The Congressional Jewish Caucus becomes official
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Rep. Jerry Nadler at a hearing on Capitol Hill on Nov. 20, 2024. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images.
A group of Jewish House members voted Thursday to officially launch the Congressional Jewish Caucus after more than a year of internal tension surrounding its formation.
Why it matters: Groups such as the congressional Black, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific Islander caucuses are able to exert considerable power by acting as a bloc.
- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) moved to create the caucus in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in the hopes of giving Jewish lawmakers greater representation in Congress.
Driving the news: Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) said in a statement the caucus will serve as "an official forum for Jewish Members of Congress to exchange ideas and advocate for the issues important to the American Jewish community."
- It will also be a "bridge to other members and organizations within the House," they added.
- Wasserman Schultz moved to nominate Nadler and Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) as the co-chairs of the caucus, and they were unanimously elected by the members.
- There were roughly 20 members at the meeting, a spokesperson for Nadler told Axios.
Zoom in: The question of whether to form a formal Jewish Caucus has been a point of contention for years among Jewish lawmakers, who have often met as an informal Jewish members' working group.
- Wasserman Schultz ruffled feathers by moving to form the caucus in November 2023 following an Israel aid vote that split moderate and progressive Jewish Democrats.
- Nadler, a progressive and the de facto head of the informal Jewish working group as the longest-serving Jewish member of Congress, had initially opposed creating the caucus.
Zoom in: One major difference between the Jewish Caucus other groups like the Black Caucus is that the former is likely to be bipartisan.
- Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio), one of three Jewish Republicans in Congress, has said he plans to join.
What they're saying: "I am confident this caucus will bring Jewish members together to strive to achieve unity not unanimity, and will be a productive forum," Nadler said in a statement.
- He added: I look forward to our discussions and exchanging
our many perspectives. After all, as the old adage goes: two Jews, three opinions."
