[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 149 (Tuesday, September 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6381-S6382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FORGOTTEN HEROES OF THE HOLOCAUST CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 91 and the Senate proceed to its immediate 
consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 91) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to 60 
     diplomats, in recognition of their bravery and heroism during 
     the Holocaust.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the Hagerty substitute 
amendment, which is at the desk, be considered and agreed to; that the 
bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that 
the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3295) in the nature of a substitute was agreed to, 
as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Forgotten Heroes of the 
     Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) The following diplomats will be honored posthumously: 
     Per Anger (Sweden), Jose Maria Barreto Bustios (Peru), Lars 
     Berg (Sweden), Philippe Bernardini (Vatican/Italy), Hiram 
     (Harry) Bingham IV (United States), Friedrich Born 
     (Switzerland), Gilberto Bosques Saldivar (Mexico), Carlos de 
     Liz-Texeira Branquinho (Portugal), Samuel del Campo (Chile), 
     Aracy de Carvalho Guimaraes Rosa (Brazil), Jose Arturo 
     Castellanos Contreras (El Salvador), Carl Ivan Danielsson 
     (Sweden), Luis Martins de Souza Dantas (Brazil), Georg 
     Ferdinand Duckwitz (Germany), Harald Feller (Switzerland), 
     Francis (Frank) Foley (United Kingdom), Jean-Edouard 
     Friedrich (Switzerland), Carlos Almeida Afonseca de Sampaio 
     Garrido (Portugal), Raymond Herman Geist (United States), 
     Feng-Shan Ho (Republic of China), Constantin Karadja 
     (Romania), Alexander Kasser (Sandor Kasza) (Sweden), Elow 
     Kihlgren (Sweden), Joseph Willem (Joop) Kolkman 
     (Netherlands), Julius Kuhl (Poland), Aleksander 4ados 
     (Poland), Valdemar Langlet (Sweden), Charles (Carl) Lutz 
     (Switzerland), George Mandel-Mantello (El Salvador), Florian 
     Manoliu (Romania), Manuel Antonio Munoz Borrero (Ecuador), 
     Salomon Jacob (Sally) Noach (Netherlands), Giorgio (Jorge) 
     Perlasca (Spain/Italy), Ernst Prodolliet (Switzerland), 
     Eduardo Propper de Callejon (Spain), Franjo Puncuch 
     (Yugoslavia/Slovenia), Konstanty Rokicki (Poland), Sebastian 
     de Romero Radigales (Spain), Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli 
     (Vatican/Italy), Angelo Rotta (Vatican/Italy), Albert Emile 
     Routier (Turkey/France), Jose Ruiz Santaella (Spain), Stefan 
     Ryniewicz (Poland), Angel Sanz-Briz (Spain), Abdol-Hossein 
     Sardari (Iran), Henryk Slawik (Poland), Robert Smallbones 
     (United Kingdom), Aristides de Sousa Mendes (Portugal), Jan 
     Spisiak (Slovakia), Chiune (Sempo) Sugihara (Japan), 
     Ireanaeus Typaldos (Spain), Alexander (Sandor) Ujvary 
     (Vatican/Hungary), Selahattin Ulkumen (Turkey), Gennaro 
     Verolino (Vatican/Italy), Vladimir Vochoc (Czech Republic), 
     Ernst Vonrufs (Switzerland), Raoul Wallenberg (Sweden), 
     Guelfo Zamboni (Italy), Peter Zurcher (Switzerland), and Jan 
     Zwartendijk (Netherlands).
       (2) On September 1, 1939, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis began 
     their invasion of Europe, which started World War II and 
     threw the world into chaos. The Nazi plan of mass murder of 
     the Jewish population was in full motion. As battles were 
     being fought between countries, Jews were being rounded up 
     and sent to concentration camps throughout Europe. This 
     process began a mass exodus of people out of Europe, 
     especially those in the Jewish community.
       (3) During the war, members of the Jewish community used 
     every tool and means at their disposal to flee Nazi tyranny. 
     Thousands tried to flee on trains or boats to escape from 
     Europe.
       (4) While the armies of countries were fighting each other, 
     a handful of diplomats, from around the world, stepped 
     forward and took heroic actions to save Jews fleeing Europe. 
     This was an incredibly dangerous process. If the Nazis 
     discovered the actions of these diplomats they would be 
     expelled, as a few of them were. Also, while worrying about 
     the Nazis, diplomats had to worry about their careers and 
     livelihoods back home. Many of them had strict orders from 
     their home countries to not aid the Jewish population in any 
     way.
       (5) These diplomats used every means at their disposal to 
     help Jews fleeing persecution. One of the most powerful tools 
     the diplomats had to use was the issuing of passports and 
     travel visas contrary to the instruction of the governments 
     of the diplomats. This process alone is responsible for 
     saving hundreds of thousands of Jewish families in Europe. 
     This was not the only tool used as many of the diplomats were 
     connected with the local populations and were great 
     communicators for Jews trying to travel underground. They 
     were able set up safehouses and getaways to hide Jews and 
     especially Jewish children from Nazi authorities. In the most 
     dangerous of times, several of these diplomats confronted the 
     Nazis directly on behalf of the Jews and personally put 
     themselves in grave danger.
       (6) Every diplomat knew the dangers and knew what they were 
     up against, and still pushed forward to save those in the 
     most danger.
       (7) The Congressional Gold Medal authorized under this Act 
     will help remind humanity that when the diplomats were faced 
     with terrible crises, they went beyond the fold, including 
     risking their careers and the lives of themselves and their 
     families, to engage in this humanitarian mission. The 
     diplomats of today and future generations can look towards 
     these heroes and be inspired by their lives of heroism and 
     sacrifice.
       (8) Nothing in this Act shall be construed as stating or 
     implying that this group of honorees encompasses everyone who 
     took this type of heroic action during this era. As the title 
     attests, the ``Forgotten Heroes'' performed these deeds out 
     of righteousness, with no expectation of public acclaim. The 
     sponsors of this Act wish to honor this group of individuals 
     for whose deeds the historical record is currently definitive 
     and well-documented. Given that historical research is 
     ongoing, in the event that robust documentation from 
     professional historians, expert stakeholders, and public 
     input identify others worthy of official recognition, future 
     Congresses retain the right to recognize additional forgotten 
     heroes of the Holocaust pursuant to future legislation.

     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 Congress, of a single gold medal of appropriate 
     design in honor of the 60 diplomats identified in section 
     2(1), in recognition of their brave and vital service of 
     saving Jews during World War II.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
     referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury 
     (referred to in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a 
     single gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and 
     inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
       (c) Presentation of Medal.--The single gold medal presented 
     under subsection (a) shall be presented collectively to the 
     eldest next of kin of each of the 60 diplomats identified in 
     section 2(1), who shall receive the medal as part of a 
     delegation consisting of a senior official representative of 
     the country that each diplomat served and the cochairs of the 
     Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Committee.
       (d) United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.--
       (1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in 
     honor of the 60 diplomats identified in section 2(1), the 
     gold medal shall be given to the United States Holocaust 
     Memorial Museum, where it will be available for display as 
     appropriate and available for research.
       (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should make the 
     gold medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for display 
     elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated 
     with Holocaust remembrance.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of 
     the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient 
     to cover the costs thereof, including labor, materials,

[[Page S6382]]

     dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medal.--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 sections 5134 and 
     5136 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) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--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 under this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be 
     deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
  The bill (S. 91), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third 
reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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