Jess Hordes, Washington director for
the Anti-Defamation League, praised
the Bush administration for its strong
stand at Geneva. U.S. officials, he said,
are now trying to recruit "more democ-
racies to be part of the commission,
rather than having some of the worst
human rights abusers putting them-
selves on the commission to thwart any
real effort to deal with the problem."
WRFA Again
One of the longest running legislative
melodramas is back for an encore. But
this time around, Jewish activists rep-
resenting a wide range of groups are
convinced the Workplace Religious
Freedom Act (WRFA) may actually
have a chance to pass.
The measure, first proposed in the
mid-1990s, would make it easier for
employees to fulfill their religious obli-
gations without risking their jobs.
That's particularly important for
Shabbat-observant Jews, which is why
major Orthodox groups have made
WRFA a top priority.
But the measure is also a priority for
other Jewish groups. "This is a meas-
ure that has united Orthodox groups
and Jewish church-state groups," said
Richard Foltin, legislative director for
the American Jewish Committee and
one of the top WRFA activists.
The measure was introduced in the
Senate last Friday with 10 co-sponsors,
led by Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. The fact
that Santorum is a rising star in the
GOP leadership — and that Kerry is a
frontrunner for the 2004 Democratic
nomination — could give the long-
stalled bill a boost, Foltin said.
And last week's passage of a bill con-
taining the remnants of the Bush
administration's faith-based agenda
could clear the decks for the religious
freedom measure.
Foltin said the one big obstacle to
WRFA passage is the overcrowded
congressional calendar. But other
activists say strong opposition from
the business community remains a
serious problem.
"The business lobbyists continue to
see this as added regulation and added
cost," said Abba Cohen, Washington
director for Agudath Israel of America.
"That's the real problem we've faced."
Nathan Diament, Washington direc-
tor for the Orthodox Union, said
"business lobbyists still have inchoate,
inarticulate 'concerns' about the bill.
But Sen. Santorum is aware of those
concerns and has promised to help us
work through them." ❑
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