[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 54 (Monday, April 16, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H1814-H1817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RAOUL WALLENBERG CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ACT
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 3001) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul
Wallenberg, in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions
during the Holocaust.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3001
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Raoul Wallenberg Centennial
Celebration Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) Raoul Wallenberg was born in Europe on August 4, 1912,
to Swedish Christian parents.
(2) In 1935, he graduated from the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor, completing a five-year program in three-and-a-
half years.
(3) In a letter to his grandfather, Wallenberg wrote of his
time in America: ``I feel so at home in my little Ann Arbor
that I'm beginning to sink down roots here and have a hard
time imagining my leaving it. . . . Every now and then I feel
strange when I think about how tiny my own country is and how
large and wonderful America is.''.
(4) Raoul returned to Sweden, where he began a career as a
businessman, and afterwards, a Swedish diplomat.
(5) In 1936, Raoul's grandfather arranged a position for
him at the Holland Bank in Haifa, Palestine. There Raoul
began to meet young Jews who had already been forced to flee
from Nazi persecution in Germany. Their stories affected him
deeply.
(6) He was greatly troubled by the fate of Jews in Europe,
confiding to actress Viveca Lindfors the horrific plight of
Jews under Nazi Europe.
(7) Under the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt,
the War Refugee Board was established in January 1944 to aid
civilians that fell victim to the Nazi and Axis powers in
Europe.
(8) One of War Refugee Board's top priorities was
protection of the 750,000 Hungarian Jews still alive.
(9) It was decided that Raoul Wallenberg, aged 31 at the
time, would be most effective in protecting Jews and victims
of the Nazis in Hungary under the War Refugee Board. He was
recruited by Iver Olsen, an agent for the Office of Strategic
Services and sent to Budapest, Hungary, under his official
profession as a Swedish diplomat. He was instructed to use
passports and other creative means to save as many lives as
possible.
(10) Wallenberg created a new Swedish passport, the
Schutzpass, which looked more imposing and official than the
actual Swedish passport. He reportedly put up huge place
cards of it throughout Budapest to make the Nazis familiar
with it. He unilaterally announced that it granted the holder
immunity from the death camps. The Schutzpasses alone are
credited with saving 20,000 Jewish lives.
(11) In one example of his heroism, Wallenberg was told of
a Nazi plot to round up several thousand Jewish women and
acted swiftly to save them. Former Wallenberg staffer, Agnes
Adachi, recalls the time when she and other staff, spent the
whole night
[[Page H1815]]
making around 2,000 Schutzpasses before 6 a.m. They were all
completed and personally delivered to the women in time to
save their lives.
(12) Using the money the United States put into the War
Refugee Board, Wallenberg was able to purchase about thirty
buildings, which he used as hospitals, schools, soup
kitchens, and safe houses for over 8,000 children whose
parents have already been deported or killed.
(13) Tommy Lapid, a young boy who was staying with his
mother in a Swedish safe house (his father was already dead),
gave an eyewitness account of how his family was helped by
Wallenberg and the War Refugee Board: ``One morning, a group
of Hungarian Fascists came into the house and said that all
the able-bodied women must go with them. We knew what this
meant. My mother kissed me and I cried and she cried. We knew
we were parting forever and she left me there, an orphan to
all intents and purposes. Then two or three hours later, to
my amazement, my mother returned with the other women. It
seemed like a mirage, a miracle. My mother was there--she was
alive and she was hugging me and kissing me, and she said one
word: Wallenberg.''.
(14) Even as the war was coming to a close, Wallenberg
remained vigilant and attentive to the people under his care.
Adolf Eichmann, the SS colonel charged with the extermination
of Jews in Eastern Europe, was determined to exterminate the
70,000 Jews kept as prisoners in a guarded ghetto in
Budapest. As soon as Wallenberg heard of the plot, he sent
Pal Szalay, an Arrow-Crossman senior official, who defected
and turned to Wallenberg. Szalay was sent to speak to General
Schmidthuber, who was ordered to spearhead the ghetto
extermination in Budapest. Szalay informed Schmidthuber that,
seeing as the war was coming to an end, if the planned
massacre took place, Wallenberg would see to it personally
that Schmidthuber would be prosecuted as a war criminal and
hanged. The plans were ultimately abandoned and considered
Wallenberg's last big victory.
(15) Of the 120,000 Hungarian Jews that survived, Raoul
Wallenberg, acting under the War Refugee Board, is credited
with saving an estimated 100,000 of them in a six-month
period.
(16) Raoul Wallenberg's fate remains a mystery. In January
13, 1945, he contacted the Russians in an effort to secure
food for the Jews under his protection--as he was still
working hard to protect them.
(17) In 1981, President Ronald Reagan made Raoul Wallenberg
an honorary citizen of the United States, an honor only
previously extended to Winston Churchill.
(18) These findings show that Raoul Wallenberg showed
exceptional heroism and bravery with his actions during the
holocaust. Working with the War Refugee Board, a United
State's agency, he was able to save about 100,000 Hungarian
Jews, many of which were later able to immigrate to the
United States.
(19) Indeed, hundreds of thousands of American Jews can
directly or indirectly attribute their own lives to Raoul
Wallenberg's actions during World War II. Many of the people
Wallenberg saved have been influential citizens contributing
to American institutions and culture, including Congressman
Tom Lantos (February 1, 1928 February 11, 2008), Annette
Lantos, and the Liska Rebbe, Rabbi Yoizef (Joseph)
Friedlander, who carried forth the Liska Hassidic dynasty
from Hungary to the United States after being saved by Raoul
Wallenberg.
(20) His actions and character make him an excellent
contender for a Congressional Gold Medal in time for the
centennial of his birth, to celebrate his achievements and
humanitarian accomplishments.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate
shall make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on
behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design
to the next of kin or personal representative of Raoul
Wallenberg, in recognition of his achievements and heroic
actions during the Holocaust.
(b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the
presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of
the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems,
devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.
SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.
Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may
prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate medals in
bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 and
sell such duplicate medals at a price sufficient to cover the
costs of the duplicate medals (including labor, materials,
dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses) and the cost of
the gold medal.
SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.
(a) National Medals.--The medals struck pursuant to this
Act are national medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title
31, United States Code.
(b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of section 5134 of
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this
Act shall be considered to be numismatic items.
SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.
(a) Authorization of Charges.--There is authorized to be
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise
Fund, such amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs
of the medals struck pursuant to this Act.
(b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of
duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in
the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.
General Leave
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and to add extraneous material to the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Missouri?
There was no objection.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3001, the Raoul
Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act, introduced by my colleague, the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks). This legislation, cosponsored by
301 of our colleagues, including myself, seeks to authorize the
striking and awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal honoring Raoul
Wallenberg in recognition of his heroism in saving tens of thousands of
lives in Nazi-occupied Budapest during World War II. Mr. Wallenberg
truly personified the definition of a humanitarian, a hero, and a
defender of individuals facing persecution and near-certain death at
the hands of a truly inhumane Nazi regime.
Born into an affluent Swedish family of diplomats and bankers, Raoul
Wallenberg developed a keen interest in foreign cultures and languages
at an early age. He became fluent in English, French, German, and
Russian, and after graduating from high school attended the University
of Michigan to study architecture. In 1936, a year after graduation, he
accepted a job at the Central European Trading Company, an export-
import company with operations in Stockholm and Eastern Europe. He
quickly became joint owner and international director of the firm, and
traveled throughout Europe to assist his boss, a Hungarian Jew. During
this period, Mr. Wallenberg immersed himself in the Hungarian language
and culture and witnessed the Nazis' increasing stranglehold on Europe.
While Hungary was nominally an Axis power, it sought a secret peace
pact with the Allies. When that was discovered, Adolf Hitler invaded
Hungary in March of 1944. Under the Nazi occupation, Hungarian Jews
faced immediate deportation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration
camp in southern Poland. Jews living in Budapest desperately sought
help from the embassies of neutral countries, which could provide
short-term identity passes to escape the Nazis. The Swedish delegation
was successful in ensuring that the provisional passes would allow the
bearers to be treated as Swedish citizens, providing a great deal of
protection.
In 1944, the United States created the War Refugee Board for the
purposes of rescuing European Jews from Nazi persecution. The Board
worked closely with the Swedish delegation to locate a Swedish national
to spearhead a rescue operation for Jews facing deportation. Raoul
Wallenberg, then a 32-year-old prominent businessman who had a keen
familiarity with Hungary, was given the daunting task. In July 1944,
when he arrived in Budapest as the First Secretary of the Swedish
delegation, more than 400,000 Jewish citizens already had been deported
by SS Officer Adolf Eichmann. Only 230,000 Jews were left.
Wallenberg succeeded in designing a facsimile Swedish passport to be
issued to Jews trapped in Budapest. They were authentic enough to pass
the inspection of local officials, and Wallenberg employed several
hundred workers, all of Jewish descent, to produce and issue more than
10,000. He also constructed more than 30 buildings that allowed more
than 15,000 Jews to find shelter under the banner of the Swedish
delegation. A Swedish flag hung in front of every door, and residents
in every building were granted diplomatic immunity.
In November 1944, Eichmann began a campaign of death marches, forcing
[[Page H1816]]
large numbers of the remaining Hungarian Jews to march out of Germany
on foot. Wallenberg marched along with them. He handed out provisional
passes, provided food, water, and medicine, and bribed Nazi guards to
free those with passes, wielding the full authority of the Swedish
government. For the persecuted who were deported by train, Wallenberg
issued provisional passes on the train tracks, on the roofs, and even
inside the train cars themselves. In one of his most important
accomplishments, he prevented Eichmann's attempted massacre in
Budapest's largest ghetto in January 1945. At the risk of his own life,
Wallenberg used his diplomatic influence to secure a note from a
prominent official calling off the massacre. Then, at the end of the
war, he was taken by the Soviet army, allegedly for spying, and was
never heard from again. He is said to have died in the KGB's Lubyanka
prison in 1947.
Mr. Speaker, we remember Raoul Wallenberg for his unwavering courage
in saving the lives of as many as 100,000 innocent men, women, and
children. Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Mr. Wallenberg is
the very least that we can do to honor a man who imperiled himself for
a cause so worthy. We can now examine, with gratitude, a uniquely
bright flame of valor in a terribly dark period of world history.
Individuals such as Raoul Wallenberg were willing to make the ultimate
sacrifice of life and livelihood to serve the greater good of
humankind. It is my hope that his efforts and sacrifices will serve as
an example for all of us and for future generations.
Mr. Speaker, I urge immediate passage, and I reserve the balance of
my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC, April 16, 2012.
Hon. Spencer Bachus,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House
Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bachus: I am writing concerning H.R. 3001,
the ``Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act,'' which is
scheduled for floor action the week of April 16, 2012.
As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains
jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R.
3001 contains a provision that provides for the sale of
duplicate medals, and thus falls within the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Ways and Means.
However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding
commemorative coin and medal bills and in order to expedite
this bill for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo
action. This is being done with the understanding that it
does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect to
the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional
prerogatives on this or similar legislation in the future.
I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming
this understanding with respect to H.R. 3001, and would ask
that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be
included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration.
Sincerely,
Dave Camp,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Financial Services,
Washington, DC, April 13, 2012.
Hon. Dave Camp,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office
Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing in response to your letter
regarding H.R. 3001, the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial
Celebration Act, which is scheduled for Floor consideration
under suspension of the rules on Monday, April 16, 2012.
I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill.
The bill contains a provision for a charge for the sale of
duplicate medals. I understand your concern with provisions
that raise revenue and accordingly would fall under the
jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. However, the
bill is not expected to raise revenue.
Further, I appreciate your willingness to forego action by
the Committee on Ways and Means on H.R. 3001 in order to
allow the bill to come to the Floor expeditiously. I agree
that your decision to forego further action on this bill will
not prejudice the Committee on Ways and Means with respect to
its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar
legislation. Therefore, I would support your request for
conferees on those provisions within your jurisdiction should
this bill be the subject of a House-Senate conference.
I will include this exchange of letters in the
Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the
House. Thank you again for your assistance and if you should
need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact
Natalie McGarry of my staff.
Sincerely,
Spencer Bachus,
Chairman.
Mr. MEEKS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in favor of H.R. 3001, the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial
Celebration Act. This bill will bestow the Congressional Gold Medal on
a hero who is credited with saving thousands of lives during the Nazi
occupation of Hungary in World War II. Raoul Wallenberg is one of the
truly inspiring figures of the 20th century. Many prominent Americans
owe their lives to Mr. Wallenberg and his heroic actions, including my
friend and late colleague, Tom Lantos, and his lovely wife, Annette.
Through the passage of this legislation, Congress can honor a true
humanitarian for the sake of his family and the thousands of survivors
who owe their lives to him.
Raoul Wallenberg, as my colleague has just said, was a Swedish
special envoy to Budapest on a diplomatic mission established in
collaboration with the American War Refugee Board and the American
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee to initiate a rescue operation for
Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Over 150,000 Hungarian Jews had already
been deported to Nazi death camps by the time Wallenberg arrived in
Budapest. But through his ingenuity and even at times his bribing of
others through the issuance of fake Swedish protective passes and
sheltering in official Swedish diplomatic houses, Wallenberg
unrelentingly sought to save Jews from Germans and their accomplices,
risking his own life numerous times in the process, while there were
others who were involved who gave their lives in the process.
During the Soviet siege of Budapest, Wallenberg was detained by
Soviet authorities on suspicion of espionage and was never heard from
again. Wallenberg's ultimate fate is unknown, and awarding the
Congressional Gold Medal during this centennial celebration of his
birth is the best opportunity I believe we have to resolving the
mystery about Raoul Wallenberg's ultimate fate.
When we have a true hero--one who inspires us to be the very best
that we can, one who says that we're going to rise above those
individuals who mean no good, one who says they will put their own
lives at stake so that others may live--those are the individuals that
we need to honor; those are the individuals we need to bring to light
so that every child, every human being, knows of those great heroic
feats.
{time} 1610
Because indeed, Mr. Speaker, it is individuals like Raoul Wallenberg
who will take us to centuries yet to come and bring us together as a
human family. So, I'm honored here today to put forth this bill, and
I'd like to thank the over-300 colleagues here on the House floor who
have cosponsored this bill and especially my colleague from New York,
Nan Hayworth, who has been absolutely a delight to work with. As we
pursued this bill and working together on the floor in getting
signatures and talking to our colleagues, I really enjoyed immensely
working with Congresswoman Hayworth in bringing this bill to the floor.
I also want to thank the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration
Commission, headed by Ezra Friedlander, and the American Jewish
Committee, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Lantos
Foundation, the University of Michigan, and the Hungarian and Swedish
ambassadors for all of their hard work on this legislation to honor
Wallenberg's memory and to celebrate the innumerable individuals who
live today because their relatives were saved through his efforts. I
ask my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3001 and award Raoul
Wallenberg the Congressional Gold Medal.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield as
much time as she would consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms.
Hayworth). As the gentleman from New York indicated, she has worked
tirelessly on this issue and is one of the most respected newest
Members of our body.
Ms. HAYWORTH. I thank our distinguished colleague from Missouri. Of
course, I reciprocate the sentiments
[[Page H1817]]
that Congressman Meeks has expressed. We share a State, and we share a
common vision that elevates all of us as individuals and as a Nation
and, indeed, as citizens of a world that so much needs the acts of
courage and moral integrity that Raoul Wallenberg brought to bear, that
he represents for all of us today.
It is such a privilege to work together with all of those who owe
their lives to Raoul Wallenberg's action, including a Member of our own
body, Congressman Tom Lantos, who now, of course, is no longer with us
in this body; but he and his wife, Annette, were spared as a result of
Raoul Wallenberg's actions. Indeed, although Mr. Wallenberg lived in
the 20th century, his life illuminates us in the 21st century today,
and his legacy is represented in the lives of a million descendants
around the world, including, of course, here in the United States of
those whom Raoul Wallenberg saved.
It is an absolute privilege to have brought this bill to the
attention of our colleagues and to have the enthusiastic support of so
many who were very happy to cosponsor this bill with Congressman Meeks
and with me. So I am delighted to think that it will, indeed, bring us
one step closer to bestowing one of our highest civilian honors on a
man who has done so much for humanity and so much for America in so
many ways, Raoul Wallenberg.
Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Hastings).
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank our good friend and colleague for
yielding, and I thank him and Ms. Hayworth for their extraordinary work
in causing us to recognize Raoul Wallenberg.
I came in contact with the name Raoul Wallenberg and with the
official portrait that the Lantos Foundation and others have put
together, and I just stand to say to you all that I vigorously support
and was a cosponsor of this measure. But more importantly, I know that
Tom would be looking down today and thanking all of us, and later, I'm
sure with Mrs. Lantos, those that gather would assuredly recognize the
extraordinary work that you did in bringing this to the body. And as
Gregory said, Raoul Wallenberg's fate may be unknown, but his fate
today is known, and that is that he saved a lot of people, and he is
rightly recognized by us for that.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I'd like to yield to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) as much time as he would consume.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I want to thank Nan and my good friend, Greg
Meeks, for introducing this bill. Greg and I recently were in Budapest,
and we were there for a celebration at the statue of Raoul Wallenberg;
and it is something that I'll never forget. It was a good time and a
very important time.
What do you say about somebody like Raoul Wallenberg or Schindler?
These people risked their lives to save people who were going to be
killed, going to be put in gas chambers, never to be heard from again.
And 6 million people died because there weren't more people like Raoul
Wallenberg and Schindler.
So, I just want to say I've heard from my colleagues today the things
that I would like to have said, and they said it very well; but I just
say, in closing, thank God that there are people who are willing to
risk their lives to help their fellow man. There just aren't enough of
them. When I look around the world and see the horrible tragedies that
are taking place in Africa and elsewhere, it makes you wonder if we're
ever going to see people like that again, but thank God we have
somebody like Raoul Wallenberg.
Mr. MEEKS. I just want to thank the chairman of the European
subcommittee for recalling that great day we did have in Budapest at
the statue of Raoul Wallenberg. It was a great moment and a solemn
moment. When you think about Raoul Wallenberg and when you think about
the over 300 Members of this body that are cosponsoring it, today what
Raoul Wallenberg is doing is bringing us together. Yet today, Raoul
Wallenberg as well, even here in the House as we look and work
unanimously on this bill, is bringing people together from all parts of
the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, saying that we are standing
together for what is right and for a better tomorrow.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time at
this point, and yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my
colleague Mr. Meeks' bill to award Raoul Wallenberg a Congressional
Gold Medal in recognition of his heroic action in saving the lives of
Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust.
Few people could be more deserving of a Congressional Gold Medal than
Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat stationed in Budapest with the
American War Refugee Board, who, at great risk to himself, is credited
with saving the lives of approximately 100,000 Jews. In the closing
months of World War II, Wallenberg issued Swedish passports to Jews,
and was instrumental in preventing the extermination of the Nazi-
created Jewish ghetto in Budapest. Many moving stories are told of the
depth of his personal concern for the Jews of Hungary, living under
threat of death--and of his fortitude and tireless energy in resisting
the monstrous plans of the Nazis.
Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to draw attention to H. Res. 610, a
resolution I introduced, with my colleague Mr. Turner of New York, on
the fate of Raoul Wallenberg. As Mr. Meeks' bill points out, ``the fate
of Raoul Wallenberg remains a mystery.'' Yet in this mystery we have a
few clues--he was arrested by Soviet forces in Hungary in 1945, and,
without going into detail on the subsequent Soviet explanations of what
happened to him in their custody, we can certainly say that they are
incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. We have more than sufficient
reason to suspect that the Soviet government has never dealt frankly In
explaining what happened to Wallenberg. Most people knowledgeable about
the case believe that the Soviet government executed Wallenberg. So my
and Mr. Turner's resolution asks the President and Secretary of State
to press the Russian government for a full and complete accounting of
Wallenberg's fate. Certainly sixty-seven years after Wallenberg's
disappearance, and twenty-two after the demise of the Soviet Union,
this is long overdue.
I thank my friend Mr. Meeks for his bill to award Wallenberg the
Congressional Gold Medal, and urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of H.R. 3001
to reiterate my support for awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to
Raoul Wallenberg for his heroic and brave actions during the holocaust
that resulted in the saving of 100,000 Hungarian Jewish lives.
During World War II, Raoul Wallenberg at the age of 31 was sent to
Budapest to serve as a Swedish diplomat. The Holocaust was underway
throughout Europe and he was instructed by his government to use the
tools of his office, including passports and other creative means, to
save as many lives as possible. Wallenberg devised a new Swedish
passport, the Schutzpass, especially for the purpose of protecting
Hungarian Jews. He designed it to look more imposing and official than
the actual Swedish passport. The Schutzpass granted the bearer immunity
from being sent to the death camps and is credited with saving 20,000
Jewish lives.
Through this and other actions, Wallenberg helped save 100,000 of the
120,000 Hungarian Jews that survived the holocaust in Hungary and
hundreds of thousands of American Jews can directly or indirectly
attribute their own lives to his efforts. In recognition of these
efforts, in 1981, President Ronald Reagan made Raoul Wallenberg an
honorary citizen of the United States, an honor only previously
extended to Winston Churchill.
I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation in the
memory of Raoul Wallenberg and in recognition of his bravery and for
the many lives he helped save during World War II.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3001.
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. LUETKEMEYER. 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, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________