Behind the Headlines Jewish Congressmen Again Show Support for Black Gauses

Jewish members of the House of Representatives continue to demonstrate their support for Black causes despite the setback in Black-Jewish relations that stemmed from the resignation of Andrew Young as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and the surge of some Black leaders towards adulation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

In the drive by the Congressional Black Caucus for a national holiday in honor of the late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Joes the House rejected its three attempts in recent weeks to establish a fixed date suitable to the Caucus. However, on each occasion an overwhelming majority of Jewish Congressmen voted with the Caucus. Their support on the birthday issue compares favorably with the record they set in support at Black causes prior to the Jewish-Black rift that opened in mid August See JTA (Bulletin of Oct. 5.)

While considerably fewer than one-third of the House membership joined in co-sponsoring the Caucus’ legislation for King’s birthday, more than half of the 23 Jewish Congressmen then in the House early in the session were sponsors. The 13 were Reps. Richard Ottinger (D.NY), Benjamin Rosenthal (D.NY), Gladys Spellman (D.Md.), Theodore Weiss (D.NY), Elizabeth Holtzman (D.NY), Henry Waxman (D.Calif.), Marc Marks (R.Pa.), Martin Frost (D.Tex.), James Scheuer (D.NY), Sidney Yates (D.III.), Benjamin Gilman (R.NY), Howard Wolpe (D.Mich.) and Abner Mikva (D.III.), who has since resigned to become a U.S. Circuit Court judge.

SEVERAL BATTLES WAGED

The first of the three battles on the birthday proposal came Nov. 13 when, as the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights has pointed out, the sponsors sought to use a special expedited procedure available for bills deemed non-controversial, Such bills can be considered without amendment and passed if two-thirds of the members present vote for it. That day 252 members voted for the bill, four short of the number needed to pass it. In that roll call, 17 of the 22 Jewish Congressmen then in the House voted for the bill.

They were Frost, Gilman, Dan Glickman (D. Kans.), William Green (R.NY), William Lehman. (D.Fla.), Elliott Levitas (D.Ga.), Marks, Ottinger, Frederick Richmond (D.NY), Scheuer, Stephen Solarz (D.NY), Spellman, ‘Waxman, Weiss, Lester Wolff (D.NY), Wolpe and Yates. Opposing were Anthony Beilenson (D.Calif.), Willis Gradison (R.Ohio), and Ken Kramer (R.Colo.). Holtzman and Rosenthal were “necessarily absent” but paired as voting for the amendment thus bringing Jewish support to 19 — or 86 percent of their number.

Trying again, the sponsors proposed on Dec. 5′ to set the celebration annually on the third Monday of every January, instead of King’s birth-date Jan. 15 as proposed in November. Seventeen Jewish Congressmen voted for it. They were Beilenson, Gilman, Glickman, Green, Holtzman, Levitas, Marks, Ottinger. Richmond, Scheuer, Solarz, Spellman, Weiss, Wolff, Wolpe, Lehman and Yates. Opponents were Gradison and Kramer. “Necessarily absent” were Frost, Rosenthal and Waxman. Frost was recorded as paired against the proposal.

But Rep. Robin Beard (D.Tenn.), arguing that a national holiday on a week-day would mean a loss of $3 – $5 billion in wages and productivity, stressed it would cost the nation nothing if King’s birthday were celebrated on the third Sunday of each year and offered an amendment to the passed bill to that effect. The Beard substitute was approved 207-191. Eighty-six who voted for the Monday celebration switched their votes to Sunday.

Opposing the Beard amendment were 14 Jewish Congressmen — Gilman, Green, Holtzman, Lehman, Marks, Ottinger, Richmond, Scheuer, Solarz, Spellman, Werss, Wolfe, Wolpe and Yates, Favoring it were Beilenson, Glickman, Grodison, Kramer, Levitas. “Necessarily absent” were Frost, Rosenthal, Waxman.

In the compilation by America’s Black newspaper publishers of voting on 18 previous issues of concern to Blacks in the House in the first eight months of this year, Rep. Paul Findley (R.III.) voted with the caucus on six. In the three King birthday battles, Findley opposed the Caucus each time although he had ardently encouraged Black leaders to woo the PLO and introduced some to the PLO’s UN representative, Zehadi Labib Terzi, in his Congressional office.

In the debate, no Jewish Congressman rose to speak against the King birthday proposals but Gilman, Richmond and Wolpe made ringing speeches in King’s honor and in support of a suitable holiday. Rather than accept the Sunday holiday, the sponsors withdrew their proposal with word they would make another effort later in this Congress.