Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian people for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with the great honor of introducing a bill with the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) to recognize the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian people for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance.

As the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) just mentioned, this indeed is a special day for me. It is a special day because I am so happy to tell the people of the world about the wonderful people that I have had the opportunity to be associated with in the Republic of Bulgaria. It is a special day because my daughter-in-law, Lauren, is in Bethesda right now. She is in labor awaiting the birth of our first grandchild. This is an extraordinary day on behalf of my son, who is an ensign in the U.S. Navy, Addison. We are indeed looking forward to the birth of Addison Graves Wilson, III. In fact, my wife is with the other prospective grandparents. My wife, Roxanne, and Julie and Craig Houston of West Columbia, South Carolina, are on I-95 as we speak coming up for the blessed event. We are just very grateful.

My association with Bulgaria, it is a bit unusual for someone from South Carolina to have an association with a country which does not have significant immigration to our State. It really started, and I need to give thanks to the late Lee Atwater, chairman of the Republican National Committee. He appointed me to be an observer for the first democratic elections that had occurred in decades in Bulgaria on June 10, 1990. I had the extraordinary opportunity of visiting Bulgaria. I do not want to give anybody the impression I am a world traveler, because it was my first visit to Europe. It was an extraordinary opportunity, though, for me.

I had gone to Bulgaria fully expecting to find the most slavish Soviet satellite. It was a country that was marked with a bitter dictatorship and a loyalty to the former Soviet Union that was unparalleled among the satellite countries of Eastern and Central Europe. When I arrived, it was, in fact, significantly different. It was like a country frozen in time. I found people who were really back to about 1939. It was an extraordinary circumstance of a country where the people were just terrific. They were very friendly, they

were very open, they were excited about the efforts that Ronald Reagan had made of peace through strength, the liberation of Eastern and Central Europe. I also found a country which I could identify with coming from the southeastern part of the United States, which is in the southeastern part of Europe.

I found a very friendly meteorological climate. The people were friendly. The geography was remarkably similar to my home State of South Carolina. They have beautiful beaches to the east on the Black Sea, there is a midlands very similar to where I represent in Congress, and then there are mountains to the west. It was a time to really feel at home. I met wonderful people. The first person who greeted me was a candidate for the National Assembly, Stefan Stoyanov. Stefan ultimately was elected to their parliament, the National Assembly. Then I had the good fortune of hosting him to observe our elections in November of 1990. This was hosted by various civic organizations: the Rotary Clubs, the Kiwanis Clubs, the Optimist Clubs, the Lions Clubs of the central part of South Carolina, the midlands of South Carolina. They raised money for Assemblyman Stoyanov to come visit. At that time it was an extraordinary election victory for Governor Carroll Campbell, who was reelected. Governor Campbell took the Bulgarian assemblyman to the stage for recognition on election night at the victory party. It was an extraordinary event.

I then had the opportunity to visit later that year with the democratically elected members of the National Assembly, thanks to the Free Congress Foundation and Mr. Paul Weyrich and, in particular, the late Dr. Bob Krieble, who is the founder of the Krieble Institute, which has worked so well to establish democracy in the formerly- Communist countries. It was an extraordinary opportunity to be what Dr. Krieble called an agent of influence, and it was positive influence, to promote democracy.

I then returned several years later and saw remarkable change. Through the sister city program of the Columbia International Affairs Association, we have a sister city relationship with Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria. Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, is very fortunate to be associated with this ancient city. It was known as Philippopolis. It was known as Trimontium. I found the history of Bulgaria to go back to Roman and Greek times. It is just a phenomenal experience of wonderful people. I was very fortunate at that time to have my son with me, Addison, Jr., who then left that next week to be a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy.

In the particular bill today, I am very grateful for the leadership of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the chairman of the Committee on International Relations. I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe. And of course, somebody near and dear to me, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), who has been a real leader. And the professional staff has been so helpful.

The rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust. In the spring of 1943, a period when Jews across Europe were subjected to total extermination in the Nazi death camps, the Bulgarian people, politicians and civic leaders through a series of resolute actions succeeded in protecting their 50,000 Jewish compatriots from deportation to the death camps. Bulgaria was the only country in Europe to increase its Jewish population during World War II. This happened despite Nazi pressure and the fact that Bulgaria was officially an ally of Hitler Germany as part of the Axis from March 1941 until September 1944.

Despite the anti-Jewish legislation and the heavy restrictions of the rights of the Jewish population adopted by the Bulgarian Government and Parliament in 1941-1942, anti-Semitism was never morally accepted by the Bulgarian society. King Boris III and the majority of the members of Parliament only reluctantly followed Hitler's official policy, resisting the implementation of the anti-Jewish legislation and regulations in their entirety. As a result of Nazi pressure, in February 1943 a secret agreement was reached to start the secret deportation of Jews by cargo trains in the first days of March 1943.

Due to the prompt public reaction and the resolute intervention of a group of active citizens, church leaders and politicians, led by Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly Dimitar Peshev, the Minister of Interior Gabrovski was forced on 9 March 1943 to cancel the deportation orders for the Jews from several Bulgarian cities. The trains, which had been waiting to be loaded with Bulgarian Jews and sent to the concentration camps in Poland, did not depart. Unfortunately, about 12,000 Jews from Aegean Thrace and Macedonia, who did not at that time have Bulgarian citizenship and had been already driven out of their homes by the special forces of the Jewish Commissariat, could not be saved and were deported through Bulgarian territory to Germany. The horrible sight of train compositions packed with Jews from Thrace and Macedonia crossing Bulgarian territory had a tremendous impact on public opinion in Bulgaria and strengthened even more the popular resistance against deportation.

Later, in March 1943, 43 members of the Bulgarian Parliament from the ruling majority, led by Deputy Speaker Dimitar Peshev, addressed a bold and decisive letter to the then Prime Minister Filov in which they called a possible deportation of Jews an inadmissible act with grave moral and political consequences for the country. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church played a crucial part in mobilizing public support against the deportation and exerting its influence on the government. Metropolitans Stefan in Sofia and Kiril in Plovdiv actively contributed to the campaign against state discrimination of the Jews.

The broad popular and civil movement in defense of the Bulgarian Jews culminated in May 1943 when the plan of deportation was finally aborted. King Boris III played a decisive role in this decision by not ceding to Hitler's increasing pressure and not allowing the deportation to happen. The King resisted Hitler's demands with the argument that the Bulgarian Jews were needed as a workforce in Bulgaria. At the end of May 1943, about 20,000 Jews from Sofia were sent to work camps in the countryside where they were assigned heavy labor duties and lived in miserable conditions; but they survived. Many other political and professional organizations and groups of intellectuals joined actively in this national effort. The credit as a whole belongs to the Bulgarian people who showed courage and strength in defending their fellow Jewish countrymen. Bulgarians today feel proud of the courage of their predecessors to save from deportation and death nearly 50,000 Bulgarian Jews.

I have seen firsthand the good will of the Bulgarian people as an observer of Bulgaria's first democratic elections in 1990, and I have witnessed the progress of Bulgaria's democracy away from communism. I commend the efforts of patriots like Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg- Gotha, Ambassador Elena Poptodorova, Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi, Defense Minister Nikolai Svinarov, Deputy Chief of Mission Emil Yalnazov, and Bulgarian Ambassador to Greece Stefan Stoyanov for continuing important reforms and for leading their entry into NATO.

We are proud of our allied Bulgaria. As cochairman of the House Caucus on Bulgaria along with the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher), it is my privilege to introduce this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 77.

Madam Speaker, this Member rises today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 77, a resolution recognizing and commending the Bulgarian people for a little-known, but extraordinary, historical fact. The resolution was introduced by the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), and this Member is pleased to be an original cosponsor.

This resolution seeks to commemorate the 60th anniversary of a historic act of courage

and heroism: the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews from the Nazi Holocaust in 1943. In that critical moment of history, the Bulgarian people, from every walk of life, through a series of resolute actions, successfully stopped the deportation of Bulgaria's Jewish population to Nazi death camps.

Bulgaria was officially allied with Hitler Germany from March 1941 until September 1944, but anti-Semitism was never morally accepted by Bulgarian society. It is said that King Boris III and the majority of the Members of Parliament only reluctantly followed Hitler's official policies, resisting the implementation of anti-Jewish legislation and other restrictions in their entirety.

In February 1943, as a result of Nazi pressure, a secret agreement on the deportation of Bulgarian Jews to Germany was signed between Hitler's special envoy Dannecker and the Bulgarian Commissar on Jewish Affair Belev. The plan was to start the secret deportation of Jews by cargo trains in the first days of March 1943.

Due to immediate public reaction and the resolute intervention of a group of active citizens, church leaders and politicians, led by the Deputy Speaker of the Bulgarian National Assembly Dimitar Peshev, the Minister of Interior Nikola Gabrovski was forced on March 9, 1943 to cancel deportation orders for Jews from several Bulgarian cities. The trains, which had been waiting to be loaded and sent to concentration camps in Poland, did not depart.

Unfortunately, about 12,000 Jews from Aegean Thrace and Macedonia, who did not at that time have Bulgarian citizenship and who had already been driven out of their homes by the special forces of the Jewish Commissariat, were deported through Bulgarian territory to Germany. The horrible sight of trains carrying Jews from Thrace and Macedonia crossing Bulgaria and strengthened even more the popular resistance against deportation.

Later in march 1943, 43 members of the Bulgarian Parliament from the ruling majority, led by the Deputy Speaker Dimitar Peshev, addressed a bold and decisive letter to the then-Prime Minister Bogdan Filov, in which they called a possible deportation of the Jews an ``inadmissible act'' which ``grave moral and political consequences'' for the country.

The Bulgarian Orthodox Church played a crucial part in mobilizing public support against the deportation and exerting its influence on the government. Metropolitans Sefan in Sofia and Kiril in Plovdiv actively contributed to this effort.

The broad popular and civil movement in defense of the Bulgarian Jews culminated in May 1943 when the plan of deportation was finally aborted. King Boris III played a decisive role in this decision by not ceding to Hitler's increasing pressure and by not allowing the deportation to happen. Many other political and professional organizations and groups of intellectuals actively participated in this national movement.

The credit as a whole belongs to the Bulgarian people who showed courage and strength in defending their fellow countrymen. Bulgarians today rightly feel proud of the actions of their predecessors to save from deportation and death nearly 50,000 Bulgarian Jews.

Bulgaria should be proud of this historical event, and its tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance. Bulgaria's history should be recognized, and its people should be commended. Bulgaria should be an example to a region that has been torn apart by so much hatred and violence over the past decade. Let Bulgaria's history be an example to the Balkins and Southeastern Europe. Let Bulgaria's history be an example to all of Europe today, East and West, North and South, Old and New.

Madam Speaker, on this occasion, this Member urges strong support for this resolution and would also particularly like to thank Bulgaria, and the Bulgarian people, for Bulgaria's exceptionally strong support and cooperation with America in the international war on terrorism.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. First, I would like to commend the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for his leadership on this important resolution. I also want to recognize the contributions to this measure of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Madam Speaker, just in the past year Congress has focused attention on growing anti-Semitism in Europe. Unfortunately, some European leaders have used the pretext of the Middle East conflict to justify this ugly phenomenon of the 20th century reappearing in the 21st century.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to commend an important U.S. ally, a future member of NATO, on what it did during the darkest hours of European history. Bulgaria's actions during the Second World War prove that a small nation can have a tremendously positive impact on humanity. In Bulgaria, the effort to resist the Nazi pressure to enforce anti-Jewish laws and to deport its Jewish citizens to death camps was undertaken by the full spectrum of Bulgarian society. Members of the Bulgarian Parliament, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, politicians, intellectuals, but most importantly, ordinary citizens all played a part in the resistance to Nazi pressure to carry out the unconscionable act of deportation to death camps.

March 2003 marks the 60th anniversary of Bulgaria's historic refusal to deport its Jews to Nazi concentration camps.

Some years ago at the initiative of my wife, she and I went to Bulgaria to express our appreciation for this heroic action of the Bulgarian people during the most difficult years of the Second World War. We met with a broad spectrum of Bulgarian people, and we had the opportunity of telling them that their little recognized heroic action is deeply appreciated by the American people and the Congress of the United States.

Sadly, Bulgaria was unique among its East European neighbors. In too many instances, the populations of other countries occupied by the Nazis turned against their Jewish compatriots or remained indifferent to their nightmare fate.

That is why today, Madam Speaker, I shudder when I hear the excuses used by some governments in Europe to explain the rise of anti-Semitism again on that continent. As we commend Bulgaria for this historic rescue, we must note that neighboring Macedonia is marking the tragedy of the deportation of over 11,000 Jews to Nazi death camps. This region was under the control of Bulgarian authorities at the time, but the Jewish residents did not have Bulgarian citizenship and were not saved from the Nazi death camps. They all perished.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First, I want to commend my friend for his powerful and eloquent and thoughtful statement. I would like to add that it is no accident that as we speak, Bulgaria is standing tall with the United States at the United Nations at another critical juncture of history.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 77) commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust and commending the Bulgarian people for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 77.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 77, a resolution commemorating the 60th anniversary of the historic rescue of 50,000 Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust. This resolution was introduced by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson). H. Con. Res. 77 recognizes a relatively unknown but exceedingly important event in the history of Bulgaria and the history of Europe.

This resolution commends the Bulgarian people for their actions in 1943 and for preserving and continuing their tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance. In the spring of 1943, the Bulgarian people succeeded in protecting Bulgaria's entire Jewish population from deportation and death in Nazi concentration camps. This happened despite the fact that Bulgaria was officially allied with Nazi Germany from March 1941 until September 1944. Bulgaria's legislators, clergymen, civic leaders, intellectuals, and ordinary citizens, through a series of protests and appeals, blocked Nazi attempts to deport Bulgarian Jews to death camps in Poland. The entire Bulgarian nation, the people, the Parliament, the King and the Orthodox Church stood united and confronted the Nazi terror. As a result, in that critical moment in history, not even one of Bulgaria's 50,000 Jews was deported to Nazi gas chambers.

In fact, I am told that Bulgaria was the only country in Europe in which the Jewish population actually increased during World War II. The Bulgarian people should be commended for saving their fellow countrymen and compatriots from the Holocaust. Bulgarians today should be proud of their predecessors' courage and heroism, and we recognize today this historic action that was taken. In a country and region of such long and deep history, at the crossroads of civilizations, we should also recognize the tradition of ethnic and religious tolerance in Bulgaria and what it might mean today for the Balkans, for Europe, for the Middle East, and for the world.

Madam Speaker, I would again like to commend Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people for this historic event, and I urge strong support for this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), the principal sponsor of the bill. I might note that the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) is likely to become a grandfather for the first time within the next few hours.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I stayed in St. Louis to attend my pastor's visitation on March 11th and was absent for recorded votes.

Had I been present for those votes, I would have voted as follows on the following bills under suspension of the rules: H.R. 441--``yes''; H. Con. Res. 77--``yes''; H. Res. 19--``yes.''