(Washington, D.C., May 18, 2020)--​B’nai B’rith International is encouraged by the House of Representatives’ passage of the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.  While we are still analyzing this legislation, we believe this bill could bring badly needed relief to Section 202 affordable housing for seniors.
 
As the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income, nonsectarian housing for seniors in the United States, B’nai B’rith hears directly from our sponsored buildings on the challenges brought on by this crisis.  We hope that additional funding will be used for increasing staffing, rental assistance, personal protective equipment, cleaning supplies and expanded WiFi to bolster telemedicine as a viable option for residents. Lastly, we are pleased by the additional $300 million dollars appropriated for service coordination. Service coordinators, who are an integral cog to Section 202 communities, by connecting older Americans with critical services in the community. We believe this additional funding could expand service coordination access and consequently allow Section 202 properties to better meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
We strongly urge the Senate to reach a bipartisan compromise with the House of Representatives on stimulus legislation. Legislation like the HEROES Act is another important step to ensure that affordable senior housing communities throughout our country are being protected the best they can, from this terrible crisis.

(Washington, D.C., May 14, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We commend the Senate for passing the Never Again Holocaust Education Act, which would provide for the creation of a federal fund through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to train teachers and provide educational resources for Holocaust education. The bill passed the Senate on Wednesday through a voice vote. The House had passed the measure in January.
 
It has been 75 years since the end of the Holocaust. There are not many survivors left to tell their stories.  Holocaust education has never been more vital to ensuring that ‘Never Again’ is not just an empty slogan.  
 
We thank the members of Congress who introduced the bill, on both sides of the aisle and in both houses of Congress: Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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(Washington, D.C., April 21, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
B’nai B’rith commends the Senate’s passage of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, a $484 billion coronavirus aid package. The bill includes funds to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, which gives loans to small businesses and nonprofits suffering as a result of the outbreak. There are also separate allocations for hospitals, economic disaster loans and coronavirus testing.
 
In a time of national and international crisis, we are encouraged by the display of bipartisan cooperation involved in the passage of this act. We urge the House to follow suit and pass the bill as quickly as possible, to provide much-needed help to small business owners and hospitals around the country.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org

(Washington, D.C., March 23, 2020)-- B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We commend the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the coronavirus aid bill that will shortly be signed into law. The bill provides relief for groups in need, including seniors, who are especially vulnerable to the virus. It also helps small businesses and nonprofits by making zero-interest loans available to them. The CARES Act just passed the House of Representatives, and the president has pledged to sign it immediately.
 
The act provides funding for Section 202 affordable housing for seniors. As the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income, nonsectarian housing for seniors in the United States, B’nai B’rith was pleased to see Congress recognize the need to appropriate financial resources for senior housing in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Costs for Section 202 buildings will likely rise because of the pandemic. We are encouraged by the additional money for Section 202 and service coordinators and hope this legislation will appropriately benefit senior housing residents.  
 
We also support the bill’s provisions to help small businesses and nonprofits, including the allocation of $350 million for loans, some of which could be forgiven. Small businesses that maintain payroll will be eligible for assistance to cover essentials like mortgage, utilities or rent.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org.
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REP. CHRISSY HOULAHAN VISITS B’NAI B’RITH SENIOR HOUSING IN PENNSYLVANIA
 
(Washington, D.C., August 16, 2019)--Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) toured B’nai B’rith House in Reading, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 15. She took a tour of the property that included two sample apartments, the library, the party room, the community room and sun room.
 
After taking a tour of the property, the congresswoman spoke to residents about how her office could address constituent services relating to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, she addressed policy updates relating to Social Security, Medicare and affordable housing. About 22 residents heard the congresswoman speak.
 
“Everyone should be able to live a life of dignity in our community,” said Houlahan. “I’m grateful for the work B’nai B’rith International is doing to provide senior citizens in Reading with affordable housing and their advocacy on issues concerning seniors and their families, diversity education, and helping communities in crisis.”
 
B’nai B’rith’s long history with affordable senior housing started in 1971, when we formed a partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to sponsor housing for low-income seniors. The B’nai B’rith Senior Housing Network in the United States comprises 38 buildings and serves some 5,000 people. B’nai B’rith International is the largest national Jewish sponsor of non-sectarian low-income housing for seniors.

Too often, Congress and the White House are debating policies that will inevitably cut important funding from federal programs that impact the lives of older Americans. Congressional visits like this allow B’nai B’rith housing residents the opportunity to be their own best advocates by speaking directly with their representative and making these lawmakers aware of the human faces and stories behind federal programs that benefit seniors.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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(Washington, D.C., July 18, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:  
 
We are outraged by Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) introduction of a pro-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) resolution in the House of Representatives. The resolution purports to merely affirm the right of American citizens to participate in both domestic and international boycotts. However, Omar’s history of anti-Israel rhetoric, including her assertion that pro-Israel Americans’ political beliefs are motivated by money, betrays the resolution’s true purpose.
 
Outrageously, the resolution also includes language alluding to Americans’ boycott of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union and implicitly compares these boycotts to the discriminatory BDS movement. It is deeply offensive to compare Israel to either of those totalitarian regimes.
 
We call on every member of Congress to repudiate this resolution, which demonizes Israel while purporting to support human rights, and vote against it.
 
B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org
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As a national leader in the field of seniors and aging issues, B’nai B’rith International was invited by our partner Leading Age to participate in a tour of several Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 202 senior housing buildings with Congressional staffers and discuss the importance of this government program.

B’nai B’rith’s Director of Aging Policy Rachel Goldberg and Associate Director of the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services Janel Doughten, along with Alayna Waldrum of Leading Age, were part of the tour and discussion, explaining what Section 202 housing is, why it is so important and why it is imperative that Congress restore funding to this essential program in the federal budget.

The purpose of the tour was to put a face on why the Section 202 buildings for moderate-to-low-income seniors are so important, and why funding to build more of these homes across the United States should be restored to the federal budget and made a priority. The Congressional delegations often hear statistics and pleas to restore the funding, but until they see the buildings, what they provide, and meet the residents, it is easier to dismiss. By giving these staffers a direct look, and an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the program, B’nai B’rith hopes the staffers came away with a greater urgency to address this issue.

The first building toured was St. Mary’s Court in downtown Washington, D.C., where Doughton serves as the vice president of the building’s board of directors.  The group met with residents, the manager and the service coordinator of the building. St. Mary’s Manager Margaret Pully gave an overview of the building, including demographics of the residents, meal program and the issues with the long waitlist to live in the building. The service coordinator, Ceila Wolter, talked about her wide range of interactions with the residents, from helping a hoarder de-clutter an apartment to making sure someone with a chronic medical issue or someone recently returned from the hospital has the necessary medical care.

The second property congressional staffers toured was the Samuel J. Simmons NCBA Estates (National Caucus and Center on Black Aged). On the bus ride from St. Mary’s Court to NCBA Estates, staffers had a chance to ask Leading Age staff and Doughten questions on the particulars of these buildings and the program, such as why are waitlists closed? How are service coordinators funded? 

Waldrum explained that waitlists in many buildings are closed because there is such a demand for this housing that the lists just got too long. Once it is determined there is more than a two year wait for an apartment, most buildings close the list. They do not want to give false hope to people hoping to move into a building, when the list length means it most likely will not happen. 

Answering the question of how to fund a service coordinator, Waldrum and Doughten informed Congressional staffers that the position was often funded through a HUD grant, but when the federal budget cut the funding to build 202 projects, the money for service coordinators was also mostly eliminated. Some buildings are able to get the costs of a service coordinator built into their operating budget, but not all buildings are able to do that. The members of a building’s board of directors are the volunteer fundraisers for that complex, and they also work with staff to prepare grant applications and other means of funding. 

Although a wonderful building with creative staff, NCBA Estates is an example of what happens when money is cut from Section 202 housing. The wait list has been closed for two years and there is no service coordinator.

B’nai B’rith International is the largest national Jewish sponsor of low-income senior housing in the United States, with 42 buildings in 26 communities, encompassing more than 4,000 apartment units and serving more than 8,000 people. Operating the Senior Housing Network since 1968, B'nai B'rith complexes are open to all qualified individuals as defined by HUD, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap or national origin. The B’nai B’rith Senior Housing Network is just a small slice of the almost 400,000 seniors in more than 8,000 buildings throughout the country served by Section 202. 

B’nai B’rith International welcomes the Senate’s introduction of the Voting Rights Reconstruction Act bill, which would update key protections against voting rights discrimination to respond to current challenges.

Unfettered access to vote is one of the most basic and cherished freedoms in America. Ensuring free and fair access to the voting booth for all Americans is a vital component of our democracy. We need voting rights reform to guarantee full access to the ballot box.

The bill would restore provisions of the Voting Rights Act, which was passed 50 years ago and has been weakened by federal court decisions over the years. 

In 2013, B’nai B’rith spoke out against the 5-4 Supreme Court ruling Shelby County v. Holder, which eliminated the requirement that nine states and numerous counties must seek federal approval before changing their election laws. At the time, we expressed deep concern that the ruling could pave the way for state and local efforts to suppress voting by minorities. We noted then that it was time for Congress to act again to extend the requirement that these states and localities get pre-approval to change their voting laws. 

The updated voting rights measure would: Modernize the preclearance formula to cover states with a pattern of discrimination and allow federal courts to order preclearance remedies in the event of voting rights violations; Ensure that last-minute voting changes won’t adversely affect voters; Protect voters from the types of voting changes most likely to discriminate against people of color and those who don’t use English as their first  language; Expand the federal observer program; Improve voting rights protections for Native peoples.

The introduction of this measure demonstrates an important will to reform voting protections. Federal oversight of voting rules is imperative. We urge Congress to remedy the loss of protections by enacting this new legislation that addresses discriminatory voting conditions.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the original Voting Rights Act. There is no better or more important way to honor the advances won by the civil rights movement half a century ago than to pass legislation in our own time that ensures the hard-fought gains they achieved will not continue to erode. It is time once again to eradicate voting discrimination.

B’nai B’rith urges both parties and both chambers to work together to pass a measure restoring voting protections for all Americans. 

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith lauds the overwhelmingly bipartisan Senate vote in favor of mandating Congressional oversight of the nuclear agreement the United States and its partners are negotiating with Iran.

The United States Congress has an important and legitimate role in reviewing any measure involving lifting sanctions against Tehran.

The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act provides a necessary structure for Congressional involvement. Given the high stakes of the nuclear talks, the global impact of their outcome and the many uncertainties that lie ahead as a final deal is negotiated, it is critical that Congress plays an active role.

Though a final negotiating deadline is set for next month, the framework agreement reached between Tehran and the P5+1 negotiating partners (the United States, United Kingdom, China, France, Germany and Russia) in April has many troubling aspects.

B’nai B’rith has long been skeptical of the framework agreement’s ability to increase Iran’s nuclear breakout time from three months to a year, given the regime’s unwavering determination to continue enrichment and its history of evading inspections. Tehran has a decades-long record of obfuscation regarding its nuclear activities. There is no reason to believe now that it will stick to the parameters of an agreement.

We are encouraged by the Senate’s decisive action and urge the House of Representatives to promptly follow suit.  

B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:

B’nai B’rith International is encouraged by the bipartisan agreement reached between Congress and the White House on the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (S.615), which, if passed, would give the legislature the power to review a final deal on the Iranian nuclear program.

The compromise struck between Sen. Bob Corker and Sen. Ben Cardin gives Congress 30 days to review a deal with Iran following the June 30 negotiating deadline with the United States, its negotiating partners and Tehran. President Obama has pledged to sign the bill if passed by both chambers of Congress.

B’nai B’rith calls on the Senate to pass the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act and the House of Representatives to do the same when the bill is brought to the floor.

Given the high stakes for U.S. national security and stability in the Middle East, it is essential that Congress be involved.

The bipartisan consensus on S.615 is encouraging. It conveys the broad concern in the Senate over the proposed nuclear deal with Iran.

While this congressional action is vitally important, B’nai B’rith remains deeply concerned about the Iranian regime’s interest in adhering to a nuclear agreement based on a 36-year track record of obfuscation and cheating. Iran also continues to act as the world's largest state-sponsor of terrorism, which only furthers our skepticism as to whether Iran will honor the final deal in good faith.