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 Amer-
ican 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, reli-
gion, 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 con-
template 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 recogni-
tion 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.