[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 52 (Wednesday, March 22, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H1314-H1316]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AUTHORIZING THE USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR A CEREMONY AS PART OF THE 
  COMMEMORATION OF THE DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE OF VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST

  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 25) authorizing the use of 
Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony as part 
of the commemoration of the days of remembrance of victims of the 
Holocaust.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 25

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR A CEREMONY AS PART OF 
                   THE COMMEMORATION OF THE DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE OF 
                   VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST.

       (a) Authorization.--Emancipation Hall in the Capitol 
     Visitor Center is authorized to be used on April 20, 2023, 
     for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of the days of 
     remembrance of victims of the Holocaust.
       (b) Preparations.--Physical preparations for the ceremony 
     described in subsection (a) shall be carried out in 
     accordance with such conditions as the Architect of the 
     Capitol may prescribe.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Every year, the United States joins the world in observing days of 
remembrance in connection with victims of the Holocaust.
  The United States Holocaust Museum has organized and led the national 
Days of Remembrance ceremony in the United States Capitol since 1982. 
This event brings together Holocaust survivors, liberators, Members of 
Congress, White House officials, and community leaders.
  As with previous years, the Museum is again requesting access to 
utilize the House's Emancipation Hall.
  Today, the House will consider a resolution led by my colleague, 
Congressman   David Kustoff, that authorizes the use of Emancipation 
Hall for a ceremony on April 20.
  As part of the Days of Remembrance of victims of the Holocaust, their 
planned programming in our Halls will be dedicated to the millions of 
voices, hopes, and dreams that were silenced by Nazi Germany.
  Their programming will reflect the struggle to retain dignity and 
humanity in the face of unimaginable terror and violence. It will also 
highlight their stories of defiance, resistance, resilience, that 
remind us of what is possible in moments of unfathomable crisis.

[[Page H1315]]

  I hope that today we can unanimously pass this legislation and 
approve their use of the Emancipation Hall.
  I commend the continuous efforts of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial 
Museum, and I can think of no better space to honor the lives lost and 
the battles fought than here in the people's House. We must never 
forget.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank my friend and colleague, Chairman Steil, for his comments.
  I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 25. Historically, this resolution 
authorizing the use of Emancipation Hall for a ceremony to honor 
victims of the Holocaust has been considered and agreed to by the House 
with unanimous consent because there was universal agreement that 
debate on this issue was unnecessary. I don't know what has changed 
necessitating the debate in the 118th Congress, but I fully support the 
measure, nonetheless.
  We are considering this legislation at a time when acts of hatred and 
anti-Semitism are on the rise, not just around the world but here in 
the United States.
  Perhaps even more troubling, anti-Semitism has begun an insidious 
creep into what was once considered mainstream ideologies and 
institutions.
  On January 6, in a failed attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of 
power and to subvert democracy and the rule of law, violent 
insurrectionists stormed the halls of the Capitol, some wearing 
clothing emblazoned with vile anti-Semitic slogans and imagery.
  This is not some distant memory that happened in a faraway country. 
It happened right here in this very building, in this very Chamber, 
just 2 years ago. That is why it is so important we reject hate and 
authoritarianism at every turn to prevent its malignant spread.
  This resolution does just that by allowing us to honor the memory of 
more than 11 million people, including 6 million Jews killed in the 
Holocaust. It affirms our commitment to combating anti-Semitism in all 
its forms and ensures that we never forget the atrocities of the past 
lest they are repeated.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 25, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I would note to my colleague and the ranking 
member on the Committee on House Administration, Mr. Morelle, I 
appreciate his work on this.
  In regards to the question why we are bringing this to the floor for 
a vote, I think it is just a moment in time to reflect on the 
importance of the issue at hand and to really appreciate and understand 
the horrors that occurred during the Holocaust.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Kustoff).
  Mr. KUSTOFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member 
for allowing me to speak today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of this resolution that 
would authorize the use of Emancipation Hall by the United States 
Holocaust Museum for the Days of Remembrance commemoration event on 
April 20 of 2023.
  The Days of Remembrance was established by Congress as the Nation's 
annual commemoration of the Holocaust. Since 1982, the United States 
Holocaust Memorial Museum has worked tirelessly to organize and lead 
this vital and meaningful ceremony in the United States Capitol.
  I think it is imperative that we honor the memory, the bravery, the 
spirit of 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and the millions 
of others who perished at the hands of the Nazi regime.
  We must continue to listen and share the survivors' stories so that 
we never forget the heinous atrocities that took place.
  With each passing year, Mr. Speaker, we have fewer and fewer 
firsthand witnesses and individuals who were there and lost a family 
member or a friend. Now, more than ever, it is critical that we educate 
the next generation and teach them about the horrors that occurred 
during the Holocaust so that we never forget.
  To honor the victims of the Holocaust and pay tribute to the 
liberators, we work and we must continue to work to keep their stories 
alive. Hosting the Days of Remembrance commemoration event here in the 
Halls of Congress does exactly that.
  As we all know, anti-Semitism, as well as hateful rhetoric and 
incidents continue to grow here across the country, frankly, across the 
world.
  As Members of Congress, we have the ability and the responsibility to 
combat anti-Semitism and ensure that our children, tomorrow's leaders, 
are taught about the cruelties that took place years ago. The way that 
we can do this and to prevent atrocities like the Holocaust from 
happening again is through education.

  As Elie Wiesel once said: ``For the dead and the living, we must bear 
witness.''
  I thank Representatives Brad Schneider, Max Miller, and  Greg 
Landsman for working with me on this important measure, and, as such, I 
urge all my colleagues to support this crucial resolution that will 
honor the victims of the Holocaust by authorizing the use of 
Emancipation Hall for the Days of Remembrance commemoration.
  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Chair's explanation of why 
we are doing this. I certainly appreciate the gentleman from Tennessee 
and his hard work.
  I represent a community, Rochester, New York, which has a significant 
Jewish population I have worked with for decades, and I talked just a 
couple of weeks ago at Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester about the 
rise of anti-Semitism in communities across the United States, so I 
appreciate the opportunity for us to talk about the increase; how we 
must do everything we can to make sure that we not only remember the 
past, but are cognizant in the present of all the challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague, the ranking 
member. As we see a rise in anti-Semitism, now is the time to remember 
how that can take us in this world down a dark path, and no darker path 
than the Holocaust.
  I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito).
  Mr. D'ESPOSITO. Mr. Speaker, as the Representative of one of the 
largest Jewish populations in the State of New York, I rise today to 
voice my support for H. Con. Res. 25, which would authorize the use of 
Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony 
remembering the victims of the Holocaust.
  It is vitally important that this legislative body and the Federal 
Government at large do everything possible to ensure the horrors of the 
Holocaust are never forgotten and the victims are always remembered.
  Holding a ceremony right here in the Capitol's Emancipation Hall 
demonstrates this Nation's unified commitment to honoring those who 
fell victim to an evil ideology of racism, anti-Semitism, and thorough 
hatred.
  These ceremonies of remembrance are particularly important now as the 
generation that survived the Holocaust continues to dwindle in numbers. 
We must do everything possible to make sure those survivors' stories 
are told, and their perseverance celebrated for years to come.
  I personally will be observing Yom HaShoah this year by pausing to 
remember the millions of lives senselessly taken during the Holocaust, 
and thanking those survivors who continue to keep alive their stories.
  The memories of 6 million murdered Jews and countless other victims 
of the Holocaust serve as a reminder that evil exists, and we must 
always stand guard against it and all hatred.
  Let this Congress always stand firm as a force of good and forever 
act justly to prevent such evils from ever being carried out again.
  We must never forget the Holocaust, and this ceremony at Emancipation 
Hall will keep that spirit of remembrance alive here in our Nation's 
Capital and across this Nation.

                              {time}  1800

  Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I will close by again thanking the chairman 
for bringing the resolution forward and thanking my colleagues for 
offering it. We stand in strong support of it.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 25, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H1316]]

  

  Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I urge strong bipartisan and unanimous 
support for H. Con. Res. 25 today on the House floor, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 25.
  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. STEIL. 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 motion will be postponed.

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