Recognizing Mr. Benjamin Zelenko

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Mr. Benjamin Zelenko, a distinguished constituent and exemplary citizen who helped shape the revival of our national commitment to equality through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mr. Zelenko has accomplished a lifetime of excellent service to this great Nation and this body, making vital contributions to our journey towards a more perfect union.

Mr. Zelenko served as a top aide to Representative Emanuel Celler, the legendary Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee during the apex of the Civil Rights Movement. Mr. Zelenko played a critical role in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and the Gun Control Act of 1968. Mr. Zelenko helped Representative Celler shepherd these bills through fraught Committee debates, floor debates and final passage.

Later in his career, Mr. Zelenko represented Japanese Americans in their fight for reparations and redress for their unlawful and outrageous internment by the U.S. Government during World War II. He argued their case in United States v. William Hohri, et al. before the U.S. Supreme Court. This case helped pave the way for the enactment of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 which awarded $20,000 in reparations and an official apology from the U.S. Government to tens of thousands of Japanese Americans.

Throughout his career in several of our Nation's leading law firms, Mr. Zelenko championed human rights, workers' rights, and intellectual property rights. Mr. Zelenko documented his experiences helping to pass monumental legislation for an oral history project conducted by this body's Office of the Historian for the public record. His encyclopedic recollection of the minutiae of the events of 1964 reminds us that landmark civil rights protections were not inevitable but rather were won through grueling and sustained efforts spanning decades of social struggle. A Princeton University and Harvard Law graduate, Mr. Zelenko contributed his great knowledge and gifts to the unending quest for a more perfect union. We are fortunate as a Nation that he chose to use his immense talents to serve the causes of social justice and equality.

Mr. Zelenko is a beloved husband, father and grandfather. He married Barbara (Saltz) Zelenko in 1961. In 1964, the Zelenkos moved to Maryland's beautiful Eighth District where they raised their 3 children, Brian, Laura and Carin. Ben and Barbara Zelenko still live in the same house they first occupied. This year, Mr. Zelenko celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by his loving children and 6 grandchildren, Leslie, Jennifer, Sasha, Katya, Lia and Kayla. Mr. Zelenko is known by his family for being a gracious and captivating host, performing magic shows at all 6 of his grandchildren's birthday parties and seizing any opportunity to tell a great story. I am proud to salute Mr. Zelenko for his lifetime of service and extraordinary character.

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