[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 87 (Thursday, June 11, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H6591-H6593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1630

  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Washington and the 
gentleman from West Virginia for giving us the opportunity, as well as 
the Speaker, for allowing us to very promptly bring this to the 
attention of the House.
  I thank the Members, the Democrat and Republican Members, who have 
all been here today, as well as the entire Chamber for reacting and 
acknowledging this horrific act. Again, we just acknowledge and extend 
our condolences to the family.
  We rededicate ourselves to the necessity of teaching, of educating 
our public in the United States and around the world about what happens 
when racism and intolerance are allowed to fester from generation to 
generation, and we know that we will commit ourselves to continue that 
education process to the lessons of the Holocaust and the lessons of, 
unfortunately, what happened yesterday to make sure that it doesn't 
happen again.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I stand with so many of my colleagues today 
in condemnation of yesterday's appalling attack at the U.S. Holocaust 
Memorial Museum and the tragic death of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, 
who was killed in the line of duty.
  Bigotry, racism and intolerance must be condemned wherever they 
occur, but especially at a memorial to the Holocaust that challenges 
visitors to confront hatred and promote human dignity. The Holocaust 
Museum is a hollowed symbol of the cost of this type of hatred to all 
of humanity. The Museum teaches millions of people about the dangers of 
unchecked hatred. We do not need further examples of hate and prejudice 
within its walls--or anywhere else.
  The events of yesterday serve as a reminder that the Museum, and all 
of us, have more work to do to confront hatred and intolerance in our 
society.
  I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for the resolution and 
also in expressing condolences to the family of Officer Johns.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened by the news of 
yesterday's shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum and express my 
condolences to the victim's family.
  It is unfortunate that, even in today's world, there are still 
individuals who choose to deny the tragic events of the Holocaust. In 
the face of those who adhere to hatred, we must continue to stress the 
importance of knowledge over ignorance, with the hope that we can 
prevent future tragedies such as this.
  And that is just what the Holocaust Museum strives to do. Each year, 
some 2 million people from around the world visit the museum where they 
are confronted with a record of the horrors of the Holocaust so that no 
one can deny its existence. The museum not only reminds us of the 
atrocities of the Holocaust, but it shows us what happens when hatred, 
intolerance, and ignorance are allowed to direct the actions of men. 
The museum calls each one of us to recognize the humanity in all 
people, regardless of our differences. Its role in educating visitors 
about the responsibilities each individual has and its efforts to 
promote tolerance, understanding, and acceptance continue to be needed.
  I wish to express my condolences to the family, friends and coworkers 
of Stephen T. Johns. The outstanding courage demonstrated by Mr. Johns 
and all those who serve to protect citizens should not be taken for 
granted. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I 
rise to pay tribute to Mr. Stephen T. Johns, an innocent man who lost 
his life while securing the countless people who stream into one of the 
national treasures in our capital city, the United States Holocaust 
Memorial Museum.
  In the building that was erected to preserve the memory of the 
martyrs and heroes of the Holocaust, the ugly face of bigotry cast a 
dark shadow over the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10, 2009. 
The Museum is a place of stillness and personal reflection, and that 
calm was broken by a gunman who shattered that silence. People from 
around the country and the world come to that location to learn what 
the powerful phrase `Never Again' really means. Visitors take that 
message to their home communities to serve as spokespeople against 
bigotry, racism and hatred. That message needs to resonate throughout 
this country even more so today.
  Though this senseless and hateful act of violence is deplorable and 
has tainted the Museum's stance as a poignant reminder of the millions 
of innocent people who lost their lives in the Holocaust, it is my hope 
that the hate that continues to exist in our country will soon cease.

[[Page H6592]]

  The heroic security officers who put themselves in harm's way to 
protect the lives of Museum staff and patrons should be commended. 
Their courageous actions within a building that is synonymous with 
remembrance and a monument to those millions who died victimized by 
irrational hatred, saved more lives from being lost to that very same 
hatred.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and all the members of this esteemed 
legislative body to join me in extending heartfelt condolences to the 
family of Mr. Stephen T. Johns. His life, service and ultimate 
sacrifice will not be forgotten. Our nation must remain vigilant in our 
effort to defend against bigotry and heinous attacks such as this. I 
appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute before the United States 
House of Representatives.
  Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel 
once said, ``I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human 
beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. 
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages 
the tormentor, never the tormented.'' I rise today to do my part to 
prevent that silence. I rise today to condemn the horrific attack on 
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and to extend my deepest 
thanks and sympathy to the family of Officer Stephen Johns and to all 
those at the Holocaust Museum. These men and women spend their days 
educating visitors from across the world about the tragic events of the 
Holocaust. The museum and its staff keep alive the memories of those 
lost and act as a reminder to our society's conscience of the 
devastating acts that humans are capable of. The events that occurred 
at the museum yesterday should only strengthen our resolve to combat 
anti-Semitism and the prejudices that still pervade our society. We 
must carry the memory of both the Holocaust and yesterday's events with 
us as we seek to form a more tolerant world. It is only in creating 
positive from the abhorrent that we can properly honor the lives of 
those who were lost.
  Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in condemning 
yesterday's shooting at the National Holocaust Museum which claimed the 
life of museum security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns. My thoughts and 
prayers are with Mr. Johns' family and friends during this difficult 
time.
  Mr. Johns' bravery and self-sacrifice saved lives--many innocent 
lives. His actions prevented this unthinkable attack from further 
harming the many families, including many young children, who were 
visiting the museum yesterday.
  Mr. Johns' successfully defended our Nation's most prominent monument 
built to religious and ethnic tolerance from the worst kind of hate and 
delusion. Anti-Semitism and harming innocent civilians have no place in 
a civilized society. He will be remembered always as an American hero 
and his family should be proud of his sacrifice for others.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I pause today to honor the memory of Stephen 
Tyrone Johns of Temple Hills, Maryland, who died yesterday defending 
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum against an anti-Semitic 
gunman.
  Although the gunman appears to have been a hardened denier of the 
Holocaust, his crime only brings home the high value of that museum of 
remembrance, which preserves the historical memory of a people whose 
communities and institutions have so often been the target of 
terroristic violence.
  That memory is preserved, in ways large and small, by the dedication 
of people like Officer Johns.
  In the wake of yesterday's killing, Mark Blumenthal, an on-line 
editor, shared the story of his wife's visit to the Holocaust Museum:
  ``She arrived at the end of a busy workday, in a rush, just a few 
minutes before closing time. Unfortunately, given the late hour, they 
had run out of the candles usually provided in the Hall of Remembrance 
for visitors to light and leave in the niches of the outer walls.
  Already feeling emotional . . . she broke down sobbing. A staffer 
nearby immediately came to her assistance, asking if she needed help. 
She explained, and the gentleman asked her to wait. He soon returned 
with a candle, explaining with a conspiratorial wink that he kept his 
own special supply for such emergencies.''
  In gestures as simple and kind as that, and acts as courageous as 
officer Johns's, we can find ways to carry on the duty of memory.
  Yesterday's crime may have been intended to scare us away from the 
Holocaust Museum; may it fail.
  May visitors return in force to bear witness to yesterday's loss and 
to the historical facts whose denial remains, in the words of President 
Obama, ``baseless . . . ignorant, and . . . hateful.''
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was 
created as a sanctuary for tolerance and understanding. It was 
established by Congress to memorialize the millions of Jews and others 
who perished during the Holocaust and to educate people about the 
hatred and intolerance that led to their murders. Yesterday, it was 
tragically the victim of those same evil impulses.
  Today we mourn the death of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns who was 
killed in the line of duty and extend our condolences to his family. He 
will be remembered not only as a protector of the staff and visitors 
who crossed his path, but also as a defender of the noble ideals the 
museum stands for.
  What transpired yesterday is a horrific reminder of the violence that 
can stem from racism, anti-Semitism, and Holocaust denial. It was a 
hate crime in the truest sense--an attack fomented by hatred of Jews, 
African Americans, and all who seek to embrace diversity, tolerance and 
understanding.
  The gunman who perpetrated this attack had a life-long obsession with 
his hateful views. We can and must do more to prevent future 
generations from falling victim to a life consumed by hate.
  The most powerful response we can take is to reinforce the Museum's 
mission to educate and inspire people to fight prejudice in all its 
forms. With President Obama's recent visit to Buchenwald and the Pope's 
recent trip to Yad Vashem, we must emphasize the value of Holocaust 
education as a potent antidote to the vicious venom spread from 
Internet chat rooms and beyond.
  Congress has been a partner of the U.S. Holocaust Museum from the 
very beginning. We will be forever committed to its safety and its 
success.
  Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great 
sadness to address the horrible attack which took place yesterday 
afternoon at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum here in 
Washington. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Officer 
Stephen Tyrone Johns, who was killed yesterday in the line of duty 
while heroically performing the job to which he had dedicated himself--
protecting innocent people. The Museum is appropriately closed today in 
his honor, with flags flown at half mast in memory of this brave and 
selfless man.
  We sometimes have a tendency to slip into a false sense of security 
and denial when we hear about violence and internecine strife around 
the world. ``That won't happen here'', we assure ourselves, ``We have 
moved beyond that.'' But every so often we are painfully reminded that 
even in this country of freedom and opportunity there are those who 
would seek to do harm to their neighbors, deny the Holocaust and spew 
hateful and racist speech designed to divide us.
  Of course, our Jewish friends, family, and neighbors were stunned by 
yesterday's shooting, as it took place in the very hallowed space that 
our country has dedicated in memoriam to one of the greatest crimes in 
history, the Holocaust. It is especially saddening that this sacred 
place, a monument devoted to peace and the prevention of bigotry and 
crimes against humanity, was defiled in such a tragic manner.
  For many Jewish Americans, yesterday's attacks surely summoned up 
thoughts about other crimes against Jews throughout history, both here 
in the United States and elsewhere. Of course, we can never forget that 
Israel itself has faced intense and continuing security threats since 
its inception over 60 years ago. American Jews are an integral part of 
the fabric of American society, and irrational actions such as 
yesterday's attack should serve as an opportunity to bring the American 
family closer together.
  The man who opened fire yesterday at the Holocaust Museum reportedly 
has been a longtime adherent to a twisted white supremacist ideology. 
The perverse logic that says the human race is divided and segmented 
between superior and inferior genetic groups not only runs contrary to 
our founding concept--''all men are created equal''--it is in fact a 
cancer upon our society. Ideologies that would place one group of us 
above others are an affront to the core values that our society was 
created to defend.
  At this moment in our history, when we are confronted by incredible 
difficulties, we are also filled with hope. We recently witnessed the 
election to our highest office a man whom at the time of our nation's 
founding would not even have been permitted to cast a vote. We have 
seen increasing numbers of women and minorities serving at the highest 
levels of our government. These developments give us hope, even in the 
dark moments such as yesterday's murderous attack.
  I also would like to note that students from my home state of 
Massachusetts were in the Holocaust Museum yesterday when the gunman 
opened fire. I commend the Museum staff and the school chaperones for 
quickly shepherding the students to safety, ensuring that none was 
injured in the attack. The fact that millions of schoolchildren visit 
the Museum and learn the truth about the Holocaust is a rebuke to 
those, like the deranged killer, who seek to deny that the Holocaust 
occurred.
  As Reverend Martin Luther King taught us, ``the arc of the moral 
universe is long but it

[[Page H6593]]

bends toward justice.'' We will continue to work to move our nation 
inexorably in the direction of justice and equality, because those are 
the values which tie us together. Yesterday, an immoral and evil act 
took the life of a brave officer. As we express our sadness and respect 
for Officer Johns, we also remain undeterred in our efforts to achieve 
and put into practice our nation's highest ideals--that all men and 
women are created equal, with inalienable rights that no person can 
abridge.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to express 
my heartfelt condolences to the family of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, 
who fell victim to yesterday's fatal shooting at the United States 
Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This tragic outburst of 
violence and hatred turned the Holocaust Memorial Museum, a ``Monument 
of Sorrow'' (reported in the Washington Post), into monumental sorrow 
as we mourn the senseless loss of a brave man who died because of the 
color of his skin. I sit on the Advisory Board of the Houston Holocaust 
Museum, and I understand that such a museum should be a dwelling of 
honor and respect, not a house of violence and hatred. It should be a 
place that mourns those who died in the horrific Holocaust, as well as 
a place that seeks to promote peace. This violent act can not be 
tolerated.
  I would like to express my outrage at this racially-motivated 
killing, and my concern for Officer Johns' family, who is left to 
comprehend a void that will never again be filled. I would also like to 
express my concern to the patrons of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in 
our Nation's Capital, who were subject to baseless and tragic violence 
yesterday. Despite the strides the United States has made in the arena 
of Civil Rights, and the progress we continue to make with respect to 
tolerance, yesterday's hate crime indicates we have not come far 
enough. We always seek to protect speech, that is part of our American 
values, but we can not ignore and protect the violence that comes 
because Americans believe in the right of free speech.
  Let this tragic loss be an alarm for the United States that we must 
do more to promote respect and understanding among the people of our 
diverse nation, rather than allow ignorance to manifest within our 
country. Let Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns' legacy be marked as a 
renewed commitment to fighting racism and bigotry. Let this time be one 
of new hope between the African-American, Jewish communities, and all 
communities, that together we shall weave a fabric of tolerance and 
peace, and that together we shall overcome hatred today. I urge passage 
of this important Resolution.
  Mr. RAHALL. 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 West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 529.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 413, 
nays 0, not voting 21, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 334]

                               YEAS--413

     Abercrombie
     Aderholt
     Adler (NJ)
     Akin
     Alexander
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Austria
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bartlett
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blumenauer
     Boccieri
     Boehner
     Bonner
     Bono Mack
     Boozman
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boustany
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Braley (IA)
     Bright
     Broun (GA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Cao
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Castle
     Castor (FL)
     Chaffetz
     Chandler
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coffman (CO)
     Cohen
     Cole
     Conaway
     Connolly (VA)
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Dahlkemper
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (KY)
     Davis (TN)
     Deal (GA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly (IN)
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Driehaus
     Duncan
     Edwards (MD)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ehlers
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emerson
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Fallin
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Flake
     Fleming
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez
     Goodlatte
     Gordon (TN)
     Granger
     Graves
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hall (TX)
     Halvorson
     Hare
     Harman
     Harper
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Heinrich
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hodes
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Hunter
     Inglis
     Inslee
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jenkins
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick (MI)
     Kilroy
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kirkpatrick (AZ)
     Kissell
     Klein (FL)
     Kline (MN)
     Kosmas
     Kratovil
     Kucinich
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Latta
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NY)
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan
     Lummis
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Lynch
     Mack
     Maffei
     Maloney
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Markey (CO)
     Markey (MA)
     Marshall
     Massa
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McCotter
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McMahon
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Minnick
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (KS)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy (NY)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler (NY)
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Neugebauer
     Nye
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olson
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Paul
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Pence
     Perlmutter
     Perriello
     Peters
     Peterson
     Petri
     Pingree (ME)
     Pitts
     Platts
     Polis (CO)
     Pomeroy
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Price (NC)
     Putnam
     Quigley
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Reyes
     Rodriguez
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothman (NJ)
     Roybal-Allard
     Royce
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schauer
     Schiff
     Schmidt
     Schock
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sestak
     Shadegg
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuler
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Souder
     Space
     Speier
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Teague
     Terry
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Towns
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walden
     Walz
     Wamp
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Welch
     Westmoreland
     Wexler
     Whitfield
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--21

     Ackerman
     Baca
     Barrett (SC)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Brown, Corrine
     Childers
     Delahunt
     Himes
     Hirono
     Kagen
     Kennedy
     Lewis (GA)
     Linder
     Moran (VA)
     Nunes
     Poe (TX)
     Richardson
     Ruppersberger
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sullivan

                              {time}  1655

  Mr. HONDA and Ms. SPEIER changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________