[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 32 (Tuesday, March 14, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H890-H892]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  PERMITTING USE OF ROTUNDA FOR HOLOCAUST DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 350) permitting the use of the 
rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of 
the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 350

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. USE OF ROTUNDA FOR HOLOCAUST DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE 
                   CEREMONY.

       The rotunda of the Capitol is authorized to be used on 
     April 27, 2006, for a ceremony as part of the commemoration 
     of the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust. 
     Physical preparations for the ceremony shall be carried out 
     in accordance with such conditions as the Architect of the 
     Capitol may prescribe.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Millender-McDonald) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the subject of this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  One of the stated purposes of the United States Holocaust Memorial 
Museum is to provide for appropriate ways for the Nation to commemorate 
the days of remembrance as an annual, national, civic commemoration of 
the Holocaust and encourage and sponsor appropriate observances of such 
days of remembrance throughout the United States.
  The first Days of Remembrance ceremony in the rotunda of the United 
States Capitol occurred in 1979, and the rotunda ceremony has since 
become the inspiration for similar Holocaust remembrance ceremonies 
that take place throughout the United States.

[[Page H891]]

  H. Con. Res. 350 will allow for this year's national ceremony to be 
conducted in the rotunda on April 27, 2006. Mr. Speaker, it is 
necessary to go through this procedure, joint authorization by both 
Chambers, to use the very sacred center of the Capitol for this 
ceremony. The enormity of the crimes of the Holocaust, and the need to 
ensure they are never forgotten, make the rotunda a fitting place for 
this ceremony.
  The theme of this year's commemoration is ``Legacies of Justice'' in 
honor of the courage of, and the precedents set by, those who testified 
during the trials of Nazi war criminals. The theme also pays tribute to 
those who work tirelessly for the cause of justice, both then and now.
  This year, we mark the 60th anniversary of the International Military 
Tribunal at Nuremberg, Germany. The unprecedented Nuremberg trials 
established a judicial process to rule on the atrocities committed by 
the Germans during World War II and brought to the forefront the ideas 
of universal justice, human rights and responsibility for war crimes. 
Evil persists in the world, Mr. Speaker, but our prosecution of the 
perpetrators of the Holocaust taught us that evil can be defeated and 
justice can be done, but only if we have the courage to stand up to the 
perpetrators. That is a vital lesson, one we must never forget, and 
this ceremony will help us remember it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I also rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 350, 
authorizing the use of the Capitol rotunda for the days of remembrance 
ceremony on April 27 of this year. As in the past, Congress has always 
passed this concurrent resolution for the use of the Capitol rotunda as 
it is the sacred location of America's historic ceremonies.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor) for 
introducing this legislation, as well as the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Ehlers), my chairman, and California's Mr. Lantos, my friend, for 
cosponsoring this bill with me.
  This event will mark our country's annual commemoration of the 
victims of the Holocaust. As we have done nearly every year since 1979, 
Congress will use this historic rotunda location to reflect on the 
Holocaust, one of the most painful moments in our world's history.
  In 1980, Congress created the United States Holocaust Memorial 
Council, which oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and 
organizes the annual days of remembrance. These efforts were 
established by Congress to permanently honor the victims of the 
Holocaust. During the week of April 23, similar observances of such 
Holocaust remembrance days will take place around our Nation. The days 
of remembrance provides Americans of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds 
the opportunity to reflect on the Holocaust, remind our Nation of the 
victims who perished, and strengthen our commitment to human rights and 
democracy.
  Each year, the days of remembrance observes a specific theme, which 
highlights different events of the Holocaust. This year's theme will be 
commemorated in the title of ``Legacies of Justice'' in honor of the 
courage of those who testified during the trials of Nazi war criminals.

                              {time}  1545

  This year marks the 60th anniversary of these Nuremberg trials, which 
brought to justice the unfathomable crimes committed during the 
Holocaust.
  The International Military Tribunal held at Nuremberg, Germany, 
attempted to seek justice for the millions of murders, wrongful 
imprisonments, tortures, rapes, theft and destruction that took place 
during the Holocaust. The tribunal was created to bring judgment for 
the war crimes committed in the course of the most massive conflict the 
world has ever known. Six decades after IMT, the body of international 
law that addresses crimes against humanity has grown dramatically and 
relies significantly on the framework and legal standards established 
at Nuremberg.
  In addition to honoring this watershed moment in international 
justice, this year's theme pays tribute to the numerous advocates who 
tirelessly worked for the cause of justice today. Every human being 
deserves to be treated with dignity, Mr. Speaker. We commend these 
individuals who continue to vigorously pursue justice for current 
victims of hatred and inhumanity. We must be reminded that such 
tragedies should never be permitted to occur again.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to join me in supporting 
passage of this concurrent resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I yield 5 
minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), who is the sponsor 
of this resolution.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time, for his leadership in bringing this bill forward, as well as the 
gentlewoman from California.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important resolution, H. 
Con. Res. 350, permitting the use of the United States Capitol rotunda 
to observe Yom Hashoah, the Day of Remembrance, for victims of the 
Holocaust.
  Mr. Speaker, it is our obligation to remember with great reverence 
and respect the victims of the Holocaust and to tell their story to all 
generations. It is our duty to never forget.
  More than 70 years ago, a tyrant as evil as any known in the history 
of man rose to power preaching an agenda of hate and racial 
superiority. His shadow caused darkness to fall upon the Earth. He slew 
the innocent and pure, men, women, and children, with vapors of poison 
and burned them with fire. And when the light of freedom shined again, 
tens of millions lay dead, cities and nations lay in ruin, and a world 
stood awestruck at the horrors that had occurred.
  Ironically, Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the Jewish holiday of 
Purim. On this day we read the Book of Esther, which tells of, in this 
case, another attempted genocide perpetrated against the Jewish people. 
Like Hitler, Haman wanted to annihilate the Jewish people from 
existence. Yet unlike the Holocaust, the Jewish people were able to 
rally an army and defend themselves against that attempted genocide. 
And on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar, the Jewish people take 
this opportunity to remember that threat and to celebrate their 
survival.
  Sadly, today, we still face totalitarian regimes led by maniacal 
dictators who threaten the peace and stability of the world. The 
rotunda of the U.S. Capitol represents the seat of free and open 
discourse, the foundation of our democracy, and is an anathema to those 
tyrannical leaders and their regimes.
  We in the U.S., the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther 
King, enjoy a great deal of freedom. We must not take those freedoms 
for granted. We must not forget that genocide and human rights abuses 
continue to occur around the world. We must not remain silent when such 
atrocities occur. And we must dedicate ourselves to continuing to 
educate people around the globe about the horrors of the Holocaust. We 
must be forever mindful of the danger of such intolerance and ensure 
that it never happens again.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to 
support this resolution that commemorates those victims of the 
Holocaust.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes to close.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not a joyous event to celebrate. At the end of 
World War II, we realized that we had witnessed the greatest genocide 
in the history of this planet. I was a young lad at that time, but I 
thought: never again could this happen. Yet now that we know it can 
happen and how horrible it is, we must guard against it ever happening 
again.
  I am sorry to say that it has happened, not on that scale, but we saw 
that happening in Iraq, we are seeing it happen right now in Darfur and 
other parts of the Sudan. The ability of humans to commit great horror 
against their fellow human beings has not died out.

[[Page H892]]

  That is why it is essential for us to engage in this ceremony and to 
participate and recognize that this is an ongoing battle to fight 
against those who would kill their fellow human beings indiscriminately 
at times, and at other times kill them simply because of their race or 
ethnic background.
  I am very pleased to be here presenting this resolution, because this 
event is something that we should all participate in every year to 
remind us of what can happen if we let our guard down, and if we assume 
that we have conquered evil. Evil will always be with us, and we must 
continually fight it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). The question is on 
the motion offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. 
Res. 350.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was 
agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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