[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14858-14863]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1630

  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. I thank the gentleman from Washington and the 
gentleman from West Virginia for giving us the opportunity, as well as 
the Speaker, for allowing us to very promptly bring this to the 
attention of the House.
  I thank the Members, the Democrat and Republican Members, who have 
all been here today, as well as the entire Chamber for reacting and 
acknowledging this horrific act. Again, we just acknowledge and extend 
our condolences to the family.
  We rededicate ourselves to the necessity of teaching, of educating 
our public in the United States and around the world about what happens 
when racism and intolerance are allowed to fester from generation to 
generation, and we know that we will commit ourselves to continue that 
education process to the lessons of the Holocaust and the lessons of, 
unfortunately, what happened yesterday to make sure that it doesn't 
happen again.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I stand with so many of my colleagues today 
in condemnation of yesterday's appalling attack at the U.S. Holocaust 
Memorial Museum and the tragic death of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, 
who was killed in the line of duty.
  Bigotry, racism and intolerance must be condemned wherever they 
occur, but especially at a memorial to the Holocaust that challenges 
visitors to confront hatred and promote human dignity. The Holocaust 
Museum is a hollowed symbol of the cost of this type of hatred to all 
of humanity. The Museum teaches millions of people about the dangers of 
unchecked hatred. We do not need further examples of hate and prejudice 
within its walls--or anywhere else.
  The events of yesterday serve as a reminder that the Museum, and all 
of us, have more work to do to confront hatred and intolerance in our 
society.
  I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for the resolution and 
also in expressing condolences to the family of Officer Johns.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened by the news of 
yesterday's shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum and express my 
condolences to the victim's family.
  It is unfortunate that, even in today's world, there are still 
individuals who choose to deny the tragic events of the Holocaust. In 
the face of those who adhere to hatred, we must continue to stress the 
importance of knowledge over ignorance, with the hope that we can 
prevent future tragedies such as this.
  And that is just what the Holocaust Museum strives to do. Each year, 
some 2 million people from around the world visit the museum where they 
are confronted with a record of the horrors of the Holocaust so that no 
one can deny its existence. The museum not only reminds us of the 
atrocities of the Holocaust, but it shows us what happens when hatred, 
intolerance, and ignorance are allowed to direct the actions of men. 
The museum calls each one of us to recognize the humanity in all 
people, regardless of our differences. Its role in educating visitors 
about the responsibilities each individual has and its efforts to 
promote tolerance, understanding, and acceptance continue to be needed.
  I wish to express my condolences to the family, friends and coworkers 
of Stephen T. Johns. The outstanding courage demonstrated by Mr. Johns 
and all those who serve to protect citizens should not be taken for 
granted. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I 
rise to pay tribute to Mr. Stephen T. Johns, an innocent man who lost 
his life while securing the countless people who stream into one of the 
national treasures in our capital city, the United States Holocaust 
Memorial Museum.
  In the building that was erected to preserve the memory of the 
martyrs and heroes of the Holocaust, the ugly face of bigotry cast a 
dark shadow over the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10, 2009. 
The Museum is a place of stillness and personal reflection, and that 
calm was broken by a gunman who shattered that silence. People from 
around the country and the world come to that location to learn what 
the powerful phrase `Never Again' really means. Visitors take that 
message to their home communities to serve as spokespeople against 
bigotry, racism and hatred. That message needs to resonate throughout 
this country even more so today.
  Though this senseless and hateful act of violence is deplorable and 
has tainted the Museum's stance as a poignant reminder of the millions 
of innocent people who lost their lives in the Holocaust, it is my hope 
that the hate that continues to exist in our country will soon cease.
  The heroic security officers who put themselves in harm's way to 
protect the lives of Museum staff and patrons should be commended. 
Their courageous actions within a building that is synonymous with 
remembrance and a monument to those millions who died victimized by 
irrational hatred, saved more lives from being lost to that very same 
hatred.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and all the members of this esteemed 
legislative body to join me in extending heartfelt condolences to the 
family of Mr. Stephen T. Johns. His life, service and ultimate 
sacrifice will not be forgotten. Our nation must remain vigilant in our 
effort to defend against bigotry and heinous attacks such as this. I 
appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute before the United States 
House of Representatives.

[[Page 14859]]


  Ms. MARKEY of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel 
once said, ``I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human 
beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. 
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages 
the tormentor, never the tormented.'' I rise today to do my part to 
prevent that silence. I rise today to condemn the horrific attack on 
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and to extend my deepest 
thanks and sympathy to the family of Officer Stephen Johns and to all 
those at the Holocaust Museum. These men and women spend their days 
educating visitors from across the world about the tragic events of the 
Holocaust. The museum and its staff keep alive the memories of those 
lost and act as a reminder to our society's conscience of the 
devastating acts that humans are capable of. The events that occurred 
at the museum yesterday should only strengthen our resolve to combat 
anti-Semitism and the prejudices that still pervade our society. We 
must carry the memory of both the Holocaust and yesterday's events with 
us as we seek to form a more tolerant world. It is only in creating 
positive from the abhorrent that we can properly honor the lives of 
those who were lost.
  Mr. POSEY. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in condemning 
yesterday's shooting at the National Holocaust Museum which claimed the 
life of museum security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns. My thoughts and 
prayers are with Mr. Johns' family and friends during this difficult 
time.
  Mr. Johns' bravery and self-sacrifice saved lives--many innocent 
lives. His actions prevented this unthinkable attack from further 
harming the many families, including many young children, who were 
visiting the museum yesterday.
  Mr. Johns' successfully defended our Nation's most prominent monument 
built to religious and ethnic tolerance from the worst kind of hate and 
delusion. Anti-Semitism and harming innocent civilians have no place in 
a civilized society. He will be remembered always as an American hero 
and his family should be proud of his sacrifice for others.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I pause today to honor the memory of Stephen 
Tyrone Johns of Temple Hills, Maryland, who died yesterday defending 
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum against an anti-Semitic 
gunman.
  Although the gunman appears to have been a hardened denier of the 
Holocaust, his crime only brings home the high value of that museum of 
remembrance, which preserves the historical memory of a people whose 
communities and institutions have so often been the target of 
terroristic violence.
  That memory is preserved, in ways large and small, by the dedication 
of people like Officer Johns.
  In the wake of yesterday's killing, Mark Blumenthal, an on-line 
editor, shared the story of his wife's visit to the Holocaust Museum:
  ``She arrived at the end of a busy workday, in a rush, just a few 
minutes before closing time. Unfortunately, given the late hour, they 
had run out of the candles usually provided in the Hall of Remembrance 
for visitors to light and leave in the niches of the outer walls.
  Already feeling emotional . . . she broke down sobbing. A staffer 
nearby immediately came to her assistance, asking if she needed help. 
She explained, and the gentleman asked her to wait. He soon returned 
with a candle, explaining with a conspiratorial wink that he kept his 
own special supply for such emergencies.''
  In gestures as simple and kind as that, and acts as courageous as 
officer Johns's, we can find ways to carry on the duty of memory.
  Yesterday's crime may have been intended to scare us away from the 
Holocaust Museum; may it fail.
  May visitors return in force to bear witness to yesterday's loss and 
to the historical facts whose denial remains, in the words of President 
Obama, ``baseless . . . ignorant, and . . . hateful.''
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum was 
created as a sanctuary for tolerance and understanding. It was 
established by Congress to memorialize the millions of Jews and others 
who perished during the Holocaust and to educate people about the 
hatred and intolerance that led to their murders. Yesterday, it was 
tragically the victim of those same evil impulses.
  Today we mourn the death of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns who was 
killed in the line of duty and extend our condolences to his family. He 
will be remembered not only as a protector of the staff and visitors 
who crossed his path, but also as a defender of the noble ideals the 
museum stands for.
  What transpired yesterday is a horrific reminder of the violence that 
can stem from racism, anti-Semitism, and Holocaust denial. It was a 
hate crime in the truest sense--an attack fomented by hatred of Jews, 
African Americans, and all who seek to embrace diversity, tolerance and 
understanding.
  The gunman who perpetrated this attack had a life-long obsession with 
his hateful views. We can and must do more to prevent future 
generations from falling victim to a life consumed by hate.
  The most powerful response we can take is to reinforce the Museum's 
mission to educate and inspire people to fight prejudice in all its 
forms. With President Obama's recent visit to Buchenwald and the Pope's 
recent trip to Yad Vashem, we must emphasize the value of Holocaust 
education as a potent antidote to the vicious venom spread from 
Internet chat rooms and beyond.
  Congress has been a partner of the U.S. Holocaust Museum from the 
very beginning. We will be forever committed to its safety and its 
success.
  Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great 
sadness to address the horrible attack which took place yesterday 
afternoon at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum here in 
Washington. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Officer 
Stephen Tyrone Johns, who was killed yesterday in the line of duty 
while heroically performing the job to which he had dedicated himself--
protecting innocent people. The Museum is appropriately closed today in 
his honor, with flags flown at half mast in memory of this brave and 
selfless man.
  We sometimes have a tendency to slip into a false sense of security 
and denial when we hear about violence and internecine strife around 
the world. ``That won't happen here'', we assure ourselves, ``We have 
moved beyond that.'' But every so often we are painfully reminded that 
even in this country of freedom and opportunity there are those who 
would seek to do harm to their neighbors, deny the Holocaust and spew 
hateful and racist speech designed to divide us.
  Of course, our Jewish friends, family, and neighbors were stunned by 
yesterday's shooting, as it took place in the very hallowed space that 
our country has dedicated in memoriam to one of the greatest crimes in 
history, the Holocaust. It is especially saddening that this sacred 
place, a monument devoted to peace and the prevention of bigotry and 
crimes against humanity, was defiled in such a tragic manner.
  For many Jewish Americans, yesterday's attacks surely summoned up 
thoughts about other crimes against Jews throughout history, both here 
in the United States and elsewhere. Of course, we can never forget that 
Israel itself has faced intense and continuing security threats since 
its inception over 60 years ago. American Jews are an integral part of 
the fabric of American society, and irrational actions such as 
yesterday's attack should serve as an opportunity to bring the American 
family closer together.
  The man who opened fire yesterday at the Holocaust Museum reportedly 
has been a longtime adherent to a twisted white supremacist ideology. 
The perverse logic that says the human race is divided and segmented 
between superior and inferior genetic groups not only runs contrary to 
our founding concept--''all men are created equal''--it is in fact a 
cancer upon our society. Ideologies that would place one group of us 
above others are an affront to the core values that our society was 
created to defend.
  At this moment in our history, when we are confronted by incredible 
difficulties, we are also filled with hope. We recently witnessed the 
election to our highest office a man whom at the time of our nation's 
founding would not even have been permitted to cast a vote. We have 
seen increasing numbers of women and minorities serving at the highest 
levels of our government. These developments give us hope, even in the 
dark moments such as yesterday's murderous attack.
  I also would like to note that students from my home state of 
Massachusetts were in the Holocaust Museum yesterday when the gunman 
opened fire. I commend the Museum staff and the school chaperones for 
quickly shepherding the students to safety, ensuring that none was 
injured in the attack. The fact that millions of schoolchildren visit 
the Museum and learn the truth about the Holocaust is a rebuke to 
those, like the deranged killer, who seek to deny that the Holocaust 
occurred.
  As Reverend Martin Luther King taught us, ``the arc of the moral 
universe is long but it bends toward justice.'' We will continue to 
work to move our nation inexorably in the direction of justice and 
equality, because those are the values which tie us together. 
Yesterday, an immoral and evil act took the life of a brave officer. As 
we express our sadness and respect for Officer Johns, we also remain 
undeterred in our efforts to achieve and put into practice our nation's 
highest ideals--that all men and women are created equal, with 
inalienable rights that no person can abridge.

[[Page 14860]]


  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to express 
my heartfelt condolences to the family of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, 
who fell victim to yesterday's fatal shooting at the United States 
Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. This tragic outburst of 
violence and hatred turned the Holocaust Memorial Museum, a ``Monument 
of Sorrow'' (reported in the Washington Post), into monumental sorrow 
as we mourn the senseless loss of a brave man who died because of the 
color of his skin. I sit on the Advisory Board of the Houston Holocaust 
Museum, and I understand that such a museum should be a dwelling of 
honor and respect, not a house of violence and hatred. It should be a 
place that mourns those who died in the horrific Holocaust, as well as 
a place that seeks to promote peace. This violent act can not be 
tolerated.
  I would like to express my outrage at this racially-motivated 
killing, and my concern for Officer Johns' family, who is left to 
comprehend a void that will never again be filled. I would also like to 
express my concern to the patrons of the Holocaust Memorial Museum in 
our Nation's Capital, who were subject to baseless and tragic violence 
yesterday. Despite the strides the United States has made in the arena 
of Civil Rights, and the progress we continue to make with respect to 
tolerance, yesterday's hate crime indicates we have not come far 
enough. We always seek to protect speech, that is part of our American 
values, but we can not ignore and protect the violence that comes 
because Americans believe in the right of free speech.
  Let this tragic loss be an alarm for the United States that we must 
do more to promote respect and understanding among the people of our 
diverse nation, rather than allow ignorance to manifest within our 
country. Let Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns' legacy be marked as a 
renewed commitment to fighting racism and bigotry. Let this time be one 
of new hope between the African-American, Jewish communities, and all 
communities, that together we shall weave a fabric of tolerance and 
peace, and that together we shall overcome hatred today. I urge passage 
of this important Resolution.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, as Ranking Member of 
the Africa Subcommittee, I joined several colleagues at an important 
Foreign Affairs Committee meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai 
of Zimbabwe.
  It was an extraordinary opportunity to discuss Zimbambwe's progress 
towards democracy and away from dictatorship, hyperinflation, and 
multiple health crises, including cholera--and obtain a fuller 
understanding of what additional steps the U.S. can take to help.
  That meeting, however, occurred at precisely the same time the House 
considered H. Res. 529, a resolution condemning the June 10th violent 
attack on the Holocaust Memorial Museum--a despicable anti-Semitic act 
that killed Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns. As so eloquently articulated 
by many colleagues yesterday, I--we--salute officer Johns for his 
bravery and courage and extend our deepest condolences to his family.
  I rise today to not only express my support for H. Res 529 but also 
to thank my friend and colleague Mr. Klein for introducing it and for 
including me as a co-sponsor.
  Mr. Speaker, the Holocaust Memorial Museum is a noble and vitally 
necessary attempt to remember and honor the victims of the Holocaust. 
The memorial itself is a witness to truth and promotion of human 
dignity and tolerance.
  Wednesday's attack on that museum by a crazed, hate-filled gunman is 
yet another chilling reminder that our society still harbors a 
dangerous collection of bigots and racists who hate Jews.
  Unparalleled since the dark days of the Second World War, Jewish 
communities around the world are facing violent attacks against 
synagogues, Jewish cultural sites, cemeteries and individuals. Anti-
Semitism is an ugly reality that won't go away by ignoring or wishing 
it away. It must be combated with resolve and tenacity.
  The sad deeply troubling reality is that James von Brunn cannot be 
dismissed as an aberration, but is connected to a whole hate-promoting 
movement that results in violence against Jews in America and around 
the world on practically a daily basis.
  The Anti-Defamation League recently issued its annual Audit of Anti-
Semitic Incidents. While the ADL is to be congratulated for its careful 
research on an unpleasant but absolutely necessary subject, the ugly 
facts that the report documents make for painful reading.
  In 2008, the ADL noted 1,352 reported incidents of vandalism, 
harassment, and physical assaults on Jewish people or Jewish-owned 
property nationwide.
  Sadly and shamefully, my own state of New Jersey had more reported 
anti-Semitic incidents--238--than any other state.
  But the attack on the Holocaust Memorial Museum, Mr. Speaker, is the 
most ominous aspect of this wave of evil. The Holocaust Memorial Museum 
is a unique institution. It is a memorial, a museum, a center of 
Holocaust scholarship, and a promoter of tolerance and preventer of 
genocide. It is a very powerful symbol of the solidarity of America 
with those murdered in the Holocaust, and with the Jewish people.
  Mr. Speaker, at this critical moment we need government officials at 
all levels to denounce, without hesitation or delay, every anti-Semitic 
act wherever and whenever it occurs. No exceptions. At this moment, not 
to speak out enables the purveyors of hate. They never take a holiday 
or grow weary, nor should we.
  Just as Mr. Brunn attacked the Holocaust Memorial Museum and murdered 
a courageous security officer tasked with its protection, Holocaust 
remembrance and tolerance education must dramatically expand, and we 
need to ensure that our respective laws punish those who hate and 
incite violence against Jews.
  Finally, if we are to protect our children from the evil of anti-
Semitism, we must reeducate ourselves and systematically educate our 
children. While that starts in our homes, the classroom must be the 
incubator of tolerance. It seems to me that only the most hardened 
racist can remain unmoved by Holocaust education and remembrance. Only 
the most crass, evil, and prejudiced among us can study the horrors of 
the Holocaust and not cry out: Never again!
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise 
today in support of House Resolution 529, condemning the violent attack 
on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10, 2009 and 
honoring the bravery and dedication of United States Holocaust Memorial 
Museum employees and security personnel. I also rise to pay tribute to 
officer Stephen Johns.
  A Maryland resident, Officer Johns was a devoted husband and father. 
He was a man who lived his life protecting other people, and worked 
every day to ensure the safety and security of the patrons of the 
National Holocaust Museum, a place devoted to the pursuit of peace and 
the end of intolerance. It was a responsibility Officer Johns took very 
seriously, and one he gave his life to uphold.
  Moments like these are the most painful of reminders that when hate 
results in violence, it robs us of our family members, neighbors, and 
friends. It claims the best and bravest among us. Yesterday, in a place 
dedicated to ending such bigotry, a well-liked and thoughtful man was 
stolen from us.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the life of Stephen Johns and 
in renewing our vow to be united in our effort to extinguish the flames 
of bigotry and intolerance in this country and around the world once 
and for all.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. 
Res. 529 and to express my outrage at the violent attack on the United 
States Holocaust Memorial Museum on June 10, 2009, along with my 
deepest sympathies to all of those who knew Stephen T. Johns, the brave 
and honorable security guard who tragically died in the attack.
  Stephen T. Johns, 39, died tragically in the line of duty as he 
defended the Holocaust Memorial Museum from an attack by acknowledged 
white supremacist, racist and anti-Semite James von Brunn. He leaves 
behind his sister, his wife and his 11-year-old son.
  It is tragic that, as this incident demonstrates all too vividly, 
racism and anti-Semitism are still alive in America. It is tragic 
whenever there is a revolting act of violence that takes the life of an 
innocent person. It is especially tragic that, in this situation, the 
forces of hate and violence were unleashed at this august institution 
that is dedicated to memorializing and preventing a recurrence of the 
Holocaust that appallingly took the lives of millions of innocent 
civilians.
  Mr. Johns and all the rest of the security guards in the Holocaust 
Memorial Museum deserve our fullest commendation, as they acted 
heroically to prevent the museum's despicable attacker from enacting 
even more harm.
  I condemn the shooting completely, fully and without reservation. 
This type of attack is totally unacceptable, as are the racist and 
anti-Semitic motivations underlying it. I thank my friend, Rep. Klein, 
for introducing this important resolution.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, when a crazed and racist gunman takes the life 
of an innocent museum guard there are no words to fully convey both our 
shock and sorrow. But disgust with this act of violence and great 
sympathy for the loved ones of Stephen Johns are

[[Page 14861]]

nonetheless our nation's response to yesterday's senseless and ugly act 
of violence. While we cannot undo the despicable crime of a racist 
murderer, I want to express my deep condolences to the family and 
friends of Stephen Johns, the 39-year-old guard who gave his life in 
the line of duty at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum this past 
Wednesday.
  The shots of an anti-Semitic gunman have tragically ended the life of 
Mr. Johns, but no gunman can silence the truth of history enshrined in 
the Holocaust Memorial Museum here in Washington, D.C. When Stephen 
Johns lost his life to the bullet of an anti-Semite on Wednesday he was 
joining the hallowed ranks of those before him who stood in the way of 
hatred and violence against Jews.
  This nation will never tolerate the violence and hatred of anti-
Semitism and we will preserve the memory of people like Stephen Johns 
who refused to give an inch to the forces of hatred. We must never 
allow the sort of racist misinformation and twisted, violent lies that 
apparently led a gunman down a violent path to gain credence here in 
America. I pray that this criminal is swiftly brought to justice for 
this senseless act.
  Mr. Johns' fellow museum guards who prevented this tragedy from 
turning into an even deadlier event also deserve great praise. Their 
skill, bravery and professionalism no doubt saved lives during 
yesterday's shooting. My hope is that thanks to their bravery and the 
dedicated work of the many employees and volunteers at the Holocaust 
Museum that many millions of Americans will continue to be exposed to 
the story of the Holocaust. One gunman cannot stop the educational 
mission of this museum to ensure that acts of genocide like the 
Holocaust do not happen again.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 529 and with deep regret that this measure is necessary. I 
am saddened deeply by the tragic events that took place yesterday at 
the United States Holocaust Museum. Especially upsetting was the loss 
of Mr. Stephen Tyrone Johns, who loyally served and protected those 
visiting the Holocaust Museum for six years. Mr. Johns was known as a 
warm, friendly individual who was well-respected by his colleagues. My 
sincerest condolences and my most heartfelt prayers are with his family 
and friends, whose lives have been devastated so unfairly.
  While yesterday's violence appears to have been the act of single 
individual, similar actions rooted in hatred and intolerance are not 
unknown to our society or our local communities. I am distressed by a 
recent report from the Anti-Defamation League, which indicated that my 
own state of New Jersey experiences the highest number of anti-Semitic 
incidents in the country. The persistence of these unacceptable acts 
throughout our nation indicates that the sinister notions of anti-
Semitism, racism, and intolerance continue to plague our society. The 
Holocaust Museum stands as a testament to the tragedy and suffering 
that can occur when hatred goes unchallenged and turns to violence. It 
is also a place to reflect upon tremendous bravery and heroism. 
Yesterday's events, and the sacrifices made by Mr. Johns and his loved 
ones, are a profound reminder that we cannot be complacent. We must 
remain vigilant against prejudice and work together to promote peace 
and tolerance in our hometowns, across the nation, and around the 
world.
  Finally, I would note that yesterday's events bring to mind the 
stirring call to action by President Obama at the Holocaust Days of 
Remembrance Ceremony in April, and I ask that they be printed in the 
Record in their entirety.

Remarks by the President at the Holocaust Days of Remembrance Ceremony, 
                 United States Capitol, Washington, DC.

       The President. Thank you. Please be seated. Thank you very 
     much. To Sara Bloomfield, for the wonderful introduction and 
     the outstanding work she's doing; to Fred Zeidman; Joel 
     Geiderman; Mr. Wiesel--thank you for your wisdom and your 
     witness; Speaker Nancy Pelosi; Senator Dick Durbin; members 
     of Congress; our good friend the Ambassador of Israel; 
     members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council; and 
     most importantly, the survivors and rescuers and their 
     families who are here today. It is a great honor for me to be 
     here, and I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to address 
     you briefly.
       We gather today to mourn the loss of so many lives, and 
     celebrate those who saved them; honor those who survived, and 
     contemplate the obligations of the living.
       It is the grimmest of ironies that one of the most savage, 
     barbaric acts of evil in history began in one of the most 
     modernized societies of its time, where so many markers of 
     human progress became tools of human depravity: science that 
     can heal used to kill; education that can enlighten used to 
     rationalize away basic moral impulses; the bureaucracy that 
     sustains modern life used as the machinery of mass death--a 
     ruthless, chillingly efficient system where many were 
     responsible for the killing, but few got actual blood on 
     their hands.
       While the uniqueness of the Holocaust in scope and in 
     method is truly astounding, the Holocaust was driven by many 
     of the same forces that have fueled atrocities throughout 
     history: the scapegoating that leads to hatred and blinds us 
     to our common humanity; the justifications that replace 
     conscience and allow cruelty to spread; the willingness of 
     those who are neither perpetrators nor victims to accept the 
     assigned role of bystander, believing the lie that, good 
     people are ever powerless or alone, the fiction that we do 
     not have a choice.
       But while we are here today to bear witness to the human 
     capacity to destroy, we are also here to pay tribute to the 
     human impulse to save. In the moral accounting of the 
     Holocaust, as we reckon with numbers like 6 million, as we 
     recall the horror of numbers etched into arms, we also factor 
     in numbers like these: 7,200--the number of Danish Jews 
     ferried to safety, many of whom later returned home to find 
     the neighbors who rescued them had also faithfully tended 
     their homes and businesses and belongings while they were 
     gone.
       We remember the number five--the five righteous men and 
     women who join us today from Poland. We are awed by your acts 
     of courage and conscience. And your presence today compels 
     each of us to ask ourselves whether we would have done what 
     you did. We can only hope that the answer is yes.
       We also remember the number 5,000--the number of Jews 
     rescued by the villagers of Le Chambon, France--one life 
     saved for each of its 5,000 residents. Not a single Jew who 
     came there was turned away, or turned in. But it was not 
     until decades later that the villagers spoke of what they had 
     done--and even then, only reluctantly. The author of a book 
     on the rescue found that those he interviewed were baffled by 
     his interest. ``How could you call us 'good'?'' they said. 
     ``We were doing what had to be done.''
       That is the question of the righteous--those who would do 
     extraordinary good at extraordinary risk not for affirmation 
     or acclaim or to advance their own interests, but because it 
     is what must be done. They remind us that no one is born a 
     savior or a murderer--these are choices we each have the 
     power to make. They teach us that no one can make us into 
     bystanders without our consent, and that we are never truly 
     alone--that if we have the courage to heed that ``still, 
     small voice'' within us, we can form a minyan for 
     righteousness that can span a village, even a nation.
       Their legacy is our inheritance. And the question is, how 
     do we honor and preserve it? How do we ensure that ``never 
     again'' isn't an empty slogan, or merely an aspiration, but 
     also a call to action?
       I believe we start by doing what we are doing today--by 
     bearing witness, by fighting the silence that is evil's 
     greatest co-conspirator.
       In the face of horrors that defy comprehension, the impulse 
     to silence is understandable. My own great uncle returned 
     from his service in World War II in a state of shock, saying 
     little, alone with painful memories that would not leave his 
     head. He went up into the attic, according to the stories 
     that I've heard, and wouldn't come down for six months. He 
     was one of the liberators--someone who at a very tender age 
     had seen the unimaginable. And so some of the liberators who 
     are here today honor us with their presence--all of whom we 
     honor for their extraordinary service. My great uncle was 
     part of the 89th Infantry Division--the first Americans to 
     reach a Nazi concentration camp. And they liberated Ohrdruf, 
     part of Buchenwald, where tens of thousands had perished.
       The story goes that when the Americans marched in, they 
     discovered the starving survivors and the piles of dead 
     bodies. And General Eisenhower made a decision. He ordered 
     Germans from the nearby town to tour the camp, so they could 
     see what had been done in their name. And he ordered American 
     troops to tour the camp, so they could see the evil they were 
     fighting against. Then he invited congressmen and journalists 
     to bear witness. And he ordered that photographs and films be 
     made. Some of us have seen those same images, whether in the 
     Holocaust Museum or when I visited Yad Vashem, and they never 
     leave you. Eisenhower said that he wanted ``to be in a 
     position to give firsthand evidence of these things, if ever, 
     in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these 
     allegations merely to propaganda.''
       Eisenhower understood the danger of silence. He understood 
     that if no one knew what had happened, that would be yet 
     another atrocity--and it would be the perpetrators' ultimate 
     triumph.
       What Eisenhower did to record these crimes for history is 
     what we are doing here today. That's what Elie Wiesel and the 
     survivors we honor here do by fighting to make their memories 
     part of our collective memory. That's what the Holocaust 
     Museum does every day on our National Mall, the place where 
     we display for the world our triumphs and failures and the 
     lessons we've learned from our history. It's the very 
     opposite of silence.

[[Page 14862]]

       But we must also remember that bearing witness is not the 
     end of our obligation--it's just the beginning. We know that 
     evil has yet to run its course on Earth. We've seen it in 
     this century in the mass graves and the ashes of villages 
     burned to the ground, and children used as soldiers and rape 
     used as a weapon of war. To this day, there are those who 
     insist the Holocaust never happened; who perpetrate every 
     form of intolerance--racism and anti-Semitism, homophobia, 
     xenophobia, sexism, and more--hatred that degrades its victim 
     and diminishes us all.
       Today, and every day, we have an opportunity, as well as an 
     obligation, to confront these scourges--to fight the impulse 
     to turn the channel when we see images that disturb us, or 
     wrap ourselves in the false comfort that others' sufferings 
     are not our own. Instead we have the opportunity to make a 
     habit of empathy; to recognize ourselves in each other; to 
     commit ourselves to resisting injustice and intolerance and 
     indifference in whatever forms they may take--whether 
     confronting those who tell lies about history, or doing 
     everything we can to prevent and end atrocities like those 
     that took place in Rwanda, those taking place in Darfur. That 
     is my commitment as President. I hope that is yours, as well.
       It will not be easy. At times, fulfilling these obligations 
     require self-reflection. But in the final analysis, I believe 
     history gives us cause for hope rather than despair--the hope 
     of a chosen people who have overcome oppression since the 
     days of Exodus; of the nation of Israel rising from the 
     destruction of the Holocaust; of the strong and enduring 
     bonds between our nations.
       It is the hope, too, of those who not only survived, but 
     chose to live, teaching us the meaning of courage and 
     resilience and dignity. I'm thinking today of a study 
     conducted after the war that found that Holocaust survivors 
     living in America actually had a higher birthrate than 
     American Jews. What a stunning act of faith--to bring a child 
     in a world that has shown you so much cruelty; to believe 
     that no matter what you have endured, or how much you have 
     lost, in the end, you have a duty to life.
       We find cause for hope as well in Protestant and Catholic 
     children attending school together in Northern Ireland; in 
     Hutus and Tutsis living side by side, forgiving neighbors who 
     have done the unforgivable; in a movement to save Darfur that 
     has thousands of high school and college chapters in 25 
     countries, and brought 70,000 people to the Washington Mall--
     people of every age and faith and background and race united 
     in common cause with suffering brothers and sisters halfway 
     around the world.
       Those numbers can be our future--our fellow citizens of the 
     world showing us how to make the journey from oppression to 
     survival, from witness to resistance, and ultimately to 
     reconciliation. That is what we mean when we say ``never 
     again.''
       So today, during this season when we celebrate liberation, 
     resurrection, and the possibility of redemption, may each of 
     us renew our resolve to do what must be done. And may we 
     strive each day, both individually and as a nation, to be 
     among the righteous.
       Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States 
     of America.

  Mr. NADLER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House 
Resolution 529 and to condemn in the strongest possible terms the 
shooting yesterday at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 
Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, a just society has no place for acts of violence, and 
such acts deserve our strong condemnation. It is a terrible tragedy any 
time innocent people are terrorized or murdered, and we must always 
speak out against such senseless conduct.
  Yet the shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum was uniquely 
horrific, and deserving of special repudiation, for it threatened an 
entire group of people. It was the entire Jewish community which was 
the target of the deranged shooter, Mr. James Wenneker von Brunn. This 
hateful man has long held vicious anti-Semitic and white supremacist 
views, and tragically yesterday he acted on this demented outlook.
  It is all the more disgusting that Mr. von Brunn carried out his evil 
act at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is there that we honor the 
millions of Jews and other victims of the Nazi Holocaust. It is there 
that we educate thousands of people each day about this genocide, with 
the goal that it never be forgotten and never happen again. Committing 
an act of anti-Semitic violence at such a hallowed place is gross 
beyond words.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 529 rightfully condemns the vicious 
shooting that took place yesterday at the Holocaust Memorial Museum. It 
also urges the American people to join us in condemning this horrific 
event, offers the condolences of the House of Representatives to the 
family of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, and reaffirms our commitment to 
further the mission of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I 
urge all Members to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, let me close by thanking Representative Ron Klein for 
sponsoring this resolution and repeating my emphatic denunciation of 
the horrific shooting. I also want to take this opportunity to offer 
both my personal condolences to the family of Officer Johns and my 
appreciation for his heroic actions and those of the other museum 
employees.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 529.
  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. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 413, 
nays 0, not voting 21, as follows:

                             [Roll No. 334]

                               YEAS--413

     Abercrombie
     Aderholt
     Adler (NJ)
     Akin
     Alexander
     Altmire
     Andrews
     Arcuri
     Austria
     Bachmann
     Bachus
     Baird
     Baldwin
     Barrow
     Bartlett
     Barton (TX)
     Bean
     Becerra
     Berkley
     Berman
     Berry
     Biggert
     Bilbray
     Bilirakis
     Bishop (GA)
     Bishop (NY)
     Bishop (UT)
     Blumenauer
     Boccieri
     Boehner
     Bonner
     Bono Mack
     Boozman
     Boren
     Boswell
     Boucher
     Boustany
     Boyd
     Brady (PA)
     Brady (TX)
     Braley (IA)
     Bright
     Broun (GA)
     Brown (SC)
     Brown-Waite, Ginny
     Buchanan
     Burgess
     Burton (IN)
     Butterfield
     Buyer
     Calvert
     Camp
     Campbell
     Cantor
     Cao
     Capito
     Capps
     Capuano
     Cardoza
     Carnahan
     Carney
     Carson (IN)
     Carter
     Cassidy
     Castle
     Castor (FL)
     Chaffetz
     Chandler
     Clarke
     Clay
     Cleaver
     Clyburn
     Coble
     Coffman (CO)
     Cohen
     Cole
     Conaway
     Connolly (VA)
     Conyers
     Cooper
     Costa
     Costello
     Courtney
     Crenshaw
     Crowley
     Cuellar
     Culberson
     Cummings
     Dahlkemper
     Davis (AL)
     Davis (CA)
     Davis (IL)
     Davis (KY)
     Davis (TN)
     Deal (GA)
     DeFazio
     DeGette
     DeLauro
     Dent
     Diaz-Balart, L.
     Diaz-Balart, M.
     Dicks
     Dingell
     Doggett
     Donnelly (IN)
     Doyle
     Dreier
     Driehaus
     Duncan
     Edwards (MD)
     Edwards (TX)
     Ehlers
     Ellison
     Ellsworth
     Emerson
     Engel
     Eshoo
     Etheridge
     Fallin
     Farr
     Fattah
     Filner
     Flake
     Fleming
     Forbes
     Fortenberry
     Foster
     Foxx
     Frank (MA)
     Franks (AZ)
     Frelinghuysen
     Fudge
     Gallegly
     Garrett (NJ)
     Gerlach
     Giffords
     Gingrey (GA)
     Gohmert
     Gonzalez
     Goodlatte
     Gordon (TN)
     Granger
     Graves
     Grayson
     Green, Al
     Green, Gene
     Griffith
     Grijalva
     Guthrie
     Gutierrez
     Hall (NY)
     Hall (TX)
     Halvorson
     Hare
     Harman
     Harper
     Hastings (FL)
     Hastings (WA)
     Heinrich
     Heller
     Hensarling
     Herger
     Herseth Sandlin
     Higgins
     Hill
     Hinchey
     Hinojosa
     Hodes
     Hoekstra
     Holden
     Holt
     Honda
     Hoyer
     Hunter
     Inglis
     Inslee
     Israel
     Issa
     Jackson (IL)
     Jackson-Lee (TX)
     Jenkins
     Johnson (GA)
     Johnson (IL)
     Johnson, E. B.
     Johnson, Sam
     Jones
     Jordan (OH)
     Kanjorski
     Kaptur
     Kildee
     Kilpatrick (MI)
     Kilroy
     Kind
     King (IA)
     King (NY)
     Kingston
     Kirk
     Kirkpatrick (AZ)
     Kissell
     Klein (FL)
     Kline (MN)
     Kosmas
     Kratovil
     Kucinich
     Lamborn
     Lance
     Langevin
     Larsen (WA)
     Larson (CT)
     Latham
     LaTourette
     Latta
     Lee (CA)
     Lee (NY)
     Levin
     Lewis (CA)
     Lipinski
     LoBiondo
     Loebsack
     Lofgren, Zoe
     Lowey
     Lucas
     Luetkemeyer
     Lujan
     Lummis
     Lungren, Daniel E.
     Lynch
     Mack
     Maffei
     Maloney
     Manzullo
     Marchant
     Markey (CO)
     Markey (MA)
     Marshall
     Massa
     Matheson
     Matsui
     McCarthy (CA)
     McCarthy (NY)
     McCaul
     McClintock
     McCollum
     McCotter
     McDermott
     McGovern
     McHenry
     McHugh
     McIntyre
     McKeon
     McMahon
     McMorris Rodgers
     McNerney
     Meek (FL)
     Meeks (NY)
     Melancon
     Mica
     Michaud
     Miller (FL)
     Miller (MI)
     Miller (NC)
     Miller, Gary
     Miller, George
     Minnick
     Mitchell
     Mollohan
     Moore (KS)
     Moore (WI)
     Moran (KS)
     Murphy (CT)
     Murphy (NY)
     Murphy, Patrick
     Murphy, Tim
     Murtha
     Myrick
     Nadler (NY)
     Napolitano
     Neal (MA)
     Neugebauer
     Nye
     Oberstar
     Obey
     Olson
     Olver
     Ortiz
     Pallone
     Pascrell
     Pastor (AZ)
     Paul
     Paulsen
     Payne
     Pelosi
     Pence
     Perlmutter
     Perriello
     Peters
     Peterson
     Petri
     Pingree (ME)
     Pitts
     Platts
     Polis (CO)
     Pomeroy
     Posey
     Price (GA)
     Price (NC)
     Putnam
     Quigley
     Radanovich
     Rahall
     Rangel
     Rehberg
     Reichert
     Reyes
     Rodriguez
     Roe (TN)
     Rogers (AL)
     Rogers (KY)
     Rogers (MI)
     Rohrabacher
     Rooney
     Ros-Lehtinen
     Roskam
     Ross
     Rothman (NJ)
     Roybal-Allard

[[Page 14863]]


     Royce
     Rush
     Ryan (OH)
     Ryan (WI)
     Salazar
     Sanchez, Loretta
     Sarbanes
     Scalise
     Schakowsky
     Schauer
     Schiff
     Schmidt
     Schock
     Schrader
     Schwartz
     Scott (GA)
     Scott (VA)
     Sensenbrenner
     Serrano
     Sessions
     Sestak
     Shadegg
     Shea-Porter
     Sherman
     Shimkus
     Shuler
     Shuster
     Simpson
     Sires
     Skelton
     Slaughter
     Smith (NE)
     Smith (NJ)
     Smith (TX)
     Smith (WA)
     Snyder
     Souder
     Space
     Speier
     Spratt
     Stark
     Stearns
     Stupak
     Sutton
     Tanner
     Tauscher
     Taylor
     Teague
     Terry
     Thompson (CA)
     Thompson (MS)
     Thompson (PA)
     Thornberry
     Tiahrt
     Tiberi
     Tierney
     Titus
     Tonko
     Towns
     Tsongas
     Turner
     Upton
     Van Hollen
     Velazquez
     Visclosky
     Walden
     Walz
     Wamp
     Wasserman Schultz
     Waters
     Watson
     Watt
     Waxman
     Weiner
     Welch
     Westmoreland
     Wexler
     Whitfield
     Wilson (OH)
     Wilson (SC)
     Wittman
     Wolf
     Woolsey
     Wu
     Yarmuth
     Young (AK)
     Young (FL)

                             NOT VOTING--21

     Ackerman
     Baca
     Barrett (SC)
     Blackburn
     Blunt
     Brown, Corrine
     Childers
     Delahunt
     Himes
     Hirono
     Kagen
     Kennedy
     Lewis (GA)
     Linder
     Moran (VA)
     Nunes
     Poe (TX)
     Richardson
     Ruppersberger
     Sanchez, Linda T.
     Sullivan

                              {time}  1655

  Mr. HONDA and Ms. SPEIER changed their vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
  So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and 
the resolution was agreed to.
  The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________