Benjamin Gilman: “House Resolution 562 expresses the sense of the House regarding properties wrongfully expropriated by formerly Communist…”

“House Resolution 562 expresses the sense of the House regarding properties wrongfully expropriated by formerly Communist governments in Central and Eastern Europe. I want to thank our colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the distinguished chairman of our Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights, for his ongoing commitment to these issues and for his sponsorship of this bill. I also want to thank our ranking member, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hamilton) for his support of the measure. As many of our colleagues know, under Communist rule, individual and communal property was brutally confiscated without any compensation. Religious communities were also severely affected, as were hospitals, schools, and orphanages that they operated. While many post-Communist nations are trying to address these problems by enacting property restitution laws, much still remains to be done. Our Committee on International Relations recently conducted a hearing at which we heard about the successes and frustrations from Under Secretary of State Stewart Eisenstat. H.Res. 562 welcomes the efforts of countries in Central and Eastern Europe to address the question of expropriated properties but urges countries which have not already done so to return these properties to their rightful owners. The bill also urges countries to pay compensation when the actual return of property is not possible.”