HOUSE APPROVES SLAUGHTER/WAXMAN/SCHAKOWSKY AMENDMENT ON HOLOCAUST RESTITUTION
HOUSE APPROVES SLAUGHTER/WAXMAN/SCHAKOWSKY
AMENDMENT ON HOLOCAUST RESTITUTION
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Saying that time is of the essence, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today hailed the passage of an amendment to ensure that Holocaust survivors and families of victims receive a measure of justice as soon as possible. The Slaughter/Waxman/Schakowsky amendment was included in the Foreign Relations Authorizations Act.
Schakowsky is also working with Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) on legislation to exempt Holocaust reparations from federal taxes.
Below is Schakowsky's statement
"My district, the 9th Congressional District of Illinois includes Skokie, and is home to one of the largest survivor populations in this country and. With passage of this amendment, the House made it clear to survivors in my district, across the U.S., and to the international community that the United States places the utmost importance on providing some measure of justice, albeit long overdue, to those who suffered the worst atrocity of the last century.
"The Amendment also puts the House clearly on record as underscoring the critical timing of this issue for the aging Holocaust survivor population, and urges the German Bundestag to provide the funds for disbursement by the German Foundation to Holocaust survivors as soon as possible. In addition, the amendment states the importance of International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims in helping the State Department to obtain the information necessary for completion of the report.
"Finally, this amendment would require the Secretary of State to report biannually to the Congress on the status of the agreement between the United States and Germany to provide for restitution to Holocaust survivors and their families. The report will detail whether or not the German Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility, and the Future," that was set up to be the sole entity to provide claims payments to survivors is operating in an appropriate manner."