104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1281
AN ACT
To express the sense of the Congress that it is the
policy of the Congress that United States Gov-
ernment agencies in possession of records about
individuals who are alleged to have committed
Nazi war crimes should make these records pub-
lic.
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104TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 1281
AN ACT
To express the sense of the Congress that United States
Government agencies in possession of records about indi-
viduals who are alleged to have committed Nazi war
crimes should make these records public.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) during the 104th Congress, Americans com-
memorated the 50th anniversary of the conclusion of
the Second World War and the end of the Holo-
caust, one of the worst tragedies in history;
(2) it is important to learn all that we can
about this terrible era so that we can prevent such
a catastrophe from ever happening again;
(3) the cold war is over;
(4) numerous nations, including those of the
former Soviet Union, are making public their files on
Nazi war criminals as well as crimes committed by
agencies of their own governments;
(5) on April 17, 1995, President Clinton signed
Executive Order 12958, which will make available
certain previously classified national security docu-
ments that are at least 25 years old;
(6) that Executive Order stated: ‘‘Our demo-
cratic principles require that the American people be
informed of the activities of their Government.’’;
(7) this year marks the 30th anniversary of the
passage of the Freedom of Information Act;
(8) agencies of the United States Government
possess information on individuals who ordered, in-
cited, assisted, or otherwise participated in Nazi war
crimes;
(9) some agencies have routinely denied Free-
dom of Information Act requests for information
about individuals who committed Nazi war crimes;
(10) United States Government agencies may
have been in possession of material about the war
crimes facilitated by Kurt Waldheim but did not
make this information public;
(11) it is legitimate not to disclose certain ma-
terial in Government files if the disclosure would se-
riously and demonstrably harm current or future na-
tional defense, intelligence, or foreign relations ac-
tivities of the United States and if protection of
these matters from disclosure outweighs the public
interest of disclosure;
(12) the disclosure of most Nazi war crimes in-
formation should not harm United States national
interests; and
(13) the Office of Special Investigations of the
Department of Justice is engaged in vital work in-
vestigating and expelling Nazi war criminals from
the United States, accordingly, the records created
by these investigations and other actions should not
be disclosed, and the investigations and other actions
should not be interfered with.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that United States
Government agencies in possession of records about indi-
viduals who are alleged to have committed Nazi war
crimes should make these records public.
Passed the House of Representatives September 24,
1996.
Attest:
Clerk.