What Every American Jew Should Know About
John Boehner
NJDC.org
David Harris
February 02, 2006
Ten Things Every American Jew Should Know About John Boehner
1. For School Prayer and Amending the Constitution: Rep. Boehner supported a
school prayer amendment to the United States Constitution in 1997 (H.J.Res.
78), 1999 (H.J.Res 66), and 2001 (H.J.Res. 52); voted to permit school prayer
"during this time of struggle against the forces of international terrorism"
(House Roll Call Vote 445, Nov. 15, 2001); and voted to only allow federal aid
to schools that allow prayer (House Roll Call Vote 85, March 23, 1994).
2. For Forced Religion in Anti-Poverty Programs: Rep. Boehner voted to
permit taxpayer-funded anti-poverty programs to require aid recipients to join
in religious activities. (House Roll Call Votes 16 and 17, Feb. 4, 2004)
3. 100% Against a Woman's Right to Choose: Rep. Boehner received a "0%"
pro-choice score from NARAL Pro-Choice America in 2005.
4. For Religious Employment Discrimination: Rep. Boehner voted to permit
taxpayer-funded anti-poverty programs to engage in federally-funded employment
discrimination. (House Roll Call Votes 15 and 17, Feb. 4, 2004)
5. Against the Rule of Law in Ten Commandments Case: Rep. Boehner voted to
prevent the Justice Department from enforcing a court order to remove a 5,000
pound Ten Commandments monument from Alabama's state supreme court. (House Roll
Call Vote 419, July 23, 2003)
6. Against Common-Sense Environmental Safeguards: Rep. Boehner voted for oil
drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (House Roll Call Vote 122,
April 20, 2005); voted to gut the Endangered Species Act (House Roll Call Vote
506, September 29, 2005); and voted to weaken the National Environmental Policy
Act (House Roll Call Vote 242, June 15, 2004).
7. For More Religious Employment Discrimination: Rep. Boehner voted to
permit taxpayer-funded job training programs to engage in religious
discrimination when hiring and firing employees with federal funds. (House Roll
Call Vote 46, March 2, 2005)
8. Against Confronting Proselytizing at the Air Force Academy: Rep. Boehner
voted against an amendment to squarely address religious coercion and
proselytizing at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. The amendment
criticized "coercive and abusive religious proselytizing" of cadets at the
Academy while observing that "expression of personal religious faith is
welcome" throughout the military. (House Roll Call Vote 283, June 20, 2005)
9. Led the Effort to Inject Religious Employment Discrimination into Head
Start: Rep. Boehner added a controversial amendment in September to a
previously bipartisan School Readiness Act which would "allow federally funded
early-child-care providers to discriminate on religious grounds," according to
The Forward. The Forward notes, "The federal government transfers about $6.7
billion annually to 19,000 Head Start providers in 50 states, three territories
and the District of Columbia." Jewish groups opposed to the measure, according
to The Forward, include the "Anti-Defamation League, the Union for Reform
Judaism, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee and the
National Council of Jewish Women."
10. Pushed Ohio Schools to Embrace "Intelligent Design:" People For the
American Way reports that Rep. Boehner and fellow Ohio Republican Rep. Steve
Chabot wrote to the Ohio school board claiming that legislative language
required that references to "Intelligent Design" be included in Ohio's science
standards. In fact, such language was removed from the relevant education bill
before it became final.
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