— Featured —







Michigan Senate Race: John James



One of the few races where the GOP is on offense in this year's battle for the Senate is in Michigan. First-term Sen. Gary Peters enjoys the dubious distinction of being the Senator least known by his constituents. The minority of Michiganders who are familiar with Peters' record know that he is a party-line Democrat who has marched in lockstep with his party on impeachment, opposing tax relief, and supporting the Obama Iran deal. 



The Republican challenging Peters is John James, one of the most impressive candidates I've had the privilege of getting to know. James graduated West Point and went on to win multiple decorations as an Army aviation officer flying combat missions during the Iraq war. Later, he returned to Michigan and took over his family business, which he expanded, creating hundreds of jobs. 



Running as a veteran, businessman, and political outsider, James outperformed expectations in a 2018 race against long-time Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Now he's back to challenge "invisible" Sen. Peters. In a clear sign that his campaign is catching on, James has outraised Peters in every fundraising period since he entered the race. 



John James is just 39. If he wins this race, he'll become the second African American Republican in the Senate and a leading voice of a rising generation of Millennial Republicans. But winning the race won't be easy - recent polls show Peters with a small but consistent lead. In the weeks ahead, we must do everything we can to help John James close the gap and achieve an inspiring victory! 



The RJC PAC has endorsed John James. You can help him win by clicking here <[link removed]> to support his campaign.





Please watch this space for more in-depth analysis on individual races in the critical 2020 elections. If you’d like to share your thoughts with me on any of these races, please email me at [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>. Click here <[link removed]> to see previous "Notes from Norm."



































RJC in the News











Mya Jaradat at the Deseret News in Utah examined the American Jewish community’s relationship with the Republican Party, historically and today. She spoke with RJC Communication Director Neil Strauss, who concluded his comments by pointing out that President Donald Trump’s policies are moving Jewish voters to the GOP <[link removed]>: 



Strauss stressed that Trump’s policies at home and abroad have been good for the international community, the US and Jewish Americans.



In particular, he points to recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state, the Abraham Accord, and his 2019 signing of an executive order that extended Title VI protection to Jews — a move, Strauss says, that makes pro-Israel Jewish Americans feel more comfortable expressing themselves on college campuses.



































US, Israeli, and Emirati officials on the tarmac in Abu Dhabi.











Ground-Breaking, Trump-Brokered

UAE-Israel Peace Deal











The announcement that the United Arab Emirates and Israel had reached an agreement to normalize relations, brought about through the efforts by President Donald Trump and his team, was a truly historic moment. In that wake of that announcement, many more historic steps have been taken that should be noted and appreciated:



The UAE ended its economic boycott of Israel on August 29, opening the way for trade and financial agreements between the two countries. Israel’s Channel 13 TV estimated that bilateral trade could be worth $4 billion a year <[link removed]>, a figure the station said could rise rapidly in the future.



On Monday, senior officials from Israel and the US boarded the first-ever direct flight from Tel Aviv to Abu Dhabi <[link removed]>. It carried an Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat and a US delegation headed by Jared Kushner. The flight Monday traversed Saudi airspace and flew over Riyadh, another first. Crossing Saudi airspace shaved nearly four hours <[link removed]> off the flight time to Abu Dhabi. 



Although the Saudi government said that it was opening the country’s airspace to all countries and did not mention Israel, the move has major implications for Israeli travel to places like India and Asia, and will make the UAE a travel hub and easily-reached tourism spot for Israelis. The Jerusalem Postreported <[link removed]> that a person familiar with the discussions said that Kushner and his team were instrumental in the Saudi announcement that “any country” could fly over its airspace to the UAE.



The US and Israeli delegations met with UAE government leaders to discuss cooperation in a wide range of fields, including aviation, tourism, trade, finance, health, energy, and defense <[link removed]>. Israel and the UAE signed the first formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) on banking and finance <[link removed]>, including preventing terror financing. Israel National News reports that Israel and the UAE are set to establish a joint intelligence base off the coast of Somalia and Yemen <[link removed]>. 



And today, Israel’s national airline El Al announced that weekly cargo flights from Israel to Dubai <[link removed]> will begin shortly. 



Raphael Ahren of the Times of Israel has a report on the warm reception the UAE officials gave the US and Israeli delegations <[link removed]>. Their trip included museum tours, a banquet with kosher food for those who required it, and a meeting with members of the Jewish community of Dubai.  More details <[link removed]> at the Washington Post.  And AlAraby in the UK reports that a kosher restaurant will soon open in the UAE <[link removed]>, under the certification of the Orthodox Union (OU). 











































Why We're Fighting to Keep the Senate











The conventions are behind us and now, with just 61 days to go to Election Day, we need to fight hard until the finish to help our Republican candidates win their races. We’re specifically targeting key Senate races, because keeping the Senate majority is so important this year.



Former Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) and Mike Solon of US Policy Metrics write in the Wall Street Journal that since Republicans regained the majority in the Senate in 2014, GOP Senators have pushed for a pro-growth economic agenda that has helped millions of Americans <[link removed]> build more prosperous lives. We need to return those great leaders to the Senate in 2020. Gramm and Solon write:



What does the GOP class of 2014 have to show for its six years in office? Consider Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner. In the six years the Democrats controlled the Senate, employment in Colorado fell by 138,000 jobs, but from his election through 2019 Colorado added 400,000 jobs. Median household income rose by $8,332. Electing Mr. Gardner and a Republican Senate meant more jobs, more income and less poverty in Colorado.



Maine won big when Sen. Susan Collins was reelected in 2014 to help flip the Senate to Republican control. Household income, which had fallen by $828 while the Democrats held the Senate majority, has risen by $3,761 since 2014. Instead of 25,200 more Mainers falling into poverty, 31,300 escaped it. After falling by 4%, homeownership rose by 4%. And Maine enjoyed the lowest annual unemployment rate ever recorded in 2019.



Every GOP senator up for reelection in 2020 can make a similar case. During the term of Sen. Thom Tillis, North Carolina’s median household income rose $3,697 while the state’s poverty population fell by 250,900. In taking a Democratic seat in 2014, Sen. Joni Ernst helped deliver 3.9 times as much median household income growth for Iowans as during the previous six years. The number of Iowans living in poverty fell and homeownership rose.



For Arizonans, where Sen. Martha McSally was appointed in 2019 to fill the vacancy originally created by John McCain’s death, job growth surged seven times as fast as under the Democratic Senate. The Republican Senate helped 215,500 Arizonans escape poverty, increased homeownership, and pushed median household income up by $9,989. Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler can tell Georgians that a Republican Senate meant nearly six times as many new jobs, almost twice the growth in median family income, 329,100 fewer Georgians living in poverty, a rise in homeownership, and a record low unemployment rate. The Republican Senate delivered the lowest annual unemployment rates on record in 26 states including Alaska, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.



No senator has meant more to his home state than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Homeownership fell by 5% in Kentucky when Democrats controlled the Senate, but rose by 2.8% since 2014. The poverty level has fallen by 87,000 after rising by 40,000 while Democrats held the Senate. After falling by $5,077, median Kentucky income has risen by $9,128. Not since Henry Clay has a Senate leader from Kentucky done so much for his state and the nation.



Good policies produced good times, with nationwide record lows in unemployment for blacks, Hispanics, women, and the disabled. Poverty rates for blacks and women hit record lows, with wages and wealth rising faster for those at the bottom than for those at the top. A bad bug, not bad economic policies, shut down progress.



We can’t afford a return to a Democrat-run Senate and the Obama-Biden economy!



To see the Senate candidates endorsed by the RJC PAC and donate to their campaigns, visit the RJC PAC site <[link removed]>.



























The RJC is committed to reelecting President Donald Trump, keeping the Senate, and winning back the House. We encourage our members to participate in our outreach phonebank project to help Republicans win in November. It's easy, and you can do it from home! Here's how YOU can help: 



- Sign up to call Jewish voters from home by clicking HERE <[link removed]>. 

- Fill out all of the fields.

- Listen to the instructions and write down your username and password when a member of the RJC Victory Team contacts you.

- Make as many phone calls as you can. Everyone you speak to is a potential vote for President Trump and the GOP!



Sign up now and you could be the next RJC Volunteer of the Week!







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The RJC PAC has endorsed a terrific slate of House and Senate candidates, and we need them to continue their work on Capitol Hill! CLICK HERE to donate through the RJC PAC portal and show your support for our great candidates! <[link removed]>



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And don't forget your RJC/Trump kippah!

Our extremely popular red Trump kippah is now for sale for just $18. This includes shipping and handling. Supplies are limited. 





BUY YOUR KIPPAH HERE. <[link removed]>































— Short Takes —



































The next Senator Coleman from Minnesota <[link removed]>



After winning her Republican primary, Julia Coleman is all but assured to enter the Minnesota State Senate. She is the daughter-in-law of Norm Coleman, the former Minnesota senator and national chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition. “I felt compelled to run [for state office] in order to preserve the freedoms that I got to grow up with and the opportunities I had,” she said, emphasizing that she takes [Rep. Ilhan] Omar’s [antisemitic] statements personally.”



Campaign diversity, Republican-style <[link removed]>



Eric Rozenman writes about the diverse and excellent candidates the GOP has fielded this year and concludes: "May the real diversity, that of free thought and free speech, of ideas and policies, win."



















































































— Tweets —











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— Events —



RJC Victory Team National Days of Action



Please join us for the upcoming RJC Victory Team Virtual Days of Action scheduled next week for Sunday, September 6, Tuesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 10. We'll be calling potential Jewish voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, and Georgia, key battleground states of the 2020 election cycle. Click here to sign up and help! <[link removed]>



While RJC offices are closed and our staff are teleworking, you can reach us by email or by phone (please leave a voicemail message and your call will be returned). Contact information <[link removed]> for our offices can be found on our web site. Please visit us online for the latest RJC news <[link removed]>, to volunteer <[link removed]> for our 2020 outreach efforts, to see details of upcoming events <[link removed]>, and to donate <[link removed]> to the RJC.







































































































































































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Republican Jewish Coalition - 50 F St NW, Suite 100, Washington, DC 20001, United States

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