The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“NEVER AGAIN EDUCATION ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H540-H547 on Jan. 27, 2020.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
NEVER AGAIN EDUCATION ACT
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 943) to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs about the Holocaust, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 943
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 ``Never Again Education Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States has demonstrated a commitment to remembrance and education about the Holocaust through bilateral relationships and engagement in international organizations such as the United Nations and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; the United States works to promote Holocaust education as a means to understand the importance of democratic principles, use and abuse of power, and to raise awareness about the importance of genocide prevention today.
(2) The Congress has played a critical role in preserving the memory of the Holocaust and promoting awareness, including by authorizing the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as an independent establishment of the Federal Government to ensure that ``the study of the Holocaust become part of the curriculum in every school system in the country'', as well as by establishing a national Holocaust Remembrance Day in 1978.
(3) 75 years after the conclusion of World War II, with the decreasing number of eyewitnesses and growing distance of students and their families from this history, it is important to institutionalize education about the events of the Holocaust such as the German Nazis' racist ideology, propaganda, and plan to lead a state to war and, with their collaborators, kill millions--including the systematic murder of 6,000,000 Jewish people; as well as the persecution and murder of millions of others in the name of racial purity, political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them Roma, the disabled, the Slavs, Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals.
(4) As intolerance, antisemitism, and bigotry are promoted by hate groups, Holocaust education provides a context in which to learn about the danger of what can happen when hate goes unchallenged and there is indifference in the face of the oppression of others; learning how and why the Holocaust happened is an important component of the education of citizens of the United States.
(5) Today, those who deny that the Holocaust occurred or distort the true nature of the Holocaust continue to find forums, especially online; this denial and distortion dishonors those who were persecuted, and murdered, making it even more of a national imperative to educate students in the United States so that they may explore the lessons that the Holocaust provides for all people, sensitize communities to the circumstances that gave rise to the Holocaust, and help youth be less susceptible to the falsehood of Holocaust denial and distortion and to the destructive messages of hate that arise from Holocaust denial and distortion.
(6) Currently, 12 States (California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island) require by law that schools teach students about the Holocaust; more schools and teachers, including those in underserved communities, can and should deliver quality Holocaust education.
(7) For more than 30 years, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has worked to build and support the field of Holocaust education, and advance the quality and sustainability of Holocaust education at the local, State, and national levels, by engaging teachers and students across disciplines and grade levels.
(8) The Federal Government, through support for educational activities of national museums established under Federal law, can assist teachers in efforts to incorporate historically accurate instruction on human rights atrocities, including the Holocaust, in curricula.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Antisemitism.--The term ``antisemitism'' means a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,
(3) Eligible program participant.--The term ``eligible program participant'' means--
(A) a high school teacher, a teacher of one of the middle grades, or a school leader of a high school or a school that includes one of the middle grades (as such terms are defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801));
(B) an educational leader or expert who is not employed by a local educational agency (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)) or an elementary school or secondary school (as such terms are so defined) that is independent of any local educational agency; or
(C) a prospective teacher enrolled in a program of postsecondary education coursework or preservice clinical education.
(4) Holocaust.--The term ``the Holocaust'' means the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of 6,000,000 Jews by the Nazi regime and its allies and collaborators. During the era of the Holocaust, German authorities also targeted other groups because of their perceived ``racial inferiority'', such as Roma, the disabled, and Slavs. Other groups were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and homosexuals.
(5) Holocaust denial and distortion.--The term ``Holocaust denial and distortion'' means discourse and propaganda that deny the historical reality and the extent of the extermination of the Jews by the Nazis and their accomplices during World War II, known as the Holocaust. Holocaust denial refers specifically to any attempt to claim that the Holocaust did not take place. Holocaust distortion refers to efforts to excuse or minimize the events of the Holocaust or its principal elements, including collaborators and allies of Nazi Germany, to blame the Jews for causing their own genocide, or to portray the Holocaust as a positive historical event.
(6) Holocaust education center.--The term ``Holocaust education center'' means an institution that furthers the teaching and learning about the Holocaust by offering programs for students and training for teachers and other types of professional leadership audiences.
(7) Holocaust education program.--The term ``Holocaust education program'' means a program that has as its specific and primary purpose to improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and educate individuals on the lessons of the Holocaust as a means to raise awareness about the importance of preventing genocide, hate, and bigotry against any group of people.
SEC. 4. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.
(b) Donations, Gifts, Bequests, and Devises of Property.--In accordance with chapter 23 of title 36, United States Code, and in furtherance of the purposes of this Act, the Director is authorized to solicit, accept, hold, administer, invest, and use donated funds and gifts, bequests, and devises of property, both real and personal.
(c) Use of Funds.--The Director, using funds appropriated under subsection (a) and resources received under subsection
(b), and including through the engagement of eligible program participants as appropriate--
(1) shall develop and nationally disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to promote understanding about how and why the Holocaust happened, which shall include digital resources and may include other types of resources, such as print resources and traveling exhibitions; and
(2) may carry out one or more of the following Holocaust education program activities:
(A) Development, dissemination, and implementation of principles of sound pedagogy for teaching about the Holocaust.
(B) Provision of professional development for eligible program participants, such as through--
(i) local, regional, and national workshops;
(ii) teacher trainings in conjunction with Holocaust education centers and other appropriate partners;
(iii) engagement with--
(I) local educational agencies (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 21 7801)); and
(II) high schools and schools that include one of the middle grades (as so defined) that are independent of any local educational agency; and
(iv) operation and expansion of a teacher fellowship program to cultivate and support leaders in Holocaust education.
(C) Engagement with State and local education leaders to encourage the adoption of resources supported under this Act into curricula across diverse disciplines.
(D) Evaluation and research to assess the effectiveness and impact of Holocaust education programs, which may include completion of the report required under section 8.
(d) Applications.--The Director may seek the engagement of an eligible program participant under subsection (c) by requiring submission of an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and based on such competitive criteria as the Director may require.
SEC. 5. ONLINE HOLOCAUST EDUCATION RESOURCES.
(a) Website.--The Director shall maintain on the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum a special section designated for Holocaust education resources to improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and educate individuals on the lessons of the Holocaust as a means to raise awareness about the importance of preventing genocide, hate, and bigotry against any group of people. The website and resources shall be made publically available.
(b) Information Distribution.--The Director shall distribute information about the activities funded under this Act through the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and shall respond to inquiries for supplementary information concerning such activities.
(c) Best Practices.--The information distributed by the Director shall include best practices for educators.
SEC. 6. UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL COUNCIL.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Council established under section 2302 of title 36, United States Code, shall have governance responsibility for the programs and activities carried out under this Act in accordance with chapter 23 of title 36, United States Code.
SEC. 7. ENGAGEMENT OF ELIGIBLE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.
(a) In General.--An eligible program participant shall be engaged at the discretion of the Director to participate in Holocaust education program activities authorized under this Act and approved by the Director pursuant to an application described in section 4(d).
(b) Engagement Period.--Engagement of eligible program participants under this Act shall be for a period determined by the Director.
(c) Priority.--In engaging eligible program participants under section 4, the Director shall give priority to applications from such participants who work for or with a local educational agency, or a school that is independent of any local educational agency, that does not, at the time application is made, offer any Holocaust education programming.
SEC. 8. ANNUAL REPORT.
Not later than February 1 of each year, the Director shall submit to the Congress a report describing the activities carried out under this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross) and the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.
General Leave
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in support of H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, introduced by my colleague, Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
The Never Again Education Act will help ensure the atrocities of the Holocaust are never repeated. It will authorize $10 million over 5 years for a new program to help teach the Holocaust in schools. The program will be run by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which will develop curricula, train teachers, and partner with local organizations to promote Holocaust education.
The Holocaust was the systematic and state-sponsored persecution and murder of 6 million Jews and an additional 5 million others who the Nazis deemed inferior. Yet, while it might seem hard for the older generations to believe, many younger Americans today do not know the basic facts about the Holocaust.
A new study from the Pew Research Center found that half of Americans know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. The research found that education and trips to Holocaust museums directly impact respondents' knowledge. The figures highlight the need for greater Holocaust education in America.
Today, anti-Semitism is on the rise. I hosted an event last week with leaders of the Jewish community and law enforcement. They talked about their security concerns, and they made a pledge to stand up for others by challenging bigotry in any form.
We must speak out against hate and educate one another to prevent and stop the rise of anti-Semitism.
Soon, younger generations will not be able to hear from Holocaust survivors, as we have firsthand. They will depend on their schools and their teachers to learn the facts.
We were recently in Belgium on a trip led by Speaker Pelosi to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, where over 19,000 Americans were killed in that battle, joining with the Allies to fight against hate and evil.
We won, and after World War II, we said, ``Never again.'' But we realize this struggle continues, and it is very real today.
On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, I urge my fellow Members to support the Never Again Education Act and keep the lessons of the Holocaust alive.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, today, we honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day and commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Today, an Auschwitz survivor from my district, Vladimir Munk from Plattsburgh, returned to Auschwitz after surviving the atrocities there.
We remember the Holocaust, the 6 million Jewish victims, and the many others who experienced the very worst of humanity, knowing that it is our duty to tell their stories and speak their names so that such depravity never again touches mankind.
Sadly, the hate and anti-Semitism that fueled the horrors of the Holocaust has not been extinguished from all corners of the globe or driven out of every heart.
In recent months, we have seen a startling rise in anti-Semitism and vicious high-profile attacks on Jewish life across the country, tearing at the very fabric of our society.
It has been little over a year since the massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, which was the deadliest attack on Jewish life in our Nation's history.
Just last month, a Beverly Hills synagogue was vandalized, a machete-
wielding assailant terrorized a Hanukkah celebration in my home State of New York, and a gunman targeted a kosher grocery store in Jersey City.
As we condemn these horrific acts, we must also ensure that our children understand the dangers of rising anti-Semitism and that they recognize its history.
Yet, as the number of living Holocaust survivors and eyewitnesses continues to decline, studies show that the Holocaust is fading from public memory. By educating students about the horrors of the Holocaust, we can take proactive measures to reject the hate and bigotry that is fueling this dangerous trend.
I am proud to be leading H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, with my colleague from New York, Carolyn Maloney, as this legislation could not come at a more crucial time.
Our bipartisan bill, which has nearly 300 cosponsors in the House, will provide teachers throughout the country with the resources and training they need to teach our children the important lessons of the Holocaust and the consequences of intolerance and hate. It will amplify the important work being done by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, leveraging a combination of public and private funds to develop and disseminate high-quality Holocaust education resources, which can then be adopted by our local schools and included in their curriculum.
This bill has the support of more than 1,800 Holocaust survivors from 38 States, nearly every State with living Holocaust survivors, as well as 350 organizations from all across the country.
Its consideration today is the result of passionate advocacy from its supporters and the bipartisan efforts from the Education and Labor Committee.
Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to vote
``yes'' on H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act.
With each passing year, there are fewer and fewer people who can provide firsthand accounts of the horrors of the Holocaust. We have a responsibility to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten.
As Elie Wiesel once said: ``Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must, at that moment, become the center of the universe.''
This legislation creates a grant program to fund Holocaust education programs across the country.
As we confront a disturbing rise of anti-Jewish bigotry and acts of hate, let us invest in the minds of young people to understand the destructive powers of intolerance and how to use that knowledge to embrace understanding and insight.
Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Maloney, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Norcross, and Ms. Stefanik for their leadership, and I encourage my colleagues to support the bill.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).
Mr. BACON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Never Again Education Act.
Madam Speaker, I recognize Congresswoman Maloney for her decades of leadership on this issue, as well as Congresswoman Stefanik, who served as co-leads on this effort.
Today, we have 300 of our Members cosponsoring this bill, compared to only 53 Members in the last Congress, and it took the leadership of many to make today a reality.
Madam Speaker, I also thank the Nebraska State Education Association for raising awareness of this bill to their counterparts at the National Education Association. We appreciate their efforts to secure the NEA endorsement.
As we remember the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps, we must pledge to each other and ourselves to never forget the victims and the lessons learned.
This cannot be a partisan issue. We must remember that the fight against anti-Semitism is an American endeavor and does not belong to Republicans or Democrats. Stamping out this evil is an endeavor for all humanity. If we allow it to become the agenda of just a single party or to be used as a partisan weapon, then we will provide the fertile ground for the growth of this evil.
Anti-Semitism and all of its manifestations are plain evil, and the Holocaust illustrates the ultimate and horrible endpoint of where hatred leads.
As the firsthand witnesses of these crimes pass away, it becomes incumbent upon us to ensure that they are never forgotten and that their pain and suffering never become just a footnote in history.
In addition, the eyes of future generations are upon us, and this legislation is needed now more than ever. According to recent studies, nearly half of our millennials are unaware that 6 million Jews were murdered, and two-thirds of American millennials surveyed were not familiar with Auschwitz. Another statistic shows that over 60 percent of religious hate crimes are anti-Semitic in nature.
Our schools need the resources that this bill provides, and education is one of our strongest tools against anti-Semitism. This bill is especially important considering the increase in anti-Semitic attacks both in this country and around the world.
Even in my home State, we have seen this evil. Most recently, the South Street Temple in Lincoln, Nebraska, was the target of anti-
Semitic vandalism, and last November, the Temple Israel Cemetery in Omaha was desecrated. The cemetery attack also happened near Veterans Day, which, unfortunately, provided a dark reminder that the cause of defending freedom and combating hate never rests and that this is a cause that we all share the responsibility for, to fight.
When liberating the camps, General Eisenhower brought journalists, government officials, and military personnel to the camps, as he believed ``the evidence should be immediately placed before the American and British publics in a fashion that would leave no room for cynical doubt.''
Today, we continue that legacy. Our work today is a continuation of what General Eisenhower wanted. Today, we continue that legacy to ensure that this will never happen again, and we do this partially through education.
We never forget so that ``never again'' will be the reality.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing this important bipartisan legislation to the floor. I thank Congresswoman Maloney for her relentless advocacy in this regard.
Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day in support of the Never Again Education Act, strong, bipartisan legislation to ensure that ``never again'' are simply not words but a solemn, sacred pledge to be fulfilled with action.
Madam Speaker, I salute Carolyn Maloney, a longstanding leader in this effort to educate the next generation about the Holocaust. I also thank Chairman Bobby Scott for his leadership in this regard and for his cooperation in bringing this to the floor.
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I thank all of our Members who have worked on this overwhelmingly bipartisan effort reflecting the strong bipartisan commitment of this entire Congress to standing with the Jewish community and allies to ensure Holocaust education remains front and center in our schools.
Last week, I had the great and solemn honor of leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Poland and Israel to mark the 75th anniversary since the liberation of Auschwitz. I see two of our colleagues who were on the trip, Mr. Deutch and Mr. Schneider, who brought so much to that delegation. Both of them serve on the board of the Holocaust Memorial Museum.
At Auschwitz, we walked on grounds scarred by an almost unspeakable evil, where more than 1 million innocents were murdered. I was especially affected because--as my colleagues have heard me say--of what my father said on the House floor on March 2, 1943.
Madam Speaker, I am quoting from the Congressional Record.
On that day, my father said: ``Action not pity can save millions now--extinction or hope for the remnants of European Jewry?--it is for us to give the answer.'' He was pleading for Soviet Jews in the midst of the Holocaust.
He said: ``Daily, hourly, the greatest crime of all time is being committed. A defenseless and innocent people is being slaughtered in a wholesale massacre of millions. What is more tragic--they are dying for no reason or purpose.''
He went on to say: ``It is a satanic program beyond the grasp of the decent human mind. Yet, it is being carried out. Already 2 million of the Jews in German-occupied Europe have been murdered. The evidence is in the files of our own State Department.''
He went on to say, toward the end of his remarks--by the way, my father is Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., a Member of Congress from Baltimore, Maryland, a strong advocate for calling to public attention the plight of Jews in Europe, as well as advocating for the State of Israel to be established in Palestine earlier on than our country had gone forth.
He did say, though, that: ``We will spare no efforts and have no rest until the American public will be fully informed of the facts and aroused to its responsibilities.''
He then said: ``We believe in the overwhelming power of public opinion as the greatest, if not the only, power in democracy.''
He went on to say: ``If people knew, then something would be different.''
Madam Speaker, I ask that my father's full statement be included in the Record because this is what he said on the floor of the House all those many years ago.
[Rep. Thomas D'Alesandro: Speech in Congressional Record on Israel,
Tuesday, March 2, 1943]
Establishment of a Jewish Army
Hon. Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr. of Maryland in the House of Representatives
Mr. D'Alesandro: Mr. Speaker, on February 8, 1943, there appeared a full-page advertisement in the New York Times, placed by the Committee for a Jewish Army of Stateless and Palestinian Jews, of which I have the privilege of being a member. This ad calls for action, not pity, toward stopping the wholesale slaughter of the Jewish people in Europe. I am in total agreement with my fellow members of the committee that too much has been said and too little done.
Under leave to extend my remarks in the Record, I include the text of the advertisement so that it may become part of the permanent record:
Action, not pity, can save millions now--extinction or hope for the remnants of European Jewry?--it is for us to give the answer.
Daily, hourly, the greatest crime of all time is being committed. A defenseless and innocent people is being slaughtered in a wholesale massacre of millions. What is more tragic--they are dying for no reason or purpose.
The Jewish people in Europe is not just another victim in the array of other peoples that fell prey to Hitler's aggression. The Jews have been singled out not to be conquered, but to be exterminated. To them Hitler has promised--and is bringing--death.
It is a satanic program beyond the grasp of the decent human mind. Yet it is being carried out. Already 2,000,000 of the Jews in German-occupied Europe have been murdered. The evidence is in the files of our own State Department.
The Germans dared to undertake this process of annihilation because they know that the Jews are defenseless; that the Jews are forgotten and deserted even by the democratic powers.
The Germans believe that the United Nations, indoctrinated by 20 years of anti-Jewish propaganda are to a great extent apathetic and indifferent to the sufferings of the Jews. They believe that for crimes committed against the Jews no retaliation on behalf of the governments or armed forces of the United Nations will be carried out. They know that there is no instrument of power and force on this earth with which the Jews can fight back to avenge their dead and save the remaining millions.
Of what avail are the statements of sympathy and pity and promises of punishment after the war. Since the perpetrators of these slaughters are to be punished for the murders they have already committed then they can kill no more by further murder.
Such mere statements of sympathy and pity are to the Germans proof that their judgement of democracy's attitude toward the Jews is justified and in their criminal minds they understand them as ``carte blanche'' to go on with the slaughter.
What can be done?
What is necessary is to impress the Germans that the governments of the United Nations have decided to change their present policy of passive sympathy and pity to one of stern and immediate action; that they consider the cessation of atrocities against the Jews are an immediate aim of their military and political operations. Under this premise vigorous United Nations' intervention to save European Jewry would become a matter of course. Exactly as it would be if it were American or British civilians who were being killed in a systematic campaign by the Nazis, the whole of the forces of these great democracies would be utilized to find an immediate and effective solution.
The inauguration of such a new policy on behalf of the United Nations would logically result in enabling all those Jews who have managed to escape the European-German hell to fight back. The first dictate therefore, would be the immediate approval of the demand for a Jewish army of the stateless and Palestinian Jews--an army 200,000 strong.
Suicide squads of the Jewish army would engage in desperate commando raids deep into the heart of Germany. Jewish pilots would bomb German cities in reprisal.
A Jewish army would imply a call to arms of all stateless Jews living in North Africa so that they may participate in the imminent invasion of the European continent.
A Jewish army would immediately give a decisive moral relief to the agonized Jews of Europe. Their psychology of despair and helplessness would be transformed into one of hope for revenge and survival. A Jewish army will give a meaning to their sufferings--to their death.
They will then realize that they cease being helpless victims and become partners in the global struggle for a better world, in which their survivors will live in freedom and equality as all other human beings.
The Jews of Palestine and the stateless Jews want to fight as Jews. They want to prove to Hitler and to the world that the Jews can be more than ``the persecuted people''--that Jews can die in other ways than through murder. They want the right to fight for the world's freedom, under their own banner.
To die, if needs be, but to die fighting.
Of course, these are not all the practical proposals which the human mind is capable of conceiving. It is unfair to ask for a single solution to such a disastrous problem. What we must realize is that it is our duty not to resign ourselves to the idea that our brains are powerless to find any solution; not to resign ourselves to the idea that the forces of democracy are too weak to enforce such a solution.
Remember when a few thousand British soldiers were put in chains by the Germans? How swift the retaliation? And how practical.
The Germans chained no more British soldiers.
Remember when a tiny town in Czechoslovakia was horribly
``punished''? How swift the hurricane of world indignation that answered.
There have been no more Lidices.
Remember when small and encircled Sweden opposed vigorously and stubbornly the expulsion of Norwegian Jews. The Germans abandoned their plans.
The Jews of Norway are still there.
The American sense of justice and decency and American ingenuity must also find ways to overpower the diabolical plan to exterminate the Jewish people. It must find a way now, before millions more perish.
It is, therefore, our primordial demand that an intergovernmental commission of military experts be appointed with the task of elaborating ways and means to stop the wholesale slaughter of the Jews in Europe. This must be done now, before the greatest homicidal maniac extends his policy of extermination to other peoples; before he dares introducing poison gas and bacteriological warfare.
Remember that for years the Germans rehearsed on the Jews what they later practiced on other peoples. Therefore, we have decided to launch an all-out campaign to save European Jewry. We will spare no efforts and have no rest until the American public will be fully informed of the facts and aroused to its responsibilities.
We believe in the overwhelming power of public opinion as the greatest, if not the only, power in democracy. Governments in democratic countries like the United States and Great Britain can act only when they feel sure that they are backed by a powerful movement of public opinion. We plead with everyone to help and to cooperate in this sacred campaign we have launched. Join in this fight, write to your Congressmen, contribute to our work, so that this message may be carried to every city and hamlet in the United States as is being done in Great Britain. You are part of the collective conscience of America; this conscience has never been found wanting.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, after Auschwitz, our delegation then traveled to Yad Vashem where we mourned the loss of--believe this--1.5 million little children, killed in this most evil of atrocities.
Before we left Washington, in Krakow, Poland, and throughout the time in Israel, we were blessed to meet with and hear the testimony of survivors. Their message to us was this: ``Never forget.''
As Elie Wiesel, one of the most important voices of conscience that has ever lived said: ``If we forget, the dead will be killed a second time. If forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices. The rejection of memory . . . would doom us to repeat past disasters, past wars.''
``Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Anti-Semitism,'' that was the theme of the Yad Vashem observance. It is the charge that we carry with us.
We must always remember the horrors of the Holocaust, particularly now as the forces of evil that led to the Shoah, are reawakening, and, therefore, we must not only remember the Holocaust, but fight anti-
Semitism.
Today, around the world, an epidemic of anti-Semitism and bigotry is spreading with appalling hate crimes being perpetrated everywhere from supermarkets to synagogues. Disturbingly, we have seen a surge of anti-
Semitic attacks here in America.
230 years ago, President George Washington, under whose gaze we stand today, our patriarch, wrote to the Jewish community that our Nation would ``give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution, no assistance.''
Yet, from New York, to California, to Pittsburgh innocents are being attacked and lives are being brutally threatened, and too often, bigotry and persecution have been allowed to fester. More needs to be done.
Last spring, the House proudly passed H. Res. 183, which condemns anti-Semitism ``. . . as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values that define the people of the United States.'' And soon after, we passed legislation to secure Jewish places of worship, which is now law.
Today, with this legislation, the House is taking another step to fulfill our pledge of: ``Never again'' thanks to all of our Members.
This legislation authorizes funding for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to support and strengthen their efforts to develop accurate, relevant, and accessible resources; to promote understanding about the Shoah, and the dangers of intolerance in our time.
We must educate the world about the dangers of what can happen when hate goes unchallenged, and when oppression is met with indifference.
Some of us were there the day the Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated. Elie Wiesel spoke so powerfully that rainy day, and years later, I was honored to return to the museum to speak at Elie's memorial service.
Inside the Holocaust Memorial Museum in the Hall of Remembrance before the eternal flame, the words of Deuteronomy are inscribed in stone. It says: ``Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children, and your children's children.''
With this legislation, we pledge to keep alive the memory of the Shoah so that we can fulfill the promise: ``Never again.''
I anticipate an overwhelming, unanimous vote in support of this bipartisan legislation, and I thank my colleagues for their leadership on both sides of the aisle for making that victory possible.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stefanik and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for bringing this important legislation to the floor.
Madam Speaker, I rise today on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in support of H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act.
I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bipartisan bill, to give schools and teachers across the United States the resources needed to incorporate Holocaust education into their classrooms and teach our children the consequences of intolerance and hate.
Sadly, we have seen a rise in anti-Semitism across the country, fueling horrific violence, including the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, and recent attacks over the holidays in New York.
Last year in our home State of Ohio, a 20-year old was arrested before he could carry out a violent attack against the Youngstown Jewish Community Center. I stand with Ohio's Jewish community against all anti-Semitic threats and remain committed to ensuring that all Americans can practice their religion peacefully, without fear.
The freedom of religion is a fundamental right provided to all American citizens in the Constitution. Any threat to this right is an attack on one of our core pillars of our democracy and must be confronted. But the fact of the matter is that responding to anti-
Semitism is not enough.
We must work to prevent it from ever taking root in the first place. That is why I cosponsored the Never Again Education Act. As the number of living Holocaust survivors decline, studies show that the Holocaust is fading from public memory.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Ohio an additional 1 minute.
Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, the same cannot be said of anti-Semitism.
By educating our children on one of the cruelest times in human history, we can help eradicate the hatred that fuels these terrible acts. It is more important than ever before that we reaffirm our commitment to defeating anti-Semitism in all of its forms and ensure the stories of Holocaust survivors live on.
My father is one of the brave American soldiers who risked his life to defeat the scourge of Nazism during World War II, and I am proud to continue his fight against anti-Semitism here in Congress.
I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), the lead sponsor of the bill.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and for his incredible leadership.
Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on my bipartisan legislation, H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, which has over 300 cosponsors.
On this day, 75 years ago, Auschwitz-Birkenau was finally liberated, but not before more than 1 million people were murdered there. We mark this day International Holocaust Remembrance Day as we witness the rise of anti-Semitism, racism, and bigotry across our country and around the world.
In fact, we observe this day of remembrance just weeks after a rise of violent anti-Semitic attacks in New York, including an attack at a rabbi's home during the festival of Hanukkah.
An Anti-Defamation League report recorded that over 1,800 of these acts happened in 2018 alone. And yet, as we speak out against these attacks and stand against hate with our Jewish communities, we are also called to act.
Condemnation alone is not enough. We need to do all we can to create communities in which these incidents don't happen in the first place.
We need to make a better future, one of understanding, acceptance, and mutual respect.
We must make sure our children and students understand the dangers of rising anti-Semitism.
In the resolution establishing today as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the United Nations asked each member Nation to
``develop educational programs that will inculcate future generations with the lessons of the Holocaust in order to help prevent future acts of genocide.''
As a former teacher, I know that our children are not born with hate in their hearts, and it is up to us to make sure that they never learn it.
We need to give our teachers the resources they need to teach about the Holocaust and the dangers of bigotry and hate. This is not an easy subject matter for our students to understand, and our teachers need support, lesson plans, guest speakers, and training.
So along with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I introduced H.R. 943, which will expand the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's already impressive educational programs by requiring the museum to develop and disseminate accurate, relevant, and accessible resources to improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, and educate individuals on the lessons as a means to promote the importance of preventing genocide, hate, and bigotry against any group of people.
By providing $10 million over 5 years to support key programs like having traveling exhibits, expanding a centralized website, a database, where educators can find curriculum and lessons plans that are appropriate for every age group; to develop and disseminate and implement principles of sound instruction; and to increase engagement with State and local education leaders.
This was a huge effort over 20 years. I first introduced this bill in 1999, and I have been working on it in a bipartisan way ever since.
I particularly want to thank the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Hadassah, the Jewish Federations of North America, and the Anti-
Defamation League for all of their work that they have done, not only to support Holocaust education, but to support the passage of this bill.
I especially want to thank my coleads on this bill, Representatives Stefanik, Bacon, and Carbajal for all of their hard work in gaining the 300 cosponsors.
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As we recommit ourselves to the promise of ``never again,'' I am reminded that the lessons of the Holocaust do not apply just to anti-
Semitism but to all forms of hate and bigotry. I can think of no better way to honor the memories of those murdered than to make sure our students know their stories, for if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it.
Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote together in support of this legislation. I thank all of my colleagues who have signed on to this legislation for their support, especially Chairman Scott for his leadership and support. I thank my own staff, particularly Kelly Hennessy, and the staff of Chairman Scott.
Ms. STEFANIK. I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).
Mrs. McBATH. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz was liberated by the Allied forces. The camp enslaved 1.3 million people during the Nazi regime.
Today, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the 6 million Jewish victims and the millions of other innocent lives lost. We support the survivors who bore witness to this tragedy. Their scars endure. We refuse to forget the hate that led to this unspeakable tragedy.
As new generations of Americans come of age, the lack of knowledge and understanding surrounding one of the greatest crimes in human history deepens. Across the world, we are witnessing a resurgence of anti-Semitism.
We hear dangerous and destructive lies that deny the Jewish experience. We see more hatred in our discourse and more violence in our communities. We see five people attacked while celebrating Hanukkah and 11 worshippers murdered at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue.
Today, 75 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, we honor and remember the victims of the Holocaust, and we reaffirm our fight against this evil.
Today, on this Holocaust Remembrance Day, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, so that we can hold true to the promise of ``never again.''
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).
Mr. DEUTCH. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, Congressman Norcross, for yielding. I am thankful for Congresswoman Maloney's leadership and commitment to Holocaust education. I appreciate Chairman Scott's leadership in helping to bring this bill to the floor.
I am thankful to all of my colleagues, Democratic and Republican alike; the Education and Labor Committee; the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; and the Jewish community organizations, which all worked together to promote Holocaust education.
Last week, I was honored to participate in a bipartisan delegation led by Speaker Pelosi that visited Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was my first time there, and I walked through the gates where more than 1 million people perished.
The magnitude of the effort of the Nazis to try to eradicate the Jewish people was shocking. I was shaken by the sight of the crematorium, the gas chambers, and the piles of hair, glasses, personal effects, and everything gathered in a way to dehumanize the Jews before they were even slaughtered.
It has been 75 years since Auschwitz was liberated, and today, there are few remaining survivors who can share their stories firsthand. Six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. We must carry on and honor their memories as a stark and enduring warning to future generations, but recent polls show that we are failing to live up to that solemn responsibility. Less than half of Americans know how many Jews died in the Holocaust. Among teenagers, it is barely one-third.
We must do better. Some States like my home State of Florida mandate Holocaust education as part of the public school curriculum.
I am proud to represent Holocaust survivors living in south Florida. In my district, those survivors, their children, their grandchildren, and all of us who work to elevate their stories work so hard to make sure that this education is a part of every student's education.
But not every State has the resources, whether textbooks or survivors and their powerful testimony. That is why this legislation is so important. It will empower the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to promote Holocaust education around the country. It will do the vital work of bringing Americans together to say ``never again.''
When we visited Yad Vashem, almost 50 countries in the world sent their leaders to speak up to remember the Holocaust and to speak out against anti-Semitism. President Macron pointed out that anti-Semitism is a poison.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Florida an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. DEUTCH. There are deadly attacks in America and anti-Semitic violence that is almost regular in occurrence, but with all of this poison of anti-Semitism, education is our antidote.
Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I am proud the House of Representatives is working to give the words ``never again'' real meaning and real purpose by educating American students about the horrors of the Holocaust and the responsibility that all of us have to fight anti-Semitism and hatred.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider).
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his leadership in moving this bill forward and my colleagues in the House for passing this bill later this evening.
I rise today in support of H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor.
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi's largest death camp and genocidal machine that killed more than 6 million Jewish men, women, and children.
It also marks the continuation of our ongoing responsibility to keep a promise made after the Holocaust: ``never again,'' never again to allow the evils unleashed by anti-Semitism, extremism, and hatred to fester, never again to stand idly by in the face of genocide.
Last week, I had the solemn honor to visit Auschwitz with a bipartisan congressional delegation led by Speaker Pelosi. Standing before the gas chambers and furnaces, seeing what seemed like infinite piles of personal belongings taken from the victims, endless piles of hair of the people murdered at Auschwitz, I felt a deep responsibility to fulfill the promise once again.
Yet, today, in this moment, we are witnessing an increase in anti-
Semitism around the world and specifically here in the United States. In 2018, a gunman walked into the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh and killed 11 people. It was the worst anti-Semitic attack in our Nation's history, but it was not the last. A synagogue in Poway, a kosher grocery in New Jersey, and a Hanukkah celebration in Muncie--
across the country are increasing numbers of verbal and physical assaults, vandalism, and other acts of anti-Jewish hate. The numbers are truly horrifying.
Here we are in this moment, 75 years since the horrors of the Holocaust came into full view, close to a time when there will be no survivors left to tell their story.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Illinois an additional 15 seconds.
Mr. SCHNEIDER. Yet, anti-Semitism is just as dangerous today as it was then, and a key lesson of the Holocaust is more important than ever, that in the face of a dramatic rise in anti-Semitism, we must not--indeed, cannot--remain silent.
This act is a step toward that aim by empowering the Holocaust Memorial Museum to develop and distribute national education materials for teachers across the Nation. Only by standing strong in our fight against these threats in our time and on our watch can we live up to the sacred promise of ``never again.''
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains on either side, please.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New Jersey has 2\3/4\ minutes remaining. The gentlewoman from New York has 12\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi).
Mr. SUOZZI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 943, the bipartisan Never Again Education Act, of which I am a cosponsor.
Never again is, sadly, not assured. Today, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and honor the memory of 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, it is more important than ever that we come together to fight anti-Semitism.
Anti-Semitism is real, and it is growing. I have seen it in my own community. Overall crime is down dramatically, but hate crimes are rising. Anti-Semitic graffiti was found sprayed not once but twice at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in my hometown of Glen Cove in Nassau County.
Why is it happening? Divisive rhetoric is one cause. Nefarious use of social media by the haters and by our foreign adversaries who wish to foment civil unrest is another. But most important is ignorance.
The ignorance regarding the Holocaust is shocking, with over 50 percent of Americans ignorant of the fact that over 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
We must recognize that education is the best tool to fight ignorance. That is why the Never Again Education Act is so very important.
I recently traveled to Belgium to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. In preparation, I read the book ``Band of Brothers.'' In the book, it described how soon after the Battle of the Bulge, literally miles away from the concentration camps they were about to liberate in just a few weeks, the soldiers were debating whether the Holocaust was real. Or, ``Was it just propaganda?''
Think of it: literally miles away from the camps just weeks before liberation, after millions of people had already been killed, and they were questioning whether or not it was real. Imagine how more dangerous the ignorance is 75 years later, how much scarier that ignorance is 75 years later.
If we do not use the lessons of history to make enlightened moral choices, we risk turning a blind eye to the same hatred and anti-
Semitism that formed the permissive foundation for genocide in the first place. Let's teach our children about the dreadful consequences of hate and intolerance. We can help ensure that ``never again'' is assured for future generations.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan legislation.
Ms. STEFANIK. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close.
Madam Speaker, more than 70 years ago, people around the world pledged to never again stand by in silence as an oppressed people were annihilated. As years continue to pass since the horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust, it is clear that we must do more to honor the victims and carry them on in our memories.
In fact, a recent survey found that two-thirds of millennials cannot identify what Auschwitz was or name a single concentration camp, and over one-third of all Americans surveyed believe that fewer than 2 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
Today, on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we have the opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to remembrance, that we remember.
H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, will give States and schools the resources to incorporate Holocaust education into their classrooms, ensuring that all students of the next generation understand the evils and poison of the Holocaust. In doing so, this bill helps honor the legacy of Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel.
By shining a light on the horrors of the Holocaust and educating our youth about the dangers of anti-Semitism, we further our commitment to Wiesel's call for ``never again.''
I thank Mrs. Maloney for her decades of leadership on this bill and for working on the improvements that we are voting on today, and I thank all of those who have worked on this important issue.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. NORCROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Right up the road from where I live in New Jersey, there is a woman, Rosalie Simon, a Holocaust survivor, who settled there right after World War II. She returned this past week to Auschwitz for the first time since she was a prisoner there in 1945, when she was 12 years old. She said the following:
I want to go back as a survivor and look back on what I went through. I want to go back as a human being, not as an inmate.
We must honor Rosalie and many like her and all of the survivors and victims by supporting H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, to ensure the Holocaust is never forgotten and never repeated.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVID P. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I express support for H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act. Today, January 27, marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, as well as the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. We, as a society, have an enduring obligation to not only educate ourselves, but also future generations, on the atrocities that took place from 1933 to 1945 so that they are never repeated again. As Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel stated, ``For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive.''
Since its opening in 1993, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has served as a reminder for the American public, as well as all other visitors to Washington, DC, on the horrors suffered during the Holocaust, in which Adolf Hitler systematically persecuted and murdered six million Jews. H.R. 943, introduced by my good friends Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Elise Stefanik, would reinforce the work the Holocaust Memorial Museum performs by providing school systems around the country access to resources to incorporate Holocaust educational materials into their curriculums. This legislation will help ensure our nation's next generation never forgets the horrible actions the Nazis committed, and is better prepared to fight efforts like this in the future.
Unfortunately, almost 75 years after the end of World War II, anti-
Semitism still exists today, with cases of violence and harassment frequently in the news. It is my hope that the Never Again Education Act will help stem the tide of this cowardice and bigotry.
Once again, I applaud the House of Representatives for taking up this vital piece of legislation, and look forward to working with my colleagues to promote religious tolerance in the U.S.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 943, as amended.
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. NORCROSS. Madam 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 motion will be postponed.
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