JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

Edwards: She just wants to read the bill first

By Eric Fingerhut · July 2, 2009

Reading a bill before you decide how to vote on it -- that seems like a reasonable, even admirable, rule for members of Congress to follow. But Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) is getting some flak from constituents for promising to do just that.

Edwards and some Jewish leaders in her suburban Washington, D.C. district have been battling for months over her positions on Israel and other matters, and Monday Edwards held a town hall meeting to discuss her recent trip to the Jewish state and the West Bank and Gaza. Adam Kredo of the Washington Jewish Week writes that some of Edwards' constituents were surprised when she said she wanted to read the foreign aid bill before she took a position on it:

Fielding questions from members of the audience, the freshman lawmaker was asked if she would vote in favor of a $48.8 billion foreign appropriations bill currently on Congress' docket that includes $2.22 billion in security assistance for Israel.

"I don't know," Edwards responded, eliciting a chorus of remarks from audience members that seemed to signal stunned confusion.

"What?" "What was that?" "What did she say?" murmured several attendees, as they stirred in their seats.

"I said, I don't know," Edwards responded in a louder voice. "Since I haven't seen or looked at the upcoming aid package, the answer is I don't know."

Senter, a former president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, believes the flummoxed attendees were simply "stunned by" Edwards' answer. "I got the impression that she had no intention of voting for it," she added.

Sheldon Sacks, also from Silver Spring, had the same interpretation of Edwards' rejoinder.

"To me, that was the telling point, that here's someone who is going to vote against" foreign aid to Israel, said the 66-year-old. "My wife and I were both very stunned because we thought it was really out of line."

Edwards clarified her position with a statement to the WJW the next day, which said any misgivings with the legislation had nothing to do with the Israel aid portion of the bill and that she supported foreign assistance to the Jewish state. Some excerpts:

I have concerns about the direction of our nation's foreign policy and I believe that this bill is an opportunity for us to plot a new direction in Afghanistan that focuses on building a sustainable civil society and affects positive change in many areas around the world. ...

As it relates to aid to Israel, I understand the unique and special friendship that exists between our two nations. I also understand that the safety and security of Israelis are dependent on this foreign assistance. As I stated last night, during my visit I experienced the complex security and transportation infrastructure that has been put in place due to clear and present security concerns.  My goal is to move our nation and Israel in a direction where this kind of security apparatus is unnecessary, but until then I support the United States continued assistance to our ally Israel. It is my hope that Israel will use this aid with prudence and ensure that it is used to keep Israel safe and to also implement policies that move them toward a lasting peace through a two-state solution.

That said, I also support providing robust humanitarian and reconstruction aid to Gaza.  I am confident that this aid can be delivered safely into Gaza and distributed by international relief organizations without compromising Israel's security.  However, I share the concerns held by many that this aid must be delivered in a way that is consistent with the safety and security of Israel. ...

Sure, Edwards certainly could have been clearer at the town hall meeting about her position on aid to Israel, but how can you fault a congresswoman for saying she'd like to read legislation before deciding how she'd vote? For the record, during the campaign she said she would vote to support aid to Israel.

(And if Ira Forman was writing this blog post, the National Jewish Democratic Council CEO would want me to point out that just two years ago, 80 percent of the Republican House caucus voted against the foreign aid bill, and thus aid for Israel, because they opposed funds in the bill going toward contraception for groups that fund abortions overseas.)

Perhaps more interesting and important were Edwards' statements during the town hall on what she believes is a wide range of views in the Jewish community on Israel:

Edwards, who has come under fire from those in the Jewish community for her perceived Middle East views, had a few words for those who label themselves "as staunchly pro-Israel."

"What I say to them is, 'I'm pro-Israel, too!' I don't think there is any difference between being pro-Israel and pro-peace in the region."

Homogeneity of opinion within the Jewish community is a myth, Edwards said. "I'm African American, so when people say to me, 'African Americans think so and so,' it is about the most deeply offensive thing I can hear because it's not a monolith. Neither is it a monolith among Jews."