NCJW Heads for the Hill
Early on a cool and damp Tuesday morning, NCJW members picked up their bagged breakfasts at the hotel and boarded seven buses for Capitol Hill. With a brief delay on a barricaded post 9/11 street for a bomb check of each bus by an enthusiastic sniffer dog, members disembarked for the Cannon Caucus Room, an ornate and historic space that barely contained us all. There NCJW saluted three members of Congress for their work on our issues. Rep. Rosa deLauro (D-CT) received a certificate of recognition for her work on fair pay for women; Rep. Nita Lowie (D-NY) for her efforts on behalf of international family planning programs; and Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), a Iraq veteran, for his campaign to end “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) was honored for her work attempting to preserve abortion rights in the health reform package. Reva Price, senior advisor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, received a special award for her skillful and dedicated work behind the scenes on issues of concern to NCJW over the years. NCJW’s Washington office director Sammie Moshenberg delivered her traditional send-off and NCJW members fanned out to walk the long and unyielding halls of Congress, still buzzing from Sunday’s epic vote on health care reform, to lobby their senators and representatives. Those halls were flooded with others making their case, but NCJW members stood out for their preparation and left a lasting impression they will build on in the coming months.
No comments yet.