ACTION ALERT – SUPPORT INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES & PROTECT DREAMERS

TAKE ACTION NOW: Oppose efforts that significantly weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act and make it harder for people with disabilities to participate in society.

Congress is about to vote this week on H.R. 620, the “ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017,” also known as the “ADA Notification” bill. This legislation would greatly undermine key federal disability rights protections established 27 years ago by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Please reach out to your Representative and urge him to vote no when H.R. 620 is brought to the floor. H.R. 620 does not “reform” the ADA, but instead imposes new barriers to people with disabilities seeking access to public accommodations.

A NIGHT OF CHANUKAH TO SAVE DACA: LIGHTING THE WAY FOR DREAMERS

DECEMBER 13, 2017

The American Jewish community has a long and proud tradition of advocating for policies supporting refugee protection and settlement.  Our Torah provides guidance welcoming immigrants when we are told, “When strangers reside with you in your land, you shall not wrong them. The strangers who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens; you shall love each one as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Leviticus 19:33-34).  Guided by this, our values and our historical experiences of persecution and flight, as a community, we believe that our country’s immigration policies should reflect the best of our national values: equality, fairness, due process under the law and respect for human dignity. We are therefore deeply concerned about recent policies and actions that threaten to erode current U.S. immigration and refugee policy and our nation’s proud history as a beacon of hope for people around the world.

ACT NOW ON THE TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT

DECEMBER 11, 2017

BACKGROUND:
Conferees from the House and Senate will be meeting soon to hammer out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.  As the conferees meet, we urge you to reach out to your senators and representatives and ask that they protect charitable giving and the efficient operation of tax-exempt organizations in the final bill.

BACKGROUND: UNITED STATES FORMAL RECOGNITION OF JERUSALEM AS ISRAEL’S CAPITAL

DECEMBER 8, 2017

On Wednesday, December 6, President Trump announced that the United States will formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.   The action implements the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, in which a bi-partisan Congress required the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem by May 31, 1999.

ACTION ALERT – STOP HARMFUL GUN LEGISLATION

DECEMBER 5, 2017

Gun violence is one of the most significant issues facing American society today; the horror of this violence is evidenced in the number of mass shootings our country has witnessed over the past decade. Concerned about the senseless loss of innocent lives, our JCRC has routinely called for effective and reasonable legislation that will reduce gun violence. We need your help now to stop a piece of harmful legislation making its way through the House of Representatives.

MASS SHOOTING IN LAS VEGAS​​​​​​​

OCTOBER 2, 2017

Dear Friends,

We are all in shock and mourning at yet another mass shooting in our country.  Sandy Hook, Orlando, Virginia Tech, Columbine, San Bernardino, Aurora and now Las Vegas are only the most sensational of such horrific tragedies. Sadly, the total list is much, much longer.  Mass shootings command our attention, but as Nicolas Kristof writes today in the New York Times, the truth is that they are “anomalies: most gun deaths occur in ones and twos, usually with handguns which kill far more people than assault rifles.”

TELL OUR SENATORS TO PROTECT MEDICAID AGAINST FUNDING THREATS – URGENT!

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

This past summer, we called on you to rally against proposed cuts to Medicaid contained in the Senate Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA)—those efforts paid off as three Republican Senators broke party lines and voted against the harmful legislation.  Unfortunately, those in the Senate who oppose Medicaid believe they now have the votes and a narrow window to act in less than two weeks to block grant and impose devastating cuts on Medicaid. Last week, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dean Heller (R-NV) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) unveiled another attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), cap/block grant Medicaid, and terminate the state Medicaid expansion. The legislation termed “Graham-Cassidy” has earned significant public exposure and possible momentum to secure the necessary 51 votes in the Senate. Please reach out to our Senators now and urge them to oppose this legislation as it will impose deep cuts to Medicaid.

ACTION ALERT – SAVE DACA

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

Earlier today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the administration’s plan to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allows younger undocumented immigrants to live in the country without fear of deportation. DACA has allowed nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrant youth who were brought to the United States as children to obtain work permits, attend school, and contribute openly to our economy. By ending the program, the administration will again make these young people, known as DREAMers, vulnerable to deportation or detention.

STATEMENTS BY PENNSYLVANIA ELECTED OFFICIALS ON CHARLOTTESVILLE

AUGUST 22, 2017

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr.

On August 16:
“President Trump’s weak response to a domestic terror attack is troubling. This is not an issue of ‘both sides.’ White nationalists and neo-Nazis staged a hateful rally in which one person was killed. These racist groups must be held fully accountable and those that hold this hateful ideology must be unequivocally condemned.”

JCRC CONDEMNS WHITE SUPREMACIST VIOLENCE IN CHARLOTTESVILLE

AUGUST 14, 2017

Dear Friends,

Together with you, we are deeply troubled by the events in Charlottesville this weekend and mourn the loss of innocent lives due to the violence. Our prayers are with the individuals wounded in the car attack and we hope they find healing and comfort in the days ahead.

ROGER WATERS COMING TO PHILADELPHIA

AUGUST 7, 2017

Dear Friends,

Roger Waters, the iconic lead singer from Pink Floyd, will be in Philadelphia this week for three concerts. He is currently on a nationwide tour of some 20 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Apart from his music, Waters is known for political activism that he regularly incorporates into his performances. Waters addresses a number of issues but, most prominently, he has become a well-known advocate for the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions movement (BDS campaign) against Israel.