now, what steps can the incoming Trump administration take to counter this? I mean, we’ve seen this growing since October the 7th of last year. Join me now to talk about this, Rabbi Yaakov Mencken. He’s the founder and the current managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values, an organization representing over 2,500 traditional Orthodox rabbis in American public policy. Rabbi Mencken, welcome back to the program. Always good to see you. Thank you. Good to be with you. First, let me get your thoughts on what happened last week in Amsterdam and what we have seen since.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, you know, it’s a pogrom, a straight out attack on Jews for being Jews. Let’s not pretend it’s about Israel or politics when they just find anybody who looks appropriately Jewish and attacks them. Actually, there was a Ukrainian citizen who had to pull out his passport to prove he wasn’t Israeli so they wouldn’t beat him up. So that’s, you know, it’s just an outrageous thing. The thing is that the Dutch people are no longer with that attitude. And when I say no longer, we look back in history and very sadly, 75% of Dutch Jews perished in the Holocaust. But today, it’s about the immigrants. It is, unfortunately, a radical Islam which has taken root and has found its way into Europe. The more immigration they get from those countries, the more it happens. Of course, they immediately demonize Trump. When he said we can’t afford to be importing people from those countries where they’re inculcated to have violent attitudes and anti-American and anti-Jewish biases, they immediately, again, they demonized him for it. But, of course, he was absolutely right. And right up on that list is going to be dealing with immigration.
SPEAKER 17 :
Rabbi, you’re accurate. The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Haasema, described Thursday’s violence as an outburst of anti-Semitism and said it was shocking and reprehensible. And to your point, we’re seeing this as a byproduct of the unregulated immigration. Is this a part of what we saw on college campuses here in the United States? Is there an element of the immigration that helped fuel that?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, there certainly is. I mean, obviously, it’s been inculcated on the left for a very long time. What we saw burst out into the open after October 7th on college campuses. But if you look at where the funding is coming from, a lot of it is foreign. If you look at the people participating, a lot of them are foreign, the leaders of these movements. Strangely, they seem to have particular Arabic-sounding names, and that’s not a coincidence, unfortunately. A lot of the people coming here are not here to simply get an education and do good things, but rather to change America.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right, Rabbi Mencken, let’s talk solutions. We have a new administration coming in that has a track record of being pro-Israel, and that is pro-Jewish as well. What steps can be taken? By the way, we saw today the announcement that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will be the U.S. ambassador to Israel. He’s being nominated today. What solid concrete steps do you believe America can take? Understanding this is spiritual as well, okay? You and I have talked about this. This is not just a political issue driven solely by immigration, although those are factors. It’s spiritual. What solid steps can we take to address this?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, one solid step that I would say was taken already was appointing Elise Stefanik to be the next UN ambassador. I mean, that’s just an amazing… It’s almost trolling the left, because here was this woman who was responsible more than any other one person for taking down the university presidents and revealing that when it comes to the campuses, the emperor has no clothes. They are tolerating… racism and bigotry at the very time that they claim to value diversity. And what do they do? Well, what does Trump do? He takes her and sends her to the UN, which of course has been an anti-Semitic institution for a very long time. And, you know, even more than appointing Nikki Haley to the position, it really sends a message that anti-Semitism will not be tolerated on the international stage. Now, when it comes to what can be done right here, obviously the cleanup has to begin with the campuses. The most powerful instigator of anti-Semitism in the United States is a national organization called Students for Justice in Palestine. It is on over 150 college campuses where it’s being given university student organization funding and access to classrooms. More than anything else, to simply say, wait a minute, this organization, after October 7th, when the blood was not yet dry, they declared that their members were part of the Hamas movement and its pogrom, the murders, the rapes, the kidnappings. They were part of it. They were not merely associated with it. Well, why are we, as a nation, sending funding to universities that hand some of that funding to organizations affiliated with a foreign-designated terrorist organization. Wouldn’t removing that funding or insisting those organizations be removed from campus be a simple, straightforward step to stop anti-Semitism? Looks like it to me.
SPEAKER 17 :
You can do a lot with the purse strings. And I do think now with a unified government, those will be some of the areas that are focused on When you look at higher education, there are a lot of problems when it comes to the woke agenda, anti-Semitism being another just among many. I do think this administration is going to tackle that. They’re going to hit it hard.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s even, you know, there was a recent statement by Trump that he said, from day one, we’re going to be looking at the universities and their accreditation to see that they’re actually teaching a decent curriculum and not wokeism. This, you know, it is even crawling into the sciences. The idea that math is racist and just ridiculous. But then you look at the humanities. The humanities have been a cesspool for years. If it were not so… How could it be that they ignore history and religion and anthropology and archaeology and geography? They work real hard at it. Mythology on Palestine. Right. I mean, it starts with anti-Semitism. It goes everywhere.
SPEAKER 17 :
Rabbi, we’re up against a break. Got to leave it there. Great to see you. All right, folks, stick with us. We’re back after this.
SPEAKER 08 :
All of us are born with the desire to find truth and meaning. Where did I come from? What happens when I die? While our answers to these questions may divide us, we are united in our need for the freedom to answer life’s biggest questions and make life’s biggest decisions for ourselves. That’s why religious freedom matters for everyone. Religious freedom matters because the powerful have long wanted to control those who are less powerful. Religious freedom matters because the freedom of those who are different is often threatened by those who believe different is dangerous. Leah Sharibu, a Christian teenager in Nigeria, remains a captive of Boko Haram for her refusal to renounce her Christian faith. Chinese pastor Wang Yi is serving a nine-year sentence for speaking publicly against the Chinese government. In Pakistan, Asif Pervez is on death row for allegedly sending a blasphemous text message. All of this because people in power decided different is dangerous. at the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council. We promote religious freedom for everyone because the only alternative is religious freedom for no one. We encourage Americans and the American government to engage and advocate for the persecuted. And they do. We work every day to bring good news to the afflicted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners. We do it because that’s what Jesus does. We work to give freedom to others because we ourselves have been set free.
SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back to this Tuesday edition of Washington Watch. And again, let me extend an invitation to you to join us in Operation Prayer Shield as we pray for this transition and into the new government under the incoming President Donald Trump. If you’d like to join that effort. Text the word SHIELD to 67742, that’s SHIELD to 67742. Earlier today, an Obama-appointed federal judge in Louisiana handed down a decision blocking the implementation of a state law that required the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public schools and college classrooms by the new year. Now, the judge said the law is, quote, “…unconstitutional on its face.” Well, there are many people who disagree. Joining me now is one of them, the attorney general of the state of Louisiana, Liz Murrell. Attorney General Murrell, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you. It’s great to be with you, Tony.
SPEAKER 17 :
So, Liz, let me ask you your initial reaction to the ruling.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you know, of course, we strongly disagree with the ruling, but I can’t say that we were surprised by it. We actually anticipated this ruling so much that we filed our motion to stay with the district court judge before he ever ruled and before the hearing so that he would rule on our motion to stay at the same time that he issued his ruling and we could move it up the court of appeal immediately.
SPEAKER 17 :
The landscape for religious freedom and exercise in this country has changed significantly under the current Supreme Court and decisions that have been made, which would open the door to revisiting what happened in 1980 when the court struck down the posting of Ten Commandments in the schools. So this is a new era. This is a return to the exercise of religious freedom. So it would look like the landscape is pretty promising. for this to make its way through?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, you know, I think that this bill meets the current constitutional standards. If it doesn’t, then we will press that issue as well, and we will press the precedent. But I believe that this law should have survived and does survive under current Supreme Court precedent, which allows us to post the Ten Commandments as long as it’s posted inside a historical context. If the district court judge is correct that current precedent doesn’t permit this law in its current form, then I think we press forward with challenging that precedent.
SPEAKER 17 :
So this is temporary. This prohibits from going into effect. What’s the timeline of the actual adjudication of this case before the court?
SPEAKER 03 :
You know, hard to say because he’s now issued an injunction that gives him the benefit of time. He can sit as long as he likes. The plaintiffs can kind of sit as long as they like. We obviously would like to move it forward. for a final ruling. I certainly don’t think that his position will change, but I would point out, and I think this is important, Tony, that only five school boards were sued. And I think it’s a misunderstanding of Louisiana law to treat the BESI board as the supervisor or having any legal control over all the other school boards in our state. They are separate political subdivisions and they are not subject to the injunction.
SPEAKER 17 :
Okay. So a very good point, Attorney General. So how many schools then are actually affected by this and how many can go forward and how will that be enforced?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, legally, only the five school boards that are defendants and the schools that are part of those subject to the control and supervision of those school boards. So I think that they strategically chose the school boards they wished to sue. And the injunction is in place right now. It might not be after we file for our stay in the Fifth Circuit. So It could be that within the week we obtain a stay on the ruling and everybody is back in business. But as it stands now, it would just be five school boards who are subject to the injunction.
SPEAKER 17 :
So the vast majority of the state moves forward with adhering to this law that requires the posting of the Ten Commandments in the classroom.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, that’s right, although I think realistically it will chill the conduct of some of those school boards. I mean, school boards are sensitive to being sued. Now that this injunction has been issued, they will be fearful of being sued. They aren’t defendants now, and they can go forward and comply with the law. And if they do, then that lawsuit— would likely track along this one, but it would more than likely also have to focus on how they are actually implementing the law. And that’s been our point all along, is that the law on its face is in fact constitutional. It tracks Supreme Court precedent. It allows and requires that the Ten Commandments be posted with other documents and placed in a historical context. That has not happened yet. So there’s no actual poster posted in any classroom that anyone can point to and say that poster is unconstitutional.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, General, I think it’s very important that you come on and articulate this because I think the way the press reports this is it just, you know, it has a chilling effect on the entire state when, in fact, it’s just these five school boards. And as you said, the state has appealed this decision and you may have a clear path forward by the end of the week.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, and the judge actually went further and directed Bessie and Cade Brumley, the superintendent of education, to send notices out to all schools advising that the law has been declared unconstitutional. But that’s not legally correct. He declared the law unconstitutional as to five school boards who were defendants and Bessie. And, you know, but those other school boards are not defendants. His ruling, he has no jurisdiction over those school boards at this time.
SPEAKER 17 :
General, we’re up against a break, but very quickly, do you have to comply with that order?
SPEAKER 03 :
They do not. They’re not subject to his jurisdiction.
SPEAKER 17 :
Okay. Very good. General Morrill, I want to thank you for joining us. Thanks for fighting for religious freedom in the state of Louisiana. We appreciate it.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thanks for having me, Tony.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right. All right, folks. On the other side of the break, we’re going to continue to talk education with the state superintendent of public education in Oklahoma. That’s next. Don’t go away.
SPEAKER 09 :
Jesus said in John 15, these things I’ve spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. In 2024, in these divided and uncertain times, how can this be possible? By abiding in him through his word. At Family Research Council, we wanna help you do that, which is the reason for the Stand on the Word Bible reading plan. In just 10 to 15 minutes each day, you will have read the entire Bible in just two years. But more importantly, you will be abiding in Him daily. Find our Bible reading plan at frc.org slash Bible. And join Tony Perkins each weekday for a 10-minute devotional inspired by the daily reading and designed to encourage you on this journey through the Bible. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. And remember, the grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.
SPEAKER 06 :
Everything we do begins as an idea. Before there can be acts of courage, there must be the belief that some things are worth sacrificing for. Before there can be marriage, there is the idea that man should not be alone. Before there was freedom, there was the idea that individuals are created equal. It’s true that all ideas have consequences, but we’re less aware that all consequences are the fruit of ideas. Before there was murder, there was hate. Before there was a Holocaust, there was the belief by some people that other people are undesirable. Our beliefs determine our behavior, and our beliefs about life’s biggest questions determine our worldview. Where did I come from? Who decides what is right and wrong? What happens when I die? Our answers to these questions explain why people see the world so differently. Debates about abortion are really disagreements about where life gets its value. Debates over sexuality and gender and marriage are really disagreements about whether the rules are made by us or for us. What we think of as political debates are often much more than that. They’re disagreements about the purpose of our lives and the source of truth. As Christians, our goal must be to think biblically about everything. Our goal is to help you see beyond red and blue, left and right, to see the battle of ideas at the root of it all. Our goal is to equip Christians with a biblical worldview and help them advance and defend the faith in their families, communities, and the public square. Cultural renewal doesn’t begin with campaigns and elections. It begins with individuals turning from lies to truth. But that won’t happen if people can’t recognize a lie and don’t believe truth exists. We want to help you see the spiritual war behind the political war, the truth claims behind the press release, and the forest and the trees.
SPEAKER 17 :
Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your host, Tony Perkins. Good to have you with us on this Tuesday again. Join us for Operation Prayer Shield as from now until January the 20th into the new Congress. We’re going to be praying for this transition period, praying for the lame duck session, praying for the well-being and safety of America. This is a very vulnerable time in between administrations, and especially right now as the world is on fire. And as we’ve talked about, we wrestle with a lot of these things in the political realm, but they’re spiritual in nature and we need to be praying. We need to be praying for the church to have, when I say church, followers of Christ, to have great discernment and discern the spirits and understand When there is efforts to mislead and to deceive, we need to know the truth and walk in that truth. And we need to speak prophetically into government and do so in a way that will help this nation restore that moral foundation. So join us for Operation Prayer Shield. Text the word SHIELD to 67742. The leftist media, well, they’ve been working hard to degrade Oklahoma’s state education chief and his efforts to bring substantial and necessary reform to the education system there in the Sooner State, including his effort to put Bibles back in the classrooms. But the attacks have not deterred him. They might even have propelled him in his fight against indoctrination and education. So joining me now to discuss the work he’s been doing to get his state and our nation back to educating kids is Ryan Walters, Oklahoma’s state superintendent of public instruction. Superintendent Walters, welcome back to Washington Watch.
SPEAKER 19 :
Thank you for having me on, Tony. I really appreciate it.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, there is a lot you’ve been working on, a lot for us to talk about. Let’s start with your efforts to put the Bible back in classrooms. Where does that stand?
SPEAKER 19 :
Well, right now we are seeking purchasing the Bible. So look, every Bible in the state of Oklahoma is gonna have, every classroom in the state of Oklahoma is gonna have a Bible. Look, it is instrumental throughout our history. It has played a tremendous role in shaping America’s society, government, really all aspects of our history. You can go back all the way to the pilgrims who are presidents. all the way up to Martin Luther King Jr. in present day, tremendous influence. The left has run the Bible out of school with their attacks on Christianity and our faith, and we’re bringing it back. So right now we’re in the process of purchasing a Bible for every classroom so that every kid can understand the influence of the Bible as one of our founding documents.
SPEAKER 17 :
So how will that be utilized in the classroom?
SPEAKER 19 :
Yes, sir. So we’ve already laid out some guidelines and we’ll be giving further guidance as well. But here’s what we’ll be making sure of, that kids understand the role the Bible played, for example, with the pilgrims. We’re going to explicitly have them talk about why did the pilgrims come to America? What kind of religious persecution were they under? Why did Thomas Jefferson use the phrase under God in the 1800s? Well, what are we talking about here as we get out of the Declaration of Independence and the First Great Awakening? Where is that concept coming from? How would most Americans have viewed that? We go all the way through our history, giving those historical and literary guidelines, all the way up to Martin Luther King Jr., and from his letter from a Birmingham jail, references Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He points to these as examples that he followed when he broke the law, but not God’s law. And again, those are Martin Luther King Jr.’ ‘s words, not mine. So we have guidance there around the historical and literary value of the Bible. Every kid should know that. How do you understand American history without understanding the Bible? We’re going to make sure that our kids understand American exceptionalism and the Judeo-Christian values that this country have played such a major role in this country’s history.
SPEAKER 17 :
I would venture to say, Superintendent Walters, that it would be impossible to be culturally literate and not have some understanding of the Bible.
SPEAKER 19 :
Look, I completely agree. I mean, you think about it, and again, I’ve challenged people. Okay, explain to me what Thomas Jefferson meant in Declaration of Independence that our rights come from our creator. If you can’t mention God or the Christian faith of most Americans, how would that have been read? How would that have been understood? Think about all aspects of society throughout our history. It is academically dishonest to not talk about the role the Bible played, and frankly, it’s left-wing censorship. When individuals throughout history said, listen, I’m a Christian, I’m following these Bible verses, I’m following God’s will here. And you say, hold on, we can’t talk about it because we don’t like God, we don’t like Christianity that you hear from the left and the teachers unions all the time. They hate it, so they want it out. Well, now history doesn’t even make sense. So how can our kids understand that? But then even to me, more important, how do we continue to be that exceptional country that protects individual liberty, that has a society the way that we do? If we don’t teach our kids where we came from, how we became that exceptional country, we can never move forward as that exceptional country.
SPEAKER 17 :
So what’s the fear on the side of the left for allowing students to have access to this information? I mean, we’re teaching them, indoctrinating them in many places that they can choose their own sex. We’re teaching them evolution, a proven flawed theory that has so many gaps you could drive a Neanderthal semi-truck through it. So what are they afraid of?
SPEAKER 19 :
By the way, I think your viewers will find this interesting. The same groups that are suing me to block the Bible from being back in the classroom were the same groups that sued me to bring back genderqueer and flamer. I mean, literally, it’s the same people. They want graphic transgender pornography in the classroom under the name of inclusion. But they don’t want the Bible, the most read, the most cited book, the most purchased book in American history. And I think what they’re afraid of is they don’t want kids to love this country. They don’t want kids to understand that faith has played a role in so many Americans’ lives. They don’t want kids to know the truth. What they want to do is lie to kids and make them hate this country, hate their faith, hate their families, so they can recreate America into some Marxist dumpster fire. And that’s their vision, is erase history, lie to young people, indoctrinate them, and then you get this Marxist vision for the country that can come to fruition.
SPEAKER 17 :
The Christian faith… if you are honest and you look at history, it’s been there. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be, as a follower of Christ, a saving faith, but it is a recognition of an anchor point for this nation that has erected guideposts that this nation has been directed by. I mean, the historical record is replete with that. It’s very clear, very evident. And I think to your point, The reason of removing that is so you can recreate an America in a different image that can be molded and shaped into something that it was never intended to be.
SPEAKER 19 :
By the way, we just saw last Tuesday how Americans feel about that. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz ran on the most anti-American, anti-Christian. What would Kamala Harris tell those Christians? Hey, you’re at the wrong rally. We saw them attack colleges like Grand Canyon University because they’re Christian universities. We saw these attacks against Christians, attacks against parents. And on the other hand, what do we have from President Trump? A vision for America, a vision that was unapologetic. He says, hey, I want the Ten Commandments back in the classroom. I want the Bible back in the classroom. Why not? He says, look— Faith played an integral role in this country’s history. Why wouldn’t we want it there? The vision for America to make it great again is understanding our history and teaching it to our young people so they can continue this great country. President Trump laid out a clear vision. So did Kamala. And the American people voted overwhelmingly that they want those books back in our schools, the Bible, the Ten Commandments. They want the vision that President Trump has laid out for our schools and our education. They want his vision for the country. And they rejected wholly Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s vision.
SPEAKER 17 :
Superintendent Walters, let’s talk about that. Let’s shift to the election. You mentioned the election. President Trump has said that he’s going to dismantle the federal government’s role in public education, the Department of Education. And you are excited about that. In fact, you’ve put together a team that will help. lead Oklahoma forward in terms of public education when that authority is turned over to the state? Talk about that.
SPEAKER 19 :
Look, I’m thrilled. I think President Trump laid out the greatest vision for education in our nation’s history. It was bold. It was conservative. These were the reforms we needed. And when he eliminates the Federal Department of Education, it is going to be tremendous for our states. And just let me give you one example. Over the summer, if you remember, President Biden came out and said, hey, States, if you don’t allow boys in the girls bathroom, boys and girls sports, I’m going to take your money from you and I’m going to sue you. We’re going to litigate this issue against any state that doesn’t allow our transgender ideology to happen in the classroom. Well, we fought it. We said we’re not doing that. We absolutely said not going to happen in Oklahoma. And we sued the Biden administration. We were the first state to do so in Oklahoma. But think about that. Think about the threats. These aren’t just suggestions. These are threats from the Federal Department of Education. Remember, that’s also the Federal Department of Education that brought you CRT, DEI, Common Core Math. They also brought in this anti-American hatred through the curriculum and through the grants that they pushed. They targeted states. So when President Trump does away with the Federal Department of Education, it will say, states, we never should have had this power in the first place, literally. Every educational statistic has gotten worse since Jimmy Carter created the Department of Education. If President Trump, when he gives that power back to the states, the states should do what we do here in Oklahoma. Give that power to the people. Make sure that families are directing their kids through educational school choice. Give them educational savings accounts so they can direct the way the resources are spent, not bureaucracies. And then you’re really going to see the individual child really flourish and grow to their God-given abilities. And you’re going to see families more involved in their kids’ education, which again, President Trump’s vision is families direct kids’ education, and Kamala Harris’s vision was bureaucrats and teachers’ unions. Boy, I’m telling you, I cannot be more excited to be involved in education in the state right now with that vision coming to fruition.
SPEAKER 17 :
Let’s unpack that just a little bit, Superintendent Walters, because many people think that because the federal government has such a heavy hand on shaping education that, oh, this could be bad because we’re going to see the money drive. We’re not going to have the kind of money that we need for public education. When I was in an office working on education reform issues, When I first got involved, I was shocked at how little money actually came for the federal government in, relatively speaking, to the pressure that they applied to states. So Block granting that money, number one, is going to keep the money flowing. But the influence of the federal government in education has way outsized its contribution monetarily.
SPEAKER 19 :
Look, that’s right. First of all, great point, Tony. So federal education spending only makes up to 8 to 10% of education spending in your state. So it’s relatively small, number one. Number two, the Federal Department of Education receives over $230 billion now. So remember, the agency, they don’t educate a single child up there, right? They just dictate and push a left-wing agenda. So you’ve got that bureaucracy that sucks up so much of the money in the first place. Number three, they dictate from that D.C. left-wing bureaucracy how to spend every dollar. President Trump’s team could decide, you know, there’s several options they have here, but one of them is to block grant the money to the states. As you just laid out, they could say, look, special ed funding, it’s block grant to the states. You guys do with it how you want to solve your local problems. And I’ll tell you what we do here in Oklahoma. We’d give it to every family. We’d say, families, we want you directing these resources. We want you to choose the school of your choice. We want you to choose tutoring and the resources that your child need because every child is unique. God created us that way. And the person, the people who are going to know best for what that individual child’s needs are, are gonna be the child’s mom and dad. And so the closer we can get resources and decisions to the parents, the better. And again, that’s what the elimination of the federal department of education does. So don’t believe the union lies and the left wing lies that the sky has fallen, chicken little, you know, they’re going crazy here at this prospect because they know this takes the power out of DC and returns it to the kitchen table for mom and dad.
SPEAKER 17 :
So let’s talk about what you are doing now in anticipation of this as you make preparations.
SPEAKER 19 :
We’ve done two things. We announced earlier in the week that we are creating President Trump’s education advisory panel here for Oklahoma. So what that panel will do is they’re going to help us put together recommendations for the state moving forward. Again, when the Federal Department of Education is gone, how can we direct those dollars? How can we make sure that families know about these options available? We’re also rewriting our history standards. We want to make sure that we are. pro-patriotism, pro-America, pro the role faith played in our country’s history. So we’re rewriting those history standards to make sure that takes place. We’ve also eliminated CRT, any kind of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools. And again, we’ve got merit paid for teachers. We want our high performers to be able to perform well. We’ve also created an ability for us to navigate how many illegal immigrants there are in our schools. We want the border shut down. President Trump is going to do that and allow states to solve that problem as well. And then lastly, we announced this today. We created the Office of Religious Liberty and Patriotism that will continue to navigate any time a teacher is persecuted because of their Christian faith. We will investigate it, and we will not stand for it. We want to protect the role of religious liberty in our schools, and we want to promote patriotism. We heard of a student earlier this year having an American flag taken from them. We will not tolerate that. We will not allow that into our schools. We want to promote patriotism and religious liberty in every school.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, that’s that is huge in restoring a sense of identity to the nation and into the classroom, which really shapes future leaders. Now, Oklahoma is a pretty conservative state. I mean, I grew up there with the high school in Oklahoma. And if I’m not mistaken, every county in Oklahoma in this last election went red. I think it’s the only state in the nation where that happened.
SPEAKER 19 :
And this makes it three times in a row. The country loves President Trump, but we really love President Trump here in Oklahoma. It is a resounding victory for him nationwide. But again, we’re going to be the tip of the spear for implementing his agenda. We love President Trump. His agenda is what our parents want. It’s what taxpayers want. And so, listen, we’re going to do all that we can to be the first state that, hey, when President Trump steps in office, we’re going to be ready to go to put his vision into place here in Oklahoma.
SPEAKER 17 :
Well, it sounds exciting, but I assume there’s some pushback in some of the larger metropolitan areas of Oklahoma, maybe?
SPEAKER 19 :
Look, the teachers union, they always show their fits. They love to throw lawsuits at me. It’s similar to President Trump, right? They can’t beat you at the polls. Then they try to sue you. They try to stop you that way. But listen, look, we’re not going to be scared of any legal battles. We’re going to keep moving forward. We’re not scared of the teachers union or a woke mob. We’re going to continue advancing the ball here. And this is playing offense. This is President Trump’s agenda, which is, hey, look, we are going to take back our schools. We will not allow a Marxist teachers union to control the future for our young people. We will take it back. We will give it to parents. We will promote patriotism. And look, we’re unapologetic about this here in Oklahoma, Tony. We want President Trump’s agenda enacted. We want patriotism. We will protect religious liberties. And we are very, very excited about what the next four years are going to look like.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right, Ryan, final question for you, 30 seconds. How can people be praying for you and your role?
SPEAKER 19 :
Yes, sir. Listen, I would ask them to continue to pray for the students of Oklahoma, for the families. We want families involved in their kids’ education. We want families to play a major role in their kids’ lives. So pray for our parents, pray for our teachers, pray for our kids. And we’re going to continue to fight for those parents, teachers, and kids. That’s what we’ve said from day one. We want to bring it back to those conservative values that our state has. We want to make sure that families are empowered in that way. And so please continue to pray for Oklahoma, continue to play for the country. Because listen, President Trump’s bringing about this tremendous agenda. We are very excited and we can’t wait to implement it for the betterment of our state.
SPEAKER 17 :
All right. We will be praying. Ryan Walters, thanks so much for joining us.
SPEAKER 19 :
Thank you very much, Tom.
SPEAKER 17 :
Folks, join us for Operation Prayer Shield. Text SHIELD 67742. All right. Out of time for today. Thanks for joining us. Until next time, just keep standing.
SPEAKER 12 :
Washington Watch with Tony Perkins is brought to you by Family Research Council and is entirely listener supported. Portions of the show discussing candidates are brought to you by Family Research Council Action. For more information on anything you heard today or to find out how you can partner with us in our ongoing efforts to promote faith, family, and freedom, visit TonyPerkins.com.
