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- Well, this is a shocker for you today.
If you can believe it,three dozen House Democrats
dropped a bomb, what is it?
They want President Biden torenounce his sole authority
to launch nuclear weapons.
This action could take the same power
away from future presidents.
Can these Democrats pullit off, this alarming move?
And what does it mean?
How come they're doing it?
There's something behind it, what is it?
John Jessup brings usthis stunning development.
- That's right, Pat.
Representative Jimmy Panetta of California
wrote the letter, callingon President Biden
to give up sole authorityto launch nuclear weapons.
Panetta writing, vesting one person
with this authority entails real risks.
Past presidents have threatenedto attack other countries
with nuclear weapons or exhibited behavior
that caused other officialsto express concern
about the president's judgment, end quote.
About three dozen Democratssigned on to the letter.
They want Biden to putin checks and balances
in the nuclear commandand control structure
so no one person canlaunch a first strike.
Among the recommendationsrequiring the Vice President
or House Speaker to agreewith a launch order.
Critics are concerned the changes
would weaken the power of the presidency
as it would apply to future presidents.
- This is about more than just one man.
It is about the presidency.
It is about the doctrineof peace through strength
that we talk a lot about on this program
and I oppose this letterbecause I do believe
that no matter who the president is,
they have to be vested in the authority
to be commander in chief,to take care of the country
even if it is Joe Biden during that time.
- And Pat, so far no reply
from the White House on this proposal.
- Question that people are asking,
of course Sean Hannitydid a big deal on it,
but are these Democrats really saying
that the President'smental capacity is such
that it's so weak that theycannot trust him any longer
with that awesome power?
Is that what they're saying?
And if it is, what's behind the thrust
to invoke the 25th Amendmentthat takes the president out
because of incapacity?
Are they saying that or not?
This letter doesn't say that.
And so if you watch theFox like Sean Hannity,
I mean, they're saying all over again
that he lacks mentalcapacity and these 36,
three dozen congressmen are saying,
we can't trust him withthe nuclear football.
Wow, this is a big deal, John.
- Pat, in other news,weeks after taking control
of Congress, Democratshave started investigating
the role of the media's reporting
on the elections and the pandemic.
Their target, right-leaning news channels
like Fox News and Newsmax.
CBN's George Thomashas more on the efforts
to pressure TV providers todrop conservative outlets.
- Some say there's a war brewingagainst conservative media
while others argue it'sjust another example
of Democrats trying to censor viewpoints
or political speech theydon't like or agree with.
On Wednesday, the Democrat-led
House Energy and CommerceCommittee held a virtual hearing
on, quote, disinformationand extremism in the media.
- When truth becomes acommodity to be traded upon
for profit and facts andconsequences don't matter
to those who report them,our Democracy is undermined.
- [George] Before the hearing,
Democrat Representatives Jerry McNerney
and Anna Eshoo of California wrote letters
to TV providers includingComcast, AT&T, Cox, and Verizon
demanding to know how theyplan to stop what they called
the spread of dangerous misinformation
from right-leaning newsoutlets like Newsmax,
One America News Network, and Fox News.
- Let me put it bluntly.
Misinformation is killing Americans
and damaging our democracy.
- [George] Democrats accuse the outlets
of being a destabilizingthreat to the country
and functioning as rumor millsand conspiracy theory hotbeds
with their coverage ofthe presidential election
and the global pandemic.
Republicans on the committee pushed back,
calling the hearing an attackon the First Amendment.
- Elected officials using their platform
to pressure private companies
to censure media outletsthey disagree with.
That sounds like actions fromthe Chinese Communist Party,
not duly elected representatives
of the United States Congress.
- [George] In theirletter, Eshoo and McNerney
asked the TV providers togive their moral reasoning
for allowing tens of millions
to watch Fox News and other networks.
They also asked if they'llcontinue hosting them
and if so, why.
Johnathan Turley, professor atGeorge Washington University
Law School was amongthose called to testify.
- From the perspectives offree speech and the free press,
the letter is not just chilling,it's positively glacial.
- [George] Dr. Frank Wrightof D. James Kennedy Ministries
knows what it's like
to be on the receiving end of censorship.
Earlier this month, the ministry'sweekly Christian program
was forced off Lifetime TV after it aired,
among other things, a pro-life special.
- [Announcer] It has beensaid, the sanctity of life
is like the big-- The ultimatum we received
was basically, yourprogramming going forward
must have all non-controversial topics
in order to continueto air on our network.
You know, if you're abiblical Christian these days,
there's not much in the culture
that's not considered controversial.
- [George] And the censorshipis happening online as well
with big tech companies.
This past Sunday Dr. Ryan Anderson's book
which challenges progressiveideas about gender
was pulled from Amazon's cyber shelves.
- We're gonna have to think through
how we as conservatives approachboth the governmental side
and the big businessside because both of them
seem to be hostile to people
with traditional American values.
- [George] The House Energyand Commerce Committee
will hear next month from the CEOs
of Twitter, Facebook, and Google.
George Thomas, CBN News.
- An investigationstirring a lot of reaction.
Pat, back to you.
- It's just absolutely shocking.
You know, the First Amendment is,
Congress shall pass no laws
respecting the establishment of religion
or prohibiting the free exercise.
All right, that is the government.
There's a prohibitionagainst the government,
but if members of the government,
namely House representativescan send chilling letters
out to members of the media saying,
please explain why you arecarrying these programs,
that in a sense is aviolation, in my opinion,
clear of the First Amendment.
And the fact that these peoplewould take it upon themselves
to send a letter to a media,
and if a media guy getsa letter like that,
what's he going to do?
You know, well, I'mjust going to ignore it?
Of course he's not because these people
have enormous power over them.
There is a huge amount of money at stake.
And there's all thefreedom that goes along
with being in a free society.
But this is, Johnathan Turley said,
"It's not just chilling, it's glacial."
It's unbelievable that this would happen.
But folks, if you don'tfight for your freedom
you will lose it, it's just that simple.
And I think these members of Congress
need to understand what's happening.
And you need to let your voice be heard
at the polls and at other places.
And if anybody who is your representative
pulls a stunt like this, theyshould be held accountable
to the voters and in thestrongest possible means, John.
- Pat, even before today's vote,
Democratic House leaders are celebrating
the expected passage of the Equality Act,
the first step towardlandmark LGBTQ legislation
that critics say wouldcrush religious liberty.
But there is a potential alternative.
And as CBN's Heather Sells reports,
it's designed to protect people of faith.
- The Equality Act rewritesthe 1964 Civil Rights Act
to include sexual orientationand gender identity,
but it also tramples on religious belief.
- The Equality Act isn'tjust neutral towards that.
It's actually quite hostiletowards religious freedom.
- [Heather] RepublicanCongressman Chris Stewart
is leading a bipartisan alternativecalled Fairness For All.
- Most of who are in a position of power,
we want to guarantee the civilliberties and the freedoms
of all Americans, includingthe LGBTQ American.
- [Heather] It would protectgay and transgender people
from employment and housing discrimination
while also protecting people of faith.
- There's room here to find an area
where both can be accommodated,
where both can be comfortable.
The Equality Act doesn't dothat, Fairness For All will.
- [Heather] But many inthe conservative movement
like The Heritage Foundationand the Family Research Council
argue Fairness for Alldoesn't go far enough.
- What we need to do iswe need to allow people
to continue to live theirlives according to their faith.
And if someone isdeprived of their rights,
then we deal with that.
- [Heather] Southern Baptists
called the religiousprotections insufficient
and fear the bill willuse the federal government
to impose a new orthodoxy onmatters of sexuality and gender
across the entire countrythrough the Civil Rights Act.
Pro-life advocates note itcould mandate taxpayer funding
of elective abortion and violate
healthcare provider conscience rights.
The big question, will the Senate
truly debate the Equality Act?
- Moderate Republican SusanCollins, an early sponsor,
has pulled her support andMitt Romney also opposes,
citing religious liberty.
Still, there is much momentumfor the LGBTQ measure
including powerful backingfrom President Biden.
It's why Fairness for Allbackers say conservatives
should work with theirbill or risk passage
of the Equality Act.
Heather Sells, CBN News.
- Thanks, Heather.
Pat, back to you.
- A few years ago I wrote abook about what was going on
and it was a bestseller andI said the time will come.
Right now the idea of homosexual marriage
is just unheard of.
The idea of abortion ondemand is just unheard of.
Roe versus Wade was calledBlackmun's abortion.
It was such a disaster but it became law.
But all these things were just,
I said it was on thefringe and these people
are not part of the mainstream of America.
But I said, if they get powerwhat they're going to do
is to impose their willupon the rest of us,
and that's exactly what's happening.
You're finding this homosexual activity.
Now they've got thistransgender stuff where people
who think, well, I want tobe a woman instead of a man
and suddenly you get an operationand you now are switched
and then you make a decision later on
and little children ofages of four and five
are saying, well, I want tobe a girl instead of a boy.
I want a boy instead of a girl.
It's just crazy what they're doing.
They're violating the ordinanceof God, but it's there.
And instead of being apersecuted minority, in a sense,
they are now the majority orattempting to impose their will
on everybody else and if you don't comply
you're going to be breaking the law.
And it's dangerous what's happening,
but you keep your eyesopen, ladies and gentlemen.
It's happening very fast,and the left never sleeps.
They never sleep, they'reat this kind of agenda
day after day after day.
You can't think you've won one battle
that you can go rest and get back,
your church can get backto praising the Lord.
It doesn't work that way.
Eternal vigilance is theprice of liberty, okay?
Keep that in mind,eternal vigilance, John.
- Pat, college students across the country
will unite in prayer tonight.
It's all part of the NationalCollegiate Day of Prayer.
Our very own RegentUniversity in Virginia Beach
is hosting this year's event.
Dr. Gerson Moreno-Rianosays, "The goal is to unite
in prayer for students, colleges,
and universities and revival."
- Some of the greatestrevivals of our country
began in college campuses,and we think that universities
are just pivotal to thefuture of our country,
and that students are pivotal obviously
so we want to really pray forthe Lord to do a great work
in the hearts and minds of all of us
and our students and facultyand stuff throughout America.
- The prayer will besimulcast live tonight
with various remote locations
and Zoom rooms from across the nation.
For more information, simplygo to our website, cbnnews.com.
Pat, it is a great thing tosee young people praying.
And if there's anything
that we certainly needtoday it's more prayer.
- Gerson pointed out someof the great revivals
in history have begun on college campuses.
Young people are seeking God,and we're seeing it at Regent.
The intensity of spiritual life
is at the highest level I can imagine.
These young people arepraying in their dorms.
They're praying with each other.
They're crying out to God for revival.
And when the chapel was opened,
they used to fill the chapel up
and lie on the floor crying out to God.
I mean, it was a beautiful thing to see.
And God will hear the prayersof these young people.
