69–010 

Calendar No. 739 

110TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 110–336 

SUPPORT FOR THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF 

POLISH JEWS ACT OF 2007 

MAY 19, 2008.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. BIDEN, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 3320] 

The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consideration the bill H.R. 3320 to provide assistance for the Museum of 

the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland, reports favorably 

thereon with an amendment and recommends that the bill, as 

amended, do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose ........................................................................................................... 1 

II. Committee Action .......................................................................................... 1 

III. Discussion ....................................................................................................... 2 

IV. Cost Estimate ................................................................................................. 2 

V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact .................................................................. 3 

VI. Changes in Existing Law .............................................................................. 3 

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Support for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Act of 2007 is to facilitate preservation of the cultural heritage of Americans who trace their ancestry to Poland’s Jewish 

community. 

II. COMMITTEE ACTION

H.R. 3320 was introduced on August 2, 2007 by Rep. Chris 

Smith. The House of Representatives approved the bill on November 14, 2007 by a vote of 407–13. On February 28, 2008, Senator 

Menendez introduced a counterpart bill, S. 2679. At a business 

meeting on April 22, 2008, the committee ordered H.R. 3320 reported favorably, after approving an amendment by Senator Biden 

to revise section 3 of the bill. 


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III. DISCUSSION

The genocide carried out by the Third Reich during the Second 

World War threatened to bury a thousand-year history during 

which Jews were a vibrant part of national life in Poland. The Museum of the History of Polish Jews will stand as a living monument 

to the community’s richness, resilience and continuing contributions to humanity. 

According to the United States Census conducted in 2000, almost 

9 million Americans are of Polish extraction. As a result of this 

large Diaspora, the story of Poles and Polish Jews constitutes an 

important chapter in the history of the United States. Safeguarding 

and sharing this history will benefit current and future generations 

of Americans. 

The City of Warsaw and the Government of Poland have made 

significant contributions of land and resources in order to help 

bring the Museum into being. Many other nations have also been 

touched by the dispersal of Poland’s Jews. The effort to design, 

fund, and build the Museum is, accordingly, a thoroughly international undertaking. The Act will allow the United States to join 

with other governments, organizations, and private donors to help 

bring this important project to fruition. 

The committee revised the bill in section 3 to clarify and broaden 

the authority to provide U.S. assistance to the Museum. 

IV. COST ESTIMATE

In accordance with Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(a) of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee provides this estimate of the 

costs of this legislation prepared by the Congressional Budget Office. 

UNITED STATES CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, April 24, 2008. 

Hon. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, 

United States Senate, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 3320, the Support for the 

Museum of the History of Polish Jews Act of 2007. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Sunita D’Monte. 

Sincerely, 

PETER R. ORSZAG, 

Enclosure. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

April 24, 2008. 

H.R. 3320 would authorize the appropriation of $5 million to develop and maintain a permanent collection at the Museum of the 

History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland. The museum contains 

multimedia exhibits detailing the history and culture of Jewish 

people in Poland over the past 1,000 years. 


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Based on historical spending patterns for similar grants for cultural programs, CBO estimates that implementing this legislation 

would cost $3 million in 2009 and $5 million over the 2009–2013 

period, subject to the appropriation of the authorized amounts. Implementing the act would have no effect on direct spending or revenues. 

H.R. 3320 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Sunita D’Monte. 

This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 11(b) of the Standing Rules 

of the Senate, the committee has determined that there is no regulatory impact as a result of this legislation. 

VI. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of Rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the committee notes that no changes to existing law are made by this bill. 

Æ 


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