H. J. Res. 156

One Hundred Third Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the fifth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-three

Joint Resolution

Concerning the dedication of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Whereas, in 1980, the Congress of the United States established

the United States Holocaust Memorial Council (Public Law 96–

388, dated October 7, 1980) by unanimous vote and mandated

it with the creation of a permanent living memorial museum

to the victims of the Holocaust;

Whereas, through the great generosity and unstinting efforts of

thousands of individuals from all walks of life, the United States

Holocaust Memorial Museum has now been built on Federal

land with private contributions and will be officially dedicated

on April 22, 1993;

Whereas, this institution will underscore the ideals of human rights

and individual liberty this Nation was founded upon, as expressed

by President George Washington in 1790, when he declared that

the United States had created ‘‘a government which to bigotry

gives no sanction, to persecution no assistance’’;

Whereas, four administrations and every Congress since 1980, and

especially Members of Congress and individuals who have served

on the Council and officials of the United States Departments

of State, the Interior, and Education, have joined with the American public in bringing this institution to life; and

Whereas, this museum signifies national dedication to remembering

the Holocaust, and will serve as the Nation’s leading educational

facility to teach current and future generations of Americans

about this tragic period of human history and its implications

for our lives and the choices we make as individuals and societies

against crimes based on hate and prejudice regarding race, religion, and sexual preference: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the

United States of America in Congress assembled, That the One

Hundred Third Congress officially commemorates the opening and

recognizes the historic importance of this unique institution as

it takes its place among the other great memorials and museums

in our Nation’s Capital that honor the democratic precepts this

Nation is based upon; and be it further

Resolved, That Congress encourages all citizens of the United

States, and all who come to Washington, District of Columbia,

to visit the Museum and avail themselves of the opportunities

presented within its walls to learn about the past and to contemplate the moral responsibilities of citizenship; and be it further

Resolved, That, in remembrance of those who perished in the

Holocaust; in tribute to the survivors who came to the United

States to build a new life, and who, with their families, have
H. J. Res. 156—2

contributed so much to the fabric of our diverse society; in recognition of heroic American soldiers who liberated prisoners of Nazi

camps; in recognition of the anonymous bravery of rescuers from

many lands who had the courage to care and placed their own

lives in peril to help others in need; and in hope that Americans

will learn from this museum the need to remain vigilant against

bigotry and oppression; we welcome the United States Holocaust

Memorial Museum to the center of our American heritage and

state now, in recognition of the Museum’s motto, that for the

dead and the living and those yet to be born, we do bear witness.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.