[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2376-2378]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      PERMITTING USE OF CAPITOL ROTUNDA FOR VICTIMS OF HOLOCAUST 
                             COMMEMORATION

  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 236) permitting the 
use of the rotunda of the Capitol 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. 236

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

     SECTION 1. USE OF ROTUNDA FOR HOLOCAUST DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE 
                   CEREMONY.

       The rotunda of the Capitol is authorized to be used on 
     April 15, 2010, for a ceremony as part of the commemoration 
     of the days of remembrance of victims of the Holocaust. 
     Physical preparations for the ceremony shall be carried out 
     in accordance with such conditions as the Architect of the 
     Capitol may prescribe.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Lujan). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein) and the gentleman from Mississippi 
(Mr. Harper) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to support H. Con. Res. 236, a resolution to 
allow the Capitol Rotunda to be used on April 15 for the purpose of the 
annual congressional ceremony to commemorate the Holocaust. The 
congressional commemoration of the Holocaust is a poignant reminder of 
the atrocities committed by the Nazis and the harrowing experiences of 
the survivors.
  This year, we will be celebrating the heroism of those who liberated 
the Nazi death camps. The theme for this year's ceremony, Stories of 
Freedom: What You Do Matters, highlights the experience of Allied 
soldiers who risked their lives for the cause of freedom.
  The stories of these soldiers that many of us have heard are 
inspiring. These soldiers confronted evil and physically saw despair in 
the eyes of every survivor they encountered. And these soldiers gave 
the survivors hope. The actions of these liberators changed the lives 
of the survivors and the course of human history.
  Last year, on Veterans Day, I participated in a ceremony that honored 
American World War II veterans, including Dr. Bernard Metrick of Boca 
Raton, Florida, who helped liberate a subcamp of Buchenwald while 
serving in the 8th Armored Tank Division. Dr. Metrick will be joining 
me in Washington in April to participate in the Days of Remembrance. 
What Dr. Metrick did, what all of the Allied liberators did, mattered 
back then, and each and every one of us must learn from their lessons. 
What we do matters. And that is the message that this ceremony will 
inspire: What you do matters.
  This is both our individual and collective responsibility. Never 
again can we allow a Holocaust to occur on our watch. All my life, I 
personally have felt moved to spread the message of ``Never Again.'' In 
the Florida Legislature when I served, I passed legislation to mandate 
Holocaust education in our Florida public schools so that students

[[Page 2377]]

from all walks of lives and backgrounds could learn the lessons of the 
Holocaust.
  Here in Congress in my capacity as cochair of the Congressional Task 
Force Against Anti-Semitism, I worked with my cochairman, Congressman 
Mike Pence of Indiana, to organize an annual visit to the U.S. 
Holocaust Memorial Museum for Members of Congress and their families. 
This is a unique form of Holocaust education, where the museum serves 
as a teaching tool to educate U.S. Representatives who have not been to 
the museum before about how the Holocaust is relevant to their lives 
and the lives of their constituents.
  I am grateful to Speaker Pelosi for appointing me to serve on the 
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Commission with other Members of the House and 
Senate and other citizens around the United States, and I hope to 
advance the cause of Holocaust education in this new role.
  I would also like to thank Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Lungren 
for moving this resolution to the floor today. As a sponsor of this 
legislation and a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, I 
would like to thank the other cosponsors of this legislation: 
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, Congressman Steve 
LaTourette of Ohio, Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia, and, of 
course, Congressman Henry Waxman, who worked closely with me on this 
resolution.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I encourage my 
colleagues to attend the ceremony on April 15 in the Capitol Rotunda so 
that we may mourn those who perished and recognize those who sacrificed 
so much for freedom in the world.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HARPER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this very important 
resolution. Under Congress' direction, the United States Holocaust 
Memorial Museum has organized and annually led the National Days of 
Remembrance ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda. The theme chosen by the 
museum this year is Stories of Freedom: What You Do Matters.
  What we do does matter, Mr. Speaker. On occasions like this, there 
aren't appropriate enough words to share on behalf of the millions of 
victims of the Holocaust. Yet we here today and those in the Rotunda 
next month will once again commemorate the lives taken and the lives 
that suffered due to the unspeakable brutality and evil of that dark 
moment in history.
  Mr. Speaker, this year is the 65th anniversary of the liberation of 
the Nazi concentration camps. Sixty-five years have passed since the 
doors were opened and the inhumane was laid bare for human eyes.
  Just as the theme this year is What You Do Matters, so it mattered 
what others did then. We think of those like Oskar Schindler, Dietrich 
Bonhoeffer, and so many others who did their part in this effort; 
heroic efforts, which forever mattered to the lives they saved and the 
truth they pursued, some to their own death.
  Mr. Speaker, we too must do our part in this body and uphold the 
ideals upon which our Nation was founded. This ceremonial Days of 
Remembrance reminds us what happens when the rule of law and the 
commitment to ordered liberty upon which it rests are defiled. Let us 
also remember that this ceremony is not reflective of one event or one 
tragedy. We remember the entire scope of mankind's history and use it 
as a reminder that human life is precious, and that we must never allow 
a travesty like this to ever happen again.
  Through this resolution and this commemoration, we remember the Night 
of Broken Glass, the Warsaw ghetto uprising, the methodical devouring 
and destruction of a whole continent, and the labor, concentration, and 
death camps as Auschwitz, Treblinka and Buchenwald, to name only a few. 
May our actions and may our remembrance honor the courage and bravery 
shown by the millions murdered only seven decades ago.
  Mr. Speaker, just as our 34th President, General Eisenhower, made 
sure the things he had seen were not quickly forgotten, may this year's 
ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda be a solemn and fitting reminder of the 
victims of the Holocaust. I am pleased to support this bipartisan 
resolution, and encourage the support of my colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Harper 
of Mississippi for his very supportive words and his heartfelt support 
of this important bipartisan resolution. I look forward to being at the 
event with you in the Rotunda.
  Mr. Speaker, again, I just thank the Chamber for their support and 
look forward to the opportunity of again supporting this very important 
event in the Rotunda.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us 
allows for the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for the annual 
commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust is one of 
the most shameful and horrifying events of human history. As we stop to 
reflect on this heinous event, let it serve as a reminder that there is 
no room for prejudice, oppression and hatred. As Americans and world 
citizens, it is important that future generations be called upon to 
remember the atrocities of the Holocaust and the similarities in the 
hate crimes we see today.
  Despite hatred, the human spirit is unwavering in the face of 
adversity. History has shown us that in times of despair, humanity 
prevails and always, always looks towards a brighter future.
  There is no better place than the United States Capitol rotunda to 
embody the reverence and dignity so deserved in honoring the victims of 
the Holocaust. The United States Capitol has stood as a symbol of 
freedom and liberty, and a symbol of hopes and dreams. It is important, 
Mr. Speaker, that as we recognize one of the most notable tragedies in 
human history, we honor the memory of those who died so senselessly and 
pledge anew to stop atrocities like genocide, from occurring again.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Con. Res. 236, to permit the use of the rotunda of the Capitol 
for a ceremony as part of the commemoration of the days of remembrance 
of victims of the Holocaust.
  It has been over 60 years since the Holocaust. For many of the 
survivors, the Holocaust remains an everyday reality. Year-round the 
Jewish people persistently teach and inform others about the horrors of 
the Holocaust. The Days of Remembrance is one day in the year when 
special effort is made to remember those that endured, struggled and 
died. Six million Jews were murdered and many families were completely 
devastated.
  There are many ways in which this day is observed. Generally the Day 
of Remembrance, or Yom Hashoah, has been observed with candle lighting, 
speakers, poems, prayers, and singing. Six candles are lighted to 
represent the six million individuals who lost their lives and 
Holocaust survivors speak about their experiences or share in the 
readings.
  This Congress established the Days of Remembrance as our nation's 
annual commemoration of the Holocaust. The United States Holocaust 
Memorial Museum is a lasting living memorial to the victims and 
Congress has authorized that the museum will take the lead in 
commemorating the Days of Remembrance and also to encourage and sponsor 
suitable ceremonies throughout the United States.
  This concurrent resolution is an affirmation of our continued support 
as we stand together with our Jewish brothers and sisters. Also, it 
allows for the Holocaust Memorial Museum to continue the annual 
commencement of the Days of Remembrance by initiating the week, which 
starts April 11, this year, with a memorial service in the U.S. Capitol 
Rotunda. The Holocaust Memorial Museum has been organizing and leading 
the national Days of Remembrance ceremony in the Rotunda since 1982; 
and it is my desire to maintain this tradition.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. 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 Florida (Mr. Klein) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 236.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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