[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 160 (Tuesday, December 7, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2068-E2069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CALLING FOR DIGNITY, COMFORT, AND SUPPORT FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 30, 2010

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, there are not many Holocaust survivors left 
in the world. Each year as the number dwindles, we worry about how 
people will remember the evils of the Holocaust when there are no 
longer eye-witnesses to give their personal accounts. We promote 
remembrance and teach tolerance. We fight Holocaust deniers and those 
who grotesquely glorify the Holocaust and denigrate the memory of the 
six million.
  But while we focus intently on ensuring awareness of the tragedy of 
the past we are losing sight of a tragedy in our midst: Many Holocaust 
survivors are living their final days in poverty.
  According to the Jewish Federations of North America, more than half 
of the 127,000 Holocaust survivors living in the United States fall 
beneath 200 percent of the federal poverty threshold, meaning they live 
on less than $21,660 per year. Holocaust survivors are five times more 
likely to be living below the poverty line than the general senior 
population.
  In Los Angeles, one in six survivors requires community assistance. 
In the past year, the LA Jewish Federation has seen the number of 
survivors needing emergency assistance for basic housing, food, 
medical, dental and transportation needs rise by 20 percent.
  The vast majority of these survivors are now in their 80's and 90's 
and two-thirds of them live alone. Very few have any family support 
network, which is not surprising considering that so few had family 
that survived the war. As a result, many are forced into institutional 
care because they cannot afford to receive care in their homes.
  While institutionalized care settings are beneficial for many older 
adults, Holocaust survivors react poorly and can be prone to emotional 
suffering and physical deterioration from sights, sounds and routines 
that may resurrect Holocaust experiences. Research indicates that 
survivors, in particular, benefit tremendously from access to social 
service programs that allow them to age in place in their current 
residences. It is a solution that is both cost-effective and humane.
  As one of the original sponsors of the U.S. Administration on Aging 
grant program now known as the Community Innovations In Aging In Place, 
I am hopeful that we can find the resources to help these survivors in 
their time of need.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 323 and I look forward 
to working with them to achieve its goal of ensuring that all Holocaust 
survivors in the United States are able to live with dignity, comfort, 
and security in their remaining years.

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