Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, October 6, 1999

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 315 Cannon House Office Building Lutherville, Maryland 21093 Washington, D.C. 20515 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Jill Homan October 6, 1999 202/225-3061 CONGRESSMAN EHRLICH ANNOUNCES PASSAGE OF HOLOCAUST ASSETS COMMISSION EXTENSION ACT WASHINGTON, D.C.- Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. announced the U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission Extension Act of 1999, which he cosponsored, unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives late Monday night. This bill extends the life of the U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission and authorizes it to receive $2.5 million in additional funding. The atrocities of the Holocaust are well known - six million Jews murdered, along with many millions of others deemed “undesirable” by Adolf Hitler and his followers. What many Americans are unaware of is the largest organized theft in history which was carried out by the Nazis still remains largely unknown and unsolved. After about a half-century, the victims as well as the United States still lack a full accounting of the billions of dollars of assets the Nazis stole, plundered, and looted. For this reason, Congress passed legislation last year creating the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States. The Commission was tasked with two goals: to find out what happened to the assets of Holocaust victims that came into the possession of the U.S. government and to issue a report to the President recommending action necessary to resolve this issue by December 1999. The U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission Extension Act of 1999 will extend that date to December 2000 in order to give the Commission more time and funding needed to fully complete its task. Congressman Ehrlich stated, “I wholeheartedly support the critical work of the U.S. Holocaust Assets Commission. Further, I appreciate the time and energy of the folks involved to bring to light these thefts. In my view, although the Nazis stole material assets, they actually were trying to steal the human spirit. While no amount of retribution can bring justice to the victims of the Holocaust, this Commission’s work will demonstrate to the world America’s willingness to review its own past in order to bring closure to this terrible period in the world's history.” ###