December 27, 2019
WEEK IN REVIEW
As we approach a new decade let us evaluate where we came from. At the beginning of this decade we were  in the middle of President Barack Obama's first term. We had just passed a major piece of legislation in March 2010, the Affordable Care Act. JAC's issues were safe. Israel was bipartisan, women's health had less attacks, and climate change was real. Laws were being passed in both the Senate and the House.
 
In November 2010 Republicans ended Democratic control of Congress by winning a majority in the House of Representatives. Republicans won a net gain of 63 seats, the largest shift in seats since the 1948 elections.
 
In 2012 the Democrats kept the Senate. The Republicans kept the House in what has been attributed to targeted, widespread Republican  gerrymandering  in the  congressional redistricting  process .
 
In 2014 Republicans achieved their largest majority in the House since  1928 and voter turnout was the lowest since 1942. They won the Senate and gridlock began. By 2016, no important legislation was being passed. And President Obama's Supreme Court nominee could not even get a hearing.
 
In 2016 President Trump was elected and the Republicans held both Houses. Nothing major has passed the Senate since, except for judicial appointments.
 
In 2018 the Democrats won the House back. More than 400 bills have passed the House and stopped on Senator McConnell's desk. Israel is still bipartisan. Restrictive choice bills are passing state legislatures and clinics are closing. Environmental protection laws are being overturned. No important gun violence bills have passed.
 
Remember when the rule of law served us and our institutions, no one was above the law and treating others like we'd like to be treated was a good thing? Let's not make this recent past our future.
 
In the next decade we can change the trend. This is the time. History will judge our elected officials and us. Help us elect candidates that support our values and issues. Let 2020 be the start of our road back.
 
Marcia Balonick
Executive Director 

   
Not sure who to donate to? Make a donation to JAC and we will use it to support our candidates.  

ISRAEL
Three Questions for the Year Ahead                 
    
2019 has been a tumultuous year. Israel held two elections with a third coming in March, long-awaited indictments of Prime Minister Netanyahu in three separate cases were finally announced, specific plans to annex the Jordan Valley were advanced, and the combustible combination of President Trump, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib made American Jewish politics even more divisive than ever. Some of these issues will be resolved in 2020 while others will not. Here are three large questions looming over the next twelve months.
Continued Reading

ANTI-SEMITISM & BDS
10 Hate Crimes That Shattered 2019, 10 Angels Who Put It Back Together

2019 has been a year marred by a number of targeted mass shootings around the world, leaving minority populations reeling from the hate flung their way. But in the face of such darkness, it has also produced some remarkable moments of outstanding courage and determination not to let hate win.   
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CHOICE
Abortion Restrictions From 2010-2019 Set the Stage for 2020      
 
The passage of the last 10 years might feel more like a century than a single decade. From the Obama years to the 2016rise of President Donald Trump, the nation has experienced a tug of war between progressive and conservative beliefs. No topic better reflects this battle than the reproductive rights movement. The last decade in abortion rights shows an effort by anti-choice lawmakers to return to a pre-Roe America, in spite of the millions of citizens who support a person's right to choose.          
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SEPARATION
Montana Battle Over Aid for Religious Schools Reaches Supreme Court

The justices will hear arguments next month over whether states may erect walls between church and state high enough to exclude religious groups from some government benefits.   
BEYOND THE CORE
Trump Is Rolling Back Over 80 Environmental Regulations. Here Are Five Big Changes You Might Have Missed in 2019

President Donald Trump has taken historically unprecedented action to roll back a slew of environmental regulations that protect air, water, land and public health from climate change and fossil fuel pollution. Existing environment regulations are meant to curb greenhouse gas emissions, protect land and animals from oil and gas drilling and development, as well as limit pollution and toxic waste runoff into the country's water. The administration views many of them as onerous to fossil fuel companies and other major industries.
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POLITICAL BYTE
The 5 Most Undersold Political Stories of 2019   
 
The year 2019 brought us a new Democratic House majority, our third impeached president in history, the Mueller report, the beginnings of the 2020 presidential race and so much more. But what about the stories that got short shrift? What happened this year that we should be thinking about that maybe we aren't?  As we've done before, we've compiled stories you might not have paid close attention to but probably should.  
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FYI
100 Inspiring Israel Headlines in 2019                 
 
Israel is vastly more than the sum of its conflicts and flaws. This truth needs and deserves to be known. Consider this list, by no means comprehensive, of articles about Israel published by less widely circulated sources in 2019 alone, demonstrating Israel's medical, scientific, technological, societal, security, counterterrorism, and humanitarian contributions to the world:    
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JAC II
Introducing JACII, a JAC group for young professionals, advocates, and those young at heart who are looking to get involved. Groups have started in Detroit, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
 
Events will feature elected officials and speakers in lively settings. JACII is by and for young people. Now is the perfect time to get involved.
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Know someone who would be interested in joining or hosting a meeting? Let us know at [email protected]. We will be happy to help organize a JACII in your city.

The Last Word
" We not only want women to have a seat at the table, we want women to have a seat at the head of the table. Their participation - their leadership - is essential to the vitality of our democracy."
 
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)  
Events
 

An Afternoon at the Theater with JACPAC
What the Constitution Means to Me
Sunday, January 26th
Brunch & Political Update: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Showtime: 1:00 - 2:30 pm
Los Angeles, CA
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SAVE THE DATE
An Evening at the Theater with JACPAC
What the Constitution Means to Me
Wednesday, March 11th
Dinner & Political Update with Jill Wine Banks: 5:30 pm
Showtime: 7:30 pm
Chicago, IL
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SAVE THE DATE
April 21-23, 2020
JAC's 2020 Annual Meeting
Celebrating 40 years of JAC
Washington, DC
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Want to host a JAC event? Contact the office and we will help organize it.
[email protected] or 847.433.5999

Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a pro-Israel PAC with a domestic agenda. We support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and advocate for reproductive health and the separation of religion and state and incorporate other issues of importance to the Jewish community, including gun violence prevention and climate change. In addition to providing financial support for U.S. Senate and House campaigns, JACPAC educates our membership with outreach events designed to inform and activate their participation in the political process.
Paid for by Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Contributions or gifts are not tax deductible.  Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Corporate contributions and contributions from non-US citizens who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence are prohibited. All contributions by individuals must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed or paid by another person.