With Democrats set to take control of both chambers in January, the organizations that lobby for yeshivos and shuls in Washington are preparing for a different Congress.
The program they care about most is the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which pays for cameras, doors, lighting and guards at shuls, schools and other nonprofits. Congress provided $300 million for it in 2026, a small increase over the previous two years. Agudath Israel and the Orthodox Union both welcomed the money and both said it falls short of the need.
The numbers back them up. Jewish Insider reported in September that the program funded less than 23 percent of the applications submitted in 2026. Agudath Israel's government affairs director said more than three quarters of applicants were turned away for lack of funds. The Orthodox Union Advocacy Center's director called on Congress to provide dramatically more.
The program has long had support from both parties, and a Democratic House does not change that on its own. What changes is who holds the gavels on the appropriations committees that set the number, and that means building relationships with new chairs and their staff before the next budget is written.
In New Jersey, Lakewood's Rep. Chris Smith won another term on Nov. 3, defeating Democrat Rachel Peace, 59 to 41 percent, according to the New Jersey Monitor. He was the only Republican to win a House seat in the state. In the minority he will have less power over what reaches the floor, but he remains one of the longest-serving members of Congress.
In New York, the Rockland seat in the 17th District changed hands, so mosdos there will be introducing their priorities to a new member before the next budget cycle begins.