BALTIMORE– U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and author of the bipartisan Genocide Prevention Act of 2016, issued the following statement in observance of Yom HaShoah 2016. This year observed from sundown May 4th through sundown May 5th, Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorates the millions of innocent lives lost during The Holocaust (Shoah) and remembers the individuals who risked their lives by resisting the Nazi’s Final Solution.
“Tonight, Jews around the world and millions of other individuals will simultaneously look back at history and toward the future as we commemorate Yom HaShoah. We must never forget the horrors of the Holocaust, the most catastrophic genocide the world has ever known, and constantly recommit ourselves to preventing similar atrocities from ever occurring again,” Senator Cardin said. “It is our collective and moral responsibility to keep alive the memories and the aspirations of the victims through education, advocacy and commemoration. As a Senator of the United States, a Jew, and an active member of the global community, this is a personal, solemn responsibility of mine.”
Thursday at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Senator Cardin will participate in the Days of Remembrance ceremony by lighting a memorial candle with Holocaust survivors.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Cardin recently negotiated the passage of a bill to fund the U.S. State Department for Fiscal Year 2016. Contained in that legislation is funding for the Atrocities Prevention Board (APB). President Obama created the APB in 2012 in order for the United States to have effective mechanisms and tools in place to better prevent and respond to potential atrocities.
On April 26th, 2016, Senator was presented with the Congressional Leadership Award by Refugees International for his commitment to humanitarian action, and he also spoke on the Senate floor to reflect on International Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month. Video of his remarks are available for download and streaming.
###