Sen. Claiborne Pell (D.R.I.) has agreed to withdraw his support from a Sabbath election bill he originally had introduced into the Senate, Harold Jacobs, president of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, reported today.
Jacobs said that Sen. Pell’s aide for domestic legislation, William Young, had informed David Luchins, vice-chairman of the UOJCA communal relations commission, that Sen. Pell had not been aware of the effect his bill would have had on the Jewish community. Young assured the UOJCA that, having learned of the problem from Luchins, Sen. Pell would do everything necessary to assure that his bill does not become law.
Luchins said that Young informed him that Sen. Pell had said he would vote against his bill and would urge his Senatorial colleagues to do likewise. Once introduced, bills cannot be dropped.
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