Steve Cohen: “Last week, a lady died, named Miep Gies, a Dutch lady. She died at age 100. The reason her death is worth noting is that…”

“Last week, a lady died, named Miep Gies, a Dutch lady. She died at age 100. The reason her death is worth noting is that she was a Dutch Catholic who, with her husband, hid the Frank family--Anne Frank, Otto Frank, that family--and another Jewish family for 25 months in Amsterdam when the Nazi regime came and was taking Jewish people from Amsterdam and throughout Europe to concentration camps. For 25 months, their family protected the Franks. They were then betrayed, the Frank family, and sent to concentration camps where all died but Otto Frank. Ms. Gies found the diary of Anne Frank. She preserved it and gave it to Otto Frank when he was released from his concentration camp--the only surviving Frank. It was published, the story of a young girl and her hopes during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam and the persecution of Jews. There are people today who do not believe that the Anne Frank diary was real. It was indeed real. This lady saved it. She saved history and taught us what people can do, just ordinary citizens, in acts of heroism to protect others in the face of injustice. I am pleased to recognize her in the United States Congress. We are lucky she came this way. She had a significant impact on the world.”