[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 107 (Friday, July 18, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    FOREIGN RELATIONS AUTHORIZATION ACT, FISCAL YEARS 2004 AND 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 15, 2003

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1950) to 
     authorize appropriations for the Department of State for the 
     fiscal years 2004 and 2005, to authorize appropriations under 
     the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act of 
     1961 for security assistance for fiscal years 2004 and 2005, 
     and for other purposes:

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Chairman, I am very disappointed in 
the Committee on Rules' refusal to allow the House of Representatives 
to take up the Crowley/Hastings amendment in conjunction with the 
Foreign Relations Authorization Act. The amendment would have called on 
Poland to develop a final and complete, non-discriminatory settlement 
for those people and groups who had their private property confiscated 
by the Nazis during World War II and by the Communist Polish government 
after the war.
  In 1989, Poland sought to establish an independent political life 
free from the grip of communism. The principles of democracy and civil 
society were quickly recognized as the goal of this transformation.
  The respect for private property is at the core of Poland's ongoing 
transformation. But, by not recognizing the injustice of forced 
expropriations without due compensation, they have, de facto, made a 
sham of private property--any discussion of human rights becomes purely 
scholarly if the most elemental notion of private property is ignored. 
For these reasons, Poland must give the highest priority to the issue 
of property restitution.
  Therefore, I applaud the efforts of my good friend Mr. Crowley, and 
ask my colleagues to urge the Polish government to develop a final and 
complete settlement for those Jews, homosexuals, European Roma, and 
other individuals and groups who had their private property seized and 
confiscated by the Nazis during World War II or by the Communist Polish 
government after the war.
  Property restitution in Poland is an important matter for thousands 
of people who fled to the United States because of religious, ethnic or 
political persecution in Poland during or after the Second World War. 
At issue are an estimated 180,000 properties confiscated from private 
owners by the Nazis in occupied Poland or by the Communist Polish 
government after World War II. Approximately 20,000-25,000 surviving 
property owners and descendants live in the United States, with a large 
concentration residing in Florida.
  For individuals with ties to Central and Eastern Europe, the 
restitution of property is not ultimately about land or money, but 
fundamentally is about justice. On behalf of these individuals, I call 
on the Polish Government to enact a just, non-discriminatory property 
restitution law.
  Fair and full restitution is a precondition to the establishment of 
the rule of law.

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