In this episode of Washington Watch, guest host Congressman Mark Alford steps in to tackle some of the pressing issues facing our nation and the world. We begin with the intensifying conflict between Russia and Ukraine, examining the implications of escalatory actions from both sides, particularly in light of Jerusalem’s purported ceasefire developments with Hezbollah. Experts and leaders weigh in on what this means for geopolitical alliances and stability, exploring the roles that key figures such as Congressman Tim Burchett play in navigating this volatile landscape, underlining the importance of restoring peace. Attention shifts toward home soil as the
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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.
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Well, good afternoon and welcome to this Monday edition of Washington Watch. I’m your guest host for today, Congressman Mark Alford, U.S. Representative for Missouri’s 4th Congressional District. Honored to be here today sitting in for Tony. I’m in Kansas City. Glad you have joined us. Coming up on today’s program, Russia’s nearly three-year war against Ukraine has escalated dramatically over this past week, with both sides deploying new weapons, including the experimental hypersonic missile you’ve heard so much about. Moscow launched it last Thursday. This comes after the Biden administration gave Ukraine the green light to fire U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, a decision that many see as an escalatory move.
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President Trump has been very clear about the need to end this conflict. We need to bring this to a responsible end. We need to restore deterrence, restore peace, and get ahead of this escalation ladder rather than responding to it.
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That was Congressman Mike Waltz, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the president’s elect nominee for national security advisor. I’ll be talking about the latest in the Russia-Ukraine war with another member of the committee, Congress’ Tim Burchett, in just a moment. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, U.S. and Israeli officials say Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah are close to a ceasefire deal.
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I will say, speaking to where I believe we are, I said we’re close because I do believe we’re close, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to get there. We need the parties to say yes. Typically, when we say we’re close, we have the caveat that nothing is final until everything is final and that it takes the parties actually saying yes and getting there.
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That was U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller speaking with reporters earlier this afternoon. I’ll be discussing the latest news coming out of Israel when I’m joined later by Congressman John Rutherford. And American voters were loud and clear when they gave President-elect Trump his decisive victory earlier this month. They want change, and that change includes our military, which has been hurt by the woke and divisive policies of the Biden administration.
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And I think if you look at this election, it was disruptor versus establishment. He ran on this. And there needs to be reform in the Pentagon, whether it’s procurement, whether it’s getting rid of divisive DEI that’s dividing our military by race. There’s no place in our military. I think he’s talked about eliminating that and then also making sure our focus is on our chief adversary, China.
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That was Missouri Senator Eric Schmidt yesterday on NBC’s Meet the Press. I’ll discuss what the changes at the Defense Department may look like when I’m joined later in the program by retired Army Major General Joe Arbuckle. Also on today’s program, I’ll be joined by a pastor in North Carolina who will share how his community is still recovering from Hurricane Helene two months after it hit there. And he’ll also tell us how they are also engaged in helping others at the same time. So as usual, we have a packed show for you. And if you miss any part of it, the website is TonyPerkins.com, where you can find this edition of Washington Watch as well as past editions. We’ll also have a lot of resources, so be sure to bookmark that webpage. And if you don’t yet have FRC’s Stand Firm app, I encourage you to download it. To download it, simply go to the App Store or Google Play, wherever you get your apps. You can also text the word APP to the number 67742. That’s APP to 67742. All right, folks, now to our first topic. It’s the escalation of the ladder in Ukraine. Let’s get to our guest today, Tim Burchett, who is with us talking about that. Tim, good to have you with us. Tim, I think you’re muted there for us. Can you hear me now?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yes, sir, brother. It’s a pleasure serving with you. Good to see you, brother. Thank you for having me on.
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What do you make of the latest escalation here by Biden? Why is he now allowing Russia to use these long-range missiles, the ATAKOMs, this late in the game?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think it has a lot to do with his mental capability and the people that are advising him. I suspect they’re advising him due to their portfolios more than there are common sense. You would think you wouldn’t want to escalate something and then hand it off to the next president. especially something like this that could lead. Some people are saying World War III. I don’t think it’s quite that bad. But somebody infirm ends up shooting a nuclear missile, that could sure put us in a bad position. And now you have with North Korea’s involvement, of course, China’s always poking around. It could be devastating to us. I’ve fought against sending any money to Ukraine, as you know. I think we’re $200 billion into it. We have no exit policy. exit strategy, so to speak. President Trump said he wants to get us out of there. And I think that’s a good thing. We need to shut that war down. We need to start pushing peace more than we do war right now.
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You know, I serve on the Armed Services Committee. We’ve been pushing for months now, if not years, to get this thing over with. And why did Biden wait till now to give Zelensky the armaments they need to actually win this thing, the attack of missiles? Those should have been to him much sooner.
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I agree. I just think right now it just looks bad. It doesn’t look like any real strategy other than you want to leave your place in history thinking that this is going to turn this thing in the next few weeks. And as was noted in the report earlier, that’s not enough missiles really to make a difference. And all it’s going to do is escalate it. Now with him with the supersonic retaliatory supersonic missile, I think that just pushes us closer and closer into more more catastrophic war. And I don’t think that does anybody any good except maybe a few of the people at the Pentagon whose livelihood depends on it and some investors. And that’s a sorry thing. You know, the president kept saying how much money was coming back to this country due to that investment. And I just, I can’t think of any morally more corrupt way to invest your money than at the death of others. And I think that’s exactly what’s going on here. We need to get, Donald Trump can’t get in the White House soon enough.
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Do you think this will be settled before he gets into the White House?
SPEAKER 08 :
No, I don’t. I think they’ll make moves towards it because I know the writing’s on the wall, but I just can’t see them pulling out. I can’t see Europe pulling out. You know, I think Trump’s going to use our economic might to shut this thing down. He’s going to force Russia’s hand with oil and energy because that is our strategy. ace in the hole, I think. And I think Ukraine’s going to have to acquiesce to those wishes.
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Let’s talk a little bit about Michael Waltz. He serves with me on the House Armed Services. He’s been picked by President-elect President Trump to serve in the Cabinet. What do you think about that selection?
SPEAKER 08 :
I think that’s a very good selection. Michael Waltz and I came to Congress together. He’s a decorated green beret. He’s briefed presidents in the past i think he knows what’s expected of him he’s not just some um He’s not eye candy, that’s for sure. I mean, he’s a good looking guy, but he’s not at yours or my status yet, Mark. But he is a true warrior and he is a war hero. There’s no question. And he’s a good friend of mine. And I look forward to seeing him in that position because he’s been on the ground and he’s been in Congress. And he understands the workings in both ways of war and Congress. And I think he will be a great, great been a factor to President Trump. I don’t think he could have picked anybody better.
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Well, he has so much on his plate. I mean, look at what’s going on with Xi Jinping putting pressure on Taiwan. You have Vladimir Putin and that illicit, illegal war against Ukraine, and then the mullahs in Iran. continuing to fund terrorism with Hezbollah, with the Houthis, and, of course, Hamas. There is so much going on. We’ve been saying for months now the world is on fire, and President Biden has been using a squirt gun when it comes to foreign policy.
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A squirt gun at best. I think his mental capacity, you know, you and I have talked about this in the past. It’s been come under question. for quite some time and now everybody just knows it. I mean, he’s absent. The vice president is nowhere to be seen. The president is not able to make any real decisions. I worry about the people that are making these decisions. Are they some 22 year old staffers that don’t have a clue about what’s going on? And I’m afraid that’s what we’re gonna see here. We’re not careful. This could cause us some real damage in the world if Biden’s people don’t just slow down and acquiesce to some other folks.
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Let’s talk a little bit about the Department of Government Efficiency. I am so glad that this is coming. Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy teaming up on this. You’re on the Accountability and Oversight Committee. What ways will you be working with them to get the waste, abuse, and fraud out of our government so we can get back on the right track?
SPEAKER 08 :
Well, looking at all forms of government, the Department of Education, first and foremost, I mean, you and I both know as Christians, the Lord just takes 10% off the top for tithe. The Department of Education takes considerably more before it comes. There’s not one, I dare say there’s not one bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. in the Department of Education that’s ever taught a kid how to read in Kansas or Knoxville, Tennessee, anywhere else. They’re bureaucrats. They take billions of dollars off the top. Let’s send that money to the states. Let’s let the locals decide what to do with that. Same with folks like FEMA, you know, Franklin Graham’s organization and some others that are out there. Mountain Strong’s another one that’s a local organization. They ought to be able to qualify for this money and be able to provide services. People up in North Carolina, I don’t represent North Carolina. I’ve got Tennessee and none of my areas were really hit. But just east of me they have really hit bad and you got areas of North Carolina or North Carolina just to like maybe last week that theme I had not even contacted. So and Samaritan’s Purse and some of these other groups were already on the ground day one. I think we ought to be able to look at look at that and say hey. Maybe FEMA doesn’t need to go away. It could just be a flow through for this money, but we could decrease the size of that bureaucracy considerably like the Department of Education. I hope we look at everything. No stone left unturned. You know, we just had up here at ETSU in Tennessee a horrible, they called it art, display of they took an American flag and made it into a Ku Klux Klan hat. And then they took the Nazi swastika with the cross. And then they attached something to Speaker Mike Johnson and said something about President Trump. I get the First Amendment. First Amendment’s great. I just don’t want my dadgum tax dollars paying for it. And that needs to stop. Those are the things we need to look at. And we need to, you know, like NPR. Could you imagine if the federal government sponsored this TV station right now. And that would be correct.
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There would be so much public outcry. It would not last 10 minutes.
SPEAKER 08 :
But I listen to NPR occasionally when I can stand it. And it’s for very short periods of time. And it’s just an attack on everything I believe in. It’s consistently that consistent attacks on conservative values, on Christians, on on the Republican Party. And, you know, just be neutral. But the government doesn’t need to be funding folks like that either. So there’s going to be a lot of stuff on our plate. And I hope Congress has the guts to make those cuts.
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Hey, we got about a minute left, Tim. When we get back to Congress after Thanksgiving, we’ve got a lot of work to do. We could be facing another continuing resolution. Your thoughts on that?
SPEAKER 08 :
Yeah, I would hope we could pass a budget. That’s all I hope is that, you know, we’re constitutionally bound to pass a budget and that we are told to do that. And hopefully at some point we will do that.
SPEAKER 07 :
Tim Burchett, thank you so much from Tennessee. What do you got planned for Thanksgiving?
SPEAKER 08 :
Eat a lot and sleep a lot.
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In that order. What are you thankful for, Tim?
SPEAKER 08 :
I’m thankful for the men and women that fought for this country and allowed us to stay free. And that, you know, my uncle died fighting for this country and he is buried over in France. Never got the opportunity to see this. A lot of my dad’s buddies and I’m thankful that the sacrifices those people made to keep us free.
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Well, Congressman Tim Burchett of Tennessee, thank you so much. Put your Carhartt jacket on, take care, stay safe, and we’ll see you back in Washington.
SPEAKER 08 :
Thank you, brother. See you. All right. Bye-bye. See you.
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After the break, we’re going to talk about the latest in the Middle East, including the status of the ceasefire talks between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah. So stick around.
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The throne of Jesus Christ is unchallenged. His name was never on the ballot to begin with, and it’s never gonna be on the ballot. He’s the King of Kings and he’s the Lord of Lords, and nothing’s gonna change that. And so our mission stays the same, preach the gospel, make disciples, get ready for heaven. In the meantime, that we’re to advance the concerns of the kingdom of God here on earth.
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America has entered a critical and vulnerable period from now until January the 20th. Join Family Research Council for Operation Prayer Shield, a 10-week prayer initiative for our nation. From now until January 20th, our country faces global challenges, a transition of leadership, and a lame duck session of Congress. This season calls for heightened spiritual vigilance, discernment, and prayer. Text the word SHIELD to 67742 to join us. You’ll have access to prayer points, Scripture, prayer calls, text SHIELD to 67742. Unite with us and pray for our nation.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Welcome back, everyone, to Washington Watch. I’m your guest host, Congressman Mark Alford from Missouri, coming to you from Kansas City today, sitting in for Tony Perkins. U.S. and Israeli officials say Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah are close to a ceasefire deal that could see a 60-day truce between the two sides. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly approved a ceasefire deal in principle, and Ambassador Mike Herzog said a deal could be reached, quote, within days. What does that mean for Israel and the multiple front war that it’s been fighting since October 7th of last year, that terrorist attack by Hamas? Joining us to talk about that and more is Congressman John Rutherford, member of the House Ethics Committee and the Appropriations Committee, where he serves on three subcommittees, including Homeland Security, and he represents the 5th Congressional District of the great state of Florida. Congressman Rutherford, good to have you with us.
SPEAKER 13 :
Hey, it’s great to be with you, Mark. Great to see you.
SPEAKER 07 :
Last time we were together, we were talking a little bit about our trip to Israel. You and I were there along with Tom Cole, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, just a few weeks ago. We met with Benjamin Netanyahu. There was no talk of a ceasefire deal then. Are you a little surprised that we have one potentially now?
SPEAKER 13 :
Well, I wouldn’t say that I’m completely surprised, Mark. I think, you know, speaking with the prime minister and his defense minister, they were trying to work on and discover a way to get to a ceasefire settlement. And so I’m not surprised, I would say. But You know, it’s also not a done deal yet, as the security cabinet, the Israeli security cabinet has indicated. But I do think, as you remember, when we spoke with Defense Minister Gallant in Israel, he mentioned then that, you know, that we’re going to need this buffer zone with the southern border or their northern border with the southern border of Lebanon. to be sure that they pulled back far enough that they could create a buffer zone there to protect Israeli and, quite frankly, Lebanese citizens in those areas. So I’m glad to see this development. I’m glad to see that America is playing a role. They’re going to have a security committee that’s going to be involved in this. And so hopefully this 60-day kind of wind down will actually work out.
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Yeah, the area that’s in contention below the Latani River, which previously the UN had declared off-limits to Hezbollah terrorists, and yet they had got in there and infiltrated that and fired upon the people in the Golan Heights. In fact, some 60,000 to 70,000 Israelis are now displaced out of their homes. So it just makes sense that they’re able to call this area again off-limits to the Hezbollah terrorists.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah, listen, I think that was one of the linchpins of coming to an agreement. And it sounds like they may have actually done that now. So we can hope and pray. That would certainly be something to be thankful for at Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER 07 :
Certainly would. Of course, they also had the threat still from Hamas and they had the threat from Iran, which is funding these terrorists. What do you hope to see from the incoming Trump administration with regard to Israel and the support? We’re going to have a great new ambassador. Governor Huckabee is going to be the ambassador to Israel. When we were there, we met with Jack Lew, the current ambassador. How will things be different under Ambassador Huckabee?
SPEAKER 13 :
Listen, I think you’re going to see a much more structured response from America to Iran. You know, President Trump got us out of the JCCPOA last time. I think that was a necessary move. And I think we’re going to see President Trump really make a hard stand for Israel in that area. You know, he was the, you know, after several presidents having said that they would move the embassy to Jerusalem, President Trump actually did it. And so, you know, I think that just shows his commitment to peace in the region. And, you know, and I think Mark, you know, on our trip When we were able to meet in Egypt, in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, it sounded like there were real cries for peace in the region. And I think President Trump is going to come in and be that cry. focal point that will help all of those countries come together and really send Iran a very strong message that the destruction that they are creating through these different proxy wars is going to stop. And if not, I think Iran will be held accountable.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, the leaders, yeah, that we met with, the king of Egypt, I’m sorry, the president of Egypt, the king of Jordan, the Saudi officials, they just want to return to normalcy so they can have normal relations with Israel, so they can conduct business. Egypt is losing over $600 million a month in lost revenue from the Suez Canal. The hoodies.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah.
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah. Listen, you know, in fact, I had a great follow up call with the ambassador to America from Egypt. And he he talked about the need to stabilize the Red Sea area and the impact that it’s having on their economy. resources in the area, as you mentioned, a tremendous loss. And I think that $800 million was like 60% or something of their revenue that they normally generate through the Suez Canal.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, definitely something needs to get done. And I’m so glad that our destroyers are over there. We went aboard a destroyer that’s actually helping. There’s five or six of them over in that region helping protect Israel from incoming attacks from Iran and other terrorists. Real quick, we got about 30 seconds left. Let’s talk about the criminal court that wants to put the former Defense Minister Gallant and Yetanyahu in prison, calling them war criminals. What’s your take on that?
SPEAKER 13 :
Yeah. Listen, this kangaroo court, this illegitimate criminal court, you know, we passed the Illegitimate Criminal Court Act back in June of this year out of the House. I would ask the Senate to pick that up. It’s very important that we send the message that we are not going to tolerate an effort to isolate Israel.
SPEAKER 07 :
Thank you, John. We’ll be back with more after this.
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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 world view. 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.
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Welcome back to Washington Watch. I’m your guest host this Monday, Congressman Mark Alford coming to you from Kansas City in for Tony Perkins today. You know, this past September, many Americans were devastated by Hurricane Helene, which hit the coastal southeastern part of our nation. Unfortunately, even two months later, recovery has been slow going under President Biden’s watch. Residents in Asheville, North Carolina had to endure 53 days without drinkable tap water. So what’s the situation like now? Here to share about that and his community and how they’re recovering from Helene and also how it’s helping others is Pastor Todd Royal. He is pastor of the Fairview Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Pastor Todd, welcome to Washington Watch. Good to have you with us. Thank you, Congressman Mark.
SPEAKER 04 :
It’s good to meet you and I appreciate the time.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, hey, we just appreciate you being here and sharing what is going on in your community. It’s been two months. How’s the recovery going there?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, it’s coming along. Obviously, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done simply because there was just so much devastation as a result of Hurricane Helene. And, you know, we’re taking some steps forward, but we’ve got a long ways to go. This is going to be a many year process. And there’s so many people in our community that are hurting and struggling through this. It was a terrible storm.
SPEAKER 07 :
We were there just a couple of weeks ago visiting our Congressman Chuck Edwards and seeing firsthand the devastation to a place where veterans had been living, and now that’s destroyed. We went down to a riverfront area where the video there shows businesses just decimated. The loans, the SBA money is just not there to provide for a full recovery. How are folks handling this emotionally and spiritually?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, there’s a lot of difficult decisions that people are having to make because their lives have been just turned upside down. And that’s pretty much where people are as far as taking some steps forward and trying to figure out what they’re going to do for housing, automobiles, jobs. I mean, so many people lost everything. And so moving forward is going to be slow and painful for so many in our community. And obviously it gives the church the opportunity to step up to the plate, to be what God’s people have been called to be. And our community’s been Very much loved on by the church all around us in North and South Carolina and people from Florida, people all away from Arkansas and Wisconsin. I mean, we have touched base with so many people that have come in and brought much needed supplies and encouragement. And we’ve been cared on and loved on through this in many ways in the last couple of months. And so been very grateful for the help and the care that the body of Christ has been for us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Seems like in a time of tragedy and destruction that people do turn to God when they have trouble, especially. Are you seeing an uptick in people attending services or reaching out for help?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, we have been seeing a great deal of folks. I mean, obviously, we’ve been praying for our community for years. Asheville is just a spiritual melting pot and in so many ways not healthy. And so we’ve been praying for revival and just really seeing this as an opportunity that The Lord has given us to redeem the time and love on our community. And so many people that I don’t even know have come up to me and thanking us for what they see the church doing. And so, you know, as people are asking what we need, we need the body of Christ to be praying for us as we try to step up and represent the Lord well. And as much as we’ve been loved on by churches in the surrounding states and And in the state of North Carolina, you know, we’re trying to take what has poured into here and pour into the lives of those all around us and love on them the way we’ve been loved on. So yes, sir, I see a great moving and an answer to prayer.
SPEAKER 07 :
Specifically, what can we pray for, for your congregation, your community?
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, that we would be wise and sensitive to the leadership of the Lord because as we’ve moved forward beyond those emergency needs that were taking place the first month in terms of just water and food and shelter, we’re moving pretty much to that area of the short-term needs as people are trying to make decisions of what they’re going to do for jobs and where they’re going to live. And so there are needs concerning that as people get trailers and tiny homes and the needs that will go into that as far as connecting up to sewer and power and water. And so there’s just so many needs that are going to be made as people make these decisions.
SPEAKER 07 :
Shifting gears a little bit, Christmas is right around the corner. So share with us how and why churches and families hit hard by the hurricanes are still taking part in Operation Christmas Child, the project of Samaritan’s Purse.
SPEAKER 04 :
Well, like I was sharing, so much has come into our community from the outside and has just loved on us and encouraged us. And as you well know, Congressman, there’s just so many people around the world that live like this on a daily basis. And so simply because we’ve had so much, and this is a ministry that we’ve been a part of for many years. And so there was just there was no way we weren’t going to continue it. We had a lofty goal this year and we just want to continue to be a part of the beautiful ministry of Operation Christmas Child. So the way the body of Christ stepped up to love on our community, we just kind of transitioned and stepped up and began to put these shoeboxes together. So it was like it couldn’t have been well done. better orchestrated by the Lord. And so we just took close to 2,000 shoeboxes to the drop-off center today. And our hearts just smiled as we saw really, Congressman, what the Lord did through us. And so we’re just very grateful to be a part of a great ministry and looking forward to the Lord using those shoeboxes to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with children around the world.
SPEAKER 07 :
What a great testament. Thank you, Pastor Todd Royal of Fairview Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving.
SPEAKER 04 :
Thank you, Congressman. Please continue to pray for us.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yes, sure will. All right, folks, coming up after the break, I’ll be joined by retired Army Major General Joe Arbuckle to talk about what changes could be ahead for our nation’s military under a second Trump administration. Could DEI be DOA? Don’t go away.
SPEAKER 06 :
Hello, I’m Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council here in Washington, D.C. Behind me is one of the most recognizable buildings in all the world, the U.S. Capitol. What does it stand for? Well, most people say government. But you know, the Bible talks about four institutions of government. You know what they are? And do we have a republic or a democracy? Well, what do you say? Also, what about this thing, separation of church and state? Does that mean Christians shouldn’t be involved in government? Guess what? We address those issues and more in our new God and Government course. I invite you to join us to see what the historical record and the Bible has to say about government. Join us for God and Government.
SPEAKER 01 :
The world is hurting, streets are filled with crime, families are broken, sin is celebrated, and God is mocked. Everywhere we look, the wages of our sin are on full display. As Christians, we know that surrender to God’s will is the solution to our biggest problems, but not everyone agrees. Even in church, we hear people say the most important thing is to be tolerant, that we shouldn’t impose a morality on other people, and that loving our neighbor means celebrating what they do. But you can’t do that. It’s not that you don’t love your neighbor. You do. But you care about God’s opinion more than your neighbor’s opinion, and this makes you different. In fact, sometimes it makes you feel alone, like you’re the only one. But there is good news. You are not alone, not even close. Research has found that there are 59 million American adults who are a lot like you. There are millions of people around the country who are born again, deeply committed to practicing their faith, and believe the Bible is the reliable Word of God. But that’s not all. They’re also engaged in our government. They’re voters. They’re more likely to be involved in their community, and they’re making a difference in elections. The problem is that a lot of them feel alone, too. We want to change that. FRC wants to connect these 59 million Americans to speak the truth together, no matter the cost. If you want to learn more about this group and what it means to be a spiritually active, governance-engaged conservative, or if you want to find out if you are one of these sage cons yourself, go to frc.org slash sagecon and take the quiz to find out. The world is hurting, and we have the solution. We can’t do it alone, but we can do it if we work together. That’s what we’re working toward every day. Join us. Go to FRC.org slash S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more. That’s S-A-G-E-C-O-N, SageCon, to learn more.
SPEAKER 07 :
Welcome back, everyone, to Washington Watch. I’m your guest host this Monday, Congressman Mark Alford from Missouri, coming to you from Kansas City and for Tony Perkins. Again, if you don’t yet have FRC’s Stand Firm app, I would encourage you to download it. Just go to the App Store or Google Play. Wherever you get your apps, you can also text the word APP, that’s A-P-P, to the number 67742. That’s 67742. As President-elect Donald Trump continues announcing the men and women he’s tapped to join his incoming administration, there’s a lot of talk and anticipation of the changes that he’ll be ushering in. And among the ideas drawing a lot of attention is the Defense Department. which has been hurt by the woke and divisive policies of the Biden administration. So what changes might we see over the next four years, and how can we better bolster our military? Joining us now to talk about that is retired Army Major General Joe Arbuckle. He is vice chair of the board of directors at STARS that stand together against racism and radicalism in the services. General Arbuckle, good to have you with us on Washington Watch today.
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, thank you, Congressman. It’s a real pleasure to be here with you.
SPEAKER 07 :
I’m on the Armed Services Committee, and we have dealt with this in the past two National Defense Authorization Acts, trying to strip the money out of the DEI programs that have had a very severe impact on the recruitment and retention in our military. Why did that happen to begin with?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, in my opinion, it’s all based on political agendas. We can kind of trace this all the way back to Clinton and then up until the Obama administration when it was really put on steroids. And most recently, of course, with the Biden administration, they’ve been pushing this political agenda called DEI into our military at full force. And that’s where we are today. And its consequences are disastrous. You just mentioned recruitment and retention, but it goes further than that into the ranks. And if you would like, I can give you my opinion on why DEI is so devastating to our military.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, only 9% of American young people right now have any interest in joining the military. Several of the branches of our military have missed their recruitment goals. The Army is up a bit this year, but we have veterans and grandparents telling young people right now, do not bother joining the military. That’s a pretty sad state of affairs that we’re in.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, it is indeed. And, you know, there’s about 70 percent of the serving active force that is there because they have some kind of a family history and tradition about joining the military. And that’s been longstanding. But what’s happening right now is family members and others are telling their their friends and other associates not to basically not to join the military because it’s gone woke and People don’t join the military for that purpose. They join to serve their country, as we know, serve their nation, and do the best they can in that capacity. So that’s one devastating impact of wokeness and DEI.
SPEAKER 07 :
Yeah, the enemy doesn’t really care what your pronoun is. Let’s talk about the president’s pick to lead the Defense Department, Fox News host Pete Hegseth. What’s your read on him?
SPEAKER 09 :
I think he’s a great choice. He comes with a tremendous warrior background. He’s young. He’s energetic. He understands very deeply the disastrous effects that DEI is having on our military. In fact, he’s written a book about that, as you well know, The War on Warriors. I think he’ll do a great job. I certainly hope he’s confirmed.
SPEAKER 07 :
There’s already pushback, though, from folks you don’t really hear from inside the Pentagon. But word is trickling out that, look, there are going to be some people quite upset with what he has in store of how to reform the Department of Defense.
SPEAKER 09 :
Yes, and reform has got to come from the top, as you know, and that will involve a change of leadership, certainly, and that’s been discussed. But the signal has to be pushed down through the ranks from the very top, actually coming from the President through the Secretary of Defense, that wokeness is out and we’re going to return to our fundamentals, and that is warfighting readiness preparation to do the job that the military is tasked to do, and that’s to fight and win our nation’s wars. and get rid of all this extraneous stuff that goes with DEI and Wokeness that is distracting from that fundamental principle mission. And I’m sure that Pete Hegseth will keep that right in his sight picture, and that will motivate everything he does, and that is warfighting readiness.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, a big part of it is funding for the military. When you consider the past two budgets have only been a 1% increase through the National Defense Authorization Act and later through the appropriations process, it’s really when you consider Biden’s inflation, that’s really a cut to our military. When we’re trying to keep up with the pacing threat from communist China and these other adversaries to the United States of America, how can we continue to defend ourselves in a world that’s really on fire?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, coming back to your budget question, as you know very well from being on the Hask, it’s not only the amount of money, it’s how that money is spent. So two things have to happen there, in my opinion. Yes, the total amount of the defense budget needs to increase. And just off the top, I would say somewhere around 5% of the GDP. And then it’s got to be applied in the right places. We need acquisition reform drastically so that we can speed up that process and get the items into the hands of our troops that are needed quickly. And it’s been very sluggish, as you know, for many, many years. So that’s one thing. And then again, coming back to the warfighting focus is absolutely essential throughout the entire Department of Defense.
SPEAKER 07 :
China is one of the biggest aggressors. They have their tentacles in everything we do in America, whether it’s through cheap computers or Wi-Fi systems or drones. Their Belt and Road Initiative has really overtaken the world. A lot of people don’t even know what that is, but they are making investments in infrastructure ports, seaports, airports, roads and bridges in Central America, South America, Africa. What type of threat Could that become to the United States of America with that type of investments in these countries?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, it’s a huge threat, obviously. And it’s not just China. As you know, they’re linking arms for the first time now with Russia, Iran, North Korea. So the threat basically is combined among all those. And it’s interesting that a few years ago, a couple of senior Chinese colonels wrote a book called… complete warfare basically against United States. And they advertise everything that they’re going to do to bring down our country. And that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. It’s unrestricted warfare to correct the title. So they’re marching down that road. They’re dedicating everything they have toward that objective. And we need to stand up against them and recognize that they are a principal peer adversary along with their allies, as I just mentioned.
SPEAKER 07 :
Let’s talk a little bit back on the DEI subject. What policies do you think will likely be on the chopping block in addition to DEI and the CRT programs that are currently in the DOD right now?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, along with that, what we need to do, Congressman, is take DEI out and substitute it with what we’ve had throughout our military until DEI came along, and that is equal opportunity for all along with meritocracy. And by that, I mean providing an equal chance for every service member to excel and be all they can be, and then select those that are best for every position. Now, part of that we’re facing today is racial preferences, for example, in admission to our academies, our service academies. So the standards are basically lowered based upon the racial preferences. We need to get away, to answer your question, from any special preference based upon an identity group, whether it be based on race, gender, sexual orientation, or whatever it may be, and get back strictly to meritocracy and equal opportunity.
SPEAKER 07 :
Who do you think might be leaving when it comes to the Pentagon or the military? We’ve heard about this warrior board. It’ll be reviewing three and four star officers. What do you think about that idea?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, first of all, let me say that President Trump has a right and probably an obligation to select people that are loyal to him and to his agenda. And as you know, there was an overwhelming support for his agenda in the election. So he must put people into the highest level positions that will do that for him. Now, this loyalty board, we have to be careful about that. The left is using the term purge. That’s really not what it will be or should be. It has to be something that’s done very, very carefully, fairly, objectively, and provide due process for anybody that’s involved in that so that it has credibility, not only in reality, but also in perception. So it sends the right signal. So yes, he needs to get people in place at the top level that are going to support him. But that’s not enough. He’s got to send a signal down through the ranks right down to the lowest level that DEI and Wilkins is out. And as I said before, it’s going to be replaced with warfighting readiness, equal opportunity and meritocracy.
SPEAKER 07 :
President-elect Trump may be rolling back the Biden executive order that lifted a ban on people with gender dysphoria, trans people in the military. Critics say that’s discriminatory, but those who serve do have to be fit for service, and that includes mental fitness. Are you in favor of basically doing away with trans persons in the military, basically telling them they’re not fit to be in the military?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, we have to have standards, to your point. And there is no right to serve in the military. Nobody has that right. Standards drive performance. And if the trans community cannot meet those standards, and if they’re not prepared to deploy physically or mentally because of that, then they should not be serving. That’s the bottom line. It’s all about standards.
SPEAKER 07 :
Secretary of Defense testified before our committee, the Armed Services Committee last year. We were talking about diversity and I said, hey, if we go across right now across the Potomac and we look down at those white tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery, would you be able to tell me the skin color or the gender or the pronoun of that person? And he said, no. And I said, that’s because our diversity is not our strength. Our strength is from the unity of our common purpose. Do you agree in that?
SPEAKER 09 :
Oh, absolutely. In STARS, that’s been one of our themes. Unity has always been our strength, and it’s reflected in the battle cry, the motto of one team, one fight, where everybody has a common focus on the mission and the purpose of what’s going on. And also their loyalty, as you’re pointing out right now, is not to a skin color or gender or whatever. The loyalty is to the team, not to self. It’s all about selfless service. And finally, they have to have total trust and confidence in each other. That’s one team, one fight. And skin color, gender, sexual orientation has nothing to do with that.
SPEAKER 07 :
What other hopes do you have for this administration when it comes to our military operations?
SPEAKER 09 :
Well, I know it will be successful in removing DEI out of the military. And with that, restoring a lot of morale that I think is suffering through the ranks right now because the mission focus has been taken away. So I see the morale coming up. I see recruitment coming up. I see retention coming up. And our combat effectiveness is a bottom line. That’s a measure of why we’re there. I see that increasing also. with a change of leadership and a change of focus. That’s exactly what we need.
SPEAKER 07 :
For those who were kicked out of the military because they would not take the COVID vaccine in a past National Defense Authorization Act, we righted that, but we did not give them back pay because we couldn’t find the money to do that. I think we should be giving those men and women who were basically fired from the military and said, thanks, but no thanks. Unless you take the jab, you aren’t going to get to stay in the military. Should we be giving them back pay?
SPEAKER 09 :
Absolutely. And it’s more than that, Congressman. There are a lot of other remedies we need to be pursuing for those that were harmed by that vaccine mandate. And there’s more than one category. Those that were kicked out and don’t want to come back. Those that were kicked out and do want to come back. And there haven’t been many of those, as you probably know. And those that remain on active duty that put in requests for religious exemptions. they need to be dealt with in terms of remedies and what was done with them in terms of their official military personnel records, denial of promotions, denial of schooling, and so forth. And finally, veterans that are on the street that may be physically harmed from the effects of the vaccine, that needs to be dealt with also. So there’s about four categories there that we need to take a hard look at. And we have information on that in STARS. We can get to you if you’d like to see that kind of a detail, and I’d appreciate you doing that.
SPEAKER 07 :
I would like to see that, sir. I was honored to be on the Quality of Life panel under General Bacon, who also serves on the House Armed Services Committee. And we got through a 20 percent pay increase that was long, well overdue and probably not as much as you should be for the lower enlisted. Improved child care, improved housing. Why is it important that we consider the welfare of especially our lower enlisted when it comes to the military?
SPEAKER 09 :
Simply because they struggle the most due to their economic situation. Their pay is the lowest, their housing is a problem, as you pointed out. Oh, by the way, thanks for doing that. You all in the Hask have done a great job in supporting our military at the lower levels over the pay increases. They also have, I think, the most difficult family situations for those that are married when it comes to deployments. The spouse is gone. Typically, the wife is left behind with a child or two trying to deal with that, trying to make ends meet, pay for transportation, food and all that. So they really need special attention at the lower rank levels. And that’s great that you do it.
SPEAKER 07 :
You know, families are so important, and sometimes we just think about the individual soldier, but these are families who their spouses and children want to have a nice place to live. We’re not building the Taj Mahal at Fort Leonard Wood. We’re building a decent place to have other friends over and enjoy life.
SPEAKER 09 :
A fundamental tenet in the military is take care of the troops and their families, and the health, morale, and welfare, as we like to term it, is extremely important. That’s something every leader has to put at the absolute top of their priorities. And historically, that has been done in the military. But with this shifting toward the wokeness and so forth, I’m not so certain that’s been happening like it should.
SPEAKER 07 :
Well, retired Army Major General Joe Arbuckle, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving. Appreciate it. That’s all the time we have for you today. I want to thank you for joining us. Be sure to check out the website TonyPerkins.com and tune in tomorrow for another edition of Washington Watch. Until then, I’ll leave you with my favorite verse, Romans 12.2. where Paul says, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
