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November 13, 1998/ 24 Cheshvan 5759, Vol. 51, No. 8
GOP shakeup could impact Jewish causes
Changes expected with arrival of new U.S. House leader
MATTHEW DORF
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Israel's foreign aid is a "leadership issue," Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) thundered at a private meeting last year with Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.). When Gingrich finished dressing down the House Appropriations Committee chairman, Livingston ordered one of his lieutenants to release a hold on $75.6 million in aid to Israel that had been placed after the Jewish state appeared to balk on a promise to give some of its aid to Jordan.
Livingston's threat at the time to "revisit the issue of aid to Israel" if an American Jewish teenage murder suspect, Samuel Sheinbein, who had fled to Israel was not promptly extradited to the United States exacerbated tensions at the meeting. By all accounts, Livingston got the message, and were it not for a hold placed by a Democrat on the same money, Israel would have promptly received the aid.
Now that Gingrich is stepping down as the leader of the House and endorsing his long-time friend, episodes like this, although rare in Livingston's 22-year tenure in the House, could shed light on what type of speaker he will be if the Republican caucus supports him, as expected, in a secret ballot next week.
Livingston is set to assume the post at a time of great turmoil for his party. Coming off of a poor showing in last week's election, Livingston will run the House with a slim 223-211 majority. Despite his staunch conservative credentials, Livingston is a far cry from the Republican firebrands who took over the House in 1994. Social conservatives in the party are already rattling the sabers and arguing that the party needs to focus more on anti-abortion legislation and returning prayer to America's public school classrooms.
Griping in the Jewish community about Livingston's belief in a tight fiscal policy stopped overnight, as activists adjusted to the reality that they will have to work with him. "Any leader who can move the agenda forward and enable the Congress to move forward on a bipartisan basis is good for our community because we have business before the Congress," said Diana Aviv, director of the Council of Jewish Federations' Washington Action Office.
For now, Livingston is drawing high marks from many in the Jewish community for his staunch opposition to the conservative caucus' tactic of attaching controversial policies to spending bills. An anti-abortion rider on the foreign aid bill has tied it in knots the past two years.
Livingston has also received praise from the Jewish community for his opposition to former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke, who said he would run for Livingston's seat if he retired this year. After announcing his retirement plans, that he later reversed, Livingston promised to give his entire $650,000 campaign chest to Duke's primary opponent. He also pledged to support the Democratic candidate if Duke won the GOP nomination.
But unlike Gingrich, Livingston has not worked to build relations with the Jewish community in his district.
This year marked the first time that groups such as B'nai B'rith and the Anti-Defamation League teamed up with Livingston on a policy issue. The Jewish community lobbied Congress to support legislation that would encourage Western investment in Azerbaijan. Livingston singled out the Jewish groups on the House floor, thanking them for their support.
But it is Livingston's record on Israel-related issues that has attracted the most attention, activists say, in part because of the unusually close relationship between Gingrich and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While many in the Jewish community vehemently disagreed with Gingrich on domestic issues, they hailed his pro-Israel advocacy.
Matthew Dorf writes from Washington, D.C.
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