INSIDE WASHINGTON
1
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
Levin, Wilson Pressing
For ATBM Speedup
T
he recent confiscation
of atomic weapons
triggering devices by
authorities in London, and
thegrowing menace from
Iraqi missiles, have
prompted Capitol Hill ac-
tivity that could have impor-
tant benefits for Israel.
Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
and Sen. Pete Wilson (R-
Calif.) are pressing for a
speedup in the Anti-Tactical
Ballistic Missile (ATBM)
program currently operated
as a joint program by the
United States and Israel.
Phase 1 tests of the Arrow
missile are scheduled to
begin in June.
"But there is a real lack of
followup plans," said a
spokesman for Wilson. "The
senator would really like to
nudge the Pentagon to get
moving on the second
phase."
Specifically, the legislators
want the Pentagon to report
to the Senate on a timetable
for completing a phase 2
Memorandum of Agreement
with the Israelis to finish the
project.
"Israel in particular is
clearly at risk of suffering
the most devastating attack
from irresponsible and
hostile neighbors within the
region," the senators said in
a letter to Armed Services
,
1,2
;1414R
.1prqp-
:
4777W71177
00040‹ -
- '
IRS Threatens
Premium Tax
Carl Levin:
Seeking report.
chair Sen. Sam Nunn. "The
urgency of developing an
adequate defense can hardly
be overstated as demon-
strated by events being re-
ported in current press
coverage."
Jewish Groups Bolster
Family Immigration
Legal immigration is an
issue that continues to have
special significance for the
Jewish community. So it is no
accident that the American
Jewish Committee has been
at the forefront of efforts to
beef up the family immigra-
tion component of the cur-
rent immigration system.
"People really misunders-
tand the entire process,"
said Judy Golub, associate
Washington representative
for the AJ Committee.
"Legal immigration is really
a system in which American
citizens and permanent
residents bring in their
relatives. It is an ordered
system; there are numerical
limits for most categories. "
The AJ Committee is
working with a bill by Rep.
Bruce Morrison (D-Conn.)
that incorporates family-
reunification proposals
offered earlier by Rep.
Howard Berman (D-Calif.)
and Rep. Hamilton Fish
(R-N.Y.). The Jewish group
is supporting provisions that
would enhance the immigra-
tion of brothers and sisters of
US residents, and immedi-
ate relatives of permanent
residents.
can Immigration Reform
(FAIR), in particular, has
been active in the debate
over the Morrison proposal.
"This is a nativist, anti-
immigration, anti-refugee
group," said Rick Swartz, a
longtime immigration ac-
tivist and consultant. "They
are significantly funded by
far right-wing interests, in-
cluding the Pioneer Fund —
a group that was established
in the late 1930s to promote
racial betterment through
eugenics."
The whole object, Golub
said, is to strengthen family
immigration as the real core
of the American immigra-
tion system.
As April 15 approaches,
some Jewish groups are
taking a particularly close
look at proposed changes in
Internal Revenue Service
policies that could have an
impact on the way they do
business.
The issue involves IRS
rules on premiums provided
to donors of non-profit organ-
izations. The rule has
always been that taxpayers
must reduce the deductions
they claim for charitable
contributions by the fair
market value of whatever
premiums they receive.
In the past, though, this
provision has not been en-
forced — especially for
smaller premiums, like the
coffee mugs and record
albums that contributors to
public broadcasting stations
often receive in return for
their contributions.
But now, IRS is suggesting
that the agency is prepared
to get tough with its regula-
tions —except for the
smallest premiums.
Jewish activists are con-
cerned because these
changes could open up a
Pandora's box of possible tax
liabilities.
"There are concerns, for
example about the trips that
major contributors get to
Israel," said Susan Banes
Harris, Washington repre-
sentative for the New York
UJA-Federation.
Senate Hits
Zionism Vote
Howard Berman:
Proposals included.
Some immigration ac-
tivists are particularly con-
cerned about the growing in-
fluence of some groups that
take a highly restrictive
view of legal immigration.
The Federation for Ameri-
Congress is getting ready
to move on a measure dear to
the hearts of pro-Israel ac-
tivists.
Last week the Senate held
hearings on a proposal by
Sen. Rudy Boschwitz (R-
Minn.) and Sen. Daniel
Patrick Moynihan (D-N.Y.)
that called on members of
the United Nations General
Assembly to vote for a repeal
of the 1975 United Nations
resolution equating Zionism
with racism.
Sadly, Many Jews Gird
To Fight Child Care Bill
As predicted, the House
last week passed a landmark
$30 billion child care bill.
And also as predicted,
many Jewish groups that
played a major role in
pushing for the bill are now
moving toward an unhappy
consensus to oppose the
legislation.
"It was crushing," said
Sammie Moshenberg, Wash-
ington representative forthe
National Council of Jewish
Women. "We worked very
hard to keep this from hap-
pening, to create a bill that
balances good constitutional
language with good child-
care programs."
NCJW joined the Anti-
Defamation League, the
American Jewish Com-
mittee, the American Jewish
Congress, B'nai B'rith Wo-
men and the Union of
American Hebrew Con-
gregations in signing a
letter opposing final passage
of the bill in its current form.
"We really agonized over
this," Moshenberg said. "It's
just too high a price to pay
for good child care."
The bill allows child-care
voucher certificates to be
used for religious instruction
and worship at federally
funded child care centers. It
also allows discrimination in
hiring and admissions to
allow churches and syn-
agogues to show preference
for members of their own
faiths.
Jewish groups had worked
hard for a last-ditch amend-
ment that would have
stripped these provisions
from the bill — an effort that
failed.
Last week's battle was
punctuated by a massive
mail and phone campaign by
Evangelical Christian
groups who were supporting
a substitute bill that would
have allowed even greater
latitude in the use of
vouchers.
"The Christian Right had
a major influence," said
Mark Pelavin, Washington
representative for the
American Jewish Congress.
"We worked very
hard to keep this
from happening, to
create a bill that
balances good
constitutional
language with
good child-care
programs."
The bill now goes to con-
ference, where it must be
reconciled with a very diff-
erent version passed by the
Senate. But the church-state
provisions in the two bills
are almost identical, so it is
unlikely that a conference
can be persuaded to roll back
the voucher provisions.
At least one Jewish group
was delighted with last
week's House action.
"The bill incorporated
everything we asked for,"
said Abba Cohen, Washing-
ton representative for
Agudath Israel of America.
"The House deserves much
praise for passing child care
legislation that will help
millions of needy American
working families, including
those in the Jewish com-
munity who choose syn-
agogue-based day care for
their children." 1=1
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
33