November 22, 1999 | Vol.1, No. 29

This Week in Washington¼

For more information, contact Reva Price, Washington Representative at rprice@thejcpa.org

Curtain Comes Down on Capitol Hill: The first session of the 106th Congress ended last week as both the House of Representatives and the Senate finished their official business for the year. Congress is scheduled to reconvene for its second session on Monday, January 24th, a mere three days before the first State of the Union address of the 21st century is delivered on January 27th. The Insider will use subsequent "recess" issues to detail and suggest issue areas for discussion with legislators as members visit their home districts for this extended period. Material on many of the issues reported on in previous Insiders, as well as consultation regarding strategy, is available through the JCPA Washington office. Contact rprice@thejcpa.org.

Holocaust Assets Commission Reauthorized: Before leaving town, the Senate passed legislation reauthorizing for one year the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States. While legislation to reauthorize the commission, which has been investigating the disposition of Holocaust victims' assets that came into the "possession or control" of the US government, passed the House earlier this fall, the initiative was temporarily held up by the Senate Banking Committee. Hats off and thanks to our CRCs in Houston, Dallas, Minneapolis, Miami, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, who made calls to their Senators on the Committee urging that the Commission not be forgotten in the end of the year rush to adjourn. We have been told by Commission staff that these efforts made the difference!

Supreme Court Sets Stage for Church-State Showdown: The Supreme Court announced last week that it has agreed to review the 5th Circuit Court decision on the constitutionality of student-sponsored prayer at high school football games. The court declined to review the part of the ruling dealing with student-led prayers at graduation ceremonies. The case, "Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe" focuses on a dispute which arose four years ago when two families filed suit against the Texas school district claiming that prayers before the games and other school events violated the separation of church and state by pressuring students to pray. The decision released last winter by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said that public school students may not lead group prayers before football games. The JCPA is currently consulting member agencies and coalition partners regarding the possibility of joining an amicus brief. Earlier this month a non-binding resolution (HConRes199), sponsored by Representatives Bonilla and Stenholm of Texas, passed by voice vote urging the Supreme Court to allow official prayer at public school sports events.

This Week in New York¼

For more information, contact Benita Gayle-Almeleh, Senior Community Consultant at bga@thejcpa.org

JCPA leadership and staff meet today with Rabbi Michael Melchior, Minister of Israeli Society and the World Jewish Community. Rabbi Melchior departs the U.S. this evening after a whirlwind visit to the organized Jewish community, including a much-discussed and highly touted speech to delegates at the UJC General Assembly last week.

Summary notes reflecting discussions at the concluding meeting of the Committee on Race, Ethnicity, and Public Policy have been distributed to JCPA member agencies with the reminder the deadline for input from member agencies conducting parallel studies is December 15th.