[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 150 (Monday, September 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING MR. BENJAMIN ZELENKO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JAMIE RASKIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 18, 2023

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Mr. Benjamin 
Zelenko, a distinguished constituent and exemplary citizen who helped 
shape the revival of our national commitment to equality through the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mr. Zelenko has accomplished a lifetime of 
excellent service to this great Nation and this body, making vital 
contributions to our journey towards a more perfect union.
  Mr. Zelenko served as a top aide to Representative Emanuel Celler, 
the legendary Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee during the apex 
of the Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Zelenko played a critical role in the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the 
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and the Gun Control Act of 
1968. Mr. Zelenko helped Representative Celler shepherd these bills 
through fraught Committee debates, floor debates and final passage.
  Later in his career, Mr. Zelenko represented Japanese Americans in 
their fight for reparations and redress for their unlawful and 
outrageous internment by the U.S. Government during World War II. He 
argued their case in United States v. William Hohri, et al. before the 
U.S. Supreme Court. This case helped pave the way for the enactment of 
the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 which awarded $20,000 in reparations 
and an official apology from the U.S. Government to tens of thousands 
of Japanese Americans.
  Throughout his career in several of our Nation's leading law firms, 
Mr. Zelenko championed human rights, workers' rights, and intellectual 
property rights. Mr. Zelenko documented his experiences helping to pass 
monumental legislation for an oral history project conducted by this 
body's Office of the Historian for the public record. His encyclopedic 
recollection of the minutiae of the events of 1964 reminds us that 
landmark civil rights protections were not inevitable but rather were 
won through grueling and sustained efforts spanning decades of social 
struggle. A Princeton University and Harvard Law graduate, Mr. Zelenko 
contributed his great knowledge and gifts to the unending quest for a 
more perfect union. We are fortunate as a Nation that he chose to use 
his immense talents to serve the causes of social justice and equality.
  Mr. Zelenko is a beloved husband, father and grandfather. He married 
Barbara (Saltz) Zelenko in 1961. In 1964, the Zelenkos moved to 
Maryland's beautiful Eighth District where they raised their 3 
children, Brian, Laura and Carin. Ben and Barbara Zelenko still live in 
the same house they first occupied. This year, Mr. Zelenko celebrated 
his 90th birthday surrounded by his loving children and 6 
grandchildren, Leslie, Jennifer, Sasha, Katya, Lia and Kayla. Mr. 
Zelenko is known by his family for being a gracious and captivating 
host, performing magic shows at all 6 of his grandchildren's birthday 
parties and seizing any opportunity to tell a great story. I am proud 
to salute Mr. Zelenko for his lifetime of service and extraordinary 
character.

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