WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), applauded the inclusion of their amendment (S.AMDT 1159) to support Holocaust education programs at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in the Senate-passed spending bill (H.R. 3055) that provides funding for the Museum. Their amendment would require the Museum to submit a report on their collection and usage of historical documentation, such as survivor testimony, to support their memory and range of educational programs related to the Holocaust. Currently, an estimated 80,000 Holocaust survivors are living in the United States with an average age of 85.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. In addition to the inclusion of the Senators’ amendment, the Senate passed Appropriations bill provided an additional $500,000 for Fiscal Year 2020 to support the Museum’s operations above the Fiscal Year 2019 enacted levels.
“We must never forget those who perished in the Holocaust and we must always work to ensure that knowledge, tolerance, and reason are ever present in the face of ignorance and rising anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of intolerance and hate. Our goal is to ensure that this invaluable American museum has the resources it needs to collect and preserve irreplaceable historical documentation of the Holocaust. In turn, those materials and experiences can be used to provide future generations with the knowledge, tolerance, and reason they need in the world we face today,” said Senator Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly.
“I applaud my colleagues for joining our efforts to combat the rising tide of anti-Semitism in our country through increased education about this terrible tragedy,” said Senator Cramer. “The lessons of the Holocaust must always be taught so the experience of the Holocaust may never be repeated.”
“With anti-Semitism on the rise across the globe, it is critical that we take steps to educate future generations about the Holocaust,” said Senator Rosen. “I applaud the inclusion of this bipartisan amendment which will help utilize the stories of survivors to stop hate before it starts, which could help to reverse the troubling increase of anti-Semitism in the United States. I will continue working in Congress on legislative actions to ensure that the phrase ‘Never Again’ rings true for all generations.”
“We must never forget the stain caused by the Holocaust and we must ensure future generations know the full history of this horrific genocide,” Senator Rubio said. “By providing additional funds and assessing our current education programs about the Holocaust, we will be able to better support the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s efforts to preserve and share the memory of survivor accounts. As anti-Semitism continues to plague our country, I’m happy to see the United States Senate send a clear message that honors the victims who perished during humanity’s darkest hour.”
“Ensuring that the past horrors of the Holocaust aren’t forgotten will help combat anti-Semitism and hate in our present and future. Our bipartisan effort will help preserve firsthand accounts of the Holocaust and other primary sources, which are vital to teaching future generations about one of the darkest chapters in human history,” said Senator Blumenthal.
The text of the amendment can be found here.
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