SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Berlin was Germany’s capital from 1871
through the end of World War II. At the end of the
war, the city was divided into 4 sectors: American,
British, French, and Soviet. Eventually, the Soviet
sector became communist East Berlin and the other
sectors combined to form West Berlin.
(2) The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by the
East German authorities to prevent East Germans
from fleeing to the West. The Wall encircled all of
West Berlin, leaving West Berlin as an isolated out-
post of the democratic Federal Republic surrounded
by communist East Germany. The Wall became a
symbol of the cold war and more than 100 East
Germans were killed trying to escape.
(3) On October 3, 1990, the German Demo-
cratic Republic officially acceded to the Federal Re-
public of Germany in accordance with Article 23 of
the Basic Law. Thus, German unification was
achieved after 40 years of division following the Sec-
ond World War.
(4) On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell
and Berliners were once again able to move through-
out the city. On October 3, 1990, Berlin once more
became the capital of a unified Germany and on
June 20, 1991, the German Bundestag voted to re-
turn the seat of government and the parliament to
Berlin.
(5) The first constitutional body to relocate to
Berlin was the Federal President in 1994. The Bun-
destag and Chancellery intend to more to Berlin in
1999.
(6) Shortly after unification, the United States
Embassy to East Germany and the United States
Mission in West Berlin merged to form the Berlin
Office of the United States Embassy in Bonn.
(7) After the German decision in June 1991 to
return the capital to its historic site in Berlin, then
United States Ambassador Kimmitt announced
plans in 1992 to rebuild an embassy in Berlin on the
United States site at Pariser Platz.
(8) The State Department maintains that rees-
tablishing the United States Embassy in the center
of Berlin will send a signal of American commitment
and influence not only to Germany but to all of Eu-
rope.
(9) On May 14, 1948, in the aftermath of
World War II, the state of Israel was created to
serve as a homeland and refuge for the Jewish peo-
ple.
(10) For 3,000 years Jerusalem has been Juda-
ism’s holiest city and a focal point of religious Jew-
ish devotion and is also considered a holy city by
members of other religious faiths.
(11) There has been an uninterrupted Jewish
presence in the city of Jerusalem for 3,000 years
and a Jewish majority since 1840. Since 1950, the
city of Jerusalem has been the capital of the State
of Israel, serving as the seat of the Israeli President,
Parliament, and Supreme Court, and the site of nu-
merous government ministries and social and cul-
tural institutions.
(12) From 1948 through 1967, Jerusalem was
a divided city and Israeli citizens of all faiths were
not entitled to visit the holy sites and Jews from
other nations were restricted in their access to holy
sites in the area controlled by Jordan.
(13) In 1967, the city of Jerusalem was re-
united during the conflict known as the Six Day
War and since 1967, Jerusalem has been a unified
city administered by Israel, and persons of all faiths
have been guaranteed full access to holy sites within
the city.
(14) In 1990, Congress unanimously adopted
Senate Concurrent Resolution 106, which declares
that Congress ‘‘strongly believes that Jerusalem
must remain an undivided city in which the rights
of every ethnic religious group are protected.’’.
(15) In 1995, Congress overwhelmingly ap-
proved the Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Act (Pub-
lic Law 104–45) which requires the establishment of
the United States Embassy in Jerusalem no later
than May 31, 1999.
(16) The United States maintains its embassy
in the functioning capital of every country except in
the case of our democratic friend and ally, the State
of Israel.
(17) The United States conducts official meet-
ings and other business in the city of Jerusalem in
de facto recognition of its status as the capital of
Israel.
(18) Israel and the modern democratic Ger-
many were born out of the ashes of World War II
and have emerged as staunch allies of the United
States. Both nations are vitally important as part-
ners in United States economic, security, and cul-
tural exchanges.
(19) Berlin and Jerusalem are cities with rich
histories, emblematic of the great nations which they
represent. Both cities have been divided by war and
ideological differences; today, both cities have been
reunited and proudly serve as their nation’s capital.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF THE POLICY.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States
should proceed simultaneously with the design, construc-
tion, and occupancy of an embassy in Berlin, the capital
of Germany, and in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.
SEC. 4. EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds
available to the Department of State for fiscal years 1999
and 2000 under the appropriations account entitled, ‘‘SE-
CURITY AND MAINTENANCE OF UNITED STATES
MISSIONS’’ may not be obligated or expended for any
purpose relating to the construction of chancery facilities
in Berlin, Germany, unless construction of chancery facili-
ties in Jerusalem, Israel, has either commenced or com-
mences simultaneously in a manner as to ensure com-
parable rates of construction and completion of the 2 fa-
cilities and that no chancery facilities in Berlin, Germany,
shall be occupied or used (and no funds shall be used to
occupy employ, or carry out activities in chancery facilities
in Berlin, Germany) unless prior to or simultaneous with
such occupancy and use, the United States shall have
opened permanent or temporary chancery facilities in Je-
rusalem, Israel.
SEC. 5. DEFINITION.
As used in this Act, the term ‘‘chancery facilities’’
means the principal offices of the United States embassy
and diplomatic mission.
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