WASHINGTON, D.C (SDJW)–Following are some of the activities of Jewish members in the House of Representatives during the legislative week of Monday, April 28, through Friday, May 2:
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CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Rep. Steve Cohen , D-Tennessee, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice and a strong advocate for reform of what he calls the “nation’s racially-biased criminal justice system” introduced legislation to give rehabilitated ex-offenders who have repaid their debts to society a fair chance to compete in today’s job market. The Congressman’s legislation, the Re-Integration of Ex-Offenders Through Technology Act, would incorporate technology literacy programs into the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) offender re-entry job assistance programs, which provide job training and assistance to ex-offenders who have served their time and are seeking to contribute to society through gainful employment.
“It has been proven that recidivism rates are significantly reduced when an ex-offender has a decent job and community support in place,” said Congressman Cohen. “But too often, those who have already paid their debts to society face significant barriers when looking for a job. We can and should ensure that readiness is not one of those barriers. My Re-Integration of Ex-Offenders Through Technology Act will help lower recidivism rates by providing rehabilitated ex-offenders with the tech literacy skills they need to compete for many of today’s jobs and it will help ensure a qualified workforce for small business owners.”
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WOMEN’S HEALTH DECISIONS
Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Florida) issued a statement rebuking a Florida bill – HB 1047 – which would greatly intervene in a woman’s ability to make her own personal health care decisions. She urged a veto from Gov. Rick Scott on the bill, and stressed the importance of her own legislation – The Women’s Health Protection Act – which would thwart the ability for states to pass such restrictive – and ideological – measures affecting access to legal abortions.
“Every woman has the constitutional right to make her own decisions about her health, her family, and her life– without political interference. This new Florida legislation makes the federal Women’s Health Protection Act more relevant than ever. State governments must stop trying to re-litigate a woman’s ability to make personal health decisions,” said Frankel.
She said that the Florida bill would change state law to make it harder for a woman to get an abortion, with tougher restrictions and a tighter time frame to access care.
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COLLEGE COSTS
Rep. Steve Israel, D-New York., announced the College Preparation Tax Credit Act of 2014 to help middle-class families defray the cost of college preparation expenses, such as college admission tests like the SAT and ACT, preparation courses, application fees, and Advanced Placement(AP) exams. The legislation would allow families paying for college preparation expenses to qualify for a tax credit of up to $500 per child and could be taken for three years, as needed.
Israel said, “Between the admissions test, preparation courses, Advanced Placement exams, and college application fees, these expenses add up. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation that would give families a break by allowing them to apply for a tax credit to help defray these costs.”
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VETERANS’ DISABILITIES
Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-California, introduced an amendment to a military construction and veterans’ programs funding bill aimed at helping to clear a national backlog of Department of Veterans’ Affairs disability benefit cases currently impacting hundreds of thousands of American veterans. The amendment increases total funding allocated to addressing the backlog issue by $10 million.
Co-sponsored with Rep. Jim Costa, the amendment passed by a voice vote of the full House and was added to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015, which passed the House by a vote of 416-1 Wednesday evening. The amended funding bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.
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GUANTANAMO PRISONERS
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, released the following statement on the continued detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba:
“We are told by some in the majority that enemy soldiers should not have constitutional rights. But Mr. Speaker, a majority, concededly, of those at Guantanamo was never involved in hostile acts against the United States; 86% were turned in for bounties. We don’t know whether these people are enemy soldiers—some of them may be, and some of them are probably not—and we don’t know that they’re terrorists. That—those facts must be determined in a fair proceeding of some sort; but at Guantanamo there are no proceedings. They haven’t managed to hold military trials and we can’t hold civilian trials there. So we are holding people for no purpose, with no proceedings, no hearings, no opportunity, essentially forever
“The time to close Guantanamo is now. Guantanamo is a stain on our national honor. Never mind all the foreign policy reasons why it’s poisoning our relations with other countries, instigating terror against it—the fact is: it’s wrong.
“We are holding 154 people at Gitmo, 77 of whom have been cleared for release, that is to say they have been found guilty of nothing, are thought to be guilty of nothing, and have been judged not to pose any danger, but nonetheless they’re not released. There is no reason and no right for us to hold them further. The others should be brought to the United States and tried for their offenses.
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ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that the White House agreed to exhibit the “Armenian Orphan Rug” in the near future, likely this fall. The rug, woven by orphans of the Armenian Genocide in 1920, was presented to President Calvin Coolidge in 1925 as a symbol of gratitude for American aid and generosity for U.S. assistance during the genocide. The Armenian Orphan Rug, which measures 11’7″ x 18’5”, has over 4,000,000 hand-tied knots and took the Armenian girls in the Ghazir Orphanage of the Near East Relief Society 10 months to weave.
President Coolidge noted that, “The rug has a place of honor in the White House where it will be a daily symbol of goodwill on earth.” The rug – which has been in storage at the White House for decades – was supposed to be released for exhibition in a Smithsonian event for the launch of Hagop Martin Deranian’s new book “President Calvin Coolidge and the Armenian Orphan Rug.” Unfortunately, the rug was not able to be displayed at that time.
“Today, I’m pleased to be able to say that planning is underway for the Armenian Orphan Rug to be displayed as early as this fall,” Schiff said. “I have worked out with the White House that the display will take place in a venue that is open to the general public, and I appreciate their willingness to place this significant artifact on display for all to see.”
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Preceding culled from congressional news releases