The Jews of Congress

Items in today’s column include
*Sara Jacobs Receives Plum Assignment in House of Representatives
*Davis’s Legislation on Apprenticeships, Work Force Training Passes House
Jews in New House 25, Senate Maybe 10
*In memoriam

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO — Congresswoman-elect Sara Jacobs of San Diego has been appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the freshman representative on the House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee — a plum assignment that may mark the wealthy Californian as a future leader in the Democratic Caucus.  Jacobs, who succeeds retiring Congresswoman Susan Davis as the representative of California’s 53rd Congressional District is the granddaughter of Qualcomm co-founder and billionaire Irwin Jacobs, Ph.D, and herself a millionaire.

““I am honored by the faith Speaker Pelosi and my new colleagues have put in me,” Jacobs stated in a news release. “The 117th Congress was elected amid a national crisis and is tasked with the solemn responsibility of leading our country into recovery. I take that responsibility seriously, and am grateful for the opportunity to do my part to support this caucus and this Congress as we commit ourselves to the work ahead.” In the 116th Congress, now in its lame duck session, Congressman Mondaire Jones of New York served in the freshman position that Jacobs will fill.

The Steering and Policy Committee, which has three co-chairs, is responsible for assigning Democratic members of Congress to the various standing committees of the House of Representatives.  As the freshman representative, Jacobs will advocate for choice committee assignments for members of the freshman class.  The co-chairs of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee are Jacobs’ fellow Congressmembers from California Barbara Lee and Eric Swalwell along with newly appointed co-chair Cheri Bustos of Illinois.

Bustos, who had been chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, left that post after results of the 2020 elections saw Republicans gain seats in the House, narrowing the Democrats’ majority, instead of bringing the growth in its House majority that Democrats had anticipated.  Bustos replaced Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut as the third co-chair of the Steering and Policy Committee.  DeLauro gave up the post when she announced her candidacy to become the chair of the House Appropriations Committee, a post that became vacant with the retirement of Congresswoman Nita Lowey of New York.

Meanwhile, Congressmembers Tony Cardenas of California and Sean Patrick Maloney of New York have announced their candidacies to become the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Elections for the various House positions will be conducted after the House convenes on January 3, 2021.

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Davis’s Legislation on Apprenticeships, Work Force Training Passes House

Although she is retiring from Congress, Susan Davis is continuing to work right up to the end of her term.  As the chair of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment, she shepherded passage of the National Apprenticeship Act to passage by a margin of 246 votes to 140 in the House of Representatives.  The legislation sets aside $3.5 billion over a five-year period to help pay for apprenticeship programs for up to nearly one million future workers.

Following the bill’s passage on Friday, Davis commented:  “As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the livelihoods and economic security of Americans, Congress has a responsibility to do everything we can to expand employment opportunities that bring meaningful work and family-supporting wages to Americans. This groundbreaking legislation re-envisions standards, accountability, workforce investment, and coordinated programs with high school and higher education institutions to benefit more workers, taxpayers, and our economy. The National Apprenticeship Act will also encourage employers to hire apprentices from groups often underrepresented in much of our labor force including women, veterans, and people formerly or currently incarcerated, striving to create a more diverse workforce which accurately reflects our nation’s demographics.”

*
Jews in New House 25, Senate Maybe 10

The number of Jews in leadership roles in the House of Representatives was diminished with the defeat of Eliot Engel, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee,  and the retirement of Nita Lowey, chair of the House Appropriations Committee.  Both are New York Democrats.  However, Jewish members of the House are expected to continue to hold four other chairmanships: Jerrold Nadler of New York on the House Judiciary Committee, Adam Schiff of California on the House Intelligence Committee, John Yarmuth of Kentucky on the House Budget Committee and Ted Deutch on the House Ethics Committee.  Meanwhile, Brad Sherman of California vying for the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The 117th Congress will include at least 25 Jewish members in the House of Representatives, with 23 of them being Democrats and two (Lee Zeldin of New York) and David Kustoff of Tennessee) being Republicans.

None of the nine Jewish U.S. Senators were up for reelection this year, with one of their number (Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York) continuing as the Senate Minority Leader.  One of the two runoffs for U.S. Senate seats in Georgia pits Democrat Jon Ossoff against Republican incumbent David Perdue.  (The other race features the challenge of Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock against Republican incumbent Kelly Loeffler.)  Republicans need to win only one of these races to retain control of the U.S. Senate, whereas Democrats need to pick up both seats to bring the party division in the Senate to 50-50, thereby enabling Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to cast the deciding vote.  (It is assumed that Calif0rnia Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint a fellow Democrat to succeed Harris as California’s junior senator.)

By the year of their seating, here is a list of the Jews serving in the House and Senate.  All are Democrats unless otherwise indicated.

House of Representatives
Name, State, Year Elected, Current Position

Jerrold Nadler, New York, 1992,  Chairman, House Judiciary Committee
Brad Sherman, California, 1997, Chairman, Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship and Capital Markets of House Financial Affairs Committee.
Jan Schakowsky, Illinois, 1999, Chair, Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce of House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Adam Schiff, California, 2001, Chairman, House Intelligence Committee
Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Florida, 2005, Chair, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, of the House Appropriations Committee.

Steve Cohen, Tennessee, 2007, Chairman, Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, House Judiciary Committee.
John Yarmuth, Kentucky, 2007, Chairman, House Budget Committee
Ted Deutch, Florida, 2010, Chairman, House Ethics Committee; Chair Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism of House Foreign Affairs Committee.
David Cicilline, Rhode Island, 2011, Chair, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law of House Judiciary Committee.
Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon, 2012, Chair, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services of House Education and Labor Committee.

Lois Frankel, Florida, 2013
Alan Lowenthal, California, 2013, Chair, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, House Committee on Natural Resources.
Lee Zeldin (Republican), New York, 2015, Ranking Member, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of House Foreign Affairs.
Josh Gottheimer, New Jersey, 2017
David Kustoff (Republican), Tennessee, 2017

Jamie Raskin, Maryland, 2017; Chair, Subcommittee on Expedited Procedures of House Rules committee; Chair, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of House Oversight and Reform Committee.
Susan Wild, Pennsylvania, 2018
Andy Levin, Michigan, 2018
Elaine Luria, Virginia, 2019
Dean Phillips, Minnesota, 2019

Kim Schrier, Washington, 2019
Elissa Slotkin, Michigan, 2019
Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts, pending 2021
Sara Jacobs, California, pending 2021
Kathy Manning, North Carolina, pending 2021

(Some lists, including Wikipedia’s, show Mike Levin of California’s 49th Congress as Jewish.  However, he has stated that he was raised in a mixed family and considers himself neither Jewish nor Christian,)

Senate
Name, State, Year Elected, Current Position(s)

Dianne Feinstein, California, 1992, Ranking Member, Senate Judiciary Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development of Senate Appropriations Committee; Ranking Member of Permanent Caucus on International Narcotics Control.
Ron Wyden, Oregon, 1996, Ranking Member, Senate Finance Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Chuck Schumer, New York, 1999, House Minority Leader
Ben Cardin, Maryland, 2007, Ranking Member, Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues of Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Bernie Sanders, (Independent, caucuses with Democrats), 2007, Ranking Member, Senate Budget Committee;  Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
Michael Bennet, Colorado, 2009, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure of the Senate Finance Committee.
Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut, 2011, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Manufacturing, Trade and Consumer Protection of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts of Senate Judiciary Committee.
Brian Schatz, Hawaii, 2012, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies of the Senate Appropriations Committee; Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Jacky Rosen, Nevada, 2019
*

In Memoriam

Linda Helen (Miller) Valfer, 78, died Thursday, Nov. 19, Am Israel Mortuary reported. Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Monday, Nov. 23, by Rabbi/ Cantor Arlene Bernstein of Congregation Beth Israel at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Road.

Mrs. Valfer’s family provided this obituary: Linda Valfer, z”l, wife of Fred, mother of Deborah Hersh and Pamela Valfer, grandmother of Lauren and Stephen Hersh, passed away on November 19, 2020.

Linda was a dear friend to many at Beth Israel and was a dedicated and active member. Linda was named as one of Beth Israel’s Volunteers of the Year in 2017. She thrived on working with and helping people and believed that she always got more from her volunteer work than she gave.

For many years, she was co-chair of Daytimers and was on the Social Action committee. She helped pack boxes for our Adopt-a-Soldier program and every year she registered people to help on the MLK Jr. Day of Service. She helped develop many other popular and creative programs at the temple.

Linda and Fred were married for 58 years. She decided to go back to school to complete her education after her children were in high school. Linda earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in Labor & Management Studies/Human Resources from SUNY Stony Brook.

She also worked as Director of Human Resources for several companies in New York. Upon moving to San Diego in 1996, she worked for a Vocational School in Human Resources. Linda joined UCSD as a Career Counselor, where she worked for 13 years prior to retiring.

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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
Free obituaries in memory of members of the San Diego County Jewish community are sponsored on San Diego Jewish World by Inland Industries Group LP in memory of long-time San Diego Jewish community leader Marie (Mrs. Gabriel) Berg.