Meeks' Bill to Award the Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul Wallenberg Passes House Unanimously

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Act sponsored by Congressman Gregory W. Meeks and Congresswoman Nan Hayworth of New York. If the Senate consents, this bill will bestow the Congressional Gold Medal on a hero who is credited with saving thousands of lives during the Nazi occupation of Hungary in World War II.

Raoul Wallenberg is one of the truly inspiring figures of the 20th Century. Many prominent Americans owe their lives to Wallenberg’s heroic actions, including the late Congressman Tom Lantos and his wife Annette.

Following the House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 3001, Congressman Meeks stated:
“Through passage of this legislation, Congress can honor a true humanitarian for the sake of his family and the thousands of survivors who owe their lives to him. I am proud to be a part of the international commemoration of this great human being.”
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish special envoy to Budapest on a diplomatic mission established in collaboration with the American War Refugee Board and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee to initiate a rescue operation for Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary. Over 150,000 Hungarian Jews had already been deported to Nazi death camps by the time Wallenberg arrived in Budapest.

Through issuance of fake Swedish “protective passes” and sheltering in official Swedish diplomatic houses, Wallenberg unrelentingly sought to save Jews from the Germans and their accomplices, risking his own life numerous times in the process.
During the Soviet siege of Budapest, Wallenberg was detained by Soviet authorities on suspicion of espionage and was never heard from again.

Congressman Meeks:
“Wallenberg’s ultimate fate is unknown and awarding the Congressional Gold Medal during the Centennial celebration of his birth is the best opportunity to resolve the mystery surrounding Raoul Wallenberg’s ultimate fate. I call on the Russian authorities to help us figure out the true circumstances of his disappearance and his death.”
“I would like to thank the over 300 colleagues who have cosponsored this bill, and especially my colleague from New York, Congresswoman Nan Hayworth, who has been a delight to work with on this issue. I also want to thank the Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Celebration Commission headed by Ezra Friedlander, the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Lantos Foundation, the University of Michigan, and the Hungarian and Swedish Ambassadors for all of their hard work on this legislation.” [End]