Letters & Statements

To ensconce abortion as a right in the Maryland Constitution would trample the views and values of Marylands who regard abortion as an abhorrent practice, better left with its partner, infanticide, in the annals of history.

The resolution ignores the fact that the Palestinian Authority rejected Israel’s multiple attempts at peace, where it had offered to give up over 90% of Judea and Samaria. It does not acknowledge the reality that when Israel left the Gaza Strip, all they received in return is its citizens living under the constant threat of rocket fire, kite bombs, and terror tunnels.

It is of particular concern that more than half the directors of currently Title VI-funded Middle East Studies National Resource Centers (NRCs) have pledged support for an academic boycott of Israel or engaged in boycott-compliant behavior, including attempts to shut down their universities’ study abroad programs in Israel, as have these centers’ affiliated faculty

It is regrettable that you signed a letter that undermines America’s most steadfast ally, a country which has always sought peace, yet which overwhelmingly endorsed the move of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognition of its sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and Mr. Pompeo’s recent declaration that Jewish settlements in Judea are legal.

We are grateful for the ongoing efforts within the Trump administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to align health-related policies with pro-life principles, to protect women and their unborn babies, and to protect taxpayers from being unwilling participants in abortion funding. To continue this goal, we write to urge the finalization of the abortion separate payments rule.

Of course, what [Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)] refers to as bias is, in fact, a policy designed to protect the lives of unborn children who suffer the ultimate bias when they are disregarded as undeserving of legal protection. Consistent with the bipartisan budget agreement, we ask that you reject the Shaheen amendment.

This rule will ensure that faith-based organizations are able to participate on an equal basis in providing services to the Federal Government and the American People.

Despite an intense dual curriculum, students in those Jewish schools which administer the NYS Regents’ examinations outperform those in the public school system – and dominate the top-scoring private schools in English, Algebra 2/Trigonometry, and Global History. The idea that the parents, teachers and school administrators of our community are unable to properly set curricula, requiring outside oversight and enforcement, expresses profound disregard of our long legacy of pursuit of knowledge.

Our organizations share all of the serious concerns raised by the Jewish Caucus. We are writing to you, however, because we believe these concerns highlight a much deeper and graver problem, namely, the fact that an educational curriculum can be hijacked by those pushing a political and hateful agenda.