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On February 14, 2018, it was a sunny morning, like any other in Parkland, Florida. As the day began, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Students were getting ready for school. Teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were reviewing lesson plans.
Then at 2:21 pm the shooting began. When it was over the nation would mourn another 17 people killed in a school. Life was forever changed in Parkland. Maybe now the country was ready for change too.
The Parkland students quickly grabbed our attention and stirred our emotion with a call to action. They were ready to get the results that the older generations failed to accomplish -- meaningful gun safety legislation.
Today, two years later on the anniversary of the school shooting, we are still struggling to end gun violence in this country. The U.S. continues to have the most deaths from gun violence of any developing country. There were more mass shootings than days in 2019. We have seen 2,375 mass shootings since Sandy Hook.
With the Democrats firmly in control of the House following the 2018 midterm election, the new Congress quickly acted on gun violence prevention legislation. The House overwhelmingly passed a historic bill to ensure that all firearm sales are subject to background checks. Before it even arrived on Sen. Mitch McConnell's desk, he declared the bill dead.
The House continues to work on gun violence prevention, introducing and passing bills. Senate Democrats have also taken up this fight in their chamber. But as long as the GOP is control, there will never be action.
The nation's attention is currently focused on the presidential race. But we can't lose sight of the importance of keeping the House blue and flipping the Senate. We only need to win 4 Senate seats to take the gavel from McConnell.
If we don't do this, then even if Trump is defeated, Congress will still be stymied.
It's not just about the White House, but the House and Senate too. Elections matter.
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(Not sure who to donate to? Make a donation to JAC and we will use it to support our candidates.)
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Former JAC President Betsy Sheerr (left) with Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI)
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| JAC members met with Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA). From l to r: Hollis Wein, Marcia Balonick, Rep. Axne, Edie Kessler, Linda Rae Sher, Anita Drobny. |
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An Unpopular Palestinian President and a Disgraced Former Israeli Prime Minister Make the Case for Peace
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hasn't negotiated directly with Israel in nearly six years and most Palestinians want him to step down. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served 16 months in prison for bribery and fraud in a corruption scandal that ended his political career more than a decade ago. Yet there they were at a Midtown Manhattan hotel reaffirming their commitment to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along lines that until recently were broadly endorsed by the international community.
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Is the Military Doing Enough to Look for Signs of White Nationalism in the Ranks?
Lawmakers are questioning whether military officials are taking the issue of
white nationalism and extremism in the ranks as a serious threat, noting that the Pentagon has spent little time tracking the issue despite indications it is getting worse. "I don't think the military takes this threat seriously enough, has the tools it needs, or dedicates sufficient resources to the threat," said Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., chairwoman of the House Armed Services Committee's panel on military personnel.
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Planned Parenthood, ACLU Sue Over Trump Abortion Coverage Rule
Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are suing the Trump administration over a new rule requiring insurers to send a separate bill for abortion coverage. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, claims the rule is designed to make insurance companies stop offering coverage for abortion. Under the rule, insurance companies that sell plans on the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces will be required to send two separate bills to customers - one for the coverage of abortion care, and another for coverage of other health care.
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How a Bible Prophecy Shapes Trump's Foreign Policy
When President Donald Trump authorized the drone strike that killed the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, he wasn't just flexing America's muscle in the Middle East. He was also acting on the advice of a politically powerful group of evangelical Christians who believe the U.S. and Israel are part of the Bible's plan to bring about the second coming of Jesus. Once considered a fringe element of the religious right, evangelical Christian Zionists are playing an increasingly visible role in Republican politics. Today, unprecedented access to the Trump administration has given them an opportunity to reshape the Middle East.
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Senate GOP Blocks Three Election Security Bills
Senate Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to unanimously pass three election security-related bills, marking the latest attempt to clear legislation ahead of the November elections. Democrats tried to get consent to pass two bills that require campaigns to alert the FBI and Federal Election Commission (FEC) about foreign offers of assistance, as well as legislation to provide more election funding and ban voting machines from being connected to the internet.
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President Trump's Budget Is a Reflection of His State of the Union: A Dangerous Litany of Falsehoods
The budget released by the Trump administration Monday relies on a set of false assumptions about our economy, reflecting the distorted vision laid out in last week's State of the Union address. In that speech,
President Trump lied again and again about his record on the economy. It is critical that Americans know the facts.
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A Drawn-Out Nomination Fight Is More Likely Than Ever
Senator Bernie Sanders's unexpectedly narrow victory in New Hampshire underscored the splintering of the Democratic presidential field that was evident in last week's murky Iowa caucus-and left two of his opponents facing grim questions about their future viability. Just as in Iowa, the results illuminated the inability of any of the contenders to build a coalition broad enough to span the party or establish much separation from rival candidates.
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Alexander Vindman's Synagogue Is Accepting Letters of Support Following His NSC Ouster
Alexander Vindman's synagogue in Springfield, Virginia, is accepting letters of support in his behalf. Vindman, the Jewish staffer who was among the first to raise flags about President Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to investigate a political rival, was removed from his position as an expert on U.S. policy in Ukraine at the National Security Council.
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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.
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"We need to be principled, consistent and trustworthy. To be blunt, an amoral, keep-'em-guessing foreign policy that substitutes threats, fear and confusion for trust, cannot work over the long haul."
- Ousted U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch
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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
Talking Points with
Rep. Sean Casten (IL-6)
Monday, April 6
9:30 am
Chicago Suburbs
Details to follow
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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.
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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.
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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.
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