New Democratic Majority Leader in the House Has a Favorable Record on Israel and Soviet Jewry Issues

Texas Congressman James C. Wright Jr., the new Democratic Majority Leader in the House of Representative, has “a very favorable record” on legislative issues affecting Israel and Soviet Jewry. competent observers said today.

Wright, who scored a surprising one vote victory over California Rep. Philip Burton for the post yesterday, is a close friend of the new House Speaker, Thomas P. O’Neill of Massachusetts, and they are therefore seen as a team working in harmony on legislative programs.

“You have every right to be upbeat on the Democrats’ choice of Wright,” one especially well placed observer told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. He pointed out that in the past two years Wright approved foreign aid acts, except for the initial authorization measure for fiscal year 1976 that President Ford vetoed. Later he supported the revised measure that removed policy provisions Ford disliked.

He also backed O’Neill’s resolution for Phantom jets for Israel in the Yom Kippur War and the condemnation of the Maalot massacre by PLO terrorists. He opposed a motion by Rep. David Obie (D.Wis.) to cut Israel’s appropriations by $200 million last year. In 1967, Wright visited the Middle East and came back favorably impressed with Israel’s accomplishments.

VOTING RECORD NOTED

In 1972 he co-sponsored a bill to assist the resettlement of Soviet Jews in Israel. He also voted for the Jackson-Vanik provision in the Trade Bill and for the Case-Fenwick Bill to monitor the Helsinki agreement with its human rights provisions that affect Soviet emigration.

The Americans for Democratic Action, however, pointed out to the JTA that on 18 civil rights issues and kindred liberal legislation which they tabulated during the last Congress. Wright opposed the ADA position on 12 of them.

Among issues in which he joined the ADA was O’Neill’s motion to raise Social Security benefits. He also favored loans to New York City. He opposed the ADA on matters involving school busing, eligibility for food stamps, and use of family planning funds in abortion cases.

The Committee on Political Education (COPE) of the AFL-CIO told the JTA that he voted “right” on 19 of 22 issues. His cumulative record in Congress on issues of concern to it, COPE said, was “right” 121 times and “wrong” 46 times. Wright, who is 53 years old, entered Congress in 1955.