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[Pages S6325-S6326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING AMBASSADOR RICHARD SCHIFTER
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today I mourn the loss of a tremendous
champion for human rights and the State of Israel and one of my
personal heroes and mentors, Ambassador Richard Schifter. Ambassador
Schifter lived a truly remarkable life. After escaping Nazi-occupied
Austria in 1938, he bravely returned to Europe just a few short years
later as one of the U.S. Army's ``Ritchie Boys'', German-speaking
officers trained in counterintelligence at Camp Ritchie in Maryland.
While serving in Europe, he learned that all of his family had been
killed in the Holocaust. At just over 20 years old, Ambassador Schifter
had experienced more adversity than most of us see in a lifetime.
Nevertheless, he spent the next seven decades demonstrating incredible
faith and courage as he strived to make the world a better place.
Ambassador Schifter was successful in this mission. After he
graduated from Yale Law School, he went on to become an attorney,
advocating for the rights of Native American Tribes facing
discrimination at the hands of the U.S. Government. Under Presidents
Reagan and George H.W. Bush, he served as Assistant Secretary of State
for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, U.S. Representative to the
Geneva-based UN Human Rights Commission, and as Deputy U.S.
Representative to the UN Security Council. Under President Clinton, he
served as Special Assistant to the President on the staff of the
National Security Council and as Special Advisor to the Secretary of
State. As a diplomat and public servant, he fought against oppressive
regimes around the world. He pressured the Soviet Union to release
political prisoners, end the criminalization of dissent, and allow the
emigration of Soviet Jews. After leaving the U.S. Government,
Ambassador Schifter went on the lead the American Jewish International
Relations Institute, where he fiercely defended the State of Israel and
worked to ensure that other people would never suffer his family's fate
under the Nazis. Until his last day, Ambassador Schifter fought to
promote fairness and democracy and to protect the security and freedom
of others.
I would be remiss if I failed to commemorate Ambassador Schifter's
enormous impact on our home State of Maryland. Ambassador Schifter
served for 20 years on the Maryland State Board of Education, leading
both the Governor's Commission on Funding the Education of Handicapped
Children and the Governor's Commission on Values Education. He was also
the chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. In all
these roles, he worked to expand equality and opportunity for everyone
in our State. Even as his professional responsibilities spanned the
globe, Ambassador Schifter remained committed to building a brighter
future for his neighbors.
Ambassador Schifter's passing is a staggering loss, but his legacy
lives on and will serve as the true North Star for all of us who share
his devotion to human rights, democracy, and decency. His parent's
decision in 1938 to send their 15-year-old son to a new country, alone,
saved not just his life, but also countless others on whose behalf
Ambassador Schifter worked so indefatigably throughout his illustrious
career. I extend my deepest condolences Ambassador Schifter's children
and grandchildren and all those who were fortunate enough to call
Ambassador Schifter a friend.
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