Cohen, Yarmuth, others seek to postpone Netanyahu

Compiled by Donald H. Harrison

Twenty-three Democrats including Jewish Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee and John Yarmuth of Kentucky, have signed a letter requesting Speaker of the House John Boehner to postpone Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scheduled March 3 speech to a Joint Session of Congress.

Other signers included Keith Ellison (D-MN), Maxine Waters (D-CA) have sent a letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner urging him to postpone Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress. The letter was cosigned by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), André Carson (D-IN), John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Danny Davis (D-IL), Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), James McGovern (D-MA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Chellie Pingrie (D-ME), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mark Takano (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and  Peter Welch (D-VT).

“Israel is a valued ally and Israeli Prime Ministers have a long history of addressing Congress,” the letter said. “As members of Congress who support Israel, we share concern that it appears that you are using a foreign leader as a political tool against the President. We very much appreciate that Prime Minister Netanyahu has twice had the honor of speaking before a joint session. However, at this time your invitation is contrary to the standards by which our Congress operates and has the potential to harm U.S. Foreign policy. The timing of this invitation and lack of coordination with the White House indicate that this is not an ordinary diplomatic visit. Rather this appears to be an attempt to promote new sanctions legislation against Iran that could undermine critical negotiations between the P5+1 and Iran. At the State of the Union President Obama made it clear that he will veto new Iran sanctions legislation. The invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu enlists a foreign leader to influence a Presidential policy initiative. We should be able to disagree on foreign policy within our American political system and without undermining the presidency.

“Aside from being improper, this places Israel, a close and valued ally, in the middle of a policy debate between Congress and the White House. We should not turn our diplomatic friendship into a partisan issue. Beyond threatening our diplomatic priorities, the timing of this invitation offers the Congressional platform to elevate a candidate in a foreign election. A visit from Israel’s Prime Minister would normally be an occasion for bipartisan cooperation and support. Our relationship with Israel is too important to use as a pawn in political gamesmanship. We strongly urge you to postpone this invitation until Israelis have cast their ballots and the deadline for diplomatic negotiations with Iran has passed. When the Israeli Prime Minister visits us outside the specter of partisan politics, we will be delighted and honored to greet him or her on the Floor of the House.”

In another Netanyahu development, Shawn Evenhaim, national chairman of the Israeli-American Council (IAC), called on all members of Congress to plan to attend the Prime Minister’s speech. “As Israeli-Americans who see it as our mission to strengthen the relationship between the United States and Israel, we believe that members of Congress need to hear the elected leader of the United States’ strongest Mideast ally about the serious challenge we face together – preventing a nuclear Iran,” he said. “Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and is the United States’ closest friend. When a prime minister of Israel accepts an invitation to address Congress, especially about this critical shared goal, we believe legislators need to hear him. Not listening is unhelpful.”

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The Jewish American Citizen
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Executive Branch

GREEK ECONOMY — U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew earlier this week spoke by phone with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis to discuss the latest deliberations between Greece and its international partners.  According to the U.S. State Department, “Secretary Lew noted that failure to reach an agreement would lead to immediate hardship in Greece, that the uncertainty is not good for Europe, and that time is of the essence. He urged Greece to find a constructive path forward in partnership with Europe and the IMF to build on the foundation that exists to advance growth and reform. Secretary Lew added that the United States will remain engaged with all parties to encourage concrete progress in the days ahead.​”
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CHICAGO MAYOR’S RACE – President Obama was in Chicago on Thursday campaigning for his former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in his bid to be elected Feb. 24 to a second term as mayor of Chicago.  Members of the White House Press Corps asked Eric Schultz, principal deputy press secretary, whether the policy of not wanting to influence elections in Israel, by meeting so close to that country’s elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, also applied to Emanuel, who is a former Israeli citizen.  Responded Schultz: “As you know, that is not a principle that generally applies to our domestic politics.  Obviously, the Mayor is someone who has served as the President’s Chief of Staff.  They have been friends for many years, remain in very close touch.  And as mayor of a city that the President cares deeply about, the President has supported the Mayor’s elections in the past, campaigns in the past, and he supports this one as well.”  Later, at Emanuel’s campaign office, Obama said about the mayor: “He’s been willing to make some really hard decisions on behalf of those children and on behalf of our future.  Everybody knows that he is passionate and he is tough and he is dogged in making sure that the city of Chicago is not just the coldest city — (laughter) — but also the greatest city.  And you look at what’s been accomplished in education, what’s been accomplished in terms of the infrastructure, bringing jobs back to this city — I have confidence as a voter and as a resident of Chicago that he’s going to continue to do a great job.”|
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COLOMBIAN PEACE PROCESS  –Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Bernie Aronson has been appointed as a special envoy to assist in the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).  Accepting the appointment, Aronson said “for 50 years Colombians have sacrificed their blood and treasure to defend their democratic institutions. Now the Colombian people have a real opportunity for peace, and you (Secretary of State John Kerry)  have made it clear and the President (Obama)  has made it clear if President (Juan Manuel) Santos believes the United States can help this administration, we’ll spare no effort, and I’ll take that as my charge. Peace can only be made by Colombians themselves. We have no blueprint made in Washington to offer. We will not take a place at the negotiating table, but we can push, prod, cajole, and clarify and help wherever we can. The parties have made substantial progress, but the hard, knotty issues have been left to the end as they usually are. Now the parties must resolve them, because windows for peace, as all of us know, can close without warning, and sometimes they never reopen.”
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RUSSELL FEINGOLD – Former U.S. Senator Russell Feingold (D-Wisconsin) is stepping down as  United States Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (D.R.C.).   Asked about this at a State Department news briefing, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: “Special Envoy Feingold is stepping down sometime next month. He will give his final speech as special envoy next Tuesday at the U.S. Institute for Peace. We will continue to devote sustained, high-level attention to the Great Lakes region. There is – while I don’t have any announcement now, there will be a successor named. And let me just take a moment, because obviously, Special Envoy Feingold has been – has played a very important role here. And last technical piece: He – the Secretary asked him to stay for a year when he started in June of 2013, so obviously we’re far past that point or about six to seven or eight months past that point at this point. But amongst others, Special Envoy Feingold helped lead the international envoys’ participation in the Kampala Talks and their contribution to the resolution of the M23 rebellion. He helped drive the international community’s renewed focus and commitment to ending the threat of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), which has produced an international and regional consensus that now is the time for the DRC  (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC to neutralize the threat of this group. During his tenure, he also fostered, improved, and expanded U.S. relations with Angola, which, as you know, included a trip by the Secretary there last May. And he launched the Great Lakes to Great Lakes initiative, bringing together regional and international experts, academics, and government officials to discuss environmental concerns, ecoterrorism, and preservation of African Great Lakes. So obviously, he will be missed.”
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CUBA — The U.S. State Department announced that on February 27, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson will host a delegation from the Cuban government led by Josefina Vidal, general director of the U.S. Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to discuss re-establishing diplomatic relations. The talks will take place at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and will focus on matters related to reopening embassies, including the functions of diplomats in our respective countries. “These talks continue the dialogue initiated by the parties on January 22 in Havana, Cuba and are a key step in implementing the new direction in U.S.-Cuba relations announced by President Obama on December 17, 2014,” the State Department announcement said. “It is in the interest of both countries to re-establish diplomatic relations and re-open embassies. A U.S. Embassy in Havana will allow the United States to more effectively promote our interests and values, and increase engagement with the Cuban people. As with the more complex process of normalizing relations, re-establishing diplomatic relations requires the agreement of the governments of both Cuba and the United States.”

U.S. Senate

AUTO INSURANCE — Following a CNN investigation uncovering new evidence that auto insurance companies may be directing repair shops to use cheaper and possibly more dangerous parts, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut.) sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate. Blumenthal wrote that auto-insurers may be pressuring consumers to repair their vehicles at their preferred repair shops, which have agreed to use cheaper parts in order to save the insurance company money.
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CAMPUS SAFETY—Democratic U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer of California and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have sent a letter encouraging Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to continue the agency’s efforts to enforce Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Act (Clery Act) and to bring transparency to its efforts to combat campus sexual assault. The Senators asked the Secretary to provide information on the number of complaints the agency has handled; the number of investigations it has pursued; the average time it takes to conduct investigations; the types of penalties imposed; and the procedures it has in place to help protect college students from sexual assault.
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MIGRATORY BIRDS — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MARYLAND), a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, has introduced legislation (S. 520) to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, which would help sustain healthy populations of migratory birds that face threats to their health and habitats. The bill promotes international cooperation for long-term conservation, education, research, monitoring and habitat protection for more than 350 species of neotropical migratory birds, including Maryland’s state bird: the Baltimore Oriole. The bill furthers investment in critical conservation programs that have demonstrated marked successes through public-private partnerships and advanced conservation strategies.
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WEST COAST PORTS– U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, both California Democrats, have called on both parties in the West Coast ports dispute to act swiftly to reach a final agreement. In a letter to International Longshore and Warehouse President Robert McEllrath and Pacific Maritime Association President and CEO James C. McKenna, the Senators expressed their concern that despite a narrowing of differences, the parties have not been able to resolve the labor dispute because they cannot agree on the selection of an arbitrator. “It is our understanding that the only issue that stands between further damage to our economy and a contract agreeable to both parties is the choice of an arbitrator,” the Senators wrote. “While it is understandable that the parties can disagree, it is highly disappointing that with so much at stake, you have not been able to come up with a path forward on this one remaining issue.”
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WAL-MART– After Wal-Mart announced that all of its workers in the United States would earn at least $9 an hour by April and $10 an hour by 2016, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent-Vermont) stated:  “The Walton family which owns Wal-Mart is the wealthiest family in America and it is absurd that thousands of their low-wage workers are forced to use programs like food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing. Wal-Mart should not be paying starvation wages. While this is a step forward and a response to grassroots activism across the country, this is nowhere near enough. Wal-Mart should raise their minimum wage to at least $10.10 an hour now and move it to $15 over the next several years. Struggling working families should not have to subsidize the wealthiest family in the country. Wal-Mart also should end its vehemently anti-union activities.”
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DRONES– Following the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) release of the long-awaited proposed rule for drones, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) urged the FAA and the Department of Commerce to address three remaining, and major, areas of concern in a final rule.  Specifically, Schumer is urging the FAA to reconsider its proposed ‘line of sight’ rule, which currently requires that all drones fly within the visual line of sight of the operator. Schumer also said that the FAA should require drone manufacturers to develop and install built-in software, firmware and GPS tracking in the device to better control where drones fly and enforce rules. Lastly, Schumer is urging the FAA to work with the Department of Commerce to develop stringent privacy guidelines for the use of drones.
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RAILROAD SAFETY– Recent oil train accidents raise serious concerns about newer rail cars that carry crude oil in Oregon and across the country, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said in a letter to the White House. Wyden urged the administration to take into account a series of accidents involving new cars as it finalizes oil train safety rules. Wyden called on the Office of Management and Budget to consult with the National Transportation Safety Board and Department of Transportation about whether newer rail cars, called CPC-1232 cars, are providing adequate protection for communities. Two trains carrying crude oil in the newer rail cars derailed and burst into flames this week in West Virginia and rural Ontario, forcing more than 100 residents in Mount Carbon, West Virginia to evacuate. Three other accidents since January, 2014 have involved trains hauling the newer train cars.

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U.S. House of Representatives

KIDS AND PARKS — Congressman Eliot Engel (D-New York) applauded President Obama’s newly unveiled “Every Kid in a Park” initiative, which will provide all fourth grade students and their families with free admission to National Parks—including the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island—and other federal lands and waters for a full year. The initiative takes effect in September, 2015 at the start of the school year.  To support this effort, the President has proposed over $45 million in funding for youth engagement programs, $20 million of which is specifically allocated for youth activities provided by the National Park Service, in his 2016 budget. The hope is to bring over one million fourth-grade children from low-income areas to National Parks through the initiative.   “I am fortunate enough to represent a district that is full of natural splendor, and I would like to see more of our children take advantage of that,” said Engel. “I encourage every eligible family to take advantage of this program and add visiting a National park to their vacation plans next school year.”
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MEDICARE FRAUD – U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida) joined federal agents from the Medicare Fraud Strike Force on a ride along to learn firsthand how they tackle Medicare fraud. The agents discussed the many new, aggressive ways criminals are defrauding the government. Frankel was driven past an assisted living facility that was closed due to a successful investigation. “South Florida is ground zero for these costly crimes,” said Frankel. “The Medicare Fraud Unit plays an important role in stopping these criminals, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to protect our seniors from fraud schemes. ”The ride along came in advance of Frankel reintroducing the Fighting Medicare Fraud Act of 2014, legislation that  Frankel said will tackle waste, fraud, and abuse and establish stiffer penalties on people who commit identity theft and Medicare fraud.
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MARIJUANA—U.S. Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon)  introduced two bills that together would legalize and tax marijuana at the federal level. Representative Polis’s legislation, H.R. 1013, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, removes marijuana from the schedule set by the Controlled Substances Act; transitions marijuana oversight from the jurisdiction of the Drug Enforcement Agency to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and regulates marijuana like alcohol by inserting into the section of the U.S. Code governing “intoxicating liquors.” Representative Blumenauer’s legislation, H.R. 1014, the Marijuana Tax Revenue Act of 2015, creates a federal excise tax on non-medical marijuana sales and moves this quickly growing industry out of the shadows.
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California Legislature

SDSU – State Sen. Marty Block (D-San Diego), in an interview with the U-T’s Roger Showley, said if the San Diego Chargers go to Los Angeles County to share a stadium with the Oakland Raiders, San Diego should consider using Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley for housing San Diego State University students, who could ride the trolley right to school.

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PUBLIC RECORDS–Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) has introduced a bill to require local government agencies to conduct system-wide inventories of collected data and make the inventories publicly available under the California Public Records Act.  “From public bus times in San Francisco to maps of fire hazards in Santa Cruz County, some local agencies statewide are already turning internally gathered data into usable information, all to the public’s benefit,” Hertzbergsaid about Senate Bill 272. “A better understanding of data means a smarter government, and that translates into improved services and jobs and a stronger helping hand to residents who need it most.” The principle co-author of Hertzberg’s bill, Asm. Brian Maienschein (R-San Diego), chair of the Assembly Committee on Local Government, praised Hertzberg’s efforts.
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MEASLES — Sen. Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County) “as a pharmacist, parent, and grandparent to a beautiful baby girl, has urged Californians to have their babies and young children vaccinated against measles, both for their own protection and to prevent the disease from spreading.  He said that in California, there were 114 confirmed cases, 86 in Southern California.

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Political Parties

MISSOURI SENATE RACE—The National Jewish Democratic Council congratulated Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander on his announcement to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri).  Kander, a military veteran who served in Afghanistan, was described by Greg Rosenbaum, chair of NJDC’s board of directors as “an honorable and good man, and just the type of person we need in the United States Senate. … His  past work with members on both sides of the aisle in Missouri has led to stronger protection for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, expanded health care coverage for children, and a more open and accessible government.

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Items concerning 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 signed comment may be posted in the space provided below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com