Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings).

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. 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. Speaker, I was not present for votes in the House of Representatives between April 16th and 18th. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: Rollcall No. 152 for H.R. 3001, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 153 for H.R. 4040, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 154 for H. Res. 614, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 155 for H. Res. 614, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 156 for H. Res. 614, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 157 for H.R. 1815, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 158 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 159 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 160 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 161 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 162 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 163 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 164 for H.R. 4089, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 165 for H. Res. 619, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 166 for H. Res. 619, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 167 approving the Journal, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 168 for H.R. 4348, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 169 for H.R. 4348, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall No. 170 for H.R. 4348, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall No. 171 for H.R. 2453, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

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.