[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 179 (Wednesday, December 4, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6327-H6328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1415
BENJAMIN BERELL FERENCZ POST OFFICE BUILDING
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 6116) to designate the facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 14280 South Military Trail in Delray Beach, Florida,
as the ``Benjamin Berell Ferencz Post Office Building''.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6116
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. BENJAMIN BERELL FERENCZ POST OFFICE BUILDING.
(a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal
Service located at 14280 South Military Trail in Delray
Beach, Florida, shall be known and designated as the
``Benjamin Berell Ferencz Post Office Building''.
(b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation,
document, paper, or other record of the United States to the
facility referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be
a reference to the ``Benjamin Berell Ferencz Post Office
Building''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Comer) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kentucky.
General Leave
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Kentucky?
There was no objection.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which would rename a
post office in Delray Beach, Florida, for Benjamin Berell Ferencz.
Benjamin Ferencz was an American lawyer and investigator of Nazi war
crimes following World War II. He served as the chief prosecutor of the
United States Army at the Einsatzgruppen Nuremberg trials. I encourage
my colleagues to support the renaming of the post office after Benjamin
Berell Ferencz.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support and great pride in this
legislation, H.R. 6116.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms.
Lois Frankel) for any remarks she may have.
Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair and
ranking member for their help in bringing this bill to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I rise with immense pride to support my bill to name a
post office in Delray Beach, Florida, after Benjamin Berell Ferencz, a
Congressional Gold Medal recipient, a man whose life was a master class
in courage, justice, and humanity.
I am deeply honored to say that Mr. Ferencz was my constituent, who
enjoyed the latter years of his life in a vibrant community of retirees
called Kings Point, where he was not only a neighbor, but an
inspiration to those who knew him.
The post office is situated in the very community where Mr. Ferencz
and his neighbors lived, and it will stand as a daily reminder of his
incredible life and legacy and bring much pride to the community.
Mr. Ferencz' story is extraordinary. He was the last living Nuremberg
prosecutor when he passed away at the remarkable age of 103.
During World War II, Mr. Ferencz served in an antiaircraft military
unit in the U.S. Army before being assigned to gather evidence of Nazi
crimes. That assignment led him to witness firsthand the horrors of the
concentration camp, where millions of Jews and others were
systematically murdered. He later described that experience as having
peered into hell.
At just 27 years old, with remarkable courage and resolve, Ben served
as the chief prosecutor in one of the Nuremberg trials, what scholars
have called the biggest murder trial in history. It was his first case
as a lawyer, and he successfully prosecuted 22 high-ranking Nazi
officials responsible for the deaths of over 1 million people.
His work set a global standard for justice and accountability and
made clear that even the most powerful perpetrators of evil would face
consequences.
His fight for justice did not end in the courtroom. For the rest of
his life, he was a tireless advocate for global peace, for human
rights, and the rule of law. He believed in building a better and more
compassionate world where atrocities would never happen again.
Now more than ever, Mr. Speaker, his legacy calls to us because anti-
Semitism is on the rise, with 2023 marking the highest recorded
incidences in U.S. history.
The Jewish people and, indeed, all who value justice and tolerance
are facing growing threats. Mr. Ferencz warned us that creating a world
of tolerance and compassion would be a long and arduous task, and that
task remains unfinished.
By naming this post office after Mr. Ferencz, we honor not only the
man, but also the principles he dedicated his life to: justice,
dignity, and the fight against hatred and division. It is a reminder
for all of us to stand against the forces of hate and division and
recommit to building a future defined by justice and humanity.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel) for bringing this forward.
Mr. Ferencz was, indeed, a great lawyer, a great humanitarian, and a
great defender of freedom and democracy. We are proud to be able to
push this legislation forward.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from North Carolina (Ms. Manning).
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Raskin), my friend, for yielding time to me.
I also thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my good
friend, for her efforts to recognize the hard work and dedication of
Benjamin Ferencz by naming a post office in his honor.
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of World War II and the Holocaust, Mr.
Ferencz bravely prosecuted Nazis during the Nuremberg trials. Mr.
Ferencz' family fled Jewish persecution in Romania and immigrated to
the United States when he was just a baby.
He later studied law and joined the U.S. Army. Through his military
service and his tireless pursuit of justice at the Nuremberg trials, he
proved himself to be a true American patriot.
[[Page H6328]]
At a time of rising anti-Semitism, both globally and in this country,
it is crucial to honor Mr. Ferencz. He fought to hold accountable those
responsible for anti-Semitic actions that led to the unprecedented
murder of 6 million innocent Jews.
Today, as I mentioned, we are seeing a frightening rise of anti-
Semitism all across our country and around the globe, and we are seeing
the growth of Holocaust deniers, people who deny that the 6 million
Jews were murdered in cold blood. These are people who blame these
deaths on the victims themselves.
We are seeing victim blaming in other instances of anti-Semitism--for
example, what just happened in Amsterdam.
Ben Ferencz knew the truth of what happened, and he was willing to
hold people accountable.
As the first Jewish Member of Congress elected from my home State of
North Carolina, it is both a privilege and an honor to recognize a
fellow Jew who served his country and his people with distinction and
honor. Mr. Ferencz was the embodiment of the Biblical instruction:
``Justice, justice you shall pursue.''
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ms. Frankel, for her efforts to
make sure this post office is named for such a deserving honoree.
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Manning), my colleague and, indeed, my cousin, for
her thoughtful and eloquent remarks about Mr. Ferencz.
Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation. I urge
my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Comer) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 6116.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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