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As the dust settles on the 2000
political battleground, a few realities are clear. The
new president, whoever he is, faces a closely divided
Congress with the Republicans barely in control, and
he cannot claim a mandate for the bolder aspects of
his agenda. The narrow margin of victory and
apportionment of congressional power ensures that the
only measures that will be enacted legislatively will
be those that garner centrist, bipartisan support.
With this reality, the American Jewish community’s
agenda for the 107th Congress must be carefully
considered and expertly executed if it is to be
translated from rhetoric to reality. A Jewish agenda
that relies solely on the alliance with one party is
doomed to fail. So let us consider what a bipartisan
American Jewish agenda might look like.
Thankfully, support for a strong and secure Israel has
enjoyed bipartisan support for decades. This could be
no more critical than right now, as Israel faces the
most hostile Arab and international community than it
has in years. The crisis of the past weeks already has
garnered overwhelmingly bipartisan resolutions in
support of Israel’s security, and we must continue
to work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure this
critical support continues for the sake of the Jewish
state.
On the domestic front, a bipartisan Jewish agenda
might begin with a measure that has languished in
recent years — the Workplace Religious Freedom Act.
This measure will prod private sector employers to
accommodate the religious needs of their employees,
such as time off for religious holidays and the
wearing of religious garb, to the benefit of all
religious Americans. It has been endorsed by a wide
array of religious organizations and has enjoyed
bipartisan sponsorship in both houses of Congress.
The attention and effort of religious activists was
diverted from this measure in recent years by securing
the passage of the Religious Land Use legislation last
year. Now it is time to roll up our sleeves and get
WRFA passed.
Many candidates pledged in recent weeks to “fight
for America’s families” and will be looking for
ways to realize that commitment. As a family-oriented
community, American Jews should play a part in shaping
a bipartisan family-friendly agenda.
The contours of such an agenda should include the
following aspects:
First, the elimination of the tax code’s marriage
penalty. While Republicans and Democrats split last
year over how exactly to remedy this inequity — one
which costs 25 million couples an average of $1,500
extra in taxes based solely on their marital status
— they agreed on the need to eliminate it and ensure
that our tax code does not penalize couples for
electing to marry.
A second important component of a pro-family agenda is
an increased commitment to child care. A bipartisan
approach to this issue will ensure that both
dual-career couples as well as couples with one
stay-at-home parent will receive greater support
through tax credits and subsidized programs for the
child-care decisions they make.
Polls in recent years consistently show that a
majority of women would opt to stay home to raise
young children if they could afford to do so. At the
same time, parents who use child-care centers outside
the home seek assurances that they are trusting their
children to safe and responsible providers. The Jewish
community should play a critical role in promoting
initiatives consistent with these needs.
Third, as the firestorm over the recent Federal Trade
Commission report revealed, many parents feel they are
engaged in a hopeless struggle to raise “PG kids in
an R-rated world.” The FTC found that Hollywood
studios were intentionally marketing age-inappropriate
movies to preteens, and the same is thought to be the
case with regard to record and video game companies.
Senate hearings demonstrated bipartisan outrage at the
media companies for this practice and warned them to
clean up their act or face regulatory sanctions.
The American Jewish community can retain its respect
for the freedom of speech while simultaneously working
in Congress and the marketplace to protect our
children from being exposed to media products filled
with violence and vulgarity.
Along with fighting for families, concern over
education and the need to improve our schools was a
prominent theme in the campaign season. While some
proposals such as vouchers or uniform national
standards are polarizing and partisan, it is possible
to construct a productive bipartisan education agenda
as well. Its core component would be a drive to
recruit new and highly qualified teachers into our
schools.
Many teachers, in public and private schools, are
nearing retirement age. An initiative to forgive (or
at least make deductible) the educational loans of
those entering the teaching profession — whether
they opt to teach in a public, private or parochial
school — will attract new and better teachers to all
our schools. This would be a simple but achievable
step toward improving the state of education in
America.
Finally, a rare point of agreement between Al Gore and
George W. Bush in the campaign was with regard to
increasing the role of faith-based organizations in
the provision of social services. Both candidates
recognized the power of faith to change the lives of
the needy and to motivate people to help those in need
effectively and efficiently.
Thus, a carefully crafted “charitable choice”
initiative — one that allows faith-based entities to
receive government funding for their programs but
ensures that no needy person is subjected to religious
coercion — should enjoy bipartisan and Jewish
communal support.
A happy consequence of this election outcome may
accrue to our community and our government. By
focusing on a consensus agenda such as that outlined
here, we learn how to work together and diminish the
politics of polarization. Too often we make perfect
the enemy of the good and demonize those who would
engage in compromise. America’s voters are trying to
force everyone to get along or get nothing; the Jewish
community must choose which it prefers under our new
government.
Nathan Diament is director of
the Institute for Public Affairs of the Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.
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