[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 26 (Wednesday, March 3, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H778-H784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1145
SUPPORTING GOALS OF CERTAIN COMMUNITIES IN RECOGNIZING NATIONAL DAY OF 
                              REMEMBRANCE

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 56) supporting the goals of the Japanese 
American, German American, and Italian American communities in 
recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness 
of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion, and internment of 
individuals and families during World War II.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 56

       Whereas President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed 
     Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, which authorized 
     the exclusion of 120,000 Japanese Americans and legal 
     resident aliens from the west coast of the United States and 
     the internment of United States citizens and legal permanent 
     residents of Japanese ancestry in internment camps during 
     World War II;
       Whereas the freedom of Italian Americans and German 
     Americans was also restricted during World War II by measures 
     that branded them enemy aliens and included required 
     identification cards, travel restrictions, seizure of 
     personal property, and internment;
       Whereas President Gerald Ford formally rescinded Executive 
     Order 9066 on February 19, 1976, in his speech, ``An American 
     Promise'';
       Whereas Congress adopted legislation which was signed by 
     President Jimmy Carter on July 31, 1980, establishing the 
     Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians 
     to investigate the claim that the incarceration of Japanese 
     Americans and legal resident aliens during World War II was 
     justified by military necessity;
       Whereas the Commission held 20 days of hearings and heard 
     from over 750 witnesses on this matter and published its 
     findings in a report entitled ``Personal Justice Denied'';
       Whereas the conclusion of the Commission was that the 
     promulgation of Executive Order 9066 was not justified by 
     military necessity, and that the decision to issue the order 
     was shaped by ``race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure 
     of political leadership'';
       Whereas Congress enacted the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, 
     in which it apologized on behalf of the Nation for 
     ``fundamental violations of the basic civil liberties and 
     constitutional rights of these individuals of Japanese 
     ancestry'';
       Whereas President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties 
     Act of 1988 into law on August 10, 1988, proclaiming that day 
     to be a ``great day for America'';
       Whereas the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 established the 
     Civil Liberties Public Education Fund, the purpose of which 
     is ``to sponsor research and public educational activities 
     and to publish and distribute the hearings, findings, and 
     recommendations of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and 
     Internment of Civilians so that the events surrounding the 
     exclusion, forced removal, and internment of civilians and 
     permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry will be 
     remembered, and so that the causes and circumstances of this 
     and similar events may be illuminated and understood'';
       Whereas Congress adopted the Wartime Violation of Italian 
     Americans Civil Liberties Act, which was signed by President 
     Bill Clinton on November 7, 2000, which included provisions 
     which resulted in a report containing detailed information on 
     the types of violations that occurred, as well as lists of 
     individuals of Italian ancestry that were arrested, detained, 
     and interned;
       Whereas the Japanese American community recognizes a 
     National Day of Remembrance on February 19th of each year to 
     educate the public about the lessons learned from the 
     internment to ensure that it never happens again; and
       Whereas the Day of Remembrance provides an opportunity for 
     all people to reflect on the importance of justice and civil 
     liberties during times of uncertainty and emergency: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the historical significance of February 19, 
     1942, the date Executive Order 9066 was signed by President 
     Roosevelt, restricting the freedom of Japanese Americans, 
     German Americans, and Italian Americans, and legal resident 
     aliens through required identification cards, travel 
     restrictions, seizure of personal property, and internment; 
     and
       (2) supports the goals of the Japanese American, German 
     American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a 
     National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of 
     these events.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shaw). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on House Resolution 56 
currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise in favor of House Resolution 56. On 
February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066. 
Shortly afterwards, citizens of Japanese ancestry residing in the 
United States were prohibited from living, working or traveling on the 
West Coast of the United States. Executive Order 9066 ultimately led to 
the detention of 120,000 Japanese Americans and residents, most of whom 
did not see freedom until the closing days of World War II. Executive 
Order 9066 also resulted in restrictions upon the civil liberties of 
Italian and German Americans residing in the United States, including 
government-imposed curfews, detentions, prohibitions on items 
considered to be contraband by military authorities, and seizures of 
personal property.
  President Ford formally rescinded Executive Order 9066 in 1976. In 
his proclamation repealing this executive order, President Ford said:
  ``I call upon the American people to affirm with me this American 
promise, that we have learned from the tragedy of that long-ago 
experience forever to treasure liberty and justice for each individual 
American, and resolve that this kind of action shall never again be 
repeated.''
  Twelve years later, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act 
of 1988 to formally acknowledge and apologize for ``fundamental 
violations of the basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of 
individuals of Japanese ancestry.'' When signing the legislation, 
President Reagan said:
  ``Here we admit a wrong. Here we affirm our commitment as a Nation to 
equal justice under the law.''
  In the year 2000, President Clinton signed the Wartime Violation of 
Italian Americans Civil Liberties Act, which formally acknowledged 
civil liberties violations against Italian Americans committed during 
World War II. In November of 2001, the Committee on the Judiciary 
received a comprehensive report prepared by the Department of Justice 
detailing civil liberties violations committed against persons of 
Italian American ancestry during this period.
  The Japanese American community presently recognizes a National Day 
of Remembrance on February 19 of each year to educate the public about 
the internment. House Resolution 56 reaffirms the importance of this 
day. The resolution also supports the goals of the Japanese American, 
German American and Italian American communities in recognizing a 
National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness of the events 
surrounding this difficult period of our Nation's history.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. The World War II 
internment of American citizens of Japanese, German and Italian 
ancestry for no reason other than their heritage is a disgraceful blot 
on the history of this Nation and on our commitment to freedom and 
equality. Sometimes, in times of panic and insecurity, we have 
forgotten what is best and most admired about our Nation and we have 
done things which in retrospect and with cooler heads we have come to 
realize were both unnecessary and unjust. This unfortunate history 
includes the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, the suspension of the 
writ of habeas corpus during

[[Page H779]]

the Civil War, the Espionage Act of 1917, the Smith Act of 1940, the 
Japanese, German and Italian internments, the McCarthy depredations of 
the early Cold War years, the COINTELPRO operations of the FBI, and 
some of what is going on today.
  We are regrettably going through another period of fear and 
insecurity due to the very real threat of terrorism. We must not give 
in to fear and we must not repeat the sin of trampling civil liberties 
in ways that purport to, but do not even, add to our own security. But 
I fear we are yet again doing just that.
  There is no greater way to honor those many loyal Americans who 
suffered injustices during World War II than to rededicate ourselves to 
fighting for the principles that this history teaches, to remembering 
this history, to passing this resolution but to try to avoid repeating 
this history as I fear we are doing in some of the things that are 
going on in this time of insecurity today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox)
  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for bringing this 
important resolution to the floor. I rise in strong support of House 
Resolution 56, which calls for a National Day of Remembrance to 
increase public awareness of the Japanese Americans, German Americans 
and Italian Americans whose civil rights were violated during World War 
II. Suffering by the Japanese-American community was particularly 
acute.
  On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed his 
infamous Executive Order 9066. It ordered the imprisonment of 120,000 
Japanese Americans on the West Coast of the United States. For most of 
the war, these loyal Americans, who had done nothing to deserve such 
treatment, were forced to live under armed guard in isolated camps 
hundreds of miles from home. The Japanese Americans subject to Franklin 
Roosevelt's executive order had as little as 4 days to prepare for 
being rounded up. They were forced to sell or lease their property 
often at ruinous losses. They were deprived of income during their 
imprisonment. Many lost their businesses, their livelihoods and their 
life savings. So many hardworking Americans were rounded up into camps 
that the economies of entire States, California, Oregon and Washington, 
suffered severely.
  FDR's wholesale denial of Americans' constitutional rights shamed 
America but all Americans can be proud of the Japanese Americans he 
imprisoned. Despite their shameful treatment by the Roosevelt 
administration, they never wavered in their patriotism and their 
support for the United States and for the war effort. In fact, the most 
decorated combat unit of World War II, the 442nd Regimental Combat 
Team, was composed of Japanese Americans, many of whom themselves had 
been internees in these camps.
  Mr. Speaker, Franklin Roosevelt's executive order was never formally 
rescinded until President Gerald Ford took action. On February 19, 
1976, he rescinded Executive Order 9066 with a proclamation entitled 
``An American Promise.'' By President Ford's proclamation, America 
finally recognized the sacrifices made by Japanese Americans for the 
United States and called upon all Americans to resolve that such a 
tragedy would never happen again.
  And then on August 10, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed into law 
the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 by which the United States Government 
at long last apologized for, quote, the fundamental violations of the 
basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of persons of Japanese 
ancestry. One of my predecessors as policy chairman here in the House, 
then Representative Dick Cheney, now Vice President Dick Cheney, 
cosponsored the bill. My predecessor from Orange County, California, 
Representative Robert Badham, was one of its strongest advocates. The 
Civil Liberties Act also established the Civil Liberties Public 
Education Fund to preserve in the national consciousness of our country 
the memory of the internment. At the signing ceremony, President Reagan 
quoted his own words honoring Japanese-American soldiers and all 
American soldiers who fought in World War II. Here is what President 
Reagan said:
  ``Blood that has soaked into the sands of a beach is all of one 
color. America stands unique in the world, the only country not founded 
on race but on a way, an ideal. Not in spite of but because of our 
polyglot background, we have had all the strength in the world. That is 
the American way.''
  Six decades later, as President Reagan would say, that is still the 
American way, and we do great honor to the Congress, to the country, to 
Japanese Americans and to people who come to America from all parts of 
the world by passing this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on House Resolution 56.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from California (Mr. Honda), the sponsor of the resolution.
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
56, a resolution I introduced last year on behalf of the Japanese-, 
Italian- and German-American communities to establish a National Day of 
Remembrance for the restriction, exclusion and internment of 
individuals and families during World War II. I thank the House 
leadership as well as the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), 
the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler) for their leadership in steering this measure to the 
floor today. While the resolution addresses events from our past, it 
does more than honor victims. It reminds us and our constituents that 
past national mistakes must not be repeated, even during times of great 
uncertainty.
  To achieve these goals, we must first recognize the magnitude and 
severity of our Nation's injustices during World War II. In 1942, the 
U.S. Government rounded up and incarcerated approximately 120,000 
Americans of Japanese descent, primarily from the West Coast, tearing 
families apart and forcing these hardworking people to sell their 
businesses and their personal properties for pennies on the dollar. 
Many literally lost the fruits of a lifetime of work due to Executive 
Order 9066 signed by President Roosevelt on February 19, 1942.
  I know firsthand the pain inflicted on those families incarcerated 
because I spent part of my childhood at Amache internment camp in 
southeast Colorado. My family was uprooted from our home and community 
and sent hundreds of miles away from our homes and communities for no 
other reason than our ancestry. There can be no confusion. The decision 
by America's political leaders in 1942 to intern Japanese Americans was 
signed, sealed and delivered not out of concern for national security 
or for the safety and security of Japanese Americans. This executive 
order was based on neither reason nor evidence but on fear and panic. 
The U.S. Government acknowledged as much in 1982 under Carter when the 
Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians concluded 
that military necessity did not justify the exclusion and detention of 
these groups. Instead, the government's decision-making was driven by 
race prejudice, war hysteria and the failure of political leadership.
  As the commission's report points out, ``A grave personal injustice 
was done to the American citizens and resident aliens of Japanese 
ancestry who, without individual review or any probative evidence 
against them, were excluded, removed and detained by the United States 
during World War II.''
  In 1988, Congress finally redressed these wrongs by formally 
apologizing and providing compensation to those unjustly relocated 
during World War II. It is a true testament to our Nation's values and 
democratic process that our Nation has been able to look back and admit 
errors from its past. I can think of no greater evidence to demonstrate 
why the United States, with all its flaws, is still looked to worldwide 
as the nation with the strongest and fairest form of government.
  But it is not enough to admit our wrong and compensate those 
persecuted. It is equally important that today we endeavor to educate 
the public about the internment of Americans to avert the execution of 
federally sanctioned discrimination and maltreatment in the future. It 
is critically important more than ever to speak up

[[Page H780]]

against possible unjust policies that may come before this body. It is 
critical that we educate all Americans of the Japanese-American 
experience during World War II as well as the experience of other 
groups like the Japanese Latin Americans.

                              {time}  1200

  These people were extricated from Latin America, brought over here, 
and had their documents taken away from them, thus becoming individuals 
without a country to be used as pawns in exchange for POWs in the 
Pacific Theater. As this resolution does, we must also remember the 
experiences of the German and Italian Americans who were also 
victimized.
  Having recognized this, many members of those communities have 
suddenly realized that they were wrong, that they were not criminals; 
and because of the recognition, this awful burden of guilt has been 
lifted from their shoulders and from the communities.
  As a teacher, I feel this point is especially timely and pertinent. 
In today's war against terrorism, we must be especially cognizant of 
the adage that those who do not learn from their past mistakes are 
doomed to repeat them.
  Since World War II, our civil liberties have not been as much at risk 
as they are today. Even while we prosecute the war against terrorism, 
we must protect all innocent Americans from prejudice and xenophobia.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, a person with my face, my background, and being a 
third-generation American of Japanese descent, standing in the Halls of 
Congress under the dome of the greatest capitol of this Nation, of this 
world, I have learned one lesson. And bringing together all of our 
experiences from our various communities during that time of trauma, 
the lesson that was learned, and it is an American lesson, is that the 
Constitution is never tested in times of tranquility. Rather, our 
Constitution is sorely tested in times of national tension, trauma, 
tragedy, and terrorism; and that we as Americans, in order to address 
our future, must internalize the principles of the Constitution and the 
Bill of Rights.
  So I would like to conclude my remarks by honoring all those 
Americans who suffered on the homefront during World War II, and I hope 
this resolution will provide additional healing for those of our 
Nation. It takes enormous maturity for our Nation to admit its wrongs.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lofgren).
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, as has been mentioned, on February of 1942, 
then-President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order which 
authorized the Secretary of War to define military areas in which ``the 
right of any person to enter, remain in, or leave shall be subject to 
whatever restrictions'' are deemed ``necessary'' or ``desirable.''
  By the spring of 1942, California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona 
were designated as military areas. And in May, Japanese Americans were 
ordered to ``close their affairs promptly and make their own 
arrangements for disposal of personal and real property.''
  Official government fliers were posted around California instructing 
families to report to 12 assembly centers including the Tanforan 
Racetrack for San Francisco Japanese Americans to the Santa Anita 
Racetrack for Japanese Americans in the Santa Clara Valley. They could 
only bring the bare necessities, leaving behind homes, their lives, and 
most personal belongings. Santa Clara and San Francisco Japanese 
Americans were forced to live in horse stables for as long as 6 months 
until a permanent camp was built for them; 110,000 Japanese Americans 
were evacuated from their homes and incarcerated throughout the 
duration of the war.
  By the fall of 1942, most of the Santa Clara Valley Japanese American 
internees were transported to a camp far away from home, the Heart 
Mountain Internment Camp Wyoming; and the San Francisco internees were 
sent to various camps, some as far away as Utah.
  The horror did not end there. At the end of the war when Japanese 
Americans were finally released and went home, they found that they had 
no shelter, no food, money, much less a job. Some returned to find 
homes looted and destroyed. In my district, the San Jose Buddhist 
Church offered what it could, shelter and hot meals for most families. 
And a good piece of news, in Santa Clara County, the family of Bob 
Peckham, later to become Federal District Court Judge Bob Peckham, had 
taken title to the property of their Japanese American neighbors, and 
they were able to preserve much of the property and return it at the 
end of the internment.
  All of this happened before I was born, but I remember hearing about 
it well before it hit the history books because my mother was a young 
woman in 1942, and she was building airplanes for Douglas Aircraft. My 
dad was in the Army. And I remember her telling me going past the 
Tanforan Racetrack and how guilty and ashamed she was and how helpless 
she felt. She knew that her neighbors had been wrongly locked up in 
these horse stables. She knew what her government had done was wrong; 
but as a young girl, she really did not know what to do and how to 
change that. She was a lifelong Democrat. She cast her first 
Presidential vote for FDR, but she never agreed with what he did to her 
neighbors.
  What has happened since then? We have adopted legislation to rescind. 
We have the Civil Liberties Act. We have apologies. And that is 
important to my neighbors and my parents' neighbors who were 
incarcerated people like Ed Kawazoe and Jimi Yamaichi and Ted and Raiko 
and certainly the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) and Norm Mineta 
and others; but this resolution is also important because it allows all 
of the Americans, not just those whose rights were violated but those 
who were on the outside, to reflect and to understand that an apology 
can be given, a country can improve, and we will never allow such a 
thing to happen again.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for 
yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the gentleman from 
California's (Mr. Honda) resolution and thank the members of the 
Committee on the Judiciary for bringing it to the floor.
  At sometime or another, we have all heard the words of Pastor Martin 
Niemoller. We know he was commenting on an unspeakable time when 
throughout Europe the Nazis were rounding up those they did not want in 
their model society. But do his words ring true for the United States 
as well?
  He said, ``First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out 
because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists, and I did 
not speak out because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the 
trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade 
unionist. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out 
for me.''
  Under the Roosevelt-signed Executive Order 9066, American citizens of 
Japanese descent and Japanese residents of the United States were 
prohibited from living, working, or traveling on the west coast of the 
United States. It sounds almost foreign to us in America. EO 9066 
ultimately led to the detention of 120,000 Japanese Americans and 
residents, most of whom did not see freedom until the closing days of 
World War II. That executive order also resulted in restrictions upon 
the civil liberties of Italian Americans and German Americans residing 
in the United States during World War II, including government-imposed 
curfews, prohibition on items considered to be contraband by military 
authorities, and seizures of personal property.
  In the Korematsu case that challenged Japanese internment camps, even 
our United States Supreme Court failed our right to freedom, despite 
those words ``Equal Justice Under Law'' engraved on the facade.
  Thankfully, over the past 62 years, this order has been revoked and 
the Federal Government has tried to make amends. We owe a debt of 
gratitude to our Greatest Generation in protecting our freedom and 
democracy abroad; however, we cannot forget that in some respects 
democracy failed us at home in 1942. The freedom we fought for was not 
shared by many Americans during that time.

[[Page H781]]

  Today's resolution reaffirms the importance of the National Day of 
Remembrance on February 19 to educate the public about the internment. 
But let this resolution also remind us to never repeat the mistakes of 
the past. We must stand up for freedom for all Americans, regardless of 
skin color, ethnicity, or religion. It is vital now not only because it 
is right and the human thing to do, but for self-interest as well.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Nadler) for yielding me this time, and I am pleased to join my 
colleagues in support of House Resolution 56, which seeks to increase 
awareness and further public understanding of the mistreatment of 
American citizens during World War II.
  I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for his 
compassionate leadership on these issues and in particular for his 
sponsorship of House Resolution 56.
  In the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt 
signed Executive Order 9066, allowing for thousands of Japanese 
Americans and Japanese residents, primarily from the west coast, to be 
removed from their homes, interned, and prohibited from returning until 
December of 1944.
  In addition, Mr. Speaker, many Italian Americans and German Americans 
were expelled from designated areas under the U.S. Government's 
Individual Exclusion Program and were subject to arbitrary arrest.
  The actions of our government during this period was and remains a 
source of great pain. The internment of the Japanese Americans, German 
Americans, and Italian Americans was a grave injustice of their civil 
rights.
  There are lessons to be learned from this experience, and these 
lessons cannot be learned without discussing and understanding the 
circumstances surrounding the enactment of Executive Order 9066. We 
must be cognizant of the fragile nature of our civil rights which have 
been won on the battlefield and in the Halls of Congress; and we must 
always be mindful of the threats to our freedom and security; and, 
likewise, we must be mindful of how our own perceptions of our fellow 
Americans and our own prejudices affect our freedom.
  It is now more important than ever because of the many issues that 
have arisen concerning security in the aftermath of September 11. As we 
wage the war on terrorism, the need for awareness and education is 
especially important. We must ensure that we have an understanding of 
who among us is the threat, not based on race or color or religion but 
based on facts that will withstand the scrutiny of our history. As we 
fight for freedom and security, let us not cast aside our own humanity.
  Mr. Speaker, as difficult as it is, we must come to terms with our 
national mistakes just as we celebrate our national achievements. We 
must acknowledge our misgivings in the past if we are to strengthen our 
ability to avoid mistakes in the future. As President Ford said in 1976 
when he formally rescinded Executive Order 9066, learning from our 
mistakes is not pleasant; but we must do so if we want to avoid 
repeating them.
  Supporting the goals of the Japanese American, German American, and 
Italian American communities in recognizing a National Day of 
Remembrance will help us learn the lessons, understand the historical 
significance of these actions, and honor the sacrifice.
  Mr. Speaker, I am in support of House Resolution 56.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
gentleman for yielding me this time.
  It is with a humble spirit the recognition that we have come this 
far. We have not yet done and completed our journey.
  I rise to support H. Res. 56, supporting the goals of the Japanese 
American, German American, and Italian American communities in 
recognizing a National Day of Remembrance to increase public awareness 
of the events surrounding the restriction, exclusion, and internment of 
individuals and families during World War II. I thank the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Honda) for his persistence in cleaning the slate.
  My emphasis is to suggest that no one can feel their pain. We cannot 
in any way speak to the pain that German Americans and Japanese 
Americans, Italian Americans felt as their young men were on the front 
lines in Europe fighting on behalf of our freedom.

                              {time}  1215

  Yet their families at home were being mistreated and discriminated 
against, eliminated from jobs, abused and maybe somewhat violently 
treated. We know the Japanese Americans were interned. We know the 
German Americans were accused, and the Italian Americans as well.
  This resolution is long overdue. I stand enthusiastically to support 
it so we as Americans can stand united in freedom without 
discrimination and with affectionate respect for the heroes in the 
Japanese American family, the Italian American family and the German 
American family.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Hawaii.
  (Mr. CASE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. CASE. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in very strong support of this 
resolution, and commend my colleague, the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Honda), for introducing it.
  I rise as the representative of one of the two districts in our 
country that contains the largest number of Japanese Americans in our 
entire country. Some 20 percent of my constituents descended from the 
people that were directly impacted by the events of the Second World 
War and themselves impacted, the other district being the First 
Congressional District of Hawaii.
  But in 1941 as the war broke out, 38 percent of Hawaii was composed 
of Americans of Japanese ancestry; 38 percent of people from Japan 
whose origins were in Japan, who had lived and worked successfully in 
Hawaii for almost a century at that point. By the end of the war, about 
1,500 of them had been interned, an unconscionable figure, but nothing 
like what happened proportionately to the population of Japanese 
Americans on the mainland.
  And there were some heroes to be recognized even today. So as we 
remember today what our country did to those citizens of our country 
and those of German and Italian descent, we also have to remember there 
were heroes then, people not from those racial groups, who stood up and 
were counted.
  Robert Shivers, the former Director of the FBI's Honolulu office, who 
arrived in 1939 and took it upon himself to understand Japanese 
Americans in Hawaii, he had the power to say who would and would not be 
interned, and he recognized that most, if not all, of the Japanese 
American citizens of Honolulu and Hawaii were not to be interned. He 
was a hero. He remains a hero to my constituency today.
  Dr. Charles Hemenway, former President of the U.H. Board of Regents, 
who took the time as well to work with Agent Shivers to get beyond the 
hysteria of the war and into the facts, who did have to be interned as 
a legitimate risk, but who was simply not a risk to their country; 
Colonel Kendall Fielder, former head of G-2 intelligence operations for 
the Army in the Pacific, decisions that he made on behalf of our 
military, for which he took an incredible amount of heat at the time 
from his national superiors, were vindicated after the war.
  These were people that stood up and counted at the time, and as we 
remember what we did, we need to remember who helped them at that time. 
We also need to remember simply that our institutions are what prevent 
this from happening again.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend this resolution, and support it fully.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra).
  Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner), the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Nadler) and certainly the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for 
their work in bringing this resolution to the floor.
  H. Res. 56 deserves the support not just of the Members of this 
House, but

[[Page H782]]

every single American who believes in democracy and freedom. We must 
remember, because the final chapter on those events back during World 
War II has not yet closed. That chapter has yet to be fully written, 
and before we are able to say we can turn the last page and put that 
book up on the shelf we have to make sure that we remember that there 
still are Japanese Americans as a result of technicalities who have not 
received any redress from the 1988 Civil Liberties Act.
  We still have many communities, the German American community, the 
Italian American community, that have not yet had a chance to have 
their contributions to this country fully appreciated. So I think we 
have to all come together to agree that it was time for this resolution 
to come before us and to pass.
  I also believe that at some point soon this Congress will be 
benevolent and the American people will understand that there are 
Japanese Latin Americans who deserve to be fully recognized and be 
conveyed some kind of apology, along with redress, to make sure all 
those who suffered have an opportunity to have redress fully fulfilled.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and I appreciate the 
resolution that has come before us this evening.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, over 60 years ago, at a time of panic and insecurity, 
this country committed a great wrong against people of Japanese, 
Italian and German background. Several years ago, the United States 
apologized for this, voted monetary compensation, and today we are 
passing a resolution supporting the goal of recognizing a day of 
national remembrance to increase public awareness of these events.
  It is right and fitting that we should do this, and we should pass 
this resolution. I hope and I pray that as we increase public awareness 
of these events, we will learn from it, so that we do not repeat the 
same kind of actions as we have done in the past at times of insecurity 
and panic.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, all of those who have spoken during this debate have 
pointed out very clearly that this resolution is a good resolution and 
is a necessary resolution. I think that probably the key part of this 
resolution is that it gives Congressional recognition to the 
remembrances that occur on February 19 of each year, because we should 
not forget about the egregious error that President Roosevelt committed 
against the civil liberties of the Japanese Americans when he signed 
the executive order that resulted in their internment.
  The only way we will not forget is by having a remembrance that 
occurs, so that from one generation to the next people will see that 
the United States of America made a bad mistake.
  This resolution will come and go and maybe it will be forgotten and 
maybe it will not be forgotten, but the annual remembrances on February 
19 will make sure that the violation of civil liberties will not be 
forgotten, and that is the preventive to make sure that this never 
happens again.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the resolution.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this bill, H. Res. 56, which came before the Committee on the Judiciary 
in January for markup. I supported this bill at that time as well.
  It recognizes the historical significance of February 19, 1942, the 
day that President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 to restrict 
the freedom of Japanese Americans, and supports efforts of the 
Japanese, German, and Italian American communities to increase public 
awareness of these events by way of a National Day of Remembrance. 
Every year, this day is recognized by the Japanese American community 
to educate the public about the internment and to prevent such 
restrictions of civil liberties from happening again.
  Our colleague Mr. Honda is to be commended for his work in drafting 
this important legislation, and I am pleased that it has 70 co-
sponsors, 67 of whom are from this side of the aisle.
  During World War II, President Roosevelt used his executive authority 
to authorize the exclusion of 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese 
legal permanent residents from the United States and their internment 
in camps on the grounds of national security and military necessity. 
The freedoms of Italian and German Americans were also restricted 
during this war. These individuals were classified as enemy aliens and 
were required to carry identifications cards. Their property was 
seized, their travel was limited, and they were also interned in camps.
  Fortunately, President Ford rescinded Executive Order 9066 on 
February 19, 1976. In 1980, Congress established a Commission on 
Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians that investigated the 
internment and restriction of civil liberties under Executive Order 
9066. The Commission found that the Order was not justified by military 
necessity but resulted from ``race prejudice, war hysteria, and a 
failure of political leadership.'' In 1988, Congress enacted the Civil 
Liberties Act of 1988 apologizing to people of Japanese ancestry for 
the denial of their civil liberties and for the violations perpetrated 
against them by the U.S. The Wartime Violation of Italian Americans 
Civil Liberties Act, which passed in 2000, chronicled violations of the 
rights of Italian Americans that occurred during that time.
  H. Res. 56 had added significance in light of the Bush 
Administration's expensive detention of Arab and Muslim Americans and 
resident in the week of 9/11. The Bush Administration consistently uses 
``national security'' and ``war powers'' to violate the civil liberties 
of citizens and deport, question, and harass immigrants.
  Today, a similar situation is occurring with respect to Haiti and 
Iraq. In Haiti, hundreds of asylum-seeker are being denied due process 
in their asylum petition hearings. These people are being denied their 
civil liberties and the right to live. They, in many cases, are 
summarily turned back to the shores of Haiti where they will likely 
suffer or die. In Iraq, under the name of ``national security'' and 
``war powers,'' this Administration has led us into a war and 
subsequent occupation that has cost us numerous lives and high costs. 
H. Res. 56 sets a precedent of recognizing that the notion of 
``national security'' and the ``war powers'' need to be utilized with 
more foresight, respect, and adherence to the principles of 
international as well as domestic laws.
  For the above reasons, Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 56 which 
seeks to recognize a National Day of Remembrance regarding the 
treatment of Japanese, German and Italian Americans during World War 
II.
  Many Americans are not aware that on February 19th, 1942 Executive 
Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt authorizing restrictions 
and internment of ``enemy aliens.'' While the intent of this order was 
to monitor and detain people from countries the United States was 
fighting in World War II, the result was that thousands of patriotic 
Americans of foreign descent had their civil liberties revoked--even 
though they had done nothing wrong.
  I am troubled by the fact that the internment of Italian Americans is 
little known even today. For these reasons I authored H.R. 2442 in the 
106th Congress, which called for the United States to acknowledge this 
terrible chapter in our history and required the Department of Justice 
to study and report back to Congress on the extent of the Italian 
American Internment, known in the Italian American Community as ``Una 
Storia Segreta'' (the Secret Story).
  Mr. Speaker, the Justice Department report confirmed much of what I 
learned in the years leading up to the enactment of H.R. 2442. 
Thousands of loyal Italian American patriots, mothers and fathers of 
U.S. troops, even women and children were suspected of being dangerous 
and subversive. With this new enemy alien status, Italians were 
subjected to strict curfew regulations, forced to carry photo ID's, and 
could not travel further than a 5 mile radius from their homes without 
prior approval. Furthermore, many Italian fishermen were forbidden from 
using their boats in prohibited zones. Since fishing was the only means 
of income for many families, households were torn apart or completely 
relocated as alternative sources of income were sought.
  It is difficult to believe that over 10,000 Italians deemed enemy 
aliens were forcibly evacuated from their homes and over 52,000 were 
subject to strict curfew regulations. Ironically, over 500,000 Italians 
were serving in the United States Armed Forces fighting to protect the 
liberties of all Americans, while many of their family members had 
their basic freedoms revoked.
  When we first started researching the Italian American Internment we 
had vague accounts of mostly anonymous Italians who were subjected to 
these civil liberties abuses. However, throughout the process we came 
in contact with many Italians who experienced the internment ordeal 
first hand. Dominic DiMaggio testified at a Judiciary Committee hearing 
about his dismay when he returned home from the war to find that his 
mother and father were enemy aliens. Doris Pinza, wife of international 
opera star Ezio Pinza, also testified at

[[Page H783]]

the hearing about her husband who was only weeks away from obtaining 
U.S. citizenship when he was classified as an enemy alien and detained 
at Ellis Island. It still saddens me to think that Ellis Island, the 
world renowned symbol of freedom and democracy, was used as a holding 
cell for Italians. There is even documented evidence of Italians being 
interned in camps at Missoula, Montana.
  Mr. Speaker, we must ensure that these terrible events will never be 
perpetrated again. We must safeguard the individual rights of all 
Americans from arbitrary persecution or no American will ever be 
secure. While we cannot erase the mistakes of the past, we must learn 
from them in order to ensure that we never subject anyone to the same 
injustices. But most important of all, we can never forget what 
happened during this time or we run the risk of repeating this awful 
chapter in our history. That is why H. Res. 56 is important to this 
Congress and all Americans. A National Day of Remembrance will ensure 
that the treatment of Japanese, German, and Italian Americans will 
always be remembered, and hopefully, we will never allow the civil 
liberties of Americans to be jeopardized again.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 56 recognizing the significance of February 19, 1942, the 
day that President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, 
which led to the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans and residents 
of Japanese descent and the deprivation of rights of German Americans 
and Italian Americans.
  The Resolution supports the goals of the Japanese American, German 
American, and Italian American communities in recognizing a national 
day of remembrance to increase public awareness of the restrictions and 
internment of individuals during World War II.
  I am proud to join my colleague Representative Mike Honda, who spent 
his early childhood in an internment camp, in cosponsoring this 
Resolution. I appreciate his leadership and diligence in bringing this 
Resolution.
  The West Coast of our country was particularly affected by the forced 
relocations and unjust internment of thousands of American citizens and 
residents of Japanese descent during World War II. The failure of our 
political and judicial system to prevent this injustice still 
reverberates strongly across our nation.
  Only belatedly did this Nation acknowledge and apologize for the 
bigotry and injustice spurred by Executive Order 9066. The ``Civil 
Liberties Act of 1988'' was enacted to formally acknowledge and 
apologize for fundamental violations of the basic civil liberties and 
constitutional rights of these individuals of Japanese ancestry.'' In 
2000, President Clinton signed the ``Wartime Violation of Italian 
Americans Civil Liberties Act,'' which formally acknowledged civil 
liberties violations against Italian Americans.
  It is imperative that our generation and future generations recall 
the deprivations suffered by the Japanese American, German American and 
Italian American communities during World War II. The date of February 
19, 1942 must serve as a constant reminder that we must never again 
violate individual rights on the basis of national origin.
  The Resolution reaffirms the importance of February 19th, which is 
recognized as a National Day of Remembrance each year by the Japanese 
American community. The Japanese American community and its supporters 
across the Nation have worked hard to educate the public about the 
internment.
  The lessons of that dark chapter in our history are especially 
relevant today. As we protect and defend the American people against 
terrorism, we must protect and defend the Constitution and the civil 
liberties that define our democracy.
  I commend the House of Representatives for considering this 
Resolution. I urge its passage.
  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 56 and 
commend the Japanese American, German American and Italian American 
communities for their efforts to commemorate and promote a National Day 
of Remembrance. Although this is a regrettable time in American 
history, we cannot let this period be forgotten. It is only by 
increasing public awareness of the events surrounding the restriction, 
exclusion and internment of individuals and families during World War 
II that we can guard against such future violations.
  Sixty-two years ago, the signing of Executive Order 9066 led to the 
forced internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. 
They were held without cause and without recourse. These individuals 
and families suffered needlessly because of rampant fear, prejudice and 
a lack of political leadership.
  These pervasive feelings also imposed limits on the freedoms of 
German Americans and Italian Americans. The government restricted their 
travel and seized their property, and the public branded them as the 
enemy.
  In 1988, the Federal government acknowledged the tragic injustice of 
the internment. Due in large part to the efforts of the Japanese 
American community, the government issued a formal apology and offered 
redress to internees. We can never compensate for what was taken away 
from these families and individuals. But we can honor their struggle 
and their legacy by understanding the events that lead to their 
internment.
  It takes a strong and confident Nation to look introspectively at its 
own actions and admit that it made a mistake. Today, it is accepted 
that the World War II Japanese internment was a grievous error. Not 
only did these actions disrupt lives and communities, it has left a 
stain on America's history of freedom, tolerance, and liberty for all 
of its citizens.
  Marking the anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 
provides a time for political leaders to reflect on the lessons of the 
past and on the importance of principled leadership in the future. We 
must never again sacrifice the core values of our democracy and 
Constitution, especially in times of uncertainty and emergency.
  The National Day of Remembrance honors those who suffered and reminds 
us to strive toward a better society where such prejudice does not 
exist. We all have a role in ensuring that such injustices do not 
happen again.
  Once again, I want to join my colleagues in recognizing the very 
important work the Japanese American, German American and Italian 
American communities are doing in raising awareness of the National Day 
of Remembrance. I also want to commend Representative Honda for his 
efforts to bring this resolution to the floor. To those personally 
affected by these events, I especially want to thank you for sharing 
your stories and for your efforts in educating the American public. 
Your leadership inspires us all.
   Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
support for House Resolution 56 which was introduced by Mr. Honda of 
California last month. This resolution would create a National Day of 
Remembrance in honor of the Japanese-Americans, Italian-Americans, and 
German-Americans who suffered injustices during the Second World War.
   Before I begin, I would like to congratulate Mr. Honda on his new 
role as the Chairman of the Caucus of Asian Pacific American Caucus. He 
has long been a champion of the concerns of Asian Pacific Americans and 
will undoubtedly serve them well in his new role.
   In February of 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed 
Executive Order 9066 that paved the way for discriminatory action 
against American citizens of Japanese, German, and Italian descent. 
Across the West Coast, Japanese-Americans were evacuated en masse from 
their homes and relocated to internment camps. German-Americans and 
Italian-Americans were often the object of discriminatory policies, as 
well.
   The residents in my home State of Connecticut were as deeply 
affected as the rest of the country by these political actions. A 
detention center for those considered to be `alien enemies' was 
established in a community center in Hartford. Japanese, Italian, and 
German resident aliens were required to carry their immigration papers 
at all times and their movement was restricted. In addition, many of 
the Japanese-Americans who were interned on the West Coast moved to the 
East Coast, including Connecticut, after their release. The suffering 
that these communities endured has remained with them and must be 
addressed.
   The apology offered by this government in 1988 is not sufficient. We 
must not allow the lessons learned from this chapter of our history to 
be lost, regardless of how painful they may be. It is this very pain 
that makes them so valuable. We cannot forget the suffering endured by 
our own citizens. Establishing a National Day of Remembrance is 
important in ensuring that this does not happen.
   The National Day of Remembrance is not simply a matter of honoring 
the past. The treatment of Japanese-Americans, Italian-Americans, and 
German-Americans during World War II has significant implications for 
us today. This country is in a war against terror. Our relations with 
other nations should not make way for injustice and discrimination 
toward our own people. The National Day of Remembrance would serve as a 
reminder that questioning the loyalty of our citizens without just 
cause is a grave mistake.
   I would like to commend Mr. Honda on his introduction of this 
resolution and his dedication to this important cause. The Japanese-
American, Italian-American, and German-American people have expressed 
the desire that the experiences of their communities during World War 
II be remembered to serve as a lesson for future generations. This 
resolution is a valuable reminder that it is the work of this country 
to preserve the civil liberties of its people.
   It is often said that history tends to repeat itself. However, it 
does not have to. We have an opportunity to take action to prevent a 
similar threat to the civil liberties of innocent citizens as took 
place during World War II from occurring again. I hope that this is 
something

[[Page H784]]

that members on both sides of the aisle will be able to agree to do and 
I would therefore like to urge all of my colleagues to support this 
important resolution.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 56, a 
resolution recognizing the historical significance of February 19, 1942 
and supporting the Japanese American, German American, and Italian 
American communities in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance.
  On February 19, 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed 
Executive Order 9066, under which authority approximately 120,000 
Americans of Japanese ancestry were forcibly removed from their homes 
and incarcerated during World War II. The last of the detainees were 
released in October 1946, 4\1/2\ years after the signing of the 
Executive Order, and over a year after the end of the war. But this 
dark chapter in our American history did not end there.
  Upon release from the internment camps, Japanese Americans could not 
return to the lives they had led before the tragic Executive Order. 
During the period of internment, they lost their homes, their 
businesses, their livelihoods.
  Thirty years passed before the Executive Order was formally rescinded 
in 1976. And it took the government an additional 12 years before 
reparations and a Presidential apology were issued in 1988.
  Mr. Speaker, it took over 40 years for the government to acknowledge 
the magnitude of the mistake it had made in interning Japanese 
Americans. We must now vow to remember the unspeakable injustice 
perpetrated upon our fellow Americans by our American government so 
that it may not be repeated. I thank Mr. Honda for introducing this 
important resolution which reminds us not to forget the mistakes of our 
past.
  We support the Japanese American, German American, and Italian 
American communities in recognizing a National Day of Remembrance. This 
dark period in our history not only devastated the lives of Japanese 
Americans, but also restricted the freedoms of Italian Americans and 
German Americans during World War II.
  Mr. Speaker, we must recognize that measures such as Executive Order 
9066, which was found to be shaped by ``race prejudice, war hysteria, 
and a failure of political leadership,'' violate not only the rights of 
those they target, but in fact, attack the basic freedoms of all 
Americans guaranteed by the Constitution. Let the lessons of the past 
teach us to be wary of the actions we as a Congress take hastily, based 
on fear. Let us remember.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my good friend Mike Honda 
as a cosponsor of H. Res. 56, a bill that commemorates the suffering of 
the Japanese-American, German-American and Italian-American communities 
during World War II by recognizing February 19 as a National Day of 
Remembrance. It is my sincere hope and belief that establishing a 
National Day of Remembrance will increase public awareness about the 
loss of civil liberties that were suffered by individuals as well as 
entire families in this country during World War II.
  I recently had the privilege to speak to the San Mateo Chapter of the 
Japanese American Citizens Leagues (JACL), whose mission is to secure 
and maintain the civil rights of Americans of Japanese ancestry and 
others who have been victimized by injustice. Several of the members 
attending the talk were, in fact, children of parents who had been 
interned in camps, and some had even been interned themselves. Mr. 
Speaker, I would like to thank the JACL, and also Former Representative 
Norm Mineta, whose leadership has been instrumental to ensuring that 
the American public is educated about this tragedy.
  As we are all well aware, following the issuance of Presidential 
Executive Order No. 9066 on February 19, 1942, tens of thousands of 
Americans were evicted from their homes, rounded up, and sent to 
internment camps across the western United states. In San Francisco, 
this program began in earnest on April 1, 1942, when all persons of 
Japanese ancestry--whether they were American citizens or not--were 
notified to report for ``relocation.'' In my own Congressional 
district, 7,800 people were assembled against their will at the San 
Bruno Tanforan Racetrack, which was recently portrayed in the movie 
``Sea Biscuit.''
  Mr. Speaker, I submit that it is not only in retrospect that the 
internment of the Japanese appears absurd and unacceptable. As early as 
1946 Harold Ickes, President Roosevelt's own secretary of the Interior, 
characterized the mass detention of Japanese Americans as a ``mass 
hysteria over the Japanese,'' he noted, ``we gave the fancy name of 
`relocation centers' to these dust bowls, but they were concentration 
camps.'' Mr. Speaker, ultimately the way we treated Japanese Americans 
was inexcusable. Moreover, the enormous human suffering and violation 
of civil liberties that this policy caused vastly outweighed any 
purported national security benefit derived from the government's 
internment policy.
  Mr. Speaker, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II 
is one of the most ignominious and repugnant acts that our Nation has 
committed. Americans of Japanese descent, some of whom had been in our 
nation for generations, were herded into internment camps, and denied 
the basic human rights afforded to all other Americans. Although we 
have taken the first steps toward recognizing the insidiousness of the 
internment policy, apologies and reparations are not enough by 
themselves. Indeed, we ought to be reminded on a regular basis of the 
dangers of fanaticism. Today, as we face a new set of challenges to 
civil liberties in our Nation, it is imperative that we work together 
to preserve our basic freedoms. After the September 11th tragedy, Arab, 
South Asian, Muslim and Sikh Americans faced real threats to their 
safety. Many immigrant communities were concerned that America's 
legitimate anger towards the foreign terrorist who masterminded and 
carried-out September 11th would be turned towards them. We must 
constantly be vigilant that his does not occur, and establishing a 
national day of remembrance is a laudable step toward this necessary 
goal.
  As the only Member of this body to have survived the Holocaust I 
bring a unique perspective to today's debate. As an oft quoted saying 
goes, ``Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it,'' and this 
legislation is the first step to ensuring that all Americans learn from 
the mistakes of our Nation's past mistreatment of Japanese-, German-, 
and Italian-Americans. I applaud Congressman Honda for introducing it, 
the Japanese American Citizens' League for endorsing it, and urge all 
of my colleagues to vote for it.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that 
the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 56.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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