Washington, D.C.--Congressman Eliot Engel issued the following statement in support of H.Res 905, which recognizes the 70th anniversary of Justice Louis Brandeis’ retirement from the Supreme Court. Justice Brandeis was the first Jewish Justice of the Supreme Court. The measure passed the full House this week by a vote of 423-1.

“As a leading liberal on the bench, Justice Brandeis was influential in countless court cases of the time and was a passionate voice in supporting freedom of speech and the right to privacy.

“He was also a pioneer in support of a Jewish state and sadly did not live to see the creation of the state of Israel. He was a visionary who could see how dangerous anti-Semitism in Europe was growing in the years leading up to World War I. Clearly, he was right to be concerned. Without his early leadership, we may not have had a state of Israel.

“I am proud to support this resolution to honor Justice Brandeis, something which is long-overdue and I am pleased to see so many of my colleagues from both sides of the political spectrum share my opinion. Justice Brandeis was a trailblazer in American government and his successes enabled people such as me to earn a prominent place in Congress. If not for people such as Justice Brandeis, simply put, I would not be here today.”