Congressional Jewish Caucus urges Rubio to preserve Holocaust office

Members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, led by Representatives Jerrold Nadler and Brad Schneider, have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to maintain the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues as a separate, permanent entity within the State Department.

The lawmakers expressed opposition to proposals that would merge the Holocaust office with the office focused on combating antisemitism. They argued that the two offices have distinct missions and that combining them would risk diminishing the specialized expertise and institutional capacity required for each. The Holocaust office, established in 1999, is specifically tasked with advocating for survivors, pursuing restitution and compensation, recovering Nazi-looted property, and preserving Holocaust memory.

Additionally, the caucus requested that Rubio quickly appoint a senior career diplomat to fill the current vacancy for the special envoy position. They emphasized that a dedicated official with specialized experience is necessary to manage complex restitution matters and maintain long-standing international relationships, noting that the urgency of this work increases as the number of living Holocaust survivors declines.