FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 11, 2004

CONTACT: Brendan Daly/Nayyera Haq 202-225-0100

Pelosi, Democratic Leaders Discuss Priorities with Jewish Groups

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), and 35 Democratic Members of Congress met with nearly 50 representatives of national Jewish organizations earlier this evening to engage in a dialogue on shared priority issues. The discussion centered around support for Israel, improving homeland security, and opposition to the Bush Administration's proposed budget shortfalls.

"The Jewish community is an essential partner in our congressional priorities at home and abroad," Pelosi said. "As the House Democratic Leader, I am proud to lead a Caucus that strongly supports Israel and the domestic priorities of the Jewish community. It is crucial that we work together. This is a critical time for the peace process in the Middle East and a critical time in our country as we face uncertainty in Iraq and record unemployment and huge deficits on the homefront."

"As the leaders stated so eloquently today, the President's budget is insufficient at a time when nationwide unemployment and Jewish poverty are growing," Pelosi said. "Republicans have supported block granting Medicaid and letting emergency aid to states expire in June. Jewish social services agencies are already stretched thin by the impact of the recession -- this loss of $10 billion in fiscal relief at the end of June will jeopardize health care for the hundreds of thousands of elderly Jews who rely on these programs for their longterm care needs."

More than 30 Democratic Members were in attendance, including the leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. The Democratic leaders of key committees, such as Ways and Means, Intelligence, and Government Reform also participated in the meeting.

The following groups were among those represented at the meeting: American Israel Public Affairs Committee, American Jewish Committee, Americans for Peace Now, Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith, Center for Middle East Peace, Hadassah, Jewish American Congress, Jewish Labor Committee, Joint Action Committee, National Conference on Soviet Jews, National Council of Jewish Women, National Jewish Democratic Committee, Orthodox Union, Union for Reform Judaism, United Jewish Communities, and the Women's League for Conservative Judaism.

"Democrats look forward to continuing our partnership with the Jewish community to protect vital initiatives such as foreign aid support for Israel, homeland security, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, senior housing, and public education," Pelosi said.

The Bush budget expresses support for transforming a large portion of Medicaid from an entitlement to a block grant, shifting the cost of the program onto hard-pressed states. The Bush plan would encourage states to limit their liability by cutting people from the rolls, cutting benefits, and increasing cost sharing for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

The meeting participants also discussed the Administration's release of prescription drug discount cards, under the new Republican Medicare law. Like the new prescription drug benefit, the big drug and insurance companies are in charge of this discount card and determine what drugs seniors and people with disabilities save on and how much they pay – not Medicare. The new card limits choices for seniors by forcing them to choose only one card, locking them in for a year, even when big drug companies can change the drugs they offer discounts on weekly.

"Though the Bush Administration claims these cards will save seniors up to 25 percent on the cost of their medications, many of the leaders today attested that these drug cards have created more confusion than benefit," Pelosi said. "These cards are so complex that it has taken experts more than two hours of individual counseling to explain to seniors how the card works and how much seniors will save. Instead, Democrats are fighting for common sense measures, such as allowing the government to negotiate drug discounts and allowing seniors and people with disabilities to import safe drugs from Canada, which would result in real savings for seniors and lower drug prices nationwide."

“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”

Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi