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GOVERNMENT &
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
- The Government and National Affairs Office in Washington, DC, advances the League's policy goals in the nation's capital by
identifying emerging issues as they take shape in Washington and by crafting legislative and policy responses.
- The ADL name is recognized and respected by key policymakers who look to us as a resource. The day-to-day relationships
maintained with members of Congress and the Administration ensure the League a "seat at the table" as Federal policy is made.
- ADL also helps coordinate coalitions of organizations to amplify our voice on priority issues such as hate crimes legislation and international religious persecution.
- The Office broadens ADL's impact internationally through its access to U.S. officials and foreign diplomats in Washington. The Office raises concerns directly with ambassadors and provides information to U.S. officials about issues affecting the Jewish community or other minorities to raise with foreign heads of state.
MAXIMIZING IMPACT THROUGH
GRASS-ROOTS OUTREACH
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To strengthen political support for legislation or other policy initiatives, the Office works with ADL Regional
Directors and the lay leadership of the Washington Affairs Committee to mobilize a network of ADL activists to
contact members of Congress on timely issues through Action Alerts and conference calls.
CYBER-ADVOCACY
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This year the Office launched its Legislative Action Center, a new feature of the ADL Home Page that lets users turn
their concerns into instant action. At the click of a mouse, you can identify your representatives and send instant messages
on some of the League's priority issues. The Center also provides a briefing room which includes easy-to-access resources and
a customized library of links to relevant bills, profiles of members of Congress and more.
CONGRESSIONAL TASK FORCE
AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM
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The League worked with Congress to establish a Congressional Task Force Against Anti-Semitism. Through the Task Force and its
over 100 Congressional members, the League helps mobilize a collective voice in Congress to speak out against anti-Semitism wherever
it occurs. Task Force members have reached out to colleagues in the Russian Parliament to raise concerns about the spate of anti-Semitic
slurs coming from the Russian Communist Party as well as to German officials to commend swift action against neo-Nazi activity.
LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
- Improving Federal Response to Hate Violence. ADL has led a broad coalition of civil rights, religious and law enforcement groups in support of Federal hate crime initiatives. The November 1997 White House Conference on Hate Crimes provided a unique opportunity to focus national attention on ADL's leadership on legislative, training, education, and programming initiatives to confront hate violence. ADL has worked for enactment of legislation which provides new authority for Federal officials to investigate and prosecute crimes directed at individuals because of their gender, sexual orientation or disability.
- Halting Legislative Efforts to Erode Church-State Separation. In the face of continuing efforts to establish Federal school voucher programs, ADL argues that government aid to religious schools diverts scarce funds from genuine education reform efforts designed to assist the vast majority of students who will remain in public schools.
- Protecting Religious Freedom in the Workplace. Because no American should have to choose between a job and the observance of his/her religion, the League works in coalition with other civil rights and religious organizations in Washington in support of legislative efforts to provide expanded workplace protection for religious employees.
- Combating Religious Persecution Worldwide. ADL was a lead proponent of the International Religious Freedom Act, a
landmark law which creates a mechanism for the U.S. to monitor religious persecution and sanction countries which persecute
religious minorities.
- Securing Justice for Holocaust Victims. After revelations that U.S. intelligence agencies had information
on certain Nazi war criminals, ADL sought enactment of the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act, which will declassify
information about Nazi war criminals and information related to looted assets and the involvement of other nations.
- Strengthening America's Counterterrorism Efforts. ADL works with Congress and the Administration to ensure that the United States is using every available means to deter and prosecute terrorist crimes. ADL took the lead in supporting the enactment of an omnibus counterterrorism law in April 1996 -- and has closely monitored its implementation. A centerpiece of that measure was new authority to ban access to the United States and fund-raising activities of foreign terrorist organizations.
- Deterring Iran's Military Buildup. ADL has worked in support of the Iran Missile Proliferation Sanctions Act to prevent Iran and other rogue states from developing weapons of mass destruction and missile delivery systems which threaten Israel and U.S. interests in the Middle East.
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