| Washington (special) --Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) has taken
the leadership in urging President George W. Bush to "appoint an envoy
on Holocaust issues" and requesting Secretary of State Colin Powell to
"maintain the Office of Holocaust Issues at the State Department."
Fifty two members of the House of Representatives signed the Feb. 12
letter to Bush requesting "your commitment to ensure a fair outcome
for
Holocaust survivors. The major Holocaust claims settlements recently
reached between the United States and Germany, Italy, France and Austria
remain incomplete. There are still many significant issues to be
addressed before the deadlines for survivors to present their claims
close
in the next months.
"We are concerned, for example, that the DM 10 billion German Foundation
established in June 2000 remains underfunded and undistributed. In
addition, German, Italian and Austrian insurance companies are being
given immunity from litigation in U.S. Courts even though most of them
have failed to comply with the basic claims approval standards of the
International Commission on Holocaust Insurance Claims or its
requirements to publish names on dormant accounts.
"Holocaust survivors have painfully waited decades for restitution and
these obstacles and delays only prolong the injustice against an aging
and
vulnerable population and their heirs," the letter continued. "It is
only
through the diplomatic pressure of our government and the leverage
of U.S.
Courts that we have come this close to achieving a dignified resolution.
We urge you to build upon the efforts taken thus far so that survivors
will
not be frustrated in their attempts to reclaim stolen insurance policies,
bank accounts, and property, and receive compensation for damages
suffered during World War II..."
Besides Waxman, there were 19 Jewish Democrats of Congress who signed
the letter: Gary L. Ackerman (N.Y), Howard Berman (Ca), Benjamin L.
Cardin (Md) , Susan A. Davis (Ca), Peter Deutsch (Fla), Eliot Engel
(NY), Bob Filner (Ca), Martin Frost (Tx) , Steve Israel (NY), Tom
Lantos (Ca), Nita M. Lowey (NY), Jane Harman (Ca), Jerold Nadler
(NY), Janice D. Schakowsky (Ill), Adam B. Schiff (Ca), Brad Sherman
(Ca), Norman Sisisky (Va), Anthony D. Weiner (NY) and Robert I.
Wexler (Fla) Additionally Independent-Socialist Bernard Sanders of
Vermont also signed. -- Donald
H. Harrison |
Washington
