Harry E. Mitchell

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1743, as amended, a resolution congratulating Gerda Weissmann Klein on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Mrs. Weissmann Klein's story is remarkable and represents so much of what is so great about America. She was born in Bielsko, Poland in 1924. She was just 15 years old when Germany invaded her homeland in 1939, and the world she knew changed forever. Her brother, Arthur, was taken by the Nazis. Her parents were sent to death camps in Auschwitz. For 3 years, Gerda was forced to endure a succession of slave labor and concentration camps.

In 1945, Gerda was one of 2,000 women forced by Nazis to walk a 350- mile death march, during which women were subjected to starvation, exposure, and arbitrary execution. The death march finally ended in Volary, Czechoslovakia, when the survivors were liberated by the United States Army. Gerda was one of fewer than 120 women who survived.

One of the American Army officers who helped liberate Gerda that day was a German-born Lieutenant named Kurt Klein, whose parents had been murdered at Auschwitz. Gerda and Kurt fell in love, got married, and moved to the United States and started a family.

Once here, Gerda and Kurt worked diligently to promote Holocaust education and remembrance. They taught tolerance and worked to combat hunger.

Gerda became a United States citizen, a privilege for which she has devoted her life's work as gratitude. She founded Citizenship Counts, a nonprofit organization that teaches our youth to appreciate and celebrate the majesty of their American citizenship.

In 1957, Gerda's first book, ``All But My Life,'' was published. It chronicles her courageous struggle for survival during the Holocaust. In 1996, ``One Survivor Remembers,'' a documentary about her experiences during the Holocaust, won an Academy Award.

Gerda Weissman Klein's life and work have inspired generations of Americans and countless individuals around the world.

Last month, President Barack Obama announced that Gerda Weissmann Klein would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed, and it is well deserved.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, as amended.

Before I yield, I want to thank Representative Jean Schmidt for partnering with me on this resolution. I also want to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa, as well as both the majority and minority member staffs, for helping bring this resolution to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, Mo Udall once said that those elected to positions of leadership have a moral obligation to exercise leadership. Since coming to Congress, and throughout my whole career, I have always done what I believed was in the best interests for this district, for our State, and for our country. This is what I was elected to do, to make tough decisions, knowing that some were not always as popular as others; and I would not have changed one thing, not one vote, not one decision.

When I think about what we have accomplished together in Congress over the last 4 years, I know that there are many reasons to be proud. We were able to make college more affordable for millions of young Americans. We were able to invest in clean energy technology that will clean our environment and set our Nation on a path to energy independence.

We raised the minimum wage for working families across this country. We were able to ensure equal pay for an equal day's work for women. We passed historic health care reform that will benefit millions of Americans, making health care insurance more accessible and affordable for thousands of individuals, families, and small businesses.

But I am most proud of the work we've done to take care of our Nation's veterans. Together, we made it possible for our veterans, active duty, National Guard, and reserve to empower themselves by furthering their education. I was honored to be part of an effort to pass the 21st century GI Bill into law.

We also know that many of our returning veterans and those who served in past generations bear wounds that can't be seen. Too many continue to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder and are at risk for suicide. Together, we've pushed the VA to provide more mental health assistance to those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan because our veterans deserve the highest attention and respect they have earned when they come home, and we have work to do to bring them all home.

But as much as we've accomplished, there is still more to do. I have always said that you can't be successful unless a lot of other people want you to be. And I have been blessed to have so many people who have been supportive of me. For the better part of close to 40 years, I've held the titles of teacher, councilman, mayor, senator, and Congressman.

And there are a lot of people I want to thank for being with me every step of the way. A special thanks goes to my family: My wife, Marianne; my son, Mark; my daughter, Amy; and my five grandchildren. I also want to thank my staff. They were the most hardworking, talented, and loyal bunch that you would ever find, and I am very grateful for them. Lastly, I want to thank the people of Arizona's Fifth Congressional District for allowing me to represent them in the United States Congress for the past 4 years. It's been an overwhelming honor to have had the opportunity to serve my district.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of John Ore and his lifetime of service to the citizens of Tempe, Arizona. I wish to thank him for his dedication to public service, a remarkable record of success and accomplishment, and many years of friendship.

Judge Ore's law enforcement career began on May 28, 1969, when he joined the U.S. Army and attended military police training. After the army, John joined the Tempe Police Department and within three years, received a number of awards for his work, including the Tempe Police Meritorious Service Award and the Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer Award. John quickly rose through the ranks at the Tempe Police Department and was promoted to Commander in July of 1988. After a distinguished 22 year career in the police force, John was elected to serve as Tempe Justice of the Peace.

Judge Ore's strong commitment to volunteerism, service, and civic engagement is not only incredibly honorable, but also unmatched. For example, John has served on the Board of Directors for Friends of the Orphans, and spearheaded an effort to send relief supplies to the war zone in Bosnia on behalf of Tempe South Rotary Club and Project Lifeline. He was awarded the Hon Kachina Award as one of Arizona's 12 outstanding volunteers in 1998 and also received Rotary International's Service Above Self Award that same year. To this day, John remains active in the community and is involved with service activities through the Tempe South Rotary Club.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing John Ore for 40 years of outstanding service to my home town of Tempe, Arizona.