On the recordApril 16, 2012
I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3001, the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act, introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks). This legislation, cosponsored by 301 of our colleagues, including myself, seeks to authorize the striking and awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal honoring Raoul Wallenberg in recognition of his heroism in saving tens of thousands of lives in Nazi-occupied Budapest during World War II. Mr. Wallenberg truly personified the definition of a humanitarian, a hero, and a defender of individuals facing persecution and near-certain death at the hands of a truly inhumane Nazi regime. Born into an affluent Swedish family of diplomats and bankers, Raoul Wallenberg developed a keen interest in foreign cultures and languages at an early age. He became fluent in English, French, German, and Russian, and after graduating from high school attended the University of Michigan to study architecture. In 1936, a year after graduation, he accepted a job at the Central European Trading Company, an export- import company with operations in Stockholm and Eastern Europe. He quickly became joint owner and international director of the firm, and traveled throughout Europe to assist his boss, a Hungarian Jew. During this period, Mr. Wallenberg immersed himself in the Hungarian language and culture and witnessed the Nazis' increasing stranglehold on Europe.…
