By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Some high-profile Jewish Democrats are expressing support for individual picks for Cabinet positions by President-elect Trump.
Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado says while he disagrees with Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s opposition to vaccines–and hopes he will not try to implement any anti-vaccination regulations—he believes Kennedy will look favorably on lowering prescription costs, reducing the use of pesticides, and improve nutrition in the schools.
Polis was interviewed on CNN by Dana Bash, who disputed Kennedy’s assertion that Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese people have higher immunity to COVID than people of other genetic backgrounds. The anchorwoman said that she personally is an Ashkenazi and has had COVID.
Former Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler of Florida praised Trump’s nomination of Pam Bondi for U.S. attorney general after Matt Gaetz dropped out of consideration. Bondi formerly was state attorney general in Florida. Wexler commented, “When it comes to the interests of the Jewish community and having an attorney general that will fight for the protection of the Jewish community, we could not do better than Pam Bondi.”
That is not to say that all of Trump’s nominees will receive a lot of Democratic support. Senator-elect Adam Schiff (D-California) predicted on MSNBC that “it’s going to be an interesting confirmation process for all of these nominees. They’re going to have to face a lot of tough questions, including ones about alleged rape or sexual assault, including about fondness for foreign despots like Bashar al-Assad who gasses his own people, questions about their failure to accept science and their conspiratorial thinking. So it’s going to be, I think, a different kind of confirmation hearing process than we’ve seen before.”
Schiff’s references were in order to Defense Secretary-designate Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence-designate Tulsi Gabbard, and Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the subjects of arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on allegations that they used starvation as a tactic in Israel’s war in Gaza, were defended against those charges by a bipartisan group of U.S. officials.
Saying the U.S. “fundamentally rejects” the ICC decision, a spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council added that “the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter. In coordination with partners, including Israel, we are discussing next steps.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) commented, “Once again, the ICC has shown its blatant anti-Israel bias. Israel has every right to defend itself against murderous terror by Hamas and other hateful entities and the U.S. will continue to support Israel right to defense.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) called the arrest warrants “a sham,” adding “the United States should unequivocally denounce this lawless action.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said the U.S. might have to implement the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act, which enables the government to utilize “all means necessary” to free “any U.S. or allied personnel” detained or imprisoned as a result of an ICC action.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) called the ICC decision “damning, not for Israel, but for the impotent sham court flaunting its lack of moral clarity as a badge of honor.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) described the ICC decision as an outrage. He said he would support U.S. sanctions against the ICC and supporters of these decisions.
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Scott Bessent, founder of the hedge fund Key Square Capital Management, has been nominated by President-elect Trump to serve as his Treasury Secretary. It’s ironic that from 2011 to 2015, Bessent served as the chief investment officer for Soros Fund Management, owned by George Soros, who has been excoriated as a far leftist by Republican candidates.
Bessent had been rivalled for Trump’s nod by Howard Lutnick, the CEO of the financial services firm Cantor FitzGerald, who had the backing of Elon Musk. However, Lutnick was persuaded by Trump to accept instead his nomination for Secretary of Commerce.
Both the Treasury Secretary and the Commerce Secretary positions require confirmation by the U.S. Senate.
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Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Massachusetts) has joined Rep. Scott Peters (D-California) in what they and others are referring to as the YIMBY Caucus. “Yes In My Back Yard” caucus members will promote the creation of new housing developments throughout the United States in an effort to lower costs and to fight homelessness.
Peters, a San Diego congressman, said “This caucus will be essential for fostering pro-housing growth policies that lower costs, help people achieve the dream of home ownership, and create vibrant, walkable and transit-connected communities.”
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.