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Home , Alison Leslie Gold, Anne (play), Anne Frank Remembered, Fritz Pfeffer, Jan Gies, Miep Gies

February 23, 2010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H673 to help Haiti recover, and build the capacity to Once again I stand in solidarity with the Whereas in 1933, took a job as an mitigate against future disasters. people of Haiti and will do everything in my office assistant to , owner of To date the United States Government has power to assist them with rebuilding their , a pectin manufacturing company, contributed over $402 million in earthquake re- and father of Frank; country and livelihoods. I am proud of our first Whereas Miep Gies agreed without hesi- sponse funding for Haiti. It has also deployed responders, and pledge that America’s long tation to hide and assist the Frank family to approximately 17,000 military personnel in term commitment to Haiti will live to the avoid Jewish persecution at the hands of support of the relief effort. Subsequently, as standard that the first responders set. Nazi ; part of the new Government of Haiti-led effort, Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I rise today in Whereas Miep Gies helped hide and sustain the U.N. World Food Program will provide support of H. Res. 1059, a resolution honoring the Frank family, along with Hermann and commodities, non-governmental organizations the heroism of the seven urban search and Auguste Van Pels, their son Peter, and later will manage distributions, and U.S. Military will , for two years in a secret room rescue teams deployed to Haiti from above Opekta’s offices, bringing them food, provide security escorts. City, New York; Fairfax County, Virginia; Los American and her allies have already initi- supplies, and writing supplies for Anne; Angeles County, California; Miami, Florida; Whereas when the Gestapo captured the ated a comprehensive, interagency response Miami-Dade County, Florida; and Virginia Frank family, the Van Pels family, and Mr. to the earthquake. The State Department, De- Beach, Virginia, and commending their dedica- Pfeffer, on August 4, 1944, Miep Gies discov- partment of Defense, Department of Home- tion and assistance in the aftermath of the ered the pages of ’s diary in the land Security, Coast Guard, USAID—all horrific January 12 Haitian earthquake. secret room and hid them for safekeeping; worked overnight to ensure critical resources I was pleased to be an original cosponsor of Whereas after learning that Anne Frank and her sister Margot died of at Ber- were positioned to support the response and this resolution which congratulates the more recovery effort, including efforts to find and as- gen-Belsen, Miep Gies gave Anne Frank’s than 500 rescue workers, some of whom are diary to her father Otto, the only surviving sist American citizens in Haiti. from my congressional district in Fairfax Coun- Within days of last week’s devastating member of the family; ty, for the lives they helped save and for the earthquake, U.S. Southern Command de- Whereas ‘‘The Diary of a Young Girl’’ by work they undertook to train additional inter- Anne Frank, which has been translated into ployed a team of 30 people to Haiti to support national teams working in Haiti. 70 languages, is both an inspirational story U.S. relief efforts in the aftermath of one of the The enormity of the destruction that Haiti about hope in the face of senseless tragedy largest natural disasters in the western hemi- has experienced is difficult to comprehend. and an important testament for future gen- sphere. The team included U.S. military engi- erations to the horrors of ; But in the face of this devastation, selfless neers, operational planners, and a command Whereas Miep Gies shared her recollections and control group and communication special- men and women from around our country to author for the book ists arriving on two C–130 Hercules aircraft. have given of their time and talents to help a ‘‘’’, which was later Since, there has been a tremendous inter- people and a nation in desperate need. I join made into a powerful ; agency response with support and partnering my colleagues in recognizing and thanking Whereas Miep Gies, who would recount her them for their service. extraordinary life with a self-effacing mod- with U.S. Embassy personnel as well as Hai- esty that betrayed her unfailing courage and tian, United Nations and international officials Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speak- er, I yield back the balance of my time. integrity, serves as a powerful symbol of re- to assess the situation and facilitate follow on sistance against the forces of oppression and Mr. MCMAHON. I thank the ranking U.S. military support. injustice; Within hours of the earthquake, the United member of the committee for those re- Whereas Miep Gies represents the valor States sent world-class teams of search and marks, and I yield back the balance of demonstrated by the countless ordinary indi- rescue to help search for survivors. These my time. viduals who stood up to and helped defeat teams, from all across the country comprised The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Adolph Hitler’s Nazi regime; and roughly one-third of the entire international question is on the motion offered by Whereas Miep Gies passed away on Janu- the gentleman from New York (Mr. ary 11, 2010: Now, therefore, be it USAR effort in Haiti. In total, the United States Resolved, That the House of Representa- MCMAHON) that the House suspend the sent over five hundred and eleven rescue tives— workers. These rescue workers worked tire- rules and agree to the resolution, H. (1) recognizes Miep Gies’s courage in risk- lessly to search for survivors, and found and Res. 1059, as amended. ing her own life to hide and provide for the rescued more than 130 people from under the The question was taken. Frank family while they were in hiding; rubble. Without these search and rescue units, The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the (2) commends Miep Gies for retrieving and it is possible that these people would not have opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being preserving the diary of Anne Frank, which been located in time to save their lives. in the affirmative, the ayes have it. has served as an inspiration to countless peo- The search and rescue teams were, quite Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, on ple the world over; and that I demand the yeas and nays. (3) honors Miep Gies for her bravery during literally, our first responders. At a moment’s Nazi occupation of the and her notice these men and women packed their The yeas and nays were ordered. dedication to preserving the memory of Anne bags and left their homes to confront the after- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Frank and the Holocaust. math of the largest natural disaster in recent ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- memory. I commend them for their readiness Chair’s prior announcement, further ant to the rule, the gentleman from and tireless commitment to saving lives. proceedings on this motion will be New York (Mr. MCMAHON) and the gen- Madam Speaker, over a month has passed postponed. tlewoman from Florida (Ms. ROS- since the earthquake, the search and rescue f LEHTINEN) each will control 20 minutes. missions have ended, and Haiti has The Chair recognizes the gentleman transitioned to long term reconstruction and HONORING THE LIFE OF MIEP GIES from New York. development. GENERAL LEAVE Recently, I proposed a plan that would in- Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, I Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, I crease the ability of the U.S. to assist Haiti in move to suspend the rules and agree to ask unanimous consent that all Mem- its efforts toward reconstruction and stabiliza- the resolution (H. Res. 1074) honoring bers may have 5 legislative days to re- tion to Dr. Rajiv Shah, the Administrator of the the life of Miep Gies, who aided Anne vise and extend their remarks and in- U.S. Agency for International Development. Frank’s family while they were in hid- clude extraneous material on the reso- This plan would create an oversight position ing and preserved her diary for future lution under consideration. within the USAID that would coordinate and generations. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there regulate faith-based and non-profit organiza- The Clerk read the title of the resolu- objection to the request of the gen- tions operating in the reconstruction efforts in tion. tleman from New York? Haiti. I also recommended the creation of a The text of the resolution is as fol- There was no objection. U.S. civilian corps, an extension of the Amer- lows: Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, I ican Peace Corps, that would be tasked the H. RES. 1074 rise in strong support of this resolution specific mission of assisting reconstruction ef- Whereas Hermine ‘‘Miep’’ Gies was born on and yield myself such time as I may forts in Haiti. This civilian entity would serve February 15, 1909, in , Austria; consume. as a supplemental contingent which could be Whereas Miep Gies was sent to live with a Anne Frank and her family’s struggle incrementally dispatched as needed by U.S. host family in the Netherlands when she was to survive the Holocaust is known to Government agencies or Nongovernment Or- 11 years old after the tumult of millions around the world, but few re- ganization. led to food shortages in Austria; alize that the story of Anne and the

VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:07 May 18, 2010 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD10\RECFILES\H23FE0.REC H23FE0 mmaher on DSKD5P82C1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE H674 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 23, 2010 Frank family would never have been Miep simply answered, ‘‘Yes, of Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, I known had it not been for the selfless course.’’ yield 10 minutes to the prime sponsor acts of Miep Gies, who passed away on For 2 years, Miep, her husband and a of this resolution, the gentlewoman January 11. number of her friends helped the Frank from Ohio (Ms. KILROY). The Frank family was ultimately family and four other hide in a Ms. KILROY. Thank you, my col- captured by the Gestapo and deported small attic apartment behind the office leagues. to the Bergen-Belsen concentration of the Frank Family business. They Madam Speaker, I rise today in sup- camp, where Anne and her sister brought them food and other neces- port of House Resolution 1074, legisla- Margor died of typhus. Anne’s diaries sities while putting their own lives at tion that I introduced to honor the life survived the war and continue to serve risk every day. of Hermine ‘‘Miep’’ Gies, who aided as an inspirational story of hope in the During their years in hiding, Anne Anne Frank’s family while they were face of senseless tragedy and an impor- Frank, as we all know, kept a diary, in hiding and who preserved her diary tant testament for future generations which described her experiences. This for future generations. to the horrors of the Holocaust. Were it diary would later become one of the I want to thank Chairman BERMAN not for the selfless acts of Miep Gies, most widely read books in the world, and Ranking Member ROS-LEHTINEN for an employee of Anne’s father, Otto, providing millions of people with a their support in bringing this resolu- who aided the Frank family while they glimpse of the Holocaust through the tion to the floor. were in hiding and preserved Anne’s eyes of a young, bright and ever hope- Why is it important to honor Miep diary, Anne’s story would likely never ful Jewish girl. Gies? have been known. Miep agreed without In August of 1944, the Gestapo discov- I recently visited , the hesitation to hide and assist the Frank ered their hiding place, and they ar- Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. It is family to avoid persecution in the rested the Frank family. After the an overwhelming experience, and as we hands of the Nazis, and by doing so put Frank family was captured, Miep dis- ponder the horror of Hitler’s plan to her own life at risk. covered the pages of Anne Frank’s eradicate the Jewish people, we ask After the Gestapo discovered the diary, and held them in safekeeping ourselves: How could this have hap- Frank family’s hiding place, Miep hid until after the war. She later gave the pened? How could so many stand by si- the pages of Anne’s diary for safe- diary to Anne’s father, who returned to lently? How could so many actually keeping and years later returned them after surviving Auschwitz. participate? to Otto, the only surviving member of In fact, he was the only member of the So it is important, I think, to under- the Frank family. Miep Gies also Frank family who managed to survive. stand that there are some who spoke shared her recollections to author Ali- Anne’s mother died in Auschwitz, and up, heroes like Miep Gies, and it is im- son Leslie Gold for the book, ‘‘Anne Anne and her sister perished in the portant to honor people like her, peo- Frank Remembered,’’ which was later Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. ple who helped the Jews, who worked made into a powerful documentary Decades after the Holocaust, Miep against the sea of hatred that had en- film. She recounted her extraordinary stated the following about what she veloped most of Europe at that time— life with a self-effacing modesty that and her husband and a number of her people like Miep Gies, an ordinary betrayed her unfailing courage and in- friends did to help the Frank family woman, who did an extraordinary and others: tegrity, serving as a powerful symbol thing. ‘‘It seemed perfectly natural to me. I of resistance against the forces of op- She was born to a German Catholic could help these people. They were pression and injustice. family in Austria on February 15, 1909. powerless. They didn’t know where to When she was 11, her family sent her to b 1430 turn. I always emphasize that we were live with a foster family in the Nether- We mourn the passing of this ex- not heroes. We did our duty as human lands to escape food shortages in post- traordinary woman, and honor her for beings.’’ her bravery and compassion. What Miep and others did during the war Austria. She worked as a servant, I ask my colleagues to join me in rec- Holocaust to save lives, while putting as a seamstress, as waitress. Then, in ognizing Miep Gies’ courage in risking their own at risk, was nothing short of 1933, she took a job with an Amsterdam her own life to hide and to provide for heroism. Miep has survived and has re- manufacturing company owned by Otto the Frank family and for preserving ceived many honors for her heroism, Frank, a German Jew, who left Frank- the memory of Anne Frank and the including being knighted by Queen furt when Hitler became Chancellor of Holocaust. Beatrix of the Netherlands and receiv- Germany and when the organized at- Madam Speaker, I reserve the bal- ing a medal from Yad Vashem, the Hol- tacks on the Jews began, including the ance of my time. ocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. boycott on Jewish businesses. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I yield myself Though Miep passed away last Ms. Gies quickly became friends with such time as I may consume. month, her relentless courage, her the Frank family. On July 6, 1942, more Madam Speaker, I am a proud co- compassion and her contribution to than 2 years into the German occupa- sponsor of this bill, and I rise in sup- preserving one of the most unique and tion of the Netherlands, Otto Frank; port of House Resolution 1074, which important documentations of the hor- his wife, Edith; and his daughters, Mar- honors the life of Miep Gies, who rors of the Holocaust will not be for- got and Anne, went into hiding in a se- helped Anne Frank’s family while they gotten. cret annex behind a bookshelf in Otto were in hiding and who preserved I thank my distinguished colleague, Frank’s office. They were later joined Anne’s famous diary for future genera- Congresswoman KILROY, for intro- by Hermann and Auguste Van Pels; tions. ducing this measure which recognizes their son, Peter; and Fritz Pfeffer. With Miep’s passing on January 11, Miep’s courage in risking her life to For 2 more years, Miep Gies, along the world has lost a true hero. Before hide and to provide for the Frank fam- with her husband, Jan, and three other German occupation, Miep worked as an ily while they were in hiding. It com- employees of Otto Frank, risked their office assistant in Amsterdam for Otto mends Miep for retrieving and pre- lives to supply the eight people in hid- Frank, Anne Frank’s father. After Nazi serving the diary of Anne Frank. Fur- ing with food, clothing, with news from Germany occupied Holland and after ther, it honors Miep for her bravery the outside, and with paper for Anne to Hitler began to accelerate his plan for during the Nazi occupation of the write on. total extermination of the Jews, Anne Netherlands, and it honors her dedica- As Anne noted in her diary, ‘‘Miep Frank’s father began to make plans to tion to preserving the memory of Anne has so much to carry; she looks like a hide his family from persecution. Frank so as to remember the terrible pack mule. She goes forth nearly every As Miep later recalled in the spring lessons of the Holocaust. day, scrounging for vegetables, and of 1942, Otto Frank sat her down and I support this important measure, then bicycles back with her purchases told her that they were going to go Madam Speaker, and I urge my col- in large shopping bags.’’ into hiding, and he asked her if she leagues to do the same. Miep is also the one who brought five would be willing to help out the family With that, I reserve the balance of library books to Anne every Saturday. by bringing them food. my time. She did this during a time of war. It

VerDate Mar 15 2010 04:07 May 18, 2010 Jkt 089060 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD10\RECFILES\H23FE0.REC H23FE0 mmaher on DSKD5P82C1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE February 23, 2010 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H675 was a time of shortages, a time when War II. Furthermore, we must never forget the and remains as a testament for future genera- getting food meant managing ration horrible atrocities of the Holocaust and con- tions on the horrors of the Holocaust and the coupons. Despite their efforts, though, tinue to fight against acts of genocide around importance of preventing genocide in all on August 4, 1944, the Gestapo raided the world as well as fight against bigotry and forms. the secret hiding place, and they cap- intolerance here at home in the U.S. Sadly Miep Gies recently passed away on tured the eight hideaways who were be- During the Second World War, Miep Gies January 11, 2010 leaving behind a legacy of trayed by an anonymous tip. helped and assisted Anne Frank and her fam- compassion and teaching. Today I stand in Miep Gies discovered the pages of the ily by hiding and protecting them from Nazi recognition of the courage that Miep Gies had diary that Anne kept during her time persecution. In fact, Miep Gies agreed to hide in risking her own life to shelter and provide in hiding, and Miep locked them in a and assist the Frank family in avoiding Jewish for the Frank family while they were in hiding desk drawer for safekeeping. When she persecution at the hands of the Nazis without from the Nazis. The love and selflessness that learned that Margot and Anne had died hesitation. Miep Gies showed in sheltering her friends of typhus at the Bergen-Belsen con- Miep Gies initially met Anne Frank’s father, from the hatred and persecution of Nazi Ger- centration camp, she returned Anne’s Otto Frank, in 1933 and worked as a secretary many should be an example to us all. diary to Otto Frank, the only one of in his pectin manufacturing company, Opekta. I would also like to commend Miep Gies for the eight to have survived the Holo- After some time, she became well acquainted recovering and preserving the diary of Anne caust. with the Frank family, as did her husband Jan Frank through the end of World War II. Be- Later in her life, she testified against Gies, whom she married on July 16, 1941. cause of the thoughtfulness of Miep Gies, the the Neo-Nazis, who denied the authen- In the early 1940s, the Nazis began tar- Diary of Anne Frank now serves as both an ticity of the diary. She helped in the geting specific groups of people including inspiration as well as an example to millions of establishment of a museum in the Jews, ethnic Poles, Romani, Soviet civilians, people around the world. small building where Anne and her Soviet prisoners of war, people with disabil- It is important that we never forget the hor- family had hid. ities, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and rible actions that took place during the Holo- As was noted, she passed away re- other political and religious groups. Between caust. It is also important that we never forget cently, on January 11, 2010, at the age 1940 and 1945 during the Holocaust, more the courageous and noble acts of people all of 100, but she kept alive a very impor- than 6 million Jews and other targeted groups across Europe in the fight against the Nazi re- tant part of Holocaust history by pre- were exterminated by the Nazis. gime as well as those who assisted per- serving Anne’s diary and by helping us During this time, Miep Gies along with her secuted groups during those terrible times. to learn, to understand and to remem- husband and several colleagues helped hide Furthermore, I would also like to urge coun- ber so it will not happen again. the Frank family including Edith and Otto tries and leaders across the world to reassess The ‘‘Diary of a Young Girl,’’ by Frank, their daughters Margot and Anne, Her- their efforts in fighting racism, intolerance and Anne Frank, has been translated into mann and Auguste van Pels, their son Peter, anti-Semitism. Through providing education 70 languages—an inspirational story and Fritz Pfeffer, from Nazi persecution. Miep and instruction to adults and children alike, we about hope in the face of war and an Gies’ husband was a member of the can help to ensure that what happened in Eu- important testament for future genera- who was dedicated to as- rope during the Holocaust is never allowed to tions so that the horrors of the Holo- sisting Jews and other persecuted peoples es- happen again. caust will not be forgotten. Like so cape by obtaining illegal ration cards for food I ask my colleagues for their support of this many others who read Anne’s diary, as and finding good hiding places. Miep Gies and legislation as well as their support for those a young woman, I was deeply moved by her husband hid the Frank family in a secret who protect defenseless people across the her steadfast optimism even during a upstairs room of the office building that was world. I strongly urge you to support this reso- period of her life defined by the evil of used by Mr. Frank’s spice company from July lution. that day. 1942 to August 1944. Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speak- Thanks to Miep Gies’ bravery, Anne’s Every few days Miep Gies would come by er, I yield back the balance of my time. recollections have been preserved for the secret upstairs room of Mr. Frank’s former Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, I future generations. Miep later de- office building and bring food supplies in addi- have no further requests for time, and scribed her efforts to assist the eight tion to writing supplies for Anne Frank. Be- I yield back the balance of my time. people in hiding, saying, ‘‘Of course, cause of Miep Gies’ genuine compassion and The SPEAKER pro tempore. The it’s nice to be appreciated, but I only selflessness, her friends were able to evade question is on the motion offered by did my duty to my fellow man. I helped the horrors of Nazi persecution for two years. the gentleman from New York (Mr. people in need. Anyone can do that, Sadly, on the morning of August 4, 1944, MCMAHON) that the House suspend the can’t they?’’ the Gru¨ne Polizei arrested Anne Frank and rules and agree to the resolution, H. This understated appraisal of her he- her family who were hiding in the secret up- Res. 1074. roic acts is just one example of her stairs room of Mr. Frank’s office building. Be- The question was taken. modesty and her integrity. We can cause of her genuine care and compassion for The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the learn much from Miep Gies, an ordi- her friends however, Miep Gies attempted to opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being nary woman, who showed extraor- petition and bribe the Austrian Nazi officer to in the affirmative, the ayes have it. dinary courage in the face of unspeak- release her friends for several days after their Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, on able peril during Nazi occupation and arrest. Unfortunately the officer would not that I demand the yeas and nays. the Holocaust. She is a powerful sym- allow for their release. The yeas and nays were ordered. bol of resistance against oppression After being arrested, Anne Frank and her The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- and injustice. She is an example of our family were deported to the Auschwitz Nazi ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the human capacity to rise even to the Concentration Camp where Anne stayed until Chair’s prior announcement, further most daunting of challenges. being transferred to the Bergen-Belsen con- proceedings on this motion will be I urge my colleagues to join me in centration camp. Sadly, Anne Frank later died postponed. recognizing this incredible woman’s there in March 1945 at the age of 15 though f life and legacy. her father Otto Frank, from whom she was EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam separated, survived the war. Speaker, I stand before you today in support Sometime after Anne Frank and her family HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of H. Res. 1074 ‘‘Honoring the life of Miep were arrested and deported, Miep Gies found ON RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN Gies, who aided Anne Frank’s family while the diary Anne Frank had kept while hiding IRAQ they were in hiding and preserved her diary from the Nazis in the secret room and safe- Mr. MCMAHON. Madam Speaker, I for future generations.’’ guarded it through the end of the war. It move to suspend the rules and agree to I would like to begin by thanking my col- wasn’t until after the end of World War II that the resolution (H. Res. 944) expressing league Representative MARY JO KILROY for in- Miep Gies released the pages of Anne Frank’s the sense of the House of Representa- troducing this resolution in the House, as it is diary to her father, Otto Frank. tives on religious minorities in Iraq, as important that we honor and recognize those The diary of Anne Frank was later published amended. who helped and aided groups of people who and entitled ‘‘The Diary of a Young Girl.’’ The The Clerk read the title of the resolu- were persecuted by the Nazis during World diary was also translated into 70 languages tion.

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