WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Katie Britt (R-AL) released the following statements after the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, which would aid in the recovery of Nazi-looted art and deliver justice for Holocaust survivors and their families, passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously:

“This legislation clarifies and strengthens procedural protections for Holocaust survivors and their heirs by ensuring Nazi looted art claims will be considered on the merits,” said Sen. Cornyn. “With the rising tide of antisemitism around the world, this bill sends a message that Holocaust survivors and their heirs will not be forgotten, and that justice does not have a time limit.”

“The theft of art by the Nazi regime was more than a pilfering of property—it was an act of inhumanity,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “Our bipartisan effort seeks to strengthen measures to bring long overdue justice to families whose cherished art was brazenly stolen by the Nazis.”

“This legislation helps to right a historic wrong committed during one of the darkest chapters in history,” said Sen. Tillis. “By eliminating unnecessary legal obstacles, the HEAR Act establishes a clear path to restitution for Holocaust survivors and their families, ensuring that art and cultural property stolen by the Nazis can finally be returned to their rightful owners.”

“Despite decades’ long efforts by the United States and allies to return Nazi-looted art to Holocaust victims and their heirs, over 100,000 works of art have yet to be recovered and returned to their rightful owners,” said Sen. Booker. “I’m pleased that the Senate Judiciary Committee has passed this important bill that updates federal law to ensure that survivors and their heirs finally regain possession of their stolen art.”

“Hundreds of thousands of pieces of artwork were taken from the Jewish people during the Holocaust, and survivors in the United States should not be unfairly barred from claiming artwork that is theirs,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act would ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs have a fair opportunity to recover artwork stolen from them by resolving claims based on merits.”

“There is no denying the pure evil of the Holocaust and the lasting trauma endured by millions of survivors. We have a moral responsibility to do right by the victims of these atrocities, including working together to restore personal and meaningful possessions,” said Sen. Fetterman. “I’m proud to join my colleagues from both sides of the aisle in introducing the HEAR Act. Updating the federal law is a commonsense move so survivors and their heirs have an opportunity to recover artwork stolen by the Nazis.”

“The theft of artwork by the Nazi regime is yet another atrocity in the long list of injustices committed against victims of the Holocaust and their families,” said Sen. Schmitt. “This legislation seeks to right that historic wrong by facilitating the return of stolen art to its rightful owners by extending an already existing law.”

“The HEAR Act of 2025 empowers Holocaust survivors and their families to continue to be heard in court and to reclaim their part of history,” said Sen. Britt. “I’m proud to see our bipartisan bill advance out of committee as we continue to work to honor and dignify the families of individuals whose property was stolen or sold by the Nazi regime over 80 years ago.”

U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Dave McCormick (R-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are also cosponsors of this legislation.

Background:

Nazi Germany’s campaign of annihilation and genocide against the Jewish people in the Holocaust included massive theft of property, including hundreds of thousands of works of art. Despite post-war efforts by the United States and allies to return Nazi-looted art and renewed efforts since the late 1990s, more than 100,000 works of art have not been returned to their rightful owners.

In 2016, Congress unanimously passed the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, spearheaded in the Senate by Senator Cornyn, to ensure Holocaust survivors and their heirs could access U.S. courts to pursue claims for the recovery of Nazi-looted art, allowing cases to be decided on their factual merits rather than dismissed on time-based technical defenses. Congress found that the circumstances of the Holocaust imposed extraordinary obstacles to survivors and heirs to locate and recover stolen art, necessitating a national six-year statute of limitations that only begins when the owner actually discovers the location of the stolen artwork.

Unfortunately, many museums, governments, and institutions have contradicted Congress’ intent and obstructed justice by stonewalling legitimate claims, obscuring provenance, and employing aggressive legal tactics designed to exhaust and outlast survivors and their families. Rather than embracing transparency and reconciliation, too many have chosen to entrench and litigate, effectively preserving possession of stolen works rather than returning them to their rightful owners. Moreover, some court cases have interpreted the law narrowly, leaving survivors without recourse.

The original HEAR Act includes a sunset provision and is set to expire December 31, 2026. This legislation would amend and reauthorize the original law to ensure victims of the Holocaust are not denied justice by legal loopholes, institutional intransigence, or the mere passage of time. As another insidious wave of antisemitism hits society, this legislation would reaffirm our commitment to the Jewish people and Holocaust survivors by sending a clear message that the United States will not allow looting to be legitimized, justice to be denied, or Holocaust profiteering to be tolerated.

The HEAR Act would:

• Eliminate the sunset date, recognizing that the challenges of restitution remain urgent and unresolved;
• Clarify and strengthen procedural protections to ensure that claims are considered on their merits and not dismissed due to time-based technical defenses or other non-merits discretionary defenses;
• And fortify victims’ remedies and access to the courts.

The legislation is endorsed by Art Ashes, Agudath Israel of America, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Bet Tzedek, House of Justice, Christians United for Israel (CUFI Action Fund), Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Women International (JWI), Justice for Atrocities Clinic, LMU Loyola Law School, Simon Wiesenthal Center, StandWithUs, The 1939 Society, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, and World Jewish Congress.