BACKGROUND: During his State of the State address on January 9, 2013, Governor Cuomo outlined a groundbreaking ten-point plan called the Women's Equality Agenda meant to ensure women's full participation in society and protect their health and well-being. On June 4, 2013 the Governor's proposal was unveiled to the public. The plan addresses:
Equal pay for equal work
Protection from sexual harassment in the workplace
Equitable restitution for discrimination
Protection from human trafficking
Safeguards from discrimination against families
Protection from tenant discrimination
Fair treatment when buying, renting or leasing housing
Protection from pregnancy discrimination in employment
Safety when seeking an order of protection against domestic violence
Protection of reproductive healthcare decisions
All of these issues are key components to giving women control over their lives and future, as well as economic security. More than 750 organizations have joined together to support this plan, including Reform Jewish Voice of New York State.
TAKE ACTION: Urge your Assembly Member and Senator to support the Women's Equality Agenda through the form below. For more information, please contact Program Associate Molly Benoitat 202.387.2800.
Conservation is one of the best things we can do to protect the environment. Programs like EnergyStar have successfully helped small businesses, families, and even congregations reduce their energy consumption and use energy more efficiently by purchasing energy efficient products. However, there have been notably fewer efforts to make energy production and industrial facilities more energy efficient. The Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013 (S. 761 / H.R. 1616) would create a SupplyStar program toidentify and promote practices, companies and products that conserve energy, water and other resources through highly efficient supply chains. Further, the bill aims to increase the use of energy saving technologies in federal agencies and in industrial and commercial spaces.
The Community First Choice option expands access to home- and community-based care in your state, leading to better health outcomes for older adults and individuals with disabilities. We are taught in Pirkei Avot to not separate ourselves from the community, but too often people with disabilities are forced to do just that. Urge your governor and state legislators to implement this option, allowing increased matching funds for more services to more people.
The bipartisan “joint resolution removing the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment” (S.J.RES 15/H.J.RES 43) is an important step toward ensuring women’s equality across our country. The Equal Rights Amendment, first introduced in Congress in 1923, would provide blanket protections against any form of unequal law or unequal enforcement that discriminates based on sex. The Amendment passed Congress in 1972, but has yet to be ratified by the requisite 38 states. The joint resolution introduced in the 113th Congress would enable the ratification process to continue until three more states ratify this crucial amendment, and it can be formally incorporated into the U.S. Constitution.
Discrimination based on sex still occurs across our country in multiple different forms. Women continue to face pay inequality, only earning an average of 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. Women face additional inequities regarding benefits such as insurance, social security, and pensions; experience workplace discrimination in the form of the lack of pregnancy leave and flexibility; and continue to be discriminated against in the military and in the courtroom, particularly in cases of rape or sexual assault. In addition to rectifying these disparities, the Equal Rights Amendment would be immune to other unjust state laws, thereby safeguarding current protections that could be overturned or repealed by individual legislatures and preventing future discriminatory legislation.
Jewish Values
Inspired by our belief that all human beings are made b’tzelem elohim, in the image of God, the Reform Jewish Movement has long advocated for women’s rights. We support gender equality in all aspects of our society, and have supported – and continue to support – efforts to end pay discrimination, to stop violence against women and to protect a woman’s right to choose. Yet in addition to working on these individual endeavors, we must also work upstream to address the source of the solution, and to curtail discriminatory laws before they are even able to be enacted.
Take Action
In emails, faxes and phone calls, please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to support the joint resolution removing the deadline for the ratification of theEqualRightsAmendment (S.J.RES 15/H.J.RES 43). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an e-mail by entering your ZIP Code below.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Sarah Krinskyat 202.387.2800.
The TRUST Act passed the state Assembly 42-20 and is on to the Senate! Your elected officials heard your voices - but we can't stop now. Send a letter to your State Senator and the Governor with the message that we stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters in California.
Background
California currently participates in the "Secure Communities" program, which holds for deportation any undocumented immigrant who has been arrested. The program has become an indiscriminate mass deportation program - 7 out of 10 Californians deported had no prior convictions or prior convictions for only minor offenses (such as selling street food without a permit).
The TRUST Act, AB4 would permit immigration detainments only if the individual has a serious or violent felony conviction. This solution would protect battered spouses, vulnerable employees, individuals who report crimes, and others; strengthen local law enforcement's ability to protect our neighborhoods; and save California taxpayers million of dollars. Learn more here, and follow the steps below to contact your elected officials!
For years the Boy Scouts of America has maintained a policy that excludes gay scouts and scout leaders from its ranks. Later this month the Boy Scouts National Council will consider a proposal to lift the ban on gay youth but uphold its policy of prohibiting LGBT adults from serving in the organization. Every individual, youth and adults, is created in the image of God. Join Jewish clergy nationwide in signing this letter to the Boy Scouts of America that calls for inclusion and equality.
The TRUST Act has passed the state Assembly 42-20 and is on to the Senate! Your elected officials heard your voices - but we can't stop now. Send a letter to your State Senator and the Governor with the message that we stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters in California. And join us for a Lobby Day in Sacramento May 23!
Background
California currently participates in the "Secure Communities" program, which holds for deportation any undocumented immigrant who has been arrested. Although Secure Communities was intended to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records, the program has become an indiscriminate mass deportation program - 7 out of 10 Californians deported had no prior convictions or prior convictions for only minor offenses (such as selling street food without a permit). Across our entire nation, 11 million undocumented immigrants are forced into the shadows of society, families are torn apart for up to decades at a time, and domestic security is undermined as a result of mistrust between immigrants and local law enforcement.
The TRUST Act, AB4 (introduced by Assembly Member Tom Ammiano) addresses these problems in a simple, straightforward manner by setting a clear statewide standard to permit immigration detainers only if the individual has a serious or violent felony conviction. This solution would protect battered spouses, vulnerable employees, individuals who report crimes, and others; strengthen local law enforcement's ability to protect our neighborhoods; and save California taxpayers million of dollars. Learn more about the TRUST Act here and follow the steps below to contact your elected officials!
BACKGROUND: During his State of the State address on January 9, 2013, Governor Cuomo outlined a groundbreaking ten-point plan called the Women’s Equality Agenda meant to ensure women’s full participation in society and protect their health and well-being. The plan addresses:
Equal pay for equal work
Protection from sexual harassment in the workplace
Equitable restitution for discrimination
Protection from human trafficking
Safeguards from discrimination against families
Protection from tenant discrimination
Fair treatment when buying, renting or leasing housing
Protection from pregnancy discrimination in employment
Safety when seeking an order of protection against domestic violence
Protection of reproductive healthcare decisions
All of these issues are key components to giving women control over their lives and future, as well as economic security. No bill has been introduced in the Assembly or the Senate addressing all ten points of this agenda, but there are more than 750 organizations that have joined together to support this plan, including Reform Jewish Voice of New York State.
JEWISH VALUES: All life is sacred in Judaism. Although an unborn fetus is precious and to be protected, Judaism views the life and well-being of the mother as paramount, placing a higher value on existing life than on potential life. The URJ has continuously reaffirmed its commitment to reproductive health with resolutions in 1967, 1975, 1981, and 1990, stating in 1975 that "in any decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy, the individual family or woman must weigh the tradition as she struggles to formulate her own religious and moral criteria to reach her own personal decision....We oppose all constitutional amendments that would abridge or circumscribe this right."
The URJ affirmed its commitment to pay equality with a resolution in 1985 stating that "Reform Judaism has a profound commitment to the principle of equality of opportunity for all persons… Women in predominantly female jobs that, even according to any employers' own specific guidelines, are similar in skill, effort, and responsibility to those of men in traditional male jobs should be compensated with fairness and equity in those jobs” and the URJ “supports legislation calling for job evaluation studies and appropriate remedial actions on the federal, state, and municipal levels.”
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your Assembly Member and Senator to support the Women’s Equality Agenda. For more information, please contact Program Associate Molly Benoitat 202.387.2800.
It is time for comprehensive climate and energy legislation that meets scientific standards to reduce global warming pollution and jumpstarts the transition to a sustainable energy future; creates pathways out of poverty through good, green jobs; and ensures that the most vulnerable communities around the world – those who contribute the least to the problem – are protected from the effects of climate change.
Despite mounting scientific evidence of climate change, growing popular consensus that the government needs to lead, and increasingly costly disruptions to the economy, Congress has not taken action on climate change. Instead, we inch closer to the climate cliff beyond which our ecosystems may be completely unable to recover. It is time for Congress to enact comprehensive climate legislation!
As Jews, we are called to be good stewards of God’s earth and its natural resources, and to ensure that the most vulnerable among us can not only survive but better their lives. Comprehensive climate and energy policy, which ensures the continued health of our environment for future generations, and protects the poor from the effects of both climate change and new climate and energy policies, upholds both of these values.
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your members of Congress to support passage of comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email by entering your zip code below. For more information, contact Legislative AssistantZachary Rosenberg at 202.387.2800.
It is time for comprehensive climate and energy legislation that meets scientific standards to reduce global warming pollution and jumpstarts the transition to a sustainable energy future; creates pathways out of poverty through good, green jobs; and ensures that the most vulnerable communities around the world – those who contribute the least to the problem – are protected from the effects of climate change.
Despite mounting scientific evidence of climate change, growing popular consensus that the government needs to lead, and increasingly costly disruptions to the economy, Congress has not taken action on climate change. Instead, we inch closer to the climate cliff beyond which our ecosystems may be completely unable to recover. It is time for Congress to enact comprehensive climate legislation!
As Jews, we are called to be good stewards of God’s earth and its natural resources, and to ensure that the most vulnerable among us can not only survive but better their lives. Comprehensive climate and energy policy, which ensures the continued health of our environment for future generations, and protects the poor from the effects of both climate change and new climate and energy policies, upholds both of these values.
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your members of Congress to support passage of comprehensive climate and energy legislation this year. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email by entering your zip code below. For more information, contact Legislative AssistantZachary Rosenberg at 202.387.2800.
Over 30,000 Americans die each year as a result of gun violence. The number and severity of violent shootings in recent years can only be described as an epidemic. It is imperative that President Obama and Congress require background checks for all gun sales and advance other common sense gun violence prevention measures.
As if the United States needed one more reminder about the epidemic nature of gun violence, we have seen more than 70 mass shootings since Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others were shot in Tucson, Arizona in 2011. Most recently, we witnessed the tragic shooting of 20 young children and eight adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Each year, more than 30,000 Americans die from gun violence. Each day, more than 80 fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, children, family and friends are killed as a result of our inability to advance common-sense regulations.
As we continue to mourn the lives of those murdered, it is our collective responsibility to advance sensible gun-laws aimed at curbing future violence and Congress must act swiftly.
Jewish Values
Jewish tradition emphasizes the sanctity and primary value of human life. The Bible commands us, “Thou shalt not murder” (Exodus 20:13). The Talmud teaches us that “he who takes one life it is as though he has destroyed the universe, and he who saves one life it is as though he has saved the universe” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5).
Scripture encourages peaceful pursuit of our mutual welfare. Isaiah exhorts the people of the earth to “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (Isaiah 2:4). We also are commanded to turn weapons of destruction into tools for the greater good of society.
Take Action
Ask your Members of Congress to advance sensible gun laws. To reach your Members of Congress, call the Capital Switchboard at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Mikey Pasek at mpasek@rac.org or 202.387.2800
As the tumult in the Middle East continues, a strong U.S. ally in the region is more important than ever. The Senate may soon consider the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The bill includes more than $3 billion in foreign aid to Israel, reflecting the 10-year aid agreement signed by the two nations in 2007. Aid to Israel is an investment in U.S. security and Israel’s security; Israel spends a higher percentage of its gross domestic product on its own defense than any other industrialized country in the world. U.S. foreign aid reaffirms our commitment to a democratic ally in the Middle East and gives Israel the military edge to maintain its security and the economic stability to pursue peace. Furthermore, U.S. foreign aid to Israel represents a strong investment in the American economy; Israel spends over 75% of its aid in the United States supporting American jobs.
Jewish Values
Throughout the Reform Movement's history, in times of peace and in times of strife, we have spoken out in unequivocal and unconditional support of the State of Israel and her people. This support stems from a love of the land and an understanding that the destinies of the Jewish people and of Israel are intertwined in an unbreakable connection. U.S. aid to Israel, over 75% of which is actually spent on goods from the U.S., strengthens both nations. Jewish values also teach us that our country should be an advocate for peace among the nations, emphasizing the importance of North American leadership in the peace process. We believe that foreign aid to Israel, as part of a strong foreign aid package overall, is a strong tool to work toward peace.
Take Action:
At this critical juncture for the Middle East, we must continue the strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Please contact your Senators and urge them to support aid to Israel in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an email below.
For more information, contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Mikey Pasek at mpasek@rac.org or 202.387.2800.
BACKGROUND:
Today, we face the enormous challenges posed by our nation's broken immigration system. Over 11 million undocumented immigrants live in our communities across the country. We can no longer delay comprehensive reform of our immigration system based on streamlined processing, a commitment to obey the rule of law, payment of taxes owed, family reunification, and a path to citizenship.
Comprehensive immigration reform must include:
• Reforms in our family-based immigration system to significantly reduce waiting times for separated families, who currently must wait many years to be reunited with loved ones;
• Border protection policies that are consistent with American humanitarian values and effective against illegal migration, allowing the authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying and preventing entry into the United States of terrorists and dangerous criminals;
• Opportunities for hard-working immigrants who are already contributing to this country to come out of the shadows, regularize their status upon satisfaction of reasonable criteria and, over time, pursue an option to become lawful permanent residents and eventually United States citizens; and
• Legal avenues for workers and their families who wish to migrate to the U.S. to enter our country and work in a safe, legal, and orderly manner that meets the needs of employers.
JEWISH VALUES:
Jewish tradition is clear on the treatment of immigrants. Our faith demands of us concern for the stranger in our midst. Leviticus commands, “When strangers sojourn with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” [19:33-34]. This principle permeates Jewish tradition and is echoed 35 times in the Torah.
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your Senators and representatives to help support comprehensive immigration reform. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Sarah Krinsky at 202.387.2800.
Tell Congress that you support the bipartisan proposals to expand background checks to cover all commercial sales, including gun shows and classifieds (S.AMDT. 715/H.R. 1565).
The recent tragedy in Newtown, CT is a tragic reminder that over 30,000 Americans die each year as a result of gun violence. The number and severity of violent shootings in recent years can only be described as an epidemic. We are inspired by a Jewish tradition that emphasizes the sanctity of human life, and commands us to turn weapons of destruction into tools for the greater good of society.
Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Toomey (R-PA) introduced a bipartisan plan to greatly expand background checks. This same plan was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen King (R-NY) and Thompson (D-CA). Although the proposal does not cover all gun sales, it promises to close dangerous loopholes that exempt gun shows and online sales from background checks.
Use the form below to let Congress know that you stand with the 92% of Americans who support expanding background checks!
Reform CA is delighted to launch our first campaign on statewide immigration reform through the California TRUST Act. With Pesach quickly approaching, we are reminded of our own Exodus narrative of journey and wandering, finding ourselves in so many generations the stranger in a strange land. At our seder, we hear our own cry for redemption echo in our charge to care for the stranger in our midst. As Reform Jews and Californians, we seek compassionate and fair laws for our immigrant brothers and sisters who call California home.
We are working to get thousands of signatures as we demonstrate to our elected officials the strength of the California Reform Movement. Sign our petition now - tell the California Legislature that it's time to pass the TRUST Act and restore stability and security to our immigrant communities.
On Wednesday, May 22, a group of Reform rabbis will journey to Washington, D.C. to advocate on Capitol HIll for immigration reform. For more information, contact Lila Foldes, Co-Director of Just Congregations.
A Jewish poet once wrote:
"Give me your tired, your poor,your huddled masses yearning to breathe free… Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me."
For more than one hundred years, these words have welcomed immigrants to their new home – a goldene medina for so many of our own grandparents and great-grandparents. Sadly, if we were to affix a new plaque today, Lady Liberty's message may be different:
"Give me your PhDs, your wealthy, your powerful.
You in the huddled mass over there, get in line – your turn may come some day.3
And the rest, homeless, yearning … you can turn around and go back."
The way our great nation treats would-be immigrants should give all Americans pause. But as Jews – as a people of immigrants who have repeatedly entered and then been pushed out of strange lands, a people carrying our story and our heritage across one more border, a people trying to settle down and become productive members of still another society – as Jews, we cannot bear it.
Our roots in America have grown deep, but our memories are shallow: today, so many of us fail to pay attention to our own recent history as immigrants. And in doing so, we forget the most fundamental nature of our story as a Jewish people – the journey of Abraham, the migration of Joseph, the wandering of Moses. A people forged on the path of our ancestors. Trek, after difficult trek, after heartbreaking trek.
Just about everybody recognizes that our American system of immigration is badly broken. The pathway to legal immigration is filled with stumbling blocks. Twelve million undocumented immigrants live in the shadows of our society, often with children who are denied access to the golden gates of opportunity this country has to offer.
The time for comprehensive, humane, and common sense immigration reform is now.
Na'aseh.
It is time for us to stand up and be the leaders we have been called upon to be. It is time for us to fulfill the promise Lady Liberty has been making.
As we begin, we are asking you to give your ear, open your heart, and lend your voice to the growing chorus across our nation demanding action. Together, we can amplify our voices to speak mightily on behalf of justice, and make lasting and real change for our society.
Malaria, a disease spread through mosquitoes carrying the plasmodium parasite, is responsible for 200 million illnesses a year. Of those 200 million new cases each year, approximately 600,000 of those people will die, including one child every 60 seconds. This is both a humanitarian and an economic crisis. Africa loses approximately $12 billion a year in productivity and healthcare costs due to malaria.
Currently, people with disabilities cannot have assets greater than $2000, or they are forced to forfeit needed government benefits. Modeled after tax-free college savings plans and retirement funds, the ABLE Act would allow people with disabilities and their families to save for the future. We are taught in Pirkei Avot to not separate ourselves from the community, but too often people with disabilities are forced to do just that. Urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor the ABLE Act, which encourages and assists individuals and families in saving private funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence, and quality of life.
It is critical that we urge Congress to protect funding for the President's Malaria Iinitative (started by President George W. Bush) and the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria during the next round of budget debates. We also urge members of Congress to join the Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus as a way to learn more about this disease, its economic and social burden, and how the U.S. government has led and can continue to lead this fight. Contact your members of Congress and ask them to support $680 million for the President’s Malaria Initiative and $1.65 billion for the Global Fund for Fiscal Year 14.
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The time to prevent senseless gun violence is now, and as religious leaders, the responsibility to provide moral leadership to achieve that cause is ours.
How can you help?
Deliver a sermon and send it to your representatives in Congress and to your state legislators! Rabbis around the country have given inspiring sermons on gun violence. If you have already delivered a sermon on gun violence, you can still send it in! Add your voice and then influence policy by sending your sermon to your representatives in Congress and to your state legislators before February 4th.
To get started, enter your zip code below. Once the system targets your representatives, just paste your sermon into the form letter, and send it directly to your representatives!
Tell Congress that you support the bipartisan proposals to expand background checks to cover all commercial sales, including gun shows and classifieds (S.AMDT. 715/H.R. 1565).
The recent tragedy in Newtown, CT is a tragic reminder that over 30,000 Americans die each year as a result of gun violence. The number and severity of violent shootings in recent years can only be described as an epidemic. We are inspired by a Jewish tradition that emphasizes the sanctity of human life, and commands us to turn weapons of destruction into tools for the greater good of society.
Senators Manchin (D-WV) and Toomey (R-PA) introduced a bipartisan plan to greatly expand background checks. This same plan was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen King (R-NY) and Thompson (D-CA). Although the proposal does not cover all gun sales, it promises to close dangerous loopholes that exempt gun shows and online sales from background checks.
Out of 100 members of the United States Senate, 55 voted for strong background checks legislation. Unfortunately, Senate rules require 60 votes. Use the form below to thank senators who stood with the 92% of the American people who support strong background checks AND/OR to send a note of persuasion to those who did not. Be sure to let your Representative know where you stand as well!
Despite President Obama’s 2009 executive order calling for swift closure of the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, and despite the calls of a broad range of religious, civil liberties and national security groups to put that policy into action, the prison remains open, in large part due to stonewalling by members of Congress. The current draft of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013 now being considered in Congress again includes provisions that would preclude the prison’s closing. The mistreatment of prisoners, such as indefinite detention, is an affront to human dignity and the Jewish principle that we are all created in the divine image, b’tzelem elohim and therefore worthy of dignity. It is time for Congress to remove these restrictions from the NDAA and to allow the prison at Guantanamo to finally close.
The Affordable Care Act includes a provision to expand Medicaid healthcare coverage to anyone under 138% of the poverty line. However, it is at the discretion of each state to decide to implement the expansion. Judaism teaches that healthcare is one of the key services a community is supposed to provide. Send a letter to your governor and state legislators urging them to implement the expansion.
Every woman is entitled to access contraception as a matter of basic rights and fundamental dignity. Jewish tradition believes that contraceptives are not only acceptable, but legitimate forms of health care and family planning. We also teach that health care is the most important communal service, and should be available to all. Tell your member of Congress that as a Reform Jew, you support all women's access to contraceptive coverage without co-pay.
Congress has until March to address automatic spending cuts, the national budget, and the debt ceiling. Recognizing the importance of deficit reduction, we must also keep in mind that as Jews, we are inspired by the commandment to care for those in need in our communities (Deut. 15:7-11). Urge your Members of Congress to use a balanced approach to deficit reduction that will not destroy the safety net of programs serving low-income families.
The Optional Protocols to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) is an international treaty that would commit the US to creating an independent oversight mechanism ensuring that people in the US are not subject to torture, cruelty or inhumane treatment. Jewish values teach us to pursue justice relentlessly; OPCAT will make certain that justice in the United States is carried out fairly and in accordance with our highest values as a nation. Sign this petition and urge the President to sign OPCAT and send it to the Senate for ratification.
On October 16th, police intervened as women, including Anat Hoffman, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and chairwoman of Women of the Wall, prayed at the Kotel (Western Wall). Hoffman was arrested and charged with the “offense” of wearing a prayer shawl and disturbing public order. The Reform Movement issued a statement following Hoffman’s arrest calling on “the government of Israel to remove the ultra-Orthodox authority that oversees the Kotel and ensure the rights of all Jewish people to pray at this holy site, men and women alike.” Add your name to a petition urging the Israeli government to ensure that oversight of the Kotel includes a range of Jewish views and voices and protects gender equality.
Last month, the Obama Administration announced that youth eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status would not qualify for benefits extended under the Affordable Care Act. This excludes these young immigrants from accessing crucial preventative services, acquiring health care through the new exchanges, or receiving assistance from federal programs such as Medicaid or CHIP. As Jews, we are commanded to love the stranger, for we were strangers in the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 10:19), and to fight for the rights of the vulnerable. Make your voice heard and urge Secretary Sebelius to reconsider this misguided policy.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is based on the ideals of the Americans with Disabilities Act, intended to empower persons with disabilities to be independent and productive citizens. The Convention now waits in Congress to be ratified, and stands at the crossroads. In May, a bipartisan group of senators came forward as strong supporters of the treaty, just after it was formally introduced in the Senate. Now is the time to tell Congress to support people with disabilities worldwide. The International Task Force of the Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities, a coalition of national disability organizations, needs the support of your synagogue in their sign-on lettertoday.
Urge the Senate to support the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by adding your syangogue's name to this letter and bolster an international effort to bring the world closer to achieving the goals of equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Raechel Banks at 202.387.2800.
The House of Representatives will vote Friday, September 21, on the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act (H.R. 3409). This harmful bill, a collection of five anti-environmental bills, would among other provisions prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from applying the regulations in the Clean Air and Water Acts to coal-fired power plants. In fact, it effectively prohibits the EPA from putting any new regulations on coal and could be used to roll back existing regulations crucial to curbing the emission of green house gasses. The bill would also prevent the EPA from regulating coal ash and the disposal of other waste from coal-fired power plants.
Portions of this bill have already passed the House; however, this is the first time they are being packaged together and billed as a job creation effort. Make no mistake, this is an effort to roll back environmental regulations on the dirtiest form of energy currently in use.
Jewish Values
As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources, including water and air, and to protect our natural world. In Midrash we are told “Take care, lest you spoil and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one after you to make it right again” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13).
Take Action
Call your Representative and tell him/her to vote AGAINST the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act (H.R. 3409) when it comes up for a vote! The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an e-mail by entering your zip code below.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Zachary Rosenberg at 202.387.2800.
Each year,100,000 Americans are injured or killed because of gun-related crimes. In recent weeks, too many horrific incidents of gun violence have captured national attention, reflecting the worsening ideological divisiveness, anger and intolerance in our nation, all of which must end. The fact remains that this trend of violence threatens us all and violates the values of respect for others that must be paramount in American civic and political life.
WeAreBetterThanThis.org was launched after the tragic shooting in Aurora, CO as a platform for a national conversation about the need for sensible gun control laws. The goal of the petition is to spark a conversation about gun control among elected officials, victims’ families, affected communities, law enforcement, and more.
Jewish Values
Jewish tradition emphasizes the sanctity and primary value of human life. The Bible commands us "Thou shalt not murder." The Talmud teaches us that "he who takes one life it is as though he has destroyed the universe and he who saves one life it is as though he has saved the universe." In an increasingly impersonal and alienating society, the dehumanizing of the human being and the carelessness with which human life is taken stand in direct violation of these affirmations of our tradition.
The URJ has long recognized the need for legislation "that would limit and control the sale and use of firearms" and has called on the United States government to "eliminate the manufacture, importation, advertising, sale, transfer and possession of handguns except for limited instances." (URJ 1975). Over the years, the URJ has spoken out on gun control with particular passion, insisting that gun regulation is "a vital necessity."
Take Action
Join the tens of thousands of Americans who have signed petitions urging elected officials to develop a real solution to the gun violence plaguing our country.
Four years after the official end of the recession, working families still struggle to keep themselves out of poverty. With a current minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which translates to an annual salary of $15,080, it is nearly impossible for many families to make ends meet. Judaism teaches us that poverty is destructive to human dignity. Urge your Members of Congress to cosponsor the Fair Minimum Wage of 2013, and help create economic opportunity for all.
In July 2009, the United States signed but did not ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Convention is based on the ideals of the Americans with Disabilities Act, intended to empower persons with disabilities to be independent and productive citizens.
The CRPD represents an international effort to bring the world closer to achieving the goals of equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. There is a great need for this treaty across the globe. Approximately 650 million people, some 10 percent of the world population, live with a disability—making them the world’s largest minority. In developing countries, 90% of children with disabilities do not attend school. In the United States the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 15% in 2011, nearly twice as high as the rate for those without disabilities (which was 8.7%).
The CRPD would also provide significant benefits at home too. It would make traveling and working abroad possible for more Americans, especially those who do so frequently, such as veterans with disabilities or military family members with disabilities.
The CRPD now stands at a crossroads. The CRPD was voted on in the Senate in December 2012, but—despite bipartisan support—failed by just five votes Now is the time to tell Congress to ratify the CRPD and support people with disabilities worldwide.
Jewish Values
The Reform Movement has long supported the rights of people with disabilities, drawing upon what we are taught in Leviticus 19:14, that “You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind.” We are commanded to be proactive in bringing down barriers placed by society, whether intended or not, before people with disabilities.
Take Action!
Contact your Senator and urge him or her to support the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121. For more information, contact Legislative Assistant Raechel Banksat 202-387-2800.
Background
Members of Congress may vote again to repeal the landmark health reform law signed by President Obama. The law will extend coverage to an estimated 32 million Americans and strengthen existing insurance coverage. It has already provided tremendous benefits, such as the ability for young adults to stay on their parents’ health plans until age 26, a ban on insurance plans denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions and the gradual closing of the so-called Medicare “doughnut hole.”
Despite the Supreme Court’s historic ruling that the law is constitutional, and despite the benefits that will come with nearly all Americans now having health insurance, some Members of Congress are moving ahead with efforts to overturn the law. We cannot afford to let this happen. Members of Congress must reject any effort to deprive Americans of the inclusive, affordable, accessible and accountable health care they deserve.
Jewish Values and Health Care
Jewish tradition is emphatic about the importance of the community providing health care for its vulnerable members. When members of a society at large are ill, our responsibility expands to ensure that medical resources are available at an affordable cost. The Reform Movement was a leading voice in the faith community advocating for the passage of this law. We must continue to fulfill our responsibility to lift up the moral voice for health insurance reform by telling our Members of Congress to reject repeal.
Take Action
In e-mails, faxes and phone calls, please contact your Members of Congress and urge them to oppose any health care repeal effort. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can also send an e-mail by entering your Zip Code below. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Madison Arent at 202.387.2800.
Last week, President Obama acted to address the immigration challenges faced by nearly one million young people who were brought to the United States as undocumented immigrant children and who have since grown up here, stayed in school and have been law-abiding contributors to our communities. The President issued an executive order offering qualifying undocumented young people relief from removal and eligibility for work authorization. Although a legislative remedy passed by Congress would be preferable to executive action that can be overturned by future presidents, Congress has been unable or unwilling to pass similar legislation, known as the DREAM Act, for many years. Now, these young members of our communities will have the ability to continue to contribute to the only country they have ever known as home.
Jewish Values
Jewish tradition is clear on the treatment of immigrants, demanding of us concern for the stranger in our midst. Leviticus commands, “When strangers sojourn with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. The strangers who sojourn with you shall be to you as the natives among you, and you shall love them as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” [19:33-34]. This principle is echoed 35 times in the Torah.
Take Action
Send a letter to President Obama, thanking him for issuing the immigration executive order. For more information, contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Madison Arent at 202.387.2800.
In July 2011 an Institute of Medicine panel recommended eight preventative clinical services for women that should be offered without co-pays under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The fifth recommendation was for insurance plans to make available “the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity.” In August 2011, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius followed the panel’s advice and released regulations that included birth control without co-pay.
Reflecting and respecting the unique role and mission of religious institutions, the rule contained a religious exemption. Nonetheless, some religious leaders expressed concern that the exemption was too narrow (for example, one objection was that the exemption includes houses of worship but not religiously affiliated universities or hospitals). At the same time, many women’s health groups argued that the exception drawn by the Administration was too broad and would deny women employed by those institutions access to birth control without co-pay. As a compromise, the Obama Administration announced earlier this year that it would work with all the interested groups and revise the regulations, likely by having insurers pay for the contraception, rather than the religious entities. The regulations enshrining that compromise are now open for public comment.
As committed Reform Jews, we are strong supporters of religious liberty. At the same time, we are also strong supporters of women having the access and ability to make their own reproductive health decisions. Every woman, including women who work for entities covered by the exemption, is entitled to access contraception as a matter of basic rights and fundamental dignity. That’s why the Reform Movement supports the compromise and the new regulations, which provide a way for women who work for organizations covered by the exemption to access birth control without a co-pay from a third party. There can be no discrimination in basic health services.
JEWISH VALUES
The United States’ commitment to principles of religious liberty have allowed religious freedom to thrive throughout history. At the same time, Jewish tradition reflects the view that contraceptives are not only acceptable but a legitimate form of health care and family planning. Jewish tradition also teaches that health care is the most important communal service, and therefore should be available to all.
TAKE ACTION
Tell Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that you support women’s access to contraceptive coverage as part of a basic preventative care package. The public comment period is only open until June 19! Submit your comment to the HHS today by entering your zip code below.
A bill banning the use of “foreign law” was recently passed almost unanimously in both houses of Kansas’s state legislature, despite the fact that the U.S. Constitution makes it clear that no foreign law can take precedence over American law in U.S. courts. Although Kansas’s new law does not mention Islamic Shari’ah law specifically, it reflects a trend of anti-Muslim sentiment and legislative efforts to demonize Islam that have occurred in over 20 states across the country.
Jewish Values:
Having been the quintessential victims of religious persecution over the centuries, Jews know what happens when otherwise good people stand silently by in the face of discrimination and oppression of others. Jewish tradition teaches that in every generation, we are obligated to view ourselves as if each of us was personally brought forth out of Egypt and knows the pain of discrimination. The Reform Jewish Movement is committed to opposing discrimination and to raising awareness about and speaking out against religious persecution wherever it exists.
Act now! Don’t let Kansas’s law reflect discrimination. Tell Governor Brownback to veto SB 79. Governor Brownback’s office can be reached at (785) 296-3232, or you can send an email by entering your email address below.
More than two million women and girls in Africa and Asia are plagued by a condition that, without treatment, physically and emotionally brands them for the rest of their lives. Women who suffer from obstetric fistulas after childbirth face a lifetime of symptoms that include leaking urine and feces, which often causes them to be completely ostracized by their communities. This ostracism frequently leads to divorce, and financial and social abandonment. The women are often forced to turn to begging or prostitution to survive.
The United States Leadership to Eradicate Obstetric Fistula Act of 2012 (H.R. 5748), sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), has been introduced in an effort to eliminate in a decade the scourge of obstetric fistulas through a network of clinics and teams of U.S. and African doctors, social workers and midwives. Additionally, this legislation would create the critical infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa to better care for and treat women who have or may develop an obstetric fistula. By simply offering the opportunity to heal these women, we increase their stature in their society. We strengthen these women, who in turn have the opportunity to strengthen their own mothers, sisters and daughters.
Jewish Values
As Jews, we are commanded not to stand idly by the blood of our neighbors (Leviticus 19:16), regardless of whether these neighbors are physically close or are suffering across the world. In our Jewish tradition, when we recite the prayer to heal those who are ill, we ask for “refu’at hanefesh u’refu’at ha-guf” – the healing of the soul and the healing of the body. By providing the support to repair obstetric fistulas and the physical and emotional wounds they create, we help heal the body and soul.
Take Action
Urge your Representative to co-sponsor the United States Leadership to Eradicate Obstetric Fistula Act of 2012. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an email below. For more information, contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Katharine Nasielski at 202.387.2800.
New York State's current minimum wage was last increased in July 2009, bringing it up to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. The proposed increase in the state minimum wage to $8.50 an hour would put the wages of a full-time minimum wage worker at 95% of the 3-person federal poverty line.
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have minimum wage levels above $7.25 according to a recent report by the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI). According to the report, 880,100 people or 10.1% of New York state residents earn less than $8.50 per hour, of which 55% are female and 84% are age 20 and older. This belies the claim that only teenagers are paid minimum wage. They work primarily in the retail and food service industries in service and sales occupations.
Last year, the Assembly passed legisation introduced by Speaker Sheldon Silver to raise the minimum wage but Leader Skelos refused to consider the legisation in the Senate.
In both his State of the State address and budget proposal for this year, Gov. Cuomo included an increase in the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.75 effective July 1, 2013. The legislature is currently considering an increase in the minimum wage higher than the Governor's proposal (A00038A/S01835A).
On March 5, 2013, the state Assembly passed a bill raising the minimum wage to $9.00 an hour from it's current $7.25. The measure passed the Assembly 102-44 and now proceeds to the state Senate to approval.
Jewish Values
Judaism teaches us that poverty is destructive to human dignity, and that helping people in need is a matter of fundamental principle, not an act of charity. The Reform Jewish Movement has long been a voice for social and economic justice and as early as 1965 advocated at the federal level for living wages. Reform Jewish Voice of New York State, since it’s founding in 2002, has supported an increase in the minimum wage.
Take Action
Urge the state Senate to raise the minimum wage. Send an e-mail to your state Senator by entering your zip code below. For more information, please contact Program Associate Molly Benoit at 202.387.2800.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed last year gives the government the power to indefinitely detain and render into military custody any person – citizen or not – apprehended on suspicion of terrorism. This creates the very real possibility that innocent American civilians could be arrested by the police and find themselves held in military custody without access to civilian courts. This is an unacceptable violation of our civil liberties.
An amendment sponsored by Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA) and Justin Amash (R-MI) to this year’s NDAA would undo the problematic indefinite detention provisions. In particular, it would require civilian (as opposed to military) custody of persons detained in the United States on suspicion of terrorism and mandate a timely trial in a civilian court.
Jewish Values
The American Jewish community long has cherished the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans in the Constitution. The vitality of these freedoms is confirmed not only by our commitment to our American heritage, but also by centuries of Jewish law. As we strive to strike the appropriate balance between these cherished freedoms and our national security, we are reminded of the words in Deuteronomy, “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (16:20). The justness of our legal system is threatened if civilians can be detained indefinitely in military prisons without access to a speedy trial in civilian court.
BACKGROUND
The RAC and the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) are joining together to demonstrate the Jewish community's support for our nation's first-ever proposed limits on carbon emissions from new power plants. The proposed Carbon Pollution Standard for New Power Plants will prevent any new power plant from emitting more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt of electricity produced. With conventional coal plants currently emitting more than 1,800 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt, pollution controls setting higher technology standards are long overdue.
Carbon dioxide is a threat to the health and well-being of communities around the US, leading to increased levels of asthma, increased ozone levels and more frequent and severe heat waves. These impacts have been shown to have a disproportionate impact on communities of color, youth, the elderly and those living in poverty despite the fact that these communities are least responsible for the increased level of carbon dioxide emissions as they use less energy and electricity than others. These standards represent an important shift in support from coal and other fossil fuels that pose serious environmental and health risks – especially to our nation’s poorest communities – and will spur innovation in green technologies, creating new jobs and strengthening our economy.
Despite these benefits, some Members of Congress have sought to override or block the rule’s implementation. Now is the time to show support for limits on carbon pollution and speak out for climate justice.
JEWISH VALUES As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources, including our climate, water and air, and to protect our health and our natural world. In Midrash we are told “Take care, lest you spoil and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one after you to make it right again” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13).
TAKE ACTION
Tell EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson that you support the EPA Carbon Pollution Standard and the agency’s efforts to reduce carbon pollution and develop climate change policy. The public comment period is only open until June 25! Submit your comment to the EPA today by entering your zip code below.
On May 9, President Obama publicly stated, “I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry,” becoming the first sitting president to make such a statement. President Obama has long publicly supported civil unions. Now, in addition to his existing direction to the Department of Justice to not defend the Defense of Marriage Act (which defines marriage as between one man and one woman) he has expressed support for full marriage rights for same-sex couples. This is an historic and welcome occasion.
Marriage is far more than just a legal relationship between two people. It has been recognized by the Supreme Court as ‘the most important relation in life’ (Maynard v. Hill); it is ‘a coming together for better or for worse, hopefully enduring, and intimate to the degree of being sacred’ (Griswold v. Connecticut). These rights are due no less to same-sex couples than to heterosexual ones. The President also made clear that no religious house of worship or clergy will be forced to sanctify a marriage that violates their own faith teachings.
Jewish Values
Judaism teaches that all human beings are created b'tselem elohim – in the Divine image. Genesis 1:27 tells us that “God created humans in God’s own image, in the image of God, God created them: male and female, God created them.” This belief that the stamp of the divine is present in all humans is fundamental to Reform Judaism; it underlies our commitment to equality for all, including gay and straight couples who wish to marry.
Take Action
Thank President Obama for his historic and public statement of support for marriage equality.
BACKGROUND: Governor Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature are considering adopting New York City’s public financing system statewide to limit the influence of money in politics. Public financing evens the political playing field, enabling candidates to focus on the issues and run competitive campaigns without relying largely on a small number of wealthy contributors.
Governor Andrew Cuomo pledged in his State of the State address in January to introduce legislation during the 2013 legislative session to create a public funding option for New York state elections based on the New York City model and has reiterated that pledge again this year. The NYC model provides money to candidates who accept expenditure limits and enhanced disclosure rules. Clean money campaign financing systems, including voluntary public financing of elections, already exist in a number of states, but what makes the NYC model so successful is the “multiple match”—a feature that boosts the impact of small donations by matching up to $175 of each contribution at a six-to-one ratio.
On Tuesday, May 7, 2013, the Assembly passed the 2013 Fair Elections Act by a margin of 88-50. The bill would implement the NYC model statewide. The measure now proceeds to the Senate for consideration.
JEWISH VALUES: Jewish tradition recognizes the distorting effect that money can have on a leader’s ability to govern fairly. Deuteronomy 16 commands, "You shall not judge unfairly: you shall know no partiality; you shall not take gifts, for gifts blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just.” Talmud Tractate Kethuboth notes, “As soon as a man receives a gift from another he becomes so well disposed towards him that he becomes like his own person, and no man sees himself in the wrong.” In a modern democracy, it is still necessary for elected officials to be accountable to all citizens, not just wealthy and powerful moneyed interests.
TAKE ACTION Urge your legislators to make the Fair Elections plan a priority this year. For more information, please contact Program Associate Molly Benoit at 202.387.2800.
Despite the secession of South Sudan from the north, President Omar al-Bashir continues to terrorize the Sudanese people, bombing villages and blockading humanitarian aid from entering targeted areas. The military attacks have displaced civilians, preventing crop production and placing 500,000 people at the risk of starvation.
The Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act of 2012 (H.R. 4169) seeks to end Bashir’s campaign of violence and help the Sudanese people. The law would increase engagement with other stakeholders with influence in Sudan; provide assistance to afflicted areas in the country; create tough sanctions to target any person or entity that assists in any way with the exercise of serious human rights violations, including interfering with humanitarian aid, permitting impunity, or providing money, goods or military equipment to the government of Sudan; and would create benchmarks for ending sanctions should the Sudanese government choose to end the violence against its own people and seek peace.
In 2003, the international community let Bashir get away with killing 300,000 Darfuris based on ethnicity, religion, political affiliation and disputes over land. We must learn from history and stop Bashir before the current conflict escalates even further.
Jewish Values
Leviticus (19:16) implores us not to stand idly by the blood of our neighbor. Whether our neighbor is next door or half-way around the world, our moral obligation to assist those in need is clear.
Take Action
Urge your Representative to support the Sudan Peace, Security and Accountability Act of 2012 (H.R. 4169). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202-224-3121, or you can send an e-mail by entering your zip code below. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Madison Arent at 202-387-2800.
The House is expected to vote this week on the budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 112) authored by Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). The budget threatens several programs that protect the disadvantaged, while offering massive tax breaks that will limit the government’s ability to support vital programs that affect all Americans. By ending entitlement status for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and by effectively privatizing Medicare, this budget proposal, if adopted, would fundamentally and unjustly restructure our commitment to seniors and low-income families. Deuteronomy teaches, “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin.” (15:7). Congress must take bold steps to restore fiscal responsibility, but this budget fails the moral test outlined by our Jewish teachings.
Take Action
Call your Representative, and urge him or her to oppose the Ryan budget, H. Con. Res 112, when it comes to a vote on the House floor. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202-224-3121.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline at 202-387-2800.
BACKGROUND: While New York State was a trailblazer in 1970, becoming one of the first states to legalize abortion three years before Roe v. Wade, our law has since become outdated. Current policy fails to account for changes in abortion care and does not contain a health exception or any affirmative guarantee protecting a woman's right to make decisions regarding contraception and abortion. Instead, we must rely on the U.S. Constitution, which leaves these rights vulnerable to further erosion by the Supreme Court. The Reproductive Health Act (S. 00438), introduced in January 2013 in the Senate, will repeal the penal code provisions containing New York's abortion statute and place laws related to the regulation of abortion in the public health code. Consistent with Roe v. Wade, the Act would allow abortion up to the point of viability and after that, only if there is a threat to the woman's health or life.
JEWISH VALUES: The Reform Movement has long championed reproductive freedom. In 1975, the Union for Reform Judaism resolved "The question of when life begins is a matter of religious belief and not medical or legal fact." It is due to the fundamental Jewish belief in the sanctity of life that abortion is viewed as both a moral and correct decision under some circumstances. Choices regarding one's own reproductive health are intensely personal, and the Reform Movement vigorously opposes any legislation suggesting that women are incapable of private moral judgments. We trust women to make health care decisions that are best for them and their families.
TAKE ACTION:
Urge Gov. Cuomo to support women's reproductive rights and the Reproductive Health Act. The Governor's office can be reached at 518.474.8390 or you can send an e-mail below. For more information, please contact Program Associate Molly Benoit at 202.387.2800.
The Farm Bill, which sets much of U.S. food and agriculture policy, is currently making its way through Congress. Anti-hunger programs governed by the Farm Bill, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), help millions of individuals and families keep food on the table in spite of harsh economic conditions. The Torah and Jewish tradition are explicit in the command that we feed the hungry and help eradicate hunger from our society. Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to protect and strengthen SNAP in the Farm Bill (S. 954, H.R. 1947) and reject any amendments that weaken our country’s flagship nutrition program.
BACKGROUND The Farm Bill is the primary food and agriculture policy for the U.S. federal government. This omnibus piece of legislation has a far-ranging impact, from impact foreign assistance and food safety, to environmental conservation and anti-hunger programs.
Up for reauthorization this year, the Farm Bill 2012 must support robust nutrition programs to aid the millions of Americans confronting hunger, while ensuring funding for vital conservation programs that protect our air, land and water for future generations.
JEWISH VALUES Our Rabbis teach us that sustenance and food security are inextricably intertwined with scripture as the foundation of Jewish life. “Without sustenance, there is no Torah. Without Torah, there is no sustenance.” (Pirke Avot 3:21) The link between food and faith obligates us as Jews to challenge the injustice of hunger, champion the right to food and steward the land on which our sustenance depends.
Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) has introduced an amendment to the Surface Transportation Bill that would allow employers and insurance companies to deny health insurance coverage for any essential health care service that they object to on the basis of religious beliefs or moral convictions. This would not only have the potential to affect the reproductive rights of women, but would potentially limit unknown numbers of Americans from receiving a range of preventative and immediate health care services, including cancer screenings, HIV/AIDS treatment, and more.
Jewish Values:
Our tradition teaches us that human life is of infinite value and that the preservation of life supersedes almost all other considerations. We, as Jews, believe that God endowed humanity with the understanding and ability to become partners with God in making a better world. The use of our wisdom to cure illnesses has been a central theme in Jewish thought and history. Providing health care is not just an obligation for the patient and the doctor, but for society as well. It is for this reason that Maimonides, a revered Jewish scholar, listed health care first on his list of the ten most important communal services that a city had to offer to its residents (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot IV: 23).
Take Action:
Urge your Senator to vote NO on the Blunt Amendment to the Surface Transportation Bill and protect access to vital health care services. The congressional switchboard can be reached at 202-224-3121. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Katharine Nasielski at 202-387-2800.
The Virginia State Senate recently voted in favor of Senate Bill 484, which would require the use of ultrasound testing before an abortion and would insist that a woman have the opportunity to view the sonogram image of her fetus and hear the fetal heartbeat. This bill, sponsored by Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-Winchester), places an unfair financial burden on low-income women by forcing them to pay for medically unnecessary services and interferes with the provider-patient relationship. The bill will now be considered in the Virginia House and, if passed, will likely be signed into law by Gov. Bob McDonnell.
Jewish Values
All life is sacred in Judaism. Although an unborn fetus is precious and to be protected, Judaism views the life and well-being of the mother as paramount, placing a higher value on existing life than on potential life. Women are commanded to care for their own health and well-being above all else. It is due to the fundamental Jewish belief in the sanctity of life that abortion is viewed as both a moral and correct decision under some circumstances. The Reform Movement strongly believes that women are moral agents entitled to and capable of making their own health decisions. The Reform Movement also strongly condemns restrictions on access to abortion services that particularly impact low-income women.
Take Action:Urge your Representative to vote NO on mandatory ultrasound legislation.
Join the Reform Movement's campaign to defend women's health from political attacks.
The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation has changed its new guidelines in a way that will continue financial support to Planned Parenthood and allow PPFA to apply for new grants. As many of you know, the letter from the Union for Reform Judaism, Central Conference of Rabbis & Women of Reform Judaism calling for the restoration of funding to PPFA by Komen drew widespread attention and support. Indeed, this decision reflects the outpouring of support for PPFA's vital work for women's health by thousands of Reform Jews and many others over the past 48 hours (Read the Reform Movement letters here).
It is our goal to help ensure a strong outpouring of public support for a continued close partnership between Komen and PPFA by mobilizing thousands of Jews committed to women's health.
PPFA is a major provider of breast exams and other preventative health care services to women and men and particularly to low income and underserved communities. Now is a time to thank the Komen Foundation for its vital work and its ultimate decision to stand with PPFA on behalf of women’s health.
Each year Planned Parenthood's network of more than 800 clinics nationwide provides nearly 830,000 breast exams. PPFA has stated that, over the past five years, 170,000 of the centers' four million breast exams conducted were a direct result of Komen grants. Halting Komen grant money to PPFA would have been contrary to the organization's mission and interests, directly and unfairly threatening the health and safety of women.
In the face of a polarizing political environment, we must stand in strong support of women’s health by supporting the partnership between Komen and PPFA. Anti-choice advocates are already making their voices heard in opposition to the revised funding standards.Join us and thousands of others in thanking the Komen Foundation for its continued funding PPFA and the work that it does.
TAKE ACTION NOW: Thank the Susan G. Komen Foundation for continuing to fight for the health and lives of women everywhere by funding Planned Parenthood and allowing PPFA to apply for new grants for breast cancer screening and urge them not to allow the new standards to become politicized to the detriment of women's health.
BACKGROUND Year after year, precious tracts of land and stretches of ocean are contaminated by oil spills and gas leaks. Yet recently the House of Representatives passed the PIONEERS Act (H.R. 3408), a bill that encourages oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts, as well as force approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, as part of a larger transportation package that seeks to fund infrastructure with oil drilling revenues. Senator Vetter (R-LA) has proposed the same measure as an amendment to the Senate transportation bill.
Particularly alarming is expanded oil and gas exploration and drilling off the Alaskan coast, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). ANWR stands as one of America’s last true wilderness areas, containing numerous fragile arctic ecosystem and habitats for caribou, polar bears, arctic foxes, and snowbirds. This area represents the last 5% of Alaska’s North Slope that is not already open to drilling. Opening ANWR and our fragile coastlines for drilling would sacrifice the long-term health and security of our nation for the short-term gain of consuming more oil, ignoring our responsibility to respond to climate change.
JEWISH VALUES In Genesis we learn that when God placed the first human beings in the Garden of Eden, God gave humanity a dual role in relationship to the surrounding environment, "to till it and tend it" (Genesis 2:15). This demands a balanced approach to development, a careful consideration of the competing needs both to employ the resources with which God has provided us and to protect those resources for generations to come.
TAKE ACTION NOW Urge your Senators to oppose Sen. Vetter's transportation bill amendment authorizing expanded oil and gas drilling. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121,or you can send an e-mail by entering your zip code below.
As Americans, we hold that voting is a constitutional right and the opportunity to exercise this right should be fair and accessible to all. Yet despite our nation’s fundamental belief in a participatory democracy, the right to vote is actively denied to millions of Americans.
The Democracy Restoration Act of 2011 (H.R. 2212/S. 2017) would restore voting rights to individuals who have been released from incarceration. Four million men and women in the United States continue to remain disenfranchised from voting in federal elections even after being released from prison. Upon release from incarceration, these citizens work, pay taxes, live in our communities and bring up families, yet they are without a voice. The legislation would also deny federal funds to correctional institutions unless they offer a program to education incarcerated individuals of their voting rights upon release.
Currently, voting rights for previously incarcerated individuals varies from state to state, which is why we need a uniform standard across the country for federal elections. The Democracy Restoration Act would fulfill the American democratic ideal by guaranteeing every one of its tax-paying citizens the right to vote.
JEWISH VALUES
As Jews, we celebrate a proud tradition of fairness with regard to voting and elections. Rabbi Yitzhak instructs that “A ruler is not to be appointed unless the community is first consulted” (Babylonian Talmud Berachot 55a). Instances of voter disenfranchisement compel us to speak out, as it is our duty to ensure that all citizens are afforded the opportunity to vote and have their votes counted.
TAKE ACTION
Tell Congress to support the Democracy Restoration Act (H.R. 2212/S. 2017) and give voice to over four million Americans who continue to remain disenfranchised. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email to your Senators and Representative by entering your zip code below.
Comprehensive sexuality education programs encourage abstinence but also recognize the realities of sexuality and behavior among teenagers. They address issues relating to contraception and safe sex, and have been found to delay the onset of sexual activity, reduce the number of partners, and decrease the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. Moreover, comprehensive sexuality education programs help students talk with parents about sex, build healthy relationships, and address issues of sexual and gender identity and orientation. Unfortunately, for many years, the federal government has provided funding solely to ineffective abstinence-only sex education programs.
If introduced and passed, the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act would provide young people with the comprehensive sexuality education they need to make informed, responsible, and healthy decisions in order to become sexually healthy adults and have healthy relationships. The legislation provides comprehensive sexuality education to adolescents and young adults in public schools, communities, and institutions of higher education, insists on medically accurate and evidence-based programs, promotes culturally and linguistically appropriate and LGBT inclusive education, and provides bare minimum standards for federal funding.
JEWISH VALUES:
The Reform Jewish Movement is committed to responsible, medically accurate sexuality education, which includes information about both abstinence and contraception. Judaism teaches that we are created in the image of God, and that the guiding principle of sexuality in the Jewish tradition is K'doshim tih'yu, “You shall be holy.” Providing your people with accurate and comprehensive information allows them to respect themselves and their bodies.
TAKE ACTION:
Please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to introduce and then support the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121. You can also send an e-mail by entering your Zip Code below.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Sarah Krinsky at 202.387.2800
Our nation’s well being depends on the smooth functioning of the judicial system and on the checks and balances it ensures as one of the three co-equal branches of government established by our Constitution. Right now, the system is off-balance.
The US's federal courts currently lack enough judges to hear cases and there are an unnerving number of judicial emergencies, a term that describes courts that have been unable to function at full capacity for an extended period of time and have an excess caseload due to a lack of judges.
For nearly three years, obstructionism has prevented well-qualified nominees from being confirmed at a reasonable pace. The consequence is that an ever-growing number of Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to have their day in court.A vacancy crisis is occurring that isn’t only bad for democracy; it impacts every single issue that we care about. From immigration to employment discrimination cases, to cases of religious liberty, Americans are waiting far too long for justice.
Call on your Senators to restore balance to our system and enable to courts to work for those they are supposed to serve.
Jewish Values:
Jewish tradition teaches the importance of fair and impartial courts. In Exodus 18:21, Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, advises him to choose capable, trustworthy, and law abiding members of society to judge the people. Elsewhere we are taught of the ethical obligation to oppose unjust persons and unfair judgments; judges should neither “favor the poor [n]or show deference to the rich” (Leviticus 19:15). Further, in Deuteronomy, God proclaims to the people of Israel, "you shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice, shall you pursue" (16:19-20). The responsibility to pursue justice extends beyond ensuring that we, ourselves, are behaving justly and judging fairly. We also have a responsibility to create a legal system that strives for balance and that treats all people equitably.
Take Action:
In the face of judicial emergencies and obstruction in the confirmation process, we must urge our Senators to vote on all pending judicial nominations. Please contact your Senators and urge them to fill judicial vacancies. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an email below. For more information, contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Sarah Krinsky at 202.387.2800.
BACKGROUND
This week, the Senate will consider two balanced budget amendment, S. J. Res. 23 and S. J. Res. 24, which would fundamentally reshape the federal government’s role in the economy, deeply constricting its ability to fight poverty during economic recession. A balanced budget amendment would also make it more difficult for the government to put Americans back to work, respond to natural disasters, or invest in infrastructure to ensure prosperity for the future. In fact, a balanced budget amendment would likely necessitate cuts to key government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and even veterans benefits.
In their simplest form, balanced budget amendments require the federal government to spend no more money than it collects in revenue. While this is a worthwhile goal, such an amendment would prevent the federal government from wielding its unrivaled creditworthiness to spend and repay huge sums of money to provide security to families in need and invest money in the future so that the economy can continue to grow.
S. J. Res. 23 contains additional provisions that make the amendment even more dangerous. Specifically, S. J. Res. 23 requires three-fifths of the whole membership of both houses of Congress vote in order to raise the debt ceiling. This would codify a dramatically increased risk of default on the national debt, allowing fringe groups to hold the full faith and credit of the United States hostage. Indeed, only two of the past ten debt ceiling increases achieved a three-fifths vote, and this was only because the increases were embedded in other must-pass legislation.
Constitutionally enforced spending caps and supermajority requirements for revenue increases are ideological attempts to shrink the size of government under the guise of fiscal restraint. Starving the federal government of revenue and artificially limiting the amount of money the government can spend would mean the destruction of programs that serve the disadvantaged and likely result in more poverty, more joblessness, and less prosperity.
JEWISH VALUES
We are taught in Proverbs that “One who withholds what is due to the poor affronts the Creator; one who cares for the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31). This message is amplified in Deuteronomy, where we are taught “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (Deut. 15:7-8). A balanced budget amendment will deeply constrain the ability of the federal government to respond to the needs of all Americans but especially the disadvantaged.
TAKE ACTION
A Constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of the House and the Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Call your Senators and ask them to oppose S. J. Res. 23 and S. J. Res. 24 when each comes to a vote. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline at 202.387.2800.
Background
Without fast action by Congress, federal unemployment benefits will expire for 2.2 million Americans on February 29. In December 2011, President Obama signed a 2 month extension of federal unemployment insurance into law. Unemployment benefits are critical in helping working families stay above the poverty line during economic downturns. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2010 alone, unemployment benefits kept 3.2 million Americans from falling into poverty. If benefits were to be allowed to expire, though, 3.5 million workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own would likely be plunged into poverty. This would also remove between $70 and $80 billion from the economy—a potentially devastating blow in such trying economic times.
Jewish Values
The Torah and Jewish tradition teach us that providing for those in need is not a matter of charity but an obligation. We learn in Deuteronomy that “If there is a needy person among you… do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). Judaism also teaches that the highest form of tzedakah is to help another person achieve self-sufficiency. We must help people support themselves by maintaining crucial assistance at this uncertain time.
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your Members of Congress to support a yearlong extension of federal unemployment insurance. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an e-mail below. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline at 202.387.2800.
This week the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 3463, a bill that would dismantle the public funding system for presidential elections. Created in 1976, the public funding system offers money raised via a voluntary check-off on individuals’ tax returns to qualified primary- and general-election presidential candidates. The bill would also eliminate the Elections Assistance Commission, set up in the wake of voting problems in the close 2000 presidential election and eliminate public funding for national party conventions, money which both Republicans and Democrats have already applied for and received for their upcoming conventions.
The disproportionate influence of money in politics will only grow if H.R. 3463 becomes law.Campaigns are becoming ever more expensive, with the two 2008 presidential candidates raising a staggering $1.7 billion.The 2012 race is already shaping up to be even more costly. Such large sums of money distort the election process, making participation more difficult for candidates without huge reserves of personal funds. It also forces public servants seeking re-election to spend more time raising money and less time responding to the needs of constituents. Public financing, though imperfect, has the potential to change the rules of the game, thereby injecting new ideas and different kinds of candidates into our electoral system.
Jewish Values
Jewish tradition recognizes the distorting effect that money can have on a leader’s ability to govern fairly. Deuteronomy 16 commands, "You shall not judge unfairly: you shall know no partiality; you shall not take gifts, for gifts blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just.” Talmud Tractate Kethuboth notes, “As soon as a man receives a gift from another he becomes so well disposed towards him that he becomes like his own person, and no man sees himself in the wrong.” Rabbi Yitzhak argued that in the Torah, Bezalel could be chosen to build the Tabernacle only with the community's approval. In a modern democracy, it is still necessary for elected officials to be accountable to all citizens, not just wealthy and powerful moneyed interests.
Take Action
Urge your Representative to vote against H.R. 3463 when it comes to the floor. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an e-mail by entering your zip code. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Susan Paykin or call 202.387.2800.
More than 400,000 women serve in the Armed Forces, and receive their health insurance from the Department of Defense’s Military Health System. But the health insurance available to servicewomen prevents women in the military from using their own private funds to pay for abortion services in military facilities. This problem is compounded by the fact that victims of these crimes might be hesitant to disclose their circumstances to superiors. The MARCH Act (Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health of 2013 - H.R. 1389/S.777) would close this loophole and bring regulations for military women in line with federal standards. As long as women paid out of pocket, they would be able to get an abortion in a military medical facility rather than traveling outside the base to potentially dangerous or medically insufficient providers.
Jewish values affirm the right of all women to be moral decision makers, capable of making responsible choices about their reproductive health. Women in the military are no less entitled to the right to make such decisions than civilians.
TAKE ACTION:In emails, faxes and phone calls, please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to co-sponsor the Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Women Act (The MARCH for Military Women Act of 2013). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an e-mail by entering your ZIP Code below.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Sarah Krinskyat 202.387.2800.
From the streams in our backyards and city parks, to the wetlands that help protect us against floods, America’s water is under threat. Senators Barrasso (R-WY) and Heller (R-NV) plan to offer an amendment that would dangerously undermine the Clean Water Act to the Energy and Water Appropriations Act of 2012 (H.R. 2354).
The 1972 Clean Water Act was designed to protect “all the waters in the United States.” However, industry and commercial interests have chipped away at clean water safeguards after 2001 and 2006 Supreme Court decisions created uncertainty about what types of waters are protected. Currently, Clean Water Act protections only apply to “navigable waterways,” excluding small streams and wetlands that more than 117 million Americans rely on in some part for their drinking water supply.
Although they have been weakened, these protections can be restored by government directives. However, the Barrasso-Heller amendment would codify the current restrictions indefinitely so that the original Clean Water Act protections could never be clarified or reinstated. The amendment could destroy countless waterways vital to human health and ecological wellbeing.
JEWISH VALUES
As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources. In Midrash, we learn, “Take care, lest you spoil and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one after you to make it right again” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13).
Water has played a role in virtually every major story in the Torah. Isaac’s wife was chosen for him at a well. The baby Moses was saved after floating down a river. The Israelites were freed when the red sea parted. Miriam will forever be remembered by her gift of water to the Jewish people in the desert. The history of the Jewish people is the history of our relationship with water.
TAKE ACTION
With the Senate expected to vote on an omnibus appropriations bill before breaking for the holidays, your vocal opposition to this dirty water amendment is urgent. Urge your Senator today to oppose the Barrasso-Heller Amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations Act (H.R. 2354). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email by entering your zip code below.
BACKGROUND
This week, the House of Representatives will consider a balanced budget amendment, H. J. Res. 2, which would fundamentally reshape the federal government’s role in the economy, deeply constricting its ability to fight poverty - let alone put Americans back to work, respond to natural disasters, or invest in infrastructure to ensure prosperity for the future.
In their simplest form, balanced budget amendments require the federal government to spend no more money than it collects in revenue. While this is a worthwhile goal, such an amendment would prevent the federal government from wielding its unrivaled creditworthiness to spend and repay huge sums of money to provide security to families in need and invest money in the future so that the economy can continue to grow.
H. J. Res. 2 also contains additional provisions that make the amendment even more threatening. Specifically, H. J. Res. 2 requires three-fifths of Congress vote in order to raise the debt ceiling. This would dramatically increase the risk of default on the national debt, further destabilizing our national economy.
Another provision of H. J. Res. 2 would raise the threshold for any increase in government revenue- even something as simple as closing a tax loophole. Such a rule would make it extraordinarily hard, if not impossible, for the government to meet its responsibilities to the public and ensure national well-being and security.
Constitutionally enforced spending caps and hamstringing congress’s ability to raise revenue are simply dangerous., Starving the federal government of revenue and artificially limiting the amount of money the government can spend would mean harm to or the destruction of programs, like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, that serve all Americans and particularly help the disadvantaged. The likely result would be more poverty, more joblessness, and less prosperity.
JEWISH VALUES We are taught in Proverbs that “One who withholds what is due to the poor affronts the Creator; one who cares for the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31). This message is amplified in Deuteronomy, where we are taught “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (Deut. 15:7-8). A balanced budget amendment will deeply constrain the ability of the federal government to respond to the needs of all Americans and particularly the disadvantaged.
TAKE ACTION A Constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of the House and the Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Call your Representative and ask him or her to oppose H. J. Res. 2 when it comes to a vote. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline `at 202.387.2800.
BACKGROUND
This week, the House of Representatives will consider a balanced budget amendment, H. J. Res. 2, which would fundamentally reshape the federal government’s role in the economy, deeply constricting its ability to fight poverty - let alone put Americans back to work, respond to natural disasters, or invest in infrastructure to ensure prosperity for the future.
In their simplest form, balanced budget amendments require the federal government to spend no more money than it collects in revenue. While this is a worthwhile goal, such an amendment would prevent the federal government from wielding its unrivaled creditworthiness to spend and repay huge sums of money to provide security to families in need and invest money in the future so that the economy can continue to grow.
H. J. Res. 2 also contains additional provisions that make the amendment even more threatening. Specifically, H. J. Res. 2 requires three-fifths of Congress vote in order to raise the debt ceiling. This would dramatically increase the risk of default on the national debt, further destabilizing our national economy.
Another provision of H. J. Res. 2 would raise the threshold for any increase in government revenue- even something as simple as closing a tax loophole. Such a rule would make it extraordinarily hard, if not impossible, for the government to meet its responsibilities to the public and ensure national well-being and security.
Constitutionally enforced spending caps and hamstringing congress’s ability to raise revenue are simply dangerous., Starving the federal government of revenue and artificially limiting the amount of money the government can spend would mean harm to or the destruction of programs, like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, that serve all Americans and particularly help the disadvantaged. The likely result would be more poverty, more joblessness, and less prosperity.
JEWISH VALUES
We are taught in Proverbs that “One who withholds what is due to the poor affronts the Creator; one who cares for the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31). This message is amplified in Deuteronomy, where we are taught “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (Deut. 15:7-8). A balanced budget amendment will deeply constrain the ability of the federal government to respond to the needs of all Americans and particularly the disadvantaged.
TAKE ACTION
A Constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of the House and the Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Call your Representative and ask him or her to oppose H. J. Res. 2 when it comes to a vote. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline at 202.387.2800.
As the tumult in the Middle East continues, a strong U.S. ally in the region is more important than ever. The Senate may soon consider the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The bill includes $3.075 billion in foreign aid to Israel, reflecting the 10-year aid agreement signed by the two nations in 2007. Aid to Israel is an investment in U.S. security and Israel’s security; Israel spends a higher percentage of its gross domestic product on its own defense than any other industrialized country in the world. U.S. foreign aid reaffirms our commitment to a democratic ally in the Middle East and gives Israel the military edge to maintain its security and the economic stability to pursue peace. Furthermore, U.S. foreign aid to Israel represents a strong investment in the American economy; Israel spends over 75% of its aid in the United States supporting American jobs.
Jewish Values
Throughout the Reform Movement's history, in times of peace and in times of strife, we have spoken out in unequivocal and unconditional support of the State of Israel and her people. This support stems from a love of the land and an understanding that the destinies of the Jewish people and of Israel are intertwined in an unbreakable connection. U.S. aid to Israel, over 75% of which is actually spent on goods from the U.S., strengthens both nations. Jewish values also teach us that our country should be an advocate for peace among the nations, emphasizing the importance of North American leadership in the peace process. We believe that foreign aid to Israel as part of a strong foreign aid package overall, is a strong tool to work toward peace.
Take Action:
At this critical juncture for the Middle East, we must continue the strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Please contact your Senators and urge them to support aid to Israel in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an email below. For more information, contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Mikey Pasekat 202.387.2800.
The End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 (S. 1670, H.R. 3618) aims to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, local and tribal levels. Defined as “the practice of a law enforcement agent or agency relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin in selecting which individuals to subject to routine or spontaneous investigatory activities, or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the initial investigatory procedure,” racial profiling is a discriminatory act that denies individuals the constitutional right of equal protection under the law.
The End Racial Profiling Act (S.1670, H.R. 3618) would legally prohibit racial profiling and enforce the injunction through the judicial system by such means as specializing instruction in federal law enforcement training, conditioning state and local government receipt of federal funds on the successful adoption of anti-racial profiling policies, awarding Justice Department grants to state and local governments that best implement practices that defeat racial profiling, and positioning the Attorney General as watchdog to assess such practices.
Racial profiling raises civil rights concerns, undermines the criminal justice system by diverting resources from pursuing actual criminal behavior, and reinforces false stereotypes, whether in the context of counterterrorism, street-level crime or immigration enforcement.
Jewish Values
Judaism teaches respect for the fundamental rights of others as each person's duty to God. "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor" (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a). Equality in the Jewish tradition is based on the concept that all of God's children are "created in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27).
Take Action Now!
Contact your Senators and urge them to uphold the civil rights of all individuals by co-sponsoring the End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 (S.1670, H.R. 3618). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202-224-3121. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Madison Arent at 202-387-2800 or marent@rac.org.
Every student should feel safe in American schools. Sadly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth continue to face rampant harassment and bullying. Tell Congress to act now and pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act to help protect our students.
BACKGROUND
The Food Stamp Program (renamed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the 2008 Farm Bill) works to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by providing low-income families and individuals with resources to enable them to obtain an adequate, nutritious diet. Food Stamp enrollment has been on an increase for the past five years, largely due to changes in the economy.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helps sustain the 49 million Americans living in food insecure households. The program is also a significant economic stimulus: for every dollar the government spends on SNAP, $1.79 is returned to the economy. Nonetheless, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is working to achieve $1.5 trillion in savings, and critical anti-hunger programs, SNAP, are at risk.
JEWISH VALUES
Deuteronomy teaches, “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (15:7-8). We are taught further in Midrash Psalms 118:17 that “When you are asked in the world to come, ‘What was your work?’ and you answer: ‘I fed the hungry,’ you will be told: ‘This is the gate of God, enter into it, you who have fed the hungry.’” The Union for Reform Judaism has long advocated on behalf of children, the poor, the elderly, the sick, the disabled, and the “stranger among us.” The URJ has passed numerous resolutions supporting anti-poverty and anti-hunger programs.
TAKE ACTION NOW
Call your Senators today, and ask them to sign on to Senator Gillibrand’s letter and protect SNAP. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202-224-3121. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline at 202.387.2800
BACKGROUND
In September, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2401, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act. The TRAIN Act would limit the EPA's regulatory power to enforce the Clean Air Act and establish a Congressional committee to review all proposed actions for enforcement before they can be implemented. The TRAIN Act specifically t imposes a mandatory delay in enacting the new mercury standards that would protect our children from exposure to mercury in the air.
The TRAIN Act would result in costly reports and delay (or prevent) the implementation of important environmental health regulations. The bill eliminates the requirement that the EPA base clean air standards on health and science and requires the agency to consider "feasibility and cost" to industry, essentially forcing the EPA to set unsafe air standards.
JEWISH VALUES As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources, including water and air, and to protect our health and our natural world. In Midrash we are told “Take care, lest you spoil and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one after you to make it right again” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13). In Deuteronomy, we are taught to "choose life, that you and your descendants may live" (30:20).
TAKE ACTION
We must not allow Congress to roll back Clean Air Act protections. Urge your Senator to oppose the TRAIN Act when it is introduced to the Senate. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email by entering your zip code below.
For more information, contact Legislative Assistant Susan Paykin at 202.380.2800.
BACKGROUND
The Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2011 (H.R. 2273) would override pending Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules designed to regulate toxic coal ash produced by coal-fired power plants, strip mining, and mountaintop removal. Coal ash, a residual of coal-fired power plants as well as dangerous extraction processes such as strip mining and mountaintop removal, contains toxins such as arsenic, lead, and mercury. This residual waste material is currently used by agriculture and construction industries to produce concrete, drywall, and fertilizers. The ash is dumped to fill vast pits or flattened mountains, after which it is covered with soil. There is no safe setting or condition that coal ash can be safely and reliably used; when left in the ground, its toxins eventually leech into local communities’ soil and groundwater sources.
The EPA rules come just three years after one of the greatest environmental crises in our country, the Kingson Fossil Plant coal ash spill in eastern Tennessee. The 2.6 million cubic yards of wet coal ash released after a wall collapsed contaminated the Emory River well above acceptable toxicity levels for drinking, swimming, or fishing, and lead to the death of hundreds of aquatic creatures. In classifying coal ash as a hazardous waste for the first time, the pending EPA rules are vital to people’s health and the environment’s wellbeing.
JEWISH VALUES As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources, including water and air, and to protect our health and our natural world. In Midrash we are told “Take care, lest you spoil and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one after you to make it right again” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13).
TAKE ACTION
We must not allow toxic coal ash to continue to wreak havoc on people’s health and the environment’s wellbeing. Urge your Representative to oppose the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2011 (H.R. 2273). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an email by entering your zip code below.
For more information, contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Susan Paykin at 202.387.2800.
The Protect Life Act (H.R. 358/S. 877) severely threatens the right to choice affirmed by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade. This bill would prohibit federal funding under the health care reform law from being used toward any health plan that offers abortion services, even though adequate protections already exist to ensure that no taxpayer money under the health care reform law will fund abortion services. H.R. 358/S. 877 also contains a troubling expansion of conscience clause protections that would allow health care providers to continue receiving federal funding even if they refuse to provide abortion services necessary to save a woman’s life. This provision fails to strike the proper balance between the individual health care provider’s right to his or her own religious and moral beliefs and the patient’s right to access health care services.
This bill, if passed, would dramatically reduce women's access to safe and affordable abortion services and restrict a woman's ability to use her OWN private money for abortion services. It would also result in greater government interference in what is typically a very private, and often religious, decision.
The Protect Life Act holds insurance companies fiscally hostage if they attempt to provide abortion services to their clients, as the bill requires an insurance company that offers a qualified health plan with abortion coverage to offer a second, additional plan that does not include abortion coverage but is otherwise identical in every other way. Additionally, women with the lowest income levels are unjustly targeted; women who struggle financially are unlikely to be able to afford insurance supplements that cover abortion services, especially since unplanned pregnancies resulting in abortions are, by definition, unexpected.
Jewish Values
All life is sacred in Judaism. Although an unborn fetus is precious and to be protected, Judaism views the life and well-being of the mother as paramount, placing a higher value on existing life than on potential life. Women are commanded to care for their own health and well-being above all else. It is due to the fundamental Jewish belief in the sanctity of life that abortion is viewed as both a moral and correct decision under some circumstances. The Reform Movement strongly believes that women are moral agents entitled to and capable of making their own health decisions.
Take Action
Urge your Senators and Representative to oppose the Protect Life Act (H.R. 358/S.877). You can send an e-mail by entering your Zip Code below. To call your Members of Congress, dial the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Katharine Nasielski or call 202.387.2800.
The Palestinian Authority is expected to seek a vote at the United Nations this week requesting statehood or observer status. The U.S. and Canada have long supported the achievement of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement that reflects a mutually agreed upon two-state solution, achieved through diplomatic negotiations. Unilateral action undermines the future security of both states, which depends on mutual agreements. Concerns about security and borders will remain after the Palestinians’ unilateral action, threatening the stability and security of both states; and the parameters of a final agreement will be damaged before negotiation ever takes place.
Jewish Values:
At a time in which Israel's viability as a secure, Jewish democracy is at risk, we must do all we can to protect and advance the prospects for peace. With this in mind, it is important to realize that a free and safe Israel must coexist with an equally safe Palestinian state, whose borders are mutually agreed upon.
Take Action Now:
Contact the White House and thank President Obama for his commitment to achieving peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and to opposing the Palestinian statehood vote at the UN. The White House switchboard can be reached at 202-456-1414. You can also contact your members of Congress and urge them to support the White House’s commitment to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians and to oppose the Palestinian statehood vote at the UN. The congressional switchboard can be reached at 202-224-3121. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Katharine Nasielski at 202-387-2800.
Alan Gross of Potomac, Maryland traveled to Cuba on behalf of a development company to provide satellite phone and computer equipment to the country’s Jewish residents. In December 2009, he was arrested by Cuban authorities, and three months later, he was convicted of “acts against the independence of the territorial integrity of the State.”
Alan Gross’s health has been deteriorating, yet the Cuban government has shown no willingness to consider his release. Former Cabinet Secretary and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was recently in Cuba on a mission to free Alan Gross, but left after being denied permission to even visit with him.
Jewish Values
The Talmud purports, "One person was created to teach us the sanctity and importance of every life, for one who destroys one life, it is as if he destroys an entire world, and one who saves one life, it is as if he saves an entire world." The Jewish tradition upholds the humanitarian treatment of one another, towards the ultimate objective of a more peaceful, cooperative and just world.
In early August, President Obama reached a compromise with congressional leaders to increase the borrowing limit of the United States. View a statement from the leaders of the Reform Jewish Movement on the debt ceiling compromise. The compromise averts economic disaster. It does so, however, in exchange for extracting hundreds of billions of dollars in non-entitlement spending cuts and then sets up a bipartisan Committee to achieve $1.5 trillion in additional savings, including entitlement and tax reform.
The compromise delays debate over cuts to entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). An initial round of spending cuts would exempt entitlement programs. While it also provides limited protection to other low-income programs by drawing from both defense and non-defense discretionary spending, significant cuts in safety net programs are quite likely. The package also creates a bipartisan Committee to produce an additional $1.5 trillion in savings from either entitlement and tax reform. Limiting the damage to entitlement programs by increasing revenue will prove very difficult, but at least the most critical programs are protected for the time being. Failure by the Committee to produce legislation that has sufficient support to become law will automatically trigger an across-the-board cut in 2013 that exempts low-income programs, unemployment insurance, and Social Security, while ensuring that Medicare cuts do not reduce benefits.
The compromise will only be a fair one if, during the appropriations process, Congress achieves the mandated spending cuts in a manner that preserves essential social safety net programs and if tax reform occurs in addition to entitlement reform.
JEWISH VALUES
Deuteronomy teaches, “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (15:7-8). The debt ceiling compromise will on be a fair one if Congress enacts mandated spending cuts and negotiates entitlement and tax reform in a manner that protects the most vulnerable among us. The Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis each have passed many resolutions supporting the goal of deficit reduction, while also insisting that the poor and vulnerable do not shoulder the burden of spending cuts.
TAKE ACTION
Contact your elected officials and ask them to ensure that the poor are protected in any spending cuts that result from the debt ceiling compromise, and ask them to ensure that both entitlement and tax reform occur so that social safety net programs retain their ability to address urgent needs. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Ian Hainline at 202.387.2800.
BACKGROUND It has been over a year since the Deepwater Horizon oil well was finally capped after spewing five million of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, but Congress has yet to respond with legislation that would protect our coasts from future oil disasters or restore the Gulf. As the Yellowstone pipeline spill shows yet again, drilling for and distributing oil is a dirty business, and Congress must ensure that the Gulf is protected and restored following the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history.
Throughout the week of July 25, Gulf Coast citizens and community leaders, and people of faith across the country, will join together to urge Senate passage of the RESTORE Act and creation of a Regional Citizens Advisory Council for the Gulf. The RESTORE Act, co-sponsored by nine Gulf Senators, would invest billions of dollars in Clean Water Act penalties in ecosystem and economic restoration across the Gulf, instead of sending this money into trust funds or general treasury for unrelated uses. This effort represents an historic investment in environmental restoration for one of our nation’s most important and vulnerable ecosystems, and now is the time to begin repairing the Gulf and protecting our national energy and environmental future. Creating a Regional Citizens Advisory Council through this or other legislation would strengthen oversight and empower the people of the Gulf with a louder voice in the future of the fossil fuel industry.
JEWISH VALUES As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources, including water and energy, and to take care not to spoil our natural world. In response to the environmental disaster in the Gulf, faith-based organizations have worked tirelessly to support those most impacted, living out the words of Deuteronomy 15 that demand: “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient.” The crisis in the Gulf is a failure to live up to these mandates, but we can still act to restore the damage and prevent future catastrophes.
TAKE ACTION
During the week of July 25, join allies and advocates from the Gulf Coast and across the country in calling on the Senate to respond to the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history by passing the RESTORE Act and creating a Regional Citizens Advisory Council for the Gulf of Mexico. We must urge Congress to protect impacted communities, accelerate the restoration process and prevent future oil spill disasters. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an email below. For more information, contact Sustainability Program Coordinator Rachel Cohen at 202.387.2800.
Call-in Script
When you reach your Senator’s office, ask to speak to the Legislative Assistant for energy and environmental issues. If he or she is not available, leave a message with the talking points below.
Hello. My name is __________, and I am calling to urge (your Senator) to make a commitment to the communities and environment of the Gulf Coast by supporting the RESTORE Act and urging creation of a Regional Citizens Advisory Council for the Gulf.
I am calling as part of a week of action by Gulf Coast advocates and people of diverse faiths nationwide, all of whom support environmental justice for the Gulf and demand that we invest the resources required to restore this vital and vulnerable ecosystem.
Restoration projects eligible for RESTORE Act funding could help protect communities, restore ecosystems, revive the tourism and fishing economies, and create tens of thousands of jobs rebuilding and diversifying the Gulf Coast economy. This historic investment is needed to restore this damaged ecosystem and protect our energy future.
The bi-partisan Commission on the BP Oil Spill recommended dedicating Clean Water Act penalties to comprehensive environmental restoration in its final report to the President, suggesting that these funds can jump-start restoration from the historic damages incurred from the BP disaster.
To assure that a disaster like this cannot happen again, I also urge you to support creating a Gulf of Mexico Regional Citizens Advisory Council to give impacted communities a much-needed voice in the energy industry decisions that intimately affect their lives. An RCAC would empower the people of the Gulf, increase trust among industry, government and citizens and utilize local knowledge to help prevent future disasters.
We need the leadership of the Senate to invest in a clean and sustainable energy and environmental future for the Gulf Coast and for our nation. Responding to this disaster is not a partisan issue but an issue of protecting Creation and pursuing economic fairness for those coastal communities facing the greatest impacts.
Did you leave a voicemail? Follow up with an email on the next page and let us know you made the call!
The House will vote this week on legislation called the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act (H.R. 2560) that would fundamentally reshape the federal government’s role in the economy, deeply constraining its ability to combat poverty during economic recession and put Americans back to work, provide assistance during natural disasters, and invest in infrastructure to ensure prosperity for the future.
H.R. 2560 would require the adoption of a balanced budget amendment (BBA) as a precondition for increasing the country’s borrowing limit. In their simplest form, BBAs require the federal government to spend no more money than it collects in revenue. While this is a worthwhile goal, a BBA would prevent the federal government from wielding its unrivaled creditworthiness to spend and repay huge sums of money to provide security to families in need and invest money in the future so that the economy can continue to grow.
Some BBA proposals would also cap federal spending as a percentage of GDP. One such cap, included in one BBA, H. J. Res. 1, would limit spending to 16.7 percent of GDP—a level of spending lower than at any time since 1956, before Medicare or Medicaid (two of the greatest areas of spending for the federal government) even existed.
In addition, some BBAs require supermajority support for any action that results in an increase in government revenue. Such a rule would make it extraordinarily hard if not impossible for the government to meet its responsibilities to the public and ensure national well being and security.
Constitutionally enforced spending caps and supermajority requirements for revenue increases are ideological attempts to shrink the size of government under the guise of fiscal restraint. Starving the federal government of revenue and artificially limiting the amount of money the government can spend would mean the destruction of programs that serve the disadvantage and result in more poverty, more joblessness, and less prosperity.
JEWISH VALUES
Deuteronomy teaches, “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (15:7-8). A balanced budget amendment in any form will deeply constrain the ability of the federal government to respond to the needs of the disadvantaged among us.
TAKE ACTION
Call your Senators and Representative and ask them to oppose the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act (H.R. 2560) when it comes to a vote and to oppose balanced budget amendments. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Jonathan Backer at 202.387.2800.
Background
There are close to 500,000 young people currently in foster care across the United States, around 120,000 of whom are eligible for adoption every year. Finding homes is not always easy, and nearly 25,000 prospective adoptees will “age out” of the system without a family before the year is through. Yet the current patchwork of state laws and policies denies kids access to safe, stable, and permanent homes just because of the sexual orientation or gender identity of the prospective parents.
More than 40 years of research indicates that the optimal development for children is based on the stable attachments to committed and nurturing parents, not on the marital status or sexual orientation of the parents. This research consistently shows that children raised by same sex parents have the same level of emotional, cognitive, social and sexual development outcomes as children raised by straight parents. Research also shows that foster youth who never find a permanent home face a much higher chance of ending up poor, homeless, in jail, and becoming a young parent.
The Every Child Deserves a Family Act (H.R. 1681) seeks to end the practice of adoption and foster care agencies discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation when considering prospective parents. It promotes the best interests of the children in the foster care system by increasing their access to safe and supportive homes. ECDF has no impact on private adoptions and religious charities are free to continue operating as they always have.
Jewish Values
Judaism teaches that all human beings are created b'tselem elohim – in the Divine image. Genesis 1:27 tells us that “God created humans in God’s own image, in the image of God, God created them: male and female, God created them.” The belief that the stamp of the divine is present in all humans is fundamental to Reform Judaism; we cannot tolerate discrimination against any person for any reason. Qualified gay and lesbian Americans should be able to provide nurturing and supportive homes to children seeking adoptive and foster care, as do heterosexual Americans.
Take Action
In emails, faxes and phone calls, please contact your Members of Congress and urge them to support the Every Child Deserves a Family Act and oppose discrimination against gays and lesbians. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121. You can also send an e-mail by entering your Zip Code. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Noah Baron at 202.387.2800.
On June 25, 2006, over five years ago, Hamas terrorists broke across the Gaza-Israel border, killing two Israeli soldiers and capturing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Despite repeated requests, the International Committee of the Red Cross has not been allowed access to him, and Shalit remains in captivity in Gaza. Furthermore, Hamas has not offered any proof that Shalit is alive since October 2009.
House Resolution 317, introduced by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), demands that Hamas immediately and unconditionally release Gilad Shalit and accede to basic standards of humanitarian conduct with regards to Shalit. The resolution also expresses strong support for the State of Israel and condemns Iran and Syria as the primary supporters and patrons of Hamas.
JEWISH VALUES
We are reminded of the Talmudic injunction that “whoever saves a life, it is as if he saved a world entire.” In November 2009, the Union for Reform Judaism adopted a resolution that reaffirms our utmost commitment to securing Gilad Shalit’s freedom. We continue to pray for Gilad Shalit’s well being and safe release and for strength for his parents, Noam and Aviva.
TAKE ACTION
Ask your representative to support H. Res 317 to address the ongoing plight of Israeli solider Gilad Shalit, and call for his immediate and unconditional release. For more information, please contact RAC Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Solly Kane at 202.387.2800.
On June 20 2011, Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rob Portman (R-OH) introduced S.1231, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act. First passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2008, the law promotes evidence-based programs to aid the reentry of former prisoners into society, and thereby improve public safety. Since the law’s passage, 250 grants have been awarded in nearly every state to provide substance abuse treatment, employment and mentoring services, as well as many others, to improve transition from prison and jail to communities and reduce recidivism.
The Second Chance Reauthorization Act provides crucial resources at a time when they are desperately needed. In 2009, federal and state prisons held over 1.6 million inmates – 1 in every 199 American residents – and released 729,295 individuals back to their communities. On top of this, more than 9 million individuals are released from jail each year. Unfortunately, most individuals face numerous challenges when returning to the community from prison or jail, and research indicates that over half are re-incarcerated within three years of their release.
The Second Chance Reauthorization Act improves and consolidates the programs authorized by the Second Chance Act, and reauthorizes them. By providing the resources needed to coordinate reentry services and policies, the Second Chance Reauthorization Act seeks to ensure that the tax dollars spent on corrections no longer support a revolving door in and out of prison and jail.
Jewish Values
Jewish tradition teaches the imperative to care for our community’s marginalized and underserved populations. The book of Deuteronomy commands us: Justice, justice you shall pursue. Rabbinic commentators explain this repetition of the word “justice,” noting that we must always ensure that we use just means in our pursuit of justice. To that end, we can maintain the safety of our communities while ensuring our criminal justice system is, indeed, just. By reauthorizing the Second Chance Act, we are doing just that.
Take Action
Ask your Members of Congress to cosponsor and support S.1231 to reauthorize the Second Chance Act. You can send an e-mail by entering your Zip Code below. To call your Members of Congress, the Capital Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Madison Arent at 202.387.2800
BACKGROUND:
The Offshore Energy and Jobs Permitting Act of 2011 (S.1226) would block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using its authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate offshore drilling operations, particularly in the Arctic Ocean. The bill seeks to fast track the drilling permit approval process, thus weakening the ability of local communities and people concerned about the environmental impact of proposed drilling to voice their concern. Despite the fact that the impact of climate change is already being felt, this legislation would ease the process for spewing greenhouse gases and other dangerous pollutants into the atmosphere. The House of Representatives has passed this bill and will soon be up for a vote in the Senate.
JEWISH VALUES:
As Jews we are called from the earliest verses of Torah to be good stewards of our resources, including water and air, and to protect our natural world. In Midrash we are told “Take care, lest you spoil and destroy my world, because if you do, there is no one after you to make it right again” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:13).
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your Sentaors to vote against the Offshore Energy and Jobs Permitting Act of 2011 (S.1226) and protect our environment. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121 or you can send an e-mail by entering your zip code below. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Susan Paykin at 202.387.2800
BACKGROUND:
More than 400,000 women serve in the Armed Forces, and, like all military personnel, receive their health insurance from the Department of Defense’s Military Health System. But the health insurance available to servicewomen differs significantly from every other health insurance plan provided by the federal government in that it does NOT cover abortion services in the cases of rape or incest. Rather, servicewomen can only receive insurance coverage for abortion services if their lives are in danger.
The current policy is particularly unjust and unfair in light of the alarmingly high rates of sexual assault in the military. According to the Department of Defense’s Fiscal Year 2010 numbers, 3,158 military sexual assaults were reported. That number alone is shocking, but it barely scratches the surface because most servicewomen who have experienced sexual violence do not report the incident. Researchers estimate that over time, taking into account the percentage of military sexual assaults that go unreported, up to one-third of women experience an attempted or completed rape during their military service.
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have introduced the MARCH for Military Women Act (MARCH stands for Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health) to restore abortion coverage to military women who are survivors of rape and incest. The MARCH Act (H.R. 2085/S. 1214) would bring the Department of Defense’s Military Health System in line with other federal health insurance programs, which provide low-income women on Medicaid, federal employees, women who receive health care through the Indian Health Service, and women in federal prisons with coverage for abortion services in the cases of rape, incest and when their lives are in danger. The MARCH Act would also lift the ban on servicewomen using their OWN, private money to pay for abortion services in military facilities.
JEWISH VALUES:
Jewish values affirm the rights of women to be moral decision makers, capable of making responsible choices about their reproductive health. Women in the military are no less entitled to the right to make decisions about reproduction. Although the Reform Movement believes insurance coverage of abortion should not be limited solely to cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is in danger, the Department of Defense—at the very least—should provide servicewomen with access to the same care available to the civilians they protect.
TAKE ACTION: In emails, faxes and phone calls, please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to co-sponsor the MARCH Act (H.R. 2085/S. 1214). The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an e-mail by entering your ZIP Code below.
For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Deborah Swerdlow at 202.387.2800.
Congress is currently considering three balanced budget amendments (BBAs) that would fundamentally reshape the federal government’s role in the economy, deeply constraining its ability to combat poverty during economic recession and put Americans back to work, provide assistance during natural disasters, and invest in infrastructure to ensure prosperity for the future. This week, the House of Representatives will likely vote on one version of the BBA, H. J. Res. 1, and two other versions—S. J. Res. 4 and S. J. Res. 10—could also receive votes in the coming weeks.
In their simplest form, BBAs require the federal government to spend no more money than it collects in revenue. While this is a worthwhile goal, a BBA would prevent the federal government from wielding its unrivaled creditworthiness to spend and repay huge sums of money to provide security to families in need and invest money in the future so that the economy can continue to grow.
All three of the BBAs being considered, however, contain additional provisions that make the amendments even more threatening. Each would cap federal spending as a percentage of GDP. The most restrictive cap, included in H. J. Res. 1, would limit spending to 16.7 percent of GDP—a level of spending lower than at any time since 1956, before Medicare or Medicaid (two of the greatest areas of spending for the federal government) even existed.
Another provision of two of the three proposed BBAs (H. J. Res. 1 and S. J. Res. 10) would require supermajority support for any action that results in an increase in government revenue. Such a rule would make it extraordinarily hard if not impossible for the government to meet its responsibilities to the public and ensure national well being and security.
Constitutionally enforced spending caps and supermajority requirements for revenue increases are ideological attempts to shrink the size of government under the guise of fiscal restraint. Starving the federal government of revenue and artificially limiting the amount of money the government can spend would mean the destruction of programs that serve the disadvantage and result in more poverty, more joblessness, and less prosperity.
JEWISH VALUES
Deuteronomy teaches, “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (15:7-8). A balanced budget amendment in any form will deeply constrain the ability of the federal government to respond to the needs of the disadvantaged among us.
TAKE ACTION
A Constitutional amendment requires the support of two-thirds of the House and the Senate, followed by ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures. Call your Senators and Representative and ask them to oppose H. J. Res. 1 when it comes to a vote and to oppose all other versions of the balanced budget amendment should they come to a vote, including S. J. Res. 4 and S. J. Res. 10. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Jonathan Backer at 202.387.2800.
The House’s recently passed an Agriculture Appropriations bill (H. R. 2112) that contains large spending cuts to several of the most important anti-hunger programs. The bill would cut $833 million from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which would cause as many as 475,000 low-income mothers and young children to be cut from the program. It would also cut $2 billion from the reserve fund for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), depleting the program’s resources to respond to increased demand as a result of economic downturn or natural disaster. Finally, the bill includes cuts to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides meals to mothers, infants, and the elderly, and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a means-tested program that distributes food through food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters.
The recession has caused a dramatic increase in demand for food assistance. The number of food insecure households has increased by 33 percent since the beginning of the recession, while Feeding America estimates that the number of people served by the emergency food system (including public and private assistance) has increased by 46 percent since 2006. This high level of demand will not likely change soon, as nearly 14 million Americans continue to struggle with unemployment in an anemic job market and as a record number of people grappled with poverty in 2009.
Anti-hunger programs play a critical role in blunting the negative effects of economic downturn and natural disaster on low-income families. By itself, a provision in the stimulus package that increased SNAP benefits in the wake of the recession prevented 700,000 families from falling below the poverty line. During this time of continued economic hardship, Congress should not use the appropriations bill to cut the programs that are the last line of defense for millions of families on the verge of poverty.
JEWISH VALUES
Deuteronomy teaches, “If there is a needy person among you…do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (15:7-8). The disadvantaged should not unfairly shoulder the burden of budget cuts. Congress must take bold steps to restore fiscal responsibility, but anti-hunger programs that are a barrier to increased poverty are not an appropriate target for budget cuts.
TAKE ACTION
Call your Senators and ask them to voice their opposition to the cuts to SNAP, WIC, CSFP, and TEFAP in the House FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill and support efforts to robustly fund these programs. The Capitol switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.
For more information, please contact Legislative Assistant Jonathan Backer at 202.387.2800.
In December 2010, President Obama signed into law a 13 month extension of the federal unemployment insurance program. Without unemployment insurance, 3.3 million Americans, including 1 million children, would have fallen below the poverty line in 2009 alone. Despite some signs of recovery for the job market, the unemployment rate remains roughly where it has been for over two years, at 9 percent. With five unemployed workers for every job available, the economy is not yet growing at a rate sufficient to meet the demand of workers seeking jobs. Until robust economic growth is restored, the federal government must continue to ensure that help is provided so that more families do not fall victim to poverty. Unemployment insurance is absolutely essential to give workers the support they need to find new work.
Despite the desperate employment situation for millions of Americans, some in Congress are seeking to undermine the federal unemployment insurance program. The Jobs, Opportunities, Benefits, and Services (JOBS) Act (H.R. 1745/S. 904), introduced by Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senator Orin Hatch (R-UT), would allow states to take the $31 billion allocated for federal unemployment insurance and use the money to reduce unemployment taxes on businesses, fund their depleted unemployment trust funds, or pay for state benefits.
Diverting federal dollars for these other priorities would mean that the four million workers currently receiving federal unemployment insurance would not be able to count on having any support beyond the first 26 weeks (and now, in some states, 20 weeks) of state unemployment insurance. This would make it harder for the long-term unemployed to find new work and would result in many more families struggling with poverty.
JEWISH VALUES:
The Torah and Jewish tradition teach us that providing for those in need is not a matter of charity but an obligation. “If there is a needy person among you… do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient” (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). Judaism also teaches that the highest form of tzedakah is to help another person achieve self-sufficiency. We must help people support themselves by maintaining crucial assistance at this uncertain time.
TAKE ACTION:
Urge your Members of Congress to oppose the JOBS Act (H.R. 1745 / S. 904) when it comes to a vote on the House or the Senate floor. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121, or you can send an e-mail. For more information, please contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Jonathan Backer at 202.387.2800.
The Reuniting Families Act is a family immigration bill that works to unite and keep families together. The current family-based immigration system has not been updated in over 20 years – keeping spouses, children and their parents separated for years and often decades, despite the fact that the family has played by the rules. There are currently 4.7 million people in the family immigration backlog waiting unconscionable periods of time to reunite with their family members.
This legislation takes important steps toward fixing our broken family immigration system by reducing the waiting times for legal immigrants. The bill contains practical solutions such as provisions that
California currently participates in the "Secure Communities" program, which holds for deportation any undocumented immigrant who has been arrested. The program has become an indiscriminate mass deportation program - 7 out of 10 Californians deported had no prior convictions or prior convictions for only minor offenses (such as selling street food without a permit). 
The Farm Bill, which sets much of U.S. food and agriculture policy, is currently making its way through Congress. Anti-hunger programs governed by the Farm Bill, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), help millions of individuals and families keep food on the table in spite of harsh economic conditions. The Torah and Jewish tradition are explicit in the command that we feed the hungry and help eradicate hunger from our society. Contact your Members of Congress and urge them to protect and strengthen SNAP in the Farm Bill (S. 954, H.R. 1947) and reject any amendments that weaken our country’s flagship nutrition program.