[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 824 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 824

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Government of Poland 
     should address the claims of Polish-Americans whose homes and 
     properties were wrongfully expropriated under Poland's former 
                        totalitarian government.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 24, 1999

  Mr. Barcia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                  Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Government of Poland 
     should address the claims of Polish-Americans whose homes and 
     properties were wrongfully expropriated under Poland's former 
                        totalitarian government.

Whereas during Nazi Germany's domination of Europe the systematic genocide of 
        6,000,000 Jews was conducted, and more than 8,000,000 members of other 
        ethnic, religious, and political groups were murdered;
Whereas during that dark time millions of Poles were imprisoned or were deported 
        to ghettos, forced labor camps, and concentration camps;
Whereas the totalitarian regime that subsequently came to power in Poland 
        perpetrated additional horrors of personal devastation and property 
        expropriation upon tens of thousands of Poles, including Jewish 
        survivors;
Whereas more than 100,000 of the victims of this dark episode fled their 
        homeland, with many finding sanctuary and refuge in the United States, 
        while their homes and properties were occupied by trespassers and 
        opportunists;
Whereas aging victims today chaff at the fact that their homes and properties 
        are still possessed by those trespassers and opportunists who continue 
        to enjoy the fruits of their ill-gotten gains despite the fall of the 
        Iron Curtain;
Whereas the Government of Poland has taken nominal and ineffective measures that 
        create the appearance of providing compensation to these victims, while 
        onerous eligibility requirements, unreasonable statutes of limitation, 
        and complex procedures mean only a handful have had their claims fairly 
        addressed;
Whereas every United States citizen can expect the protection of the Nation's 
        legal, political, and diplomatic resources; and
Whereas the Government of Poland has not provided for the fair consideration of 
        the legitimate claims of victims who are now United States citizens: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the President should inform the Government of Poland of 
        the plight of Polish-Americans who deserve to have their 
        citizenship restored and claims to their wrongfully 
        expropriated homes and properties considered under a fair rule 
        of law that provides for compensation and restitution 
        regardless of a claimant's current nationality;
            (2) the Government of Poland should immediately fulfill its 
        responsibilities to consider the claims of these victims under 
        such a rule of law; and
            (3) the President should instruct the representatives of 
        the United States to all multilateral treaty-based institutions 
        to work to deny admission or financial benefits to the 
        Government of Poland until it fulfills these responsibilities.
                                 <all>