(Monday, Aug. 30) — The board members of Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania (DJOP) today expressed their disappointment at U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s (R-PA 1) vote against the bill passed by the House of Representatives last Tuesday to combat voting restrictions in largely Republican-dominated states.
In a letter to Fitzpatrick, DJOP board chair Jill Zipin and board member Martin Raffel, a Bucks County resident, asked the Congressman why he could not support greater access to the ballot box provided in the bill, HR 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, named in honor of the late civil rights icon U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
Mr. Lewis was beaten badly and suffered a fractured skull on March 7, 1965, after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the “Bloody Sunday” march for civil rights.
“One has only to look at the new laws and rules in Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Texas and elsewhere to see that voting rights are under attack from the Republican Party,” Zipin and Raffel told Fitzpatrick. “In state after state, Republicans have made it harder for people to vote early, harder to vote by mail and harder to register to vote closer to election day.
“As a young man the late Congressman John Lewis nearly lost his life in the struggle for civil rights and passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Today, it is shameful that you and your Republican party are working so hard to turn back the clock 57 years to build modern-day obstacles to block people from exercising their democratic rights.
“It is especially clear that the battles of yesterday have become the battles of today. It is disappointing that you will not lead, or even join, the effort against those who are creating barriers to voting.
“Once more you have demonstrated that you are no different from the members of your party who support limiting the ability of Americans to vote. We welcome an explanation of your motivation in this vote.”
DJOP was formed in 2008 to support progressive candidates and legislation and sponsor educational programs on contemporary issues. Its work is driven by the traditional Jewish values of the pursuit of justice and the principle of tikun olam, Hebrew for “repair of the world.”
Serving with Zipin and Raffel on the DJOP board are David Broida, William Epstein, Brett Goldman, Steven D. Irwin, Adam Kessler, Dina Lichtman, Sharon Perelman, Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom, Nina Rosenthal, Rabbi Joshua Runyan and Burt Siegel.
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8/30/21 DJOP letter to U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick:
“On behalf of the board members of Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania (DJOP), we write to express our deep disappointment that you voted against H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
“One has only to look at the new laws and rules in Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Texas and elsewhere to see that voting rights are under attack from the Republican Party. In state after state, Republicans have made it harder for people to vote early, harder to vote by mail and harder to register to vote closer to election day.
“As a young man the late Congressman John Lewis nearly lost his life in the struggle for civil rights and passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Today, it is shameful that you and your Republican Party are working so hard to turn back the clock 57 years to build modern-day obstacles to block people from exercising their democratic rights.
“It is especially clear that the battles of yesterday have become the battles of today. It is disappointing that you will not lead, or even join, the effort against those who are creating barriers to voting.
“Once more you have demonstrated that you are no different from the members of your party who support limiting the ability of Americans to vote. We welcome an explanation of your motivation in this vote.”