Democratic Platform Excerpts

When Democrats gather next week in Chicago, delegates are expected to adopt a platform that embraces a woman’s right to choose, touts President Clinton’s support of the Middle East peace process and pledges to fix welfare reform legislation.

While the actual vote is still days away, party activists say it will be a mere formality and that the draft version is likely to emerge from the Democratic National Convention virtually intact.

The following are excerpts from the draft platform on issues of particular concern to the Jewish community:

Welfare reform:

We know the new bill passed by Congress is far from perfect — parts of it should be fixed because they go too far and have nothing to do with welfare reform.

… Republicans insisted on using welfare reform as a vehicle to cut off help to legal immigrants. That was wrong … We pledge to make sure that legal immigrant families with children who fall on hard times through no fault of their own can get help when they need it.

But the new welfare plan gives America a historic chance: to break the cycle of dependency for millions of Americans and give them a real chance for an independent future.

Immigration:

Democrats remember that we are a nation of immigrants. We recognize the extraordinary contribution of immigrants to America throughout our history. We welcome legal immigrants to America. We support a legal immigration policy that is pro-family, pro-work, pro-responsibility and pro-citizenship, and we deplore those who blame immigrants for economic and social problems.

Today’s Democratic Party also believes we must remain a nation of laws. We cannot tolerate illegal immigration and we must stop it …

We believe family members who sponsor immigrants into this country should take financial responsibility for them and be held legally responsible for supporting them.

Religious freedom:

Today’s Democratic Party understands that all Americans have a right to express their faith. The Constitution prohibits the state establishment of religion, and it protects the free exercise of religion. The president fought for and signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to reaffirm the great protection the Constitution gives to religious expression, and to recognize the historic role people of faith have played in America. Americans have a right to express their love of God in public, and we applaud the president’s work to ensure that children are not denied private religious expression in school. Whenever the religious rights of our children — or any American — are threatened, we will stand against it.

Opportunity:

We should expand public school choice, but we should not take American tax dollars from public schools and give them to private schools.

Choice:

The Democratic Party stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe vs. Wade, regardless of ability to pay. President Clinton took executive action to make sure that the right to make such decisions is protected for all Americans.

… We believe it is a fundamental constitutional liberty that individual Americans — not government — can best take responsibility for making the most difficult and intensely personal decisions regarding reproduction.

Middle East:

President Clinton has overseen a remarkable record of achievement toward peace and security in the Middle East — the Israeli-Palestinian accords; the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan; new regional security and investment summits; Israel’s increased acceptance throughout the Middle East and the world; the dual containment of Iraq and Iran.

The Democratic Party is committed to help build on this record, knowing that peace and security are indivisible, and supports the efforts by the Clinton- Gore administration to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace among Israel and all its neighbors, including Lebanon and Syria.

The Democratic Party remains committed to America’s long-standing special relationship with Israel, based on shared values, a mutual commitment to democracy and a strategic alliance that benefits both nations.

The United States should continue to help Israel maintain its qualitative edge. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. We are also committed to working with our Arab partners for peace to build a brighter, more secure and prosperous future for all the people of the Middle East.

Promoting democracy:

We are committed to the human rights and well-being of Jewish people and other minorities in the countries of the former Soviet Union.