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Speaker 1: Welcome to this week on Capitol Hill. You're insider's guide to the story shaping our nation and the world. I'm your host, Jody Heis. Before we begin, a quick note for our this week on Capitol Hill. Family, Tony's father, Richard Perkins, was called home to be with the Lord this week.
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Speaker 2: He was eighty six years.
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Speaker 1: Old, and I know that all of you joined me in praying for Tony and his family as they mourn the laws right now of an incredible man, a deeply devoted husband, a very loving father, and a faithful, faithful friend to so many of us. In fact, Tony shared on his social media earlier this week that because of Christ, death does not have the final word, so we indeed all rejoice that Richard Perkins is now with his Savior.
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Speaker 2: Well.
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Speaker 1: With Tony stepping away from hosting this week in order to be with his family, it's my honor, indeed to be sitting in for him, and again, thank you for joining us.
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Speaker 2: All right, let's get to it now.
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Speaker 3: The third longest shut down in American history. They like making history on the other side, the wrong kind. They had the longest shut down in history last fall, as we all know, and now they've got the third.
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Speaker 1: That was House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday. So how has the partial DHS shutdown left America vulnerable to terrorism? Well, I'll discuss that later with former Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Ken Kuchinelli. And now that the Senate has begun debate on the Save America Act, Ken, Republicans pushed through this vital election integrity measure with Democrats peddling live is in vowing to block it.
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Speaker 4: Let's be clear, Senate Democrats will never allow the Save Act to pass this chamber. Senate Democrats will hold the line as long as necessary because with this bill, democracy is at stake, and I want to be very clear, the Save Act is not about voter identification, It's about voter suppression.
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Speaker 1: Well, that was Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this week, and Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan will be joining us to weigh in. And what does the escalating conflict with Iran reveal about the dangerous ties between Tehran and the Chinese Communist Party. Well, Michigan Congressman John Molinaure, who is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP. He'll be joining us later to discuss that all that in morphs coming up on this week on Capitol Hill. All right, heated debate raged on the Senate floor this week as Republican senator's fault to advance the Save America Act, which requires proof of US citizenship for federal voter registration and also voter ID in order to vote. Will join us to break all of this down. Is Casey Harper with the Washington Stand. Casey, welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill.
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Speaker 2: Thanks Jody.
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Speaker 1: All right, So it looks like both sides are digging in over the Save America Act, so catch us up on the latest what's happening.
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Speaker 2: You're right, they are digging in, Jody.
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Speaker 5: As you heard that cup of Schumer, you played democracy itself as at stake. Although I think the Democrats might be in danger of crying wolf on democracy because several times democracy has been mistake. I think the election of President Trump was the death of democracy, which is kind of ironic that an election could be the death of democracy, but that's what they said. So I guess democracy has been resurrected and will be killed again by this latest bill to require voter ID, which Schumer also says is racist.
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Speaker 2: Now, let's just go through what does the.
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Speaker 5: Save Act actually do just a refresher. It requires voter ID to vote, It requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, It cleans up the voter roles on a regular basis, and it puts limits on mail in voting. Now, of course, Democrats are saying that it disenfranchises people that to be too hard to get some of these documented documents, and Republicans are saying, well, actually, this is how we secure our elections, and they're tightening up how hard it is to register to vote because some of these blue states they just hand out driver's license like candy, and so it's very easy to get a driver's license even if you're.
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Speaker 2: Not a citizen.
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Speaker 5: Now, Utah Senator Mike Lee has been an avid supporter of the bill, and I think we actually have a clip here of him defending it from critics.
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Speaker 6: Suggesting that twenty twenty one million Americans will be disenfranchised.
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Speaker 2: If this becomes law. That is a lie. That is an absolute lie. It's just not true to.
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Speaker 6: Those pedaling this lie, I strongly suggest I implore you to check your cross tabs verify your survey participants, do your homework, and more than anything, even if you don't spend any time with the survey at all or inspect the methodology.
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Speaker 2: Read the bill.
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Speaker 5: So Jody, both sides dug in here, But it looks like this debate could go on for several days, even another week.
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Speaker 1: Well, this is an extremely important bill, you know, certainly not only for Americans, I think as a whole to secure elections and Republicans in general, but I think Republicans also know how important this is to President Trump. So how is that shaping the process?
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Speaker 2: Well, that's definitely true.
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Speaker 5: And this vote would in this debate would not be happening if it were not for the president. And as of now, that really doesn't look like it has enough votes, but that could change.
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Speaker 2: Now.
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Speaker 5: We're seeing some concerns from like Republican Lisa Murkowski, who's concerned about the limits on mail and voting because mail and voting is really important in Alaska, where it makes it very difficult to travel. But Senator John Thuhn is saying that they're going to use this issue against Democrats coming into November because this is the simple fact that Democrats can't vote for voter ID is a political liability, and I think we have a clip of foon right here.
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Speaker 7: We can play in cities in Vermont, California.
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Speaker 2: Right here in Washington, d c.
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Speaker 7: Non citizens are allowed to vote in local elections. So it should be no surprise that Democrats seem not to care very much about ensuring that American citizens and American citizens only are voting in our national elections.
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Speaker 2: But it is deeply concerning, Jody.
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Speaker 5: Just three quick stats to show you that even if the Senate is not fully on board, President Trump does have the backing of the American people and a lot of these line items. First, eighty five percent of voters say only US citizens should be allowed to vote.
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Speaker 2: I mean that's cross parties.
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Speaker 5: Seventy one percent say they support this very specific bill, the Save America Act, and eighty one percent support states removing non citizens from voter roles. So it has the support of American people, but it still faces an uphill battle.
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Speaker 1: Well, it certainly could be an issue in the upcoming election. Casey, let me switch gears with you. The partial DHS shutdown I really hit Americans hard this past week with massive airport delays, flight cancelations, and the like, what's the latest on ending that mess?
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Speaker 5: Well, sadly, Jodie, there's been little progress on ending the partial shutdown as we have hundreds of TSA workers quitting or not showing up for work in three to four hour lines at airports. On top of that, and I'm not hearing as much reporting about this, but we've had several domestic terror attacks, not just this year but in recent years. But more recently we have had austin New York City, Old Dominion University and more. So, you know, it's pretty troubling, but we do have negotiations ongoing. On Thursday, there is a bipartisan group of Senators which included members of the Appropriations Committee and a group of Democrats.
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Speaker 2: Key Democrats that.
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Speaker 5: Actually helped negotiate the end of the last shutdown, if you remember, they met privately with at the Capital with Tom Holman, who's the borders are for President Trump, where they likely discussed reforms to Ice, which has really been a key sticking point. And one more really interesting thing Jody, that's happened is Senate Majority leader in.
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Speaker 2: John Thune, he suggested the Senate.
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Speaker 5: Is going to start skipping their recesses and working through the weekend if the Department of Homeland Security is not funded, which is, as you know, is very unusual for the Senate, which loves their weekends.
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Speaker 2: Wow.
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Speaker 1: All right, And one other things before I let you go. The Iran conflict continues to escalate, and Israel struck a key gas field on Wednesdays, of course, parking fears of more Iranian counter strikes on neighboring golf energy sites. And there are now some essa most that suggest God may need another two hundred billion dollars to sustain the operations.
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Speaker 2: What are you hearing with all this?
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Speaker 5: Well, on that oil field specifically, President Trump said in his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, which I covered, that he personally spoke to Israel about that and said it won't be happening again. He told him he didn't like it and didn't want to do it. There has been some reporting that it actually was coordinated, but that's what the President said in the meeting. As for the costs of the war, that two hundred billion dollar figure, it really depends on how long the war goes, and if it drags on and on the war, the figure could rise. And at a press event, Secretary Pete Hegseth, he was asked about that two hundred billion dollar figure. He said that money is needed to replenish US missile stockpiles, among other things.
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Speaker 2: And it's not really surprising.
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Speaker 5: Because Hegseth said that we've struck seven thousand targets across Iron not to mention all the ammunition that's fired defensively to fend off these drone and ballistic missile attacks.
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Speaker 2: So we've depleted some of our ammunition.
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Speaker 5: And of course, Jody, President Biden in the last administration gave a way hundreds of billions of dollars in munitions to Ukraine, which is another point that the President has been making.
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Speaker 1: Only about thirty seconds, Casey, But how do you see this playing out in Congress? You think they'll come on board to infuse another two hundred billion.
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Speaker 5: Well, a couple of dimensions on Congress is these repeated warpower votes have failed in the Senate, which is worth noticing. On the funding, Democrats are totally opposed to the funding request, of course, which is not a surprise. But on the Republican side, it's an uphill battle as well. Some Republicans are saying they want it to be paid for, and I think it's gonna be hard to do that unless we get a big reconciliatation package, which it could still happen.
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Speaker 1: It could happen. All right, Thank you, Casey Harper from Washington. Stand all right, stay tuned. We've got much more coming your way on this week on Capitol Hill. Joining me next is Congressman John Molinar, so stay with us, will be right back. Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host, Chody. Heis sitting in for Tony this week.
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Speaker 2: All right.
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Speaker 1: With the US and Iran conflict now in its third week, one of the key factors enabling Iran's continued resistance is its deepening economic and military ties to the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, the CCP purchases the bulk of Iran's sanctioned oil, and it also supplies critical components to sustain to Ron's missile and drone programs. Well, we want to talk more about that, and joining me now for that conversation is Congressman John Molinar. He's the chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. He represents the second Congressional District of the Great State of Michigan. Congressman Molinar, great to see you. Thanks so much for us on this week on Capitol Hill.
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Speaker 2: Well, thanks for having me, Jody.
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Speaker 8: It's great to see again and I appreciate the opportunity to.
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Speaker 2: Talk with you. Well, let's start with this.
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Speaker 1: I think this is a very interesting discussion that many people are not aware of. Let's start with can you describe force, let's say, the nexus if you will, between Iran and China, and how China directly supports the regime's war efforts.
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Speaker 8: Well, as you know, China the buys, as you mentioned earlier, a lot of the Iranian oil. In fact, about ninety percent of the oil from Iran is sold to China, and that's evading US sanctions, and so you have the sanctioned oil that China gets at a deep discount. Then they also supply things like motors for drones. They supply chemicals that are used for rocket fuel, and electronics that are used in military capabil weapons and other technologies. Because it's a focus on dual use technologies. And China is very good about saying that they aren't involved supporting a war effort that their products are only used for commercial activity, but the reality is is they're used for wartime activities.
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Speaker 2: And China has a way of.
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Speaker 8: Maintaining a sort of a neutrality but at the same time fostering the rise of these malign countries.
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Speaker 2: And they're doing the same thing with Russia.
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Speaker 8: And we know that they buy a lot of Russian energy and supply a lot of materials to Russia. And of course they have a close relationship with North Korea.
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Speaker 2: So when you look.
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Speaker 8: At the Iran, North Korea, Russia China nexus is very concerned.
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Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm glad you brought that up.
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Speaker 1: I mean, this whole discussion here, Congressman me is something that I think the majority of people are kind of missing in this whole battle. So is it fair to say that the CCP's support is not only based upon what you were just saying. It's not only helping Iran avoid being isolated in the world, but it is also fitting into a broader axis of authoritarian states Like you just mentioned what China, Russia and North Korea and Iran are they all kind of incahoots together.
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Speaker 8: They are, and as you point out, you know there's this authoritarian acxis, if you will, And these are countries that don't respect the rule of law, they don't respect human dignity. When we think about our two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of our declaration of independence, endowed by our creator with analienable rights, they want no part of that. And so this is something that's very concerning. We've seen how China has an ab Iran to be part of different international organizations almost like a legitimate player and human rights and other things, which is confounding. But China has helped to run evage sanctions and be welcomed as a country that in some way protects human rights, and we of course know that is not the case.
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Speaker 1: I think another thing that's kind of telling in all of this is the Chinese Comanist Party, at least so far, has either deflected or just outrightly ignored President's Trump requests to help reopen the straight of horror moves. How do you interpret that move by China.
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Speaker 8: I think they're trying to stay back and not play a responsible role which they could, and they're trying to see how this thing shakes out. They are clearly aligned with Iran, are clearly aligned with Russia and North Korea. But they want to see how it plays out and then they'll manipulate whatever situation to their advantage. And we've seen that over and over again with them, which by the way, does undermine their credibility throughout the world. When they say that they will partner with someone or support someone, you can see how when it comes right down to it, they maintain an artificial neutrality when at the same time they're helping behind the scenes.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, so really that's kind of highlighting their priorities, isn't it. I Mean, if they're not willing to keep the straight of hormones open, it kind of tells us where they are on this issue, doesn't It.
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Speaker 8: Truly does, And it's to their advantage to have the straight of homoos open. And so truly they are not playing a responsible role in this, and the president's right to call him out on it. You know, he has asked for their help. He said that they could play a role, and they are not willing to do that.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, the fact that they were invited to have a role, I you know, maybe foolish me, but I kind of anticipated them to do something to just for the optics of it all. But the fact that they have not at all helped to me kind of highlights a real problem there.
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Speaker 2: Does that have anything to do?
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Speaker 1: I know President Trump is now confirmed postponing the planned trip this spring that he had to Beijing. Is this part of his postponing the trip?
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Speaker 2: Do you think? You know?
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Speaker 8: I think right now, First of all, I'm glad he did postpone the trip, and I'm glad he's keeping his focus on keeping America safe and making sure that the outcome in Iran is good for the American people. And I think, you know, recognizing that China has very different ambitions. You know, in some ways we are trading partners and we need a relationship with China. But at the same time, you know, Jody, I was just with two young ladies today, both of whom's fathers are imprisoned in China for speaking out for freedom and religious liberty. One is Pastor Jin and the other is Jimmy Lai, and both of their daughters were with me today talking about what China, the Chinese Communist Party does because it is threatened by religious liberty and freedom, and you know, so you see how they're conducting themselves, and it's important that we call them to.
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Speaker 2: Task on it.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, do you think those items, those releases of religious hostility and so forth that China exhibits, is that something that the president can use in negotiating You think we've got less in a minute, But just.
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Speaker 2: I believe it is.
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Speaker 8: And I've requested the President when he meets with Shijingping, to put at the forefront these prisoners of conscience and asking for their release, including Jimmy Laie and Pastor Jin. Also, we're asking Secretary of Rubio to sanction the officials in Hong Kong. They're chief of police as well as three judges who have unjustly imprisoned Jimmy Laie, and so we are hoping that he would highlight that when he meets with Shijingping.
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Speaker 1: Thank you for your leadership on all of this, Congressman John Rollinar, great to have you on the program with us today. All right, friends, stay tuned. We've got more this week on Capitol Hill coming your way. Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host, Jody. Heis sitting in for Tony this week. Glad to have you with us. All right, recent acts of terror here at home have certainly raised some serious alarms regarding domestic terrorism with foreign ties. For example, we've seen an attack at Michigan Synagogue that was linked to Hesbellah. There was an ISIS inspired shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia. And there was also an attempted bombing outside the New York City's Mayor's residents and that came from some ISIS supporters. So all of this is taking place while Democrats continue to drag out their shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
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Speaker 2: So just how.
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Speaker 1: Vulnerable is America right now? We joining us now to discuss this is Ken Kuchinelli. He's Senior Fellow for Immigration and Homeland Security at the Center for Renewing America and previously he served as the Deputy Secretary at the Homeland Security Department, and that during the first Trump administration. Ken, Welcome to this week on Capitol Hill. Great to see you, Good to be with you, Jody. Okay, So let's talk about some of these recent attacks here on the homeland. What do they tell us about the reach as well as the influence of foreign groups right here in the United States.
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Speaker 9: Well, first of all, they tell us that we have allowed immigration of people who do not share our values, and under American law you're supposed to if you want to immigrate here. That's a very basic statement, obviously, but so little regard is given to it that it's worth paying some attention to. And so you combine that with a Joe Biden open borders policy of four years letting millions upon millions of people in here, and those are the ones we know about, not to say anything of the godaways, and you have a very dangerous situation.
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Speaker 2: If you look at what Hamas.
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Speaker 9: Did in Israel in October seventh of twenty twenty three. They were planning for that for over a decade and a half. There was a great deal of patients, which means that open borders threat from the Biden era is going to be with us at least until twenty forty in that decade, to say nothing of the home grown threats that we have now planted seeds for or allowed to plant their own seeds.
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Speaker 1: Really yeah, So which is a greater concern is in the sleeper cells that are in the US or the lone wolves with all the activity from Isis and Hesbalo, which is the greater concern.
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Speaker 9: So in terms of just number frequency of attacks. It's the lone wolf attacks. It's the people who are inspired by ISIS, who are in sympathy with ISIS, but.
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Speaker 2: Who act on their own.
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Speaker 9: Much harder to find and stop those beforehand. But the much more dangerous on a single effort would be the sleeper cell approach. People who have strategic support, who may do operational planning and have training that these other folks don't have. And we haven't seen one of those successfully executed yet. So so far, we're dealing with the kind of thing we saw at Odu, although we do foolishly disarm ourselves. Part of how the Odu attack happened is the Democrats in Virginia made it illegal for public universities like go to you to ask about criminal history. This guy had been in prison for eight years for material support for ISIS. This was hrely foreseeable, but Odu was not allowed to see his criminal history.
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Speaker 1: Wow, So what should we prioritize at this point in order to prevent these threats from escalating further?
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Speaker 2: What do you think should be done? So the first thing to do is already done.
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Speaker 9: President Trump did it within six weeks of his second inauguration, and that's closed the border. That hasn't been in the news in a year, and that's because it is successfully boring, and that is a success on the border. I used to tell all my security guards at DHS, I hope you have a boring day, because that's a success for a security guard. And the border patrol is America's security guard, and that is secured. That is it's now very difficult for say a new sleeper cell to get into the United States. It's much harder for material support across our border. So that success has been made. Now large scale deportation, particularly targeting countries of concern Syria, Iran, basically Middle Eastern countries, those deportations ought to be prioritized right alongside violent criminals.
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Speaker 2: Right well, Ken.
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Speaker 1: Kuchenelle, always great to have you join us. Thank you so much for bringing your expertise and insight to the program. Our friend, Ken Kuchinelli, Senior Fellow for Immigration and Homeland Security at the Center for Renewing America, have a great day. Good to be with you, all right, friend, State, thank you. Coming up, we're going to have Congressman Jim Jordan join us to discuss the Save America Act. All that right here, on this week on Capitol Hill. Stay with us, Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host Jody Heist, sitting in this week for Tony. All right, Even as the House passed the Save America Act last month by literally a razor thin margin, most Capitol Hill observers recognize that the road through the Senate for this bill would be rocky at best. Well, earlier this week, Senate Republicans did succeed in bringing the measure to the floor for debate.
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Speaker 2: So that's a good start.
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Speaker 1: But what's next for this crucial election integrity legislation. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman Jim Jordan. He serves on a couple of different committees, but most importantly, he's the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He represents the fourth congressional district of the great state of Ohio. Congressman Jordan, Great to see him, my friend. Welcome to this week on Capitol with You.
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Speaker 10: Good to be with you, Jenny, Thanks, thanks for all you're doing well.
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Speaker 1: Likewise, all right, let's start with this Save America Act. The Senate did actually start their debate this week. What's your thoughts on where this bill currently states.
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Speaker 10: You know, well, Lady Thatcher always said, you got to win the debate before you win the vote. So let's let's let's debate this thing, and let's take as long as as you have to to actually then when the when the vote. That's how it works, and that's how it's supposed to work. And you know, what's been called the greatest deliberative body in history. So yeah, let's have the debate. This is so common sense. Reagan always used to talk about in politics, you got to paint with big bowl colors, so you have to show the voters. Yeah, this is so common sense. Here's why it is. We should have ide if you're gonna if you're gonna vote in federal elections, you should be a citizen. Everyone understands that. Everyone agrees with that except Democrats in the United States Senate. So uh yeah, let's let's let's let's let this debate play out and then hopefully when they call the vote, you will see some Democrat senators who will have seen the light and will vote the right way.
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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting what you just brought up that the polls do absolutely show that an overwhelming majority of Americans including Democrat voters, favor the initiatives that you mentioned that are in this bill. So is it true that the Democrat senators are literally the only ones standing in the way of election integrity.
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Speaker 2: In this country? Yeah, totally true.
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Speaker 10: They will they're not, Schumer said, so they're not going to vote for this, and they, you know, they do what the left typically does. You know, the left will will say something, big media will report what they say, big tech will amplify that message, and then when you tell the truth, they call you racist.
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Speaker 2: And that's exactly what they're doing now.
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Speaker 10: They're saying, Oh, to say that you have to show id to vote, you have to be a citizen to vote, that's racist. Well, that makes no sense because you got to show idea to do anything in this country. So you would think when it comes to something as fundamental as the integrity of our election process, that this would be again just common sense. But they're not gonna they're not supporting it now. But we're having a debate and we'll see how that all plays out once the debate concludes. You know, I always say that there's a reason you kick the ball off and play the game, even though one team is heavily favored. You never know what's going to happen when the game is played. So let's let's let's have this debate and then.
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Speaker 2: Hopefully we'll get we'll get the sixty people, you'll get.
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Speaker 10: A handful of Democrat senators who will do the right thing to vote for it.
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Speaker 1: So do you think that what's driving all this is Trump derangement syndron on the left or is there some reason that they do not want election integrity? Is commonly said, there's only one reason anyone wouldn't want election integrity. So what do you think's really driving this for the Democrats?
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Speaker 2: Well, it's it's all of that.
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Speaker 10: It's it's yeah, they're you know, they're always out, they're always opposed anything President Trump is for anything that's common sense. And I also think it's just a hard left which now controls a Democrat party. So the I always say, not all Democrats are crazy, but the left that controls their party is. And every position they take is just contrary to common sense.
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Speaker 2: It's just plain crazy.
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Speaker 10: It's crazy to defund the police, it's crazy to abolish ice.
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Speaker 2: It's crazy to.
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Speaker 10: Say men she compete against women in sport. It's crazy. To say that you shouldn't have ID to show that when you go to vote Photoway, it's it's crazy to have sanctuary city policy. It's crazy to you can just keep going. So but that's today's left, and they're all the that's the energy in the party.
00:30:46
Speaker 2: So it's a combination of all that.
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Speaker 10: Why you see Chuck Schumer saying I'm not going to vote for photo ID with before you vote, it's like.
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Speaker 2: That makes no sense. But that's today's left.
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Speaker 10: I've said, I actually think this this midterm can be captured in a couple sentences. They're crazy, We're not, and just go tell the voters every position they take makes no sense. We're the party of common sense. Vote for us. I think that's how this thing's going to shake out in the end, and hopefully American people who do have common sense a vote Republican.
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Speaker 2: You sure think so. Switching gears real quickly.
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Speaker 1: This partial shutdown the DHS, it is obviously shining its light. We had massive, massive airport security lines literally frustrating millions this week.
00:31:36
Speaker 2: But there's more than just that.
00:31:38
Speaker 1: I mean, this is an urgent time to fund DHS with all the potential terrorist activity going on. What's your thoughts on where we stand on getting it funded.
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Speaker 10: Well, once again, it's just what I was saying. It's crazy to have a shutdown over at the Department of Homeland Security while we have the military operation going on against Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and while there have been in the last couple of weeks several terrorist attacks right here in the United States. That makes no sense. But that's the Democrat's position. So I don't get it. I don't think any Americans get it. And now Americans are seeing it and feeling it firsthand when they go to go to the airport to travel. So you know, thank your thank your local Democrat, take your state Democrat, senator, United States senator when you're standing in line, because that's the that's the individual who's responsible for the situation. And it's happening, as I said, at a time when we have a military operation going on uh in Iran.
00:32:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, again, like you said, it makes no sense. We've only got a less in a minute. But do you see any movement on this. Congressman Jordany, you think we're going to get this DHS funded.
00:32:53
Speaker 10: Yeah, we'll get there, because I do think in the In the end, enough American citizens will tell their Democrat United States Senator hey, quit being ridiculous, quit being stupid, and actually fund this thing.
00:33:05
Speaker 2: Pass the bill that we passed in the House.
00:33:09
Speaker 10: Make sure that that gets through, that TSA agents get paid, and that we have in place every measure of every precaution that we can to deal with the securing and the security of the homeland.
00:33:24
Speaker 1: Well, hopefully it won't take a catastrophe to awaken them to do what needs to be done. Thank you, Congressman's Jim Jordan. Always great to see you. Thanks so much for your leadership. Keep it upright, take care alrighty, all right, friends, after the break, we're going to share a few final thoughts on the news of this week. So we've got more coming your way this week on Capitol He'll, so stay with us. We will be back in just a moment. Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host, Jody Heist, sitting in for Tony this week.
00:34:07
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining us.
00:34:09
Speaker 1: All right, to close out the program, we're going to revisit Tony's commentary on the new norm of hostility against churches. This is something that the family Research Council has documented in an extensive report that you yourself can get your hands on simply text the word church to six seven seven four to two. That's church to six seven seven four to two.
00:34:33
Speaker 2: Now.
00:34:34
Speaker 1: Tony shared all of this following the storming of a Minneapolis church earlier this year by anti ice protesters. I'm sure you'll remember that, and after noting how hostility against church has been trending in the United States, he posed a very important question that really is worth asking.
00:34:52
Speaker 2: So we'll start there. Here's Tony. Now here's the question we need to ask.
00:34:57
Speaker 11: Is hostility toward religious exercise exp ending beyond vandalism and threats and becoming institutional resistance. We have seen increasing pressure on conscience protections in healthcare. We've seen faith based adoption and foster care providers forced out of states for adhering to biblical truth. We've watched regulatory agencies treat religious organizations not as partners in civil society.
00:35:22
Speaker 2: But as obstacles to their ideological agendas.
00:35:25
Speaker 11: This is not merely about broken windows, graffiti, or even firebombs. It is about a shifting cultural posture toward faith itself. Yet this is where we must look beyond the fog of the cultural war and recognize what is really happening. Religious exercise is on the march. If religious liberty becomes only a defensive battle court cases, injunctions, reactive legislation, we risk narrowing the focus to survival. But religious liberty was never intended merely to shield private belief, is designed to protect public witness. The First Amendment does not secure faith in a fortified lock box.
00:36:06
Speaker 2: It protects its free exercise.
00:36:08
Speaker 11: And that means religious liberty is not only something to defend, it is something to exercise. Members of Congress who pray openly, who allow conviction to shape their votes, who speak about transcendent moral truth in committee hearings, They're not violating the Constitution, They're living within it. Pastors who engage public issues from the pulpit are not trespassing into politics. They're exercising their God given responsibility to speak truth. Has hostility increased, Yes, Hostility rises when faith refuses to retreat, and across his country believers are refusing to retreat. Over the last decade, hundreds of Christian men and women have answered God's call to step into the realm of government without checking their faith at the door that has the forces of spiritual darkness behind the profits of secularism deeply troubled because they're losing ground. The ultimate question before us in Washington, d c. And across the nation is not whether religious liberty survives on paper. It is whether it is lived out with conviction. Religious liberty is strongest when it is visible, when it's exercised with humility, confidence, and courage. When believers live their convictions openly, serving, speaking, legislating, praying, then religious liberty becomes more than a defensive line. It becomes a transforming testimony. Religious freedom is not being attacked because it is in retreat, just the opposite, because it is advancing.
00:37:39
Speaker 2: And that has been this week on Capitol Hill.
Speaker 1: Welcome to this week on Capitol Hill. You're insider's guide to the story shaping our nation and the world. I'm your host, Jody Heis. Before we begin, a quick note for our this week on Capitol Hill. Family, Tony's father, Richard Perkins, was called home to be with the Lord this week.
00:00:20
Speaker 2: He was eighty six years.
00:00:21
Speaker 1: Old, and I know that all of you joined me in praying for Tony and his family as they mourn the laws right now of an incredible man, a deeply devoted husband, a very loving father, and a faithful, faithful friend to so many of us. In fact, Tony shared on his social media earlier this week that because of Christ, death does not have the final word, so we indeed all rejoice that Richard Perkins is now with his Savior.
00:01:02
Speaker 2: Well.
00:01:03
Speaker 1: With Tony stepping away from hosting this week in order to be with his family, it's my honor, indeed to be sitting in for him, and again, thank you for joining us.
00:01:13
Speaker 2: All right, let's get to it now.
00:01:16
Speaker 3: The third longest shut down in American history. They like making history on the other side, the wrong kind. They had the longest shut down in history last fall, as we all know, and now they've got the third.
00:01:29
Speaker 1: That was House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday. So how has the partial DHS shutdown left America vulnerable to terrorism? Well, I'll discuss that later with former Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Ken Kuchinelli. And now that the Senate has begun debate on the Save America Act, Ken, Republicans pushed through this vital election integrity measure with Democrats peddling live is in vowing to block it.
00:02:02
Speaker 4: Let's be clear, Senate Democrats will never allow the Save Act to pass this chamber. Senate Democrats will hold the line as long as necessary because with this bill, democracy is at stake, and I want to be very clear, the Save Act is not about voter identification, It's about voter suppression.
00:02:26
Speaker 1: Well, that was Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this week, and Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan will be joining us to weigh in. And what does the escalating conflict with Iran reveal about the dangerous ties between Tehran and the Chinese Communist Party. Well, Michigan Congressman John Molinaure, who is the chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP. He'll be joining us later to discuss that all that in morphs coming up on this week on Capitol Hill. All right, heated debate raged on the Senate floor this week as Republican senator's fault to advance the Save America Act, which requires proof of US citizenship for federal voter registration and also voter ID in order to vote. Will join us to break all of this down. Is Casey Harper with the Washington Stand. Casey, welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill.
00:03:30
Speaker 2: Thanks Jody.
00:03:33
Speaker 1: All right, So it looks like both sides are digging in over the Save America Act, so catch us up on the latest what's happening.
00:03:40
Speaker 2: You're right, they are digging in, Jody.
00:03:42
Speaker 5: As you heard that cup of Schumer, you played democracy itself as at stake. Although I think the Democrats might be in danger of crying wolf on democracy because several times democracy has been mistake. I think the election of President Trump was the death of democracy, which is kind of ironic that an election could be the death of democracy, but that's what they said. So I guess democracy has been resurrected and will be killed again by this latest bill to require voter ID, which Schumer also says is racist.
00:04:09
Speaker 2: Now, let's just go through what does the.
00:04:10
Speaker 5: Save Act actually do just a refresher. It requires voter ID to vote, It requires proof of citizenship to register to vote, It cleans up the voter roles on a regular basis, and it puts limits on mail in voting. Now, of course, Democrats are saying that it disenfranchises people that to be too hard to get some of these documented documents, and Republicans are saying, well, actually, this is how we secure our elections, and they're tightening up how hard it is to register to vote because some of these blue states they just hand out driver's license like candy, and so it's very easy to get a driver's license even if you're.
00:04:44
Speaker 2: Not a citizen.
00:04:46
Speaker 5: Now, Utah Senator Mike Lee has been an avid supporter of the bill, and I think we actually have a clip here of him defending it from critics.
00:04:53
Speaker 6: Suggesting that twenty twenty one million Americans will be disenfranchised.
00:04:57
Speaker 2: If this becomes law. That is a lie. That is an absolute lie. It's just not true to.
00:05:03
Speaker 6: Those pedaling this lie, I strongly suggest I implore you to check your cross tabs verify your survey participants, do your homework, and more than anything, even if you don't spend any time with the survey at all or inspect the methodology.
00:05:18
Speaker 2: Read the bill.
00:05:20
Speaker 5: So Jody, both sides dug in here, But it looks like this debate could go on for several days, even another week.
00:05:27
Speaker 1: Well, this is an extremely important bill, you know, certainly not only for Americans, I think as a whole to secure elections and Republicans in general, but I think Republicans also know how important this is to President Trump. So how is that shaping the process?
00:05:43
Speaker 2: Well, that's definitely true.
00:05:45
Speaker 5: And this vote would in this debate would not be happening if it were not for the president. And as of now, that really doesn't look like it has enough votes, but that could change.
00:05:53
Speaker 2: Now.
00:05:54
Speaker 5: We're seeing some concerns from like Republican Lisa Murkowski, who's concerned about the limits on mail and voting because mail and voting is really important in Alaska, where it makes it very difficult to travel. But Senator John Thuhn is saying that they're going to use this issue against Democrats coming into November because this is the simple fact that Democrats can't vote for voter ID is a political liability, and I think we have a clip of foon right here.
00:06:20
Speaker 7: We can play in cities in Vermont, California.
00:06:24
Speaker 2: Right here in Washington, d c.
00:06:26
Speaker 7: Non citizens are allowed to vote in local elections. So it should be no surprise that Democrats seem not to care very much about ensuring that American citizens and American citizens only are voting in our national elections.
00:06:45
Speaker 2: But it is deeply concerning, Jody.
00:06:48
Speaker 5: Just three quick stats to show you that even if the Senate is not fully on board, President Trump does have the backing of the American people and a lot of these line items. First, eighty five percent of voters say only US citizens should be allowed to vote.
00:07:00
Speaker 2: I mean that's cross parties.
00:07:01
Speaker 5: Seventy one percent say they support this very specific bill, the Save America Act, and eighty one percent support states removing non citizens from voter roles. So it has the support of American people, but it still faces an uphill battle.
00:07:16
Speaker 1: Well, it certainly could be an issue in the upcoming election. Casey, let me switch gears with you. The partial DHS shutdown I really hit Americans hard this past week with massive airport delays, flight cancelations, and the like, what's the latest on ending that mess?
00:07:34
Speaker 5: Well, sadly, Jodie, there's been little progress on ending the partial shutdown as we have hundreds of TSA workers quitting or not showing up for work in three to four hour lines at airports. On top of that, and I'm not hearing as much reporting about this, but we've had several domestic terror attacks, not just this year but in recent years. But more recently we have had austin New York City, Old Dominion University and more. So, you know, it's pretty troubling, but we do have negotiations ongoing. On Thursday, there is a bipartisan group of Senators which included members of the Appropriations Committee and a group of Democrats.
00:08:06
Speaker 2: Key Democrats that.
00:08:07
Speaker 5: Actually helped negotiate the end of the last shutdown, if you remember, they met privately with at the Capital with Tom Holman, who's the borders are for President Trump, where they likely discussed reforms to Ice, which has really been a key sticking point. And one more really interesting thing Jody, that's happened is Senate Majority leader in.
00:08:25
Speaker 2: John Thune, he suggested the Senate.
00:08:27
Speaker 5: Is going to start skipping their recesses and working through the weekend if the Department of Homeland Security is not funded, which is, as you know, is very unusual for the Senate, which loves their weekends.
00:08:39
Speaker 2: Wow.
00:08:40
Speaker 1: All right, And one other things before I let you go. The Iran conflict continues to escalate, and Israel struck a key gas field on Wednesdays, of course, parking fears of more Iranian counter strikes on neighboring golf energy sites. And there are now some essa most that suggest God may need another two hundred billion dollars to sustain the operations.
00:09:05
Speaker 2: What are you hearing with all this?
00:09:07
Speaker 5: Well, on that oil field specifically, President Trump said in his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, which I covered, that he personally spoke to Israel about that and said it won't be happening again. He told him he didn't like it and didn't want to do it. There has been some reporting that it actually was coordinated, but that's what the President said in the meeting. As for the costs of the war, that two hundred billion dollar figure, it really depends on how long the war goes, and if it drags on and on the war, the figure could rise. And at a press event, Secretary Pete Hegseth, he was asked about that two hundred billion dollar figure. He said that money is needed to replenish US missile stockpiles, among other things.
00:09:42
Speaker 2: And it's not really surprising.
00:09:44
Speaker 5: Because Hegseth said that we've struck seven thousand targets across Iron not to mention all the ammunition that's fired defensively to fend off these drone and ballistic missile attacks.
00:09:54
Speaker 2: So we've depleted some of our ammunition.
00:09:56
Speaker 5: And of course, Jody, President Biden in the last administration gave a way hundreds of billions of dollars in munitions to Ukraine, which is another point that the President has been making.
00:10:07
Speaker 1: Only about thirty seconds, Casey, But how do you see this playing out in Congress? You think they'll come on board to infuse another two hundred billion.
00:10:15
Speaker 5: Well, a couple of dimensions on Congress is these repeated warpower votes have failed in the Senate, which is worth noticing. On the funding, Democrats are totally opposed to the funding request, of course, which is not a surprise. But on the Republican side, it's an uphill battle as well. Some Republicans are saying they want it to be paid for, and I think it's gonna be hard to do that unless we get a big reconciliatation package, which it could still happen.
00:10:37
Speaker 1: It could happen. All right, Thank you, Casey Harper from Washington. Stand all right, stay tuned. We've got much more coming your way on this week on Capitol Hill. Joining me next is Congressman John Molinar, so stay with us, will be right back. Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host, Chody. Heis sitting in for Tony this week.
00:11:08
Speaker 2: All right.
00:11:08
Speaker 1: With the US and Iran conflict now in its third week, one of the key factors enabling Iran's continued resistance is its deepening economic and military ties to the Chinese Communist Party. In fact, the CCP purchases the bulk of Iran's sanctioned oil, and it also supplies critical components to sustain to Ron's missile and drone programs. Well, we want to talk more about that, and joining me now for that conversation is Congressman John Molinar. He's the chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. He represents the second Congressional District of the Great State of Michigan. Congressman Molinar, great to see you. Thanks so much for us on this week on Capitol Hill.
00:12:02
Speaker 2: Well, thanks for having me, Jody.
00:12:04
Speaker 8: It's great to see again and I appreciate the opportunity to.
00:12:07
Speaker 2: Talk with you. Well, let's start with this.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: I think this is a very interesting discussion that many people are not aware of. Let's start with can you describe force, let's say, the nexus if you will, between Iran and China, and how China directly supports the regime's war efforts.
00:12:28
Speaker 8: Well, as you know, China the buys, as you mentioned earlier, a lot of the Iranian oil. In fact, about ninety percent of the oil from Iran is sold to China, and that's evading US sanctions, and so you have the sanctioned oil that China gets at a deep discount. Then they also supply things like motors for drones. They supply chemicals that are used for rocket fuel, and electronics that are used in military capabil weapons and other technologies. Because it's a focus on dual use technologies. And China is very good about saying that they aren't involved supporting a war effort that their products are only used for commercial activity, but the reality is is they're used for wartime activities.
00:13:26
Speaker 2: And China has a way of.
00:13:28
Speaker 8: Maintaining a sort of a neutrality but at the same time fostering the rise of these malign countries.
00:13:36
Speaker 2: And they're doing the same thing with Russia.
00:13:39
Speaker 8: And we know that they buy a lot of Russian energy and supply a lot of materials to Russia. And of course they have a close relationship with North Korea.
00:13:47
Speaker 2: So when you look.
00:13:48
Speaker 8: At the Iran, North Korea, Russia China nexus is very concerned.
00:13:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I'm glad you brought that up.
00:13:56
Speaker 1: I mean, this whole discussion here, Congressman me is something that I think the majority of people are kind of missing in this whole battle. So is it fair to say that the CCP's support is not only based upon what you were just saying. It's not only helping Iran avoid being isolated in the world, but it is also fitting into a broader axis of authoritarian states Like you just mentioned what China, Russia and North Korea and Iran are they all kind of incahoots together.
00:14:30
Speaker 8: They are, and as you point out, you know there's this authoritarian acxis, if you will, And these are countries that don't respect the rule of law, they don't respect human dignity. When we think about our two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of our declaration of independence, endowed by our creator with analienable rights, they want no part of that. And so this is something that's very concerning. We've seen how China has an ab Iran to be part of different international organizations almost like a legitimate player and human rights and other things, which is confounding. But China has helped to run evage sanctions and be welcomed as a country that in some way protects human rights, and we of course know that is not the case.
00:15:27
Speaker 1: I think another thing that's kind of telling in all of this is the Chinese Comanist Party, at least so far, has either deflected or just outrightly ignored President's Trump requests to help reopen the straight of horror moves. How do you interpret that move by China.
00:15:45
Speaker 8: I think they're trying to stay back and not play a responsible role which they could, and they're trying to see how this thing shakes out. They are clearly aligned with Iran, are clearly aligned with Russia and North Korea. But they want to see how it plays out and then they'll manipulate whatever situation to their advantage. And we've seen that over and over again with them, which by the way, does undermine their credibility throughout the world. When they say that they will partner with someone or support someone, you can see how when it comes right down to it, they maintain an artificial neutrality when at the same time they're helping behind the scenes.
00:16:33
Speaker 1: Yeah, so really that's kind of highlighting their priorities, isn't it. I Mean, if they're not willing to keep the straight of hormones open, it kind of tells us where they are on this issue, doesn't It.
00:16:44
Speaker 8: Truly does, And it's to their advantage to have the straight of homoos open. And so truly they are not playing a responsible role in this, and the president's right to call him out on it. You know, he has asked for their help. He said that they could play a role, and they are not willing to do that.
00:17:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, the fact that they were invited to have a role, I you know, maybe foolish me, but I kind of anticipated them to do something to just for the optics of it all. But the fact that they have not at all helped to me kind of highlights a real problem there.
00:17:24
Speaker 2: Does that have anything to do?
00:17:26
Speaker 1: I know President Trump is now confirmed postponing the planned trip this spring that he had to Beijing. Is this part of his postponing the trip?
00:17:38
Speaker 2: Do you think? You know?
00:17:40
Speaker 8: I think right now, First of all, I'm glad he did postpone the trip, and I'm glad he's keeping his focus on keeping America safe and making sure that the outcome in Iran is good for the American people. And I think, you know, recognizing that China has very different ambitions. You know, in some ways we are trading partners and we need a relationship with China. But at the same time, you know, Jody, I was just with two young ladies today, both of whom's fathers are imprisoned in China for speaking out for freedom and religious liberty. One is Pastor Jin and the other is Jimmy Lai, and both of their daughters were with me today talking about what China, the Chinese Communist Party does because it is threatened by religious liberty and freedom, and you know, so you see how they're conducting themselves, and it's important that we call them to.
00:18:48
Speaker 2: Task on it.
00:18:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, do you think those items, those releases of religious hostility and so forth that China exhibits, is that something that the president can use in negotiating You think we've got less in a minute, But just.
00:19:06
Speaker 2: I believe it is.
00:19:07
Speaker 8: And I've requested the President when he meets with Shijingping, to put at the forefront these prisoners of conscience and asking for their release, including Jimmy Laie and Pastor Jin. Also, we're asking Secretary of Rubio to sanction the officials in Hong Kong. They're chief of police as well as three judges who have unjustly imprisoned Jimmy Laie, and so we are hoping that he would highlight that when he meets with Shijingping.
00:19:41
Speaker 1: Thank you for your leadership on all of this, Congressman John Rollinar, great to have you on the program with us today. All right, friends, stay tuned. We've got more this week on Capitol Hill coming your way. Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host, Jody. Heis sitting in for Tony this week. Glad to have you with us. All right, recent acts of terror here at home have certainly raised some serious alarms regarding domestic terrorism with foreign ties. For example, we've seen an attack at Michigan Synagogue that was linked to Hesbellah. There was an ISIS inspired shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia. And there was also an attempted bombing outside the New York City's Mayor's residents and that came from some ISIS supporters. So all of this is taking place while Democrats continue to drag out their shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
00:20:48
Speaker 2: So just how.
00:20:49
Speaker 1: Vulnerable is America right now? We joining us now to discuss this is Ken Kuchinelli. He's Senior Fellow for Immigration and Homeland Security at the Center for Renewing America and previously he served as the Deputy Secretary at the Homeland Security Department, and that during the first Trump administration. Ken, Welcome to this week on Capitol Hill. Great to see you, Good to be with you, Jody. Okay, So let's talk about some of these recent attacks here on the homeland. What do they tell us about the reach as well as the influence of foreign groups right here in the United States.
00:21:31
Speaker 9: Well, first of all, they tell us that we have allowed immigration of people who do not share our values, and under American law you're supposed to if you want to immigrate here. That's a very basic statement, obviously, but so little regard is given to it that it's worth paying some attention to. And so you combine that with a Joe Biden open borders policy of four years letting millions upon millions of people in here, and those are the ones we know about, not to say anything of the godaways, and you have a very dangerous situation.
00:22:11
Speaker 2: If you look at what Hamas.
00:22:12
Speaker 9: Did in Israel in October seventh of twenty twenty three. They were planning for that for over a decade and a half. There was a great deal of patients, which means that open borders threat from the Biden era is going to be with us at least until twenty forty in that decade, to say nothing of the home grown threats that we have now planted seeds for or allowed to plant their own seeds.
00:22:39
Speaker 1: Really yeah, So which is a greater concern is in the sleeper cells that are in the US or the lone wolves with all the activity from Isis and Hesbalo, which is the greater concern.
00:22:55
Speaker 9: So in terms of just number frequency of attacks. It's the lone wolf attacks. It's the people who are inspired by ISIS, who are in sympathy with ISIS, but.
00:23:09
Speaker 2: Who act on their own.
00:23:11
Speaker 9: Much harder to find and stop those beforehand. But the much more dangerous on a single effort would be the sleeper cell approach. People who have strategic support, who may do operational planning and have training that these other folks don't have. And we haven't seen one of those successfully executed yet. So so far, we're dealing with the kind of thing we saw at Odu, although we do foolishly disarm ourselves. Part of how the Odu attack happened is the Democrats in Virginia made it illegal for public universities like go to you to ask about criminal history. This guy had been in prison for eight years for material support for ISIS. This was hrely foreseeable, but Odu was not allowed to see his criminal history.
00:24:07
Speaker 1: Wow, So what should we prioritize at this point in order to prevent these threats from escalating further?
00:24:15
Speaker 2: What do you think should be done? So the first thing to do is already done.
00:24:19
Speaker 9: President Trump did it within six weeks of his second inauguration, and that's closed the border. That hasn't been in the news in a year, and that's because it is successfully boring, and that is a success on the border. I used to tell all my security guards at DHS, I hope you have a boring day, because that's a success for a security guard. And the border patrol is America's security guard, and that is secured. That is it's now very difficult for say a new sleeper cell to get into the United States. It's much harder for material support across our border. So that success has been made. Now large scale deportation, particularly targeting countries of concern Syria, Iran, basically Middle Eastern countries, those deportations ought to be prioritized right alongside violent criminals.
00:25:18
Speaker 2: Right well, Ken.
00:25:20
Speaker 1: Kuchenelle, always great to have you join us. Thank you so much for bringing your expertise and insight to the program. Our friend, Ken Kuchinelli, Senior Fellow for Immigration and Homeland Security at the Center for Renewing America, have a great day. Good to be with you, all right, friend, State, thank you. Coming up, we're going to have Congressman Jim Jordan join us to discuss the Save America Act. All that right here, on this week on Capitol Hill. Stay with us, Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host Jody Heist, sitting in this week for Tony. All right, Even as the House passed the Save America Act last month by literally a razor thin margin, most Capitol Hill observers recognize that the road through the Senate for this bill would be rocky at best. Well, earlier this week, Senate Republicans did succeed in bringing the measure to the floor for debate.
00:26:32
Speaker 2: So that's a good start.
00:26:34
Speaker 1: But what's next for this crucial election integrity legislation. Joining me now to discuss this and more is Congressman Jim Jordan. He serves on a couple of different committees, but most importantly, he's the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He represents the fourth congressional district of the great state of Ohio. Congressman Jordan, Great to see him, my friend. Welcome to this week on Capitol with You.
00:27:02
Speaker 10: Good to be with you, Jenny, Thanks, thanks for all you're doing well.
00:27:06
Speaker 1: Likewise, all right, let's start with this Save America Act. The Senate did actually start their debate this week. What's your thoughts on where this bill currently states.
00:27:17
Speaker 10: You know, well, Lady Thatcher always said, you got to win the debate before you win the vote. So let's let's let's debate this thing, and let's take as long as as you have to to actually then when the when the vote. That's how it works, and that's how it's supposed to work. And you know, what's been called the greatest deliberative body in history. So yeah, let's have the debate. This is so common sense. Reagan always used to talk about in politics, you got to paint with big bowl colors, so you have to show the voters. Yeah, this is so common sense. Here's why it is. We should have ide if you're gonna if you're gonna vote in federal elections, you should be a citizen. Everyone understands that. Everyone agrees with that except Democrats in the United States Senate. So uh yeah, let's let's let's let's let this debate play out and then hopefully when they call the vote, you will see some Democrat senators who will have seen the light and will vote the right way.
00:28:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting what you just brought up that the polls do absolutely show that an overwhelming majority of Americans including Democrat voters, favor the initiatives that you mentioned that are in this bill. So is it true that the Democrat senators are literally the only ones standing in the way of election integrity.
00:28:34
Speaker 2: In this country? Yeah, totally true.
00:28:36
Speaker 10: They will they're not, Schumer said, so they're not going to vote for this, and they, you know, they do what the left typically does. You know, the left will will say something, big media will report what they say, big tech will amplify that message, and then when you tell the truth, they call you racist.
00:28:53
Speaker 2: And that's exactly what they're doing now.
00:28:54
Speaker 10: They're saying, Oh, to say that you have to show id to vote, you have to be a citizen to vote, that's racist. Well, that makes no sense because you got to show idea to do anything in this country. So you would think when it comes to something as fundamental as the integrity of our election process, that this would be again just common sense. But they're not gonna they're not supporting it now. But we're having a debate and we'll see how that all plays out once the debate concludes. You know, I always say that there's a reason you kick the ball off and play the game, even though one team is heavily favored. You never know what's going to happen when the game is played. So let's let's let's have this debate and then.
00:29:37
Speaker 2: Hopefully we'll get we'll get the sixty people, you'll get.
00:29:40
Speaker 10: A handful of Democrat senators who will do the right thing to vote for it.
00:29:44
Speaker 1: So do you think that what's driving all this is Trump derangement syndron on the left or is there some reason that they do not want election integrity? Is commonly said, there's only one reason anyone wouldn't want election integrity. So what do you think's really driving this for the Democrats?
00:30:03
Speaker 2: Well, it's it's all of that.
00:30:04
Speaker 10: It's it's yeah, they're you know, they're always out, they're always opposed anything President Trump is for anything that's common sense. And I also think it's just a hard left which now controls a Democrat party. So the I always say, not all Democrats are crazy, but the left that controls their party is. And every position they take is just contrary to common sense.
00:30:24
Speaker 2: It's just plain crazy.
00:30:26
Speaker 10: It's crazy to defund the police, it's crazy to abolish ice.
00:30:28
Speaker 2: It's crazy to.
00:30:29
Speaker 10: Say men she compete against women in sport. It's crazy. To say that you shouldn't have ID to show that when you go to vote Photoway, it's it's crazy to have sanctuary city policy. It's crazy to you can just keep going. So but that's today's left, and they're all the that's the energy in the party.
00:30:46
Speaker 2: So it's a combination of all that.
00:30:48
Speaker 10: Why you see Chuck Schumer saying I'm not going to vote for photo ID with before you vote, it's like.
00:30:54
Speaker 2: That makes no sense. But that's today's left.
00:30:57
Speaker 10: I've said, I actually think this this midterm can be captured in a couple sentences. They're crazy, We're not, and just go tell the voters every position they take makes no sense. We're the party of common sense. Vote for us. I think that's how this thing's going to shake out in the end, and hopefully American people who do have common sense a vote Republican.
00:31:20
Speaker 2: You sure think so. Switching gears real quickly.
00:31:23
Speaker 1: This partial shutdown the DHS, it is obviously shining its light. We had massive, massive airport security lines literally frustrating millions this week.
00:31:36
Speaker 2: But there's more than just that.
00:31:38
Speaker 1: I mean, this is an urgent time to fund DHS with all the potential terrorist activity going on. What's your thoughts on where we stand on getting it funded.
00:31:50
Speaker 10: Well, once again, it's just what I was saying. It's crazy to have a shutdown over at the Department of Homeland Security while we have the military operation going on against Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and while there have been in the last couple of weeks several terrorist attacks right here in the United States. That makes no sense. But that's the Democrat's position. So I don't get it. I don't think any Americans get it. And now Americans are seeing it and feeling it firsthand when they go to go to the airport to travel. So you know, thank your thank your local Democrat, take your state Democrat, senator, United States senator when you're standing in line, because that's the that's the individual who's responsible for the situation. And it's happening, as I said, at a time when we have a military operation going on uh in Iran.
00:32:42
Speaker 1: Yeah, again, like you said, it makes no sense. We've only got a less in a minute. But do you see any movement on this. Congressman Jordany, you think we're going to get this DHS funded.
00:32:53
Speaker 10: Yeah, we'll get there, because I do think in the In the end, enough American citizens will tell their Democrat United States Senator hey, quit being ridiculous, quit being stupid, and actually fund this thing.
00:33:05
Speaker 2: Pass the bill that we passed in the House.
00:33:09
Speaker 10: Make sure that that gets through, that TSA agents get paid, and that we have in place every measure of every precaution that we can to deal with the securing and the security of the homeland.
00:33:24
Speaker 1: Well, hopefully it won't take a catastrophe to awaken them to do what needs to be done. Thank you, Congressman's Jim Jordan. Always great to see you. Thanks so much for your leadership. Keep it upright, take care alrighty, all right, friends, after the break, we're going to share a few final thoughts on the news of this week. So we've got more coming your way this week on Capitol He'll, so stay with us. We will be back in just a moment. Welcome back to this week on Capitol Hill. I'm your host, Jody Heist, sitting in for Tony this week.
00:34:07
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining us.
00:34:09
Speaker 1: All right, to close out the program, we're going to revisit Tony's commentary on the new norm of hostility against churches. This is something that the family Research Council has documented in an extensive report that you yourself can get your hands on simply text the word church to six seven seven four to two. That's church to six seven seven four to two.
00:34:33
Speaker 2: Now.
00:34:34
Speaker 1: Tony shared all of this following the storming of a Minneapolis church earlier this year by anti ice protesters. I'm sure you'll remember that, and after noting how hostility against church has been trending in the United States, he posed a very important question that really is worth asking.
00:34:52
Speaker 2: So we'll start there. Here's Tony. Now here's the question we need to ask.
00:34:57
Speaker 11: Is hostility toward religious exercise exp ending beyond vandalism and threats and becoming institutional resistance. We have seen increasing pressure on conscience protections in healthcare. We've seen faith based adoption and foster care providers forced out of states for adhering to biblical truth. We've watched regulatory agencies treat religious organizations not as partners in civil society.
00:35:22
Speaker 2: But as obstacles to their ideological agendas.
00:35:25
Speaker 11: This is not merely about broken windows, graffiti, or even firebombs. It is about a shifting cultural posture toward faith itself. Yet this is where we must look beyond the fog of the cultural war and recognize what is really happening. Religious exercise is on the march. If religious liberty becomes only a defensive battle court cases, injunctions, reactive legislation, we risk narrowing the focus to survival. But religious liberty was never intended merely to shield private belief, is designed to protect public witness. The First Amendment does not secure faith in a fortified lock box.
00:36:06
Speaker 2: It protects its free exercise.
00:36:08
Speaker 11: And that means religious liberty is not only something to defend, it is something to exercise. Members of Congress who pray openly, who allow conviction to shape their votes, who speak about transcendent moral truth in committee hearings, They're not violating the Constitution, They're living within it. Pastors who engage public issues from the pulpit are not trespassing into politics. They're exercising their God given responsibility to speak truth. Has hostility increased, Yes, Hostility rises when faith refuses to retreat, and across his country believers are refusing to retreat. Over the last decade, hundreds of Christian men and women have answered God's call to step into the realm of government without checking their faith at the door that has the forces of spiritual darkness behind the profits of secularism deeply troubled because they're losing ground. The ultimate question before us in Washington, d c. And across the nation is not whether religious liberty survives on paper. It is whether it is lived out with conviction. Religious liberty is strongest when it is visible, when it's exercised with humility, confidence, and courage. When believers live their convictions openly, serving, speaking, legislating, praying, then religious liberty becomes more than a defensive line. It becomes a transforming testimony. Religious freedom is not being attacked because it is in retreat, just the opposite, because it is advancing.
00:37:39
Speaker 2: And that has been this week on Capitol Hill.
