Skip to content 10/13/2025 Tony Investigates Religious Liberty Victories and Violations from the U.S. to the Mid-East to China Oct 13 · 59 min ...more
10/13/2025 Tony Investigates Religious Liberty Victories and Violations from the U.S. to the Mid-East to China
October 13, 2025 · 59 min
Tony and his guests analyze the Middle East peace talks, released hostages, the U.S. government shutdown, growing Christian persecution in China, and a report evaluating Americans returning to church.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video October 13, 2025 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Tony and his guests analyze the Middle East peace talks, released hostages, the U.S. government shutdown, growing Christian persecution in China, and a report evaluating Americans returning to church. ...more Show the full description Show less Tony and his guests analyze the Middle East peace talks, released hostages, the U.S. government shutdown, growing Christian persecution in China, and a report evaluating Americans returning to church.
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In this video 0:00 Global Conflicts and the Pursuit of Peace53:20 Domestic Challenges and the Role of Faith
Global Conflicts and the Pursuit of Peace 0:06 Welcome to the Washington Watch Newsdesk. I'm Sarah Holliday with today's top stories. After 2 years of harrowing captivity, all 20 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas0:18 have been freed. The Israeli military announced the release Monday morning as part of a peace plan spearheaded by president Donald Trump. Under this first phase of the agreement, Israel0:30 will release approximately 1700 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. According to the Hamas media office, the first bus carrying Palestinian prisoners arrived in Gaza early this0:41 morning. Tragically, the remains of several deceased hostages are still awaiting return. But for those now safely home, faith leaders are urging prayers as these0:53 survivors confront the profound trauma of their captivity. This milestone marks a hopeful step forward in a conflict that has exacted a devastating toll. However,1:05 it is only the first step in Trump's 20 point peace plan. Critics are raising pressing questions about the road ahead. Can Hamas be fully dismantled or will its1:17 influence persist threatening lasting peace? Will both sides find common ground on the remaining points of the plan which include contentious issues like borders, security, and governance? The1:29 stakes remain high and the path to stability is far from certain. Trump claims the war is over, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been so quick to say the1:41 same. Rather, he explicitly said the war is not over, citing ongoing security challenges and warning that Israel's enemies may strike again.
1:52 Meanwhile, another war rages on between Russia and Ukraine. The latest development, after discussions with Ukraine's president, Trump is weighing the option of supplying long range
2:04 Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine if Russian president Vladimir Putin refuses to end the conflict.
2:11 We talked about the weapons they need, what kind of weapons. They need patriots very badly. They'd like to have tomahawks. That's the step up. They'd like to have tomahawks. We
2:22 talked about that. I might have to speak to Russia, to be honest with you, about time locks. Do they wanna have time locks going in their direction? I don't think so. I think I might speak to Russia about that. I might
2:34 say, look. If this war is not gonna get settled, I'm gonna send them Tomahawks. I may say that the Tomahawks is a an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly,
2:46 Russia does not need that. They don't need that. Yeah. I might tell them that's if the war is not settled, that we may very well do it. We may not, but we may do it. I think it's appropriate
2:58 to bring them. Yeah. I want them to I wanna see the war settled.
3:02 As of now, no official confirmation has emerged regarding this potential conversation between Trump and Putin. However, the Kremlin has consistently voiced strong opposition to
3:14 the US supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, a move that risks escalating tensions in an already unstable conflict. So while that situation develops, we'll turn
3:25 our sights to Washington DC where the government remains shut down. It's day 13 of the shutdown. The house remains adjourned, and while the senate is slated to vote again today on the
3:37 solution, optimism is scarce that it will pass. Meanwhile, Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo shuttered their doors on Sunday. TSA lines at airports have become chaotic
3:49 with unpaid screeners refusing to report to work. House speaker Mike Johnson issued a dire warning starting this week. Military troops face delayed paychecks and thousands of furloughed
4:01 federal workers are left waiting for the government to reopen to receive their wages. Democrats are pushing to fund free health care for illegal immigrants as well as expand abortion
4:13 and transgender related coverage, proposals the GOP firmly opposes. So with both sides entrenched, the question remains, when will a compromise emerge to end this
4:25 stalemate? We'll bring you the latest tomorrow. And those are today's headlines. I'm Sarah Holliday. Dive deeper with the Washington stand at washington stand dot com. Up next is
4:36 Washington Watch with Tony Perkins. And we're back tomorrow with more stories that matter.
4:53 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 and
5:04 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Washington Watch with Tony Perkins starts now.
5:36 Those were shouts and tears of joy, joy of answered prayers coming out of Israel, relief and celebration in Tel Aviv as Hamas released the last 20 Israeli hostages who were still alive. Welcome to
5:47 this October thirteenth edition of Washington Watch. I'm your host, Tony Perkins. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, 20 hostages freed and a Trump brokered ceasefire signed in Egypt, the first step toward
5:59 ending the war in Gaza. But will it bring peace? Will Hamas disarm? Congressman Keith Self of Texas will join us to break it all down. Well, church attendance has been rising, and it has
6:11 dramatically increased since Charlie Kirk's assassination. But are more people applying biblical truths to the world in which we live? Doctor George Barna joins us with new survey results, which may surprise you.
6:27 We begin this evening with news out of the Middle East, relief and celebration across Israel and Gaza after Hamas released the last 20 living Israeli hostages under a US brokered ceasefire deal.
6:39 In return, Israel freed nearly 2000 Palestinian detainees back into Judea and Samaria. Joining me now is Washington stand reporter Casey Harper who has been following
6:51 today's main stories. Casey, can you bring us up to speed on the latest out of the Middle East?
6:57 Yeah, Tony. The Israeli military confirmed it has received all of the living hostages, and Hamas also handed over the remains of 4 who tragically died in captivity with more expected to follow. In a
7:09 speech at the Knesset, president Trump, he hailed the peace deal for Gaza.
7:13 This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of a age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God. I
7:25 believe that so strongly. This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.
7:35 After his speech at the Knesset, president Trump traveled to Egypt for an inner international peace summit. While there, he signed the Gaza ceasefire deal on camera as alongside leaders of Muslim nations and European
7:47 allies, Tony.
7:49 Now, Casey, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the summit in Egypt. How did he respond to the peace deal?
7:58 Yeah. Tony, well well, president Trump, he called it a monumental moment in the history of the world, and he laid out this bold vision for Gaza's reconstruction. But prime minister Netanyahu, he's more measured in his
8:08 response. Now as far his attendance, he reportedly did not go to Egypt due to opposition from the Turkish president who reportedly didn't want him there, which is an interesting development. But speaking alongside Trump
8:19 at the Knesset, Netanyahu, he reaffirmed Israel's commitment to peace.
8:24 A proposal that opens the door to an historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region.
8:36 My friends, this is only a partial list.
8:40 Now Netanyahu, he's consistently insisted that Hamas must be dismantled and fully disarmed, and he did not endorse that, broader reconstruction plan that Trump laid out for Gaza. So it
8:52 seems, Tony, that Hamas is actually moving to regain control in Gaza, which is pretty troubling. They have masked fighters back on the streets today. And key questions remain. Is Israel going to fully withdraw?
9:04 Who's going to run Gaza? And will Hamas ever disarm?
9:08 Yeah. A lot of, big questions there, Casey. Thanks so much. Of course, we welcome the release of the hostages, which is an answer to our prayers. And here at FRC, we've been praying for this, like everyone else for
9:20 nearly for a little over 2 years. And and and, of course, we might we've gotta continue to pray for Israel because I think the most challenging phase of the ceasefire deal lies ahead because there's no guarantee. And as
9:30 you pointed out, it doesn't look like Hamas is making any effort to disarm or give up, control. Turning to, the growing persecution of the church in China, Casey, what can you tell us
9:42 about the latest campaign by the Chinese Communist Party that unfolded over the weekend?
9:47 Yeah. This is a big issue, Tony. So in China, over 30 Christian pastors and leaders have actually been arrested or disappeared. Many are from the Zion church. Now their homes and churches were raided, Bibles were
9:59 taken, and families were threatened. Why? Because they chose to worship freely without the Chinese government's control. Now secretary of state Marco Rubio, he condemned the arrest, including that of pastor Ezra
10:11 Jin, and he's calling for their immediate release. Christian organizations, including China Aid, call this the worst crackdown in decades. And, of course, it's ongoing that China is using surveillance and false
10:22 charges to silence believers like these, Tony.
10:26 Thanks, Casey. You know, doctor Bob Fu is a senior fellow here at the Family Research Council as well as president of China Aid, and he strongly condemned the Chinese Communist Party's ongoing attacks against the church.
10:37 And and I wanna emphasize that the FRC continues to raise the alarm about the persecution of Christians in China. We have been. We continue to do so, but not only China, elsewhere. We've been talking to lawmakers
10:49 on Capitol Hill about this, consistently. And we have a responsibility as Christians to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters. So it's not just a policy issue. It is a prayer
11:01 issue. As Hebrews 13 3 reminds us, remember those in prison as if you were together with him, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. So pray for those
11:13 Christian brothers and sisters of ours who are being persecuted. I I wanna shift very quickly, Casey, to California where a controversial new law is raising concerns. We've talked about it before.
11:25 Give us the update on a b 4 95.
11:29 Yeah. That's right, Tony. So this new California law, a b 4 95, it's raising major concerns among Christian and homeschooling families and and others as well. But governor Gavin Newsom, he's he announced yesterday that
11:39 he actually signed that law just days after it passed the state legislature. And this bill, it can allow relatives, even unrelated adults actually, to make major decisions about a child's education and medical care
11:51 without clear parental consent. Now Christian organizations, they're warning and raising the alarm, Tony, that this actually undermines parental rights and opens the door for government overreach.
12:02 Alright. Thanks, Casey. We'll talk a little bit more about that, later. Thanks so much. Alright. I wanna go back to, the latest developments in the Middle East. And joining me now to discuss this is congressman Keith
12:12 Self, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, served our country in uniform in the United States Army for 25 years, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. He represents the third congressional district of
12:22 Texas, and I should mention he spend, spent a good bit of time in Israel working with the IDF. Congressman Self, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for, joining us.
12:32 Great day to be here, Tony. Thank you.
12:35 So your reactions to the release of these hostages?
12:39 This is a great day of celebration. When I was in Israel earlier this year, the number 1 issue the only issue for the, Israelites, the Israelis, the Jews was return
12:51 of the hostages. Let's bring them home. Became a national cry. Bring them home. This is a great day of celebration. Should be around the world. 700 plus days
13:02 in those hell holes of Gaza. Now they're home.
13:06 Yeah. Unbelievable what they went through. And I know as, you've talked to, hostages who had been released, I have as well. And just in what they endured is just, unbelievable, and they're
13:18 gonna have a lot of, recovery to do as they come out of that. And so this was 1 of the war goals that, the Israelis prime minister Netanyahu set out to release the hostages, but also
13:29 to disarm and remove Hamas. Some concern that Hamas has been kinda filling the void as Israel's been backing away. What do we know about that?
13:41 Well, they are, and we've seen this before. When 1 terrorist group is taken down, they morph. How do you change decades of training your children to hate, Jews, to hate Israel, to say
13:53 that Israel has no, right to exist? How do you change that with 1 day, with 1 piece of paper? That will take time, and Hamas will morph into something else if it's not Hamas. But I will
14:05 point out that now the other Middle Eastern countries have a responsibility to make sure that the negotiations and the treaty that they have signed will be implemented on the ground because, as I say, a
14:17 piece of paper means nothing. Let's implement it on the ground and get it done.
14:22 So how optimistic are you that that's going to happen given that even today, as the countries gather, the world the the leaders in the region gathered with the president, hosted by, Egyptian
14:33 president el Sisi, that, it was the Turkish president, Erdogan, that basically vetoed the presence of prime minister Netanyahu.
14:45 Well, as chairman of Europe's subcommittee on foreign affairs, I've already held 1 hearing on Turkey concerned about Turkey's NATO ally, actions in the Middle East looking to the east. I
14:57 think this is very concerning, but we can never lose hope, Tony. We need to continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We need to continue to pray that this will hold on the ground. But you asked me how optimistic I
15:09 am. I have to be optimistic, but as a military planner for decades, I must look at it realistically and say that Hamas will do everything it can to cheat.
15:20 Let let me ask you this question because we had 20 hostages who were alive were released. We had almost 2000 Palestinian prisoners that were released, some of them in prison for murder,
15:32 but they were released not to Gaza. These are coming from Judea and Samaria. They were released to Ramallah. The I mean, we're told that the Palestinian authority and Hamas are not connected, but
15:44 appears this deal does connect them.
15:47 Well, of course, it does. If they're, released into Judea and Samaria, of course, they are. And Israel does this every time there's a prisoner exchange. They they release many more prisoners, than
15:59 they receive back. So this is the standard operating, of the Middle East. Israel gives more than it gets. Look. It's tried to trade land for peace for 4 times, and now it
16:10 took president Trump to get this done.
16:14 But is there concern with these, terrorists who have been incarcerated being released into Judea and Samaria that that creates any even more instability right there in the heartland?
16:26 Oh, absolutely. You think these people care what's on that piece of paper? Absolutely not. They will go back, to include strapping bombs on themselves. So this is a very dangerous period.
16:38 And Israel, because it's in Judea and Samaria, Israel needs to be very careful and very watchful with what they are doing, and I'm sure they are.
16:46 Congressman himself, switching gears here. I just have a couple minutes left. Let's Let's talk shutdown. Government still shutdown coming up day 13. What are we hearing?
16:56 We're hearing it's gonna be a while. The, on on the eighteenth, they've got the Hate America rally on the mall. We understand that, it will not reopen. The the Democrats
17:08 will not vote for anything until after Hate the America rally on the eighteenth. So, stand by. It's going to take a while longer.
17:17 Now I understand, some conversations I had over the weekend that the president is working to, to pay our men and women in uniform, the military, so that they will be paid during the shutdown.
17:29 We're hearing the same thing. I'm not sure how he's going to do that because funding has stopped. I I assume that he is finding funds that will bleed into this fiscal
17:41 year, and he will use it to pay the troops and take it from other programs. But we haven't heard what programs. We haven't heard exactly how that's going to work. And the speaker today warned that
17:52 the troops may see a delay in their in their paychecks. So I think the details of this, as far as I know, are still being worked out, Tony, but the president has committed to it. So let's hope it works
18:04 because that, and and is 1 of the big issues that he could take off the table and put more pressure on the Democrats.
18:12 Alright. Congressman Keith Self, always great to see you. Thanks so much for taking time to join us today.
18:18 You've done it.
18:19 And, folks, I wanna encourage you as I do often to continue to pray for, there's so much to pray about. And that's a part of our mission here at Washington Watch is not only to bring you news and information,
18:31 but news and information that can inform your praying. Because, ultimately, we need to appeal to, the throne room of heaven to decide many of these issues because they're beyond our
18:42 control. Coming up next, FRC has released the results of a new national survey. Gonna talk about it next with doctor George Barna. Don't go away.
18:52 3 years ago, the Supreme Court issued its historic Dobbs decision, a ruling that overturned Roe versus Wade, which for nearly 50 years imposed abortion on demand, silencing voters and
19:04 bypass the democratic process across the country. The Dobbs decision was a huge step forward against abortion, but it didn't outright ban it. It returned the power to the people. Now,
19:15 29 states have laws on the books protecting life. However, there's a catch. Abortion numbers since Dobbs have actually gone up with an increase of 12 percent since 20 20,
19:27 climbing from 930000 to over 1000000 in each of the most recent years. So how can this be? The answer is simple. The abortion drug. Today, over
19:39 60 percent of US abortions involve abortion drugs. Many of these without medical oversight. In 20 21, the Biden administration quietly removed bare minimum long standing safety
19:51 protocols for the abortion drug that have existed for 20 years to protect women from life threatening risks and ensuring informed consent. A
20:10 study shows A study shows nearly 11 percent of women who take the abortion drug end up in the emergency room with serious complications. Unless the Trump administration reverses
20:22 these reckless Biden era policies, pro life laws will remain largely symbolic. Without a full review and repeal of mifepristone, unborn lives will remain in grave danger,
20:34 and pregnant mothers will remain at risk. Let's stand for life and end this mail order abortion drug pipeline. Sign the petition urging the Trump administration to take action at f r
20:46 c dot org slash stop chemical abortion.
20:52 In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.
21:03 Family Research Council invites you to join our Stand on the Word Bible reading plan as we reflect upon the life of Jesus, the word who dwelt among us. Come with us
21:15 and discover the glory of the word. Read the gospels and witness the life changing story of Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection. Come read how Jesus transformed the lives of
21:27 common people and how those same people transformed the known world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Come with us for 10 to 15 minutes a day and read the entire New Testament before the New
21:39 Year. Find our Bible reading plan and daily devotionals from Tony Perkins at frc dot org slash bible. Join us and stand on the word.
21:55 Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks so much for tuning in. Alright. Church attendance has been rising over the last couple years for, some demographics, and it has dramatically increased since Charlie
22:07 Kirk's assassination. While that is good news, we need to ask what is attend this attendance leading to? More biblically grounded Christians? Well, earlier today, Family Research Council, in partnership with the
22:19 Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, released the results of a new national survey that gauged the opinions of regular churchgoers on various social issues, providing insight
22:30 into their worldview. So what did we find? Joining me now to discuss this is the 1 who directed the research, doctor George Barna. Doctor Barna is the director of research at Arizona Christian University's Cultural
22:42 Research Center and a senior research fellow at FRC Center for Biblical Worldview. He's the author of many, many books, including Raising Spiritual Champions. Doctor Barna, welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for
22:53 joining us.
22:54 Tony, it's always great to be with you.
22:56 Alright, George. So do we start with the good news or bad news first?
23:00 It's up to you. We can go good news.
23:02 Well, let let let's get the bad news out of the way. What concerns did you have, in the survey that, you wanna highlight?
23:10 Well, there there are quite a few things that we took a look at, Tony. We looked at people's faith. We looked at their worldview. We looked at voting patterns, political engagement. We looked at their perspectives
23:22 on abortion and family in Israel, all kinds of things. And what concerns me is that we're losing ground in the abortion battle where we've got
23:34 more and more Christians who either don't care or they're certainly not well informed about what the Bible teaches about it because we find that fewer of them are calling
23:46 themselves pro life. Fewer of them say that the Bible is clear and decisive when it talks about issues related to abortion, stands on abortion.
23:59 There we're losing ground in terms of the immorality of engaging in abortion. And with family, there were some things that concern me such as the fact that a
24:11 majority of church going Christians don't even know how to define family. And so the culture really seems to be taking a good hit on people's minds and hearts, those
24:23 who are consistently attending church. They're confused by these things, and there wasn't as much support for Israel as you might have expected from regular
24:34 churchgoers. And in terms of worldview, we're also seeing people becoming more confused, less informed, and therefore not really thinking like Jesus.
24:46 I mean, as I look through some of the surveys, especially when you look at the life issue, some of the responses would say that there's this almost this, syncretic faith that's developing, that people are merging
24:59 cultural trends with their faith. But the the when pressed, it doesn't appear that they can point to any kind of biblical foundation for their views.
25:12 And that's a large part of the problem. People may go to church, but it doesn't seem like they're coming out with anything that's moving them either toward a biblical worldview or toward biblical
25:24 discipleship. So why do they go? They like being with other people who they think are good people. And by the way, that's 1 of the things that our research is showing is that 70 percent
25:36 of regular churchgoers, 70 percent of people who are self identified Christians, 72 percent of theologically identified born again Christians say that all people are
25:48 basically good, which, of course, is a direct contradiction of scripture. But that's just a a sign and an indicator of what we're putting up with now where people are not getting the kind
26:00 of teaching and the kind of accountability that they need.
26:03 So that I mean, it it's it's good that people are going back into church. Church attendance is is coming back up after COVID. But are they getting the word of God? It would appear to me that there's not a
26:15 consistent systematic teaching of the word of God and its application to the world in which we live.
26:22 Yeah. What we found is is that sin is rarely talked about in the sermons. 3 percent of sermons a few years ago when that was tracked, we don't wanna deal with those things.
26:34 What we are providing people more often than not is kind of self help lessons. That's not bad, but it's not necessarily moving people closer to Christ.
26:45 Nor making them witnesses to the truth of God that can provide answers to a watching world.
26:54 Yeah. I mean, right now my my personal research coming up to a book on discipleship is looking at what's taking place in terms of biblical discipleship. And we've got only about 3 percent of
27:05 adults who meet Jesus' 6 criteria for what makes somebody a real disciple of his. And the problem, Tony, of course, as you know, is that we reproduce who we are. Mhmm. And so the
27:17 church today is sending people out into the world saying, you've gotta be active. You've gotta be participants. Go make disciples. They can only reproduce who they are with 97 percent of the people in our
27:29 churches not disciples. That's part of the problem. We're reproducing attenders, but we're not reproducing disciples of Jesus.
27:39 Alright. We just have a couple of minutes left, George. Let let's, let's get some of the encouraging, results from the survey. What did you see in there that say, there's hope on the horizon?
27:49 Yeah. I mean, of course, we're always trying to look for foundations that we can build on. That's vitally important. And so we did find that 2 out of 3 people know what the definition of a legitimate marriage
28:01 is, 1 man married to 1 woman, found that 6 out of 10 say that the Bible is clear and decisive in its teaching regarding religious liberty. And
28:13 just slightly over half said that it's clear in its teaching about the morality, regarding abortion. That's not a great number. It's down from the past, but still we've got a a
28:24 foundation that we can build on there. Found that 6 out of 10 people have an orthodox biblical view of God, and a little bit more than half say that the Bible is the true word of God. So, you know, it's
28:36 not a perfect picture, but it's a picture that we can work with.
28:40 But there are those that want instruction. They're asking for discipleship. And so I I think the door is open for pastors and church leaders to begin teaching on these issues.
28:53 I think the issue here may be 1 of boldness. You know, what we've found is that pastors and church leaders tend to gauge the success of their church based on attendance,
29:04 giving, number of programs, number of staff people, and square footage. Jesus didn't die for any of that. Instead, if we were to stand up and say, alright, look, you may not like it. It may be uncomfortable, but this is
29:16 what it takes to be a follower of Christ. If you're here, we believe you wanna be a follower of Christ. Here's the recipe that Jesus gave us for that. I'm gonna get it. Let's run with it.
29:26 I mean, that that's how Jesus called people and said, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me. He didn't candy coat it. He said, there's a cost to following me. I think, George, I think that's the way forward. I
29:37 think just challenging people. Alright. We're out of time. George, always great to talk with you. We're gonna unpack this more, I'm sure. So don't folks, don't go away. We're gonna be back on the other side of the break
29:48 with more Washington
29:54 Download the new Stand Firm app for Apple and Android phones today. You can join a wonderful community of fellow believers. We've created a special place for you to
30:06 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 of
30:17 course, stand firm wherever you go.
30:22 At Family Research Council, defending the family isn't just a mission. It's our daily calling. Every team member at FRC uses their god given talents to stand for biblical truth,
30:34 protect life, and uphold religious freedom.
30:37 Here at Family Research Council, we face many threats to the family, threats that have been with us for some time, abortion, the gender ideology threat, the attacks on marriage, the attacks on parental authority, and the
30:48 attacks on religious freedom. We have to promote, support, strengthen, and incentivize family growth so families take their place in society in a place of honor. I'm defending the family by working in the
31:00 Center for Biblical Worldview, to provide cutting edge research and resources, for pastors, ministry leaders, and Christian parents.
31:10 Through my work at the Washington Stand, I passionately defend what God has defined for marriage and family. I don't see the Washington Sand as just a place to talk about cultural events. It's a place to share biblical
31:22 truth with the perfect outlet to advance and defend what God has defined as good, true, and beautiful.
31:29 Because of you, we're able to frame things in such a way that help Christians stand for truth on the things that matter most, like life, faith, family, and freedom.
31:37 Thank you for standing with us.
31:39 Thank you for your support. It is so critical to the work that we at Family Research Council are doing day to day as we support and strengthen the family. So thank you.
31:52 Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in on this Monday. Alright. It's, we're into day 13 of a government shutdown. Of course, today is a federal holiday, so congress is out. The house is, back
32:04 in their districts. The senate, was, on its way out on the weekend, leaving on Friday. And I spoke with house speaker Mike Johnson about the shutdown for our weekend program this week on Capitol Hill, and I'd like
32:16 to share a part of that conversation with you right now. Here's how that conversation went. So let me ask you this, mister speaker, because, you know, CRs have become a way of life, in in Washington. And as you pointed
32:28 out, trying to change that, get back to something we haven't done over 2 decades, the regular appropriations process. But normally, those continuing resolutions contain, you know, what some would call poison pills
32:39 or something to make them distasteful to the other side, policy initiatives that the majority party puts in. What makes this 1 unique is that it's actually a continuation of what the Democrats had funded before.
32:51 It's not a partisan bill from a standpoint of Republicans putting things in the CR.
32:57 It's such an important point. Thanks for thanks for noticing that. It's a nonpartisan bill. In fact, it continues the Biden era spending and policies. The Biden era. Now we we load that
33:09 as conservatives, as Republicans. We're trying to change it. We wanna reduce the size and scope of the federal government and spend less money and spend it more responsibly. That's what the appropriations process is
33:19 intended to bring about. And and we're forcing that muscle memory back. It's like pushing a boulder uphill as I've explained to everybody, but it's it's happening. We just ran out of time. And people say, well, why why
33:29 didn't you get it done by September thirtieth? Well, remember, the first 6 months of this calendar was eaten up by the passage of the 1 big beautiful bill, the reconciliation, bill that the working families tax cut. And
33:40 and so our appropriators were very patient, and they they got a little delayed on it, and we just needed more time. We sent it over in good faith, Tony. It's a it's a it's a great thing when the truth and the facts are
33:51 on your side. We sent over a bare bones document. I could have loaded it up with a bunch of Republican priorities and poison pills, as you said. We didn't do that. I just assumed that Chuck Schumer and the Democrats
34:02 would do what they've done every year. I mean, they voted 13 times for CRs during the Biden administration. And when we were in the minority party, we never shut the government down over something like that because we
34:12 knew real Americans would be hurt, but they seem not to care. You've seen what Chuck Schumer said 2 days ago. He said every day the government is closed is better for us. It is stunning to me that they say these things
34:22 out loud. He tried to he tried to, clean up on aisle 5 after that, but that tells you what they they really think. He's getting accolades from the far left, and that is 100 percent what all this was about.
34:33 Well, let let's talk about those accolades for the far left because as the Republicans put forth this clean CR, no policy priorities for the Republicans. What the Democrats are making this about is an extension of
34:45 something that expires the end of this year, which were COVID era Biden or or Obama, care, premium subsidies. This was done during COVID. It was you know, whenShow more
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