[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4753-4757]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RAOUL WALLENBERG CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION ACT

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3001) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul 
Wallenberg, in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions 
during the Holocaust.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3001

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Raoul Wallenberg Centennial 
     Celebration Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds as follows:
       (1) Raoul Wallenberg was born in Europe on August 4, 1912, 
     to Swedish Christian parents.
       (2) In 1935, he graduated from the University of Michigan 
     in Ann Arbor, completing a five-year program in three-and-a-
     half years.
       (3) In a letter to his grandfather, Wallenberg wrote of his 
     time in America: ``I feel so at home in my little Ann Arbor 
     that I'm beginning to sink down roots here and have a hard 
     time imagining my leaving it. . . . Every now and then I feel 
     strange when I think about how tiny my own country is and how 
     large and wonderful America is.''.
       (4) Raoul returned to Sweden, where he began a career as a 
     businessman, and afterwards, a Swedish diplomat.
       (5) In 1936, Raoul's grandfather arranged a position for 
     him at the Holland Bank in Haifa, Palestine. There Raoul 
     began to meet young Jews who had already been forced to flee 
     from Nazi persecution in Germany. Their stories affected him 
     deeply.
       (6) He was greatly troubled by the fate of Jews in Europe, 
     confiding to actress Viveca Lindfors the horrific plight of 
     Jews under Nazi Europe.
       (7) Under the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 
     the War Refugee Board was established in January 1944 to aid 
     civilians that fell victim to the Nazi and Axis powers in 
     Europe.
       (8) One of War Refugee Board's top priorities was 
     protection of the 750,000 Hungarian Jews still alive.
       (9) It was decided that Raoul Wallenberg, aged 31 at the 
     time, would be most effective in protecting Jews and victims 
     of the Nazis in Hungary under the War Refugee Board. He was 
     recruited by Iver Olsen, an agent for the Office of Strategic 
     Services and sent to Budapest, Hungary, under his official 
     profession as a Swedish diplomat. He was instructed to use 
     passports and other creative means to save as many lives as 
     possible.
       (10) Wallenberg created a new Swedish passport, the 
     Schutzpass, which looked more imposing and official than the 
     actual Swedish passport. He reportedly put up huge place 
     cards of it throughout Budapest to make the Nazis familiar 
     with it. He unilaterally announced that it granted the holder 
     immunity from the death camps. The Schutzpasses alone are 
     credited with saving 20,000 Jewish lives.
       (11) In one example of his heroism, Wallenberg was told of 
     a Nazi plot to round up several thousand Jewish women and 
     acted swiftly to save them. Former Wallenberg staffer, Agnes 
     Adachi, recalls the time when she and other staff, spent the 
     whole night making around 2,000 Schutzpasses before 6 a.m. 
     They were all completed and personally delivered to the women 
     in time to save their lives.
       (12) Using the money the United States put into the War 
     Refugee Board, Wallenberg was able to purchase about thirty 
     buildings, which he used as hospitals, schools, soup 
     kitchens, and safe houses for over 8,000 children whose 
     parents have already been deported or killed.
       (13) Tommy Lapid, a young boy who was staying with his 
     mother in a Swedish safe house (his father was already dead), 
     gave an eyewitness account of how his family was helped by 
     Wallenberg and the War Refugee Board: ``One morning, a group 
     of Hungarian Fascists came into the house and said that all 
     the able-bodied women must go with them. We knew what this 
     meant. My mother kissed me and I cried and she cried. We knew 
     we were parting forever and she left me there, an orphan to 
     all intents and purposes. Then two or three hours later, to 
     my amazement, my mother returned with the other women. It 
     seemed like a mirage, a miracle. My mother was there--she was 
     alive and she was hugging me and kissing me, and she said one 
     word: Wallenberg.''.
       (14) Even as the war was coming to a close, Wallenberg 
     remained vigilant and attentive to the people under his care. 
     Adolf Eichmann, the SS colonel charged with the extermination 
     of Jews in Eastern Europe, was determined to exterminate the 
     70,000 Jews kept as prisoners in a guarded ghetto in 
     Budapest. As soon as Wallenberg heard of the plot, he

[[Page 4754]]

     sent Pal Szalay, an Arrow-Crossman senior official, who 
     defected and turned to Wallenberg. Szalay was sent to speak 
     to General Schmidthuber, who was ordered to spearhead the 
     ghetto extermination in Budapest. Szalay informed 
     Schmidthuber that, seeing as the war was coming to an end, if 
     the planned massacre took place, Wallenberg would see to it 
     personally that Schmidthuber would be prosecuted as a war 
     criminal and hanged. The plans were ultimately abandoned and 
     considered Wallenberg's last big victory.
       (15) Of the 120,000 Hungarian Jews that survived, Raoul 
     Wallenberg, acting under the War Refugee Board, is credited 
     with saving an estimated 100,000 of them in a six-month 
     period.
       (16) Raoul Wallenberg's fate remains a mystery. In January 
     13, 1945, he contacted the Russians in an effort to secure 
     food for the Jews under his protection--as he was still 
     working hard to protect them.
       (17) In 1981, President Ronald Reagan made Raoul Wallenberg 
     an honorary citizen of the United States, an honor only 
     previously extended to Winston Churchill.
       (18) These findings show that Raoul Wallenberg showed 
     exceptional heroism and bravery with his actions during the 
     holocaust. Working with the War Refugee Board, a United 
     State's agency, he was able to save about 100,000 Hungarian 
     Jews, many of which were later able to immigrate to the 
     United States.
       (19) Indeed, hundreds of thousands of American Jews can 
     directly or indirectly attribute their own lives to Raoul 
     Wallenberg's actions during World War II. Many of the people 
     Wallenberg saved have been influential citizens contributing 
     to American institutions and culture, including Congressman 
     Tom Lantos (February 1, 1928-February 11, 2008), Annette 
     Lantos, and the Liska Rebbe, Rabbi Yoizef (Joseph) 
     Friedlander, who carried forth the Liska Hassidic dynasty 
     from Hungary to the United States after being saved by Raoul 
     Wallenberg.
       (20) His actions and character make him an excellent 
     contender for a Congressional Gold Medal in time for the 
     centennial of his birth, to celebrate his achievements and 
     humanitarian accomplishments.

     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 the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design 
     to the next of kin or personal representative of Raoul 
     Wallenberg, in recognition of his achievements and heroic 
     actions during the Holocaust.
       (b) Design and Striking.--For the purpose of the 
     presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of 
     the Treasury shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, 
     devices, and inscriptions to be determined by the Secretary.

     SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

       Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may 
     prescribe, the Secretary may strike duplicate medals in 
     bronze of the gold medal struck pursuant to section 3 and 
     sell such duplicate medals at a price sufficient to cover the 
     costs of the duplicate medals (including labor, materials, 
     dies, use of machinery, overhead expenses) and the cost of 
     the gold medal.

     SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

       (a) National Medals.--The 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 section 5134 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) Authorization of Charges.--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 pursuant to this Act.
       (b) Proceeds of Sale.--Amounts received from the sale of 
     duplicate bronze medals under section 4 shall be deposited in 
     the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to add extraneous material to the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3001, the Raoul 
Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act, introduced by my colleague, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks). This legislation, cosponsored by 
301 of our colleagues, including myself, seeks to authorize the 
striking and awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal honoring Raoul 
Wallenberg in recognition of his heroism in saving tens of thousands of 
lives in Nazi-occupied Budapest during World War II. Mr. Wallenberg 
truly personified the definition of a humanitarian, a hero, and a 
defender of individuals facing persecution and near-certain death at 
the hands of a truly inhumane Nazi regime.
  Born into an affluent Swedish family of diplomats and bankers, Raoul 
Wallenberg developed a keen interest in foreign cultures and languages 
at an early age. He became fluent in English, French, German, and 
Russian, and after graduating from high school attended the University 
of Michigan to study architecture. In 1936, a year after graduation, he 
accepted a job at the Central European Trading Company, an export-
import company with operations in Stockholm and Eastern Europe. He 
quickly became joint owner and international director of the firm, and 
traveled throughout Europe to assist his boss, a Hungarian Jew. During 
this period, Mr. Wallenberg immersed himself in the Hungarian language 
and culture and witnessed the Nazis' increasing stranglehold on Europe.
  While Hungary was nominally an Axis power, it sought a secret peace 
pact with the Allies. When that was discovered, Adolf Hitler invaded 
Hungary in March of 1944. Under the Nazi occupation, Hungarian Jews 
faced immediate deportation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration 
camp in southern Poland. Jews living in Budapest desperately sought 
help from the embassies of neutral countries, which could provide 
short-term identity passes to escape the Nazis. The Swedish delegation 
was successful in ensuring that the provisional passes would allow the 
bearers to be treated as Swedish citizens, providing a great deal of 
protection.
  In 1944, the United States created the War Refugee Board for the 
purposes of rescuing European Jews from Nazi persecution. The Board 
worked closely with the Swedish delegation to locate a Swedish national 
to spearhead a rescue operation for Jews facing deportation. Raoul 
Wallenberg, then a 32-year-old prominent businessman who had a keen 
familiarity with Hungary, was given the daunting task. In July 1944, 
when he arrived in Budapest as the First Secretary of the Swedish 
delegation, more than 400,000 Jewish citizens already had been deported 
by SS Officer Adolf Eichmann. Only 230,000 Jews were left.
  Wallenberg succeeded in designing a facsimile Swedish passport to be 
issued to Jews trapped in Budapest. They were authentic enough to pass 
the inspection of local officials, and Wallenberg employed several 
hundred workers, all of Jewish descent, to produce and issue more than 
10,000. He also constructed more than 30 buildings that allowed more 
than 15,000 Jews to find shelter under the banner of the Swedish 
delegation. A Swedish flag hung in front of every door, and residents 
in every building were granted diplomatic immunity.
  In November 1944, Eichmann began a campaign of death marches, forcing 
large numbers of the remaining Hungarian Jews to march out of Germany 
on foot. Wallenberg marched along with them. He handed out provisional 
passes, provided food, water, and medicine, and bribed Nazi guards to 
free those with passes, wielding the full authority of the Swedish 
government. For the persecuted who were deported by train, Wallenberg 
issued provisional passes on the train tracks, on the roofs, and even 
inside the train cars themselves. In one of his most important 
accomplishments, he prevented Eichmann's attempted massacre in 
Budapest's largest ghetto in January 1945. At the risk of his own life, 
Wallenberg used his diplomatic influence to secure a note from a 
prominent official calling off the massacre. Then, at the end of the 
war, he was taken by the Soviet army, allegedly for spying, and was 
never heard from again. He is said to have died in the KGB's Lubyanka 
prison in 1947.

[[Page 4755]]

  Mr. Speaker, we remember Raoul Wallenberg for his unwavering courage 
in saving the lives of as many as 100,000 innocent men, women, and 
children. Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Mr. Wallenberg is 
the very least that we can do to honor a man who imperiled himself for 
a cause so worthy. We can now examine, with gratitude, a uniquely 
bright flame of valor in a terribly dark period of world history. 
Individuals such as Raoul Wallenberg were willing to make the ultimate 
sacrifice of life and livelihood to serve the greater good of 
humankind. It is my hope that his efforts and sacrifices will serve as 
an example for all of us and for future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge immediate passage, and I reserve the balance of 
my time.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                  Committee on Ways and Means,

                                   Washington, DC, April 16, 2012.
     Hon. Spencer Bachus,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Rayburn House 
         Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Bachus:  I am writing concerning H.R. 3001, 
     the ``Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act,'' which is 
     scheduled for floor action the week of April 16, 2012.
       As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains 
     jurisdiction over matters that concern raising revenue. H.R. 
     3001 contains a provision that provides for the sale of 
     duplicate medals, and thus falls within the jurisdiction of 
     the Committee on Ways and Means.
       However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding 
     commemorative coin and medal bills and in order to expedite 
     this bill for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo 
     action. This is being done with the understanding that it 
     does not in any way prejudice the Committee with respect to 
     the appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional 
     prerogatives on this or similar legislation in the future.
       I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming 
     this understanding with respect to H.R. 3001, and would ask 
     that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be 
     included in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                        Dave Camp,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                              Committee on Financial Services,

                                   Washington, DC, April 13, 2012.
     Hon. Dave Camp,
     Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Camp: I am writing in response to your letter 
     regarding H.R. 3001, the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial 
     Celebration Act, which is scheduled for Floor consideration 
     under suspension of the rules on Monday, April 16, 2012.
       I wish to confirm our mutual understanding on this bill. 
     The bill contains a provision for a charge for the sale of 
     duplicate medals. I understand your concern with provisions 
     that raise revenue and accordingly would fall under the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. However, the 
     bill is not expected to raise revenue.
       Further, I appreciate your willingness to forego action by 
     the Committee on Ways and Means on H.R. 3001 in order to 
     allow the bill to come to the Floor expeditiously. I agree 
     that your decision to forego further action on this bill will 
     not prejudice the Committee on Ways and Means with respect to 
     its jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar 
     legislation. Therefore, I would support your request for 
     conferees on those provisions within your jurisdiction should 
     this bill be the subject of a House-Senate conference.
       I will include this exchange of letters in the 
     Congressional Record when this bill is considered by the 
     House. Thank you again for your assistance and if you should 
     need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact 
     Natalie McGarry of my staff.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Spencer Bachus,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. MEEKS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in favor of H.R. 3001, the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial 
Celebration Act. This bill will bestow the Congressional Gold Medal on 
a hero who is credited with saving thousands of lives during the Nazi 
occupation of Hungary in World War II. Raoul Wallenberg is one of the 
truly inspiring figures of the 20th century. Many prominent Americans 
owe their lives to Mr. Wallenberg and his heroic actions, including my 
friend and late colleague, Tom Lantos, and his lovely wife, Annette. 
Through the passage of this legislation, Congress can honor a true 
humanitarian for the sake of his family and the thousands of survivors 
who owe their lives to him.
  Raoul Wallenberg, as my colleague has just said, was a Swedish 
special envoy to Budapest on a diplomatic mission established in 
collaboration with the American War Refugee Board and the American 
Jewish Joint Distribution Committee to initiate a rescue operation for 
Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Over 150,000 Hungarian Jews had already 
been deported to Nazi death camps by the time Wallenberg arrived in 
Budapest. But through his ingenuity and even at times his bribing of 
others through the issuance of fake Swedish protective passes and 
sheltering in official Swedish diplomatic houses, Wallenberg 
unrelentingly sought to save Jews from Germans and their accomplices, 
risking his own life numerous times in the process, while there were 
others who were involved who gave their lives in the process.
  During the Soviet siege of Budapest, Wallenberg was detained by 
Soviet authorities on suspicion of espionage and was never heard from 
again. Wallenberg's ultimate fate is unknown, and awarding the 
Congressional Gold Medal during this centennial celebration of his 
birth is the best opportunity I believe we have to resolving the 
mystery about Raoul Wallenberg's ultimate fate.
  When we have a true hero--one who inspires us to be the very best 
that we can, one who says that we're going to rise above those 
individuals who mean no good, one who says they will put their own 
lives at stake so that others may live--those are the individuals that 
we need to honor; those are the individuals we need to bring to light 
so that every child, every human being, knows of those great heroic 
feats.

                              {time}  1610

  Because indeed, Mr. Speaker, it is individuals like Raoul Wallenberg 
who will take us to centuries yet to come and bring us together as a 
human family. So, I'm honored here today to put forth this bill, and 
I'd like to thank the over-300 colleagues here on the House floor who 
have cosponsored this bill and especially my colleague from New York, 
Nan Hayworth, who has been absolutely a delight to work with. As we 
pursued this bill and working together on the floor in getting 
signatures and talking to our colleagues, I really enjoyed immensely 
working with Congresswoman Hayworth in bringing this bill to the floor.
  I also want to thank the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration 
Commission, headed by Ezra Friedlander, and the American Jewish 
Committee, the Jewish Federations of North America, the Lantos 
Foundation, the University of Michigan, and the Hungarian and Swedish 
ambassadors for all of their hard work on this legislation to honor 
Wallenberg's memory and to celebrate the innumerable individuals who 
live today because their relatives were saved through his efforts. I 
ask my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3001 and award Raoul 
Wallenberg the Congressional Gold Medal.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to yield as 
much time as she would consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. 
Hayworth). As the gentleman from New York indicated, she has worked 
tirelessly on this issue and is one of the most respected newest 
Members of our body.
  Ms. HAYWORTH. I thank our distinguished colleague from Missouri. Of 
course, I reciprocate the sentiments that Congressman Meeks has 
expressed. We share a State, and we share a common vision that elevates 
all of us as individuals and as a Nation and, indeed, as citizens of a 
world that so much needs the acts of courage and moral integrity that 
Raoul Wallenberg brought to bear, that he represents for all of us 
today.
  It is such a privilege to work together with all of those who owe 
their lives to Raoul Wallenberg's action, including a Member of our own 
body, Congressman Tom Lantos, who now, of course, is no longer with us 
in this body; but he and his wife, Annette, were spared as a result of 
Raoul Wallenberg's actions. Indeed, although Mr. Wallenberg lived in 
the 20th century, his life illuminates us in the 21st

[[Page 4756]]

century today, and his legacy is represented in the lives of a million 
descendants around the world, including, of course, here in the United 
States of those whom Raoul Wallenberg saved.
  It is an absolute privilege to have brought this bill to the 
attention of our colleagues and to have the enthusiastic support of so 
many who were very happy to cosponsor this bill with Congressman Meeks 
and with me. So I am delighted to think that it will, indeed, bring us 
one step closer to bestowing one of our highest civilian honors on a 
man who has done so much for humanity and so much for America in so 
many ways, Raoul Wallenberg.
  Mr. MEEKS. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Hastings).
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. I thank our good friend and colleague for 
yielding, and I thank him and Ms. Hayworth for their extraordinary work 
in causing us to recognize Raoul Wallenberg.
  I came in contact with the name Raoul Wallenberg and with the 
official portrait that the Lantos Foundation and others have put 
together, and I just stand to say to you all that I vigorously support 
and was a cosponsor of this measure. But more importantly, I know that 
Tom would be looking down today and thanking all of us, and later, I'm 
sure with Mrs. Lantos, those that gather would assuredly recognize the 
extraordinary work that you did in bringing this to the body. And as 
Gregory said, Raoul Wallenberg's fate may be unknown, but his fate 
today is known, and that is that he saved a lot of people, and he is 
rightly recognized by us for that.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I'd like to yield to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) as much time as he would consume.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. I want to thank Nan and my good friend, Greg 
Meeks, for introducing this bill. Greg and I recently were in Budapest, 
and we were there for a celebration at the statue of Raoul Wallenberg; 
and it is something that I'll never forget. It was a good time and a 
very important time.
  What do you say about somebody like Raoul Wallenberg or Schindler? 
These people risked their lives to save people who were going to be 
killed, going to be put in gas chambers, never to be heard from again. 
And 6 million people died because there weren't more people like Raoul 
Wallenberg and Schindler.
  So, I just want to say I've heard from my colleagues today the things 
that I would like to have said, and they said it very well; but I just 
say, in closing, thank God that there are people who are willing to 
risk their lives to help their fellow man. There just aren't enough of 
them. When I look around the world and see the horrible tragedies that 
are taking place in Africa and elsewhere, it makes you wonder if we're 
ever going to see people like that again, but thank God we have 
somebody like Raoul Wallenberg.
  Mr. MEEKS. I just want to thank the chairman of the European 
subcommittee for recalling that great day we did have in Budapest at 
the statue of Raoul Wallenberg. It was a great moment and a solemn 
moment. When you think about Raoul Wallenberg and when you think about 
the over 300 Members of this body that are cosponsoring it, today what 
Raoul Wallenberg is doing is bringing us together. Yet today, Raoul 
Wallenberg as well, even here in the House as we look and work 
unanimously on this bill, is bringing people together from all parts of 
the world, from all kinds of backgrounds, saying that we are standing 
together for what is right and for a better tomorrow.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time at 
this point, and yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my 
colleague Mr. Meeks' bill to award Raoul Wallenberg a Congressional 
Gold Medal in recognition of his heroic action in saving the lives of 
Jews in Hungary during the Holocaust.
  Few people could be more deserving of a Congressional Gold Medal than 
Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat stationed in Budapest with the 
American War Refugee Board, who, at great risk to himself, is credited 
with saving the lives of approximately 100,000 Jews. In the closing 
months of World War II, Wallenberg issued Swedish passports to Jews, 
and was instrumental in preventing the extermination of the Nazi-
created Jewish ghetto in Budapest. Many moving stories are told of the 
depth of his personal concern for the Jews of Hungary, living under 
threat of death--and of his fortitude and tireless energy in resisting 
the monstrous plans of the Nazis.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to draw attention to H. Res. 610, a 
resolution I introduced, with my colleague Mr. Turner of New York, on 
the fate of Raoul Wallenberg. As Mr. Meeks' bill points out, ``the fate 
of Raoul Wallenberg remains a mystery.'' Yet in this mystery we have a 
few clues--he was arrested by Soviet forces in Hungary in 1945, and, 
without going into detail on the subsequent Soviet explanations of what 
happened to him in their custody, we can certainly say that they are 
incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. We have more than sufficient 
reason to suspect that the Soviet government has never dealt frankly In 
explaining what happened to Wallenberg. Most people knowledgeable about 
the case believe that the Soviet government executed Wallenberg. So my 
and Mr. Turner's resolution asks the President and Secretary of State 
to press the Russian government for a full and complete accounting of 
Wallenberg's fate. Certainly sixty-seven years after Wallenberg's 
disappearance, and twenty-two after the demise of the Soviet Union, 
this is long overdue.
  I thank my friend Mr. Meeks for his bill to award Wallenberg the 
Congressional Gold Medal, and urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of H.R. 3001 
to reiterate my support for awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to 
Raoul Wallenberg for his heroic and brave actions during the Holocaust 
that resulted in the saving of 100,000 Hungarian Jewish lives.
  During World War II, Raoul Wallenberg at the age of 31 was sent to 
Budapest to serve as a Swedish diplomat. The Holocaust was underway 
throughout Europe and he was instructed by his government to use the 
tools of his office, including passports and other creative means, to 
save as many lives as possible. Wallenberg devised a new Swedish 
passport, the Schutzpass, especially for the purpose of protecting 
Hungarian Jews. He designed it to look more imposing and official than 
the actual Swedish passport. The Schutzpass granted the bearer immunity 
from being sent to the death camps and is credited with saving 20,000 
Jewish lives.
  Through this and other actions, Wallenberg helped save 100,000 of the 
120,000 Hungarian Jews that survived the Holocaust in Hungary and 
hundreds of thousands of American Jews can directly or indirectly 
attribute their own lives to his efforts. In recognition of these 
efforts, in 1981, President Ronald Reagan made Raoul Wallenberg an 
honorary citizen of the United States, an honor only previously 
extended to Winston Churchill.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation in the 
memory of Raoul Wallenberg and in recognition of his bravery and for 
the many lives he helped save during World War II.
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th 
anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg's birth. Raoul Wallenberg continues to 
be one of the most respected and courageous humanitarians to have 
sacrificed his life to save thousands of Hungarian Jews during the 
Holocaust.
  Born on August 4, 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden, Wallenberg was a Swedish 
diplomat and a true humanitarian who creatively and courageously came 
up with measures to protect Hungarian Jews from persecution and death 
during the German invasion of Hungary during World War II. He hung 
Swedish flags in front of nearly 30 houses, declaring them Swedish 
territory--turning these ``Swedish houses'' into protected territory in 
which Hungarian Jews could seek shelter. He also distributed thousands 
of Swedish ``protective passes,'' even as some were in the midst of 
being deported, prompting their release from German authorities and 
saving their lives.
  Posthumously, Mr. Wallenberg has been honored by countries throughout 
the world in numerous capacities. There are awards, streets, parks and 
schools named after him, countless memorials erected in his honor, and 
in 1981, Congress passed legislation to make him an Honorary Citizen of 
the United States. His life is celebrated annually on October 5th in 
more than a dozen states. His bravery continues to be an inspiration.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the 100th 
anniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg; may his courage

[[Page 4757]]

serve as a guide to all of us who are committed to the protection of 
human rights.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3001, the Raoul 
Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation will posthumously award the 
Congressional Gold Medal--the highest award that can be bestowed by 
this body--to Raoul Wallenberg on the centennial of his birth.
  The story of Raoul Wallenberg's work as an official with the Swedish 
Embassy in Hungary working in conjunction with the American War Refugee 
Board is one of bravery, heroism, and ultimately, self sacrifice.
  Though Raoul Wallenberg's fate remains a mystery to this day, his 
legacy can be seen in the tens of thousands of people who survived the 
war by virtue of his efforts--including my late colleague and friend 
Tom Lantos and his wife Annette.
  Of the 120,000 Hungarian Jews that survived the Holocaust, Raoul 
Wallenberg, acting under the War Refugee Board, is credited with saving 
an estimated 100,000 of them in a six-month period.
  This year, both Sweden and Hungary celebrate ``Raoul Wallenberg 
Year'' to mark the 100th anniversary of Wallenberg's birth.
  These nations will pay tribute to Wallenberg's courageous work by 
holding conferences, concerts, exhibitions, and other events to 
commemorate and educate people about the role he played helping to save 
the remainder of Hungary's Jewish community.
  I hope my colleagues join me in honoring the memory of Raoul 
Wallenberg and the innumerable individuals and their descendants that 
he helped save.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask Members of the House to vote for this important 
legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3001.
  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. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

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