[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 50 (Thursday, March 22, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S3613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. MENENDEZ:
  S. 963. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to make grants 
to educational organizations to carry out educational programs about 
the Holocaust; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Simon 
Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act. This important 
legislation would provide competitive grants for educational 
organizations to make Holocaust education more accessible and available 
throughout this Nation.
  I would like to thank Senators Lautenberg and Specter for co-
sponsoring this bill, and I commend my former colleague in the House, 
Congresswoman Maloney, for her leadership on this issue.
  In January, the United Nations held a ceremony to commemorate the 
62nd anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the second annual 
International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the 
Holocaust. This event served as a reminder that people of all faiths 
strongly condemn the systematic, state sponsored genocide conducted by 
the Nazi regime.
  We will forever remember the approximately six million Jewish men, 
women and children, as well as millions of others who faced persecution 
and death. And we extend our gratitude to all who risked their lives 
trying to save others. We also honor Simon Wiesenthal, who dedicated 
his life to making sure that those who perpetrated the horrors of the 
Holocaust were brought to justice.
  After six decades, many of our youth may view the Holocaust as an 
event that occurred in the distant past. But the truth is this issue is 
part of our present day society.
  Just 3 months ago, Iran held a conference in Tehran to debate whether 
or not the Holocaust actually happened, and the Iranian government has 
established a fact finding commission to examine the issue further. 
Such despicable acts are an insult to the millions of people who were 
brutalized and murdered by the Nazis and to all who stand against 
genocide around the world. Clearly, false and destructive messages 
regarding the Holocaust are still being perpetuated, and such events 
highlight the importance of Holocaust education abroad and within our 
own Nation.
  Unfortunately, we have also seen that anti-Semitism continues to 
threaten the safety and well-being of Jewish men and women throughout 
the world. In February, a Polish member of the European Parliament 
published a booklet espousing anti-Jewish sentiments, and in Croatia, 
an investigation has begun after small sugar packets bearing Hitler's 
image and containing Holocaust jokes were found in some cafes. These 
tragic events underscore the need to be proactive in combating such 
bigotry and educating our youth.

  Although some States now require the Holocaust to be taught in public 
schools, the Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act goes 
further and makes grants available to organizations that instruct 
students, teachers, and communities about the dangers of hate and the 
importance of tolerance in our society. This legislation would give 
educators the appropriate resources and training to teach accurate 
historical information about the Holocaust and convey the lessons that 
the Holocaust can teach us today.
  We must recognize that by remembering the millions who were murdered 
in the Holocaust, we create a sense of responsibility to stop genocide 
wherever it takes place.
  It is in our common interest to raise our voices against anti-
Semitism and against all hatred and discrimination. Funding accurate 
educational programs on the Holocaust is a step toward winning this 
battle.
  So as America stands with Israel and all followers of the Jewish 
faith in condemning anti-Semitism, let us do everything in our power to 
end discrimination and educate future generations about the danger of 
hatred and bigotry.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
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