December 20, 2019
WEEK IN REVIEW
Impeaching a president is one of the most serious votes a Member of Congress will cast. It should not be done lightly nor should it be done with an eye towards political allegiance.

As Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) said, "...I must vote my conscience. And I will do so with a heavy heart and a grieving soul."

This week Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) boldly and unapologetically told her voters she will vote for impeachment. Elissa is in a tough district. Trump carried that district by 7 points. As soon as she claimed her victory in 2016, the GOP already had her seat targeted for 2020.

This is not the first time that Elissa has been on the front lines. In her prior role at the CIA , Elissa worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a military expert. She has devoted her career to protecting our country from national security threats. Elissa said she was trained to make "hard calls on things, even if they are unpopular, if we believe the security of the country is at stake."

She has acknowledged that her decision to support impeachment may end her political career. But she put country over politics. There are 30 other Democrats, like Elissa, who won their House races in districts Trump carried in 2016.

Now they had to make the tough call, too. She is a role model, not just for her Democratic colleagues, but her GOP colleagues as well.

Elissa is a thoughtful and passionate Representative. Even as the House has been consumed with impeachment, she has introduced legislation to prevent Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos from implementing rule changes to Title IX, which will have a chilling effect on students' willingness to come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct.

We need Elissa in Congress. She took the tough stand for our us and for our democracy. Will YOU be there for her and the others who will also put principle over politics? DONATE to Elissa Slotkin and JAC today. Our candidates can't win without YOUR support.

   
Not sure who to donate to? Make a donation to JAC and we will use it to support our candidates.  

JAC AROUND TOWN
JAC attended Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's annual Hanukkah party at the Library of Congress. (l to r: Linda Rae Sher, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Marcia Balonick, Marc Atlas)
ISRAEL
With Adoption of Major Spending Bills, Congress Signals Support for Two-State Solution                
    
If where you spend your money is the clearest sign of your priorities, Congress seems to be saying that it remains invested in Israeli-Palestinian peace and in robustly supporting Israel's defense systems. The House of Representatives threw its support this week behind a spending package that restores support for what have long been considered key planks upholding an eventual two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Senate is expected to likewise approve the bills.
Continued Reading

ANTI-SEMITISM & BDS
Hanukkah Calls Jews to Light the Darkness. This Year, We Need It Even More.

Anti-Semitism is rising, but we aren't alone. And we're all in this together. As the 19th- and 20th-century Kabbalist Rav Abraham Isaac Kook wrote, "Everyone must know that within them burns a candle - and that no one's candle is identical with the candle of another, and that there is no human being without a candle. One is obligated to work hard to reveal the light of one's candle in the public realm for the benefit of the many. One needs to ignite one's candle and make of it a great torch to enlighten the whole world." We must all shine out, together, big and bright.  
Continued Reading

CHOICE
The Decade's Worst Anti-Choice Congressional Lawmakers     
 
Over the past decade, anti-choice politicians in Congress have promoted legislation to limit access to reproductive health care. And even when the bills failed in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, they altered the way advocates, the media, and the public talk about abortion rights. These lawmakers have successfully pushed radical abortion policies and rhetoric into the political mainstream, threatening the constitutional right to abortion.         
Continued Reading


SEPARATION
Supreme Court to Look Again at Whether Teachers at Religious Schools Are 'Ministerial'

The Supreme Court will consider how much leeway religious organizations have in firing their employees in two cases from California filed by teachers who lost their jobs at Catholic schools. The cases ask the court for further guidance on when an employee should be considered secular and, thus, able to take advantage of anti-discrimination laws - or religious, and thus unable to do so.  
Continued Reading

BEYOND THE CORE
Since Parkland Shooting, States Have Enacted 137 Measures to Restrict Gun Access and Reduce Gun Violence

In the nearly two years since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 32 state legislatures have passed 137 bills aimed at restricting access to guns and reducing gun violence, according to an analysis. Seventy of the bills identified in the Giffords Law Center's report cleared various state legislatures in 2019 alone, and they provide a window into how states are combating gun violence as an urgent public health issue in the absence of leadership at the federal level.
Continued Reading



POLITICAL BYTE
Where the Top 2020 Presidential Candidates Stand on Anti-Semitism, Israel and Other Jewish Issues  
 
This election cycle has involved a record amount of serious candidates and issues of historical significance. We've compiled a guide to where the election's top candidates - President Donald Trump, and the nine Democrats left with the highest chances of winning the nomination - fall on a range of issues that matter to Jewish voters, from the rise in anti-Semitism unfolding across the country to Israel policy.   
Continued Reading

 
 
 
IMPEACHMENT WATCH
Steering Impeachment with an IRON Grip, Pelosi Forges a Legacy She Never Sought                
 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to be remembered for her legislative accomplishments, like passing the Affordable Care Act. But her legacy is now tied to the impeachment of the 45th president. Like a conductor, she has presided over the process with discipline and at times an iron fist, deciding which notes to hit, when to go fast and when to slow down - and when to allow the musicians to play solo.   
Continued Reading

 
 
FYI
Got a Question About Latkes? There's a Hotline for That.                
 
Are you stressing out about burning your latkes? Now there's a quick way to assuage your fears. On Tuesday, The Nosher Jewish food site launched a hotline where readers can get all their latkes-related questions answered by Jewish food expert Shannon Sarna.   
Continued Reading


JAC II
Introducing JACII, a JAC group for young professionals, advocates, and those young at heart who are looking to get involved. Groups have started in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
 
Events will feature elected officials and speakers in lively settings. JACII is by and for young people. Now is the perfect time to get involved.
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Know someone who would be interested in joining or hosting a meeting? Let us know at info@jacpac.org. We will be happy to help organize a JACII in your city.

The Last Word
"He just got impeached. He'll be impeached forever. No matter what the Senate does. He's impeached forever because he violated our Constitution."
 
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)  
Events
 

An Afternoon at the Theater with JACPAC
What the Constitution Means to Me
Sunday, January 26th
Brunch & Political Update: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Showtime: 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Los Angeles, CA
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SAVE THE DATE
An Evening at the Theater with JACPAC
What the Constitution Means to Me
Wednesday, March 11th
Dinner & Political Update with Jill Wine Banks: 5:30 pm
Showtime: 7:30 pm
Chicago, IL
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SAVE THE DATE
April 21-23, 2020
JAC's 2020 Annual Meeting
Celebrating 40 years of JAC
Washington, DC
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Want to host a JAC event? Contact the office and we will help organize it.
info@jacpac.org or 847.433.5999

Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a pro-Israel PAC with a domestic agenda. We support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and advocate for reproductive health and the separation of religion and state and incorporate other issues of importance to the Jewish community, including gun violence prevention and climate change. In addition to providing financial support for U.S. Senate and House campaigns, JACPAC educates our membership with outreach events designed to inform and activate their participation in the political process.
Paid for by Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Contributions or gifts are not tax deductible.  Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Corporate contributions and contributions from non-US citizens who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence are prohibited. All contributions by individuals must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed or paid by another person.