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CRC Legislative Digest
 A one-stop advocacy alert to keep you informed and to challenge you to engage in a meaningful public affairs agenda – one that embraces our values as Jews and reflects our interests as Americans. The Legislative Digest is a brief synopsis of current issues that require your attention and action.

April 2008

Table of Contents

Legislative Successes

Active Legislation

Iran Darfur Domestic UJC Washington Action Office
LEGISLATIVE SUCCESSES

House Condemns Hamas Rocket Attacks: On March 5, the House of Representatives passed a resolution (H.R. 951) in a nearly unanimous vote that condemns the continuing Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza and supports Israel’s right to defend its citizens. The resolution, introduced by Reps. Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), and Shelley Berkley (D-NV), places responsibility for the ongoing violence on Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The text of the resolution alludes to the more than 4,000 rockets and mortar shells that have been fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip by Hamas and other terrorist organizations since Israeli forces withdrew from there in 2005. There has been almost daily rocket fire from Gaza that has targeted civilian neighborhoods in Sderot and is now reaching the City of Ashkelon with longer range GRAD missiles.

Take Action: Thank Congressman Garrett for his leadership and your Congressmen for voting in favor of H.R. 951.

House Passes Resolution on Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands: On April 1, H.Res 185, recognizing the plight and flight of over 850,000 from Arab countries was passed by voice vote on the House floor. The legislation states in part that "any resolutions relating to the issue of Middle East refugees, and which include a reference to the required resolution of the Palestinian refugee issue, must also include a similarly explicit reference to the resolution of the issue of Jewish, Christian, and other refugees from Arab countries." The issue of refugees is always central to discussions about the Arab-Israeli conflict. However, such deliberations are far from being comprehensive; the flight of Jews and other minorities from Arab lands is strikingly absent, while the agenda solely focuses on a Palestinian refugeest.

Take Action: Contact your Representative and thank him or her for supporting Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries. It is imperative that the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries be part of the Israeli-Palestinian peace agenda.

Religious Liberty Bill: Both houses of the New Jersey legislature passed S.1023 in March. The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-36), allows religiously observant people to take standardized exams on alternate dates if the exams are scheduled on religious holidays. Governor Corzine is expected to sign the bill at a public ceremony in April.


ACTIVE LEGISLATION

Iran
Support Sanctions Against Iran: The House passed and the Senate is considering comprehensive legislation aimed at increasing economic and political pressure on Iran to persuade Tehran to end its nuclear program (H.R. 1400/S. 970). There are currently 70 bipartisan co-sponsors in the Senate – including Senators Lautenberg and Menendez. The legislation closes loopholes in existing U.S. sanctions law, increases economic pressure on Iran, and urges state pension funds to divest holdings from companies investing in Iran’s energy sector. The bill passed the House on September 25 by an overwhelming majority.

Take Action: Thank Senator Lautenberg and Senator Menendez for co-sponsoring S. 970 and urge them to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a vote.

Support Divestment from Iran: The House passed the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2007 (H.R. 2347/S. 1430), 408-6, on July 31 and is now being considered in the Senate. The bill authorizes state and local governments to divest from companies investing in Iran’s petroleum and natural gas sector and protects fund managers who divest from such companies from potential lawsuits. The legislation carries strong bipartisan support. Note: The state of New Jersey enacted divestment legislation in January 2008, and is reported to have made swift progress in its implementation.

Take Action: Please thank Senator Lautenberg and Senator Menendez for co-sponsoring the bill and urge them to do everything possible for a floor vote. Click here for a sample letter.

U.N. Members States Lag on Iran Sanctions Reports: On March 3, the United Nations Security Council imposed a third round of sanctions to put pressure on Iran to stop uranium enrichment. However, at this time, less than half of the United Nations’ member states have filed mandatory reports on how they are complying with sanctions against Iran. In addition, on March 17, in a rare energy deal between Tehran and the West, Iran and Switzerland signed a major agreement for Iranian gas exports to a Swiss company. Swiss Foreign Minister Calmy-Rey said the deal was in full compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed against Iran. Switzerland is a country with few energy resources of its own and claims that Europe needs to diversify its energy imports away from Russia towards other exporters. The deal comes despite U.S. pressure on European countries to cut their business ties with Tehran as a means to pressure it to give ground in the nuclear crisis.

Darfur
Darfur Peacekeeping in the FY08 Supplemental Funding Bill: During the first week of April, Congress will likely take up a supplemental funding bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This supplemental is expected to include funds to support the U.S. contribution for UNAMID for FY08, as well. It is imperative that critical funding for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid in Darfur be included and supported when the FY08 supplemental funding bill comes up for debate. Specifically, the funding should include preparations for national elections in Sudan, the U.S. diplomatic presence in Sudan, increased U.S. capacity to enforce sanctions related to Sudan, bilateral “train and equip” programs for African troops, and efforts to pay down U.S. arrears for peacekeeping to the U.N.

Take Action: Contact Senator Lautenberg who is on the Senate Appropriations Committee and Representative Frelinghuysen who is on the House Appropriations Committees and ask them to insure that funding for Darfur gets included in the FY08 emergency supplemental bill.

Calling for a Comprehensive Regional Strategy for Chad, the Central African Republic, and Darfur: H.R. 1011, introduced by Representatives Donald Payne (D-NJ) and Wolf (R-VA), calls on President Bush and the U.N. Security Council to implement sanctions against the Sudanese government for its actions in Darfur and its destabilizing effects in Chad, and continue U.S. humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons in Darfur, Chad, and the Central African Republic. Senator Feingold introduced S. Res. 470, a “resolution calling on the relevant governments, multilateral bodies, and non-state actors in Chad, the Central African Republic and Sudan to devote ample political commitment and material resources towards the achievement and implementation of a negotiated resolution to the national and regional conflicts in Chad, the Central African Republic and Darfur, Sudan."

Take Action: Call or write your Representatives and Senators and urge them to co-sponsor H.R. 1011 and S. 470.

Petitions to Deploy UNAMID Peacekeepers to Darfur and Fund Helicopters: As many as 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur. Another 2.5 million have been driven from their homes and into danger. The threat of rape, torture, murder, and malnutrition pursue the women and children of Darfur wherever they flee. World leaders must unite now to end the genocide and establish a lasting peace in Darfur. Although some action has been taken at the policy level, its implementation is still in peril. Five months after the U.N. Security Council authorization of UNAMID, a 26,000 member peacekeeping force to protect the people of Darfur has barely begun to deploy, leaving the people without security or protection. While Sudan’s obstruction has been the primary obstacle to UNAMID’s rapid and effective deployment, the nations of the world also share direct responsibility for this failure. No nation has stepped forward to provide any of the 24 helicopters that everyone agrees are essential for UNAMID to be successful. To insure the end of genocide in Darfur, we must call on our government and world leaders to push for the fastest possible deployment of the hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force, and pressure contributing nations to fully and immediately meet their pledges of troops, funding, equipment, and logistical support.

Take Action:
  • Sign the Help Stop the Genocide Petition. Add your name to an urgent petition asking President George W. Bush and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to take immediate steps to deploy U.N. peacekeepers and stop the killing in Darfur.
  • Add your name to an urgent petition asking President George W. Bush to lead an effort to find these helicopters for the UNAMID force.

Stop China’s sale of arms to Sudan: Human Rights First is launching an international campaign to stop China’s sales of arms to Sudan. China claims that its arms sales to Sudan are insignificant, but a report being released today by Human Rights First argues that since 2004, China has supplied Sudan with some 90% of its small arms and munitions – the types of weapons and bullets that are used to kill, maim, and leave people homeless in Darfur. More than five years of conflict in Darfur has left as many as 400,000 people dead and more than 2.5 million people homeless, with new attacks on villages in West Darfur recently. China has significant leverage with the government to Sudan, which it could use to help end the conflict. But as long as China continues to ship weapons to Sudan, it sends a message of indifference to Sudan’s leaders.

Take Action:
  • Sign the Crimes Against Humanity petition
  • Read Human Rights First report: Investing in Tragedy: China’s Money, Arms and Politics in Sudan

Domestic
Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act: Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) have introduced H.R. 1092 and S. 963 legislation in their respective chambers of Congress. The bill would authorize the Department of Education to give grants of $2 million a year, for the next five years, to educational organizations to supplement their Holocaust programs. The bill would also provide federal resource for non-profit educational organizations to provide and enhance their Holocaust Education programming. Agencies within the Jewish Federation system may be eligible for grants. In the past several years, there has been a rise in historical revisionism, particularly dealing with Holocaust. In this light, it is even more important that we provide the necessary resources to educate Americans on the atrocities that have occurred so that they may never happen again.

Take Action: Thank Senator Menendez for his leadership. Contact your other elected officials and ask them to co-sponsor the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Assistance Act.

Support Increase in Medicaid Funding: To help state Medicaid programs facing financial pressures during the current economic downturn, legislation was recently introduced in the House and Senate to temporarily increase the federal share of Medicaid funding (H.R. 5268/S. 2620). Introduced by Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), there are currently 5 bi-partisan co-sponsors in the House. The Senate bill, introduced by Senator John Rockefeller IV (D-WV), is currently co-sponsored by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Congress should pass a temporary Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase before the economic downturn worsens. FMAP is the rate that the federal government pays for each state’s Medicaid program. A temporary increase in the FMAP rate will: a) insure that more funds are available to states in the short-term, b) allow them to fully fund state Medicaid programs, c) help end the economic downturn, and d) strengthen the delivery of services to more than one million Americans, Jews and non-Jews, that the Jewish community serves each year.

Take Action: Thank our Senators for their leadership. Ask your member of Congress to co-sponsor and support H.R. 5268/S. 2620, legislation to temporarily increase the federal share of Medicaid funding.

State
Religious Liberty: Assembly bill A. 2183 sponsored by Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-36), which would require nursing homes to adhere to the dietary restrictions of residents who eat only kosher or hallal food, was passed in the Assembly and is being considered in the NJ State Senate. The measure would also protect the religious property of observant people and not require them to perform any activities that would violate Sabbath rules. The bill is one of five measures on religious liberty that has been introduced by Rep Schaer – two of which have recently been passed.

Holocaust Reparations: A. 1607 would exempt Holocaust reparations payments from legal process and from estate recovery under the Medicaid program.

UJC Washington Action Office
Attached are the 2008 Legislative Priorities of the United Jewish Communities Washington Office, which represents 155 federations and 400 independent communities across North America. UJC Washington brings the federations’ voice to Capitol Hill and the White House by advocating for life-saving and life-enhancing humanitarian assistance through more than 1,300 social service and healthcare institutions, community centers, schools, and summer camps in nearly 800 locations in North America, in Israel, and in 60 countries around the world. Although UJC MetroWest is a member of the Washington Office, its public policy decisions and priorities are determined by its Board of Directors and do not always coincide with the positions taken at the national level.

 

Please visit the CRC archives to view previous Legislative Digests for additional background on some of these and other issues.

The Legislative Digest is produced by the Community Relations Committee (CRC), the public affairs and public policy arm of United Jewish Communities (UJC) of MetroWest NJ, to present the breadth of issues being monitored by the organized Jewish community, though UJC has not taken a position on all of these matters. For more information visit, the CRC advocacy pages of www.ujcnj.org.

This Legislative Digest was compiled from information prepared by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), United Jewish Communities Washington Action Office, and AIPAC, among other sources.