RJC comes out against stimulus bill

The Republican Jewish Coalition is opposing the current version of the economic stimulus bill.

In an “urgent action alert” sent Feb. 3, the organization told its members to contact their senators and urge them to reject any stimulus plan that fails the test of “timely, temporary and targeted” — a test, it argued, the current plan does not meet.

The group also took issue with “buy American” provisions in the bill, calling them protectionist, and joined with Orthodox groups in criticizing the failure to include nonpublic schools in the “green” schools modernization initiative. Finally, the RJC asked that the Senate give serious consideration to Republican alternatives during debate, which the House did not.

Orthodox group Agudath Israel of America also expressed concern that the bill’s proposal to assist elementary and secondary schools with funding for social services fails to clearly state that nonpublic schools would be eligible. The federal government is required to provide the services to nonpublic schools.

A number of Jewish organizations are lobbying for the package, primarily because of the assistance it provides to low-income Americans and the additional funds it would provide to Jewish nursing homes and family services providers. — jta