Press Release

We at JAC are elated and relieved at the Court's decision. This ruling affirms the benefits that this legislation has provided, especially to women. It provides access to expanded preventive services such as mammograms and PAP smears. It means young adults will be able to remain on their parents' insurance plans.  It protects those with pre-existing conditions from being refused insurance.  It provides access to insurance coverage for millions of previously uninsured or uninsurable Americans.  It is a victory for all Americans. This is a victory for women. The ACA is the most pro-women law in recent history.
 

The Supreme Court largely upheld President Obama's health care law, the Affordable Care Act. Chief Justice John G. Roberts joined the majority in affirming the central legislative accomplishment of Mr. Obama's presidency. He ruled that the key provision in question, the so-called individual mandate requiring all Americans to buy insurance or pay a fine, failed to pass constitutional muster under the Commerce Clause, which was the heart of the administration's arguments in favor of it. But the Chief Justice declared that the fine amounted to a tax that the government had the power to impose, and that the mandate could survive on that basis. Upholding the mandate meant that the rest of the act was judged constitutional as well.
 

But we must point out that the ruling was 5-4, with Chief Justice Roberts siding with the majority, which was a surprise, and Justice Anthony Kennedy ruling with the minority.  The ruling is a stark reminder how much elections matter.  The justices on the Supreme Court are nominated by the President and they serve for life. The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings to approve the President's nominees. Senate Committee chairs are determined by the majority party.

Mitt Romney, Republican candidate for President, has already gone on record to say that if the Court doesn't overturn Obamacare, as President he would repeal it "on day one."

It is crucial to maintain the current committee structure in the Senate by working to elect JAC candidates who will uphold our interests. It will also be crucial to work for the Presidential candidate who will choose the next Supreme Court justices.

For more information on the Supreme Court ruling, visit the following websites:
www.scotusblog.com
http://www.npr.org

For information on provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform
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Statement from JACPAC on President Obama’s Decision to Require Church Institutions to Offer Contraceptive Coverage

February 8, 2012

Whose rights are being abridged? Religious liberty, conscience and morality are not the exclusive domain of the Catholic bishops. Millions of women, Catholic and non-Catholic, elect to use contraception. It is not only legal, it is in some cases advisable from a medical standpoint. For most women, birth control is a common sense matter of economics and personal choice.

Highland Park, IL Feb 3, 2012 – Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) applauds the efforts of our members and those of pro-choice advocates all over the country.  Our voices were heard.

The outcry of support for Planned Parenthood and criticism for the decision by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to sever ties with the organization was more than a mere exercise in free expression.  The controversy galvanized the pro-choice community to mount a spontaneous protest that Komen could not ignore. JACPAC and other pro-choice organizations sprang into action. Komen’s donors and local chapter organizations were outraged; Planned Parenthood’s donations skyrocketed. Our pro-choice friends in the US House and Senate have gone on record with open letters to Komen. 

This could be a precedent-setting move that will have a far-reaching impact.  It could demonstrate that catering to the political right is not only wrong, it has negative consequences. It signals the religious right that a political agenda based on sectarian beliefs runs counter to the constitutional separation of religion and state, a matter of great concern to the Jewish community and to JACPAC. The publicity surrounding the Komen-Planned Parenthood controversy has put certain lawmakers on notice that their anti-woman and Constitution-defying agenda will not be tolerated.  Forced ultrasounds, pre-abortion lectures by uninformed non-medical personnel, “conscience” clauses that allow pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions they disapprove of, and opt-out provisions that allow hospitals and medical personnel to refuse to provide life-saving abortions have no place in our society. If our actions put an end to such measures by limiting the power of the right wing, then the pro-choice cause has made a giant leap forward.  JACPAC is proud to be a leader in the effort.

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Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a bipartisan political action committee dedicated to the special relationship between the US and Israel and a social agenda that includes reproductive choice and separation of religion and state. JACPAC supports the election campaigns of US Senate and House candidates who uphold this agenda and maintains an ongoing dialogue with those it helps elect. JACPAC serves as a political resource for the Jewish community, furnishing information about candidates, elections and issues.

JACPAC disapproves Komen Action Against Planned Parenthood

Highland Park, IL Feb 2, 2012 – Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) has issued an action alert to its members nationwide to contact Susan G. Komen for the Cure to protest that organization’s recent action against Planned Parenthood.  Komen ceased its funding of mammograms and other screening tests that Planned Parenthood provides for mostly young, low-income or uninsured women. JACPAC’s action alert is an expression of  extreme disappointment over Komen’s decision, which targets the most vulnerable women whose sole health care provider is Planned Parenthood.

Over the last five years, Planned Parenthood has provided about 4 million breast exams and referrals for 70,000 mammograms nationwide. Funding from Komen covers about 170,000 of the breast exams and 6,400 mammogram referrals, according to Cecile Richards, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). PPFA is the largest provider of reproductive health services in the country.

In making this decision, Komen appears to be caving in to political pressure. The pressure comes from lawmakers on the political right who have taken aim at women by legislating away their reproductive health options. The pressure has mounted in the form of an audit launched by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, to determine whether public money had been spent on abortions over the last decade. JACPAC agrees with Planned Parenthood supporters that the investigation is a witch-hunt, with no basis for being conducted other than Stearns’ own political views.

Komen’s sharp political turn to the right has left women and science behind. It wouldn’t be the first time.  In April 2011,  Komen hired as its senior vice president for public policy Karen Handel, who ran for governor of Georgia in 2010 and lost, despite an endorsement by Sarah Palin. During her campaign, Handel pledged to be a “pro-life governor,” and said she “disapproved of the mission of Planned Parenthood.” Additionally, a member of  Komen's Advocacy Alliance Board is  Jane Abraham, the General Chairman of the Susan B. Anthony List and of its Political Action Committee. While Komen claims to care for women’s health,  the politics of some of its board and senior staff work against its stated goals.

JACPAC agrees strongly with Patrick Hurd, CEO of Planned Parenthood of Virginia, that cancer  victims don’t care about people’s politics and cancer doesn’t favor one political point of view over another.   That is a guiding principle Komen should not have abandoned.

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Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a bipartisan political action committee dedicated to the special relationship between the US and Israel and a social agenda that includes reproductive choice and separation of religion and state. JACPAC supports the election campaigns of US Senate and House candidates who uphold this agenda and maintains an ongoing dialogue with those it helps elect. JACPAC serves as a political resource for the Jewish community, furnishing information about candidates, elections and issues.

December 15, 2011

A luncheon attended by about fifty members and prospective members of JACPAC was held December 15th at the home of Roz Blanck, of Franklin, a lawyer who is active in Jewish community affairs.  Lisa Lis and Pam Lippitt organized the event.
U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley of Nevada was to appear at the luncheon but was unable to attend in person because of a crucial vote in Washington.  She spoke to the group by phone. Technology and local talent really saved the day.  Pro-Israel activist David Victor, past President of AIPAC, gave an update on US-Israel relations and Jeffrey Zaslow, author of Gabby:  A Story of Courage and Hope, spoke about his experiences with the Congresswoman and her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly.  Giffords was shot and nearly killed last year at a shopping mall in her hometown of Tucson.  She is working hard to rehabilitate herself so that she can return to Congress.

"These days it is more important than ever to be involved politically,” said event organizer Lisa Lis.  “JACPAC deals with the issues I find most compelling, such as Israel, women’s rights and social justice. With the emergence of the Tea Party and the resurgence of extreme right groups, it is important for us to assert ourselves politically.  That is why we support members of Congress like Shelley Berkley of Nevada and Gabrielle Giffords of Tucson.  They may represent Congressional districts far from ours, but their votes on the critical issues of the day affect us. Our local legislators, Congressman Gary Peters and Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, also represent our like minded concerns and assisting those who speak for us in Congress is paramount to keeping our voices heard.”

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Marcia Balonick, Executive Director or Dana Gordon, Membership and Outreach
Joint Action Committee (JAC), 847-433-5999
info@jointactioncommittee.org

December 20, 2011

The Jewish community received a warm welcome from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michele Obama at the White House Hanukkah party Thursday, December 8th. Among those present were Vice President Joe Biden, Israeli Ambassador and Mrs. Michael Oren, Religious Action Center Director Rabbi David Saperstein, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, high-ranking members of the Administration and Jewish members of Congress. Marcia and Bruce Balonick and Dana and Lee Gordon, of Highland Park, were invited guests. Marcia is executive director of JACPAC and Dana is JACPAC’s director of membership and outreach.  Bruce Balonick is a lawyer and Lee Gordon, a financial services executive.

Observations from the President on the meaning of Hanukkah and the West Point Jewish Cadet Choir singing Rock of Ages (Maoz Tsur) marked the festivities.  Even the most jaded political activist, accustomed to attending rounds of receptions, seemed to enjoy the comfortable atmosphere and feel the unique and historic significance of the occasion.

“I was honored to be at the white house for Hanukkah. As Jews we realize the importance of the US-Israel relationship and the responsibility to take care of the issues here such as – environment, education, poverty, and women's rights,” said Dana Gordon, Director of Membership and Outreach for JACPAC.

Marcia Balonick, Executive Director or Dana Gordon, Membership and Outreach
Joint Action Committee (JAC), 847-433-5999
info@jointactioncommittee.org

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Not so long ago, if women wanted to get ahead professionally they were expected to dress in drab menswear suits. If they were fashionistas they risked being taken for airheads; if they were brainy, they dared not be stylish.

May 27, 2010

Washington, DC -- On May 27 Gail Yamner, of Clifton, President of Joint Action Committee, attended a meeting of leaders of major Jewish organizations and Senate Democrats to discuss concerns of the Jewish Community. The meeting was convened by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). Twenty-two of 59 Democratic senators attended.

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March 22, 2010

A brunch for about fifty members and prospective members of JACPAC was hosted by Rani Garfinkle,  a leader in local and national Jewish philanthropic circles, at her Boca Raton home March 22nd.

"It is a pleasure to host women of action who have found their voices and are engaged in the political arena,” said Garfinkle.

Speakers were U.S. Reps. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) and, by speakerphone, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). Health Care Reform was front and center as the topic of interest.  Both were brimming with excitement as they described some of the drama of the previous day when the health care reform bill passed in the House.  Wasserman Schultz, a JACPAC member and a breast cancer survivor, has made health care reform her highest legislative priority. Sanchez, the ranking woman on the House Armed Services Committee, has been a champion for women in the military and has focused on the issue of sexual violence and abuse.

Special guests were JACPAC President, Gail Yamner, of New Jersey, and Linda Rae Sher, JACPAC Founder, of Chicago. Lori Berman, who is running for the Florida State Senate, was introduced to the group.

Founded in 1981, Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is known as the pro-Israel PAC with a domestic conscience.  JACPAC supports the election campaigns of candidates for the US House and Senate who are pro-Israel, pro-choice and pro-separation of religion and state.  JACPAC maintains a dialogue with those it helps elect.

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September, 2010

Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden hosted about 100 Jewish leaders and friends for a Rosh Hashanah reception at the Vice Presidential residence in Washington, DC Tuesday evening.  Among those present were Israeli Ambassador and Mrs. Michael Oren, Rabbi David Saperstein, the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and leaders of many other Jewish organizations JACPAC was represented by President Gail Yamner and Morris Yamner and former President Betsy Sheerr.

Vice President Biden welcomed everyone and made brief remarks about the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that began last Thursday. He said this is the moment for real peace, not a hollow one.  He spoke of his belief that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Abbas were ready and could lead their people into an agreement that would give Israel the secure peace that it must have. He invited everyone to come again next year for what he hoped would be a celebration of peace.

According to Yamner,  “While there was a wide diversity of views represented, there was a sense that maybe this is the time. That is the right window of time for Israel and the Palestinians to move forward and find a solution that gives Israel a safe homeland.”

Yamner also was happy to report that when the Vice President learned that she was the new JACPAC president, he warmly embraced her and said that he loved JACPAC and that JAC was there for him whenever he ran. He spoke glowingly of the work that JACPAC does. Past President Betsy Sheerr noted: "Joe Biden is and always has been a great friend of the Jewish community. It was a testament to this relationship that so many from all over the country came to the Biden home on erev-erev Rosh Hashanah, even those of us worrying about finishing up our matzo balls and brisket!"

Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is known as the pro-Israel PAC with a domestic conscience. A national bipartisan membership network founded in 1981, JACPAC is committed to the United States-Israel relationship and a progressive domestic agenda that includes reproductive choice and separation of religion and state. JACPAC contributes to candidates for the US House and Senate who share these values; JACPAC maintains a dialogue with those it helps elect.

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