Nineteen national Jewish organizations and nearly 90 local ones have signed a letter to the U.S. Congress that urges “fiscal discipline” in crafting the FY2010 budget and singles out long-term care as one of the areas most in need of attention in the push for comprehensive health care reform.

The letter points out the Jewish community’s longstanding commitment to ending poverty and applauds “President Obama’s pledge to fix our broken healthcare system and his commitment to safeguarding funding for the most vulnerable members of our society during these unprecedented economic times.”

It says the “Jewish communal priorities” included in the FY2010 Budget Resolution include healthcare reform, discretionary spending for critical human needs programs, funding for child nutritional programs, and funding for the National Housing Trust Fund.

Regarding the healthcare system, the letter says the current economic crisis not only “makes comprehensive reform more urgent than ever” but reveals that “it is more apparent than ever that our nation’s economic health and our nation’s health care system are deeply connected.”

In a passage that JTA, the major international Jewish news organization, identifies as “probably the most notable” statement of the Jewish community’s priorities (“Backing health care reform, but concerned about the funding,” March 19), the letter says, “The possibility of comprehensive healthcare reform, including long-term care, must be included in the FY2010 federal budget, enabling the authorizing committees to move forward with a plan that will reduce costs while improving quality and access.”

The letter was organized by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (The Jewish Chronicle, March 25) and counts many major Jewish organizations among its signatories, including United Jewish Communities, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, American Jewish Committee, National Council of Jewish Women, B’nai B’rith International, and the Reform and Conservative movements.