February 28, 2020 
WEEK IN REVIEW
Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) this week once again showed that he is only loyal to the President's personal, political agenda and not the welfare of the country. He took a break from pushing through anti-choice judges to bring to the floor two bills aimed at banning abortion and criminalizing doctors who offer counsel and provide abortion services.
 
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would ban abortion at 20 weeks and is contrary to the 24-week threshold established by Roe v. Wade. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act could criminalize doctors for performing abortions.  These bills are designed to spread misinformation, distort the truth, shame pregnant people and doctors, and ultimately ban abortion.

There are more than 400 pieces of legislation sitting on McConnell's desk that deal with a host of issues, including gun violence protection, election security, and the environment. These bills directly impact the welfare of families and our country. However, McConnell refuses to act - except on anti-choice bills and judges.

Also, this week the Ninth Circuit voted to uphold the dangerous and unethical Title X gag rule. The rule makes it illegal for any provider in the Title X program to tell patients how or where to access abortion, and imposes cost-prohibitive and unnecessary "physical separation" restrictions on health centers that provide abortion. 

More than 25 percent of active judges on all branches of the courts are Trump appointees. Many of these judges have fought to limit access to abortion and or contraception prior to their appointments. They harbor extreme views on women's access to reproductive health care. They are sitting on the courts to fulfill Trump's goal to overturn Roe.

With the judges confirmed by the Senate, today we cannot count on the courts to ensure our Constitutional right to abortion and reproductive health care. It will only be a matter of time that without a solid pro-choice Senate, these anti-choice bills might pass. We will be left without any judicial recourse for protections.

The Senate matters. 
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JAC AROUND TOWN
JAC met with Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) in Chicago
(l to r: Marcia Balonick, Mikie Sherrill, Sheila Nielsen, Linda Rae Sher)

Judith Bloom (l) with Sara Gideon, candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine
ISRAEL
Israeli Scientists: 'in a Few Weeks, We Will Have Coronavirus Vaccine'
                  
Israeli scientists are on the cusp of developing the first vaccine against the novel coronavirus, according to Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis. If all goes as planned, the vaccine could be ready within a few weeks and available in 90 days, according to a release.  
Continued Reading

ANTI-SEMITISM & BDS
1 in 5 Europeans Thinks a Secret Jewish Cabal Runs the World, Survey Finds

A secret network of Jews influences global political and economic affairs. That's the feeling among a fifth of the 16,000 respondents to a survey among Europeans from 16 countries. The same number also agreed with the statement that "Jews exploit Holocaust victimhood for their own needs."  
Continued Reading

 
CHOICE
Federal Appeals Court Sides With Trump Administration in Family Planning Case     
 
A federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration on Monday in declining to block a rule that restricts what federally funded family planning providers can tell patients about abortion. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the plaintiffs in the case, including several states, Planned Parenthood and Essential Access Health, would not succeed because the rule is a "reasonable interpretation" of the law.
Continued Reading

SEPARATION
 
U.S. Supreme Court Turns Away Religious Bias Claim Against Walgreens

The U.S. Supreme Court handed a victory to Walgreens, turning away an appeal by a fired former Florida employee of the pharmacy chain who asked not to work on Saturdays for religious reasons as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The justices declined to review a lower court ruling in Darrell Patterson's religious discrimination lawsuit that concluded that his demand to never work on Saturday, observed as the Sabbath by Seventh-day Adventists, placed an undue hardship on Walgreens. 
Continued Reading


BEYOND THE CORE
Sotomayor Accuses Supreme Court of Granting Favors to Trump in Blistering Dissent     
 
The Supreme Court unveiled a 5-4 decision on Friday to allow the Trump administration to deny entry or green cards to immigrants based on a "wealth test," claiming that low-income immigrants were likely to become a "public charge" and use social programs such as food stamps or Medicaid. All four justices nominated by Democrats voted against the case. Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored the blistering dissent and accused the court's conservatives of bias in favor of Trump.   
Continued Reading


POLITICAL BYTE
Among Those Pressing Trump to Weed out Disloyalty: Clarence Thomas's Wife     
 
A group led by Ginni Thomas, wife of Suprem Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has targeted officials in the administration, and lobbied for its own preferred choices. As the president's distrust in those serving him has grown, so has its sway.    
Continued Reading

ELECTION 2020
Why 2020 is the 'meme election'
Why 2020 is the 'meme election'
Memes Are Infiltrating the 2020 Presidential Election   
 
President Donald Trump and Democratic candidates like Michael Bloomberg are increasingly using memes in 2020, leaning into the online joke format to make their political cases. CNN's Chris Cillizza explains why memes are so important in our current political discourse.      
Continued Reading

FYI
Bukra fil Mish-Mish - English Trailer
Bukra fil Mish-Mish - English Trailer
The Jewish Disney Family of Egypt     
 
Making documentary films about artists is always a tricky task, especially when it comes to finding the right balance between focusing on the artists and on the art. A successful example of such balance can be found in last year's documentary Bukra fil Mish-Mish,  and currently showing in Israeli and global festivals. The film tells the story of the Frenkel bothers-Herschel, Shlomo, and David-who singlehandedly pioneered the art of animation in Egypt and the Arab world. 
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
"Too many people took an oath to protect their jobs in Congress and not to protect the Constitution."
   
- Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) 
Events
  
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.
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.