Compiled by Donald H. Harrison
Even as Israel’s Ambassador Ron Dermer is trying to shore up support among Congressional Democrats for a speech March 3 by Israel’s Prime Minister before a Joint Session of Congress, the White House has been non-committal about whether Vice President Joe Biden should attend that speech and whether other members of Congress would be right to boycott it.
The escalating tension between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was reflected in a news conference held Wednesday, Feb. 4, by White House Press Secretary. Following are the sections of that conference dealing with the speech that was scheduled after Netanyahu accepted an invitation from House Speaker John Boehner without consulting with the White House.
Q If the speech by Prime Minister Netanyahu goes forward, will the President ask Vice President Biden to go to the speech?
MR. EARNEST: Well, Isaac, you know that the Vice President takes his responsibilities as the president of the United States Senate very seriously. That includes even his ceremonial responsibilities. So many of you who have watched the Vice President dig in with gusto as he swears in new members of the United States Congress — they’ve done that a couple of times, and I think that the rating for C-SPAN have gone through the roof when he’s had the opportunity to do that.
But another of his ceremonial duties is to be a part of any joint session of Congress that is convened. In fact, there have been a number of joint sessions that have been convened while he’s been Vice President, and the Vice President has only missed one. He missed one back in March of 2011 when then-Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard spoke before a joint session of Congress. Unfortunately, at that point, the Vice President was out of the country and did not attend.
But as it relates to the speech that Prime Minister Netanyahu has planned for the first week in March, I can tell you that the Vice President’s schedule for that week has not yet been set. So as we get some more details worked out of his schedule, we’ll be able to let you know whether or not he’ll be able to attend that joint session.
Q But would the President want the Vice President to be there?
EARNEST: Well, again, this is going to be contingent on his schedule. And as I mentioned, there’s only one time in which the Vice President hasn’t been there and it’s when he’s been out of the country. So as we get some more details for that first week in March locked down on the Vice President’s schedule, we’ll have more to say about this.
Q Just one more on that. Do you think it’s dangerous — there are some Democrats who are talking about skipping the speech. Do you think it’s dangerous for American-Israeli relations for Democrats to potentially boycott the Netanyahu speech?
EARNEST: Well, certainly individual members of Congress will have to make their own decision, some of which I assume will be driven by their schedule and some of it will be driven by their own views about what has transpired over the last several weeks as it relates to this speech.
Let me just say as a general matter, that when I was asked about Ambassador Dermer’s status a couple of — maybe it was just even last week — that the President believed that it was important to uphold a broader tradition of ensuring that the strong relationship between the United States and Israel was not in any way subjugated to partisan politics in either country, frankly. And we have — one of the concerns about the breach in protocol that we’ve seen and articulated is that it might cause some to view the relationship between the United States and Israel as a relationship between one political party in Israel and one political party in the United States. The President does not believe that would be a positive development in our relationship.
And so the President is certainly doing everything that he can to try to avoid that. And that — in fact, that is one of the reasons that the President has said he will not meet with the Israeli Prime Minister when he is in town the first week in March, because the President does not want to leave anybody with even the appearance of interfering in the Israeli elections scheduled for just two weeks later.
Q But given that — so does he think that Democrats should go to the speech if it happens?
EARNEST: I guess to give you a more direct answer, the President believes that individual members ought to decide for themselves. That’s certainly appropriate.
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Q … I just wanted to follow up on a question that Isaac asked a little bit earlier about the upcoming visit by Prime Minister Netanyahu to the U.S. and the address that he will give to a joint session of Congress. You had said that the reason that the President won’t be meeting with the Prime Minister is because you don’t want to give the appearance of somehow influencing the Israeli election. Would that same rationale apply to the Vice President’s attendance at the joint session of Congress?
EARNEST: Well, we’ll see, I think is really the best answer I can give you there. We’re still working through exactly what the Vice President’s schedule is going to look like that first week in March, and certainly as we consider the Vice President’s attendance, that’s one of the factors that we’ll weigh on that decision.
Q You also said in answering Isaac’s question that the Vice President has been here for virtually every joint session of Congress when a foreign leader has spoken. You mentioned the one time he hasn’t been there was when he was out of town. If he’s in town on that particular day, should the Israeli government see that as a sign of disrespect? How do you think they should view that?
EARNEST: Well, let’s wait until we’ve made a decision and that decision has been carried out before we start estimating exactly what the reaction will be from other people.
Q Just one last question regarding this. Does the President view the invitation by House Speaker John Boehner as an effort to influence the Israeli election in any way?
EARNEST: Well, what the President has said is that that was a decision that the Speaker made on his own. It did represent a departure from protocol, but ultimately, that’s a decision that the Speaker of the House has to make. The President believes that it is important for us to ensure that the Israeli-U.S. relationship does not get reduced to partisan politics; that the relationship between our two countries is much more than the relationship between two political parties.
And that is an important principle, and the President is going to conduct himself accordingly. We’re hopeful that other members of Congress and other U.S. and Israeli leaders will do the same. But ultimately, they’ll have to determine — make their own decisions about their behavior.
U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-New York) and six other Jewish Democrats met with Dermer on Wednesday in one what reported as a stormy meeting. The other attendees were Ted Deutch of Florida, Sander Levin of Michigan, Nita Lowey of New York, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Florida. Wasserman-Schultz also is the chair of the national Democratic party.
Of that group, Nadler has been the most publicly outspoken about Netanyahu’s visit. A press release issued by his office on Friday, Jan 30, said;
The Prime Minister of Israel, our key strategic ally and friend in the Middle East, is always welcome in the United States. And indeed the Israeli Prime Minister has a moral imperative to give his view to the world about Iran’s looming and very real threat to Israel, and to voice his concern that a potential nuclear deal, if it were too weak, would pose great danger to both our countries. It is in the interest of the United States that we listen to these views very carefully.
However, Speaker Boehner, in extending an invitation to address Congress at this time and without appropriate consultation with the Administration and both parties in the House and Senate as diplomatic protocol demands, has shown his true colors. He has demonstrated that he is willing to play childish games with our most serious questions of war and peace, and is equally willing to put partisan advantage over Israel’s security. That the Speaker would seek to undermine the historic bi-partisan support for Israel in this way is a an unprecedented, reprehensible act worthy of condemnation by both sides of the aisle, and from all friends of Israel.
True friends of Israel understand that bi-partisan support — going back to Harry Truman — has been essential for the safety of Israel and to the success of the US-Israel strategic partnership. And particularly given the fact that Israel is currently facing its most serious threats from all sides, by terrorists and terrorist states alike, that bi-partisan consensus is more important than ever. It would be very wise for both parties to this invitation to consider measures to mitigate the damage this political maneuvering has inflicted.
Despite the Speaker’s inappropriate actions, I am confident that Members of good will in both parties will continue to build the historic bi-partisan consensus that has ensured that Congress remains a bedrock of support in a strong US-Israel relationship.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) announced he had met with Dermer and discussed several issues including Iran’s nuclear program, the status of U.S. sanctions on Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s planned visit to the United States, Hezbollah, Syria, ISIS, and Jordan.
“I appreciated Ambassador Dermer visiting my Capitol Hill office,” said Cohen. “I was very impressed with him and enjoyed our productive conversation that touched on many issues concerning Israel. It is important for our country’s leaders to keep open the lines of communications with one of our closest allies.”
Rep. Cohen noted that in the same week he also had discussed Middle East security and Israeli issues “in separate meetings with Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United State Elin Suleymanov and Turkish Minister of European Affairs Volkan Bozkir.”
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U.S. Senate
CYBER-ATTACKS–U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said of the cyberattack that may have compromised the personal information of 80 million customers and employees: “This latest cyberattack is not only breathtaking in its scope and scale, it is potentially heartbreaking and life changing for the tens of millions of consumers and employees affected. Sadly, Anthem is only the latest case in a string of hacks and cyberattacks that have cost consumers tens of billions of dollars. These attacks are real and they hurt real people, and companies and universities collecting sensitive consumer data have an obligation to do more to protect that information.”
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NATIONAL MONUMENT — U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, both California Democrats, introduced on Thursday, Feb. 5 legislation to “designate the Berryessa Snow Mountain region as a National Monument to better manage and protect more than 350,000 acres of publicly-owned land in Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Glenn, Colusa, Solano and Yolo Counties and to promote tourism and outdoor recreation across the region.”
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STEM CURRICULUM– U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) has introduced the STEM Master Teacher Corps Act for “investing in educators who teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum. The legislation “would offer career advancement opportunities and pay boosts to the best STEM teachers. The Corps members will, in turn, mentor other teachers and share best practices with the STEM education community to improve the ability of all teachers,” said Franken.
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BREAST CANCER — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire) have introduced “the Breast Density and Mammography Reporting Act, which would improve breast cancer detection by requiring the mammogram report a woman already receives to include whether she has dense tissue, so she can discuss with her doctor if she should seek additional screening.” Thirteen other Senate co-sponsors include Barbara Boxer (D-California)
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POPE FRANCIS — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Ind-Vermont) responded with delight to the announcement that Pope Francis will address a Joint Session of Congress on September 24th: “The Pope has played an extraordinary international role since he was elected in speaking out about the growing gap between the rich and everybody else and the power large financial institutions exert over the American and world economies,” Sanders said. “I hope very much that Congress listens closely to the Pope’s message.”
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MISSING CHILDREN– U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) has introduced legislation to make it easier for local law enforcement agencies to update information in the files of missing children. Currently, he said, such agencies “cannot modify records in the National Crime Information Center to include newly discovered information unless they have been granted permission by the originating law enforcement agency of the crime, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).”
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UNMANNED AIRCRAFT –U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have introduced legislation to require the FAA “to implement procedures to allow for safe, beyond-line-of-sight flights” to conduct natural resources and meteorological research. Along with other senators, they have asked the AA “to streamline its process for allowing UAS operators to test their aircraft at designated sites.”
U.S. House of Representatives
PRAYER– U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida) brought with her to the 63rd National Prayer Breakfast two rabbis: Rabbi Leonid Feldman of Temple Beth El in West Palm Beach, where Frankel is a member, and Rabbi Daniel Levin of Temple Beth El of Boca Raton. About Rabbi Feldman, she stated: “Throughout his life, he has experienced total assimilation, Jewish rebirth, violent anti-Semitism, imprisonment in Russia as a Zionist activist, and freedom in the West. His life experiences enable him to teach and lecture on Judaism with a passion and perspective that is unique and exhilarating.” Rabbi Levin, she noted, began his career in 1996 with the congregation he continues to serve, and “works to create a community where each member is inspired to lead a life of spiritual richness, meaning, purpose, and service.”
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LGBT RIGHTS –U.S. Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-California) applauded the Obama administration’s announcement that it was creating in the State Department a Special Envoy position to advocate for LGBT rights. “America is a beacon of freedom and equality to the rest of the world. We must lead by example,” Lowenthal said. “The appointment of a LGBT Special Envoy is another step to making sure that our fundamental American ideals of equality, equity, and diversity are properly reflected in our foreign policy. As a nation, we can, and should, take a leading role in defending the rights of all human beings across the globe to live, love, and prosper.”
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BLACK HISTORY– U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-New York), in a statement, said: “While we have made great strides as a country, there is much more that must be done to ensure opportunity for all Americans.We still see economic inequality, segregated board rooms, problems with the criminal justice system, and an education system that leaves too many children behind. This year marks 50 years since the passage of the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, a recent Supreme Court Decision invalidated a key portion of that law, and some states have passed restrictive voter identification measures that make it harder for Americans to cast their voteson Election Day.These unpatriotic attempts to prevent citizens from voting must be exposed for what they are and put to an end. That’s why I am working with my colleagues to update and improve the Voting Rights Act this year.”
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PATENT LITIGATION–Saying suits alleging infringement of patents have become abusive, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) joined a bipartisan coalition to sponsor an Innovation Act. “Patent trolls stifle innovation, damage our economy, and injure legitimate businesses. I supported this legislation last year and I’m a cosponsor today because I think it strikes a reasonable balance in addressing the patent troll problem without imposing too great a burden on plaintiffs. However, no legislation is perfect and I have long-standing concerns about ‘loser pays’ provisions and certain other litigation reforms in the bill. I’ve had good conversations with Chairman (Bob) Goodlatte and he’s told me he expects this to be an open and bipartisan process. I look forward to working with him, Chairman (Darrell) Issa, and the other sponsors on improvements to the bill that will address the problem of patent trolls while ensuring legitimate inventors are protected.”
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STUDENT DATA — U.S. Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) aid he and Rep. Luke Messner (R-Indiana) are working together on legislation to protect student privacy. “There have been important innovations in classroom instruction over the last few years,” Polis said. “It’s important we all work together to find the balance between new technology in the classroom and a parent’s right to protect their child’s privacy. We look forward to introducing legislation that will accomplish that soon.”
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AUTO LOANS– U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) and other members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have called for hearings into the lending practices of automobile dealers dealing with low-income consumers. “Over the past five years, the dollar value of new subprime loans has doubled,” Schakowsky said. “Those loans are offered at very high interest rates to low-income borrowers, some of whom have no source of income and are at almost immediate risk of delinquency and default. The securitization of those loans – repackaging them into bonds that are bought and sold by everyone from individual investors to pension funds to insurance companies – spreads the risk of those bad lending practices from individual borrowers to the entire economy. This rise in subprime loans is frighteningly similar to the rise in subprime mortgages that preceded the housing collapse in 2008.”
California Legislature
VACCINATIONS–State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) has joined with Sen. Richard Pan, a physician who represents Sacramento, to require parents to vaccinate their children against contagious diseases. “The high number of unvaccinated students is jeopardizing public health not only in schools but in the broader community. We need to take steps to keep our schools safe and our students healthy,” said Allen, a former board president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) is backing the measure in the state Assembly.
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MAIL BALLOTS — State Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) is sponsoring legislation to give every registered voter a choice between voting by mail or at a polling place. ” Election results show an alarming trend: Our participatory democracy keeps suffering from a dwindling number of participants,” he said. “Unless we find a way to increase voter participation statewide, nothing less than our democratic way of life is at risk… For many working Californians, carving time out of a busy work schedule to vote can be a challenge. Californians should not have to sacrifice their right to vote because they work or have to commute or need to take care of their children and can’t make it to their polling place. Having that mail-in ballot at the ready can only improve our embarrassingly low voter-turnout rates.”
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BLACK HISTORY– State Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County) saluted Black History Month by recalling on the floor of the state Senate the contributions of Tom Yarborough “who, in 1964, was the elected the Mayor of Lake Elsinore, becoming California’s first African-American Mayor.”
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Items dealing with Jewish women in Congress are sponsored by Laura Galinson in memory of her father, Murray Galinson.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. Your comment may be posted in the space below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com