Skip to content 7/15/2026 Will Congress Take the Opportunity to Address the Abortion Problem Significantly? Jul 16 · 59 min ...more
7/15/2026 Will Congress Take the Opportunity to Address the Abortion Problem Significantly?
July 16, 2026 · 59 min
On Today’s Washington Watch, Tony Perkins and his guest discuss how the Attorney General nominee, Todd Blanche, was peppered with questions regarding the harms of the abortion drug mifepristone, why reconciliation 3.0 must address the abortion issue, and specifically the federal funding of Planned Parenthood, as well as offering more reflection on Senator Lindsey Graham,
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video July 16, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
On Today’s Washington Watch, Tony Perkins and his guest discuss how the Attorney General nominee, Todd Blanche, was peppered with questions regarding the harms of the abortion drug mifepristone, why reconciliation 3.0 must address the abortion issue, and specifically the federal funding of Planned Parenthood, as well as offering more reflection on Senator Lindsey Graham, ...more Show the full description Show less On Today’s Washington Watch, Tony Perkins and his guest discuss how the Attorney General nominee, Todd Blanche, was peppered with questions regarding the harms of the abortion drug mifepristone, why reconciliation 3.0 must address the abortion issue, and specifically the federal funding of Planned Parenthood, as well as offering more reflection on Senator Lindsey Graham,
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In this video 0:00 News Brief: Blanch Hearing and Global Headlines4:52 Blanch Hearing Recap and Senate Insights23:24 Urgent Call to Restrict Mifepristone39:48 Panel: Pro-Life Action and Spiritual Warning59:00 Closing Prayer and Devotional Call
News Brief: Blanch Hearing and Global Headlines 0:00 Hello. I'm Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council and host of Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Every day, we offer a biblical perspective on the news as well as insightful interviews with elected0:12 leaders, newsmakers, and culture experts. We have a great program planned for you today, but 1st, get up to speed on the top headlines with Washington Stan's news brief.0:27 Welcome to the Washington Stan news brief. I'm Casey Harper bringing you today's big stories. Acting attorney general Todd Blanch sat for his confirmation hearing before the senate on Wednesday.0:37 17 months ago, I sat at this table as the nominee to be the deputy attorney general, and I told you that serving in the Department of Justice was my American dream.0:50 Since then, I have I have helped lead it 1st as deputy and now as acting attorney general, and I'm here today to earn your trust once more.0:59 Blanche, who is president Trump's former personal, lawyer, faced a battery of questions from both sides of the aisle. Those questions touched on a range of issues from the DOJ's controversial anti weaponization fund1:11 to president Trump's taxes to whether Blanche is too loyal to the president. Another point of criticism for the DOJ was on abortion. The DOJ's refusal to enforce laws on the books already to1:23 prevent the interstate shipping of the abortion pill sparked questions for Blanche. The Trump administration could crack down on the pill, but has chosen not to, and many aren't happy about it. But Blanche's role in
1:35 the handling of the Epstein files drew scrutiny as well.
1:39 The Department of Justice undertook a herculean task to review millions and millions of potentially responsive files. We were required under the statute to do this expeditiously and very quickly.
1:51 The Department of Justice did so. We reviewed over 6000000 pages.
1:57 The DOJ faced criticism from both sides of the aisle for seemingly slow walking the release of those files after, by the way, claiming to have already released them. But the DOJ also took fire for releasing
2:09 details about victims.
2:11 They took pains to apply appropriate redactions. There were mistakes that were made. And so approximately 1 percent
2:23 Epstein files. Chairman, we had dozens of lawyers on call, 24 7. Whenever we learned that any victim's name had been improperly not
2:35 redacted, we immediately took the document down and fixed it as soon as we could. That doesn't excuse the mistakes of which I take responsibility, but it does mean that we tried to fix them.
2:47 Jay Clayton, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, as well as Erica Schwarz, his pick to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, faced confirmation proceedings today as well. Meanwhile, in the
2:59 Middle East, fighting continues in Iran. The US conducted a new wave of strikes Wednesday morning against Iran's coastal defense systems and cruise missile storage and launch sites. Those strikes came after the US
3:11 reinstated a naval blockade of Iranian ports. President Trump has said he's done negotiating and pointed out that they've had several deals that Iranian leaders have reneged on. He also said that the US
3:22 will be the guardian angel of the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Iran has continued firing on ships in the Strait as well as US air bases in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Now
3:34 in a related development, Iraqi prime minister Ali al Zaidi said from the White House that all remaining US troops would be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of September. Both the prime minister and president
3:46 Trump emphasized though that American companies would still have access to Iraqi oil.
3:51 We're gonna be doing a lot of deals. We're gonna create a lot of jobs for both countries, and we're gonna be taking out a lot of oil. A lot of oil is coming out, and the American companies are doing it. Mostly American
4:03 companies now. They don't wanna do business with others. They wanna do business with America, and that's good. And that's 1 of the reasons that I felt so strongly that this was going to be a great prime minister, and I
4:14 fought for that.
4:16 Right now, about 2000 US soldiers are in Northern Iraq. Well, for our last story, the House of Representatives voted Tuesday to make daylight savings time permanent. That means we spring forward an hour in March,
4:27 but come November, we would not fall back. Some are happy about it. Some are not so sure. But 1st, it heads over to the senate for consideration. Well, that is today's news. I'm Casey
4:39 Harper. Check-in next time for more stories that matter.
Blanch Hearing Recap and Senate Insights
4:52 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.
5:10 I've seen video myself of of what, appears to be pills coming even from overseas, to to young women and doesn't matter who applies for it. Anybody can get it. There's
5:22 no instructions. They just come dumped out of a little plastic bag, and and it's, it's wrong. And I very much commit our resources to to stopping this.
5:32 That was acting attorney general Todd Blanch responding to questions today about the abortion drug Mifepressstone during his confirmation hearing. Welcome to this Wednesday, July 15th edition of Washington
5:44 Watch. I'm Tony Perkins, your host. Thanks so much for tuning in. Well, coming up, house Republicans today unveiled a budget framework for a roughly 95000000000 dollar reconciliation package that would
5:56 fund defense priorities related to Iran, provide farm assistance, and support state efforts to implement voter ID requirements in elections. But the question is, will senate Republicans support
6:07 it? North Dakota senator Kevin Cramer joins us with the latest on reconciliation 3.0 as well as the status of the must pass National Defense Authorization Act, which senate Democrats are currently
6:19 blocking. Plus, senator John Cornyn joins us to discuss today's senate judiciary committee hearing for Todd Blanch where lawmakers raised multiple concerns about the dangers of the abortion drug mifepristone.
6:31 Then Alabama attorney general Steve Marshall will join us to discuss why the Trump administration has yet to address those concerns. All of that and more straight ahead.
6:46 So let's begin on Capitol Hill. Earlier today, Todd Blanch appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing to serve as US attorney general. Joining me now to discuss this hearing is
6:58 Washington stand reporter Casey Harper. Alright, Casey. Walk us through what transpired today.
7:04 Yeah. Thanks, Tony. A long hearing, several hours, where acting attorney general Todd Blanch faced questions and strict scrutiny, really, and a high stakes senate confirmation to lead the DOJ. Now a few highlights during
7:16 the hearing, senator Josh Hawley pressed Blanch on solutions for undoing that Biden administration abortion policy you mentioned that allows free reign for the abortion drug mifepristone to be ordered via the mail
7:27 without an in person doctor's visit even if a state is pro life. Here is a clip of, Blanche's reaction to Holly's question.
7:36 We are not defending what Biden did and will not. The FDA has has a process that that we're letting them, go forward in and that's this is again in our briefings.
7:48 Takes a year. They've committed to do it significantly less time than a year. President Trump's administration in its entirety will protect the the life of the unborn and and and work with, states and and
8:00 obviously you to make sure that we do that in the best way.
8:03 Now some critics say that that process is a stalling tactic, but it wasn't the only topic of the hearing. Blanche was also pressed about the Epstein files and the Trump administration's handling of it. Blanche
8:14 acknowledged there were mistakes made, like not redacting some of the victims' names. But and during the hearing, Blanche also made an important point about that controversial 1800000000 dollar anti weaponization fund
8:24 making clear that it is dead as a door nail, Tony.
8:28 Alright. Let's talk, Middle East. President Trump has asked Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull back Israeli troops from Syria and Lebanon. Walk
8:40 us through this news.
8:42 Yes. A new tension maybe between Trump and Netanyahu. During a recent phone call between the 2 leaders, president Trump warned that the Israeli Defense Forces' continued presence in those regions may be causing
8:53 unnecessary friction, could even lead to escalation of the conflict. Now that phone call comes as Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the US this weekend because of the funeral of the late senator Lindsey Graham. It's
9:05 unclear if president Trump and Netanyahu actually meet face to face, while the, Netanyahu is in the country. Now a new round of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon also started yesterday in Rome aimed at
9:16 advancing the implementation of that important ceasefire arrangement and the longstanding border security issues. An Israeli official said Israel is ready to move forward with this arrangement they worked out with 2
9:28 pilot zones in southern Lebanon where Israel would pull back some of their forces and Lebanese forces, would take control. But, you know, Lebanon in the past has been unwilling to hold back Hezbollah, so we'll see how it
9:39 works out.
9:40 Alright, Casey. 1 final topic. Speaking of, of Israel, top Democrats say they'll oppose a proposal to cut US military funding to, to Israel. And this, this amendment, was
9:52 just in the house. The Massey amendment failed 104 to 3 14. It seems like there's a lot of, division within the ranks of the Democratic Party over support for Israel.
10:03 Yeah. Very much so. I think, just over 100 Democrats voted for it despite house minority leader Hakeem Jeffries leading the opposition to that amendment, which, of course, was, put forward by Republican congressman
10:14 Thomas Massie to cut military aid to Israel. And the point that Jeffries made and and the point he made in the letter to his Democratic colleagues is that, yes, American policy in the Middle East must change, which
10:25 Democrats wanna hear, but he said it's too broad of a stroke. It's gonna impact humanitarian funds, maybe embassy opposite operations, refugee assistance, and other things. And so I think Democrats are looking for
10:35 changes, but, this massive effort didn't have enough to get across the finish line.
10:39 Alright, Casey. Thanks for the update. We'll talk to you a little bit later in the program. Alright. I wanna turn now to, to the senate where Democrats yesterday blocked the annual must
10:51 pass defense authorization bill in protest over the conflict with Iran. Joining us now to discuss this and more is senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota who
11:04 serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Cramer, welcome back to Washington Watch. Always good to see you.
11:08 Always my pleasure. Thank you, Tony.
11:10 But before we, get into today's topic, I I just wanna kinda gauge, you know, the the shocking news over the weekend of the passing of, our friend, senator Lindsey Graham. How how are your colleagues,
11:22 responding to that?
11:24 Yeah. Well, we're shocking is the word. We're all we've all been shocked, and we've all are very, very sad, obviously, in processing it. Tony, but at least we're processing it together. It's sort of it's like a family,
11:36 obviously, and that includes Republicans and Democrats. So we're processing it together. I think we're healing together. We're grieving together. And, of course, having Darlene Graham,
11:48 replace Lindsey now, his sister, is is part of that process interestingly. I I found myself yesterday, of course, a little more sentimental, in her presence as she sworn in, but
12:00 at the same time, hopeful and and you and you see the you see the good that comes even from from the loss of a good friend and that you you meet another really good friend who's, stepping in the gap on on behalf
12:12 of her brother in in this country. So, you know, the funny thing about death is, for the rest of us, life continues, and and the senate has work to do. And so we're gonna do it without Lindsey, which is
12:24 gonna require, by the way, Tony, a lot of senators stepping up in individual places because because Lindsey cut such a broad swath. I mean, such a broad swath. Swath. It's gonna take all of us doing a little more. I
12:35 mean,
12:36 he because
12:36 no 1 senator is gonna replace him.
12:38 He, he was such an advocate for Israel, and he understood foreign policy so well. 1 other question on this, senator, because I know of your personal faith in Jesus Christ. Moments like
12:50 this cause people to ask questions, to to reflect on the bigger picture of life and the and the meaning of life. Do you do you see that happening?
12:58 Without a question. I I I'm, of course, in the 2 I'm in a Tuesday morning Bible study. I'm in Wednesday morning, prayer breakfast with with my colleagues who are there are Republicans and Democrats in both. I fellowship
13:10 with a group of Republican and Democrat men, senators, and house members, Tuesday nights for dinner. And, and we're all we're all seeing this moment, and we're all, you know, asking the
13:21 questions, of course. So you see even our own vulnerabilities as people of faith. And there's no question that the opportunity that a moment like this presents for us to be a witness among our friends and
13:33 among our colleagues within the club that is the United States Senate as well as the larger the larger, audience, if you will, that watches us, I think is, part of God's plan, quite honestly. That there there we know
13:45 there's no abiding city on this earth, but there is, an abiding city that that Lindsay will enjoy and that, that hopefully we all enjoy with him, 1 day, and and we need to be able to tell that story,
13:57 that story of hope.
13:59 Yeah. The the city of God, which is eternal. I I wanna turn now to business at hand, although these things sometimes pale in comparison when we look at those bigger pictures we're just
14:10 talking about, the bigger issues of life. But National Defense Authorization Act, this is something that passes every year. I think 66 years, we've passed this thing. And the Democrats are blocking it.
14:21 Yeah.
14:22 Where is this going?
14:24 So fortunately, the the leader, John Thune, did, make motion to to reconsider, which means it's simply a marker that means we can bring it back
14:36 up at any time. We'll continue to negotiate with Democrats. He'll no doubt bring it up again, you know, within a week or 2 to to see where we might stand if there's any movement. But the
14:48 reality is is that that Chuck Schumer and Democrats are they all see a vulnerability, I think, in, in in this tragedy that we're experiencing as a family and, the fact that that we're down 1
15:00 senator with with senator McConnell who's a strong hawk for, for national defense and and security. And and just I think they see some vulnerabilities that they're trying to exploit for
15:12 for something else. The the fact what's so ironic about it is they say it's over the Iran conflict, that that's the reason that they're blocking the NDAA, which is so absurd when you consider that we're gonna punish
15:24 our military men and women and their their compensation and their benefits and their and their weapon systems and their own personal security to make a point about, their objection to
15:36 to, the president's, you know, war as they call it against Iran. It's just insane to me, and I think it's shallow. And I think if you think about it for 30 seconds, you see how wrong they are. So I it's
15:48 important that people like me and people like you that we we use these platforms to talk about it in those terms because I think that's exactly what it is. I think it's it's it's Chuck Schumer and his leadership more
15:59 afraid of the of the the the DSA, the democratic socialist, that that are now well organized, running ads, recruiting young people. They're more concerned about that than they are the men and women
16:10 who are defending the freedoms around the world. And that's it's it's sad and it's sick.
16:16 It is. We we certainly don't wanna use the men and women who are in uniform that are doing just what they've been told to do, what they've been trained to do, and punish them for for doing it. I I wanna switch gears. We
16:28 got, just about 2 minutes left, senator Kramer. Today, House Republicans unveiled the, a budget framework for a 3rd reconciliation package, 94000000000 dollars. It would
16:39 have components of the Save America Act. Where do you think that goes if it comes over to the Senate?
16:47 Well, where I what I think is going to happen, what I hope is going to happen and happening is that, you know, remembering senator Graham was the budget committee chairman. The new chairman, the incoming chairman is Ron
16:58 Johnson from Wisconsin, and Ron spoke a bit to us today at lunch. Ron, it's I think working with chairman Arrington over at in the house who is just 1 of the finest men in congress, and I'm
17:10 sorry that he is, not running again. But I think it's really important that we've worked with the house and the White House on a package that can pass both chambers. I I think that the house's
17:21 package is really quite good. It's focused on just basically 2 things. Well, it's really 2 and a half things, defense to include intelligence and then, some some farm aid, which is really important as we negotiate
17:33 trade deals around the around the world. And then with with a couple of, provisions that will help at least provide some incentives for states to adopt some of the some of those
17:45 characteristics in the Save America Act that we can't get done, without without at least 50 or 60 votes in the United States Senate. So I think it's pretty cleverly put together. I think it's too modest in some respects.
17:56 We need more. The president wants 350000000000 for national defense, and I support that. They've sort of taken the supplemental for restocking the munitions that we've used in Iran and put that
18:08 into this to this reconciliation package. I think we need to think a little bit bigger there. There's still some work to be done on on on, you know, pay force, things like that. But, I think they've done a marvelous job
18:20 with it, and I think they've certainly pushed pushed the, the envelope a little bit that forces this broader negotiation between all the parties, and I hope we can get it done. I think it might be the only thing we can
18:30 fund this year the way that the Democrats are behaving.
18:34 Alright. Senator Kramer, always great to see you, my friend. Thanks for joining us. We're gonna talk a little bit more later about that reconciliation 3.0. There's some, there's some other things missing out of
18:46 it. We're gonna talk about that. Alright. Don't go away. More Washington Watch straight ahead.
18:54 Join us for a time of prayer, inspiration, and action at this year's pray vote stand summit at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia. Hear from Christian leaders, issue experts, and
19:05 government officials as we work together to build a foundation based on biblical truth. We hope to see you there September 24th through the 26th. To register, visit pray vote stand dot org.
19:17 That's pray vote stand dot org.
19:22 What is God's role in government? What does the separation of church and state really mean? And how does morality shape a nation? President John Adams said
19:34 our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Join Family Research Council for God and Government,
19:46 a powerful series that explores the connection between biblical principles and the American government, equipping you with truth to engage in today's most pressing debates. We'll uncover the
19:57 foundations of our nation's history and why it's relevant for today. Join us to defend God's plan for government because faith and freedom were never meant to be separate. You
20:09 can view the course at f r c dot org slash god in government or on the Stand Firm app.
20:23 1 nation under God, America's undeniable foundation of faith.
20:36 The United States Capitol, an iconic symbol of the American Republic. But few know that this building at the heart of our nation's government was once something more, the largest church
20:47 building in America. Since its inception, and for decades following, several rooms throughout the capitol, including the house and senate chambers, were used to host church services weekly.
21:00 These services were filled with individuals from all levels of government. The attendance was so pervasive that often, it was standing room only. Quote, going to the capitol on Sundays was then 1 of the
21:12 most common things in Washington, Margaret Bayard Smith. This practice was not merely accepted, but encouraged. Quote, I consider it as 1 of my public duties, as a representative
21:24 of the people, to give my attendance every Sunday morning when divine service is performed in the hall. President John Quincy Adams. Housing worship at the center of our capital was a
21:35 living representation of the role that biblical principles played as a cornerstone of our nation's foundation of faith.
21:55 Hi. Welcome back to Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in and being a part of the program. If you haven't already made plans to attend the Pray Vote Stand Summit 20 26, I wanna invite you to join us.
22:06 Summit's gonna take place September the 24th through the 26th at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia, and that's just outside of, Washington DC. This will be an opportunity for you to connect with Christian leaders,
22:18 issue experts, government officials, and and folks just like you who are standing for faith, family, and freedom. It it it connects the political with the spiritual. It gives
22:30 us the reason why we're engaged and how we are to engage. So you can register. Text summit to 6 7 7 4 2. That's summit to 6 7 7 4 2 either to register or to get more
22:42 information. Alright. In today's confirmation hearing of Todd Blanch, whom the president has tapped to serve as US attorney general, the topic of mifepressed stone, the chemical abortion drug, was
22:54 widely discussed.
22:56 This is sick and twisted and must stop. He used his ex wife's information to buy those drugs online, to kill
23:08 his own child, and to endanger Jana's life. And sadly, her story is 1 of many.
23:16 That was Alabama senator Katie Britt passionately telling the story of an ex husband who secretly obtained mifepro prestone through the mail and surreptitiously gave it to his ex wifeShow more
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