May 1, 2020 
WEEK IN REVIEW
One of the big lessons we learned form the 2016 campaign is DON'T LISTEN TO POLLS. 

Recent polling in key battleground states show Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump. However, the election is still six months away, a lifetime in elections. Optimism is welcomed, especially during these difficult dark days, but optimism can be lethal. It can lead to complacency. 

We must remain focused on the task ahead which is continue to support our candidates. Donate to JAC candidates. Pledge to make get out the vote phone calls from your home for our candidates. We will be providing you with more details soon. 

Voting will be extremely challenging, and possibly dangerous. The GOP knows that and they will exploit this to their advantage. They do not want voting to be easier and safe for Americans. They will increase their voter suppression efforts even more.

The GOP want to scare us and say that vote-by-mail is rife with fraud. However, there have only been 143 cases of fraud using mailed ballots over the course of 20 years. 

Young people are the future of this country and they need to take a more active role in the electoral process. Unfortunately, they have the lowest turnout of any age group in the United States. But data from Florida's recent primary shows an impressive boost among 18-24-year-olds voting at home.

Congress will also need to ensure that the post office is well funded to handle the influx of mail in ballots. Republicans want to thwart vote-by-mail to reduce voter turnout by defunding the Postal Service. 

We cannot afford to get distracted.

We must keep working hard for JAC candidates while fighting GOP efforts to keep us from voting. Stay engaged. Join a JAC Zoom call to meet our candidates who want to fight to be the voice for us in Washington.

Urge Congress to expand vote by mail and to fully fund the post office.

UPCOMING EVENTS
While the current outbreak has most of us staying home, we have some upcoming virtual events we can all join.
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Tuesday, May 5
Virtual Update with
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) &
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)
2:00 pm CT | 3:00 pm ET
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Wednesday, May 6
Virtual JAC Fundraiser for
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)
6:00 pm CT | 7:00 ET
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Virtual Events to Support Joe Biden for President
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Tuesday, May 5
Virtual Reception with Vice President Joe Biden &
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Time TBA
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Wednesday, May 6
4:00 pm ET
Virtual Fireside Chat with Sec. Madeleine Albright 
& Jake Sullivan
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Please note: Login links for Biden for President events are sent out directly by the campaign. 
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Watch your inbox for more online events.
ISRAEL
West Bank Annexation Not Contingent on Palestinian State, U.S. Officials Emphasize

Amid reports intimating that the White House is conditioning its support for Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank on negotiations over a Palestinian state, the administration stressed that it continues to back Israel's plans, as long as it's done in the framework of the peace plan President Donald Trump presented on January 28.
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ANTI-SEMITISM & BDS
Bill De Blasio Is Not Anti-Semitic. But His Dumb Tweet Feeds a Dangerous Idea. 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio found an impressively spooky combination of words late Tuesday night.  "My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed," he tweeted  soon after taking part in breaking up a public funeral of an Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn that had broken social distancing rules. But the broad attacks on the mayor merit a correction. Bill de Blasio is not anti-Semitic. He's clumsy, and reflective of the frequently well-intentioned but dangerous thinking about Jews that has become increasingly popular in American politics.
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CHOICE
Abortion by Telemedicine: A Growing Option as Access to Clinics Wanes
 
Abortion through telemedicine is a quietly growing phenomenon, driven in part by restrictions from conservative states and the Trump administration that have limited access and increased the distance many women must travel to abortion clinics . Now, the coronavirus pandemic is catapulting demand for telemedicine abortion to a new level, with much of the nation under strict stay-at-home advisories and as several states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, have sought to suspend access to surgical abortions during the crisis.
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SEPARATION
 
'A Phantom Plague': America's Bible Belt Played Down the Pandemic and Even Cashed In. Now Dozens of Pastors Are Dead

The right to worship has emerged as one of the chief battles within the looming culture war brought on by the coronavirus, dramatically emphasising the outsized role of fringe American conservatism across the US and in the White House. The pandemic has created unprecedented legal friction between state and local governments and churches that conservatives suggest will continue through the quarantine.
BEYOND THE CORE
Colorado's Vote-By-Mail System Could Save the 2020 Election. Why Aren't More States Using It?

When Wisconsin voters went to the polls on April 7, 2020, they did so during one of the largest pandemics to sweep the country in recent memory. Predictably and tragically, at least 40 Wisconsin voters in Milwaukee County alone contracted the novel coronavirus at the polls. In total, the state has identified 52 people who voted or worked at the polls who now have COVID-19.  But it doesn't have to be this way. This could have been prevented had Wisconsin delayed the election and allowed its citizens to vote by mail like the state of Colorado does.
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POLITICAL BYTE
Is There a Doctor in the House?

Two doctors are running for the Senate in red states where Democrats are optimistic they can be competitive and expand their path back to a Senate majority: Alaska and Kansas. In the House, there are more than 20 physicians, nurses and surgeons running for open or battleground seats.
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BIDEN ROUNDUP
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Endorses Joe Biden for President 
 
Sen. Cortez Masto is the current chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and is the first Latina elected to the Senate. "Joe Biden is the leader our country needs right now. His experience leading through moments of crisis and his trademark compassion and empathy are the leadership qualities that are needed as the American people face an unprecedented public health and economic crisis."
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CORONAVIRUS
Coronavirus Vaccine by January Is 'Doable,' Dr. Anthony Fauci Says
 
Dr. Anthony Fauci says it's not out of the question that the United States could have a viable coronavirus vaccine by January.  The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told Savannah Guthrie on TODAY that the government is quickly working on getting an answer to whether a vaccine is effective before beginning to manufacture hundreds of millions of doses.
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FYI
U.S. Forces Play Israeli National Anthem for Holocaust Survivor, 75 Years After He Was Liberated by American Troops     
 
On April 29, 1945 the U.S. armed forces liberated the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau and 75 years later Israel is also celebrating its 72nd Independence Day. World leaders gathered in Jerusalem in January to take part in a diplomatic meeting to commemorate the Holocaust and battle antisemitism, 75 years after the liberation of Auschwitz. A U.S. military band surprised a Holocaust survivor this week by playing the Israeli national anthem to him via Zoom to mark the 75th anniversary of his liberation by American forces from a Nazi concentration camp in Germany.
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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 info@jacpac.org. We will be happy to help organize a JACII in your city.

The Last Word
"There is so much we agree on and common good and if we just listen to each other we will get there."

- U.S. Senate Candidate Sara Gideon (D-ME)
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.