Senator Tammy Baldwin's office issued the following yesterday:
U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s JUST Act Wins Foreign Relations Committee Approval
The bipartisan Justice for Uncompensated
Survivors Today (JUST) Act will assist in the return of or restitution
for assets stolen in the Holocaust.
Jewish community leaders and organizations continue to offer strong support for the bill's commitment to justice.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Marco Rubio (R-FL)
are praising the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for passing the
Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act (S.
447). This bipartisan legislation will improve efforts assisting
Holocaust survivors and the families of Holocaust victims by requiring
the State Department to report on the progress of certain European
countries on the return of—or restitution for—wrongfully confiscated or
transferred Holocaust-era assets.
“I applaud the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today for
supporting this bipartisan effort to ensure justice is done, at long
last, for Holocaust survivors and the families of Holocaust victims,”
said Senator Baldwin.
“These individuals have waited far too long to recover, or receive
compensation for, what is rightfully theirs, and by highlighting this
issue as an American foreign policy priority, we will spur action in
countries that are falling short of their obligations. I look forward to
seeing this bipartisan legislation passed by the Senate as soon as
possible, and ultimately signed in to law.”
“The Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s passage of the
JUST Act is one more step toward ensuring justice for Holocaust survivors and the families of Holocaust victims,”
said Senator Rubio.
“By enhancing ongoing efforts between the State Department and European
countries, this bill will help facilitate long deserved restitution to
survivors and their families whose property was stolen during the
Holocaust. I applaud today’s measure, and I look forward to the JUST
Act’s final passage before the Senate.”
The
JUST Act will build on the international Terezin
Declaration on Holocaust Era Assets and Related Issues of 2009, which
affirms that the protection of property rights is an essential component
of a democratic society based on the rule of law and recognizes the
importance of restituting or compensating Holocaust-related
confiscations made during the Holocaust-era between 1933-45.
Unfortunately, many nations that endorsed this declaration, including
many NATO allies, have not fully addressed the restitution of Jewish
communal, private and heirless property.
The
JUST Act permanently amends current law to require the
State Department to report on certain countries’ compliance with and
progress toward the goals of the 2009 Terezin Declaration on Holocaust
Era Assets, as well as on what actions those countries are taking to
resolve the claims of U.S. citizens. This will enhance on-going U.S.
efforts to urge Central and Eastern European countries to achieve
progress on this issue and will help build on America’s commitment to
ensuring justice for Holocaust victims and their families.
The public record created by the JUST Act will serve as a powerful
tool for the U.S. State Department and the World Jewish Restitution
Organization (WJRO)—the global umbrella body that advocates on behalf of
the Jewish community for the restitution of property confiscated during
the Holocaust and its aftermath—to encourage Terezin countries to
complete the restitution process. Senators Baldwin and Rubio call on
those countries to work with the State Department and WJRO to fulfill
their property restitution obligations.
“The
JUST Act will encourage countries across Europe to meet
their responsibilities to Holocaust survivors and their families who
have waited too long for justice. We thank Senators Baldwin and Rubio
for their tireless advocacy on behalf of Holocaust survivors and their
families,” said
Gideon Taylor, the World Jewish Restitution Organization’s Chair of Operations.
“Addressing the claims of Holocaust survivors is a pressing issue.
Despite international declarations on the need to resolve claims
relating to Nazi-expropriated property, most formerly Jewish-owned
properties confiscated by the Nazis and their collaborators have not
been returned, nor has compensation been provided to the rightful owners
or their heirs. Justice for those who endured unprecedented hardships
during the Holocaust is a moral necessity—ensuring that victims are
given what is rightfully theirs should be a U.S. foreign policy
priority. S.447, the
Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act of 2017, will help ensure the return of, or proper restitution for, assets stolen from Jews during the Holocaust,” said
Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs, AJC.
“The Jewish Federations of North America applaud Senators Baldwin and Rubio for their leadership on The
Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act (S.
447), which will generate a more robust public record of restitution
efforts by European governments. While many countries have made progress
in addressing property restitution, others have not and time is running
out. We are also grateful to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for
their consideration of this important issue.
With Congress and the
State Department working together, we will shine a spotlight on those
countries that still need to stand by their promises to the victims of
the Holocaust. Holocaust survivors and their families deserve no less,”
said
William Daroff, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and
Director of the Washington Office of the Jewish Federations of North
America (JNFA).
The
JUST Act has received strong support from organizations
across the country including World Jewish Restitution Organization
(WJRO), American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), J
Street, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), B’nai B’rith
International, HIAS refugee assistance organization, National Coalition
Supporting Eurasian Jewry, the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and the
Jewish Home and Care Center Foundation in Milwaukee.
In addition to Senators Baldwin and Rubio, the
JUST Act is
cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Christopher A. Coons
(D-DE), Tim Scott (R-SC), Todd C. Young (R-IN), Robert Menendez (D-NJ),
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), Ron Johnson (R-WI),
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), John McCain (R-AZ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA),
John Thune (R-SD), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY),
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Cory Booker
(D-NJ), Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Ben Cardin (D-MD).
A companion bill was introduced in the House in February by U.S.
Representatives Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ).
