John Hansen: “I rise in support of H.R. 4115, a bill to reauthorize the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum introduced by the…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 4115, a bill to reauthorize the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum introduced by the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon). Mr. Chairman, H.R. 4115 reauthorizes and establishes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as an independent entity of the Federal Government with the responsibility of maintaining and operating the museum. The gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) deserves credit for crafting this bill which helps a very important part of the Washington, D.C. museum complex and is an important part of history. On November 1, 1978, then President Jimmy Carter established the President's Commission on the Holocaust charged with the responsibility to submit a report to the President on the establishment and maintenance of an appropriate memorial to commemorate victims of the Holocaust. The final report called for a memorial and museum as a Federal institution serving the public, scholars and other institutions. In 1980, Congress passed a law which established the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council and, among other things, required them to plan, construct and operate a permanent living memorial museum to the victims of the Holocaust in cooperation with the Secretary of the Interior and other Federal agencies. In April of 1993 the Holocaust Memorial Museum opened and since then has become one of the most visited sites in Washington, D.C., hosting approximately 2 million visitors annually.”