Tuesday, April 12, 2016 New York, NY . . . The Conference of Presidents today welcomed the introduction of legislation in the Senate that will remove legal hurdles to the recovery of art works looted by the Nazis.
Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations said, “We applaud the efforts of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) for introducing the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, which will facilitate the return of artwork stolen by the Nazis during the Holocaust to their rightful owners. This bipartisan legislation that was introduced on April 7, would ensure that claims in the United States to Nazi- confiscated art are resolved in a fair manner and are barred by procedural defenses. The need for this legislation is underscored by the continuing discovery of looted artworks. Just today, there were reports of looted paintings found to be held by shell corporations formed to protect the real owner’s identity. The Conference urges all members of the Senate to support this bill. It is imperative that we continue to work tirelessly to end the injustices of the Holocaust.
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