Jan. 4, 2007 0:48 | Updated Jan. 4, 2007 3:15
Most Jews ever set to enter Congress
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER
WASHINGTON
A record number of Jewish members will enter Congress Thursday, but more
remarkable are the unparalleled positions of power they will hold on
committees related to Israel, many local Jewish activists say.
Six new Jewish legislators will be joining 37 familiar faces as the 110th
Congress convenes, making the total the highest-ever, according to Doug
Bloomfield, a former legislative director for AIPAC.
"It's unprecedented that there have been so many [Jews] in so many
positions of leadership in both houses," Bloomfield said, using a Jewish
simile for how that fact will affect support for Israel: Like chicken
soup, it won't hurt.
Other political analysts went further, saying that congressional backing
of Israel would remain at least as strong it has been, if not stronger.
Among the familiar House faces on key committees will be Tom Lantos
(D-Calif.) as chairman of the International Relations Committee (HIRC) and
Gary Ackerman (D-NY) is set to be chair of the HIRC Middle East
subcommittee. Nita Lowey (D-NY) should be chairing the appropriations
subcommittee on foreign operations. Ackerman's and Lowey's appointments
are expected to be officially announced within the next few days.
In the Senate, Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) will head the Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, while Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) is expected
to take over the Foreign Affairs Middle East Subcommittee if unsuccessful
presidential candidate John Kerry (D-Mass.) doesn't challenge her for the
job.
Also, much of the Democratic leadership is considered strong on Israel,
including incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Maryland)
and Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois), head of the House Democratic Caucus.
And many Republican backers of Israel, who no longer head committees,
still continue to serve in minority leadership roles.
Plus, Jews - who voted overwhelmingly Democrat in the November election
(87 percent, according to exit polls) - often see more eye-to-eye with
Democratic members on domestic issues and have strong personal
relationships with them, according to Ira Forman, executive director of
the National Jewish Democratic Council.
Pelosi has outlined a list of legislative priorities for the first 100
hours of the congressional session, including raising the minimum wage;
funding stem cell research; implementing the 9/11 Commission's
recommendations; and energy reform.
The Orthodox Union's public policy director Nathan Diament, often more at
home with Republicans on church-state issues but supportive of some of the
Democrats' initial legislative efforts, such as stem cell research, also
expressed satisfaction with the incoming leadership.
"It's certainly as strong as it's ever been [on Israel]," he said.
Forman said the incoming Democratic, pro-Israel leadership constellation
was an opportunity for the party to rebut Republican charges during the
elections that the Democrats were soft on Israel.
Matt Brooks, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition,
however, maintained that Republicans still had the stronger record on
Israel and that it remained to be seen how Democrats handle their new
position.
Brooks also criticized one of the pieces of legislation expected to clear
the House this week - a government reform bill aimed at preventing
lobbyists from taking congressmen on trips abroad.
As a result, his and other Jewish organizations will have to leave their
lobbyists at home on trips to Israel. Some groups will set up educational
divisions as a way of enabling the visits. Brooks said it would hurt the
value of these trips if some of the most informed members of organizations
would be unable to come.
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