Roger Marsh: Dr. James Dobson for Family Talk.
Dr. James Dobson: It was my freshman year, and I really wanted to win my first race badly. Although I hadn't trained properly, I bounded onto the track full of energy and optimism. At the sound of the starting gun, I tore off as fast as I could run and I left the pack far behind. By the second lap however, my side was splitting and the pack was closing in behind me. Somewhere near the halfway mark, I was sucking air frantically and my chest was heating like a great gray whale. I soon collapsed on the infield grass in a sweating heap of failure, losing the race and my pride in one great disaster.
But I did learn a lesson that has stuck with me to this day: marathons are very different from sprints and you have to learn to pace yourself if you're going to endure to the finish line. And isn't that true of married life too? You have to set a pace that you can maintain through all the ups and downs of everyday living and make up your mind to let nothing knock you off the track. It's called lifelong marriage, and it sure beats an early collapse on the infield grass.
Roger Marsh: To get involved, go to drjamesdobson.org.
Dr. James Dobson: Welcome, everyone, to Family Talk. It's a ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute, supported by listeners just like you. I'm Dr. James Dobson ,and I'm thrilled that you've joined us.
Roger Marsh: Welcome, friends, to Family Talk. I'm Roger Marsh, and I hope you had some time to relax over the weekend. With so much going on in the country right now, we may often think about what is being done in Washington and if there's any progress being made at all regarding the pro-life movement and religious liberty. Well, today's guest on the program has been on the frontlines in Washington for several years, representing the great State of Tennessee. She is United States Senator Marsha Blackburn. While serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, now Senator Blackburn became a leader in the fight for a small, efficient federal government that is accountable to its citizens. So let's join United States Senator Marsha Blackburn as she talks with our own Dr. Tim Clinton right here on Family Talk.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Hey, we're honored to have a very special guest with us, United States Senator Marsha Blackburn. She was elected in November of 2018 and sworn into the US Senate in January of 2019, representing the great State of Tennessee as a Republican. She has served her home state for the last four years and reflects her conservative values and upbringing at every stage of the way as she proudly serves her constituents. She started her political career in 1995 when she served as executive director of the Tennessee Film Entertainment and Music Commission. She continued her advocacy on behalf of creators and rights owners in Washington, establishing the bipartisan songwriters caucus and fighting for passage of the Music Modernization Act, which revolutionized music licensing processes. In 1998, Marsha was elected to the Tennessee State Senate where she earned a reputation for fiscal responsibility and government accountability. And in 2002 she was elected to Tennessee Seventh Congressional District based on her record in the state legislature.
While serving the United States House of Representatives, she became a leader in the fight for a small, efficient federal government that's accountable to its citizens. In 2018, Marsha Blackburn was the first woman to represent Tennessee in the United States Senate. She is a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Commerce Science and Transportation Committee, the Veteran Affairs Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and serves as ranking member of the Consumer Protection Product Safety and Data Security Subcommittee. Senator Blackburn is married to Chuck. Together they have two grown children and three grandchildren. I love that. Today we're going to be talking about an upcoming bill requiring medical care for babies born alive after an abortion attempt that's coming to the Senate potentially. We're also going to be talking a little bit about the economy and inflation as well as internet safety and our kids.
Senator Blackburn, what a delight to have you on this edition of Family Talk. Dr. Dobson sends his regards. Thank you for joining us.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Well, thank you so much. Please give Dr. Dobson my best. I so appreciate everything that he has done for our families, for really helping to educate people. It's so interesting to me as I'm out and about in Tennessee and people will talk about reading something that Dr. Dobson has written or listening to something that he has had to say. And that message has been strong, steady, and consistent, and I think we all appreciate that.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Senator, as we get started, it's been a wild couple of years in this country, especially in Washington, DC. I guess as we get started, that pace, the pressure must be extreme as you are holding one of just 100 seats in that higher house and the responsibility that's on you. What's it like?
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Yes. I hear from people all across the state, we visit with each of our 95 counties in the state every year. And so many times people will say, "Marsha, what's happening? You just can't make this stuff up." Never did they think that they would see a US House of Representatives take a vote and Democrats come to the vote and have a comment that is, "We are going to oppose this bill," which was the Born Alive Act, to provide medical care to babies that survive an abortion. People are just astounded that the Democrats that they know, that they like, that are in church with them, they say, "Surely they don't support that."
And then you look at so many other issues around religious liberty, around the loss of freedom of speech, around the increases in inflation. You look at the impact that that has on families as wages stagnate, as inflation continues to increase, when you're looking at $4 for a head of lettuce and $5 for a dozen eggs and you think about what the cost of living is. When you look at CRT in the schools and this push on woke education, denying parents to weigh in on their child's public education. Thinking about this, it is taxpayer funds that are paying for this, but then those taxpayers, those parents, are denied the ability to weigh in on how those children are educated. And decisions on healthcare, saying the government is going to decide what you have access to. These are things people look at and they say, "I just can't believe that that is happening, that that is being cheered for by one of our major political parties."
Dr. Tim Clinton: Yeah, well, we certainly appreciate you and your strong voice. I wanted to ask you more on a personal level, how did you get interested in politics? You're a strong staunch advocate for life, for example, where did that come from, that passion of yours?
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Yeah, I grew up in a family that said, "Always give back more than you take and leave things in better shape than you found them."
Dr. Tim Clinton: I like that.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Growing up in a family that was active in our community, very involved in our church, very involved in our schools, so to me that was just natural. It was natural to have your religion and your faith play such a part in shaping who you are and how you approach life and having parents and grandparents and relatives who really lived their faith and a faith walk was very important to them. I grew up in the Baptist Church. I was very involved in Girls' Auxiliary, GA's as we called it. I was involved with our Sunday school class. I love the fact that I still get text messages from a minister of music, I played the piano for my church, and a high school Sunday school teacher as they watch and pay attention to what is going on and as they pray for me and my team and my family and as they lift us up and as they pray that protection over us.
Dr. Tim Clinton: The Dobbs decision that came down last summer must have been thrilling. Do you remember where you were and how you were feeling in that moment when Roe was essentially overturned? We know now that the responsibility or the shift has gone from the federal level to the state level, impacting states like Tennessee and more. Obviously a lot of decisions and a lot of fight that still needs to take place, but take us back there to that moment.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Yes, indeed. It's something that I was watching very closely and I was anticipating what would happen. I am a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I felt a really close personal tug on that one because Lynn Fitch, who's the amazing attorney general in Mississippi and a pro-life conservative female and a mother and a grandmother, is the architect of that case. She's the one that really shepherded this. And you know, Tim, it was so interesting to me how so many people, the many of the groups didn't give her the credit or thought the case would never go anywhere, and then she championed on and really pushed forward and for the court to have heard the case and then for the court to render that decision.
I was sitting at my desk when the decision came out. I was just so elated, so elated that indeed Roe had been overturned and so appropriate that the court said, "This should go back to the states, and it should be up to the states, that they are going to push forward with setting those restrictions on the practice of abortion. They're the ones that are going to put in place those regulations and make those decisions." I know that as our state legislatures are going back into session, many of them are preparing to look at this issue, and I look forward to seeing what they're going to do.
Roger Marsh: You're listening to Family Talk. I'm Roger Marsh, just jumping in for a brief moment here. If you're just joining us, our distinguished guest today is United States Senator Marsha Blackburn. She's been sharing with us about some of the successes and also the progress being made in Washington regarding pro-life policies. Senator Blackburn is a godly woman who is truly making a positive difference in DC. Let's rejoin the conversation right now with our co-host, Dr. Tim Clinton, talking with Senator Blackburn as she tells us more about what's happening in Washington.
Dr. Tim Clinton: We were just in Washington for the March for Life, so much energy up there. I was really moved by the younger generation showing up. They call themselves the pro-life generation. But in the midst of it, Tony Dungy spoke, others, and across the country social media's blowing up over this issue. But in the midst of it, Minnesota, I think you just saw this, just passed a bill that allows abortions to be performed up until the moment of birth, and it's like a gasp of if the majority of Americans want some type of restriction on abortion, yet there's states out there who are going to this, I can't even make sense out of that in my own mind. Can you imagine? That means the fight goes on and we've got a lot of work still to do.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: That is true. You look at the issue and you say, "Abortions up until the point of birth?" Then you ask the question, "Who is the extremist on the issue?" And you see that that leftist leaning to allow abortions up until the point of birth, to deny healthcare, to deny critical care to a baby that survives an abortion. You call that into question and you say, "How could that possibly, possibly be?"
Dr. Tim Clinton: In your prior comments you had mentioned the bill requiring medical care for babies born alive after an abortion attempt. I think it passed the House, but 210 Democrats voted against it. I think it was all party vote. This is coming to the Senate. What do you think is going to happen, and what's your prayer?
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: There are so many bills that the House will send over and probably the Senate's never going to take them up. We know that it is a 51-49 Senate, and we are very disappointed with those numbers. But we know that there will be an opportunity for us to carry these forward in a unanimous consent on the floor, and we will see how the Democrats want to defend their position on bills such as this.
I think that it is such a tribute to so many Tennessean and so many pro-lifers across the country who have for 50 years worked to build that culture of life in our country. I am so pleased when I talk to Gen Zs and the younger millennials who are standing up for life. And interestingly enough, it is science that has proven that this is a baby. You talk with people who are having those 3D ultrasounds, and they talk about how they can see the features or how the baby will move in her mommy's tummy when the technician is trying to get that picture and how they're celebrating that life. They can see that life in the mother's womb. I think science has really been on our side as we have looked at this issue.
Dr. Tim Clinton: It certainly has changed a lot of the conversation and focus. You have been a real strong voice coming out against these attacks on pregnancy centers, individuals since the Dobbs decision. I think you tweeted recently that the FBI finally offered up some type of $25,000 reward, or what have you. But Senator, what took them so long, and do you think we're going to get to the bottom of this thing?
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: With Republicans in charge of the House, we will begin to get to the bottom of this, and you will see a shift in focus. When the Democrats have had the House, the Senate, and the White House, they have chosen to ignore the issue. The good thing about checks and balances and having one house in Republican control and the other chamber, the Democrats have that very, very slight majority, that one vote majority, and it is going to make it very difficult for them to now ignore some of those issues that Republicans and conservatives have wanted to see addressed.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Senator, you mentioned inflation, the economy, and the challenges that we're having at the dinner table. Do you think we're going to make any progress in this direction to help out everyday Americans?
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: My hope is that we will see some spending cuts and we are going to be able to go back to those pre-pandemic spending levels and then begin that push to get our budget balanced and focus on the debt and how we deal with the debt. There is an increasing portion of the budget that is used for mandatory spending, which is items that are basically being pushed offline, and then also for interest on the debt.
Dr. Tim Clinton: I know we're fighting time, but I wanted to ask you about the whole internet, social media world, especially as it relates to our children. I saw recently that an overwhelming number of families, high 70%-plus are concerned about their kids and what's happening online. If we don't step up and into this moment and these challenges facing families, they're going to get killed by it all. Bottom line is there are some really good organizations out there like the National Center on Sexual Exploitation run by an old friend of Dr. Dobson, Patrick Trueman, and I think they served together in this capacity of battling pornography and more. Also, we interviewed Donna Rice Hughes from Enough is Enough, an organization Strong on internet safety for our kids. As a listener, you may want to check both of those interviews out. We recently aired them, and they are powerful.
Moms, dads everywhere, we have got to step up and into this moment. It's a passion of yours to get this thing under control. Of course, Americans everywhere are concerned about everything that's going on from censorship to suppression, but this porndemic, all this sexualization stuff that's coming at our kids in more, are we seeing any efforts, meaningful efforts to help families win this battle?
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Oh, Tim, let me tell you, let me come back and do a full segment with you on that one because it is far too much to even mention in a minute. But yes, dealing with children's online safety, with consumer privacy, those are issues at the top of my to-do list, and I would love to have a more fulsome conversation with you about that.
Dr. Tim Clinton: At the end of the day, policies are what this is all about. People question politics, politics, but it's about policies because people ultimately matter, and the people in place who help make these meaningful decisions and push back and make things happen, it's critical to our future, to our children and our children's future.
Senator Blackburn, what a delight to have you on the broadcast. On behalf of Dr. Dobson, his wife, Shirley, the entire team, we salute you and pray that God will continue to put wind in your sails and be strong and courageous for such a time as this. Thank you for joining us.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn: Thank you. My pleasure.
Roger Marsh: As our nation deals with high inflation, the debt ceiling, keeping our children safe, and the continued fight for life, hope certainly is on the horizon. That was United States Senator Marsha Blackburn's conversation with our own Dr. Tim Clinton here on Family Talk today. Now, if you missed any part of the program, please visit our broadcast page at drjamesdobson.org. That's drjamesdobson.org.
I'd also like to thank you for your help in supporting our ministry. Our faithful listeners and friends of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute keep this ministry going. Many of you purchased our 2022 Best of Broadcast Collection, and here at the JDFI, we wouldn't be here without your support. As we settle into the month of February, self-improvement tends to be the focus of this time of year. Many strive to hang onto their fitness goals from January or to establish new healthy habits, but don't forget about building a strong and healthy family legacy as well. Here at the JDFI, we have just the resource for you. It's the "Building a Family Legacy" eight-DVD collection, featuring Dr. James Dobson and his son, Ryan Dobson. Each DVD contains one-hour long film based on one of Dr. Dobson's bestselling books about family. This collection will give you tips that will guide you through all the ages and stages you face as a parent. Dr. Dobson's wisdom, insight, and humor will help to strengthen your marriage so that you can be a great example for your own children as well.
For a suggested donation of just $50, you can order your copy today. Just visit drjamesdobson.org. That's drjamesdobson.org. You can also place your order over the phone when you call 877-732-6825. That's 877-732-6825. Remember, we simply love hearing from you, so please feel free to drop us a line on email, give us a call, or write to us through the U.S. Postal Service. Our ministry mailing address is The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Once again, our ministry mailing address is The Dr. James Dobson Family Institute, JDFI for short, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Thanks so much for making us a part of your day. I'm Roger Marsh, and you've been listening to Family Talk, the voice you trust for the family you love.
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Dr. James Dobson: I've often tried to stress how important it is for parents to watch for those teachable moments with their children, but if you really want to try to make an impact, try creating special times together as well. Bob Welch recently awoke his 16-year-old son early in the morning hours and headed toward the ocean. They buried a small can in the sand and then they walked seven miles away along the beach, each carrying only a pocket full of golf balls, a handful of tees, and a driver. At 6:00 AM they teed up their first shots of the game, 12,320 yards from the hole, a par 72 they figured. For the better part of the day, they walked and hit and they talked and they laughed together, often about nothing and sometimes about everything. The game ended 68 strokes later in a tie and a promise for a rematch.
Listen to what Bob writes about that experience. He said, "I realize that we have come a long way, father and son, much farther than seven miles. We've made a memory that may be told around beach fires for years to come." It's impossible to overstate the impact these kinds of memories have on the lives of our children. When parents go out of their way to create special times together, they send their kids a very clear message, "I care deeply for you, and I want more than anything just to be with you." And that's a message every kid needs to hear.
Roger Marsh: To get involved, go to drjamesdobson.org.
Dr. Tim Clinton: Hi, everyone. Dr. Tim Clinton here. When you think about your family and where they'll be when you're no longer living, are you worried? Are you confident? You're hopeful? What kind of a legacy are you leaving for your children and their children right now? Here at Family Talk, we're committed to helping you understand the legacy that you're leaving your family. Join us today at drjamesdobson.org You're going to find helpful insights, tips, and advice from Dr. Dobson himself. And remember, your legacy matters.