Jewish Dems to George Lemieux: Would You Vote to Strand Jewish Seniors?

NJDC — May 9, 2011 – 1:01 pm | Election 2012 | Health Care | Republicans Comments (0) Add a comment

Tonight, Florida Senate candidate, former Senator George LeMieux (R-FL), will be appearing at an event hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC). The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) today demanded that LeMieux come clean about whether or not he would vote in support of the congressional Republicans’ budget proposal that would imperil the lives of hundreds of thousands of Florida’s Jewish seniors by restricting, if not eliminating, their access to vital social safety net programs—including Medicare and Medicaid. NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris said:

Tonight, former Senator George LeMieux has an opportunity to declare whether or not he stands with the vast majority of American Jews or with the extreme right of the Republican Party. He must explain his position on the budget proposal that was passed by the House and will soon be up for a vote in the Senate. The GOP’s budget proposal is toxic for Medicare and Medicaid and would imperil the lives of Florida’s very significant population of Jewish seniors. Does LeMieux stand with Florida’s Jewish seniors, or does he stand with the Tea Party? Does he stand with those whose lives depend on assistance for quality health care, or does he stand with the GOP’s corporate backers? He should explain his position on the GOP budget tonight in front of the largely Jewish audience that he will be addressing; this is the perfect occasion for him to set the record straight.

LeMieux’s history of not standing for the values of his Jewish constituents is troubling. During his tenure in the Senate, LeMieux voted against the Affordable Care Act, which has dramatically improved the lives of millions of Americans since taking effect in 2010. The Affordable Care Act was supported by a myriad Jewish communal groups and institutions, as well as a broad coalition of rabbis, lay leaders, and community members that spanned the religious spectrum. By voting against the Affordable Care Act, LeMieux demonstrated that he was out of step with the vast majority of Florida’s Jews; his actions embody the unfortunate truth that the Republican Party cannot be trusted to represent the values of the American Jewish community.

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