[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 111 (Wednesday, June 28, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H5238-H5239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING ELIE WIESEL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the Elie 
Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, which I had the 
privilege of introducing in the House last week, with 27 cosponsors.
  Named after the courageous Nobel laureate, Elie Wiesel, this 
legislation honors the legacy of his life's work to expose evil around 
the world.
  Mr. Wiesel was just 15 years old when the Nazis deported him and his 
family to Auschwitz. Rising from literal ashes, he became a writer and 
spent his life defending the persecuted across the globe. He died 
nearly 1 year ago, but his passion for victims of injustice lives on.
  Elie Wiesel believed that from the Holocaust to South Sudan, from 
Burma to Syria, the world has witnessed far too many genocides and mass 
atrocity crimes. The true horror is that most of these devastating 
crises are, indeed, preventable.
  My heart aches for those whose lives are being torn apart, and the 
fact that over 65 million people are currently fleeing preventable 
crises makes clear that the U.S. Government must improve its response 
to these conflicts.
  Genocide and atrocity crimes, including war crimes, crimes against 
humanity, and ethnic cleansing, include

[[Page H5239]]

shocking acts of violence perpetrated by governments and nonstate 
actors, resulting in the murders of millions of civilians across the 
globe.
  The Elie Wiesel Act establishes that the official policy of the 
United States is to regard the prevention of genocide and atrocity 
crimes as a core national security interest and moral responsibility. 
The legislation would establish an interagency mass atrocities task 
force to strengthen the U.S. Government's prevention and response 
efforts.
  The legislation encourages the Director of National Intelligence to 
include a review of countries at risk of genocide and mass atrocity 
crimes in his or her annual report to Congress.
  The bill also authorizes training for U.S. Foreign Service Officers 
on early signs of atrocities and transitional justice measures to 
ensure that America's diplomats know how to respond to conflict on the 
ground.
  Lastly, the legislation authorizes the Complex Crisis Fund to support 
programs to prevent emerging or unforeseen crises overseas.
  These tools will empower the United States to strengthen protection 
efforts and protect the innocent.
  By supporting civil society, enhancing cooperation among ethnic and 
religious groups, promoting accountability, and holding murderers 
accountable, America can promote global stability and fundamental human 
rights. This time, when America says ``never again,'' our actions will 
reinforce our platitudes.

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