Congressional Record—House H8674
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H8674 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 6, 2005 those present have voted in the affirm- benefits to former Nazis, and the Office of casionally brought him in conflict with ative. Special Investigations of the Department of others, but that was his way. Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, on that I Justice has since conducted more than 1,500 The killers who managed Hitler’s fac- demand the yeas and nays. investigations, won 101 cases, and blocked tories of death could never rest. Simon the immigration of 170 individuals, and the Wiesenthal was tireless in his pursuit The yeas and nays were ordered. work of the Office continues; The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Whereas, in keeping with the efforts of of them. His dedication and dogged de- ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Simon Wiesenthal, many governments have termination was instrumental in the Chair’s prior announcement, further responded to the growing tide of anti-Semi- capture and conviction of Adolf Eich- proceedings on this motion will be tism worldwide, elected leaders have spoken mann, the architect of the Nazi plan to postponed. out against anti-Semitism, and law enforce- annihilate European Jewry, as well as ment officials and prosecutors have aggres- Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer f sively pursed the perpetrators of anti-Se- who committed many heinous crimes GENERAL LEAVE mitic acts; and including the arrest of Anne Frank. Whereas Simon Wiesenthal’s legacy teach- Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, I ask While many Nazis eluded immediate es that the perpetrators of genocide cannot justice at the end of World War II, unanimous consent that all Members and will not be allowed to hide from their may have 5 legislative days within crimes: Now, therefore, be it many did not escape it forever, thanks which to revise and extend their re- Resolved by the House of Representatives (the to Simon Wiesenthal. Today, as we marks and include extraneous material Senate concurring), That the Congress— fight anti-Semitism across the OSCE on the bill just considered. (1) honors the life and work of Simon region, Europe and the Middle East and Wiesenthal to memorialize the victims of the in Asia, we remember his legacy and The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Holocaust and to bring the perpetrators of objection to the request of the gen- act on the lessons of the Holocaust. His crimes against humanity to justice; noble work was fueled by a passion for tleman from Louisiana? (2) reaffirms its commitment to the fight There was no objection. justice that has and will inspire others. against anti-Semitism and intolerance in all In the United States, his example and f forms, in all forums, and in all nations; and (3) urges all members of the international inspiration led to the establishment of HONORING THE LIFE AND WORK community to facilitate the investigation the Office of Special Investigations OF SIMON WIESENTHAL and prosecution of surviving Nazi war crimi- which allowed war criminals who found nals and to continue documenting and col- their way to our shores to be brought Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. lecting information on Nazi war crimes for to justice. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules archival and historical purposes. As noted in the resolution, Mr. and agree to the concurrent resolution The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Speaker, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, (H. Con. Res. 248) honoring the life and ant to the rule, the gentleman from which has offices in L.A., Paris, New work of Simon Wiesenthal and re- New Jersey (Mr. SMITH) and the gen- York, Toronto, Miami, Jerusalem and affirming the commitment of Congress tleman from California (Mr. LANTOS) Buenos Aires, which has become a lead- to the fight against anti-Semitism and each will control 20 minutes. ing institution in advocating both re- intolerance in all forms, in all forums, The Chair recognizes the gentleman membrance and tolerance so as to help and in all nations, as amended. from New Jersey (Mr. SMITH). prevent future genocides, was named in The Clerk read as follows: Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. his honor. The Simon Wiesenthal Cen- H. CON. RES. 248 Speaker, I yield myself such time as I ter in Paris, I would point out to my Whereas Simon Wiesenthal, who was may consume. colleagues, testified at two Helsinki known as the ‘‘conscience of the Holocaust’’, Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H. hearings that I chaired, and we in- was born on December 31, 1908, in Buczacz, Con. Res. 248, I am very pleased to ducted Shimon Samuels, who provided Austria-Hungary, and died in Vienna, Aus- expert testimony on the deterioration tria, on September 20, 2005, and he dedicated bring this timely resolution before the House today. I thank the sponsor of the of respect for Jews in Europe, the the last 60 years of his life to the pursuit of United States and Canada. Also, I justice for the victims of the Holocaust; resolution, the gentleman from Cali- Whereas, during World War II, Simon fornia (Mr. WAXMAN) and the leader- would point out to my colleagues that Wiesenthal worked with the Polish under- ship of the gentleman from Illinois the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Cen- ter participated this past June in the ground and was interned in 12 different con- (Chairman HYDE) of the Committee on centration camps until his liberation by the International Relations, as well as the U.S. delegation to the Cordoba OSCE United States Army in 1945 from the Conference on Anti-Semitism and gentleman from California (Mr. LAN- Mauthausen camp; Other Forms of Intolerance. TOS), a Holocaust survivor himself, for Whereas, after the war, Simon Wiesenthal Mr. Speaker, Congress honored crafting this measure in honor of an worked for the War Crimes Section of the Simon Wiesenthal with a Gold Medal, extraordinary man who has passed United States Army gathering documenta- and he won countless other forms of tion to be used in prosecuting the Nuremberg from our midst, Simon Wiesenthal. recognition from grateful individuals trials; Known as the ‘‘Conscience of the Hol- in governments from around the world. Whereas Simon Wiesenthal’s investigative ocaust,’’ Mr. Wiesenthal deserves rec- work and expansive research was instru- Simon Wiesenthal confronted human- ognition and the deepest respect by the ity with the truth about those who mental in the capture and conviction of Congress of the United States. more than 1,000 Nazi war criminals, includ- masterminded and carried out the Hol- ing Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Simon Wiesenthal died at the age of ocaust. As a testament to the memory Nazi plan to annihilate European Jewry, and 97 in Vienna, Austria on September 20, of the millions of victims, he gave Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer respon- 2005. A Ukrainian architect and civil meaning to the words ‘‘never again’’ by sible for the arrest and deportation of Anne engineer by training, he survived five helping us to learn from the lessons of Frank; Nazi death camps during World War II. the past. Now that he has passed away, Whereas numerous honors and awards were Yet, he lost a staggering 89 relatives in bestowed upon Simon Wiesenthal, including we must resolve to continue his work, the Holocaust. as is urged upon us in this resolution, the Congressional Gold Medal, honorary Mr. Wiesenthal lived by his own British Knighthood, the Dutch Freedom and I urge all of my colleagues to sup- Medal, the French Legion of Honor, the words. ‘‘There is no freedom without port this very important resolution. World Tolerance Award, and the Jerusalem justice,’’ he would say. Living in Eu- Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of Medal; rope, almost literally among the ashes my time. Whereas the Simon Wiesenthal Center was of the 6 million victims of the Holo- Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in founded in 1977 in Los Angeles and named in caust, he began the tedious work of strong support of H. Con. Res. 248, a honor of Simon Wiesenthal to promote tracing and tracking war criminals resolution honoring the life and coura- awareness of anti-Semitism, monitor neo- who had been overlooked by the first geous work of my friend, Simon Nazi and other extremist groups, and help waves of prosecutions by the allies and bring surviving Nazi war criminals to jus- Wiesenthal, and I yield myself such tice; the new European governments. He time as I may consume. Whereas, in 1978, inspired in part by the worked meticulously and judiciously, Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my work of Simon Wiesenthal, the Congress en- sticking to the evidence at hand and colleague from California (Mr. WAX- acted a law to deny citizenship and Federal avoiding any sensationalism. This oc- MAN) for introducing this resolution, VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:33 Oct 07, 2005 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00026 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K06OC7.055 H06OCPT1 October 6, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8675 the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. HYDE) Wiesenthal’s tireless work as a Nazi United States. His success inspired the for his support in bringing it to the hunter was undertaken to demonstrate creation of the Office of Special Inves- floor so quickly, and I want to express that those who commit crimes against tigations at the Justice Department to a special thanks to my good friend humanity will face justice. He seek their denaturalization and depor- from New Jersey (Mr. SMITH) who has preached vigilance so that never again tation. been an indefatigable fighter for all the would the world witness the tragedy of For Mr. Wiesenthal, the pursuit of causes that Simon Wiesenthal fought the Holocaust and be complicit war criminals and hate groups was an for and fighting against the monstrous through inaction.