Dana Rohrabacher: “Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear about what is going on here. The American POWs from World War II, the survivors of the…”

“Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear about what is going on here. The American POWs from World War II, the survivors of the Bataan Death March were used as slave labor during the war, and after the war, they were told that they did not even have a right to sue these Japanese corporations that had used them as slave labor. Let us note that German corporations have paid reparations, even Japanese corporations in Japan have paid reparations, but our own people, our greatest heroes, have been denied that right. Whether or not this is symbolic or not, I think that is a matter for the lawyers to determine. But what we should do as legislators is bend over backwards to watch out for the interests of our great American heroes, the survivors of the Bataan Death March and not try to give the benefit to Japan or the Japanese corporations that use them as slave labor. A court will decide, and already we have an opinion, as I said, in one court that has decided that this is much more than symbolic. Now, how about the argument that because we are now at war, we should not do right by the heroes of World War II? I do not think so. I do not think that is the way that we send a good message to those people serving this country. I think it is just the opposite.”