- Well, I welcome you to The "700 Club."

Thanks for being with us.

The nuclear option.

Are Senate Democrats ready to run with it?

That includes getting rid ofwhat's called the filibuster.

So merely by a majority,

they can pass whateverlegislation they want.

Now, how would this radical action

open the flood gates for the Democrats

to pass their liberal agendas?

And what, if anything, canRepublicans do to stop it?

Here's our Capitol Hillcorrespondent, Abigail Robertson.

(light whoosh)

- Republicans arepredicting dire consequences

if Democrats remove the filibuster

and permanently change Senate rules,

allowing legislation topass with a simple majority.

- When they talk abouttransforming the country,

they'll be able to.

- [Abigail] Republican SenatorRand Paul tell CBN News

he didn't support formerPresident Trump's calls

to remove the filibuster

when the GOP held the Senate majority

and he certainly doesn't support it now.

- I'm very concerned because basically

the future of our country,

depends on two Democrats right now

not overturning the filibuster.

- [Abigail] Those two Democrats,

Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin.

- I am not willing to take away

the involvement of the minority.

- [Abigail] Senator Manchinconfirmed he's not ready

to end bipartisanship.

- Can you imagine not having to sit down

or there's no reason

for you to sit down withyour colleagues on both sides

and have their input?

The Senate is the most unique body

of government in the world, ofgoverning body in the world,

it's deliberate.

- [Abigail] The number twoSenate Democrat, Dick Durbin

argues Republicans abused the filibuster

and it's time to end its power.

- When Senator McConnelland others come to the floor

and plead for us to hang onto,

to the traditions of the Senate

I would tell you that theirinterpretation of the traditions

is strangling this body.

- [Abigail] But duringDonald Trump's presidency,

he argued this.

- What about that nuclear option,

doing away with the filibuster?

- Well, I can tell you thatwould be the end of the Senate

as it was originally devised and created

going back to our founding fathers.

- [Abigail] PresidentBiden suggested this week

the Senate should go backto the talking filibuster.

- I don't think you have toeliminate the filibuster.

You have to do it what it used to be

when I first got to the Senate,

and that is that a filibuster,

you had to stand up and command the floor.

Once you stopped talking, you lost that

and someone could move in andsay, I move the question of.

So you got to work for the filibuster.

- Minority leader, Mitch McConnell

warns killing the filibusterwould break the Senate.

- Even though the Americanpeople sent a 50 50 Senate

and a narrowly divided House

I don't think they were sending a message

that it was a mandate tocompletely transform the country

in every way liberals want to to do that.

- [Abigail] Vowing, if it goes away,

Republicans will use every ruleand option at their disposal

to stall legislation.

- They're prepared to steamroll the Senate

into a majoritarian bodyjust like the House,

because it inconveniently gets in the way

of all they wanna do,

to run up the debt, to raise taxes

and you've seen thedisaster at the border.

- Under current rules, Senate Democrats

don't have the votes to passthe House approved Equality Act

or the For the People voting reform bill.

If the filibuster goesaway, those bills and more,

such as DC statehood could become law.

Reporting from Virginia,Abigail Robertson, CBN News.

- Now remember, so many of theappointments of a president

have to be with the adviceand consent of the Senate.

So the Senate's got to approve them,

and that means there has to be a vote.

Now, if that filibuster's done away with

when Harry Reed did the nuclear option,

he did it just for judges,

and using that when theRepublicans got control,

they just put judge afterjudge after judge in

with a simple majority vote.

But here are just some of thelaws we can expect to pass

if the filibuster is changed.

The Election Reform bill,

The Equality Act, Statehoodfor DC with two more senators,

Statehood for Puerto Ricowith two more senators

a Green New Deal, Gun Control and more.

And there's somethingelse by the way folks,

it was called the Fairness Doctrine.

Now the Fairness Doctrinewhen it was in place said that

if you put on a conservative,

you had to have a liberal in balance.

Now the FCC changed that, butif other FCC commissioners

are moved through the Senate

and they abolish the Fairness Doctrine,

it'll cut all these conservativetalk shows off the radio.

That would've killed RushLimbaugh and others like him.

Now that's, what's in the offing.

Now it's a very serious matter folks.

And this Equality Act means what?

You will be able toregister everybody to vote.

You will have ballot harvesting.

You can send out limitless ballots

without respect for the factthey're not asking for 'em,

they're just gonna be flooding the mail.

And the opportunity forfraud will be overwhelming.

And the Democrats feel thatwith the immigrants coming in,

that they'll mostly vote Democrat.

So what are they going to do with them?

They will try as they can to register

as many illegal aliens.

For example, in Virginia

where they've got so manyliberals running the show

they've just started athing that's going to give

prisoners the vote,

I mean, people who arereleased from prison,

regardless of what theirsentence or anything about them.

If they're on paroleor have been released,

they will be able to vote,

they couldn't vote before.

Well, that's what's in the offing folks

and it will be a oneparty state, a takeover

and it will be impossible

for the Republicans everto gain power again,

it'll be decades down the road.

It depends on two senators right now,

Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin,

two senators will make thedifference and if they switch,

the flood gates are open.

Well, in other news, Bibi, yes or no?

That's what really the Israelielection boils down to.

Dozens of political partiesare competing for control.

The big question,

can any of the contendersform a coalition?

John Jessup has that.

(light whoosh)

- That is right Pat,

this fourth election inless than two years' time

comes as Israelis areweary of COVID lockdowns

and a battered economy.

CBN Middle East Bureau Chief,Chris Mitchell explains

how as election day draws closer,

the picture is anything but clear.

(light whoosh)

- [Chris] In the latest surveys,

the top contenders areIsraeli prime minister

Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party,

and Yair Lapid's, Yesh Atid.

- You have to put someone in charge

to revive the Israeli economy.

Who are you going to do it?

Somebody who's alreadydone it successfully

and brought Israel's economy

to the best results in our history

or someone like Yair Lapid?

I think it's time for agenerational change shift in Israel.

I think as I was saying, I'mready, the party is ready.

We have the right plans,

we have the right abilities,

we have the right experience by now.

- [Chris] For this voting population,

that's weary of lockdowns,a battered economy

and too many elections, resultprojections are unclear.

According to this poll fromIsraeli public broadcaster KAN

Likud remains in the lead with 30 seats.

Yesh Atid is next with 21,

followed by Yamina with12, and New Hope, 11.

Seven more parties wouldlikely enter the Knesset

with fewer seats includingDefense Minister,

Benny Gantz's Blue and White party.

Others won't make the threshold.

- No one can really forecastwhat will be the outcome.

- [Chris] In Israel'sparliamentary system,

citizens vote for a party,not the prime minister.

There are 120 seats in the Knesset

and the leader whoseparty wins the most seats

or who is most likely to succeed,

gets the job of building a coalition.

Former Netanyahu adviserAviv Bushinsky says,

there were really only two camps.

- We can define these elections

that it's a yes Bibi or no Bibi,

yes for Netanyahu, or no for Netanyahu.

- [Chris] And while some 70%of the Knesset is right wing

many on the right oppose him.

- Great number of peoplewho despise Netanyahu,

don't like Netanyahu, or other reasons,

because Netanyahu washere for many, many years

some say too many years,

and without even mentioning

the fact that he is beingtried for corruption.

- [Chris] At Jerusalem's open air market,

the division was clear.

- I'm a Likud man,

I've known Bibi since he wasthe United Nations ambassador

when I was living in New York

and I remain Likud.

(woman speaking in foreign language)

- [Voice] The religious arereally ruined by this subject.

Until now I always choseBibi all the years simply

this time, I definitelywon't vote for him.

- We have a great Prime Minister.

I believe it's time to change.

- [Chris] According toBushinsky, more than 40%

of those who intend to vote are undecided.

And if there's no clear direction

Israelis could find themselves

heading to a fifth electionagain this year or next, Pat.

- Chris, you know, thething that's looming

in front of all of us is the Iranians,

their nuclear ambitions.

I mean, can Israel functionwithout a parliamentary majority

and a clear Prime Minister?

I mean, what are they doing?

I thought they were making plansto have a preemptive strike

against some of those nuclear facilities?

- Well, Pat, yes, they'd beenlimping along politically

for the last two years,

but militarily I think Israel is prepared

to do anything it needs todo to protect themselves

from an Iranian nuclear program.

So I think that's regardless of who,

even if they go to a fifth election,

I think across the board inIsraeli political landscape,

everybody is against Iranand everybody is prepared

to do whatever they can or need to do

to confront a nuclear Iran.

So Pat, I think that's,

politically they may be limping along,

they may be in gridlock,

but militarily I think they'repreparing, they're planning.

We were up on the Northernborder a couple of weeks ago,

they're ready for anyattack against Hezbollah,

they have operational plansI'm sure for many years,

they know what theyneed to do to stop Iran,

if they need to take thatstep, I think they'll take it

regardless of the political landscape,

as fractured as it is right now.

- All right, I know it'stough to call it an election,

but how do you feel about it?

Is Netanyahu gonna pull it off?

- That's a great question, Pat.

You know, certainly he'sleading in the polls right now.

He's got 30 mandatesaccording to the latest poll,

but the question is

will he be able to get acoalition together right now?

There's a couple of things,factors against him.

First of all, you have threeparties on the right that are,

and two of those three parties say

they're not gonna servewith a Netanyahu government.

So regardless if he'sthe leading contender,

if he gets the mostseats, the question is,

will he be able to form a coalition?

Now, key to that a mannamed Naftali Bennett

we did a profile on him last week,

whether or not he's gonnajoin a possible coalition.

You know, earlier today, Pat,

I spoke with an Israeli friend and I say,

"Well, have you decidedwho you're gonna vote for?

And he said, well, "I don't know,"

and I says, well, Pat,

I said to Idan, "How are you gonna vote

and when are you gonna decide?"

He says, "I think I'm going to decide

when I get into the voting booth."

And I think 40% of Israelishave that same sentiment,

either the day before or the day of.

So it's really hard topredict exactly which way

this is gonna go, and youknow, I think it's so,

and it's really like a chess board exactly

how the numbers are gonna play out

and Pat, I think even John Waggy

our political analystwould have a hard time

predicting this one.

- Well thanks Chris,we'll keep our eyes open.

Appreciate it brother.

John what's next?

- Well, Pat, severe thunderstorms

heading for the Southeast today,

bringing potential tornadoes,damaging winds and large hail.

The same storm system

spawned nearly twodozen twisters Wednesday

damaging several homes and buildings

in Mississippi and Alabama,

and forcing dozens ofUniversity of Alabama students

to seek shelter in a parking garage.

South of the University, Greater Faith

and Victory Worship Centertook its second hit in 10 years

partially damaging the church's roof.

The facility was rebuiltafter a tornado struck

back in 2011.

- I just think that hehas something greater.

- [Woman] Absolutely, absolutely.

- It's nothing about,

I mean things like this are gonna happen,

and it's just how we respond to it.

We just believe that God'sgonna do something greater.

- The storm system headsto the Carolinas today

and forecasters expect it tobring torrential rainfall,

wind gusts of up to 70 miles an hour

with threats of hail andPat, unfortunately to say

more tornadoes.

- Oh you know, where we areis foggy, it's kind of warm

then they say there'ssome part of this area

where they might, not onlywill they have heavy rain,

they might have some snow, so.

- That's tomorrow, but I think we're also

potentially up for some ofthat tornado activity and wind,

high wind.

- Yeah, well, I mean,it's an incredible storm,

we're not quite sure it is

but that's part of the life,we have changing weather.