A resolution recognizing June 6, 2009, as the 70th anniversary of the tragic date when the M.S. St. Louis, a ship carrying Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, returned to Europe after its passengers were refused admittance to the United States.

Mr. President, seventy two years ago the M.S. St. Louis, a German ocean liner, sailed from Hamburg, Germany to Havana, Cuba with 937 passengers, mostly Jewish refugees searching for the freedom and safety of the American dream. Those passengers left their homes because of state supported anti-semitism including violent pogroms, expulsion from public schools and service, and arrest and imprisonment solely because of Jewish heritage. Some passengers were released from prisons at Buchenwald and Dachau only because they were immigrating out of the country. With their freedom and safety stripped away by Nazi persecution, these refugees sailed for Cuba, a way station to wait for entry visas to the U.S.

When the M.S. St. Louis arrived in Cuba, only 28 passengers were allowed to disembark. Corruption and political maneuvering within the Cuban government invalidated the transit visas of the other passengers. Those individuals waited with great hope for a remedy that would provide refuge far from Nazi persecution. Before returning to Europe, the ship sailed towards Miami in hopes of a solution. The ship sailed so close to Florida that the passengers could see the lights of Miami. One survivor remembers his father commenting that ``Florida's golden shores, so near, might as well be 4,000 miles away for all the good it did them.''

The US Immigration and Nationality Act of 1924 strictly limited the number of immigrants admitted to the U.S. each year and in 1939 the waiting list for German-Austrian immigration was several years long. While the press was largely sympathetic to the plight of the passengers of the M.S. St. Louis, no extraordinary measures were taken to permit the refugees to enter the United States. The passengers were told that they must ``await their turns on the waiting list and qualify for and obtain immigration visas''.

On June 6 the M.S. St. Louis sailed back to Europe with nearly all of its original passengers. Refuge for the passengers was eventually obtained in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. World War II started three months later and those countries, with the exception of Great Britain, fell to Nazi occupation. Two hundred and fifty-four of those passengers died during the Holocaust and many others suffered under Nazi persecution and in concentration camps.

During this week when we remember the Holocaust, it is appropriate and right to acknowledge the voyage of the M.S. St. Louis and the lives and the dreams of those refugees who made a trip towards freedom only to be returned to Europe. This Senate Resolution acknowledges the 70th anniversary of the voyage of the M.S. St. Louis and honors the memory of those passengers, 254 of who died during the Holocaust. This resolution also provides an opportunity for public officials and educators to reflect on this historic event and lessons that are relevant to current and future generations.

Mr. President, today the Senate remembers a moment in history when the United States failed to provide refuge to slightly more than 900 individuals fleeing religious and racial persecution in Nazi Germany. S. Res. 111 acknowledges the 70th anniversary of the date, June 6, 1939, when the M.S. St. Louis, a German ocean liner, started its return voyage to Europe with nearly all of its original passengers. Later, over 250 of those individuals would perish in the Holocaust.

The story starts on May 13, 1939, when the M.S. St. Louis sailed from Hamburg, Germany, to Havana, Cuba with 937 passengers, mostly Jewish refugees, searching for freedom and safety. State-supported antiSemitism including violent pogroms, expulsion from public schools and services, and arrest and imprisonment solely because of Jewish heritage forced those passengers to leave their homes.

When the M.S. St. Louis arrived in Havana, the Cuban Government allowed only 28 passengers to disembark. Corruption and political maneuvering within the Cuban Government invalidated the transit visas of the other passengers. Before returning to Europe, the ship sailed toward Miami hoping for a solution. The ship sailed so close to Florida that the passengers could see the lights of Miami. One survivor remembers his father commenting that ``Florida's golden shores, so near, might as well be 4,000 miles away for all the good it did them.''

The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act of 1924 strictly limited the number of immigrants admitted to the United States each year and in 1939 the waiting list for German-Austrian immigration was several years long. While the press and citizens were largely sympathetic to the passengers' plight, no extraordinary measures were taken to permit the refugees to enter the United States. The passengers were told that they must ``await their turns on the waiting list and qualify for and obtain immigration visas.''

On June 6, 1939, the M.S. St. Louis sailed back to Europe with nearly all of its original passengers. The passengers obtained refuge in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. World War II started 3 months later and those countries, with the exception of Great Britain, fell to Nazi occupation. Two hundred and fifty-four of those passengers died during the Holocaust and many others suffered under Nazi persecution and in concentration camps.

S. Res. 111 acknowledges the 70th anniversary of the return voyage of the M.S. St. Louis and honors the memory of those passengers including the 254 who died during the Holocaust. The St. Louis is only one tragedy out of millions from that time, but seventy years later, it still haunts us as a nation and deserves recognition.

Madam Speaker, this week I had the chance to meet with some of the survivors of the SS St. Louis in my community of south Florida. This was a memorable and moving experience that provides each of us with a powerful lesson about our past.

As you know, the SS St. Louis carried nearly 1,000 Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany in 1939, and, shamefully, the United States turned the ship away. Its passengers were sent back to Europe where hundreds of them perished. We cannot forget this dark moment in our Nation's history, and we must remember the story and share it with our next generation in order to keep our promise of ``never again.''

I'd like to associate myself with Senate Resolution 111 passed by the U.S. Senate, which recognizes the tragedy of the SS St. Louis and honors the memory of the passengers who lost their lives. I join my colleagues and continue to pay tribute to those who did not survive, and I express my gratitude for the opportunity to join the survivors in person this week.

I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from consideration of S. Res. 111 and the Senate proceed to its consideration

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this matter be printed in the Record.