[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 129 (Thursday, October 6, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H8674-H8678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE AND WORK OF SIMON WIESENTHAL

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 248) honoring the life 
and work of Simon Wiesenthal and reaffirming the commitment of Congress 
to the fight against anti-Semitism and intolerance in all forms, in all 
forums, and in all nations, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 248

       Whereas Simon Wiesenthal, who was known as the ``conscience 
     of the Holocaust'', was born on December 31, 1908, in 
     Buczacz, Austria-Hungary, and died in Vienna, Austria, on 
     September 20, 2005, and he dedicated the last 60 years of his 
     life to the pursuit of justice for the victims of the 
     Holocaust;
       Whereas, during World War II, Simon Wiesenthal worked with 
     the Polish underground and was interned in 12 different 
     concentration camps until his liberation by the United States 
     Army in 1945 from the Mauthausen camp;
       Whereas, after the war, Simon Wiesenthal worked for the War 
     Crimes Section of the United States Army gathering 
     documentation to be used in prosecuting the Nuremberg trials;
       Whereas Simon Wiesenthal's investigative work and expansive 
     research was instrumental in the capture and conviction of 
     more than 1,000 Nazi war criminals, including Adolf Eichmann, 
     the architect of the Nazi plan to annihilate European Jewry, 
     and Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer responsible for the 
     arrest and deportation of Anne Frank;
       Whereas numerous honors and awards were bestowed upon Simon 
     Wiesenthal, including the Congressional Gold Medal, honorary 
     British Knighthood, the Dutch Freedom Medal, the French 
     Legion of Honor, the World Tolerance Award, and the Jerusalem 
     Medal;
       Whereas the Simon Wiesenthal Center was founded in 1977 in 
     Los Angeles and named in honor of Simon Wiesenthal to promote 
     awareness of anti-Semitism, monitor neo-Nazi and other 
     extremist groups, and help bring surviving Nazi war criminals 
     to justice;
       Whereas, in 1978, inspired in part by the work of Simon 
     Wiesenthal, the Congress enacted a law to deny citizenship 
     and Federal benefits to former Nazis, and the Office of 
     Special Investigations of the Department of Justice has since 
     conducted more than 1,500 investigations, won 101 cases, and 
     blocked the immigration of 170 individuals, and the work of 
     the Office continues;
       Whereas, in keeping with the efforts of Simon Wiesenthal, 
     many governments have responded to the growing tide of anti-
     Semitism worldwide, elected leaders have spoken out against 
     anti-Semitism, and law enforcement officials and prosecutors 
     have aggressively pursed the perpetrators of anti-Semitic 
     acts; and
       Whereas Simon Wiesenthal's legacy teaches that the 
     perpetrators of genocide cannot and will not be allowed to 
     hide from their crimes: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),  That the Congress--
       (1) honors the life and work of Simon Wiesenthal to 
     memorialize the victims of the Holocaust and to bring the 
     perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice;
       (2) reaffirms its commitment to the fight against anti-
     Semitism and intolerance in all forms, in all forums, and in 
     all nations; and
       (3) urges all members of the international community to 
     facilitate the investigation and prosecution of surviving 
     Nazi war criminals and to continue documenting and collecting 
     information on Nazi war crimes for archival and historical 
     purposes.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 248, I am very pleased to 
bring this timely resolution before the House today. I thank the 
sponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) 
and the leadership of the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) of 
the Committee on International Relations, as well as the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), a Holocaust survivor himself, for crafting 
this measure in honor of an extraordinary man who has passed from our 
midst, Simon Wiesenthal.
  Known as the ``Conscience of the Holocaust,'' Mr. Wiesenthal deserves 
recognition and the deepest respect by the Congress of the United 
States.
  Simon Wiesenthal died at the age of 97 in Vienna, Austria on 
September 20, 2005. A Ukrainian architect and civil engineer by 
training, he survived five Nazi death camps during World War II. Yet, 
he lost a staggering 89 relatives in the Holocaust.
  Mr. Wiesenthal lived by his own words. ``There is no freedom without 
justice,'' he would say. Living in Europe, almost literally among the 
ashes of the 6 million victims of the Holocaust, he began the tedious 
work of tracing and tracking war criminals who had been overlooked by 
the first waves of prosecutions by the allies and the new European 
governments. He worked meticulously and judiciously, sticking to the 
evidence at hand and avoiding any sensationalism. This occasionally 
brought him in conflict with others, but that was his way.
  The killers who managed Hitler's factories of death could never rest. 
Simon Wiesenthal was tireless in his pursuit of them. His dedication 
and dogged determination was instrumental in the capture and conviction 
of Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Nazi plan to annihilate 
European Jewry, as well as Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer who 
committed many heinous crimes including the arrest of Anne Frank.
  While many Nazis eluded immediate justice at the end of World War II, 
many did not escape it forever, thanks to Simon Wiesenthal. Today, as 
we fight anti-Semitism across the OSCE region, Europe and the Middle 
East and in Asia, we remember his legacy and act on the lessons of the 
Holocaust. His noble work was fueled by a passion for justice that has 
and will inspire others.
  In the United States, his example and inspiration led to the 
establishment of the Office of Special Investigations which allowed war 
criminals who found their way to our shores to be brought to justice.
  As noted in the resolution, Mr. Speaker, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, 
which has offices in L.A., Paris, New York, Toronto, Miami, Jerusalem 
and Buenos Aires, which has become a leading institution in advocating 
both remembrance and tolerance so as to help prevent future genocides, 
was named in his honor. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Paris, I would 
point out to my colleagues, testified at two Helsinki hearings that I 
chaired, and we inducted Shimon Samuels, who provided expert testimony 
on the deterioration of respect for Jews in Europe, the United States 
and Canada. Also, I would point out to my colleagues that the dean of 
the Simon Wiesenthal Center participated this past June in the U.S. 
delegation to the Cordoba OSCE Conference on Anti-Semitism and Other 
Forms of Intolerance.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress honored Simon Wiesenthal with a Gold Medal, and 
he won countless other forms of recognition from grateful individuals 
in governments from around the world.
  Simon Wiesenthal confronted humanity with the truth about those who 
masterminded and carried out the Holocaust. As a testament to the 
memory of the millions of victims, he gave meaning to the words ``never 
again'' by helping us to learn from the lessons of the past. Now that 
he has passed away, we must resolve to continue his work, as is urged 
upon us in this resolution, and I urge all of my colleagues to support 
this very important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 
248, a resolution honoring the life and courageous work of my friend, 
Simon Wiesenthal, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleague from California (Mr. 
Waxman) for introducing this resolution,

[[Page H8675]]

the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for his support in bringing it 
to the floor so quickly, and I want to express a special thanks to my 
good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) who has been an indefatigable 
fighter for all the causes that Simon Wiesenthal fought for and 
fighting against the monstrous hatred to which Simon Wiesenthal 
dedicated his life against.
  Mr. Speaker, when Simon Wiesenthal died on September 20, the world 
lost one of its great heroes of the last century. He was the conscience 
of the Holocaust who labored heroically for decades to make certain 
that history will not forget that nightmare, nor let its perpetrators 
escape justice. He did this, as he said, not just for the Holocaust 
victims like himself, but for his grandchildren, because if one 
generation's criminals go unpunished, their descendents will conclude 
that they too can literally get away with murder.
  Simon was a personal friend of mine who inspired my wife Annette who, 
like me, is also a Holocaust survivor, in her efforts on behalf of 
another giant of righteousness and decency, Raoul Wallenberg, the 
Swedish diplomat who saved the lives of tens of thousands of Hungarian 
Jews during the Nazi era.
  Wallenberg disappeared after the Soviet Army seized Hungary in 1945. 
Over 30 years later, it was Simon Wiesenthal who announced at a press 
conference in 1977 that Wallenberg was alive and imprisoned in Siberia. 
That announcement reenergized my wife Annette to intensify her search 
for Wallenberg and to obtain his release.
  Mr. Speaker, Simon Wiesenthal was a survivor who lived through 
numerous cruel, forced marches and imprisonment in many concentration 
camps. As all who experienced that unimaginable nightmare, he was 
deeply changed by the experience of the Holocaust.
  When American forces liberated this emaciated young man from the 
Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, he weighed a little over 90 
pounds.
  Rather than continue with his pre-war profession of architecture, 
Wiesenthal made it his life's work to pursue justice for victims who 
could not do this for themselves. Through his untiring efforts, some 
1,100 Nazi war criminals were tracked down and brought to justice. Some 
of these represented the holocaust's most egregious and monstrous 
perpetrators. They include Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo officer who 
arrested and sent to her death young Anne Frank of Amsterdam; Franz 
Stangl, the vicious and brutal commandant of the Sobibor and Treblinka 
death camps; and perhaps the most notorious of all, Adolf Eichmann, the 
Nazi SS commander who was the person primarily responsible for 
formulating and carrying out Hitler's ``final solution'' for the Jewish 
people. It was Eichmann who arrived in Budapest in July of 1944 to 
eliminate the Jewish population of Hungary, and he succeeded in large 
measure.
  Wiesenthal's tireless work as a Nazi hunter was undertaken to 
demonstrate that those who commit crimes against humanity will face 
justice. He preached vigilance so that never again would the world 
witness the tragedy of the Holocaust and be complicit through inaction.
  Wiesenthal helped in the establishment of two important institutions. 
First, in 1947, he founded the Jewish Documentation Center in Linz, 
Austria, from which he conducted his own relentless search for 
perpetrators of Nazi crimes against humanity; and then in 1977, he gave 
inspiration to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Holocaust memorial 
foundation that established the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. 
That museum focuses its work on the prosecution of Nazi war criminals, 
the commemoration of the events of the Holocaust, teaching tolerance of 
all mankind and fighting against bigotry and anti-Semitism.
  Mr. Speaker, my wife Annette and I will miss our visits with Simon 
Wiesenthal, but he has left us with a proud legacy through his 
vigilance, through his bravery, through his determination and through 
his passionate commitment to justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting 
this legislation today and in honoring this titan of justice who 
reminded us that mass murder must never go unpunished. We remember a 
great man who taught us that solemn commemoration is what true 
remembrance means.
  Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Waxman), the author of this resolution.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Simon Wiesenthal, a 
tireless champion of justice for the victims of the Holocaust and for 
all humanity.
  As a survivor of the Holocaust, Simon Wiesenthal called his life a 
miracle. One often wondered whether it was by strength, providence or 
simple luck that he survived 12 gruesome concentration camps, but when 
he emerged from Mauthausen, liberated by American troops, he pledged to 
dedicate his survival to the fight for justice for Nazi victims.

                              {time}  1645

  He began with painstaking detective work in the War Crimes Section of 
the U.S. Army, gathering documentation to be used in the prosecution of 
the Nuremberg trials. His meticulous archival research became a key 
building block for the Yad Vashem archive in Jerusalem.
  And when the Iron Curtain fell and the allied powers tired of 
tracking Nazi war criminals, Simon Wiesenthal pressed on. He helped 
locate Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Final Solution, who was put 
on trial and hanged in Israel.
  His efforts also led to the capture of Nazi war criminals living here 
in the United States. His success inspired the creation of the Office 
of Special Investigations at the Justice Department to seek their 
denaturalization and deportation.
  For Mr. Wiesenthal, the pursuit of war criminals and hate groups was 
an integral part of Holocaust remembrance. The genocide of millions 
could not be mourned properly while the murderers walked free. The cry 
of ``never again'' could not be fulfilled if the world did not act 
against neo-Nazis and other extremists who continue to foment hatred 
and violence.
  I am especially proud that my district in Los Angeles is home to the 
Simon Wiesenthal Center, a leading voice in Holocaust education and the 
fight against anti-Semitism, racism, and extremism.
  With offices around the world, the Wiesenthal Center has actively 
worked with UNESCO and the OSCE individual nations and regional 
institutions to fight increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and expose 
hate groups on the Internet.
  The center's Museum of Tolerance opened in 1993 and has welcomed over 
4 million visitors to its permanent collection on the Holocaust and 
contemporary exhibits on Rwanda, Sudan, and the former Yugoslavia.
  These programs are all part of Simon Wiesenthal's legacy as a hero to 
the victims of the Holocaust, the survivors, and future generations.
  As we mourn his passing, let us reaffirm our commitment to honor his 
courage and conviction and continue his life's work.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Simon Wiesenthal, a tireless 
champion of justice for the victims of the Holocaust and for all 
humanity.
  As a survivor of the Holocaust, Simon Wiesenthal called his life a 
miracle. He often wondered whether it was by strength, Providence, or 
simple luck that he survived 12 gruesome concentration camps. But when 
he emerged from Mauthausen, liberated by American troops, he pledged to 
dedicate his survival to the fight for justice for Nazi victims.
  He began with painstaking detective work in the War Crimes Section of 
the United States Army, gathering documentation to be used in the 
prosecution of the Nuremberg trials. His meticulous archival research 
became a key building block for the Yad Vashem archive in Jerusalem.
  And when the Iron Curtain fell and the allied powers tired of 
tracking Nazi war criminals, Simon Wiesenthal pressed on. He helped 
locate Adolf Eichman, the architect of the ``Final Solution,'' who was 
put on trial and hanged in Israel. He tracked down the Gestapo officer 
who arrested and deported Anne Frank to prove wrong the early Holocaust 
deniers who claimed her story was untrue.
  His efforts also led to the capture of Nazi war criminals living here 
in the United States. His success inspired the creation of the Office 
of Special Investigations at the Justice Department to seek their 
denaturalization and deportation.
  To date, OSI has won 101 cases. Its most recent victory came in 
August when a U.S.

[[Page H8676]]

District Court in Chicago revoked the citizenship of a member of a 
Nazi-sponsored Ukrainian unit that decimated the Jewish community of 
Lvov.
  For Mr. Wiesenthal, the pursuit of war criminals and hate groups was 
an integral part of Holocaust remembrance. The genocide of millions 
could not be mourned properly while the murderers walked free. The cry 
of `Never Again' could not be fulfilled if the world did not act 
against neo-Nazis and other extremists continuing to foment hatred and 
violence.
  I am especially proud that my district in Los Angeles is home to the 
Simon Wiesenthal Center--a leading voice in Holocaust education and the 
fight against anti-Semitism, racism and extremism.
  With offices around the world, the Wiesenthal Center has actively 
worked with UNESCO, the OSCE, individual nations and regional 
institutions to fight increasing anti-Semitism in Europe and expose 
hate groups on the Internet.
  The Center's Museum of Tolerance, opened in 1993, has welcomed over 4 
million visitors to its permanent collection on the Holocaust and 
contemporary exhibits on Rwanda, Sudan, and the former Yugoslavia.
  Thousands of students, teachers, and law enforcement officers have 
participated in the Museum's ``Tools for Tolerance'' program to combat 
hate crimes, prejudice, and bias in our own communities.
  These programs are all part of Simon Wiesenthal's legacy as a hero to 
the victims of the Holocaust, the survivors, and future generations.
  As we mourn his passing, let us reaffirm our commitment to honor his 
courage and conviction and continue his life's work.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) who has been an 
indefatigable fighter against discrimination of all types during his 
entire congressional career.
  (Mr. CARDIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos) for being the leader in this body for us never to forget 
the Holocaust and the lessons of the Holocaust.
  Let me thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) for his 
leadership on the Helsinki Commission and on the International 
Relations Committee and speaking up about intolerance and fighting all 
forms of discrimination.
  I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) for his leadership 
in bringing forward this resolution so that we can spend a few moments 
to commemorate the life of Simon Wiesenthal.
  As has been pointed out, Simon Wiesenthal was a survivor from the 
Holocaust. He lost 89 relatives to the Holocaust and then decided to 
devote his life to bringing those responsible for the Holocaust to 
justice. As a result of his work, many people were brought to trial and 
held accountable for their roles in the Holocaust. It established a 
legacy that we will never allow people who are responsible for crimes 
against humanity to go unpunished.
  Today, we have permanent centers for tolerance that Simon Wiesenthal 
was responsible for establishing. I have the honor of being the ranking 
Democrat on the Helsinki Commission. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith) is our chairman. We are inspired by Mr. Wiesenthal's work in our 
fight to end all forms of intolerance and discrimination, including 
anti-Semitism; and we worked with Simon Wiesenthal in mind to establish 
international priorities to fight anti-Semitism. Our conference in 
Berlin in 2004 and the OSCE's 2005 conference in Cordoba, Spain in 
which the Simon Wiesenthal Center was a leading participant, all this 
helps develop the legacy of Simon Wiesenthal.
  Civilized nations must pursue all those who promote or carry out acts 
of anti-Semitism, intolerance, or crimes against humanity. Politicians, 
teachers, and community leaders have an obligation to speak out against 
promoters of hate. Only through our continued vigilance can we ensure 
justice, deter future war crimes, and send the message that political 
and military leaders that promote or condone acts of genocide will face 
prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. This is how we should 
remember and honor Simon Wiesenthal's legacy.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Waxman) and particularly the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
  Mr. Wiesenthal's living spirit must have soared to hear the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lantos) speak on this resolution.
  Simon Wiesenthal spent most of his adult life in pursuit of justice, 
the justice that is achieved through accountability. And while many of 
us would like to believe that all people are at heart decent and God-
fearing, the reality is that evil does exist among us. And it is that 
threat of justice being served, of people's deeds and people themselves 
being held accountable that in fact does deter evil, and thus is an 
instrument that we can use to reduce suffering and to save lives. And 
that is what Simon Wiesenthal's life's work was designed to do.
  I would like to just use some of his own words because I think they 
are fitting in the context of this resolution. He said: ``I am someone 
who seeks justice, not revenge.'' He said: ``When history looks back, I 
want people to know the Nazis were not able to kill millions of people 
and get away with it. This is a warning for the murderers of tomorrow 
that they will never rest. When we cannot through some action warn the 
murderers of tomorrow, then millions of people will die for nothing. 
And when we come to the other world and meet the millions of Jews who 
died in the camps and they ask us what have you done, there will be 
many answers but I will be able to say `I did not forget you.' ''
  And just one last thing. On the Austrian policeman who was arrested 
for the murder of Anne Frank because of Mr. Wiesenthal's dogged 
determination, he said: ``My most hard work, and I am very proud of 
this case, was to find the man who arrested Anne Frank. The Family 
Frank was like 10,000 other families, but Anne Frank became a symbol of 
the million murdered children. And I tell it to the father of Anne 
Frank, the diary of his daughter had a bigger impact than the entire 
Nuremberg trial. Why? Because people identified with the child. This 
was the impact of the Holocaust. This was a family like my family, like 
your family and so you could understand this.''
  Simon Wiesenthal was a mere mortal human being. But his legacy and 
his lessons should be immortal for all our sakes.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, just to conclude, I would especially like to thank the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), as I said earlier, a Holocaust 
survivor himself, for his very clear and unambiguous statement in 
support of human rights globally, but especially as it relates to a 
very disturbing trend with regards to anti-Semitism, and for his eulogy 
today, on the floor, to his dear friend, Simon Wiesenthal.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Concurrent Resolution 248, honoring the life and achievements of Mr. 
Simon Wiesenthal, the world's most successful Nazi-hunter and advocate 
for religious tolerance.
  In the history of mankind, few events are as deplorable, 
unconscionable, and unrepeatable as the Holocaust. During this period, 
Nazi Germany imprisoned, enslaved, tortured, and eventually murdered 11 
million Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, political dissidents, and others. 
Mr. Simon Wiesenthal, a Polish Jew, was one of those individuals 
imprisoned by the Nazis. After being taken from his home and his wife 
Cyla, Wiesenthal successfully escaped one concentration camp, only to 
be recaptured. Suspecting his wife was dead, and thousands of people 
dying beside him, Wiesenthal courageously survived.
  After the United States and our allies defeated the Axis Powers in 
World War II, many thousands of Nazis fled Germany, knowing full well 
that they would face justice for their unthinkable crimes if they 
remained. Many Nazis established new identities and lived their lives 
with a secret so hideous they told no one.
  Upon liberation by the Allies, Wiesenthal reunited with Cyla and 
regained his health, and immediately dedicated his efforts to bringing 
Nazi war-criminals to justice. He was instrumental in aiding the U.S. 
Army's prosecution

[[Page H8677]]

of many prominent Nazi criminals at the International Military Tribunal 
in Nuremberg, Germany. To prosecute the countless Nazis who had evaded 
the law, Wiesenthal, along with several other Holocaust survivors, 
founded the Jewish Documentation Center in Austria to collect and 
prepare evidence for future trials. Over the years, Wiesenthal honed 
his expertise in researching, tracking, and ultimately capturing Nazi 
criminals scattered throughout the world so they could face trial.
  Though the world community had collaborated to protect against future 
genocides, Wiesenthal personally strived to meet this goal. As one of 
the foremost speakers on the subject, he educated people around the 
world about the Holocaust and the prevention of genocide and 
intolerance. In 1977, the Simon Wiesenthal Center was established to 
further pursue the prosecution of hiding Nazi criminals, monitor anti-
Semitism, and promote religious and racial tolerance.
  On September 20, 2005, Simon Wiesenthal passed away of natural 
causes. He had led an extraordinary life as a Holocaust survivor, 
educator, political activist, and humanitarian. By the time he retired 
in 2003, he and his colleagues had brought over one thousand hiding 
Nazi war criminals to justice. For decades, these Nazis thought they 
were above the law and would avoid trial. Wiesenthal and others proved 
that no crime so horrific goes unpunished, and there is no escaping 
their responsibility. Wiesenthal also succeeded in keeping the memories 
of the Holocaust alive and teaching others to embrace diversity, so 
future genocides may be prevented.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that Simon Wiesenthal embodies the ideals that 
are so important to the United States: a commitment to justice, a 
common good based on tolerance, and ensuring a secure future by 
educating our youth. For his achievements, the United States has 
already awarded Wiesenthal the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 
Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, and many other honors. This 
resolution reinforces the United States' utmost respect and admiration 
for Simon Wiesenthal, who bravely endured through history's darkest 
hour to give justice to those who perished in the Holocaust. Though 
Simon Wiesenthal has passed on, the United States must continue to 
pursue the noble endeavors he championed, and give hope to victims of 
injustice of the past, present, and future.
  I would like to thank Representative Henry Waxman for introducing 
this resolution. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 248 and 
always remember and honor Simon Wiesenthal.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 248, honoring the life of Simon Wiesenthal, and thank my good 
friend, the gentleman from California, Mr. Waxman, for authoring this 
important resolution. We were all saddened to hear recently that Mr. 
Wiesenthal passed away at the age of 96.
  Mr. Wiesenthal overcame great trials to become one of the few 
fortunate enough to survive the slaughter of 6 million people during 
the Holocaust. He did not escape unscathed as, tragically, 89 members 
of his family perished at the hands of the Nazis.
  Almost immediately upon being liberated by an American military unit 
on May 5, 1945, Mr. Wiesenthal dedicated his life to tracking down and 
bringing to justice Nazi war criminals. Initially working for the 
Army's Office of Strategic Services and Counter-Intelligence Corps, and 
later operating the Jewish Historical Documentation Center in Vienna, 
Mr. Wiesenthal is credited with obtaining the information necessary to 
apprehend more than 1,100 war criminals. As Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean of 
the Simon Wiesenthal Center, described him, ``Simon Wiesenthal was the 
conscience of the Holocaust.''
  Among the most egregious mass murderers that he helped apprehend was 
Adolf Eichman, who, as a member of the Gestapo, supervised the 
execution of the Jewish ``Final Solution.'' Mr. Wiesenthal also was 
responsible for aiding in the captures of Karl Silberbauer, the Gestapo 
officer who arrested Anne Frank; Franz Stangl, the commandant of the 
Treblinka and Sobibor concentration camps in Poland; and Hermine 
Braunsteiner, who supervised the killings of hundreds of children and 
who had found refuge in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, while Mr. Wiesenthal devoted the majority of his life to 
bringing Nazi criminals to justice, he did so not out of the need for 
revenge, but the need for atonement. Mr. Wiesenthal's goal was to bring 
these genocidal crimes out of the shadows. He felt a duty to those who 
had died to ensure that the memory of what had transpired would not be 
forgotten. He also felt a duty to teach future generations the lessons 
of the past so that they would not be repeated. Simon Wiesenthal 
Centers span the globe, and are valuable venues to teach America's 
youth about tolerance and understanding, as well as this important 
lesson: evil men can perpetuate ghastly crimes when the world chooses 
to permit it.
  Mr. Speaker, only one who had witnessed such atrocities could 
shoulder the burden and carry the respect necessary to continue this 
quest for justice over so many decades. While Mr. Wiesenthal's friends 
and family sacrificed their lives in the death camps of the Nazis, Mr. 
Wiesenthal sacrificed his life to ensuring their memories would live 
forever.
  In his memoirs, Mr. Wiesenthal quotes what one Nazi officer told him 
late in World War II, ``You would tell the truth [about the 
concentration camps] to the people in America. And you know what would 
happen, Wiesenthal? They wouldn't believe you. They'd say you were mad. 
Might even put you into an asylum. How can anyone believe this terrible 
business--unless he has lived through it?''
  Mr. Speaker, Simon Wiesenthal lived through it. He made us believe 
it. And we will never forget it. That will be his eternal legacy.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. 
Res. 248, a resolution honoring the memory and legacy of Simon 
Wiesenthal, a man known as the ``conscience of the Holocaust.'' 
Wiesenthal was relentless in the pursuit of justice for victims of the 
Holocaust and the eradication of anti-Semitism around the globe.
  Born on New Year's Eve in 1908, Simon Wiesenthal spent the bulk of 
his life fighting for those who, like him, had suffered unspeakable 
wrongs at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators across Europe. 
He was interned at the Janwska concentration camp in 1941 and survived 
twelve different camps until his liberation from the Mauthausen camp in 
1945. From that moment until his passing on September 20, 2005, Simon 
Wiesenthal dedicated his life to fighting for those who perished in the 
Holocaust.
  He was a man of indomitable spirit and courage, and even greater was 
his resolve after the war. Almost immediately after leaving Mauthausen, 
Simon Wiesenthal set out to collect and prepare evidence for the War 
Crimes Section of the United States Army for use in the Nuremberg 
trials, thus beginning his lifelong work as a Nazi hunter.
  Over the past 60 years, Wiesenthal's research and investigative work 
led to the capture and conviction of more than 1,000 Nazi war 
criminals, including the infamous Adolf Eichmann. Simon Wiesenthal was 
the recipient of countless awards, including honorary British 
Knighthood, the Dutch Freedom Medal, the French Legion of Honor, the 
World Tolerance Award, and the Congressional Gold Medal.
  When some of Wiesenthal's fellow survivors asked him why he decided 
to become a Nazi hunter, he looked down at the flames of the Sabbath 
candles from that particular Friday evening and said, ``My dear 
friends, do you know what I see in the glow of the candles? I see the 
souls of our six million brothers and sisters. And one day when our 
lives are over, they will come to all of us and they will ask us, what 
have you done? You, my dear friend, will tell them that you went into 
construction to build homes. And you will say you went into the jewelry 
business. And you became a manufacturer of clothes. But I will have the 
privilege of saying to them, `I have never forgotten you.' ''
  Mr. Speaker, we will never forget Simon Wiesenthal and his many years 
in pursuit of justice for victims of the Holocaust. I thank the 
gentleman from California for introducing this resolution, and I urge 
my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, today we honor the life of Simon Wiesenthal, a 
man who dedicated his life to the search of fugitive Nazi war 
criminals. The ideals of truth and justice guided his effort to fight 
anti-Semitism and as we mourn, we are reminded of our commitment to 
these ideals as part of our duty to humanity. I am proud to be a 
cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 248, which we are considering on the floor 
today.
  Simon Wiesenthal was born on December 31, 1908 in Buczacz, Galicia, 
then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and now part of Ukraine. He 
received a degree in architectural engineering in 1932 from the 
Technical University of Prague, and in 1936 he began working at an 
architectural office in Lvov; he did not, however, continue his career 
in architecture. Three years later, with the partition of Poland and 
the flood of the Red Army in Lvov, Simon Wiesenthal began losing family 
members to German brutality. After escaping several near-death 
situations himself, in 1945 Simon Wiesenthal was liberated by American 
forces from the concentration camp of Mauthausen in Austria.
  After almost giving up, Simon Wiesenthal regained his strength and 
redefined his life's task as a quest for justice. He did not vow to 
fight for vengeance. Instead, the goal of his noble cause was to create 
a historical memory that would prevent any repetition of the horrible 
atrocities committed during the Holocaust.
  He was instrumental in tracking down fugitive Nazis, and a 
significant component of his mission was to pressure governments around 
the world to continue their pursuit and persecution of war criminals. 
The Simon Wiesenthal

[[Page H8678]]

Center, an international Jewish human rights organization dedicated to 
preserving the memory of the Holocaust carries on his legacy.
  Simon Wiesenthal was committed to the remembrance of those who he 
feared would be forgotten, and today we become committed to remembering 
him. While in Vienna in 1993, Simon Wiesenthal said, ``To young people 
here, I am the last. I'm the one who can still speak. After me, it's 
history.'' To continue his mission, we must not forget this history. We 
must continue to fight for the same principles that defined Simon 
Wiesenthal's objective. It is troubling that even today one of the most 
notorious sentiments of the Second World War--anti-Semitism--has yet to 
be eradicated. It is our duty to combat anti-Semitism and all religious 
bigotry whenever and wherever it arises.
  When asked why he chose to search for Nazi war criminals instead of 
continuing a career in architecture, Simon Wiesenthal responded: 
``You're a religious man. You believe in God and life after death. I 
also believe. When we come to the other world and meet the millions of 
Jews who died in the camps and they ask us, `What have you done?' there 
will be many answers. You will say, `I became a jeweler.' Another will 
say, `I smuggled coffee and American cigarettes.' Still another will 
say, `I built houses,' but I will say, `I didn't forget you.' ''
  And today, we must unite to say that we will not forget Simon 
Wiesenthal and we, as strong and responsible human beings, will carry 
forth his mission.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H. Con. Res. 248, which 
honors the life of Simon Wiesenthal, and appreciate the gentleman from 
California, Mr. Waxman, for bringing this resolution to the floor.
  Mr. Wiesenthal lived through one of the darkest eras of world 
history. Yet out of the suffering he and millions of other Jews 
experienced, he found purpose by dedicating the last 60 years of his 
life to the pursuit of justice for the victims of the Holocaust.
  Simon Wiesenthal was determined to ensure that those who exacted 
horrific crimes on their fellow man be held accountable. If a former 
Nazi war criminal was not caught and brought to justice, Mr. 
Wiesenthal's dogged work ensured they would live their life in fear of 
being caught. The bottom line is war criminals should not be allowed to 
live out their lives with impunity and Mr. Wiesenthal worked to see 
this would not happen.
  Simon Wiesenthal's legacy sends a message that continues to be heard 
around the world--perpetrators of genocide cannot and will not be 
allowed to hide from their crimes. His memory is forever preserved in 
the work of The Simon Wiesenthal Center, which was founded in 1977 to 
promote awareness of anti-Semitism, monitor neo-Nazi and other 
extremist groups, and help bring surviving Nazi war criminals to 
justice. The Center has done tremendous work in his name, including 
opening the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles in 1993, which has 
received over two million visitors, and making major contributions to 
the June 2005 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
Conference on AntiSemitism and on Other Forms of Intolerance.
  I join with all of colleagues in recognizing Simon Wiesenthal's 
compassionate commitment to justice and urge passage of this 
resolution.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Con. Res. 248, as amended.
  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. LANTOS. 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.

                          ____________________