Skip to content 10/16/2025 Addressing Concerns in Israel, China, and Nigeria, as well as Government Overreach in California Oct 16 · 54 min ...more
10/16/2025 Addressing Concerns in Israel, China, and Nigeria, as well as Government Overreach in California
October 16, 2025 · 54 min
Senate shutdown negotiations continue, Prime Minister Netanyahu demands the bodies of deceased hostages be returned, Christian persecution in China and Nigeria, California Crisis of their own making.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio October 16, 2025 · 54 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Audio
Senate shutdown negotiations continue, Prime Minister Netanyahu demands the bodies of deceased hostages be returned, Christian persecution in China and Nigeria, California Crisis of their own making. ...more Show the full description Show less Senate shutdown negotiations continue, Prime Minister Netanyahu demands the bodies of deceased hostages be returned, Christian persecution in China and Nigeria, California Crisis of their own making.
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In this video 0:00 Faith, Politics, and the Biblical Worldview
Faith, Politics, and the Biblical Worldview 0:01 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington, DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and0:12 newsmakers, all from biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.0:19 We thought if they don't wanna fund the government via continuing resolution, we'll give them the chance to fund the government a different way by attempting to move forward with regular order0:31 appropriations bills? And once again, the answer was no. Democrats just voted to block the0:43 fiscal year 20 26 defense appropriations bill.0:48 That was senate majority leader John Thune once again expressing frustration as Democrats blocked the defense appropriations bill while the government shutdown enters day 16. Welcome to this October sixteenth edition1:00 of Washington Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins, and we're broadcasting live from the Real Life Studios in Chino Hills, California, the site of this year's Prevost Stand Summit. Thanks so much for tuning in.1:12 By the way, there's still time to register and join us for tomorrow and Saturday's summit. Just go to pray vote stand dot o r g. That's pray vote stand dot o r g to find out more and to register.1:24 Well, coming up on this Thursday edition of Washington Watch, the fragile Israel Hamas ceasefire is already showing cracks. Hamas says it has returned all the deceased hostages that it can access, while1:36 Israel insist more remain captive in violation of the deal. Daniel Cohen, host of the Daniel Cohen show on the Real Life Network, joins us with the latest from Israel.
1:53 Well, Israeli flags were flown at half staff today to mark October seventh remembrance day observed on the Hebrew anniversary of the attack. The future of the negotiated peace deal may
2:05 hinge on the return of the 19 deceased hostages. Hamas has yet to turn over to Israel authorities and whether or not Hamas will disarm. Joining me now is Washington Sand reporter Casey
2:17 Harper who's been following today's top stories. Casey, what's the latest out of Israel?
2:23 Yeah. Thanks, Tony. State ceremonies, as you said, were held across the country to mark this grim 2 year anniversary. And speaking at an event in Jerusalem, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel will
2:34 complete its war aims and warned that its enemies will pay a heavy price. In that clip, Netanyahu
2:46 says, whoever raises their hand on us already knows that they will pay a very heavy price for their aggression. We are determined to complete the victory that will affect our lives for many years. Well, this 2
2:58 year conflict, Tony, has cost nearly a thousand Israeli soldiers and left more than 6000 wounded. Meanwhile, president Trump posted on true social a stern warning to Hamas, saying that they must stop the killings or,
3:10 quote, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them. Reports are also emerging that Hamas has been executing suspected collaborate collaborators inside of Gaza, Tony.
3:21 Yeah, Casey. It's interesting. We we see the, the price that Israelis have paid, but Hamas has also, caused tens of thousands of deaths of, Palestinians there in in Gaza,
3:33 and they're continuing by executing them themselves. Well, president Trump is now focusing his efforts to end the war in Ukraine. What's the latest on that front?
3:44 Yeah. Big developments today, Tony. President Trump announced a surprise agreement with Russian president Vladimir Putin to hold another summit like the 1 in Alaska, but this time in Budapest, all aimed at ending the war
3:54 in Ukraine.
3:55 I thought it was a very good phone call. I thought very productive. But I'll be meeting with president Putin, and, we'll make a determination. Tomorrow, I'm meeting with president Zelensky,
4:07 and I'll be telling him about the call. I mean, we have a problem. They don't get along too well, those 2.
4:14 That you could say that. But this announcement comes just before Trump's scheduled meeting with Ukrainian president Zelensky tomorrow, and Zelensky is still pushing for more military aid, including those controversial
4:25 long range Tomahawk missiles. But the phone call between Trump and Putin today was described as productive, but the future of increased US support to Ukraine remains uncertain. Now meanwhile, the the conflict is
4:37 intensifying in Ukraine with Russia launching hundreds of drones and missiles targeting, in particular, Ukraine's energy infrastructure while Ukraine strikes back at Russian facilities, Sony.
4:48 Very interesting. We'll have to see what happens on, on that front. Obviously, president Trump is somewhat on a roll, so maybe he can bring peace to that region as well. You know, Casey, today,
5:00 sixteenth day of the government shutdown, what's the latest? Any crack in the door that we might see government open back up?
5:08 Yeah. Tony, if there is a crack, it's too small for me to see. Senate Democrats, they blocked that Republican backed defense funding bill you mentioned that was meant to pay the troops as we're here in day 16 of the
5:18 government shutdown. Now that bill in particular, it needed a procedural vote to allow, the addition of other funding measures, but Democrats refused to participate in that without guarantees on what else would be
5:29 included.
5:31 And we're not going to pay 1500000000000.0 dollar ransom to get Democrats to reopen government operations. That's right, mister president.
5:42 1500000000000.0 dollars. That's what Democrats are demanding.
5:48 That was Senate majority leader John Thune, who's wanting to attach, you know, bills for transportation, health, and housing. But Democrats, of course, led by Chuck Schumer, are demanding clear agreements beforehand,
5:59 citing deep deep mistrust with between the parties. So with no deal in sight, lawmakers remain deadlocked, prolonging the shutdown and uncertainty over government funding. And, of course, Tony, 1 of the most protracted
6:11 sticking points continues to be the extension of those Obamacare subsidies.
6:16 Well, let's talk about that for just a moment, Casey, because that was the 1500000000000.0 dollars that, senator Thune was making reference to. Right. These Obamacare subsidies were supposed to be
6:27 short term. They were a part of the, inflation reduction act where the that that passed under the Biden administration that, were in the COVID
6:39 era era, and it was designed to be simply temporary. They're supposed to expire the end of this year, but now they're wanting to extend them. What's behind this when it comes to the
6:51 Democrats pushing for this?
6:53 Yeah. So I think, you know, it's the the Democrats are looking for a place to take a stand, and they think they found it. And it comes at an interesting time as senator Josh Hawley has introduced a new bill to stop
7:03 taxpayer backed health plans from covering those very things, abortions and gender transition procedures for kids in Obamacare, though they well, many will deny that's even happening. It is, of course. And Holly's
7:14 legislation, it would close those loopholes and that still allow coverage in some states with with a few exceptions. And Holly has a message that a lot on the right, are echoing, which is it's time to protect kids and
7:25 uphold Christian values in health care.
7:28 Yeah. It's gonna be very interesting to watch because there's there's issues on 2 layers here. Number 1, as we talked about the extension of these COVID era, subsidies, which really, I think, are designed to prop up a
7:40 failed system, Obamacare, the ACA. But also as you pointed out, which, cinder holly is zeroing in on, is the underlying issue of the funding for abortion
7:53 and gender care, gender transitions that is in the, Obamacare legislation. Casey, this is, obviously, a very important issue for
8:05 the Family Research Council, and and we're working to convince congress to eliminate these subsidies and these underlying programs that fund abortion. Thanks so much, Casey. I I'm sure we're gonna talk to you a bit
8:17 later in the program, but thanks so much for bringing us up to date on the headlines for today. Alright, folks. Again, wanna remind you that, coming up this weekend at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Southern
8:28 California is the pray vote stand summit. To find out more and to register, you can go to pray vote stand dot o r g. Alright. I wanna go back, to discuss the latest on the government
8:40 shutdown, from a congressional perspective and see if we're seeing any movement and, getting the government up and running again. Joining me now to discuss this and more is congressman
8:51 Randy Weber. He serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and co chairs the bipartisan task force for combating antisemitism. He represents the fourteenth congressional district of Texas. Congressman
9:03 Weber, thanks so much for joining us. Welcome back to Washington Watch.
9:07 Thank you, Tony. We appreciate all y'all do. Thank you.
9:11 Before we get into a conversation about the shutdown, which really hasn't changed a whole lot, I wanna get your reaction to the news coming out today that president Trump may meet with Russian, president Vladimir
9:22 Putin.
9:24 Well, I'll tell you what. If you look at president Trump's record, he's been doing great things around the world, and people have started, listening to him. Will Vladimir Putin do it? Your guess
9:36 is good as mine. I tell you what, the the president is doing some really good stuff. I'm glad to see him continue to to make that effort and, dare I say, put pressure on the Russians. But I'm
9:48 glad to see them. They're meeting Tony.
9:51 Do you think it was the the threat of giving, the Patriot missiles to, or, I'm sorry, the Tomahawk missiles to, to Ukraine?
10:01 Ukraine. Well, not only that, but, of course, European Union, as you know, NATO is is on board now. And so maybe that will build, maybe that threat added to it so that, you know,
10:13 Putin would think, hey. This guy is serious. Of course, if he's watching what's going on over the Middle East, he knows that Trump is serious. I just don't know how crazy Vladimir Putin really is.
10:24 Well, let's turn now to, the government, shutdown, Randy. What's the latest you're hearing? I mean, earlier today, the senate Democrats blocked the annual full year defense appropriations bill. I mean, that's that's
10:36 this is a bipartisan piece of legislation that always passes. What's going on?
10:42 Tony, I the the well, here's what's going on. Our great president, as we just talked about, is making a lot of changes around the world. People staying up and listening to him, knowing that there's a new sheriff in town.
10:52 It's not what I call o Biden because I think he's Obama's third term, in the office anymore. It's Donald Trump, but he means what he says. So I think what the democrats are doing is they don't eve
11:04 Tony, even though they have voted 3 times in the past for this level of spending, I'm not saying that spending is not out of control because I got involved when Reagan ran for relation to 83 as a Republican back
11:16 then. We had a saying that there's too much waste, fraud, and abuse, right, coming out of congress. It's still that way. And now finally to this point, we have a chance to make a difference. But the Democrats don't
11:28 want to do that, Tony, because it would give president Trump more credibility. They don't want him to have the option to sign that bill into law.
11:38 Also, on the where where the Democrats have chosen to take a stand over these premium subsidies for Obamacare, which were designed really to prop it up. Are are they fearful, you
11:50 think, that the that it implodes and therefore they have to keep propping it up?
11:55 I think they are. And remember too, Tony, I know you've been paying attention. You guys do a really great job. We love Washington Watch. But remember this too. The Democrats have been saying that Republicans are trying
12:05 to destroy Medicaid. No. We're not. We're taking out all the people of Medicaid that don't deserve to be on Medicaid, young single male adults of age, of course, that should
12:17 be out getting a job and not sitting on their, you know, what's at home, drawing Medicaid. And then we've got illegals that are drawing Medicaid. These are the ones that we're focused on, and the Democrats
12:29 can't stand it.
12:32 Randy, we just have about a a little over a minute left. I'm gonna turn for a moment to Israel. You've been there recently. Obviously, major developments there this week. But the president telling Hamas, if you don't lay
12:43 down your arms, if you're killing others, you're gonna get killed yourself. How do you see this playing out?
12:50 Well, let's let's paint let's let's watch it and see. I'm glad he did. Now you probably know this, a sniper, a Hamas sniper. Was it yesterday, I think? I think it was the day before yesterday. Shot and killed an Israeli
13:01 soldier even though that disagreement in prim in principle had been reached on the front end. Still, 1 of our great Israeli IDF lost his life because Hamas are killers. And
13:12 that's the point here. If you read their charter from back in when it was 19 84 or 5, I think, they literally say their job is to kill all Jews and destroy the state of Israel. I don't think
13:24 they can be trusted. I hope in a way we don't have to shed American blood over there, but Israel is our greatest neighbor and ally. And so we'll see what happens, what the Hamas does going forward.
13:37 Yeah. Certainly something to continue to pray about. Congressman Randy Weber, always great to see you. Thanks so much for, joining us today.
13:44 Thank you, Detonio. Appreciate you guys.
13:46 Alright. And and folks, I do wanna encourage you to continue to pray. There's a plan in place, but will it hold? There's a there's a long history, and it's spiritual and biblical. We need to be
13:58 praying into it. Alright. Don't go away. We're back after this.
14:02 Tomorrow, like minded Christ followers from across the country will gather at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Southern California for Family Research Council's pray vote stand summit. If ever there
14:14 were a time we needed God to move in our nation, it is now. The pray boat stand summit brings together Christian leaders, issue experts, and government officials for a time of prayer, inspiration,
14:26 and action. A sample of topics include chemical abortion and the future of the pro life movement, the search for peace as Israel struggles against the world, and how
14:38 to engage artificial intelligence from a biblical perspective. We encourage you to join us October seventeenth and eighteenth for a powerful gathering as we seek cultural renewal and spiritual revival.
14:50 Register now at pray vote stand dot o r g, or stream the summit on the Real Life Network and the Stand Firm app.
15:01 For over 4000 years, the Jewish people have had legal, historical, and biblical ties to the land of Israel, especially the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, which much of the world still calls the West Bank.
15:13 To Israelis, Judea and Samaria is far more than a name. It's the center of their ancestral homeland where nearly 80 percent of the Bible's events took place. Abraham purchased property in Hebron, Jacob in
15:25 Shechem. Joshua made an altar on Mount Ebal and led the Israelites into a covenant before God. On Mount Gerizim overlooking Shechem, Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well about worshiping neither on
15:37 Mount Gerizim nor in Jerusalem, spirit and in truth. Judea and Samaria is nearly a quarter of Israel's current land mass, not a small strip of land on the Jordan River, but
15:48 a vital and strategic part of the nation's identity. The October seventh massacre launched from Gaza shattered the illusion that giving away territory brings peace. Gaza, which was
16:00 once seen as the cornerstone of a 2 state solution, became a launchpad for terror. Today, only 21 percent of Israelis support a Palestinian state. Trust in a 2 state solution
16:12 has all but collapsed. The Middle East is changing. Iran's grip is weakening. New alliances are forming. But Western countries and some US officials still chase the mirage of a 2 state solution.
16:24 History speaks clearly. The 2005 Gaza withdrawal, backed by the US, led not to peace, but to a terrorist regime. Judea and Samaria are 24 times larger than Gaza,
16:36 deeply woven into Israel's geographic and spiritual fabric. To surrender them would not bring peace. It would invite conflict and existential danger. Family Research Council stands with Israel's
16:48 rightful claim to sovereignty. It's time for America to do the same for history, for justice, and for lasting security in the Middle East.
17:04 Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for, joining us here on this, Thursday as we broadcast from the studios of Real Life Network in Southern California, in
17:15 preparation for the Prevost Stand Summit, which begins tomorrow, here at, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. To find out more, go to pray vote stand dot o r g. That's pray vote stand dot o
17:27 r g. There's still time to make it. Alright. Yesterday, we were talking with congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia, and, we got down to the end of the conversation, regarding
17:39 his, call, which, coincides with the calls of many others, to have Nigeria declared, designated as a country of particular concern
17:51 by the Trump administration. Back during the previous Trump administration, when I was serving as chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, we petitioned the state department then run by, Mike
18:02 Pompeo, and they declared for the first time after, many years of, the USERF calling for the state department to designate, Nigeria as a country of particular concern, which
18:14 means, there are certain tools that the federal government can use, financial tools, diplomatic tools to draw attention to their, really
18:25 persecution of, religious minorities, in this case, Christians. In fact, Nigeria is, if you're a Christian, most dangerous place in the world to be living. So there is
18:37 mounting pressure, for the Trump administration to once again declare Nigeria as a country of particular concern. Joining me now to talk about, Nigeria and China is the vice president of
18:49 policy at the Family Research Council, Travis Weber. Travis, welcome to Southern California.
18:54 Thank you, Tony. It's good to be with you.
18:56 Alright. I know that, you've been tracking all of this very, very closely. What's what's the latest on, it it appears to be a building momentum by nongovernmental organizations
19:08 for the Trump administration to reestablish this designation.
19:12 That's correct. You know, Tony, we're really encouraged by the status of things. And what I mean by that is we see more and more members of congress speaking out about this. You you referenced congress with more. We've
19:21 had Ted Cruz and Chris Smith introduce bills in this issue. Other members were are are tweeting, putting public statements out. You know, Ted Budd was asking us about it the other week. We have a crescendo building.
19:32 From North Carolina.
19:33 That's exactly right. And so, you know, we're doing our part to do what we can to get the word out as well as talking to the administration
19:39 about this. So so let give our viewers, unless there's a a little insight into the the situation there.
19:45 Yeah. So it's Africa's most populous country. It is almost evenly split between Christians and Muslims. And when you consider the continent, as we think about the Islamist push from the
19:57 north spreading south in Africa, Africa is the world's most populated Christian continent too. 742000000 Christians on the continent. Africa By
20:05 by the way, it it it's also very conservative orthodoxy from an orthodox standpoint. In fact, that's what kept the Methodist church together for so long was the the
20:17 Methodist church together for so long was the the African Methodist church. Alright. So the
20:19 African Christians are often holding the line on the biblical values globally these days. Right? In addition, you have communities of Christians being attacked and killed. As you mentioned, more Christians there killed
20:29 anywhere else in the world. It's tragic. It's tragic. So what we're trying to do is raise the awareness of this issue in Washington.
20:35 Correct me if I'm wrong, Travis, but in this situation, what you have is a government very similar to India. The government's not doing it, but it is turning a blind eye to it.
20:46 Looking the other way, and they want to escape attention on this. They were very upset when Ted Cruz introduced his bill because the media over there started talking about Cruz being concerned about the Nigerian
20:55 government's failure to do enough, and they responded to that. That tells us they don't like the attention. And as you mentioned, the CPC designation, that's what that does. That's part of what that designation does. It
21:05 puts them on a list. They have to then talk to our government to say, what do we have to do to get off this list?
21:10 Well, didn't, we testified I testified subcommittee on the house side, House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Nigeria. And I think 1 of the, 1 of the witnesses that was from Nigeria faced
21:22 some backlash when he went home.
21:23 He absolutely did. He he was a he's a this is a high ranking leader in the Roman Catholic Church in Nigeria facing re reaction from his own government for coming to the United States and testifying. So just like in
21:35 China, you know, it's perhaps more extreme in China, but you see the governments of these places do not want a spotlight put on them. But, Tony, you know, as you testified too at that hearing as members engaged you and
21:45 the other witnesses, we saw tension being put on this area of of, accountability and justice. And what the government has to do is ensure security is brought to these areas. These attacks, you know, are different in some
21:56 ways, but they are religiously divisive in the country. And so these Christian communities
22:00 need to It could it become it could very quickly become a humanitarian crisis. Yeah. As being the most populous, country, if Christians begin to flee that area, it's gonna destabilize
22:12 the region.
22:12 Exactly. Alright.
22:13 Let we just have a a couple of minutes left. Let's go to another situation that's much different. This persecution is coming at the hands of government, and we're talking about China.
22:22 Yeah. So the Chinese Communist Party clearly concerned about the strength and impact of the church in China, in this case, the underground church and specifically Zion Church, a very significant influential network of
22:33 churches who folks, some may recall, stood up under COVID and and continue to practice and exercise their religious freedom. They've now received, rep repercussion at the hands of the government
22:45 there with number of leaders arrested, detained across cities, across their entire network, and that's now spread to other networks. Thankfully, this is getting attention in Washington. Secretary Rubio put out a
22:57 statement. We're doing our part to raise this with the administration and on Capitol Hill as well.
23:02 Now we talk about China a lot on this program because China is just quite frankly a bad actor, and religious persecution is 1 of the things that they do well. They serve do a lot of
23:14 surveillance of their citizens. So what makes this different?
23:19 Yeah. So, Tony, I think it's it's significant in that it is a detention of per I don't wanna say the most, but I need to say a very significant leader and group of leaders in the underground church, which could number
23:31 at a minimum of 60000000, possibly up to a hundred million or more believers in China. So this could have a massive effect on the the other other leaders and churches in the underground church as well.
23:42 Part of the the charges against him was, unauthorized communications from them, actually broadcasting their messages?
23:50 Yeah. And but it's tough to tell what the government you know, that they will state a charge will be for x reason.
23:58 You know, we see Something we take
23:59 for granted here in this country that you would have your sermons, you know, you would broadcast your Sunday morning service on the web. Right.
24:06 And it's likely the government knew about what was happening before but chose now to make their move. And we don't know all the reasons for that, but we see it coming at a time in which the world's attention spokes the
24:16 Middle East. Perhaps they're concerned about the rising influence of the church.
24:20 Alright. We just have about 30 seconds left. Is this something we're gonna be praying about, this weekend at the Pray Boat Stand Summit?
24:26 Absolutely. We need to pray and call the US church to intercede on behalf of their brothers and sisters all around the world, Tony. Because as you've commented before, the church in a society is the source of blessing
24:36 for that society as the church makes its voice and its presence known.
24:39 Yeah. What we prioritize at home, we will promote abroad. Very important. Thank you, Travis, for joining us. Alright. Coming up, Los Angeles County has declared a state of emergency. But are they looking at what the real
24:51 emergency is here in California? We're gonna discuss that next here on Washington Watch, so don't go away. More straight ahead.
25:06 A family is the oldest, most tested, and most reliable unit of society. It is divinely created and sustained, and yet there are those who are always tampering with its values and structure.
25:18 That's why we need organizations like the Family Research Council that can effectively defend and strengthen the family.
25:25 Family Research Council began over 40 years ago, like all great movements of God, with prayer. Today, rooted in the heart of the nation's capital, FRC continues to
25:37 champion faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
25:44 FRC is 1 of those bright lights that helps us focus on true north, and I shudder to think had they not been here that it could have been worse, worse, worse.
25:54 The Family Research Council is key. It's 1 of a handful of groups that I think will determine whether our children live in a country that
26:05 enjoyed all of the freedom and all the opportunity that we enjoyed in this great land.
26:12 It's just a wonderful para church organization that doesn't seek to take the place of the church, but it seeks to assist the family and the church as we try to move forward
26:23 successfully, not in a defensive mode, but in an offensive mode as we seek to live our lives according to the holy scriptures.
26:32 FRC, is not gonna be whooped. You know, we're we're gonna fight. We're gonna take a stand. And, again, we don't retreat.
26:41 You will never see in front of this building here in Washington, DC, a white flag fly. We will never step back. We will never surrender, and we will never
26:53 be silent. Back to Washington Watch. Thanks
27:05 so much for tuning in. Make sure you have the Stand Firm app. Go to the App Store and get the Stand Firm app. As I mentioned, it all starts tomorrow here at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. And guess
27:16 what? The left is all stirred up, and for good reason. Because we're coming together to pray, equip believers to vote biblically, and to stand for truth no matter what. So if you live in Southern California,
27:28 there's still time to register and join us in person. Now if you're not in the area, you can still be a part of, this event if you have the Stand Firm app, at least most of the event. Go to the App
27:40 Store and get the Stand Firm app or go to pray vote stand dot o r g to register and to find out more. Well, earlier this week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4 to 1 to
27:52 declare a local state of emergency in response to federal immigration enforcement operations in America's most populous county. Now 1 member of the progressive dominated board said that the emergency proclamation
28:04 allows the county to use every tool available to support and stabilize our communities, she said. We will not stand by while fear and chaos spread, she went on to say.
28:16 Well, there is certainly an emergency here in California, but it's not because of immigration enforcement. It's because of the attack on parental rights. Joining me now to discuss this is Jonathan Keller. He is the
28:27 president and CEO of the California Family Council, which is the family policy council here in California that accomplishes at the state level what the Family Research Council does on the national level. Jonathan, great
28:38 to see you.
28:38 Thanks, Tony. Always good to be with you and the listeners.
28:40 And you're gonna be a part of, this weekend. I know you guys have been helping us, get the word out, so we appreciate that. Appreciate the great work you do here in California. You got a, you got a a big hill to climb
28:51 here in California. We do. Let's talk about 4 95.
28:55 Yeah. So AB 4 95 is really, I think, 1 of the most concerning pieces of legislation that we've seen come out of the Sacramento in quite some time. I mean, we we always see a little bit of craziness. We have some truly,
29:07 I think, beyond the pale legislators up there. In this case, actually, this kinda came out of left field, but so much of what happens in Sacramento does. It's a freshman legislator, not 1 of the usual suspects who
29:19 has been attacking parental rights for so long. But in this case, they used this really clever Trojan horse. As you mentioned, it deals with immigration. The idea behind this bill, the best case you could make
29:31 for it is they are trying to pitch it as a way to protect parents and protect children from the dangers of ICE and the dangers of the Trump administration who are carelessly and heartlessly deporting
29:42 parents.
29:43 Right.
29:43 But in reality, what this is doing is creating a massive loophole for non parents, for even non relatives to go in and potentially take control, take
29:55 authority away from parents, even start making educational and medical decisions for minor children, not only without parental involvement, but without even parental knowledge or consent?
30:07 Let's say that their motives were pure, that they were well, I say pure. At least their intentions were what they said they were Right. To simply address this issue of immigration. This, as you know, Jonathan, having
30:19 been in the process for a while, there are always unintended consequences, especially when you rush something through like this. So even if the intent was, as they stated,
30:31 simply to address with address the issue of children that may be connected to parents being deported
30:37 That's right.
30:38 There are unintended consequences here that they've refused to deal with.
30:41 That's really the concern, Tony. I mean, again, I think every parent out there would want their own children if something happened to them. If if, god forbid, my wife and I were in a car accident, of course, we would
30:53 want our 2 young sons to be placed with the next of kin, our our family members. Right. That's not what this is about. This bill is so much broader than this. The despite the fact that they have tried to amend it and
31:04 revise it in the eleventh hour to say, well, this is going to apply to anyone who is deported, detained, or deployed. That they're trying to actually, if you can believe it, loop in families in the military and say,
31:15 well, this is a way to try to protect even children of military families. Again, that's not what this is about
31:21 at war. We have provisions to do that now. You don't need that. So this could I mean, this state where you have a governor that promotes gender transition surgeries for minors,Show more
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