Wexler Urges Obama to Send a High Level Delegation to Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conference in June
35 Members of Congress Join Wexler on Letter to President

(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter along with thirty-five congressional colleagues to President Barack Obama urging him to send a high level American delegation to participate in an upcoming Holocaust Era Assets Conference that will take place in the Czech Republic, Wexler was joined by the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Howard Berman (D-CA), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman of the US Helsinki Commission Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), and Ranking Member of the Europe Subcommittee Elton Gallegly (R-CA).

The letter emphasizes the importance of the conference, which will take place in Czech Republic’s capitol Prague from June 26 to June 30, 2009. The Prague Holocaust Era Assets Conference, which is taking place ten years after the 1998 Washington Holocaust Era Assets Conference, is an historic opportunity for the United States, Europe, non-governmental organizations, Holocaust survivors and the international community to address outstanding Holocaust related issues including financial assets, bank accounts, insurance policies, and other property taken by the Nazis during the Holocaust. In 1998, the United States delegation, which was led by former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, played an instrumental role at the Washington Conference along a high level Clinton Administration delegation that also included members of Congress.

“It is critical that the United States sends a high-level delegation to participate at the Prague Holocaust Era Assets conference in June.  I am convinced that strong American leadership at the Prague conference would send a strong message to our European partners that the US is committed to successfully addressing outstanding Holocaust issues, including the failure of some Central and Eastern European nations to pass property restitution legislation. This conference is also an opportunity to highlight and address the plight of many survivors who are unconscionably living in poverty and without the medical care and assistance they need.  The US has an obligation to continue to seek a measure of justice for Holocaust Survivors who are in the waning years of their lives and deserve our support.  

The full text of the letter, including the names of the 35 members of Congress who have signed on to Rep. Wexler’s letter, is available here.

Congressman Robert Wexler is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. Recently, Congressman Wexler served as an advisor on Middle East issues to President Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.

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