Commending countries and organizations for marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and urging a strengthening of the fight against racism, intolerance, bigotry, prejudice, discrimination, and anti-Semitism.

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Recognizes the sacrifices, service, and dedication of Allied soldiers and partisans and underground fighters that resulted in the defeat of the Nazi regime and the liberation of Auschwitz and other World War II concentration camps. Expresses gratitude to individuals and organizations that assisted survivors of Nazi brutality.

Commends countries marking the 60th anniversary (on January 27, 2005) of the liberation of Auschwitz, as well as the United Nations General Assembly and other international organizations, for honoring Holocaust victims and increasing awareness of the Holocaust.

Urges all countries to strengthen efforts to fight racism, intolerance, bigotry, prejudice, discrimination, and anti-Semitism. Urges governments and educators to teach the lessons of the Holocaust so that future generations will understand that racial, ethnic, and religious intolerance and prejudice can lead to the genocide carried out in camps such as Auschwitz.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 39 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                      January 25, 2005.
Whereas on January 27, 1945, the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz, including 
        Birkenau and other related camps near the Polish city of Oswiecim, was 
        liberated by elements of the Soviet Army under the command of Field 
        Marshal Ivan Konev;
Whereas, according to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, at a minimum 
        1,300,000 people were deported to Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945, and 
        of these, at least 1,100,000 were murdered at that camp;
Whereas an estimated 6,000,000 Jews, more than 60 percent of the pre-World War 
        II Jewish population of Europe, were murdered by the Nazis and their 
        collaborators at Auschwitz and elsewhere in Europe;
Whereas in addition, hundreds of thousands of civilians of Polish, Roma, and 
        other nationalities, including in particular handicapped and retarded 
        individuals, homosexuals, political, intellectual, labor, and religious 
        leaders, all of whom the Nazis considered ``undesirable'', as well as 
        Soviet and other prisoners of war, perished at Auschwitz and elsewhere 
        in Europe;
Whereas the complex of concentration and death camps at Auschwitz has come to 
        symbolize the brutality and inhumanity of the Holocaust;
Whereas on January 24, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly, in response to 
        a resolution proposed by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Russia, the 
        United States, and the European Union, convened its first-ever special 
        session marking the liberation of Auschwitz and other concentration 
        camps on the 60th anniversary of that event;
Whereas on January 27, 2005, the Government of Poland will host a state ceremony 
        at Auschwitz/Oswiecim, Poland, to mark the anniversary of the liberation 
        of the camps in which the Presidents of Israel, Germany, Poland, and 
        Russia, and the Vice President of the United States, and leaders of many 
        other countries will participate;
Whereas January 27 of each year is the official Holocaust Memorial Day in many 
        European countries, including Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, 
        Sweden, and the United Kingdom, and has been designated by Israel as a 
        National Day to Combat Anti-Semitism; and
Whereas the Department of State in the Report on Global Anti-Semitism 
        transmitted to Congress in December 2004 noted that ``anti-Semitism in 
        Europe increased significantly in recent years'', ``Holocaust denial and 
        Holocaust minimization efforts'' have found increasingly overt 
        acceptance in a number of Middle Eastern countries, and anti-Semitism 
        has appeared ``in countries where historically or currently there are 
        few or even no Jews'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recalls with gratitude the sacrifices made by Allied soldiers, 
        as well as partisans and underground fighters, whose service and 
        dedication resulted in the defeat of the Nazi regime and the liberation 
        of Auschwitz and other concentration camps during World War II;
            (2) expresses gratitude to those individuals and organizations that 
        assisted and cared for the survivors of Nazi brutality and helped those 
        survivors establish new lives;
            (3) commends those countries that are marking the 60th anniversary 
        of the liberation of Auschwitz, as well as the United Nations General 
        Assembly and other international organizations, for honoring the victims 
        of the Holocaust and using this tragic anniversary to increase awareness 
        of the Holocaust;
            (4) urges all countries and peoples to strengthen their efforts to 
        fight against racism, intolerance, bigotry, prejudice, discrimination, 
        and anti-Semitism; and
            (5) urges governments and educators throughout the world to teach 
        the lessons of the Holocaust in order that future generations will 
        understand that racial, ethnic, and religious intolerance and prejudice 
        can lead to the genocide carried out in camps such as Auschwitz.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.