Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet commends the passage of a bill by the U.S. Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Raoul Wallenberg in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during the Holocaust. Bennet is a cosponsor of the bill, called it up for passage in the Senate late last evening. It passed by unanimous consent.
“As the son of an immigrant family with Jewish heritage that escaped the Holocaust, it was especially meaningful and powerful to call up this bill and see it passed,” Bennet said. “Raoul Wallenberg is a deserving recipient of this honor. During World War II, he saved thousands of lives and left a legacy that continues to serve as a shining example of bravery and humanitarian service.”
Wallenberg is credited with saving tens of thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. He served as Sweden’s special envoy in Budapest, Hungary, where he issued protective passports and provided refuge for Jews in buildings under Swedish control. Wallenberg was detained by Soviet officials at the end of World War II and was later reported to have passed away in 1947.
Bennet’s mother immigrated to the United States in 1950. Her parents were Polish Jews who lived in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.