[JPRT, 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



 
                               Tom Lantos

                       LATE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM

                               CALIFORNIA



                           MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

                           AND OTHER TRIBUTES

                            Hon. Tom Lantos





                               1928-2008

                            hon. tom lantos


                               1928-2008


             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED]


Tom Lantos

                               Memorial Addresses and

                                   Other Tributes

                        HELD IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                     AND SENATE

                                OF THE UNITED STATES

                          TOGETHER WITH A MEMORIAL SERVICE

                                     IN HONOR OF

                                     TOM LANTOS

                 Late a Representative from California

                       One Hundred Tenth Congress

                             Second Session

                        Compiled under the direction

                                     of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing

                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Proceedings in the House of Representatives:
                Tributes by Representatives:
                    Baca, Joe, of California.......................
                                                                     40
                    Baird, Brian, of Washington....................
                                                                     46
                    Berman, Howard L., of California...............
                                                                 32, 58
                    Biggert, Judy, of Illinois.....................
                                                                     17
                    Blumenauer, Earl, of Oregon....................
                                                                     62
                    Blunt, Roy, of Missouri........................
                                                                     52
                    Bonner, Jo, of Alabama.........................
                                                                     56
                    Capps, Lois, of California.....................
                                                                     20
                    Cardoza, Dennis A., of California..............
                                                                     39
                    Carnahan, Russ, of Missouri....................
                                                                 30, 60
                    Carson, Andre, of Indiana......................
                                                                     63
                    Christensen, Donna M., of Virgin Islands.......
                                                                     58
                    Cohen, Steve, of Tennessee.....................
                                                                 30, 51
                    Crowley, Joseph, of New York...................
                                                                     60
                    Davis, Susan A., of California.................
                                                                     33
                    DeGette, Diana, of Colorado....................
                                                                     44
                    Diaz-Balart, Lincoln, of Florida...............
                                                                 52, 58
                    Dreier, David, of California...................
                                                                  8, 65
                    Engel, Eliot L., of New York...................
                                                                 55, 59
                    Eshoo, Anna G., of California..................
                                                                 16, 45
                    Faleomavaega, Eni F.H., of American Samoa......
                                                                     31
                    Fortenberry, Jeff, of Nebraska.................
                                                                     62
                    Green, Al, of Texas............................
                                                                     35
                    Harman, Jane, of California....................
                                                                     39
                    Hastings, Alcee L., of Florida.................
                                                                     56
                    Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
                                                                     40
                    Hodes, Paul W., of New Hampshire...............
                                                                     26
                    Holt, Rush D., of New Jersey...................
                                                                     42
                    Honda, Michael M., of California...............
                                                                     37
                    Hoyer, Steny H., of Maryland...................
                                                                 10, 52
                    Hunter, Duncan, of California..................
                                                                     18
                    Jackson-Lee, Sheila, of Texas 
                     ...............................................

                                                             27, 28, 61
                    Klein, Ron, of Florida.........................
                                                                     43
                    LaHood, Ray, of Illinois.......................
                                                                     38
                    Lee, Barbara, of California....................
                                                                 21, 60
                    Lewis, John, of Georgia........................
                                                                     18
                    Lowey, Nita M., of New York....................
                                                                     63
                    Lungren, Daniel E., of California..............
                                                                     51
                    Maloney, Carolyn B., of New York...............
                                                                     34
                    McCollum, Betty, of Minnesota..................
                                                                 37, 62
                    McCotter, Thaddeus G., of Michigan.............
                                                                     63
                    McGovern, James P., of Massachusetts...........
                                                                 53, 58
                    Meek, Kendrick B., of Florida..................
                                                                      3
                    Nadler, Jerrold, of New York...................
                                                                 13, 57
                    Payne, Donald M., of New Jersey................
                                                                     59
                    Pelosi, Nancy, of California 
                     ...............................................
                     .....
                                                              4, 61, 63
                    Rahall, Nick J., II, of West Virginia..........
                                                                     47
                    Rangel, Charles B., of New York................
                                                                     42
                    Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana, of Florida...............
                                                                 12, 59
                    Sanchez, Linda T., of California...............
                                                                     36
                    Schakowsky, Janice D., of Illinois.............
                                                                     49
                    Shays, Christopher, of Connecticut.............
                                                                     22
                    Sherman, Brad, of California...................
                                                                     20
                    Shuler, Heath, of North Carolina...............
                                                                     48
                    Sires, Albio, of New Jersey....................
                                                                     61
                    Slaughter, Louise McIntosh, of New York........
                                                                     19
                    Smith, Christopher H., of New Jersey...........
                                                                 14, 59
                    Speier, Jackie, of California..................
                                                                     65
                    Stark, Fortney Pete, of California.............
                                                                   3, 7
                    Tauscher, Ellen O., of California..............
                                                                 36, 62
                    Thompson, Mike, of California..................
                                                                     55
                    Van Hollen, Chris, of Maryland.................
                                                                     62
                    Wasserman Schultz, Debbie, of Florida..........
                                                                     25
                    Watson, Diane E., of California................
                                                                     24
                    Waxman, Henry A., of California................
                                                                     49
                    Weller, Jerry, of Illinois.....................
                                                                     60
                    Wilson, Joe, of South Carolina.................
                                                                  3, 41
                    Wolf, Frank R., of Virginia....................
                                                                     44
                    Woolsey, Lynn C., of California................
                                                                     47
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
                                                                     77
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                     76
                    Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
                                                                     74
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     71
                    Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
                                                                     74
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                     70
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                     67
             Memorial Service......................................
                                                                     79
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Congressman Tom Lantos was the only Holocaust survivor 
             ever to serve in the U.S. Congress. An American by choice, 
             he was born in Budapest, Hungary, on February 1, 1928. His 
             family were teachers--one uncle was a professor at the 
             University of Budapest and his grandmother was principal 
             of a Gymnazium (high school).
                Tom vividly remembered the first newspaper he ever 
             bought, which was when he was only 10 years old. On March 
             13, 1938, while walking home from school, he was struck by 
             the headline: ``Hitler Marches into Austria!'' He recalled 
             that occasion, ``I sensed that this historic moment would 
             have a tremendous impact on the lives of Hungarian Jews, 
             my family, and myself.''
               Tom was only 16 when Nazi Germany occupied Hungary in 
             March 1944. With the German troops came Adolf Eichmann 
             with orders to exterminate the Jewish population of 
             Hungary. By the end of the summer most of the Jews outside 
             of Budapest had been sent to Auschwitz, and round-up and 
             the extermination of those in the capital city began in 
             earnest.
               In Budapest, many Jewish young men were sent to forced 
             labor camps. Tom was sent to Szob, a small village about 
             40 miles north of Budapest, where his labor battalion was 
             responsible for maintaining a key bridge on the Budapest-
             Vienna rail line. He would often recall with mixed 
             feelings watching American bombers destroy the bridge--
             knowing that this was helping to end the Nazi war machine, 
             but at the same time knowing that he and his fellow 
             inmates would be forced to rebuild the bridge.
               On one occasion he managed to escape from the work camp, 
             but he was caught and severely beaten. Conditions were so 
             dire that he doubted that he would survive. Feeling he had 
             nothing to lose, Tom attempted another escape, and this 
             time succeeded in returning to Budapest. He sought refuge 
             with an aunt, who lived in a Wallenberg safehouse--one of 
             the apartment buildings Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg 
             had rented and nominally placed under Swedish diplomatic 
             protection.
               Because of his ``Aryan'' coloring (blond hair and blue 
             eyes), Tom was able to move around Budapest in a military 
             cadet's uniform, delivering a loaf of bread or a bottle of 
             medicine that could mean the difference between life and 
             death for others in various safehouses. He knew that he 
             was in constant danger of being exposed as a Jew. ``But,'' 
             he stated, ``I figured I probably would not survive, so I 
             might as well be of some use.''
               Although Tom never had a personal meeting with 
             Wallenberg, the Swedish businessman-turned-diplomat, the 
             official was an inspiration to him--an example of what 
             human conduct ought to be in such horrible times. After 
             becoming a Congressman, the first legislation Tom Lantos 
             introduced was to make Wallenberg an honorary citizen of 
             the United States, and he was in the forefront of efforts 
             to determine his fate in the Soviet Union. This 
             legislation became law, which made Wallenberg the second-
             ever honorary citizen, the first being Winston Churchill.
                For a month in December 1944 and January 1945 the 
             Russians and Germans fought from house to house for 
             control of Budapest. Bombs and artillery shells from both 
             sides constantly pounded the city. Early one morning at 3 
             a.m., Tom was liberated when a Soviet soldier burst into 
             the safehouse. In mid-January, the German army withdrew 
             and the Soviet Army occupied Budapest. Tom searched in 
             vain for his mother and other members of his family, but 
             he gradually came to the realization that they had 
             perished.
               Tom managed sporadic contacts with members of his family 
             and his childhood friend Annette Tillemann, who had gone 
             into hiding with her mother shortly after the German 
             occupation. Tom attempted to find out what happened to 
             Annette. The last known address he had for her was the 
             home of family friends in Switzerland. Unbeknownst to Tom, 
             Annette and her mother had managed to escape to 
             Switzerland as the Russian army reached Budapest. Although 
             the Hungarian postal system was not functioning, Tom 
             managed to send a letter to Annette's friends in 
             Switzerland with a friend who was leaving Hungary. When 
             Annette received the letter, she stared at the envelope 
             for a long time before opening it--she knew it meant that 
             Tom had survived.
               Annette had no way of responding to Tom's letter. She 
             simply waited for another letter, but nothing arrived 
             during the summer or fall of 1945. That winter, Annette 
             could wait no longer. Clutching a parcel of food for her 
             trip, she boarded an old bus for an exhausting 10-day 
             journey back to Budapest. She made her way to her 
             grandparents' home and was devastated to learn that her 
             father, grandparents, and all but one relative who 
             remained in Budapest had been killed. Annette was able to 
             get word to Tom that she was at her grandparents' home in 
             Budapest, and they were reunited again after well over a 
             year's separation.
               Tom began studies at the University of Budapest in fall 
             1946. In summer 1947 he was awarded a Hillel Foundation 
             scholarship to study in the United States. He arrived in 
             New York City in August 1947 with no money and only a 
             prized Hungarian salami which was promptly confiscated by 
             U.S. Customs officials.
               Tom Lantos earned his B.A. in 1949 and M.A. in 1950 in 
             economics from the University of Washington in Seattle. In 
             June 1950, he and Annette Tillemann were married in Los 
             Angeles, CA. In fall 1950, Tom and Annette moved to the 
             San Francisco Bay Area, and he began graduate study at the 
             University of California, Berkeley. He received a Ph.D. in 
             economics 3 years later.
               Prior to his service in Congress (1950-1980), Tom Lantos 
             was a professor of economics at San Francisco State 
             University. In addition to his academic activities, he was 
             an international affairs analyst for public television and 
             a consultant to a number of Bay Area businesses. He also 
             served in senior advisory roles to Members of the U.S. 
             Senate and was active in a number of Democratic campaigns.
               As a former professor and chairman of the Millbrae Board 
             of Education, Tom was a consistent supporter of public 
             education.
               Tom Lantos was elected in 1980, narrowly defeating 
             incumbent William ``Bill'' Royer. His election restored 
             the historically Democratic district which had been lost 
             in the 1978 special election after the death of 
             Congressman Leo Ryan.
               As a Member of the House of Representatives, Tom Lantos 
             worked diligently to address quality of life issues in Bay 
             Area communities. He had a strong record on environment 
             protection and fought for reform of our Nation's energy 
             policy.
               As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and 
             Government Reform, Tom led a major investigation of waste, 
             fraud, abuse, and mismanagement at the Department of 
             Housing and Urban Development, and he was a leader in 
             congressional oversight over Federal Government programs.
               Tom was the second most senior Democrat on the Committee 
             on Oversight and Government Reform, which has jurisdiction 
             over the management, efficiency, and operation of Federal 
             Government agencies.
               Tom Lantos was a leading advocate of legislation to help 
             our Nation's working people. He consistently supported 
             legislation to increase the minimum wage and to protect 
             working men and women.
               Legislation he introduced includes the Young American 
             Workers' Bill of Rights to protect young people who work, 
             to prohibit forced overtime hours for licensed health care 
             employees, and to provide pension provisions for air 
             traffic controllers on the same basis as pensions for 
             Federal law enforcement officers and firefighters.
               As chairman of the Subcommittee on Employment and 
             Housing (1986-1993), he focused attention on workplace 
             safety, violation of child labor laws, labor-management 
             relations, enforcement of Federal labor laws, and 
             potentially serious shortfalls in the pension guaranty 
             program.
               Tom Lantos was a consistent advocate for effective 
             government. He conducted major investigations into waste, 
             fraud, abuse, favoritism, and mismanagement at the 
             Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) during 
             the 1980s, which revealed that top officials abused their 
             positions by funneling lucrative HUD contracts to favored 
             developers with political connections at the expense of 
             the poor whom programs were intended to help. The 
             administration was compelled to appoint a special 
             prosecutor to bring criminal cases against the abusers, 
             which resulted in guilty findings in 16 cases. The 
             respected journal, Congressional Quarterly (July 1, 1989), 
             called the investigation ``bipartisan, yet still 
             relentless.''
               As ranking Democratic member of the International 
             Relations Committee of the House of Representatives (2001-
             2006), he took the lead in a number of bipartisan efforts 
             for American foreign policy. He introduced several bills, 
             which were included in H.R. 1646, the International 
             Relations Authorization legislation--the East Timor 
             Transition to Independence Act (H.R. 675) and the Tibetan 
             Policy Act (H.R. 1779). His Russia Democracy Act (H.R. 
             2121), which became law, focuses on sharpening U.S. laws 
             and programs to foster democratic development in Russia. 
             In addition, he was the lead sponsor of the Afghan Freedom 
             Support Act (H.R. 3994) to provide assistance for 
             democratic reforms following the U.S. overthrow of the 
             Taliban regime in late 2001 and early 2002. An amendment 
             to that legislation (approved in the House by a vote of 
             407 to 4) expressed concern about the security situation 
             in Afghanistan and required that the President report to 
             the Congress on the administration's strategy for meeting 
             the security needs of Afghanistan.
               He led the fight in Congress for the United States to 
             rejoin the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
             Cultural Organization (UNESCO). His efforts resulted in 
             the President's announcement in September 2002 that the 
             United States would rejoin this important international 
             organization.
               He was appointed by the President to serve as a member 
             of the U.S. delegation to the U.N. General Assembly (1995-
             1996).
               Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, he was a leader 
             in developing policies to respond to the post-cold war 
             changes in the international arena, in particular shaping 
             U.S. policies and programs to encourage democratic and 
             free market development in the republics of the former 
             Soviet Union and the newly independent countries of 
             Central Europe.
               As chairman of the Subcommittee on International 
             Security, International Organizations and Human Rights 
             (1993-1995), Tom Lantos conducted 50 congressional 
             hearings on U.N. activities, international arms control 
             and nonproliferation policies, terrorism, international 
             narcotics control and law enforcement efforts, and human 
             rights issues.
               Tom Lantos was founding cochairman of the bipartisan 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which focuses 
             congressional attention on human rights violations around 
             the world. The caucus membership includes 210 Members of 
             Congress. He was a leading advocate for human rights in 
             the Congress, calling attention to literally thousands of 
             individual cases of torture, denial of rights, and 
             official abuse. He was a spokesperson for the rights of 
             persecuted racial, religious, and ethnic minorities.
               When he became chairman of the House Committee on 
             Foreign Affairs, Tom used his position to advance a policy 
             characterized by cooperation, engagement, and diplomacy. 
             Tom was particularly focused on issues of human rights and 
             advocated ceaselessly on behalf of oppressed peoples. 
             Tom's efforts were instrumental in guiding and improving 
             American diplomacy throughout the world.
               Tom was a member of the U.S. congressional delegation to 
             the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, cochairman of the U.S. 
             congressional delegation for the Transatlantic Legislative 
             Dialogue, a member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, 
             and cochairman of the Congressional Task Force Against 
             Anti-Semitism. He also founded the Congressional Friends 
             of Animals Caucus.
               Tom's experiences in the Holocaust and afterward were 
             included in the Academy Award winning documentary ``The 
             Last Days'' produced by Steven Spielberg's Shoah 
             Foundation. The film deals with the Holocaust in Hungary, 
             and traces the lives of five survivors. Tom Lantos is one 
             of the five who is highlighted in the film.
               Tom and Annette Lantos were married for over 50 years. 
             They are the parents of two daughters--Annette Tillemann-
             Dick and Katrina Swett. Annette is married to Timber Dick, 
             an independent businessman in Denver, CO, and they are the 
             parents of 11 children. Katrina is married to Dick Swett, 
             a former Member of Congress from New Hampshire and the 
             former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark. They are the parents of 
             seven children.
?

                                           

                                 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

                                         AND

                                   OTHER TRIBUTES

                                         FOR

                                     TOM LANTOS
                     Proceedings in the House of Representatives
                                             Tuesday, February 12, 2008
               Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. . . . My deepest 
             sympathies to Annette Lantos, the Lantos family, staff, 
             and constituents on the death of Chairman Tom Lantos. He 
             lived to see Hungary, his birthplace, become a thriving 
             free market democracy.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. . . . Mr. Speaker, as we look at H. 
             Res. 909 [commemorating Haitian soldiers], I want to give 
             my sincere thanks to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for 
             bringing this resolution to the floor, and especially shed 
             light on Chairman Lantos for his making sure that this 
             resolution made it through the process. And he will be 
             forever missed here in this body. And hopefully his memory 
             will continue on, not only on the committee, but here in 
             Congress. . . .

               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, as dean of the California 
             delegation, it is my sad responsibility to make the formal 
             announcement to the House of Representatives about 
             yesterday's passing of our good friend and colleague, Tom 
             Lantos of California.
               I ask that we observe a moment of silence to honor Tom's 
             legacy of service to his constituents, the House of 
             Representatives, and the people around the world for whom 
             he sought human rights. He will be sorely missed.

               The SPEAKER. Members will please rise and observe a 
             moment of silence in memory of our esteemed colleague, the 
             Honorable Tom Lantos.

               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I offer a privileged 
             resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.
               The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
                                     H. Res. 975
               Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow 
             of the death of the Honorable Tom Lantos, a Representative 
             from the State of California.
               Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House 
             as the Speaker may designate, together with such Members 
             of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the 
             funeral.
               Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be 
             authorized and directed to take such steps as may be 
             necessary for carrying out the provisions of these 
             resolutions and that the necessary expenses in connection 
             therewith be paid out of applicable accounts of the House.
               Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions 
             to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of 
             the deceased.
               Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn 
             as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
             deceased.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California 
             is recognized for 1 hour.

               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
             my distinguished colleague from California (Mr. Dreier) 
             have half of my time to manage.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
             request of the gentleman from California?
               There was no objection.

               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
             Speaker, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

               Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
             yielding. I thank him for the formal notification of the 
             Congress that he presented earlier to the House of 
             Representatives, and thank him for bringing us this 
             opportunity to express our sadness over the passing of our 
             colleague, Tom Lantos.
               Madam Speaker and my colleagues, yesterday morning when 
             I received the very sad news of Chairman Lantos' passing, 
             that call was followed very quickly by a call from the 
             President of the United States expressing to me as 
             Speaker, but through me to each and every one of you, his 
             sadness over Tom's passing and his words of praise for Tom 
             Lantos' leadership. I told the President how appreciative 
             I knew we would all be of his kind words and that I would 
             convey them to this House of Representatives.
               Madam Speaker, you know that the House, not only the 
             House, the Congress, the country, has lost one of its most 
             talented leaders, and the world, indeed the world, has 
             lost one of its greatest champions for human rights with 
             the passing of Chairman Tom Lantos. He was a statesman, he 
             was a gentleman, and he will be deeply missed.
               As the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, 
             Tom Lantos devoted his public life to shining a bright 
             light on the dark corners of oppression. From his earliest 
             days in the House, when he founded with Congressman John 
             Porter the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, to his final 
             days as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he used 
             his powerful voice to stir the consciousness of world 
             leaders and the public alike.
               Because he had lost his mother and so much of his family 
             in the Holocaust, his wife, Annette, his two daughters, 
             Annette and Katrina, his grandchildren and great-
             grandchildren were the center of his universe.
               Madam Speaker, I told some of our colleagues earlier 
             that Tom and Annette were a team in every way. Whether it 
             was establishing the Human Rights Caucus or working 
             together for the benefit of his district and our country, 
             they were a team. And all who knew Tom knew how devoted he 
             was to his family and to Annette, whom he adored. They 
             worked as a team, bringing great intellect, experience, 
             and compassion to their outstanding work in public 
             service.
               Annette was alone after the Holocaust as well, and when 
             they married, they had two daughters, Annette and Katrina, 
             who produced this wonderful family of 18 grandchildren. 
             Two daughters, 18 grandchildren. They said to their 
             parents, you lost your families in the Holocaust. We are 
             bringing to you a new family. And how proud Tom was for 
             all of that.
               Having lived the worst evil known to mankind, Tom Lantos 
             translated his experience into a lifetime commitment to 
             the fight against anti-Semitism, for Holocaust education, 
             and commitment to the State of Israel.
               Tom Lantos was not only a champion of human rights, he 
             was an expert on foreign affairs and diplomacy and the 
             security of our country. He had a rare combination of 
             extraordinary knowledge, great wisdom, extraordinary skill 
             and judgment, and a great moral compass.
               He rallied us to the cause of defending basic human 
             freedom within the borders of the most powerful countries 
             and in the most remote places in the world. He stood tall 
             in the sometimes lonely fight for the people of China and 
             Tibet. I was proud that we had the opportunity to work 
             together, with the President of the United States in a 
             bipartisan way, to honor the people of Tibet by presenting 
             the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama last year. 
             Tom, along with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, were coauthors 
             of that legislation. Thank you, Congresswoman Ros-
             Lehtinen.
               He fought to end the genocide in Darfur and recently 
             helped enact legislation to crack down on the Sudanese 
             regime. He worked to strengthen sanctions against the 
             military junta in Burma and worked for the release of Aung 
             San Suu Kyi. In just his first year as chairman of the 
             Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Lantos also helped 
             enact the 9/11 Commission recommendations to better 
             protect the American people.
               Throughout his nearly three decades in the House, Tom 
             Lantos always used his experience and intellect to empower 
             the powerless and give voice to the voiceless throughout 
             the world.
               Here at home, Tom Lantos championed working families. 
             Working families had no better friend in the Congress of 
             the United States than Tom Lantos, and he was a strong 
             leader in protecting our family for the future.
               He also authored key provisions of our landmark energy 
             bill, which the President signed into law. Thanks to Tom 
             Lantos, that law includes provisions that will help the 
             United States assume a greater leadership role in the 
             world to fight climate change.
               He will long be remembered for his efforts to expand and 
             protect the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is 
             one of the Nation's most visited national parks and a 
             treasure for Bay Area residents. I had the privilege of 
             serving with Tom as we shared representation of the city 
             of San Francisco, and it was one of the privileges of my 
             service in Congress to work with him on behalf of the 
             people of San Francisco.
               Congressman Lantos was also well known for his strong 
             support of infrastructure improvements, including the 
             expansion of BART service and other mass transit 
             solutions. Though his leadership was felt around the 
             world, he always remained a fierce advocate for his 
             constituents in the 12th Congressional District.
               Tom Lantos called himself an American by choice. America 
             is a stronger Nation, a more caring Nation, a Nation more 
             true to its founding ideals, because Tom Lantos chose to 
             call this land his home.
               My thoughts and prayers are with Annette, dear Annette, 
             their daughters Katrina and Annette, his 18 grandchildren, 
             and his great-grandchildren. I hope it is a comfort to 
             them that so many people throughout the entire world mourn 
             their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.
               Goodbye, Tom, my friend. It was an honor to call you 
             colleague, a privilege to serve with you, and a joy to be 
             your friend.

               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, Tom will be remembered as a 
             passionate advocate for human rights around the world and 
             a strong voice for better schools and a cleaner 
             environment. The obituaries and my colleagues tonight will 
             fill in many details and have much praise for the 
             wonderful job that Tom did in his period here. I just 
             tried to pick out a few things that he will be remembered 
             for.
               As the Speaker mentioned, he worked to give a voice to 
             the voiceless in Burma, Tibet, wherever oppression raised 
             its ugly head. In Congress, as in life, he was a doer, a 
             leader, a fighter. Two years ago, Tom was arrested in 
             front of the Sudanese Embassy for protesting the genocide 
             in Darfur.
               He swam every morning at 5:30 until recently. He was a 
             man who enjoyed and lived life to its fullest.
               As has been mentioned, he is survived by a large and 
             wonderful family he loved, and they loved him. Without 
             saying, our sympathy goes to Tom's wife and childhood 
             sweetheart, Annette, their two daughters, Annette and 
             Katrina, and their many grandchildren and great-
             grandchildren.
               To appreciate all that Tom accomplished, we ought to 
             think a little bit about his life before joining us here 
             in Congress. He grew up in Hungary and survived Nazi labor 
             camps. He arrived in the United States in 1947 on an 
             academic scholarship. And at Customs, you think it is a 
             problem to take off your shoes now, at Customs he was 
             greeted and they immediately confiscated his only 
             possession, a Hungarian salami. So they were as thorough 
             then as they are now.
               He married Annette in 1950, and he also received 
             bachelor's and master's degrees in economics and then 
             moved on to San Francisco. He received those at the 
             University of Washington in Seattle. He moved to San 
             Francisco and began a 30-year career teaching economics at 
             San Francisco State. In 1953, he received a Ph.D. in 
             economics from the University of California at Berkeley.
               Tom was elected in 1980. Three years later he cofounded 
             the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
               Last month he announced to us that he had been diagnosed 
             with cancer and would not seek reelection. In that 
             announcement he said, ``I will never be able to express 
             fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great 
             country.''
               Similarly, this House and our country will never be able 
             to fully express our gratitude for Tom's decades of 
             service. He will be missed by his colleagues, 
             constituents, family, and the people whose basic human 
             rights he fought for every day.
               Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the balance 
             of my time be controlled by the gentleman from California 
             (Mr. Berman).

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
             request of the gentleman from California?
               There was no objection.

               Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
             may consume.
               Madam Speaker, as is very evident, this is a sad day and 
             evening for the House of Representatives, and, of course, 
             the Lantos family, and for all of the American people and 
             all who are lovers of freedom.
               ``Tom Lantos devoted his life to shining a bright light 
             on the dark corners of oppression.'' That was a quote from 
             Speaker Pelosi in her official statement in responding to 
             the tragic news of Tom's passing.
               I am going to quote Speaker Pelosi once again, Madam 
             Speaker. ``Tom Lantos devoted his life to shining a bright 
             light on the dark corners of oppression.''
               We have heard that Tom Lantos is the lone survivor of 
             the Holocaust to ever serve in the Congress of the United 
             States. We know of his tremendous accomplishments. We know 
             the fact that 58 years ago this coming June he and Annette 
             were married. And we know that he had an absolutely 
             wonderful family.
               His two daughters did provide those 18 grandchildren and 
             2 great-grandchildren, and I have to say that I personally 
             have had the opportunity to spend time with all of them. 
             The reason is that I am one of Annette and Tom's neighbors 
             here on Capitol Hill, and we always knew when the Lantos 
             household was filled over at Justice Court, because kids 
             were running around all over that area, and it was such a 
             wonderful thing.
               When I heard the Speaker say today what Tom's daughters 
             said to him, the fact that he lost his family in the 
             Holocaust would lead them to provide him with a family 
             that he no longer had, obviously they did. I have known of 
             no parent or grandparent to be prouder of their children 
             and grandchildren than Annette and Tom Lantos have been of 
             their wonderful family, and having heard Speaker Pelosi's 
             words, I now have an even greater understanding of the 
             importance of the role that Annette and Katrina played in 
             providing them with that family.
               I read this morning in the paper that just last week the 
             Prime Minister of Hungary was scheduled to present Tom 
             with the highest honor that Hungary bestows on anyone; 
             and, sadly, he was too ill to receive that honor. But we 
             know that Tom regularly described himself as one who was 
             born Hungarian, but was American by choice; and I think 
             that underscores the extraordinary importance of 
             immigration and the great importance of what it is that 
             has made the United States of America as great as it is.
               I am the first Republican to stand up but I am going to 
             be turning this over to the distinguished ranking member 
             on the Committee on Foreign Affairs in just a few minutes, 
             but as the first Republican to stand up, I have to say 
             that one of the greatest things about Tom Lantos is that 
             he regularly transcended political party. He was known for 
             the wonderful working relationship that he had with the 
             former chairman of his committee who, as we all know, 
             passed away sadly last year, our colleague Henry Hyde.
               And I regularly, as a member of the Rules Committee, had 
             the opportunity to see Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos come 
             together, arm in arm, working together on behalf of a very 
             positive foreign policy for the United States. Now don't 
             get me wrong, there were more than a few occasions, 
             especially in the last couple of years, where there was 
             disagreement between Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos. But time 
             and time again, both men demonstrated their extraordinary 
             patriotism and their commitment to the greatness of the 
             United States of America.
               On January 2, just last month, our friend Tom announced 
             that he would not be running for reelection. Of course, he 
             had gotten the news of his illness. And in that statement 
             announcing his retirement, Madam Speaker, he said:

               It is only in the United States that a penniless 
             survivor of the Holocaust and fighter in the anti-Nazi 
             underground could have received an education, raised a 
             family, and had the privilege of serving the last three 
             decades of his life as a Member of the United States 
             Congress. I will never be able to express fully my 
             profoundly felt gratitude to this great country.

               Madam Speaker, I think like most of the people who are 
             here in this Chamber at this moment, we were born here; 
             and people who were born here can have a tendency to take 
             the greatness of the United States of America for granted. 
             But I will say that Tom Lantos demonstrated fully, through 
             every single aspect of his life, the profound appreciation 
             that an immigrant has for something that many of us who 
             are native born have a tendency to take for granted. I 
             regularly fight against that, and seeing someone like Tom 
             Lantos has played a big role in inspiring me. I know there 
             are other great immigrants who serve in this Congress and 
             obviously in this country as well. I think that his life 
             underscores that.
               As I look over and see our distinguished majority 
             leader, Mr. Hoyer, I am reminded of the great work that he 
             did on the Helsinki Commission and, as has been stated on 
             the issues that Mr. Stark raised, environment and other 
             issues. But when it came to fighting on behalf of human 
             rights, in 1983 Annette Lantos became the volunteer 
             director of the Human Rights Caucus because of her 
             extraordinary commitment to that cause. And, obviously, it 
             was led by Tom through these so many years.
               And I will just say that for me, personally, I was 
             elected with Tom in November 1980, 28 years ago this 
             coming November; and this is a professional loss, but 
             obviously for so many of us, a very profound personal 
             loss. I want to say to all of the family members how much 
             I have appreciated the friendship. Our thoughts and 
             prayers are with them. The world is a better place, the 
             world clearly is a better place for the life of Tom 
             Lantos.
               Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and ask 
             unanimous consent that my colleague from Florida (Ms. Ros-
             Lehtinen) be able to manage the balance of our time.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
             request of the gentleman from California?
               There was no objection.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased and honored to 
             yield to our majority leader 1 minute.

               Mr. HOYER. I thank my friend for yielding. This is a sad 
             day not only for this institution, for those of us who 
             were Tom's friends, clearly for his family, but it is a 
             sad day for our country. Tom Lantos had a backbone of 
             steel and a heart of commitment, compassion, and courage.
               David Dreier just mentioned my service on the Helsinki 
             Commission. As chairman of that body for the House, with 
             my friend Chris Smith, we shared responsibility for 
             focusing on the human rights of people, particularly 
             within the European theater and particularly in the Soviet 
             Union, and we worked very hard at that. But no Member of 
             this body has been a stronger voice, a more compelling 
             voice for the rights of individuals, whatever their 
             background, wherever they lived, and whatever the excuse 
             was for acting against them or undermining their rights. 
             When Tom spoke, especially on matters dealing with human 
             rights, America's role in the world, the importance of 
             confronting and defeating dictatorial regimes, both the 
             left and right, his words contained a moral clarity and 
             intellectual gravity that was seldom matched.
               Those of us who had an opportunity to be with Tom when 
             we met with people from around the world knew that Tom 
             Lantos would be candid, diplomatic, but certain in his 
             message. Tom, quite simply, was a man of great substance, 
             an immigrant to America, like so many immigrants before 
             him and after, but few matching his contribution to our 
             great country.
               Speaker Pelosi indicated that Tom referred to himself as 
             an American by choice. He was a great humanitarian. His 
             remarkable life serves as an inspiration to all of us, to 
             his family, and to his country. He was an indomitable 
             spirit. His life story of course is well known, and I will 
             not repeat it here. Others will talk more specifically.
               Last month, Tom was unable to attend the United Nations 
             Annual Commemoration of the Holocaust. However, his 
             daughter Katrina, married to one of our colleagues, Dick 
             Swett, delivered his remarks, which called on the 
             international community to ``dedicate ourselves to 
             stopping current tragedies such as the genocide in Darfur, 
             and to preventing such inhuman cruelty in the future.''
               Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions 
             around this globe have lost an extraordinary voice for 
             them, individually and collectively.
               Tom went on to note that the ``veneer of civilization is 
             paper thin.'' That is a lesson for all of us. We know that 
             the mob can be uncaring of human rights, of individuals. 
             Tom Lantos focused on that issue when he said that veneer 
             is very thin. John Lewis, another great humanitarian and 
             champion of individual rights and civil liberties said, 
             ``We are its guardians, and we can never rest.'' Not only 
             did he say that, but he lived his life without rest for 
             those he saw beleaguered.
               Until his last day on this Earth, Tom Lantos never 
             rested because of what he had seen and experienced. He was 
             an indefatigable advocate for human rights and human 
             decency. And now with his passing it falls to us to honor 
             his enduring legacy, not just by speaking on this floor of 
             what he did, but committing ourselves to continue his 
             advocacy for liberty and human rights.
               There is no more fitting tribute to this wonderful man 
             who lived a wonderful life marked by hardship, tragedy, 
             and also triumph, and who now is at rest in God's hands.
               Madam Speaker, I especially want to speak of Annette. 
             You cannot speak of Tom Lantos without speaking of 
             Annette. I don't know of any couple that I have ever met 
             that was in fact, as well as in marriage-ceremony 
             verbiage, two people who became one, kindred spirits born 
             of equal experience, equally committed with a passion and 
             a courage and an untiring commitment on behalf of those 
             who needed a voice. Annette is with us still and, 
             therefore, Tom is with us still. May we honor him, 
             remember him, and hold high the torch that he held so 
             high, so successfully for so long.
               God bless you, Tom Lantos.

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such 
             time as I may consume.
               As we gather in this hallowed place to honor the life 
             and work of our beloved colleague, Tom Lantos, our sorrow 
             at the news of his death is tempered by our admiration for 
             his extraordinary contributions to our great country. An 
             unfailingly gracious and courageous man, Tom was 
             recognized by colleagues as a leader who left an enviable 
             legacy of service to our country. We were fortunate indeed 
             to have known him. Annette and the entire Lantos family 
             have our heartfelt condolences.
               Tom and Annette's heroic journey to America through 
             extraordinary adversity is well known to us all and is the 
             topic perhaps for a future biographer who can adequately 
             capture the tenor of life under the oppressive yolk of 
             fascism during those terrible times more than half a 
             century ago.
               Tom's unsurpassed work as a champion of human rights and 
             for human dignity cannot be separated from his fiery 
             trials through which he passed as a young man.
               His life bears witness to the endurance of the human 
             spirit. As a colleague, Tom enjoyed the respect of his 
             peers across the political spectrum, because all of us 
             admired him as an ardent American patriot.
               During our many meetings together, when we met with 
             foreign leaders here and abroad, his love of country was 
             always evident. He understood an old truth that all of us 
             would do well to relearn: united we stand, and divided we 
             fall.
               To be sure, Tom could be a vehement critic of an 
             administration policy during House debate. But he would 
             not hesitate to remind a visiting group of European 
             parliamentarians to temper their criticism of U.S. policy 
             or risk being labeled as hypocrites for their feeble 
             resistance to genocide at Auschwitz or at modern-day death 
             camps in Sudan.
               His defense of the national security policies would 
             surprise and perhaps rankle some, but not those of us who 
             knew Tom as an unbeatable foe of Communist tyranny.
               All of us here tonight have so many stories to share 
             about Tom, about his life with Annette, and his vital 
             work; and we will surely honor him in the months ahead in 
             other appropriate ways. It is fitting, though, that we 
             honor the life of this great patriot, for it was his work 
             and his life that enriched us. So tonight, rather than 
             merely mourn his passing, let us thank God that Tom lived 
             among us and left such a strong legacy for us to follow.
               I often said to Tom before our committee hearings that 
             it was a great testament to a wonderful Nation that two 
             naturalized citizens, witnesses to the evils of communism 
             and oppression, would serve as chairman and ranking member 
             of the committee charged with developing and overseeing 
             our foreign policy efforts. And I cannot fully explain to 
             Tom and his family my deep gratitude to Tom for his 
             service and for his dedication.
               And, Annette, our prayers are with you and your family. 
             And how odd to say, as Mr. Hoyer pointed out, how odd to 
             say ``Annette'' without saying ``Tom and Annette,'' for 
             they were a unit. Thank you, Tom. Godspeed, my friend.
               I reserve the balance of my time.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to recognize for 
             2 minutes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

               Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
             yielding.
               Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise 
             today in support of this resolution. Like all of my 
             colleagues, I was deeply saddened to learn that our good 
             friend, the distinguished gentleman from California, Tom 
             Lantos, had passed away. And he was our good friend, 
             unfailingly courteous and kind and helpful to all.
               Tom has left an inspiring legacy, and his passing is a 
             great loss to our country and to the entire world. 
             Throughout his life, Tom devoted himself to human rights 
             and to the cause of persecuted racial, religious, and 
             ethnic minorities. As a survivor of the Holocaust, and the 
             only survivor ever to serve in Congress, he had seen first 
             hand real evil, and he became a tireless advocate for 
             human rights.
               As a youth, he was a member of the anti-Nazi 
             underground, and his life's work was built on opposing 
             anti-Semitism and all forms of racism and oppression and 
             attempted genocide, and on supporting Israel, the country 
             that emerged as the haven for the survivors and refugees 
             from the Holocaust.
               Congressman Lantos once said, ``I will never be able to 
             express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great 
             country.'' But it is this Nation that will never be able 
             to express adequately its gratitude to this great man. His 
             life and devotion to human rights should serve as an 
             inspiration to us all.
               My thoughts and prayers, our thoughts and prayers, and 
             those of a grateful Nation, are with Annette and with the 
             rest of Tom's family and friends during this sad time. And 
             in this hour of bereavement, as we mourn the loss of this 
             great man, what can we finally say other than to thank God 
             for Tom's life and work, and to repeat that ancient 
             refrain, ``The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh away, blessed 
             be the name of the Lord.''

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he 
             may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), 
             a member of our Foreign Affairs Committee, and someone who 
             worked so closely with Chairman Lantos on human rights 
             issues worldwide.

               Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I want to thank 
             my good friend and colleague from Florida for her yielding 
             and for her very eloquent remarks, and for all of the fine 
             statements that have been made on behalf of Chairman Tom 
             Lantos.
               Madam Speaker, as I think we all know, Chairman Lantos 
             was one of the most gifted, articulate, smart, persuasive, 
             and compassionate, and, I would add, courageous Members of 
             Congress ever to serve. Over the years, I, like so many 
             other colleagues here in this Chamber, got to know and 
             deeply respect and honor this great man. We traded places 
             as chairman and ranking member of the International Human 
             Rights Subcommittee and worked seamlessly on North Korea, 
             Sudan, human trafficking, child labor, Jewish refuseniks, 
             and China, just to name a few of the very difficult issues 
             that were confronted.
               In the 1980s, Mr. Lantos played a significant role in 
             dismantling communism in Eastern Europe, including his 
             native Hungary, as well as in the Soviet Union.
               A Holocaust survivor, Tom Lantos had a special, well-
             focused empathy for those who suffered torture, degrading, 
             or inhumane treatment. He was especially vocal and 
             determined when it came to liberating political prisoners, 
             and was a champion on behalf of the Dalai Lama and Burma's 
             Aung San Suu Kyi.
               Tom Lantos was bold and he was incisive with both friend 
             and foe alike, more often I am happy to say with the 
             latter. In confronting dictatorship, he refused to allow 
             the banalities and excessive niceties of modern-day 
             diplomacy to obscure his clear and compelling message 
             concerning freedom, democracy, and human rights.
               On the issue of anti-Semitism, he had no equal. In the 
             days immediately prior to the infamous 9/11 attacks on 
             America, Tom Lantos brilliantly defended both the United 
             States and Israel at the U.N. racism conference held in 
             Durban, South Africa, a world conference that deteriorated 
             into an anti-Semitic hatefest. His insights and 
             recommendations are of particular importance and relevance 
             as the United Nations gears up for what is likely to be 
             Durban II.
               He wrote at the time:

               For me, having experienced the horrors of the Holocaust 
             first hand, this was the most sickening and unabashed 
             display of hate for Jews I have seen since the Nazi 
             period.

               He went on, however, in a positive vein to say:

               The United States must urge friendly Middle Eastern 
             countries to recognize the link between hate-mongering and 
             violence. Arab states, meanwhile, need to look deeply 
             within themselves, analyze their missteps, cease the 
             inflammatory lies, and embrace the path of openness and 
             political reform, realizing their citizens' positive 
             energy.

               He went on to say:

               We cannot defeat terrorism if our coalition partners 
             continue to peddle the hate that breeds it.
               The cold war ended with the collapse of international 
             communism, but in the resulting vacuum, radical forces 
             bent on spreading fundamentalist ideologies have arisen, 
             propelled by the very globalization developments they 
             often sustain. The U.N. World Conference on Racism 
             provided the world with a glimpse into the abyss of 
             international hate, discrimination, and indeed, racism. 
             The terrorist attacks on September 11 demonstrated the 
             evil such hate can spawn. If we are to prevail in our war 
             against terrorism, we must take to heart the lessons of 
             Durban.

               Vintage Tom Lantos, and as always, a man who was almost 
             like a prophet, speaking boldly, incisively, and with 
             great clarity. Finally, I want to say, Madam Speaker, that 
             my wife Marie and I will deeply miss our dear friend Tom 
             Lantos, and our prayers are with and for Annette and his 
             family at this most difficult period of time.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I recognize for 2\1/2\ 
             minutes Tom's colleague, the gentlewoman from California 
             (Ms. Eshoo).

               Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for 
             yielding.
               Madam Speaker, and to all of the Members of the House, I 
             rise this evening with a sad heart. The first thing I want 
             to say is to offer my special condolences to Annette 
             Lantos, the love of Tom's life, actually as has been said 
             earlier this morning, childhood sweethearts, to his 2 
             exceptional daughters, to his sons-in-law, 18 
             grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
               I have known Tom Lantos for many decades, long before I 
             came to the House of Representatives. And I remember 
             November 1980 where I think he was the only Democrat who 
             won in challenging a Republican. It was a real upset in 
             the 12th Congressional District. And so tonight I am 
             thinking about the people of the 12th Congressional 
             District because they not only handed him a victory, he 
             never forgot it, and he used his public service to fulfill 
             the great responsibility and the charge that they gave to 
             him.
               Our congressional districts are next door to one 
             another. Tom always said that he stood between the Speaker 
             and myself because his congressional district was between 
             ours.
               Tom Lantos was truly a gentleman. He was a gentleman 
             with old world manners. He was a scholar. He taught 
             economics. When he spoke, everyone knew he was scholarly, 
             and so the old term ``a scholar and a gentleman'' really 
             belonged to Tom.
               He was an immigrant, and I think, during these times 
             when immigrants are not fully appreciated, that Tom Lantos 
             should remind us of what comes to this country in terms of 
             immigrants. He came here, as he said, penniless, but he 
             came here and brought his hopes and aspirations. Who would 
             have thought when Tom Lantos came through Customs and the 
             Immigration Service that he would one day come to the 
             House of Representatives and, in the day after he died, 
             that all of these accolades that he so is deserving of 
             would be said about him.
               A poet wrote, ``And so he passed on, and then all the 
             trumpets sounded on the other side.'' God rest your soul, 
             Tom. Thank you for what you have given to America and 
             thank you for what you did in the House of 
             Representatives. Thank you for what you did for the people 
             of the 12th Congressional District. We are forever 
             grateful.

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am proud to yield 
             such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from 
             Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) to share her thoughts about our 
             beloved friend, Tom Lantos.

               Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for 
             yielding to me.
               Madam Speaker, I rise today to say goodbye to a good man 
             and a cherished colleague. Chairman Lantos was one of 
             those most respected and distinguished Members of the U.S. 
             House of Representatives, and he will be missed.
               During his 14 terms in this body he championed the 
             causes of people everywhere who face oppression and 
             cruelty. Through his leadership of both the Foreign 
             Affairs Committee and the Human Rights Caucus, he guided 
             U.S. policy with morality and integrity.
               As I listened to Ms. Eshoo, she used the same words as I 
             would say of him. He was truly a gentleman, one of those 
             rare breeds of old world statesmen who brings clarity and 
             respect to our national debate. And while he was indeed an 
             accomplished speaker, Chairman Lantos inspired not only by 
             his words but by his own personal story. I think we will 
             all remember him standing here in this Chamber, straight 
             rail posture, and saying ``after you, my dear,'' always 
             the gentleman.
               From his tragic experiences in the Nazi camps to his 
             rise in Congress, he showed how one truly remarkable 
             individual can overcome the worst sort of tyranny and 
             achieve great things.
               So to Chairman Lantos' wife and daughters and 
             grandchildren and great-grandchildren, I send my thoughts 
             and prayers. We can all take comfort in the fact that he 
             had a full life with a legacy that will never be 
             forgotten.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
             gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the distinguished 
             chief deputy whip.

               Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise with a heavy 
             heart to pay tribute to our friend and colleague, Tom 
             Lantos, this good and decent man, an American by choice, 
             but a citizen of the world. He was a warrior for human 
             rights, a warrior for justice and fairness. He spoke up 
             and he spoke out for people around the world.
               Madam Speaker, the world community has lost a powerful 
             voice for human rights and for human dignity.
               How do you honor a man? How do you pay tribute to a man 
             like Tom Lantos? We could name buildings, streets, 
             schools, post offices, but the best way for us to honor 
             Tom Lantos is to pick up where he left off, continue to 
             fight for human rights, continue to fight for peace, 
             continue to build a world community at peace with itself.
               Tom, thank you for all you did to make us all free. We 
             will miss you my friend, my colleague, my brother.

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as 
             he may consume to the ranking member of the Armed Services 
             Committee, Mr. Hunter, a member of the California 
             delegation who worked so closely with Chairman Lantos on a 
             range of issues.

               Mr. HUNTER. Madam Speaker, I can't match the eloquent 
             statements about Tom that have been made by my colleagues; 
             but I thought I might share just a few thoughts that came 
             to my mind, not only today, but every day that I saw Tom 
             Lantos.
               First, he was a guy of extreme competence. And if you 
             wanted to get to the heart of a matter quickly, and you 
             wanted to probe a situation in foreign affairs quickly, or 
             a matter of national policy, and you had a national 
             leader, international leader in front of you, and Tom 
             Lantos was asking questions, he did a great cross-
             examination. He brought the facts out very quickly. But, 
             you know, lots of people can do that.
               There were some special qualities that Tom Lantos had 
             that reflected and illuminated his life and always 
             impressed me every time I saw him. One was his great 
             dignity. He walked in dignity. And it wasn't a pride; it 
             wasn't an egotistical thing. It was a respect for his 
             fellow man that emanated from him and seemed to illuminate 
             the room when he walked in, when he took his place, when 
             he asked questions, and when he worked on these important 
             issues of the day.
               He was a man of great principle. And, Madam Speaker, I 
             think that it must surprise many folks who watch this, 
             watch the leadership in this Nation, and look at this 
             Capitol, look at this body, in this city, where so much 
             talent is focused on powerful national interests, that we 
             have leaders like Tom Lantos, perhaps the finest leaders, 
             the ones with the greatest talents, who focus those 
             talents not on powerful interests or the protection of 
             those interests, but, in fact, on the interests of those 
             who have no station, who have no money, and in many cases 
             have no hope.
               I think that's a great trademark of this Nation and 
             certain special leaders, like Tom Lantos, that gives this 
             country respect from those around the world, not just 
             people who live in places of power or who occupy places of 
             power in foreign governments, but all those around the 
             world. The world looks at this American forum of 
             leadership and governance in Washington, DC, and sees 
             people like Tom Lantos, perhaps tough to figure out in 
             many ways, but when it got right down to it, people 
             throughout the world understood that in this country, the 
             dignity, the value of human beings is still very central 
             to this wonderful country that we call America.
               So it's with a lot of sadness that I see Tom Lantos, a 
             guy who came in the same year I came in, 1980, along with 
             Mr. Dreier, leave us. And I just hope that we all look at 
             that model now and again when we have tough and difficult 
             times, because the last great quality that Tom Lantos had 
             was conciliation. You could have fierce fights on issues, 
             and yet he had that wonderful quality of being able to 
             reconcile with his adversaries and find common ground in 
             the next great issue that was before you.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
             from New York (Ms. Slaughter).

               Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I want to say a word about 
             my friend, Tom Lantos. I had the opportunity to travel 
             with Tom, and I served with him some 20 years here. 
             Believe me, a giant of a man has fallen. As grief stricken 
             as we are here, we need to know that throughout the world 
             tonight there are people who were touched by Tom Lantos in 
             many ways whose hearts are broken.
               And to his beloved Annette, and to his daughters and 
             family that he loved so much, we give our great 
             condolences and our love forever.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 
             minutes to Tom's colleague from California, and the 
             subcommittee chair on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, 
             Congressman Brad Sherman.

               Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, we're all deeply saddened by 
             the passing of Tom Lantos. He not only made history here 
             in Washington; he embodied history, having survived the 
             Holocaust. And he didn't just survive the Nazis; he fought 
             them in the anti-Nazi underground during World War II. His 
             personal history added to the gravitas of everything he 
             said and everything he did here in Washington. Tom was our 
             Nation's most passionate, eloquent, and respected advocate 
             for human rights, for democracy, and for freedom. Tom 
             never bowed to political pressure in the face of any 
             humanitarian atrocity.
               As our friend Gary Ackerman pointed out, in a town with 
             too many sheep, Tom Lantos was a lion, for Darfur, for 
             Tibet, wherever human rights were trampled. And of course 
             Tom Lantos led the walkout in 2001 from the Durban, South 
             Africa U.N. conference when that conference degenerated 
             into an anti-Semitic hatefest.
               Madam Speaker, I came here as a tax professional 
             expecting to serve on the Ways and Means Committee 
             someday. And when that day arrived, Tom Lantos convinced 
             me to stay involved instead on the Foreign Affairs 
             Committee. He convinced me with his words, but more than 
             that he convinced me with his example. He was courteous, 
             gracious, beyond what you expect; but more than that, he 
             was passionate and he was eloquent. He was an example of 
             what it is to be a great advocate for human rights here in 
             Congress. He will indeed be missed, not only by Annette 
             and the entire Lantos family, but also by people around 
             the world.

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, we will continue to 
             reserve for two more speakers, and then we'll recognize 
             Mr. Shays.

               Mr. BERMAN. I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes, Madam 
             Speaker, to the gentlelady from California, Tom's 
             colleague from California, Lois Capps.

               Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Speaker, what a privilege it is to 
             join my colleagues today in paying tribute to our fellow 
             Californian, the Honorable Tom Lantos, who so wonderfully 
             represented his constituents during his nearly three 
             decades in Congress.
               As we know now, Tom Lantos' journey from Hungary to the 
             Halls of Congress was an extremely remarkable one. His 
             life told the story of the fulfillment of the American 
             dream. He embodied that dream and, equally important, he 
             knew not to take what America offered him for granted.
               Even as he rose to leadership, he continued to champion 
             the cause of human rights for oppressed people around the 
             world, his signature issue. He was fiercely loyal to those 
             attributes of this Nation, which had attracted him here to 
             the country where he chose to become a citizen.
               Who among us will forget Tom Lantos' first action, 
             becoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, 
             holding some of his first hearings as chairman to address 
             the human rights violations occurring today in Darfur?
               By never forgetting his own roots, he became an advocate 
             for all the lessons of humanity that we needed to learn 
             from the experiences of the Holocaust, never forgetting 
             that he served here as one who had survived that terrible 
             tragedy and dedicated, as he was, to seeing that it would 
             never reoccur.
               He made sure that we all knew, and such a lesson I have, 
             that those who do not learn from history are doomed to 
             repeat it.
               I learned so much from my colleague, Tom Lantos. I can 
             just see him sitting in his regular spot there. So our 
             heartfelt condolences are extended to Annette, to the 
             children, to the 18 grandchildren, one of whom I had the 
             privilege of hearing as she testified to our Health 
             Subcommittee, a beautiful opera singer. Tom was so proud 
             of her. She was courageous enough to talk about her rare 
             health condition.
               We celebrate his life tonight dedicated to our 
             commitment to not letting his many achievements go 
             unforgotten.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to 
             another colleague of Tom's from California, the gentlelady 
             from California, Barbara Lee.

               Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to honor the 
             courageous life of our dear friend and colleague, Chairman 
             Tom Lantos.
               I am deeply saddened by the loss of Chairman Lantos, and 
             I would like to first offer my deepest condolences to 
             Annette, his family, friends, and staff, and of course 
             California's 12th Congressional District.
               And I have to thank Mrs. Lantos and Tom's entire family 
             for sharing this great human being with the entire world.
               Chairman Lantos was an exceptional human being, and 
             we're hearing much of this tonight. But I've always said 
             to know him was to love him.
               His life embodied the true meaning of courage and the 
             power of the human spirit. As the sole member of his 
             family to survive the Holocaust, Chairman Lantos made it 
             his life's mission, and we all know it was his life's 
             mission, to fight for the oppressed.
               Throughout his years in Congress he fought tirelessly to 
             ensure human rights issues always had an important and 
             visible place within these Halls. And as the founder of 
             the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, he continually 
             reminded us that combating injustice anywhere and 
             everywhere in the world was not only the right thing to 
             do, but it was our duty as elected representatives of the 
             people.
               I had the privilege to work alongside this giant of a 
             human being on so many issues. As a former member of the 
             Foreign Affairs Committee for 8 years, we worked together 
             on a number of issues that we both cared passionately 
             about, including legislation to combat the global HIV/AIDS 
             pandemic, to end the genocide in Darfur, to address the 
             needs of orphans and vulnerable children, and, of course, 
             to end the occupation of Iraq.
               And I will always remember the respect, and his wisdom 
             and his insight and his guidance, as he helped me navigate 
             the legislative process with the late Chairman Henry Hyde 
             on the HIV/AIDS legislation. I imagine that they are, at 
             this moment, renewing their wonderful friendship.
               I will also miss our personal conversations, especially 
             about his grandchildren, my grandchildren, his great-
             grandchildren. He knew all of their names, and he knew all 
             of their birth dates.
               Also, we have to remember Tom loved animals; his 
             deceased Gigi and of course now Mack. I mean, it was 
             amazing that this giant of a human being was such a gentle 
             man.
               I know that we must rededicate ourselves to Tom's life. 
             His spirit is in us, and I will miss him. I will miss his 
             love. May he rest in peace.
               What a gentleman.

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 
             such time as he may consume to Mr. Shays from Connecticut, 
             a former member of our Peace Corps, who served, along with 
             his wife, a good team, just like Tom and Annette, and who 
             shared Tom's faith in the human spirit, and a fighter for 
             human rights as well.

               Mr. SHAYS. Madam Speaker, as a new Member of Congress, 
             Tom Lantos took me under his wings. He was my chairman of 
             the Labor and Health Subcommittee of the Government Reform 
             Committee, and I was one of its most active members. I got 
             to know this man up close, and I know no one like him.
               Tom Lantos adored his wife, Annette, his two magnificent 
             daughters, Annette and Katrina, and all of his glorious 
             grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. He simply 
             adored them all.
               A Holocaust survivor, Tom Lantos could not be 
             intimidated by anyone. He was brilliant, passionate, 
             courageous, tough almost to the point, let's face it, of 
             being brutal, but he was also kind, gentle, loving, and 
             lots of fun. He had a great sense of humor.
               Tom was the most eloquent person I have ever known. It 
             was hard sometimes not to feel inadequate in his presence, 
             but the fact is, he would never have wanted you to feel 
             that way. He would always make me feel like the best was 
             always ahead of me and that I should think big thoughts.
               He was a natural teacher. He taught by example and by 
             the questions he asked, and he expected you to grow and to 
             be a better person. That was your duty. And your duty, 
             also, was to be of service to others.
               It is no secret that Tom and Annette were both, are 
             both, very strong-willed people. I marvel at how they were 
             able to be such a powerful team and raise such a truly 
             unbelievable, fantastic, magnificent family. They were, 
             and are, an awesome couple.
               Tom Lantos loved America. And yes, Tom Lantos adored his 
             wife Annette. He adored his two daughters, Annette and 
             Katrina, adored his grandchildren, adored his great-
             grandchildren. And you could be his friend if you were 
             willing to listen to him talk about all of his loved ones.
               But woe be to any man that sought to marry his daughters 
             or his granddaughters. They were mere mortals. He expected 
             more for his daughters and granddaughters.
               I would say his sons-in-law, his grandsons-in-law, are 
             very brave souls. Can you imagine going up to Tom and 
             saying, ``I would like to marry your daughter''? That 
             would take true courage.
               Now, granddaughters-in-law were another story. They were 
             deemed worthy. He embraced them immediately.
               I hope, I truly hope and pray Congress finds a way to 
             immortalize this great man in important legislation that 
             will forever bear his name. We have Pell grants, and 
             Fulbright scholars. Those are names that I have heard 
             almost all of my life. Tom Lantos deserves to have this 
             kind of recognition.
               Tom Lantos believed in smart power for this country. He 
             advocated a strong military, wise diplomacy, and strategic 
             use of economic power. But Tom wasn't just a great man of 
             this Nation. He was a great man in this world.
               Let me say it slightly differently. He is a great man of 
             this Nation. He is a great man of this world. His light 
             will be forever and we cannot forget him.

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, this side has no 
             further requests for time, and I would like to offer our 
             remaining time to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
             Berman).

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the 
             gentleman from California will control the balance of the 
             time.
               There was no objection.

               Mr. BERMAN. I thank the gentlewoman very much for doing 
             that and appreciate her and all the comments of our 
             colleagues from that side of the aisle. I think they were 
             a fitting tribute to Tom and his bipartisan approach to 
             foreign affairs and to issues that go far beyond party 
             divisions.
               I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to another of Tom's 
             colleagues from California and the House Foreign Affairs 
             Committee, Ambassador Diane Watson.

               Ms. WATSON. Madam Speaker, I want to add my remarks to 
             those of my colleagues, but I have got some personal 
             things to tell you.
               Yes, he had that compassionate spirit. His unwavering 
             concern for individual human rights and his deep knowledge 
             of the world were an inspiration to us all. I remember 
             when my predecessor passed away, I got a call at my 
             Embassy saying that if you should come to Congress, there 
             is a place on Foreign Affairs for you. I hadn't even said 
             I was going to come. Well, the results were I did.
               I sit with honor among my colleagues on Foreign Affairs. 
             I had the privilege to be trained at the State Department 
             twice with his son-in-law, one of those rare specimens of 
             humanity that he allowed to marry Katrina, his daughter. 
             And I said to Tom after Katrina in Louisiana, ``I'm so 
             sorry that Katrina has to go around through life after 
             this terrible, terrible hurricane and present herself as 
             `Katrina.' ''
               He said, ``She's strong like I am. She can survive.''
               But I knew that when he called on me to lead the 
             delegation to Italy, something that he looked forward to 
             every year to continue our dialog with Great Britain, I 
             knew something was not right, but that proud, 
             distinguished, tall-standing human being never uttered a 
             word. And so I kind of knew something was up.
               When I got back, I said to him, ``Thank you for the 
             honor of going to Portofino and leading the group in your 
             place.'' He said, ``Ambassador, you deserve that,'' and 
             never said another word.
               Then he called us together and he said, ``Travel, learn 
             what is happening around this globe.'' And that is what we 
             are doing. We are carrying on his legacy by learning the 
             world, knowing it the way he did.
               We will certainly miss this giant of a human being.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the 
             gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

               Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, with the death of 
             Congressman Tom Lantos, the world lost an inspiring leader 
             who dedicated his life to religious freedom and human 
             rights.
               Now, it has been noted that Tom was the only Holocaust 
             survivor to serve in Congress, and I think it's important 
             to note that with the sun setting on this generation of 
             Americans, he will very likely remain the only Holocaust 
             survivor to have served here.
               His leadership and guidance served as the moral 
             conscience of America's commitment to protecting human 
             rights. He lived the concept of ``never again,'' and he 
             stood against persecution all over the globe.
               For me, I would like to get a little bit personal 
             myself. As a newer Member of Congress, I can tell you that 
             since I got here, Tom Lantos always made me feel like my 
             grandfather was looking out for me. He always had a word 
             of encouragement, always made me feel good about myself. 
             If I felt a little shaky, I could turn to Tom, and he 
             would tell me, ``Honey, it's OK. Go out and just do your 
             best. You are going to do great.'' He would always offer 
             those words of encouragement. So that was really an 
             incredible feeling to have that kind of support.
               As a young Jewish American, I can tell you that we all 
             believed that Representative Lantos served as a role model 
             for what we want public service to be. His dedication to 
             lifting up oppressed people throughout the world serves as 
             our personal inspiration. And I know that his service was 
             a tremendous source of pride for the Jewish community 
             across this country and for his constituents.
               I, and countless others, feel a deep sense of loss in 
             his passing, but we take solace in the knowledge that the 
             world is a better place because of this great individual.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ 
             minutes to the gentleman representing the State that Tom 
             had such close connections to, the gentleman from New 
             Hampshire (Mr. Hodes).

               Mr. HODES. Madam Speaker, it was with great sadness that 
             I learned of Tom Lantos' passing yesterday. As our 
             colleague and our friend, we knew him to be a man of 
             incredible courage and strength, a man who had overcome 
             unimaginable adversity to serve as a voice for justice 
             against the dark forces of human evil.
               Tom was born to Jewish parents in Hungary. He was 16 
             when Hitler's army marched in to occupy his birth country 
             in 1944, and he tragically lost much of his family in the 
             Holocaust. Tom courageously escaped from forced labor 
             camps not once, but twice.
               Here in Congress, he rose to the chairmanship of the 
             Foreign Relations Committee with the unique perspective 
             and the power of real moral authority. Promoting human 
             rights for all is a part of his lasting legacy. Those who 
             follow Tom Lantos in that cause have a high bar to match.
               Tom and his beloved wife, Annette, were blessed with a 
             wonderful and extraordinarily talented family, including 
             my dear friend, his daughter, Dr. Katrina Swett, Tom's 
             son-in-law, Ambassador Dick Swett, our former colleague 
             who held the seat I now hold. They and their family are my 
             neighbors in my home State of New Hampshire. Tom was a 
             frequent visitor to the Granite State, a remarkably 
             devoted father, mentor, grandfather, and great-
             grandfather. He was a patriarch in the best sense of the 
             word, and on behalf of all of New Hampshire's citizens, we 
             mourn Tom's passing as one of our own.
               I am honored to have served with such a remarkable and 
             accomplished individual. He was the first Member of 
             Congress to welcome me when I arrived. He was an 
             inspiration to me.
               My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this 
             time. I know they will take solace in the lasting legacy 
             that their beloved husband, father, grandfather, and 
             great-grandfather left us.
               He showed us that even in the darkest corners of the 
             human experience, one strong, clear voice, one 
             irrepressible beacon of light can stand as an unwavering 
             candle whose flame will never go out.
               Thank you, Tom.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
             gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, so many of us 
             have risen and expressed how heavy our heart is tonight. 
             Those of us who served on the Foreign Affairs Committee 
             with the late Chairman Tom Lantos see every day, as we 
             come into that room, his regalness, his royalty, but yet 
             his humbleness. We also get to see the family, his 
             wonderful staff, and his lovely and solid friend, bride, 
             wife, and enormously important person, his wife, Annette.
               I got to see them working together. I saw Tom's passion 
             in the committee room. He was not afraid of hard issues, 
             and I am so proud to have been able to join him as a 
             member of his Human Rights Caucus and to serve in his 
             absence on a number of occasions when we talked about the 
             abuse of children around the world or the abuse and the 
             violence against women around the world.
               Tom was a fighter. We know that as the only Holocaust 
             victim and survivor to have come to this place. He talked 
             unwavering about human rights and the standing up against 
             despots, and he never feared in doing so. The Human Rights 
             Caucus became part of him. When you saw Tom walking, you 
             knew he exuded a fight for human rights.
               He also was concerned that we continue to fight in this 
             Congress against oppressive regimes. So even though there 
             are advocates for China and Russia, Burma, and certainly 
             there is constant opposition from the Sudanese Government, 
             he never wavered on Darfur. You heard someone say he was 
             even arrested.
               I've been proud to stand with him on these fights.
               He led the fight to end wartime sex slavery by the 
             military; another resolution recognizing the massacre of 
             Armenians by the Ottoman Empire as genocide; and, yes, he 
             held hearings condemning Internet giant Yahoo!'s 
             complicity with Chinese oppression of dissidents. And I 
             tell you, he didn't worry about whether that was a 
             constituent; he only worried about human rights.
               Thank you, Tom, for letting us know your family. I met 
             his daughter, Katrina, and Dick in New Hampshire. What a 
             wonderful spirit they had. I am certainly saddened by his 
             loss, but the fighter he was should live in us.
               Tom, rest in peace. May God bless you. We fight on with 
             you.

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in 
             support of H. Res. 975, ``expressing the condolences of 
             the House of Representatives on the death of the Honorable 
             Tom Lantos,'' and to express my profound sadness upon the 
             passing of my extremely distinguished colleague.
               Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I mourn the 
             passing of my colleague Congressman Tom Lantos. Chairman 
             Lantos was an extraordinary leader, a man who 
             demonstrated, by his life, that one individual truly can 
             make a difference. As the only Holocaust survivor ever to 
             serve in Congress, Congressman Lantos brought a moral 
             voice to Washington, and he relentlessly drew U.S. 
             attention to those suffering throughout the world. It has 
             been my extreme honor and privilege to serve on the 
             Committee on Foreign Affairs, under Chairman Lantos' 
             leadership.
               Since he was elected to Congress in 1980, Congressman 
             Lantos has used his position in Congress to combat 
             violations of fundamental human rights. Almost immediately 
             following his election, Congressman Lantos established the 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which, for over two 
             decades, has focused congressional attention on struggles 
             against oppressive regimes and human suffering across the 
             globe, including in China, Russia, Burma, and Darfur. I 
             have been proud to stand beside him, as a member of the 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and I know my 
             colleagues share my commitment to ensuring that his work 
             here in Washington continues.
               As a fierce advocate of human rights, he continually 
             pressed the Bush administration to take steps to prevent 
             the state-sanctioned massacre and rape of hundreds of 
             thousands of people in Sudan's Darfur region. On April 28, 
             2006, I was honored to stand side by side with Congressman 
             Lantos and protest the role of the Sudanese Government in 
             carrying out genocide in the Darfur conflict.
               As chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
             Congressman Lantos did not shy away from controversial 
             issues. Under his leadership, the committee passed a 
             resolution calling on the Japanese Government to apologize 
             for wartime sex slavery by its military, and another 
             resolution recognizing the massacre of Armenians by the 
             Ottoman Empire as genocide. He has brought landmark anti-
             trafficking legislation before the committee, held 
             hearings condemning Internet giant Yahoo!'s complicity 
             with the Chinese suppression of dissidents, and, tomorrow, 
             the committee is scheduled to consider a groundbreaking 
             reauthorization of the PEPFAR global AIDS relief program.
               Congressman Lantos was a truly courageous man, and a 
             true leader for our Nation. His legacy is best expressed 
             in his own words:

               It is only in the United States that a penniless 
             survivor of the Holocaust . . . could have received an 
             education, raised a family and had the privilege of 
             serving the last three decades of his life as a Member of 
             Congress. I will never be able to express fully my 
             profoundly felt gratitude to this great country.

               I offer my condolences to the family of Congressman 
             Lantos: his wife Annette; his 2 daughters, Annette and 
             Katrina, and 18 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. I 
             also join with other Members of Congress in mourning the 
             passing of an extraordinary person, leader and colleague.
               Thank you, Madam Speaker. I urge my colleagues to join 
             me in supporting this resolution, and in recognizing our 
             distinguished colleague.
                             Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) Dies
               Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), an important voice for Tibetan 
             freedom, died today at the age of 80. He had served 14 
             terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
               Born into a Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, he twice 
             escaped from a forced labor camp in Szob during the Nazi 
             occupation of his country. The second time, he was 
             sheltered by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg. After the 
             Soviet army liberated Hungary, he discovered that his 
             parents and most of his family had been killed during the 
             occupation.
               The only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress, 
             Rep. Lantos was chairman of the United States House 
             Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was also co-chairman and 
             founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a group 
             dedicated to raising awareness about human rights 
             violations around the world.
               Rep. Lantos was a tireless supporter of the Tibetan 
             independence movement and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His 
             contributions are too numerous to count, so I'll point you 
             to one of the most recent: his speech in San Francisco for 
             the 2007 Tibetan Uprising Day. He also joined Richard Gere 
             and Robert A.F. Thurman in talking about his friendship 
             with and admiration for His Holiness as part of A&E 
             Biography's 1997 documentary Dalai Lama: Soul of Tibet. In 
             addition, Rep. Lantos was the driving force behind the 
             awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to His Holiness 
             last year. When the House of Representatives ultimately 
             voted to give His Holiness the honor, he said:
               ``In his quiet but persistent way, His Holiness the 
             Dalai Lama has devoted his life to asserting the Tibetan 
             people's rights, lifting their spirits and upholding their 
             dignity. By his humble personal example, through his 
             prolific writings and in his addresses to audiences in 
             every corner of the earth, the Dalai Lama has provided 
             exceptional service to humankind. Such a vast contribution 
             to the betterment of our world deserves special 
             recognition and support. After nearly three decades of 
             friendship with His Holiness, I am deeply honored and 
             proud to have rallied my colleagues to award him the 
             Congressional Gold Medal. We can now look forward to the 
             day when he once again meets with members of Congress--
             this time to stand before us all to receive this unique 
             and well-earned honor.''

               Mr. BERMAN. I am pleased to recognize my friend and 
             colleague from Tennessee, Mr. Steve Cohen, for 2 minutes.

               Mr. COHEN. ``Tom,'' as he would insist on being called, 
             was a special person. I'm a freshman, and he befriended me 
             in my first year.
               Back, I think it was last January, there was an article 
             in The Hill, and it described my apartment. My apartment 
             was described as spartan, and that's probably effusive. We 
             had a Judiciary Committee meeting with Justice Pryor and 
             Justice Alito, I think there were just six or seven or 
             eight of us there, and I chose to go to that meeting 
             rather than the Yom HaShoah Program at Statuary Hall. I 
             felt bad about that because I had attended all those 
             programs in Tennessee and felt strong about the Holocaust. 
             I rushed up here at the end and I saw Mr. Lantos and I 
             went up and I said, ``Mr. Lantos, I'm sorry, I missed the 
             meeting.'' He said, ``First of all, it is Tom.'' I said, 
             ``Well, OK, Tom.'' And I said, ``I went to this Judiciary 
             meeting and I made a mistake; I should have come here, I 
             know.'' He said, ``No, you didn't; you did the right thing 
             going where you belonged. You belonged in committee. You 
             can go again next year.'' And then I walked away and he 
             stopped me and said, ``By the way, I read about you in The 
             Hill. If you need some help with interior decorating, you 
             give me a call.''
               He was a special person. He had a wonderful sense of 
             humor. And when I had problems with bills and votes that I 
             didn't feel comfortable with, I would go to him; and he 
             was grounded and helped me with them, just as he did with 
             Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz.
               America has lost a great leader, and I feel like I have 
             lost a member of my family. I am fortunate to have known 
             him. John Lewis and Tom Lantos are the two saints of 
             Congress; we've lost one, we have another.

               Mr. BERMAN. I am pleased to recognize the gentleman from 
             Missouri, Mr. Russ Carnahan, for 2 minutes.

               Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Chairman, my deepest condolences to 
             the Lantos family. Thank you for sharing him to perform 
             his remarkable public service here.
               It is, indeed, an honor and a privilege to have known 
             Tom and Annette Lantos, a remarkable American success 
             story, a remarkable American love story.
               I first met Mr. Lantos as a new Member after the 2004 
             elections and was awed by him. His life story and 
             internationally renowned fierce voice for human rights 
             everywhere will continue to lead and inspire us for years 
             to come.
               I am truly indebted to Tom Lantos for his gentlemanly 
             demeanor and generous time and advice for me as a new 
             Member of this House and on his Foreign Affairs Committee. 
             His giving nature, keen intellect, and passionate advocacy 
             were part of the decency in what is right about this House 
             of Representatives.
               Mr. Chairman, Tom, we will miss you, but not soon forget 
             you.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield to 
             Tom's good friend, the chairman of the Asia Subcommittee 
             of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eni Faleomavaega 
             from American Samoa, 2 minutes.

               Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend, 
             the gentleman from California, our chairman-to-be of the 
             House Foreign Affairs Committee, and also my good friend 
             and distinguished ranking member of our committee, the 
             gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
               Madam Speaker, I, too, would like to express my most 
             profound sorrow and to extend my sympathies to Chairman 
             Lantos' dear wife, Annette, and their 2 daughters and 18 
             grandchildren.
               It is my privilege to participate in this special order 
             and pay special tribute to our colleague and chairman of 
             the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the gentleman from 
             California, Congressman Tom Lantos.
               Without equal, Madam Speaker, Chairman Lantos was a 
             champion and advocate throughout the world for the basic 
             rights and dignity and decency of all human beings, 
             regardless of race, color, gender, or religious 
             affiliations. Tom Lantos truly believed that in this 
             troubled world of ours there is only one race, and that is 
             the human race.
               I am without words in how I can best describe the life 
             of this giant among men. And in this Chamber of Congress, 
             there is no word or phrase more dear to Tom's heart than 
             that of ``human rights.'' And forever I will remember him 
             as a teacher and a mentor whenever the subject of human 
             rights is being debated or under discussion in this 
             institution.
               As others have said earlier, Chairman Lantos would not 
             have had it any other way other than for us to continue 
             the fight and to advocate for human rights whenever 
             necessary, and for that matter, also to defend freedom and 
             democracy throughout the world. We have a saying in the 
             islands, Madam Speaker, to my friend Tom Lantos, Ia manuia 
             lau faiga malaga; may you have a great voyage in the 
             afterlife, my friend, Chairman Tom Lantos.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized for 
             the balance of the time.

               Mr. BERMAN. I thank the Speaker.
               A great deal has been said about Tom Lantos this 
             evening, wonderful, eloquent words that captured just the 
             profound effect that he had on this institution. Many 
             serve in this institution. Some leave a mark on their 
             districts of their presence here; some leave a lasting 
             mark on the institution. It's hard for me to think of 
             anyone who left such a mark around the world as Chairman 
             Lantos did in so many different areas.
               You read that statement that David Dreier read earlier, 
             and I'm going to read it again because it captures his 
             love of this country. He and Annette were the greatest 
             Americans because they knew what the alternative had been, 
             and they paid back with their work and with their 
             gratitude what America offered them.
               These are Tom Lantos' words after he was diagnosed with 
             a very advanced stage of esophageal cancer:

               It is only in the United States that a penniless 
             survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi 
             underground could have received an education, raised a 
             family, and had the privilege of serving the last three 
             decades of his life as a Member of Congress. I will never 
             be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to 
             this great country.

               He not only loved America; he hated tyranny and 
             oppression. And I served with Tom on the committee for 26 
             of his 27 years in the Congress, and that anger and 
             hostility and willingness to fight against dictatorship 
             and tyranny covered the dictatorships of the Communist 
             regimes, and it covered the dictatorships and the 
             oppression of the rightwing authoritarian regimes. He 
             wasn't one side or the other; he was against tyranny and 
             for human rights. He stood firm.
               It's very easy for us to attack forces that have no 
             direct impacts on our district; it doesn't take that much 
             courage to do that. Tom Lantos, notwithstanding what some 
             company in his district might be making in terms of sales 
             to a particularly oppressive country, stood firm and 
             constantly dealt with the pressures coming back from his 
             own constituents about our livelihood, our jobs, because 
             he couldn't tolerate the notion that, in effect, American 
             companies, American individual interests, American 
             corporate interests were giving governments around the 
             world the tools of that repression.
               In closing, I just want to tell one story. It was a 
             profound experience for me, I'll never forget. I had the 
             opportunity to see Tom a few weeks ago at his home here in 
             Washington with Annette, with Katrina, with their 
             granddaughter and with a baby great-grandson, which, by 
             the way, was one part of what gave him his strength was 
             this unbelievable family structure. And he looked much 
             better than he had looked in his last few weeks here, and 
             he talked about being at peace. Yes, he would have loved 
             to have been able to be here a few years longer, but for 
             him, he felt what a wonderful life he had had, what a 
             wonderful family, what a country, the colleagues. He was 
             at peace with what awaited him. And there was a serenity 
             and a strength there that just was stunning to me. I'll 
             never forget it.
               To the family, to Annette, our prayers are with you. And 
             you know that the work he did, the lives he affected 
             around the world, his presence will be maintained long 
             after his passing.

               Mrs. DAVIS of California. Madam Speaker, we have lost a 
             dear friend and colleague in the House of Representatives. 
             The world has also lost a great humanitarian.
               As the only Member of Congress to survive the Holocaust, 
             Congressman Lantos had a deep understanding of the value 
             of freedom and the need to pursue human rights around the 
             globe. He brought life experiences to his work that nobody 
             else could.
               On a personal note, I was extremely saddened when I 
             heard the news of his passing. After arriving back in 
             Washington today and seeing the flags at half mast, it set 
             in that he won't be with us any longer.
               I will miss him.
               He was always very gracious during my conversations and 
             dealings with him. I would listen closely when he spoke 
             because what he had to say was always important. I urge my 
             colleagues to honor Chairman Lantos' memory and fight for 
             human rights and justice around the world with the same 
             passion that he did.

               Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, yesterday, the 
             U.S. Congress lost a dear friend, a true humanitarian, and 
             a real statesman, Chairman Tom Lantos of California.
               I extend my deepest sympathies to Tom's dedicated wife 
             Annette, his daughters Annette and Katrina, and to his 
             many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We are 
             thinking of them during this difficult time and hope they 
             will find solace in knowing that their husband, father, 
             and grandfather was a true hero and role model for so many 
             of the people he touched.
               Chairman Lantos was unrelenting in his lifelong 
             commitment to defending the oppressed. He decisively chose 
             to serve his fellow human beings, often at great personal 
             risk to himself. After escaping from Nazi labor camps in 
             World War II, young Tom fought in the underground Nazi 
             resistance and continued to fight for justice. His ability 
             to triumph through tragedy is truly inspirational.
               Tom embodied the American dream. In summer 1947, Tom was 
             awarded a scholarship to study in the United States. He 
             arrived in New York City with no money and only a 
             Hungarian salami which was quickly seized by U.S. Customs 
             officials. With his incredible persistence and deep 
             intellect, he soon earned his Ph.D. in economics from the 
             University of California, Berkeley. Tom was always 
             thankful for the opportunities given to him by the United 
             States and America is blessed to have had such a loyal 
             citizen and distinguished leader.
               Continuing his dedication to others, Tom served the 
             American public and people of the world as an exemplary 
             Member of Congress. He founded the Congressional Human 
             Rights Caucus and most recently served as chairman of the 
             House Foreign Affairs Committee. Standing by his 
             convictions, Tom was arrested at the Embassy of Sudan for 
             protesting human rights violations in Darfur. As a result 
             of this brave action, the President renewed his call for a 
             stronger international presence in Darfur. Tom continually 
             defended those too often ignored by the international 
             community. People of the world are indebted to him for his 
             strong leadership in promoting human rights.
               I am honored to have served in Congress with Congressman 
             Lantos and to have worked together on significant 
             legislation defending the international human rights of 
             women. His support was paramount to the achievement of 
             many gains for women's human rights.
               Together, we were able to provide direct assistance to 
             advance the status of women in Afghanistan. We also 
             collaborated on landmark legislation to stop human 
             trafficking. I am deeply grateful for his commitment to 
             the women of the world.
               Chairman Tom Lantos will always be remembered with 
             respect and gratitude. He consistently gave voice to the 
             voiceless and was their champion. His legacy of upholding 
             human dignity will continue to inspire future generations 
             of Americans.

               Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, it is with great 
             sadness that I mourn the passing, and commemorate the 
             courageous life, of my dear friend and colleague, 
             Congressman Tom Lantos of California.
               Congressman Lantos began a lifetime of passionate work 
             for human rights as a young man when he escaped a forced 
             labor brigade to join an underground resistance movement 
             against the Nazis in his home country of Hungary. A Jewish 
             survivor of the Holocaust, he was just a teenager when he 
             undertook this important work, which began over 60 years 
             of efforts to fight for human rights across the world.
               Congressman Lantos' life of work on behalf of human 
             rights culminated with over two decades of service in 
             Congress, where he never failed to champion causes that he 
             felt were just. In 1983, Congressman Lantos became a 
             founding cochair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, 
             a caucus on which he served for the remainder of his life. 
             Under Congressman Lantos' leadership, this caucus was on 
             the forefront of efforts to protect women's and children's 
             rights, to free political prisoners, to preserve religious 
             freedom, and to halt ethnic cleansing.
               In recent years, Congressman Lantos directed his focus 
             to ending the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of 
             Sudan, which has already claimed the lives of over 400,000 
             people. In 2006, he was among a group of 11 individuals 
             who were arrested for committing civil disobedience 
             outside the Sudanese Embassy in protest of the genocide. I 
             can only say that it was an honor to follow in this 
             wonderful man's footsteps by doing the same thing myself a 
             few short weeks later.
               Beginning last year, when Congressman Lantos became 
             chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he 
             brought the crisis in Darfur and the recent violent 
             crackdown on democracy activists in Burma to the 
             forefront. It also must be noted that, under Chairman 
             Lantos' leadership, the Foreign Affairs Committee finally 
             began long-overdue oversight of the war in Iraq.
               Congressman Lantos' inspiring leadership will be sorely 
             missed, not only in this Congress, but by people around 
             the world. I wish to send my deepest condolences to 
             Congressman Lantos' friends, family, and constituents for 
             the loss of this irreplaceable man of good will.

               Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, I 
             come to say goodbye to a beloved colleague and friend.
               The sudden news of Chairman Tom Lantos' passing has left 
             those who had the privilege to know him without adequate 
             words to express our grief.
               My thoughts and prayers go out to his caring wife 
             Annette and to his family. I wish them strength and 
             clarity during this difficult time.
               Tom's life and accomplishments reached far beyond his 
             contributions as a legislator.
               Many words have been written about Tom's experiences as 
             a youth in Nazi-occupied Europe. But none of us will ever 
             be able to speak here with the same level of experience 
             and understanding that he had when referring to genocide, 
             suffering, the suppression of human rights, and the denial 
             of human dignity.
               Tom carried a personal sense of responsibility to fight 
             for those who cannot always speak for themselves: the 
             underprivileged, the subjugated, the oppressed. It was 
             evident in his words and actions, in every piece of 
             legislation he crafted, and in every hand he warmly shook.
               His convictions were never more evident than in his work 
             to establish the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. He 
             founded the caucus to focus attention on human rights 
             abuses around the world. Not only did he work to raise 
             awareness and increase the scrutiny of abusive practices 
             around the globe, he worked to stop heinous acts against 
             our fellow women and men and to bring peaceful solutions 
             to the conflicts that led to such atrocities.
               His unwavering optimism and prudent leadership will be 
             missed.
               My words cannot satisfactorily articulate the loss that 
             his death brings to me, the House of Representatives, and 
             to the Nation he loved and served.

               Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, Tom Lantos was one of the 
             kindest, most sincere people I have ever met. It was both 
             an honor and a pleasure to serve the people of the Bay 
             Area with a man of his integrity. His belief in universal 
             human rights for every man, woman and child defined his 
             career in Congress as well as how he lived his life. 
             America is honored that Tom Lantos chose to be a citizen 
             of our great democracy, and the world is a better place 
             because he fought to make it so. His passing is a loss to 
             the Congress, the Bay Area, and the United States, and 
             everyone who believes in fairness and equality. My 
             thoughts are with his wife Annette and his entire family 
             at this very sad time.

               Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
             memory of Congressman Tom Lantos.
               It was with great sorrow that I learned of the passing 
             of my esteemed colleague.
               When I asked Tom Lantos for his support in defending a 
             group of women who the Japanese Army forced into 
             prostitution during World War II, I knew that if anyone 
             would understand the pain of war, it would be him. For 
             Congressman Lantos, human rights violations were not just 
             an abstraction. He saw his family decimated by the Nazis 
             during the same war. He himself had suffered through the 
             horrors of a labor camp.
               After surviving the horrors of the Holocaust, 
             Congressman Lantos dedicated his life to advocating for 
             the rights of others. He spoke for those who had no voice 
             through his tireless advocacy as the founder of the 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus and the chairman of the 
             Committee on Foreign Affairs.
               A fellow member of the Bay Area delegation, Congressman 
             Lantos has been a mentor to me. His thirst for justice and 
             advocacy of progressive ideals will live on in all those 
             he inspired during his fruitful life.
               Congressman Lantos will be missed by everyone who had 
             the privilege of working with him. I send my deepest 
             condolences to his family, and echo his wife Annette's 
             comments that her husband's life was ``defined by courage, 
             optimism, and unwavering dedication to his principles and 
             his family.'' Tom Lantos will forever remain a role model 
             and inspiration to me.
               I will miss him dearly.

               Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, it is with 
             tremendous sadness that we mourn the passing of Chairman 
             Tom Lantos--an inspiring colleague and an outspoken 
             champion for human rights around the world. His passing 
             will leave an enormous void in the U.S. House of 
             Representatives, where he has served for 27 years and was 
             admired and respected for his strength, leadership, and 
             unwavering commitment to democracy and freedom.
               It was my honor to serve for 4 years as a member of the 
             House International Relations Committee in which 
             Representative Lantos was my ranking member. He was a 
             mentor and strong leader as a Democrat and as an American. 
             I will miss Tom as a colleague and a friend.
               I extend my heartfelt prayers and condolences to Tom's 
             wife, Annette, who was his constant companion and an 
             inspiration in her own right, along with their 2 children, 
             18 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
               The U.S. House of Representatives and the United States 
             of America have lost a hero, and he will be sorrowfully 
             missed.

               Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to our friend and colleague, the gentleman from 
             California, Tom Lantos.
               Our Nation has lost a true leader, and the world has 
             lost its foremost champion of human rights. While involved 
             in many different issues throughout his illustrious 
             career, it is Tom Lantos' work on behalf of suffering 
             people throughout the world that best exemplifies the type 
             of man he was.
               Born on February 1, 1928, in Budapest to Jewish parents, 
             Tom Lantos faced unspeakable horror early in his life. He 
             escaped a Nazi forced labor camp twice, the second time 
             thankfully finding himself under the protection of Raoul 
             Wallenberg, likely saving his life. He later learned that 
             his parents and much of his family perished at the hands 
             of the Nazis.
               As the only survivor of the Holocaust serving in the 
             House, he understood, in a way no one else could, the type 
             of suffering man can inflict upon others. He was the 
             founder and cochairman of the Congressional Human Rights 
             Caucus, and truly was a leader in standing up for the 
             smallest and weakest in our global community. No injustice 
             escaped his attention, no matter what corner of the world 
             was involved, and he would fight doggedly to right any 
             wrongs.
               He earned an academic scholarship that brought him to 
             the United States where he earned his bachelor's, master's 
             and eventually doctorate degrees and entered the world of 
             academia, before he decided to enter the political arena, 
             serving 14 terms here in the House. He rose through the 
             ranks to become the distinguished chairman of the House 
             Foreign Affairs Committee, a position that allowed him to 
             continue his battle for the common man who might otherwise 
             not have a voice.
               I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with 
             him and his wife Annette on a trip to South Korea, 
             Cambodia, and Vietnam in January 2001, hosted by then-
             Minority Leader Gephardt. I am proud to call him not only 
             my colleague, but also my friend.
               I join with all of my colleagues in extending our 
             thoughts and prayers to Tom's bride of almost 58 years, 
             Annette, his 2 daughters, his 18 grandchildren and 2 
             great-grandchildren. He will truly be missed.

               Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness 
             that I rise today to speak on the passing of an esteemed 
             colleague and a true friend, former Congressman Tom 
             Lantos.
               Tom's dedication, passion, and fervent commitment to 
             human rights will be deeply missed by our Nation and, 
             indeed, around the world. As the only Holocaust survivor 
             ever elected to Congress, Tom fought every day to give 
             voice to the voiceless and make true our commitment to the 
             words ``never again.'' Only 16 when he was rounded up in 
             his native Hungary by the Nazis where he saw most of his 
             family perish, Tom was a living embodiment to the ideals 
             of courage and human rights.
               First elected to Congress in 1980 after a distinguished 
             career in academia, Tom was a tireless advocate on behalf 
             of his constituents and a fine public servant. 
             Representing parts of San Francisco as well as his 
             hometown, San Mateo, Tom zealously represented the 
             interests of his District and, speaking as a Member of the 
             California delegation, I was proud to serve with him and 
             call him friend.
               While Tom had a remarkable career of over a quarter of a 
             century in Congress, it was his last year as chairman of 
             his beloved House Foreign Affairs Committee that he seemed 
             to relish the most. From that perch, he was able to 
             advance the cause of human rights and to shine a light on 
             long-ignored parts of the globe.
               Tom is survived by his loving wife Annette, his 2 
             daughters, Annette and Katrina; 18 grandchildren and 2 
             great-grandchildren. Our thoughts and prayers are with his 
             family.

               Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, maybe because I, too, lost 
             many family members in the Holocaust, I felt a special 
             affinity for Tom Lantos. His story was an integral part of 
             him. I was moved every time he described himself as the 
             only Holocaust survivor in Congress. And so were many 
             others.
               Tom was eloquent, passionate, insightful, elegant--and 
             fierce in his advocacy. His questions of witnesses before 
             his committee could be withering. He had a point of view 
             and was unblinking in his efforts to communicate it.
               In personal terms, Tom was a lovely human being--devoted 
             to Annette, his daughters and that enormous crowd of 
             grandchildren and great-grandchildren. But he was also 
             devoted to his colleagues, this institution, to our 
             country, and to achieving peace in the Middle East.
               At a time of such entrenched partisanship--which he 
             deplored--we desperately need more, not fewer, Toms. 
             Sadly, that is not likely to happen.
               I shall miss him terribly.
               Shalom, haver.

               Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to 
             address the House for 1 minute.
               I rise today to remember a respected colleague, and to 
             celebrate a life filled with courage, love, and service.
               With the passing of Representative Tom Lantos yesterday, 
             this body and this country lost a champion for human 
             rights and life everywhere.
               A quick look at Representative Lantos' life shows us 
             what a remarkable man he really was.
               Born in Hungary, he fought in the underground struggle 
             against the Nazis in Europe and twice escaped from labor 
             camps as a teenager.
               Later, as the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in 
             Congress, he used this experience to work against 
             oppression, intolerance, and genocide.
               Representative Lantos was also known as a dedicated 
             family man. He and his dear wife Annette were usually 
             inseparable--and all of my colleagues in the House knew of 
             his dedication to his 18 grandchildren.
               So let us take this time to recognize and mourn our dear 
             friend, Representative Tom Lantos, a fierce defender of 
             human rights, and a true leader who worked to improve the 
             world for both the free and oppressed alike.
               The thoughts and prayers of Barbara and I are with his 
             family, friends, and constituents at this difficult time.

               Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my 
             colleagues in honoring the legacy of human rights champion 
             Lantos Tamas Peter and expressing great sympathy on the 
             passing of this great American.
               As a member of the freshman class of the 110th Congress, 
             Tom Lantos was certainly a colleague that I admired and 
             looked toward for guidance. I am especially glad that 
             under our new majority he was able to serve as chairman of 
             the Foreign Affairs Committee, a post that he held with 
             distinction. There was an air about him of European old-
             worldliness and charm that I will never forget. It was a 
             great honor to have served with a man of such character 
             and integrity.
               Tom is famously quoted as saying that he was an American 
             by choice. And how only in this country, could

             a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the 
             anti-Nazi underground . . . have received an education, 
             raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last 
             three decades of his life as a member of Congress.

               As a naturalized U.S. citizen myself, I hope to give 
             back to this Nation as much as Tom did in his many years 
             of public service.
               I would like to extend my deepest condolences to Tom's 
             beloved wife, Annette Tillemann Lantos, his daughters 
             Annette Tillemann-Dick and Katrina Swett, his 18 
             grandchildren, and his 2 great-grandchildren. Thank you 
             for sharing Tom with us and with the world. His example of 
             courage and integrity will continue to inspire us.

               Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, yesterday 
             morning a friend and colleague, Representative Tom Lantos, 
             passed away.
               Throughout his life, Congressman Lantos fought for 
             liberty. As a young man in Hungary during World War II, he 
             opposed the spread of Nazi fascism and survived the 
             Holocaust. During his 27 years in Congress, Congressman 
             Lantos earned a reputation as a leader for human rights 
             and democracy around the world--in particular as the 
             ranking member and the chairman of the House Foreign 
             Affairs Committee.
               I had the privilege of working with Chairman Lantos as a 
             fellow member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 
             Together, we were able to strengthen the partnerships 
             between the United States and nations throughout the 
             world. Chairman Lantos brought an unmoving optimism to 
             both his life and his career that served himself and his 
             adopted Nation of America well.
               Tom Lantos was a beloved and respected Member of the 
             House of Representatives, and he will be dearly missed. 
             During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are 
             with his wife Annette, their two daughters, and his entire 
             family and friends.

               Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor the life 
             and legacy of Tom Lantos. The passing of Chairman Lantos 
             is a great loss to the Congress, our Nation, and to 
             oppressed people worldwide.
               Born in Budapest, Congressman Lantos was 16 in 1944 when 
             Nazis captured and occupied the city. He twice escaped 
             Nazi labor camps and was one of the thousands of Jews 
             saved from the Holocaust by the humanity of the Swedish 
             diplomat Raoul Wallenberg. Yet most of his family members 
             did not survive the Holocaust.
               At the end of the Second World War, Representative 
             Lantos came to the United States with his childhood 
             sweetheart and soon-to-be wife, Annette Tillemann. Over 
             the past 58 years, Tom and Annette were rarely far apart 
             and worked tirelessly together to champion human rights 
             around the globe. Today my thoughts and prayers are with 
             her and the Lantos children.
               When Tom Lantos came to Congress in 1980, the first 
             major piece of legislation he introduced was to award 
             honorary American citizenship to Raoul Wallenberg, whom he 
             called ``the central figure in my life.'' Wallenberg was a 
             central figure in the lives of many European Jews.
               A few years later Tom founded the Human Rights Caucus. 
             As cochairman of the caucus, Lantos was the leading critic 
             of abusive and despotic regimes abroad. He was unafraid to 
             confront the Chinese Government for its human rights 
             record and he was undeterred in his efforts to end the 
             ongoing genocide in Darfur. Most recently he helped move 
             through Congress tough sanctions on the Burmese junta to 
             help restore that country's democracy.
               As chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs 
             for the past year, Congressman Lantos continued to be a 
             moral leader on human rights and an advocate for those who 
             had none.
               Tom Lantos was a friend to me and to all people who 
             believed in the basic rights of all people. I am honored 
             to have served with him and I will do my best to work for 
             continued fulfillment of his ideals.

               Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in mourning of a 
             most distinguished colleague, a champion for America, a 
             lifelong survivor, and a kind friend, Representative Tom 
             Lantos.
               He stood at the near-perilous brink of history. Born to 
             Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary, he joined the 
             Hungarian underground--at not yet 17--after the Nazi 
             occupation and twice escaped from forced labor camps. He 
             was beaten. His mother, much of his family, and the family 
             of his childhood sweetheart-turned-wife were killed.
               He transformed tragedy into triumph. After earning an 
             American education and raising a family, in 1980 he became 
             the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. 
             Congress. Three years later, he had founded the 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus. And last year he became 
             the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
               He was a man of steadfast principle. He was one of five 
             members of Congress--at not yet 80--arrested in a protest 
             outside the Sudanese Embassy, in opposition to the 
             genocide in Darfur. He trumpeted the causes of civil 
             liberties and human rights with a consistent, measured 
             voice, having survived such great evil and wanting to 
             spare the world that suffering.
               His soul, his convictions, his grit, and determination--
             as genuine at age 17 as 80--remained uncompromising, 
             unimpeachable.

               Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 
             honor a great man, Congressman Tom Lantos.
               I would like to send my deepest sympathies to Annette 
             and the whole Lantos family. Congressman Tom Lantos' 
             partnership with his wife, Annette, was one of respect and 
             true adoration. I hope that the whole family will be 
             comforted by the knowledge that Tom's work has enhanced 
             the lives of millions around the world.
               I was proud to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee 
             under the chairmanship of Tom Lantos. Within the Congress, 
             he was viewed as the strongest and most vocal defender of 
             human rights. When he spoke, people listened, and when he 
             led, people followed. His moral clarity serves as an 
             example that generations to come will strive to follow.
               His achievements in world affairs will live on as his 
             legacy. His impassioned protection of human rights, his 
             crusade for democracy, his defense of Israel and Jews 
             worldwide, show that one individual truly can make a 
             difference in this world.
               Last fall, he and Annette asked me to lead the 
             Congressional Taskforce on Anti-Semitism, which is a 
             project that they started together as Holocaust survivors. 
             Now, as we continue our fight against anti-Semitism 
             throughout the world, his memory will carry on in 
             everything that we do.
               Congress and the Nation have lost an important voice. 
             But that voice will continue to inspire America and people 
             throughout the world.

               Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, Representative Tom Lantos 
             (D-CA) was the personification of America at her best. 
             During his nearly 28 years in office, Tom was a champion 
             for human rights and social justice around the world. As 
             chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and 
             cofounder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Tom 
             was dedicated to securing the freedom and liberty he 
             treasured for all people.
               Born in Budapest, Hungary, Tom was a member of the anti-
             Nazi resistance movement and escaped Nazi labor camps 
             twice. The war took most of his family and with the help 
             of a brave Hungarian diplomat, he and his wife, Annette, 
             arrived in America penniless with little aside from 
             painful memories of the war, and an unparalleled 
             determination to prevent the repetition of the atrocities 
             he had seen.
               After winning election to the House in 1980, Tom quickly 
             showed himself to he an undisputed authority on foreign 
             policy. His eloquence and passion made him a natural 
             leader as he forged alliances where no one else could. In 
             accord with his commitment to human rights, he was one of 
             the first to sound the alarm on the ethnic killings in 
             Darfur. And he was one of five Members of Congress 
             arrested for protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy.
               Representative Tom Lantos is survived by his wife of 
             nearly 58 years, their 2 daughters and 18 grandchildren. 
             His daughter Annette and her beautiful family are 
             constituents of mine as well as personal friends. My 
             condolences go out to her, Tom's other daughter, Katrina, 
             and his beautiful wife, Annette. Tom Lantos will he 
             remembered for his courage, inspiration, and compassion. 
             Tom, we all loved and respected you. We will continue your 
             ceaseless fight to keep America true to her conscience.

               Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
             memory of Congressman Tom Lantos, our beloved friend and 
             colleague, who passed away on Monday morning from 
             esophageal cancer.
               Believers in human rights and oppressed peoples around 
             the world have suffered a terrible blow with the loss of 
             Tom Lantos. He was a tireless champion for those suffering 
             oppression, violence, and discrimination, and the world is 
             quite simply a more painful place with his passing. Every 
             time a human rights issue came up on the House floor, Tom 
             was always there, speaking out for the voiceless.
               Tom's experiences escaping Nazi concentration camps 
             twice as a teenager and losing most of his immediate 
             family in the carnage of the Holocaust cultivated in him a 
             unique sensitivity to suffering. His compassion and 
             willingness to stand up for what is right was a constant 
             inspiration to me, both in our work in the House of 
             Representatives and in our cochairmanship of the 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus. He was a hero in the 
             eyes of so many, and his loss will be felt acutely by all 
             of us.
               I extend my most sincere condolences to Tom's family, 
             and I encourage my colleagues to take up the torch with 
             which Tom illuminated the world's darkest corners.

               Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today with great 
             sadness to pay tribute to my colleague, my neighbor, and 
             my friend, Congressman Tom Lantos.
               For nearly three decades Tom Lantos has been an eloquent 
             voice for the voiceless here and around the world. With 
             his passing, our country has lost a great champion for 
             human rights. His dedication to his fellow human beings 
             was rooted in having survived the Holocaust. His story of 
             survival and escape from Nazi forced labor camps in 
             Hungary during the Second World War is inspirational, but 
             it was the memory of those, including his mother, whom he 
             lost, that motivated him in his extraordinary career of 
             public service.
               Tom Lantos' story was also the story of an immigrant. He 
             said he was an American by choice. Coming to the United 
             States through an academic scholarship, he worked hard and 
             made the most of the opportunities that only America can 
             offer. He earned degrees from the University of Washington 
             and the University of California, Berkeley, and taught 
             economics for 30 years before running for Congress in 
             1980, winning against a Republican incumbent in a 
             Republican year.
               As a Member of Congress, Tom Lantos raised the profile 
             of human rights in every corner of the world from China to 
             Tibet and from Sudan to Burma. One of the first things he 
             did when he came to Congress was to found the 
             Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983. As the only 
             Armenian-American serving in the House, I'm especially 
             grateful for Tom's leadership as chairman of the House 
             Foreign Affairs Committee last year when he worked to 
             secure the passage of legislation recognizing, at long 
             last, the Armenian genocide of 1915. His voice in the face 
             of strong opposition from many fronts helped secure the 
             passage of this resolution through the committee.
               Although Congressman Lantos' expertise was in world 
             affairs, he took care of his constituents in California's 
             12th Congressional District. For 15 years I've had the 
             privilege to serve with him, representing one of the most 
             remarkable areas of our country. We worked together on 
             efforts to preserve our local environment and improve 
             transportation.
               Congressman Lantos' efforts are clearly visible 
             throughout his congressional district. He worked to expand 
             BART service at San Francisco International Airport and to 
             create a water ferry service from San Mateo County to San 
             Francisco. He led the effort to acquire Rancho Corral de 
             Tierra for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and 
             we worked together to fund a visitor's center for the Gulf 
             of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary at the 
             Fitzgerald Marine Center.
               More important than the legacy of his work is the legacy 
             of his family, especially the love of his life, his wife 
             Annette; his daughters Annette and Katrina; and his 18 
             grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. They always 
             represented the greatest achievements of his great life.
               America was blessed by the life of Congressman Tom 
             Lantos. May he rest in the peace that he worked so hard to 
             bring to others during his entire life.

               Mr. BAIRD. Madam Speaker, I wish to share the 
             perspectives of former Congressman Don Bonker on his 
             distinguished colleague during his service in the House, 
             the Honorable Tom Lantos.

               Tom Lantos was an extraordinary person in so many 
             respects. The only Member of Congress to survive the 
             Holocaust, his passionate commitment to human rights, a 
             widely respected authority on foreign policy, and one who 
             worked closely with every administration, regardless of 
             party, and world leaders to insure that democracy, not 
             tyranny, reign in our lifetime.
               There was also the extraordinary personal side of Tom 
             Lantos. His confinement and courageous escape from a Nazi-
             operated forced labor camp in Szob, Hungary, led to his 
             receiving help from the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, 
             who gave him safety in his Budapest apartment and eventual 
             freedom and relocation to the United States.
               Mysteriously, Raoul Wallenberg disappeared behind the 
             Soviet Union, never to be heard from again. But Tom and 
             his wife, Annette, never forgot the man who saved their 
             lives, and the 40,000 others whose lives were spared 
             because Raoul Wallenberg, at high personal risk, issued 
             fake passports that enabled them to leave the country.
               I first met Tom Lantos before he came to Congress in 
             1978. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, it 
             was suggested I talk to Annette Lantos about the fate of 
             Raoul Wallenberg. Both Annette and Tom gave eloquent 
             testimony before my subcommittee. Later, Tom Lantos wrote 
             and passed resolutions and had a statue placed in the U.S. 
             Capitol honoring Raoul Wallenberg. The teenagers from 
             Budapest have spent a lifetime honoring the man who saved 
             their lives.
               For many years, I traveled with the Lantos' all over 
             Europe, including, to Russia, Romania and Hungary. They 
             were committed first and foremost to the cause of human 
             rights and strengthening democracies, especially in the 
             countries of the former Soviet Union. There was no more 
             eloquent voice or effective champion on these issues than 
             Tom and Annette Lantos, a true legacy that will endure for 
             generations to come.
               There is another Lantos legacy. As a parent of 2 
             daughters, he took great pride in their 18 incredible 
             grandchildren, all of whom are fulfilling the highest 
             expectations of their grandfather. Every year the Lantos 
             Christmas card displayed a growing family of beautiful and 
             gifted children who obviously gave them considerable pride 
             and joy.
               In the Congress, Tom Lantos had no peers. He was 
             respected by leaders of both political parties and the 
             undisputed authority on foreign policy. Most newly elected 
             Congressmen avoid the Foreign Affairs Committee because 
             there is little that can help in their constituencies, but 
             for Tom Lantos it was always about foreign relations. 
             Indeed he ranks, alongside Lee Hamilton, as one of the two 
             finest chairmen who ever presided over the House Foreign 
             Affairs Committee.
               For those who had the privilege of knowing Tom Lantos, 
             there is even more legacy. His eloquence and charm, 
             personal loyalty to family and friends, his diplomatic 
             grace in meeting world leaders, left one with the 
             impression of being near a truly great leader and genuine 
             statesman of the world. It was a privilege to have known 
             Tom Lantos.

               Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Speaker, for almost three decades Tom 
             Lantos was been a passionate voice in the U.S. Congress, 
             and a tireless advocate for human rights around the world. 
             Chairman Lantos' commitment to human rights was forged by 
             his own life's experience, by the violence and tragedy 
             that he saw as a young man in Hungary. His commitment to 
             issues such as ending the genocide in Darfur will be 
             remembered by all those who have served with him 
             throughout his long career in public service.
               The Bay Area, and the Foreign Affairs Committee, will 
             sincerely miss his passion and dedication, and his 
             unrelenting commitment to not only helping those in need, 
             but making sure that respect for human rights is at the 
             forefront of our Nation's foreign policy. My heart goes 
             out to Annette, his partner for almost 60 years, as well 
             as his 2 daughters, his grandchildren, and his great-
             grandchildren.

               Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my 
             deepest condolences on the passing of Congressman Tom 
             Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee 
             and my respected colleague from California.
               As news spread on Monday of Chairman Lantos' passing at 
             age 80 due to complications from cancer, a great sadness 
             resonated throughout the House of Representatives and all 
             of Washington. This House, the Nation, and especially the 
             people of California have lost a great champion for human 
             rights, a very personal cause of Representative Lantos. He 
             was the only Holocaust survivor to ever be elected to 
             Congress and his own experiences enlightened his service 
             and enriched his service in this body.
               Throughout his 14 terms in the House of Representatives, 
             Representative Lantos conducted himself with dignity, 
             grace, and a passion for human rights. As cochairman and 
             founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a group 
             that highlights human rights violations worldwide, he was 
             able to provide a platform and a voice for persecuted 
             peoples around the globe.
               My thoughts and prayers go out to Representative Lantos' 
             wife Annette, their 2 daughters, their 18 grandchildren, 
             and 2 great-grandchildren in their time of mourning. It 
             was an honor and a privilege to serve with Tom Lantos 
             these last 27 years in the House of Representatives. I 
             know that he will be remembered in the hearts of his 
             family and friends for all the love and support he has 
             given to them and so many others throughout the years.

               Mr. SHULER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
             life of a great friend and statesman, Congressman Tom 
             Lantos. My prayers are with his family and friends during 
             this time of mourning.
               Upon my arrival to Congress, Representative Lantos 
             personally invited me to his office to welcome me to this 
             body. I appreciated his kind words and encouragement as I 
             started my work here. Since that time Congressman Lantos 
             has been a wonderful friend of mine and will forever be a 
             source of great inspiration in my professional and 
             personal life.
               Congressman Lantos' early life experiences as a 
             Holocaust survivor and as part of the resistance movement 
             against the Nazis shaped his future work as a husband, 
             father, academic, and public servant. At the young age of 
             16, Mr. Lantos and his family were taken to fascist forced 
             labor camps. After escaping twice, Mr. Lantos sought 
             refuge in a Jewish safehouse in Budapest run by 
             humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg. After the war ended, he 
             returned to the capital of Budapest in search of his 
             family, only to discover that they had all perished at 
             Auschwitz and other death camps. He reconnected with a 
             childhood friend, Annette, to whom he was married for 
             almost 58 years.
               Congressman Lantos has been a champion for human rights, 
             social justice, and civil liberties during his 27 years in 
             Congress. Congressman Lantos' dedication to serving his 
             constituents and this Nation will not be forgotten. His 
             life will be remembered as one of courage, selflessness, 
             and tireless dedication to his principles.
               My thoughts and prayers go out to Congressman Lantos' 
             wife Annette, his 2 children, 18 grandchildren, and 2 
             great-grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to join me in 
             solemn remembrance of this great public servant.

               Mr. WAXMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues 
             in expressing profound sorrow at the passing of our good 
             friend, Tom Lantos.
               Tom was neither an ordinary American nor an ordinary 
             Member of Congress. His personal experience as a Holocaust 
             survivor--and the only survivor ever to be elected to 
             Congress--defined his work in the House of 
             Representatives. He bestowed on all of us a unique 
             perspective that we both needed and relied on.
               As the founding cochair of the Congressional Human 
             Rights Caucus, Tom was known to all of us here and 
             throughout the country as the conscience of the Congress. 
             From the genocide in Darfur, to the human rights crisis in 
             Burma, to the global AIDS epidemic, to modern-day slavery 
             and human trafficking, Tom persevered on behalf of the 
             world's most forsaken and most forgotten.
               It was an honor to serve with Tom on the Oversight and 
             Government Reform Committee and Human Rights Caucus. His 
             contributions to Congress, to our democracy, and to the 
             disenfranchised and dispossessed around the world will 
             remain with us always.
               On a personal note, Janet and I will never forget Tom 
             and Annette's love for one another and their complete 
             devotion to their children, grandchildren, and great-
             grandchildren. We are certain the love of the Lantos 
             family and the reflections in the days ahead on Tom's 
             extraordinary life will carry them through this very sad 
             time.

               Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mourn the 
             loss of my friend and colleague Tom Lantos. Chairman 
             Lantos' passing is a devastating loss both for the U.S. 
             Congress and for the Nation.
               Chairman Lantos was a man of unwavering principle and 
             commitment who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of 
             people here at home and around the world. He combined an 
             intense knowledge of the world with an equally intense 
             passion for the rights and security of individuals. Tom 
             Lantos' elegance and eloquence were examples to all of us 
             of how to conduct ourselves as Members of Congress. In my 
             years serving in the House, I often looked to him as an 
             example of how to treat our colleagues with courtesy. His 
             respect for this institution was profound.
               As the only Holocaust survivor ever to have served in 
             Congress, he had an unfaltering commitment to the 
             promotion of human rights. Having survived one of the 
             darkest chapters in the history of the world, he became a 
             champion for oppressed people everywhere, in every corner 
             of the globe. And as a fellow Jewish Member of Congress, I 
             have been proud to work with Chairman Lantos to defend 
             Israel's right to exist and to join him in his lifelong 
             fight against anti-Semitism.
               One of my fondest memories of Tom was working with him 
             to help Congregation Hakafa in Glencoe, IL, transport 
             their Torah to its original home in the Czech Republic in 
             2005. The citizens of Lostice, the small town that was the 
             home of the Torah, gathered to celebrate the Torah's 
             return when it was placed in the ark for the first time 
             since the late 1930s. It was a beautiful moment that 
             connected Jews and non-Jews across continents and it would 
             not have been possible without Chairman Lantos' devoted 
             work.
               Chairman Lantos was a proud public servant who 
             selflessly served his constituents in California's 12th 
             District for nearly 30 years, and I know his loss will be 
             felt deeply in his district, in California, and throughout 
             the world.
               I would like to offer my deep condolences to Tom's wife 
             of 58 years, Annette; to his 2 daughters, Annette and 
             Katrina; and to his 18 grandchildren and his great-
             grandchildren, who were by his bedside when he passed. The 
             Lantos family, I know, was to Tom his greatest 
             accomplishment. While I know no words can take away the 
             pain of his loss, I hope that the tributes that are 
             pouring in from around the world provide some consolation 
             at this difficult time.

               Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of 
             my time and thank my colleagues.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has 
             expired.
               Without objection, the previous question is ordered.
               There was no objection.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the 
             resolution.
               The resolution was agreed to.
               A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

               Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I move 
             that the House do now adjourn.
               The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 
             36 minutes p.m.), pursuant to House Resolution 975, the 
             House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13, 
             2008, at 10 a.m., as a further mark of respect to the 
             memory of the late Honorable Tom Lantos.
                                           Wednesday, February 13, 2008
               Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, this Nation lost a great 
             American this week. U.S. Congressman Tom Lantos passed at 
             the age of 80. Last night on this floor, there was an hour 
             of bipartisan agreement of what this man meant to this 
             country and how much we've lost. There will be a memorial 
             service tomorrow under the Capitol rotunda.
               Tom Lantos was a Holocaust survivor who escaped from the 
             Nazis twice and survived. He helped Jewish people survive 
             the Holocaust through the good deeds of Raoul Wallenberg, 
             and he remembered that. He was a leader in this Congress 
             and this Nation on human rights and civil rights, animal 
             welfare rights, all living creatures.
               Mr. Speaker, as a freshman Member of Congress, I was 
             befriended by Tom Lantos, who told me to call him ``Tom,'' 
             which was difficult to do. He was such a giant of a man.
               There are great opportunities to speak out on policy in 
             this body and to serve in the greatest deliberative body 
             in the world, but there are human stories, too.
               In my opinion, there are two saints that are Members or 
             have been Members during this term that I have served. One 
             is Congressman Lantos, and one is Congressman Lewis. They 
             have overcome great adversity to go to great heights. I 
             think this country owes a debt of gratitude to the Lantos 
             family for his work. He will be sorely missed. I was 
             fortunate to serve with him and to be able to call him a 
             friend.
                                            Thursday, February 14, 2008

               Mr. BLUNT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
             yielding. . . . I was at the memorial service, as many of 
             you were. I was privileged to be there. Frankly, there are 
             very few Members of Congress, in the history of the 
             Congress, that could have, on the very short notice that 
             we would have this sad service today, would have the 
             Foreign Minister of Israel, the Secretary of State, the 
             head of the United Nations, the Speaker of the House 
             present. It was an impressive service . . .

               Mr. HOYER. . . . All of us, however, share what has been 
             said about Tom Lantos, for whom we had the greatest 
             respect, and we all share a sadness at his loss. . . .

               Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. . . . I simply end 
             remembering a friend who everyone in this room can agree 
             enriched our lives. My son mentioned the other day this 
             week when we were talking about the sad news, ``Dad, do 
             you remember when I was a little kid and you wanted me to 
             get my posture up, what you would tell me? I will never 
             forget,'' he told me. ``Lantos.'' Your posture. That is 
             one of the first things that impressed me about Tom 
             Lantos, even before I learned about his zealous 
             extraordinary commitment to the oppressed everywhere where 
             people are still longing to be free.
               So let us all then end this recollection . . . 
             remembering someone who we can all agree was 
             extraordinary, enriched our lives, and was a great Member 
             of Congress and a great American. Thank you all very much.
                                              Friday, February 15, 2008
                                       PRAYER
               The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered 
             the following prayer:
               Lord God, creator of the universe, we bless You and we 
             praise You for all the blessings showered upon this 
             Nation. Yesterday, with sacred words from the Hebrew 
             Scriptures, memorable songs, and beautiful expressions of 
             memory and thanksgiving, this Congress celebrated the 
             life, love, and illustrious service of the Honorable Tom 
             Lantos. May You who create harmony in the heavens bring 
             peace to all who mourn now.
               His passing is a great loss to this body and the Nation 
             because of his strong leadership and his ability to create 
             faithful and lasting friendships both as a statesman and a 
             champion for human rights. Lord, may Your people from all 
             across this Nation and from around the world continue to 
             console his wife, Annette, and his family, staff, and 
             friends, with their prayers, affection, and sympathy.
               Lord, because the Honorable Tom Lantos lived a great 
             American story, he will inspire many. May You, our 
             provident God, empower many more to draw upon his great 
             legacy and work for securing human rights and human 
             dignity for every person everywhere here on Earth both now 
             and forever. Amen.
                                              Monday, February 25, 2008
               Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, this House lost one of its 
             finest Members with the passing of Tom Lantos. He was a 
             dear friend, who taught me a great deal about human rights 
             and a life dedicated to service, and I will miss him. One 
             of my favorite memories of our service together is the day 
             I was arrested alongside Tom in front of the Sudanese 
             Embassy in Washington, DC, protesting the continuing 
             genocide in Darfur.
               I would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues 
             an article from the February 22, 2008 edition of the 
             Boston Herald that urges everyone to emulate Tom's legacy 
             of service and devotion to human rights. Written by 
             Anthony Barsamian with the Armenian Assembly of America 
             and Michael Ross, the son of a Holocaust survivor, it 
             expresses what we all feel about Tom's commitment to 
             ending man's inhumanity to man.
                     [From the Boston Herald, February 22, 2008]
                         Tom Lantos Passes Humanity's Torch
                       (By Anthony Barsamian and Michael Ross)
               Humanity lost one of its greatest voices this month. No 
             one lived up to the promise of the words ``never again'' 
             better than Rep. Tom Lantos. As the only Holocaust 
             survivor to have served in Congress, he dedicated his 
             career to working on behalf of others.
               Those who survive genocide live with complexities that 
             few can understand--post-traumatic stress, feelings of 
             guilt for having survived, a victim of man's most 
             diabolical incarnation, a witness to history--to name a 
             few. On the one hand, a survivor must rectify his tragic 
             past while on another, he must make sense of a stunted 
             future. With great strength and determination, survivors 
             and their families move forward and rebuild their lives, 
             for a second time.
               To start a life anew is difficult enough. To do so as a 
             U.S. congressman is nothing short of miraculous. Only in 
             America--as Lantos would say.
               For Holocaust survivors and their families, Lantos was a 
             source of pride. For those who searched for a voice of 
             justice, in him they found their greatest friend.
               Tom Lantos spoke out against genocide in Darfur, at one 
             point being arrested for protesting outside the Sudanese 
             Embassy along with four other Democratic lawmakers, 
             including Bay State Reps. Jim McGovern and John Olver.
               One of his final acts was a resolution that would 
             recognize the slaughter of innocent Armenians for what it 
             was--genocide. As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs 
             Committee, Lantos refused to be part of a campaign of 
             denial and looked beyond the politics of convenience by 
             passing the resolution.
               During a PBS interview last October, Lantos said, ``This 
             is one of those events which has to be settled once and 
             for all: 1.5 million utterly innocent Armenian men, women 
             and children were slaughtered. And the Turkish government, 
             until now, has intimidated the Congress of the United 
             States from taking this measure. I think it's important, 
             at a time when genocides are going on in Darfur and 
             elsewhere, not to be an accomplice in sweeping an 
             important genocide under the rug.''
               The resolution has yet to be acted upon by the entire 
             House--something, no doubt, Lantos, would want.
               Lantos understood what it meant to stand up for his 
             fellow man, much in the same way someone helped him when 
             he needed it. An otherwise ordinary bureaucrat, Raoul 
             Wallenberg, chose to become an extraordinary person when, 
             over the course of his diplomatic career, he found a way 
             to save 100,000 Hungarian Jews. Lantos was among them.
               As people who have inherited a legacy from our families, 
             we have an obligation to recognize man's inhumanity to man 
             regardless of whether it is convenient to do so. We have 
             an obligation to properly recognize an injustice by its 
             name, regardless of the political discomfort or cost. And, 
             like Lantos, we have an obligation to live by the words 
             ``never again'' and to remind the world when those ominous 
             words are back in play.
               In Tom Lantos's passing we lost the sentinel on 
             humanity's gate. We owe it to those he protected to speak 
             the truth, no matter the cost.
                                             Tuesday, February 26, 2008
                           EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS, ETC.
               Under clause 8 of rule XII, executive communications 
             were taken from the Speaker's table and referred as 
             follows: . . .

               5484. A letter from the Assistant Secretary for 
             Legislative Affairs, Department of State, transmitting the 
             enclosed correspondence from the Prime Minister of Kosovo 
             Hashim Thaci and the Speaker of the Parliament of Albania 
             Jozefina Topalli expressing their condolences on the 
             passing of Chairman Tom Lantos; to the Committee on 
             Foreign Affairs.
                                           Wednesday, February 27, 2008
               Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I extend my 
             deepest regrets for the passing of Congressman Tom Lantos. 
             His death is an enormous loss to Congress and our Nation. 
             I always deeply admired his unwavering commitment to human 
             rights. In this area, he believed our Nation could reach a 
             higher standard, and we are all better off because of it.
               Madam Speaker, I first met Congressman Lantos when I was 
             an aide in California's 19th Assembly District. I had a 
             high regard for him then and am honored that I was able to 
             serve with him in Congress. My sincerest condolences go to 
             his wife Annette, his 2 daughters, Annette and Katrina, 
             his 18 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

               Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I insert in the Congressional 
             Record a statement by former Deputy Secretary of the 
             Treasury Stuart Eizenstat in honor of our late Chairman 
             Tom Lantos.
                            Statement of Stuart Eizenstat
               I first met Tom Lantos during the 1976 Jimmy Carter 
             Presidential campaign for which I served as policy 
             director, when Tom took a leave of absence from his 
             teaching position in California to volunteer with the 
             campaign. He was a great asset in helping develop our 
             foreign policy, particularly on the Middle East. His 
             brilliance, his intellectual integrity, and honesty made 
             an immediate impression on me.
               His Holocaust experience, as a Holocaust survivor, 
             created an indelible link between us. From our first 
             meeting in 1976 throughout his public career, he was a 
             passionate and unwavering supporter of Israel and the need 
             for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. He saw 
             Israel as a Jewish state created out of the ashes of the 
             Holocaust and the best guarantor against threats to the 
             Jewish people. During the Clinton administration, in which 
             I held a number of senior positions including Special 
             Representative of the President and Secretary of State on 
             Holocaust-Era Issues, no Member of Congress was a stronger 
             supporter of my efforts on behalf of the administration to 
             bring justice to survivors of the Holocaust and to the 
             families of its victims.
               Tom was also one of the earliest and strongest 
             supporters in Congress for freedom for Jews in the then-
             Soviet Union.
               His Holocaust experience was reflected in a number of 
             additional activities. He was one of the strongest 
             supporters of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 
             which we created with bipartisan support at the end of the 
             Carter administration. He was personally responsible for 
             naming the street on which the museum sits as Raoul 
             Wallenberg Place, named after the person who saved his 
             life and his wife Annette's, following the Nazi occupation 
             of their native Hungary in 1944. He never forgot what 
             Raoul Wallenberg had done for them and for thousands of 
             other Jews, and was an indefatigable champion of trying to 
             get the Soviet Union and later Russia to provide an honest 
             accounting of the circumstances around Wallenberg's death.
               His Holocaust experience also taught him the importance 
             of human rights around the world. He was the founder and 
             cochairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, 
             shining a spotlight on human rights violations around the 
             world, most recently in Darfur.
               Tom's legacy of support for human rights, his strong 
             opposition to regimes which threaten western values, the 
             numerous actions he took to strengthen U.S.-Israel 
             relations mark Tom Lantos as one of the most influential 
             and important Members of Congress in our generation. He 
             was a dear friend and a great and good man.
                                                Tuesday, March 11, 2008
               Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. . . . Madam Speaker, this 
             resolution on the floor is the culmination of longstanding 
             efforts I have made with Representative Wexler, who is 
             chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe; Representative 
             Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking member of the House 
             Foreign Affairs Committee; Representative Mark Kirk; and 
             many others to open the largest closed Holocaust-era 
             archive in the world and release critical Holocaust 
             records.
               As I stand today in support of a resolution making this 
             significant event in Holocaust history, I cannot help but 
             reflect on the longstanding life and career of a true 
             champion of human rights and Holocaust issues, the former 
             chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the 
             first and only Holocaust survivor Member of Congress, 
             Representative Tom Lantos.
               These archives will forever contribute to the world's 
             collective memory of the Holocaust atrocities experienced 
             and the immense bravery exhibited by Representative Lantos 
             and his wife and other survivors who are no longer with us 
             today. . . .
                                                 Friday, March 14, 2008
               Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, it is with great sadness that 
             I rise today to honor the memory of the late Congressman 
             Tom Lantos and his devotion to battling genocide and 
             aiding its victims. We have not only lost a wonderful 
             friend but an individual who, during his lifetime, made 
             countless contributions toward the betterment of our 
             Nation, and indeed, the world.
               At the age of 16, Tom was taken by the Nazis as they 
             stormed through Budapest in 1944. After two escapes from 
             the Nazi work camps, he found refuge in a safehouse and 
             began working to help other Jews in hiding by gathering 
             food and supplies.
               Upon moving to the United States in 1947, Tom Lantos 
             served in various capacities as an educator, consultant, 
             and political advisor to several Senators. In 1983, only 3 
             years after being elected to Congress, Congressman Lantos 
             helped to found the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. 
             During his final year of service to the House of 
             Representatives, he served as the distinguished chairman 
             of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
               Chairman Lantos represented California's 12th 
             Congressional District for 27 years in the House of 
             Representatives and will be remembered as a champion of 
             human rights.
               We are privileged to have known and worked with such a 
             passionate and loyal individual. Chairman Lantos will be 
             greatly missed and always remembered. Madam Speaker, I ask 
             my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated public 
             servant.
               He will be deeply missed by his family--his wife, 
             Annette, their 2 daughters, Annette and Katrina, 18 
             grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren--as well as the 
             countless friends he leaves behind. Our thoughts and 
             prayers are with them all at this difficult time.
                                                 Tuesday, April 1, 2008
               Mr. NADLER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
               Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
             resolution which I introduced, along with Representatives 
             Ros-Lehtinen, Crowley and Ferguson. I am proud to stand 
             alongside of them, as well as Chairman Berman and 
             Representative Ackerman, who have been strong leaders on 
             the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab lands, in this 
             historic moment of recognition of these refugees.
               I would also like to take a moment to commend the 
             leadership of our late chairman, Tom Lantos, whose 
             leadership on this issue and on all human rights issues 
             has been critical to opening this debate and to 
             recognizing the rights of refugees throughout the world. . 
             . .
                                               Wednesday, April 2, 2008
               H.R. 5501, TOM LANTOS AND HENRY J. HYDE UNITED STATES 
               GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AGAINST HIV/AIDS, TUBERCULOSIS, AND 
                         MALARIA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008
               Mr. McGOVERN. . . . Mr. Speaker, all Members of this 
             House should be very proud of the bipartisan collaboration 
             and careful compromises that have resulted in the 
             underlying bill before us today, H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos 
             and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against 
             HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. I 
             wish to express my appreciation to the work of the 
             gentleman from New Jersey, Congressman Donald Payne, the 
             chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, 
             and Subcommittee Ranking Member Chris Smith, as well as 
             House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman and 
             Ranking Member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. And, like all of my 
             House colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I am grateful 
             that the committee named this bill after the great leaders 
             of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Chairmen Tom Lantos and 
             Henry Hyde, who guided the original 2003 act into law. May 
             the collegial spirit of these two great champions for 
             global health guide us all during today's debate. . . .

               Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida. . . . I would like 
             to thank Chairman Berman and Ranking Member Ros-Lehtinen 
             and Chairman Payne and Ranking Member Smith for their 
             marvelous bipartisan, very hard work on this important 
             issue. I also wish to thank them for naming this landmark 
             program for two ultimately respected colleagues of ours 
             who have recently left us, Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos. This 
             is truly a fitting tribute for two remarkable human beings 
             and public servants. . . .

               Mrs.  CHRISTENSEN.  . . .  I  urge  all  of  my  
             colleagues to support the rule and to support H.R. 5501, 
             rightly named to honor the service of Chairman Hyde and 
             Chairman Lantos. . . .

               Mr. BERMAN. . . . The negotiations that brought forth 
             this compromise bill were conducted in the same bipartisan 
             spirit that guided the 2003 act into law, a spirit made 
             possible by close cooperation between two former chairmen 
             of the Foreign Affairs Committee, our late colleagues Tom 
             Lantos and Henry Hyde, and I am pleased to note that this 
             important reauthorization bill is named for these two 
             foreign policy titans in recognition of their 
             contributions to battling HIV/AIDS overseas. . . .

               Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. . . . Madam Chairman, I thank my good 
             friend, the new chairman of our Foreign Affairs Committee, 
             Howard Berman. He has got a tough act to follow, because 
             we all loved Tom Lantos. . . .
               The foundation of this bill, as Chairman Berman has 
             pointed out, is the 2003 Leadership Act, which was the 
             first comprehensive U.S. emergency response to the HIV/
             AIDS pandemic and which stands as a noble legacy of our 
             two former chairmen, Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos. They 
             understood, as do all of us, that millions of lives around 
             the world depend on our country's willingness to battle 
             this pandemic together. . . .

               Mr. PAYNE. . . . This bill is appropriately named 
             because it was under the leadership of the late Henry 
             Hyde, then chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, that 
             the PEPFAR legislation was originally authorized. And 
             under the leadership of the late Tom Lantos, 
             reauthorization began. Both of these tireless giants who 
             have left us should be remembered by this legislation. . . 
             .

               Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Chairman, I rise in 
             strong support of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United 
             States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, 
             and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, an admittedly 
             long, but appropriate title for a bill that is long on 
             substance, meaningful intervention, tangible compassion, 
             and relief.
               Aptly named for two of the giants of this institution 
             who helped shepherd President George W. Bush's PEPFAR 
             initiative through the Congress in 2003, H.R. 5501 will 
             literally mean the difference between life and death to 
             millions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. . . .

               Mr. ENGEL. . . . Madam Chairman, I'm proud to be an 
             original cosponsor of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry 
             J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, 
             Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, 
             named after our dearly departed two great House Foreign 
             Affairs Committee chairmen that I had the pleasure of 
             serving under, Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde. . . .

               Mr. WELLER of Illinois. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong 
             support for the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States 
             Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and 
             Malaria Reauthorization Act. I want to commend the current 
             leadership of the committee, the bipartisan leadership, 
             Mr. Berman and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, for their leadership in 
             moving this legislation to the floor in a bipartisan way. 
             And it's most appropriate that it be named after Tom 
             Lantos and Henry Hyde, two distinguished chairmen of the 
             International and Foreign Relations Committees that 
             changed names, but one thing that was in common between 
             Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde was they always worked to ensure 
             that foreign policy should be a bipartisan product and a 
             team effort. So, it is so appropriate that they be 
             recognized by naming this legislation after them, which 
             reauthorizes President Bush's emergency plans for AIDS 
             relief. . . .

               Ms. LEE. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of 
             H.R. 5501.
               And let me begin by thanking Chairman Berman, our 
             ranking member, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, our subcommittee chair, 
             Mr. Payne, also Chairman Waxman, Mr. Smith, ranking member 
             of the subcommittee, and all who have helped to make this 
             legislation an amazing piece of legislation. And I know 
             that Chairman Lantos and Chairman Hyde want to thank us 
             and are here with us honoring their legacy because they 
             would want to see this move forward as it is today. . . .
               So, Madam Chairman, I lay out some of the history of our 
             work on this important issue because it speaks volumes 
             about what is possible when we come together in the spirit 
             of bipartisan compromise as we honor the great legacy of 
             both Chairman Lantos and Chairman Hyde through this 
             legislation. Chairman Lantos, I know, very much wanted to 
             reach a bipartisan compromise on this bill, as did 
             Chairman Hyde. I'm saddened that both of them are not with 
             us to witness this moment. But I know that they are very 
             pleased with what we have put together today. . . .

               Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Chairman, I am proud to rise in 
             support of H.R. 5501, properly named after our former 
             Chairmen Lantos and Hyde, both of whom I had the honor to 
             serve under on the Foreign Affairs Committee. . . .

               Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the 
             bipartisan agreement that will reauthorize PEPFAR for an 
             additional 5 years. I want to thank the chair, the new and 
             very capable chair of the committee, Howard Berman, as 
             well as my longtime friend, the ranking member, Ms. Ros-
             Lehtinen, for their crafting of the legislation and in 
             naming it the Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde United States 
             Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and 
             Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008. And in so doing, I 
             think it enhances the legacy of both of these fine 
             gentlemen. . . .

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Chairman, there's a 
             terminology that we use to describe joyous occasions. 
             Sometimes it describes freedom. The Fisk Singers in 
             Tennessee were called the Jubilee Singers, and it was 
             because they organized around slavery and after slavery 
             and the ability to be free with jubilation, and, 
             therefore, they were called the Jubilee Singers.
               I think today is a day of jubilation, and it certainly 
             is a time to express the jubilation that we feel with the 
             passage, or the intended passage, of this legislation.
               Let me thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. 
             Payne, for persistence and determination and wisdom. Let 
             me also acknowledge his ranking member, Mr. Smith; and, of 
             course, our chairman, Mr. Berman; and the ranking member 
             of the full committee, Ms. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for working 
             with us.
               But I do want to spend some time acknowledging that we 
             have named this bill after the late former chairmen Tom 
             Lantos and Henry J. Hyde. That is a jubilation. It is 
             something to express great excitement about because these 
             two distinct figures, in many instances with common views 
             but many instances different views, came together around 
             this lifesaving legislation, Global Leadership Against 
             HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. And it is 
             particularly important because we have added malaria and 
             tuberculosis as an element that is not a partner but 
             results thereof and/or stands alone, but all of them kill. 
             . . .

               Ms. PELOSI. . . . I am so pleased that the bill is named 
             for Congressman Chairman Lantos, our friend who left us 
             earlier this year, and Congressman Hyde before that, 
             because they were the original authors of the first 
             historic President's emergency plan for AIDS relief 
             legislation in 2003. . . .

               Mr. SIRES. . . . I believe H.R. 5501 provides needed 
             funding and support to transition the very successful 
             PEPFAR program, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor 
             of this bill. Finally, I can think of no better way to 
             honor our late chairman, Tom Lantos, and his predecessor, 
             Henry Hyde, by naming this bill after them. Chairman 
             Lantos was an inspiration to so many and spent his entire 
             life fighting for those around the world that were less 
             fortunate. His memory will live on through his wife, 
             family, and the lives of those who are saved with this 
             vital legislation.

               Mrs. TAUSCHER. . . . I also want to recognize and 
             commemorate the leadership of our dear friend, Congressman 
             Tom Lantos, whose commitment to the most vulnerable people 
             worldwide continues to be felt through our work on HIV/
             AIDS. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5501.

               Mr. VAN HOLLEN. . . . Madam Chairman, let us honor the 
             spirit of the two men--Chairmen Lantos and Hyde--who 
             guided the 2003 law through this body in bipartisan manner 
             by passing this much-needed legislation to combat these 
             deadly diseases.

               Mr. BLUMENAUER. . . . This direct amendment [amendment 
             no. 1] would add safe drinking water to nutrition and 
             income security on the list of programs for which direct 
             linkages are encouraged. This is an important tribute to 
             our late colleagues, Chairman Lantos and Chairman Hyde, 
             who were so instrumental in the enactment of our Water for 
             the Poor Act. Their insights to provide safe drinking is 
             an important component of developmental sectors from 
             health to the environment. To include safe drinking water 
             in legislation through which we honor their memories is a 
             small testament to their lasting legacies. . . .
               As I say, I can think of no more fitting tribute to our 
             predecessors as chairs of the committee, Congressman Hyde 
             and Congressman Lantos, who worked so hard to advance this 
             cause. I urge adoption of this amendment. . . .

               Mr. FORTENBERRY. . . . Madam Chairman, as a member of 
             the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee 
             on Africa and Global Health, I have been involved 
             extensively in the issues before us today. I really do 
             appreciate the bipartisan cooperation that has guided this 
             process, particularly by Chairman Berman and our ranking 
             member, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen. Thank you. This bill is 
             appropriately named for two giants of this institution, 
             Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde. . . .

               Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. . . . I also had the honor of 
             serving on the International Relations Committee under the 
             leadership of Mr. Hyde and Mr. Lantos when we passed the 
             original PEPFAR legislation. They were both extraordinary 
             men and wonderful mentors to me. They were compassionate 
             leaders in this House, and it is fitting that we pay 
             tribute to their lives and their contributions to this 
             country by passing a bill that will save lives and improve 
             life all around the world. I urge my colleagues to support 
             this amendment to be included in the bill, and also to 
             support passage of this important bill. . . .

               Mr. CARSON of Indiana. . . . Madam Chairman, before I 
             close, I want to acknowledge and salute the two men this 
             piece of legislation is named after, Congressmen Tom 
             Lantos and Henry Hyde. I didn't get a chance to work with 
             them in this body, but I cannot think of a better way to 
             honor their service in this great institution. . . .

               Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Chairman, I rise today to urge my 
             colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos 
             and Henry J. Hyde U.S. Global Leadership against HIV/AIDS, 
             Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act. . . . I 
             commend Congressman Berman and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen 
             for crafting a bipartisan bill that will save millions of 
             lives. It truly honors the legacy of our great colleagues, 
             Congressman Lantos and Congressman Hyde.
               I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this critical 
             legislation.
                                                 Tuesday, April 8, 2008
             CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA TO END ITS CRACKDOWN IN 
                                        TIBET
               Mr. McCOTTER. . . . But at this moment, I am also 
             reminded of someone who is no longer with us, someone from 
             whom I learned very much. That man is the late Chairman 
             Tom Lantos, a man who embodied the human spirit in its 
             ability to triumph over evil. How many people in this 
             Congress understood the moment when the tanks rolled into 
             Budapest and the Soviets went into Hungary, that that was 
             a seminal moment in the cold war, that the Hungarian 
             people's desire to breathe free could not be quelled by 
             tanks and could only be quenched by freedom? Throughout 
             the history of the cold war, their example was emulated by 
             others, including the Czechs in 1968, and of course the 
             Poles, and that eventually brought down the Soviet Union. 
             . . .

               Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman [Mr. 
             Berman] for yielding. I thank him for his leadership on 
             the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congresswoman Ileana 
             Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the committee, for 
             their leadership in bringing this resolution to the floor 
             [H. Res. 1077, calling on the Government of the People's 
             Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet]. It isn't 
             without a tear in the eye that we bring this to the floor 
             and remember our colleague, Congressman Tom Lantos, and 
             how important this resolution would have been to him.
               Twenty years ago when I was a new Member of Congress, 
             Tom invited some of us to a meeting that I will never 
             forget. It was with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At that 
             time the Dalai Lama presented to us his proposal for 
             autonomy for Tibet. That is over 20 years ago that the 
             Dalai Lama has been preaching autonomy, and it is on that 
             basis that we wanted him to have the opportunity to have 
             full negotiations with the Chinese Government. The 
             leadership of the Chinese Government had said if he 
             doesn't reject the idea of independence, that cannot 
             happen. Well, the Dalai Lama rejected independence 20 
             years ago, much to the dismay of those who want 
             independence.
               But, in any event, Tom Lantos opened the door for many 
             of us to meet with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Twenty 
             years later, in the Capitol of the United States, under 
             Tom's leadership and that of Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, 
             we were able to present to His Holiness the Congressional 
             Gold Medal, the highest honor that this body can bestow. I 
             am proud to say that President Bush stood there side by 
             side with His Holiness presenting our Congressional Gold 
             Medal to him. No President before had been so courageous, 
             and I appreciate and am proud that President Bush did 
             that. . . .
               I am very proud of this resolution. I couldn't be 
             prouder of all the statements that were made this evening 
             with all the passion and interest and history that went 
             with it. I think it is a tribute to His Holiness, and I 
             hope the vote tomorrow will be unequivocal about that. I 
             am certain it will. I also think that it is a tribute to 
             our friend, Tom Lantos, who had been so faithful to this 
             cause.
               Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Smith.
                                               Thursday, April 10, 2008

               Mr. DREIER. . . . I would like to, on behalf of the 
             California GOP delegation, extend hearty congratulations 
             to our new colleague [Ms. Speier]. Of course, it is with 
             mixed emotions that we're here because we are very still 
             thinking about the life and the contribution of our 
             colleague Tom Lantos but very pleased that you are going 
             to be able to work in the spirit of bipartisanship that 
             the California delegation has pursued for years. . . .

               Ms. SPEIER. . . . Madam Speaker, I didn't think it was 
             possible for a person to be filled with both pride and 
             humility at the same time. But that is exactly how I feel 
             today. I am proud to have been chosen by a substantial 
             majority of San Francisco and San Mateo County voters. I'm 
             humbled by the faith they have placed in me and by the 
             awesome legacy this particular seat holds.
               Recently, I was introduced as having been elected to 
             replace Tom Lantos. I had to laugh. I was elected to 
             succeed Congressman Lantos. No one will ever replace him. 
             . . .
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                              Monday, February 11, 2008
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, when I was elected to Congress 
             in 1982, I had the opportunity to visit over the telephone 
             on many occasions with a new Congressman named Tom Lantos. 
             He was new from California. He was very interested in my 
             election. He helped me raise some money for that election, 
             made many phone calls, and reached out to me as a friend. 
             So when I came to Washington, I had the opportunity to 
             meet him personally. That was the beginning of the 
             development of a real friendship.
               I have traveled with Tom Lantos overseas. He led 
             delegations. When I was a new Senator, I traveled with 
             him. Senator Daschle led a trip. One of the places we went 
             was to Hungary, and we had the opportunity to have Tom 
             Lantos show us around Budapest. Why was that important? It 
             was important because the Nazis waited until toward the 
             end of the war before they moved in to disperse the Jews 
             out of Budapest and Hungary generally.
               He was one of the Jews in Budapest they captured on many 
             occasions. He escaped the Nazis on two different 
             occasions. They would capture him; he would get away. He 
             said one reason he was able to escape as much as he did 
             was that he had long blond hair, and the Nazis didn't 
             figure he was Hungarian. He actually took us to places 
             where he had been captured, arrested by the Nazis in 
             Budapest. It was a wonderful time we spent with him for 2 
             days in Budapest.
               This morning, our country grieves the loss of truly an 
             American hero, Congressman Tom Lantos, chairman of the 
             Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives. 
             He was born in Budapest, Hungary. When he was 16 years of 
             age, Hitler and the Nazis occupied his country. He and his 
             family, like so many other Hungarian Jews, were captured, 
             rounded up, beaten, and taken away, sent to labor camps. 
             As I have indicated, he was a hard one to stay captured; 
             he got away.
               It was through him I first learned about the struggles 
             that people have on a personal, individual basis. He was a 
             man who protected his childhood sweetheart Annette at the 
             time. They were both saved by the great Swedish diplomat 
             Raoul Wallenberg, after whom we have streets named in 
             Washington, DC. He was able to escape many times but not 
             his family. All of them were killed.
               All alone, a teenager, with little cause for hope, after 
             the war, he moved through displaced persons camps. Tom 
             Lantos remained optimistic. He refused to give up. He 
             spent a couple years wandering around Europe after the 
             war.
               He wrote an essay on President Franklin Roosevelt, and 
             because of this essay, he earned an academic scholarship 
             to study in the United States. He came on a converted 
             World War II troop ship in 1947. He brought with him only 
             one possession. It was a large Hungarian salami, but when 
             he arrived, it was confiscated by Customs officials. So it 
             is neither a cliche nor an exaggeration to say that Tom 
             Lantos came to America with nothing.
               This ``American by choice,'' as he was fond of calling 
             himself, earned a B.A. and an M.A. degree from the 
             University of Washington, Seattle, and a Ph.D. from the 
             University of California. Soon after he arrived here, he 
             married his childhood sweetheart, Annette Tillemann.
               For the next three decades, he and Annette lived in the 
             San Francisco area. Tom worked as a professor in 
             economics, an international affairs analyst, and an 
             economist in many different areas, testifying in cases, 
             consulting generally. In less than three decades after 
             becoming a U.S. citizen, Tom Lantos became a Congressman. 
             He brought to Washington remarkable depth of knowledge and 
             intellect and stood out as a powerhouse from the day he 
             arrived in Washington.
               As I indicated, I had the honor of serving with him in 
             Congress, but I also served with him on the House Foreign 
             Affairs Committee as it was then called, and, as everyone 
             else, I found him blessed with the mind of a scholar and 
             grace of a gentleman. Tom Lantos could deliver a speech. 
             He still had the Hungarian accent, but he could bring an 
             audience to its feet. He was a great speaker.
               I can recall no one in Congress who did not admire this 
             fine man. He and Annette were always there to talk about 
             their lives together as kids, teenagers. They had been 
             together 60, 70 years. Raoul Wallenberg was the Swedish 
             diplomat. Because of Tom Lantos, there is a street named 
             after him in Washington, DC, right by the Holocaust 
             Memorial.
               I can recall no one, Democrat or Republican, who didn't 
             relish the opportunity to work with him. Once Tom Lantos 
             said:

               I like to work hard to make this a better country, to 
             provide a just government for our people and make sure we 
             have learned from the past.

               Tom Lantos did just that--leaving an indelible mark on 
             issue after issue from health care, Social Security, to 
             the environment, the budget, foreign affairs, of course, 
             but also his love of animals. He had a caucus in the 
             Congress he worked on dealing only with animals. He loved 
             animals and wanted to make sure they were treated 
             appropriately.
               He cochaired the Congressional Human Rights Caucus where 
             he fiercely advocated the spread of liberty throughout the 
             world. His convictions were so deeply rooted that he and 
             four other Members of Congress were arrested in 2006 for 
             protesting the genocide in Darfur at the Sudanese Embassy.
               After years in the minority, Congressman Lantos finally 
             achieved his dream of chairing the House Foreign Affairs 
             Committee, but it lasted only 1 year. He was diagnosed 
             being sick right before Christmas, the first knowledge he 
             had esophageal cancer, and he passed away within the last 
             24 hours.
               We were all deeply saddened to hear he was sick. I was 
             stunned when I learned he was so sick he would retire to 
             fight cancer. The fight did not last long.
               I talked today with Howard Berman, who will replace him 
             as chair of that committee. He told me he visited Tom in 
             Washington at his house. He said he handled his oncoming 
             death the way he handled so many things: with great 
             dignity and understanding.
               Tom leaves behind a great family. He has two daughters, 
             Annette, the same name as his wife, and Katrina. These are 
             two beautiful women, as beautiful on the inside as they 
             are on the outside. These 2 daughters gave Tom and Annette 
             18 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. He doted on 
             those grandchildren. A number of us here had him contact 
             us for things dealing with his grandchildren, making sure 
             they got in the school they were supposed to, jobs he 
             wanted them to get. He cared about every one of those 18 
             grandchildren.
               Landra and I have 16 grandchildren, but we have 5 
             children. He had 2 daughters with 18 grandchildren.
               The Lantos family is truly in our hearts today. Tom once 
             said:

               It is only in the United States that a penniless 
             survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi 
             underground could have received an education, raised a 
             family, and had the privilege of serving the last three 
             decades of his life as a Member of Congress. I will never 
             be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to 
             this country.

               That is what Tom Lantos said and he meant every word of 
             it. He benefited from the limitless opportunity America 
             affords, but America benefited far more from the service 
             of Congressman Tom Lantos.
               So today we pause to express our profound affection and 
             appreciation and gratitude for this wonderful man. 
             Congressman Tom Lantos was a great American. His spirit 
             will be sorely missed and his legacy never forgotten.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another subject, I, 
             too, want to talk about the passing of our good friend, 
             Tom Lantos. It would have been easy to excuse Tom Lantos 
             for turning against the world after the sufferings he 
             endured as a young man. But the reason we admire certain 
             people is they do not do what we would expect them to do 
             in the face of extraordinary trials. They transcend them. 
             And that is why a cold wind swept through the Capitol this 
             morning when we heard that Tom had passed away.
               America's history is a history of unlikely success 
             stories, but even by American standards, Tom's was 
             stunning. When the Nazis invaded Hungary in the frenzied 
             last months of the war, he threw on a cadet's uniform and 
             secretly funneled food and medical supplies to those in 
             hiding. He later said he assumed he wouldn't make it out 
             alive, but he ``wanted to be of some use.''
               He would add many more years to be of use--not only to 
             his beloved wife Annette and their large extended family 
             or to the people of California's 12th District but to 
             suffering and oppressed people. His own bitter experiences 
             led him to make no distinction at all among those who were 
             denied their basic human rights. He would always be 
             grateful for the honor of being able to help them. Well 
             into his seventies, he said he still got goosebumps 
             looking up at the flag on the Capitol on his morning walk 
             to work.
               Tom and I had our differences on domestic issues, but it 
             was a great mark of his commitment to human rights that he 
             frequently joined Republicans when these rights were at 
             stake. He worked with the Republicans to introduce a 
             resolution expressing solidarity with Israel in its fight 
             against terrorism. He worked with the Republicans to get 
             funds to fight AIDS around the world. Every year since 
             2003, he and I were the House and Senate sponsors of the 
             Burmese Freedom and Democracy Act.
               We were also united in our strong support for Israel. We 
             took leading roles in the House and Senate on the 
             Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act. And we were united in our 
             concerns about Iran. Tom introduced the Iran 
             Counterproliferation Act in the House. I cosponsored it in 
             the Senate.
               When Tom was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness 
             last December, he responded again in an extraordinary way. 
             He responded with gratitude. He said:

               It is only in the United States that a penniless 
             survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi 
             underground could have received an education, raised a 
             family, and had the privilege of serving the last three 
             decades of his life as a Member of Congress.

               We know Tom's decision to retire was especially painful, 
             since he had just last year been named chairman of the 
             House Committee on Foreign Affairs, a committee he had 
             served on for 26 years. It was a position he said he had 
             been preparing for his whole life.
               With his distinctive accent, his grace, and his deep 
             learning--he spoke five languages and devoted 6 hours a 
             day to reading books and magazines--Tom always gave the 
             impression of being a true gentleman of the House, and he 
             was. But he was just as tough. Tom Lantos accomplished 
             something few people do in life: he committed himself to 
             an ideal and followed through on it until the end. He gave 
             it everything he had, and America admires him for it.
               I want to express Elaine's and my deepest sympathies to 
             Annette. We got to know Tom and Annette on several trips 
             abroad, which is a way you make friendships around here, 
             both across the aisle and in the other body. Annette and 
             Tom lived near us here on Capitol Hill. I recall 
             frequently seeing Annette out walking the dog. So we 
             grieve for her and their daughters and the entire extended 
             Lantos family on their loss.
               Mr. President, I yield the floor.

               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I want to spend a few moments 
             to eulogize our old friend, the chairman of the House 
             Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos. He has been one of 
             my dear friends all these years. I have been here 31 
             years, and he was here 27 years. He and Annette have 
             really been wonderful people in Elaine's and my life.
               Mr. President, this morning began sadly, as the two 
             leaders have said, with the news of the death of 
             Congressman Tom Lantos, one of the giants among the 
             Democrats in the House, and, frankly, among all Members of 
             Congress during the last 27 years. Congressman Lantos had 
             been diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, and had 
             recently announced he would not run for a 15th term for 
             the 12th District of California, which he so ably served 
             since 1981.
               Tom Lantos led a remarkable life. A Hungarian Jew, he 
             lived what he said was a happy childhood until the 
             Hungarian fascist allies of Hitler brought the Holocaust 
             to Hungary. Through most of the war, he was interned in 
             various forced labor camps, some from which he escaped, 
             and was at least once recaptured, following a beating that 
             he later said, ``I was pleasantly surprised to survive.''
               After a final escape, he spent the remainder of the war 
             in hiding, protected, as so many Hungarian Jews were, by 
             Raoul Wallenberg, the man who risked his life to protect 
             as many of Hungary's Jews as he could and who vanished 
             into the Soviet camps at the end of the war. One of the 
             great days of my life was to pay homage to Raoul 
             Wallenberg at the monument in Europe.
               Six hundred thousand Hungarian Jews perished in the 
             Holocaust, including Tom Lantos' family. One of the first 
             initiatives of Congressman Lantos upon coming to the House 
             of Representatives in 1981 was to pass legislation 
             granting Raoul Wallenberg U.S. citizenship.
               Tom Lantos was, in his words, ``an American by choice,'' 
             and to know him was to see that every day of his life he 
             embraced the opportunities an immigrant can find in this 
             great country. He arrived penniless to this country, as my 
             two colleagues have said. According to his biography, his 
             only possession was a precious Hungarian salami, which was 
             confiscated upon arrival, as my colleagues mentioned. But 
             with a scholarship and hard work, he earned a Ph.D. in 
             economics and taught at San Francisco's State University 
             for almost three decades, developing, during that time, 
             his credentials as a commentator on world affairs.
               Tom Lantos brought to the House his passionate 
             patriotism and the drive of a survivor. When people would 
             comment on the demands of his work, which included regular 
             travel to his constituency 3,000 miles away, his global 
             travels as a Member of the House Foreign Affairs 
             Committee, which he recently chaired, and the hectic pace 
             of his other congressional assignments, he would be quick 
             to remind us that this was nothing in comparison to what 
             he had faced as a young man.
               He founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a 
             platform which he used to highlight the human rights 
             abuses around the world, and with which he became 
             inextricably associated. For many of us in Congress and 
             for many oppressed through the world, Congressman Lantos 
             was the chairman for human rights.
               He was a Democrat who believed in the use of American 
             power for good and who understood the nuances of subtle, 
             as well as confrontational, diplomacy.
               For example, he kept trying to get a visa to visit 
             Tehran because he believed there was always room to talk 
             with enemies as well as friends. But when asked what he 
             would say to the dictators in Tehran, he was less than 
             subtle:

               I will tell the Iranians the truth--that it's a great 
             country and they need to be reintegrated into the family 
             of civilized nations and that they must give up their 
             lunatic notions.

               Less than subtle, to be sure, but truthful. It is hard 
             to disagree with this view, Mr. President.
               Tom Lantos also recognized that diplomacy could fail and 
             the use of the U.S. military could achieve noble ends. He 
             was a strong supporter of the military during the cold 
             war, supported military assistance to Israel, urged 
             President Clinton to lead NATO forces against Milosevic's 
             genocide, and supported our interventions in Iraq, 
             although, to be fair to him, he was critical, as many of 
             us have been, about the implementation of our invasion of 
             Iraq.
               The point is, Tom Lantos represented the wing of the 
             Democratic Party that kept central our national security 
             concerns, that recognized our duty in the world, and 
             accepted that the use of force is sometimes required. This 
             is the wing of the Democratic Party that needs to survive 
             if that party is to remain relevant to the events in the 
             world that will continually shape us.
               I am honored to have been a friend of Tom Lantos for 
             decades. We loved each other. We showed that love 
             repeatedly over the years. He was a dear friend, and I 
             want everybody to know just how deeply I felt about him. 
             Our staffs worked together well, and he always had my 
             admiration and respect.
               I will never forget a tour he gave me and Senators Reid 
             and Daschle of the old Jewish ghetto in Budapest when our 
             separate codels happened to be in that city at the same 
             time in 1996. Later, he gave us a personal tour of the 
             magnificent Hungarian Parliament Building. One of the 
             first post-Communist governments was in power, and they so 
             highly regarded Tom Lantos for his heritage, as well as 
             his anti-Communist stance throughout his life, that he was 
             granted free access throughout the building. He even knew 
             where to turn the lights on.
               The prayers and thoughts of Elaine and I go out to 
             Annette, his beautiful wife of 58 years, whom he married 
             in California, but who, like himself, was a survivor of 
             the Holocaust in Hungary and was actually a childhood 
             sweetheart. The fact that they loved each other as long as 
             they have, that they came from similar backgrounds, and 
             worked together daily throughout their lives only makes 
             her loss that much sadder.
               Our condolences go out to her and their two wonderful 
             children. And I believe there are 18 grandchildren. But 
             the death of Tom Lantos is a great loss, as well, to his 
             constituents, to his colleagues in the House, to his 
             party, and to all of us in Congress. It is a loss to our 
             great Nation and to all those who strive in solidarity for 
             the cause of human rights.
               Tom Lantos was slight of build, but he was a giant. He 
             was a moral force who used the authority of a survivor 
             from the Holocaust, of an American immigrant, and of a 
             scholar and leader to show the great institution of 
             Congress how it can lead in a dangerous and often immoral 
             world.
               Elaine and I loved Tom, we love Annette, and we hope we 
             can be of some assistance to Annette and her family as we 
             move into the future. But we will miss Tom very badly. 
             What a great and noble man who suffered so much for 
             freedom.
               I thank the Chair.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Arizona.

               Mr. KYL. Mr. President, that was a very fine tribute 
             from the Senator from Utah to a very fine man. I had the 
             honor of serving with Tom Lantos in the House of 
             Representatives, and I certainly join all others who mourn 
             his death today.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             California is recognized.

               Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I had the great pleasure 
             of knowing Tom Lantos as a friend and as a mentor. I have 
             known him for many years. I last spoke with him about 3 
             weeks ago, maybe 4, and he said he was going to forgo 
             treatment, that he was ready for whatever would come, that 
             he and Annette were going to remain in Washington, that he 
             was very content with his medical treatment at Bethesda, 
             and he did not believe he would try anything heroic.
               Those of us who know, know cancer of the esophagus is 
             devastating and unrelenting. From that point on, I began 
             to think quite a bit about Tom Lantos. I thought back when 
             Yahoo! had the confrontation with China and did not stand 
             up but gave in to China, and Tom stood on his feet, with 
             amazing blue eyes and his gray hair, and said: ``Morally 
             you are pygmies.''
               He called it as it was. He stood for human rights. After 
             26 years in the House, he became chairman of the Foreign 
             Affairs Committee. Regretfully, his life ended before he 
             had much more time than a year in that position.
               Tom Lantos represented the district directly to the 
             south of my city, San Francisco. He was a wonderful 
             Representative. I watched him over the past 30 years as 
             time went on. I watched his 18 grandchildren grow. I 
             remember meeting them in the airport in Denver. I do not 
             know whether Members know this; some of them were home 
             schooled, and they went to college at the age of 14. That 
             is pretty amazing; all high achievers, all very close, a 
             tight family; a wife who was his childhood sweetheart.
               This does not often happen. But then if you think back 
             to Hungary in those days, and you think back to a young, 
             blue-eyed man in the camps, escaping at night, being 
             caught, coming back, leaving again, becoming part of Raoul 
             Wallenberg's group, coming to this country, becoming 
             educated and all the greatness of the country opening 
             before him.
               He truly measured up to the greatness of America. I was 
             very proud to call Tom Lantos a friend and a mentor. He 
             will be missed. He will be missed in his district, he will 
             be missed in California, and he will be missed in the 
             United States.
               I yield the floor.

               Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of 
             S. Res. 446 submitted earlier today by Senators Reid and 
             McConnell.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the 
             resolution by title.
               The legislative clerk read as follows:

               A resolution (S. Res. 446) relative to the death of 
             Representative Tom Lantos of California.

               There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to 
             consider the resolution.

               Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent to have my name 
             added as a cosponsor of the resolution.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.

               Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it was a great honor to serve 
             in the U.S. House of Representatives before coming to the 
             Senate and, during that time, to serve with Tom Lantos of 
             California. His was an extraordinary story of a man who 
             survived the Holocaust and came to the U.S. Congress 
             representing a district in the State of California, rising 
             to the rank of chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
               He was as inspiring a speaker as one could ever hear on 
             many topics but especially on the Holocaust and the impact 
             it had on so many innocent people. He was, more than any 
             other person, a leader in acknowledging the bravery and 
             courage of Raoul Wallenberg and so many others who 
             resisted the Holocaust and fought to save the poor 
             victims, including many Jewish people.
               Tom Lantos and his wife Annette traveled across the 
             world, speaking on behalf of the United States and 
             developing strong personal relationships with many leaders 
             overseas. He was truly a great representative of the U.S. 
             House of Representatives and of the U.S. Government.
               A few weeks ago, we were surprised to learn that he was 
             suffering from cancer and announced he would not be 
             running for reelection. I didn't realize at the time how 
             grave his condition was. His passing over the weekend 
             brings a reminder of his service to our country, his 
             service to the State of California, and the loss which 
             those of us who counted him as a friend will endure in 
             these days of mourning.
               I am happy to join as a cosponsor of this resolution in 
             tribute to Congressman Lantos.
               I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed 
             to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table with 
             no intervening action or debate, and that any statements 
             relating to the measure be printed in the Record.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
               The resolution (S. Res. 446) was agreed to, as follows:
                                     S. Res. 446
               Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 
             and deep regret the announcement of the death of the 
             Honorable Tom Lantos, late a Representative from the State 
             of California.
               Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these 
             resolutions to the House of Representatives and transmit 
             an enrolled copy thereof to the family of the deceased.
               Resolved, That when the Senate adjourns or recesses 
             today, it stand adjourned or recessed as a further mark of 
             respect to the memory of the deceased Representative.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate stands in adjournment 
             until 10 a.m. tomorrow, February 12, pursuant to S. Res. 
             446, and does so as a mark of further respect to the 
             memory of Tom Lantos, late a Representative from the State 
             of California.
               Thereupon, the Senate, at 10:09 p.m., adjourned until 
             Tuesday, February 12, 2008, at 10 a.m.
                                             Tuesday, February 12, 2008
               Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, California and the entire 
             Nation lost a remarkable leader yesterday with the passing 
             of my friend, Congressman Tom Lantos.
               From his leadership as chairman of the House Committee 
             on Foreign Affairs to his founding of the Congressional 
             Human Rights Caucus, Congressman Lantos went about his 
             work with a dignity and a seriousness that transcended 
             politics. In a time of bitter divisions, he earned the 
             respect of colleagues from both sides of the aisle.
               As a survivor of the Holocaust, Congressman Lantos 
             brought to Congress a profound personal commitment to 
             human rights. We will remember not only his courage and 
             his optimism, but also his deep affection for his adopted 
             country. He leaves behind a legacy of hope and 
             inspiration.
               On a personal level, it was an honor to call Tom a 
             colleague and a friend. I was proud to work with him on so 
             many important issues.
               I remember working with him to secure funding to build a 
             tunnel to bypass a section of Route 1 that was so 
             frequently closed by landslides that it was known as 
             Devil's Slide. It took years, but they broke ground on the 
             tunnel in November. And it is a fitting tribute to the 
             passion with which he served his constituents that there 
             is a bill before the State Senate to name that tunnel in 
             his honor.
               Congressman Lantos was a true statesman, and we will 
             miss him. My heart goes out to his family during this time 
             of grief. They are in our thoughts and in our prayers.
                 

                                    The Honorable

Tom Lantos

                         February 1, 1928-February 11, 2008

                   Immediately following today's memorial service,
                         Mrs. Annette Lantos and family will
                         receive guests in the Rayburn Room.
                 
               [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#15
               

                                    The Honorable

Tom Lantos

                         February 1, 1928-February 11, 2008

               After today's memorial service, Congressman Tom Lantos
                       will be posthumously awarded the Grand
                 Cross Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary by 
                      Hungarian Ambassador to the United States
                   Ferenc Somogyi and the wife of Hungarian Prime
                    Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, Mrs. Klara Dobrev.
               This is the highest civilian decoration awarded by the 
                Hungarian government. Mrs. Annette Lantos will accept
               this decoration on her husband's behalf in the Rayburn 
                Room immediately following today's memorial service.
                 
                 
               [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#15
               

               [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T0700.004
               


                            A Celebration of the Life of

                                    The Honorable

Tom Lantos

                             California's 12th District

             Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs

             February 1, 1928-February 11, 2008

                                    Statuary Hall
                                United States Capitol
                             Thursday, February 14, 2008
                                     10:00 a.m.
             ``It is only in the United States that a penniless 
             survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi 
             underground could have received an education, raised a 
             family and had the privilege of serving the last three 
             decades of his life as a member of Congress. I will never 
             be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to 
             this great country.''
                                                           --Tom Lantos

             P R O G R A M


             Prelude
                     The United States Army Band String Quartet

             Welcome
                           Mr. Tomicah Tillemann, Grandson

             Reading
                    Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Psalms 15, 23 and 121

             Tributes
                                 Mrs. Annette Lantos
                   The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, The Speaker of the
                       United States House of Representatives
                        Mrs. Annette Tillemann-Dick, Daughter

             Musical Selection
                 Ms. Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, Granddaughter

             Tributes
                           The Honorable Condoleezza Rice,
                     The Secretary of State of the United States
                             Her Excellency Tzipi Livni,
                        Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel
                             Dr. Katrina Swett, Daughter
                  The Honorable Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader of the
                       United States House of Representatives
                             His Excellency Ban Ki-moon,
                       Secretary-General of the United Nations
                  The Honorable Joseph Biden, United States Senate
                          The Honorable Christopher Shays,
                       United States House of Representatives
                      Bono, Musician and Human Rights Activist
                        Mrs. Chelsea Hedquist, Granddaughter
                           Mr. Tomicah Tillemann, Grandson
               Mr. Elie Wiesel, Mellon Professor in the Humanities at
                       Boston University, Nobel Peace Laureate

             Benediction
                                Rabbi Arthur Schneier
             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T0700.002
             

             Annette and Tom as children in Hungary.

             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T0700.003
             

             Tom, Annette, and Gigi in front of a Raoul Wallenberg 
             portrait.
             Tomicah Tillemann. Ladies and gentlemen, throughout my 
             grandfather's life, he had an affectionate disdain for 
             protocol. And in that spirit, instead of recognizing our 
             many honored guests this morning by name, I want to 
             welcome you all as I expect he would have if he were 
             here--as cherished friends. All of us in the Lantos 
             family--my grandmother, his daughters, the sons-in-law, 
             all of the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren--are 
             so grateful to have you with us as we remember an 
             extraordinary man and memorialize a life so improbable 
             that at times its trajectory seemed to defy the very laws 
             of physics.
               Our program this morning will begin with a reading by 
             Rabbi Arthur Schneier. This will be followed by tributes 
             from the love of my grandfather's life, the incomparable 
             Annette Lantos; his dear friend and longtime neighbor, 
             Speaker Nancy Pelosi; and his similarly indefatigable 
             first daughter, my mother, Annette Tillemann-Dick. Charity 
             Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, whose voice was a source of 
             constant joy to her grandfather, will then perform a 
             musical selection. After Charity, there will be additional 
             tributes from Dr. Condoleezza Rice, whose close friendship 
             with my grandfather began in California and survived 
             Washington; Her Excellency Tzipi Livni, the foreign 
             minister of Israel; Dr. Katrina Swett, my grandfather's 
             second daughter and political doppelganger; his colleague 
             and friend, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; Secretary-General 
             Ban ki-Moon, a man who, my grandfather liked to remark, 
             had the whole world in his hands; Senator Joseph Biden, 
             whose policy acumen was evident early on when, as a young 
             Senator, he hired my grandfather to advise him on foreign 
             affairs; my grandfather's dear friend and fellow gym rat, 
             the Honorable Christopher Shays; Bono, who needs no 
             introduction; Chelsea Hedquist, the eldest of the Swett 
             grandchildren and the woman who has the unenviable task of 
             coming after Bono on the program; myself; and finally Elie 
             Wiesel, a man whose life and mission has so closely 
             paralleled my grandfather's. Rabbi Schneier will then 
             conclude our program with a benediction.
               Rabbi Schneier.

             Rabbi Arthur Schneier. Lord, who shall sojourn in your 
             tabernacle? And who shall dwell upon your holy mountain? 
             The 15th Psalm tells us one who walks uprightly does what 
             is right and speaks the truth from his heart. Elizabeth, 
             my wife, visited with our dear friends Tom and Annette at 
             their home near the Capitol. Tom, weakened by his illness, 
             joined us in the recital of this 15th Psalm, as well as 
             the 23d and the 121st Psalms. Indeed, he was the 
             gentleman--or, as we say it in Hungarian, the uriember. 
             The uriember, endowed with wisdom and heart, grace, humor, 
             and of course the Hungarian accent.
               I pay tribute to a longtime friend: Tom, a fellow 
             Holocaust survivor, from Budapest. He was in love with his 
             chosen country, America; proud of his Jewish heritage and 
             the rebirth of the state of Israel; and proud of his 
             Hungarian roots. We shared the suffering of the Holocaust, 
             and bonded with gratitude in the land of freedom and 
             opportunity.
               I can still hear him say, ``I am so grateful, I am so 
             grateful.'' He said it many, many times. His heart was 
             full of gratitude for the blessings of family, and the 
             privilege of serving our Nation and all of humanity. He 
             believed in paying back. A passionate defender of human 
             rights and freedom became the voice of conscience 
             committed to tikkun olam, helping to perfect an imperfect 
             world. He was scarred by the Holocaust, but he was not 
             paralyzed. He believed in man and he believed in a better 
             world.
               Annette, childhood sweetheart, lifelong partner, he 
             loved you dearly. You strengthened one another. Katrina 
             and Annette, Richard and Timber, children, grandchildren, 
             he was your rock and anchor, your rock and anchor. Our 
             sages tell us, when a righteous man dies, he is not only 
             mourned by his family but by an entire community, and in 
             this case a world community is mourning Tom Lantos. We are 
             all mourners. It is fitting that in his memory we join 
             together in the recital of the 23d Psalm. Please join me.


                 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

                 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;

                 He leadeth me beside the still waters.

                 He restoreth my soul;

                 He guideth me in straight paths for His name's sake.

                 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of 
                   death,

                 I will fear no evil,

                 For Thou art with me;

                 Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

                 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days 
                   of my life;

                 And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

               And let us all say, Amen.

             Annette Lantos. Tom and I have been married for 58 years, 
             but we have been companions since our childhood. For the 
             past 28 years, since our children have grown up, we have 
             been literally inseparable.
               Despite some very rough patches at the beginning of our 
             journeys through life, at the end, Tom said that since we 
             came to America in 1947, our life has been like a 
             wonderful vacation on Lake Balaton in Hungary. But like 
             all vacations, he said, there must be an end to it. We 
             have to move on. And so he did.
               I do not believe in death. I do believe in different 
             forms of life. And therefore I feel with great certainty 
             that Tom is alive--and that he is here right now, 
             listening to our farewell before he will depart into the 
             light for a joyous reunion with his friends and with his 
             family.
               I believe nothing real can be threatened or die. The 
             love Tom and I shared for 70 years is alive and continues 
             to sustain me.
               I believe that passing away from this world is not a 
             tragedy, but merely a way of letting go of a physical body 
             which does not function any longer. But his mind, his 
             feelings, his beliefs, and even his personality remain 
             unchanged.
               Tom didn't believe in God in the way that most of us do, 
             but he taught us in our family so much of what we believe 
             God is like, in the way he was so good to everybody, in 
             the way he took care of us, in the way he protected us, in 
             the way he gave us all the good experiences that enriched 
             our lives, and in the way he always taught us about loving 
             each other, sharing and giving to each other all that we 
             have, just as he did.
               Tom didn't speak about his beliefs, but he lived 
             according to the highest and noblest values our human mind 
             is capable of conceiving. From the human point of view, 
             death seems like a defeat. But from the spiritual vantage 
             point, dying is not a failure; it is merely a ticket we 
             have to buy to get home, a gentle leave-taking that ends 
             in a joyous homecoming.
               Tom's passing was a quiet choice, made with a sense of 
             great peace, because his life had been so fully used in 
             tremendous service to mankind and to his family. He has 
             now left the world and gone beyond it into eternity.

             Speaker Nancy Pelosi. When we received the sad news 
             earlier this week of Tom's passing, the word spread not 
             only through our district in San Francisco, which Tom 
             proudly represented not only through the Congress of the 
             United States, in which he proudly served and led; but 
             throughout the world.
               I could imagine prisoners in China and Tibet, people 
             sadly expelled from their homes in Darfur, people all over 
             the world for whom Tom fought, knowing that a great 
             champion had passed on.
               But as Annette said, ``Tom lives.'' He lives in the 
             struggles and the legacy that he has left us.
               All of us who served with Tom Lantos know that he did 
             everything with great enthusiasm. As a Representative of 
             San Francisco in the Congress, which I had the honor of 
             sharing with him and Senator Feinstein--being very close 
             to him there too--he was a working man's champion, a 
             protector of the environment, and a leader for economic 
             and social justice. We have suffered a tremendous loss in 
             losing him as our Representative.
               One of the joys, though, of this year, was that before 
             Tom left us, he got to serve, rightfully so, as chair of 
             the Foreign Affairs Committee, a job he was born to serve 
             in. He was perfect. When we took the majority and the 
             first trips we made--Tom came on each of the trips that I 
             made, Tom and Annette--we went to visit the troops in Iraq 
             and Afghanistan, and to some of the countries that are 
             platforms to our troops. I saw him received by our troops 
             with great appreciation. I saw him speak truth to power to 
             presidents, prime ministers, and kings throughout the 
             Middle East. I saw him received with the greatest respect 
             and dignity.
               He and Annette were like a royal couple themselves, 
             because of their reputation for values-based foreign 
             policy for America, for a commitment to respect the 
             dignity and worth of every person and founding the Human 
             Rights Caucus. Their unwavering values heralded them as 
             true leaders in the world. So it was heartbreaking 
             personally to get the news, and also a major setback, 
             except that Tom's legacy is so strong.
               After I received the first call, I received a call from 
             the President of the United States saying that he had just 
             spoken to Annette, and speaking with very high praise 
             about the leadership of Tom Lantos, and I told him that I 
             would convey to our colleagues and Tom's many friends his 
             warm words of sympathy.
               I am so pleased that so many of Tom's friends from the 
             Senate, led by Leader Reid, are here too, because so many 
             of them started in the House, or he has collaborated over 
             time for the security of our country, the spread of our 
             ideals, for which he was very well known.
               But for all of his professional, political and official 
             duties, we all knew that nothing meant more to him than 
             his family. More than anyone I know, Tom Lantos' strength 
             sprang from his family, and listening to Annette's 
             remarks, we know why. We've known why for a long time: her 
             strength, demonstrated here, and how many times in his 
             last phone calls he said, ``Annette and I loved each other 
             since we were young, but we've never loved each other more 
             than now.''
               What a tribute to him that so many leaders from around 
             the world--the Secretary-General, the Secretary of State, 
             the Foreign Minister of Israel, Nobel Prize winner Elie 
             Wiesel, rock star Bono--I mean this is the breadth of the 
             reach of Tom Lantos.
               Elie, I told you earlier that Tom took me over to the 
             Holocaust Museum one day, we were there and he showed me 
             your picture on the train. It was such a moving thing, it 
             meant so much to him, I could just imagine what it means 
             to him that you are speaking here today.
               We'll all be talking about the fact that he was the 
             first Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, and he took 
             that responsibility very seriously to shed the bright 
             light on tyranny wherever it existed in the world. He 
             taught us that the fight and struggle for human rights was 
             a long one, but we must always be faithful to it. I know I 
             speak for all of my colleagues when I say it was a 
             privilege to serve in the Congress, to call Tom Lantos 
             colleague, and for many of us to cherish him as a friend.
               When I think of him, I think of the words of 
             Ecclesiasticus in the chapter known as the Eulogy of 
             Heroes: ``Now let us praise great men: the heroes of our 
             nation's history whom the Lord established His renown and 
             revealed His majesty. Some were sage counselors, who led 
             the people by their counsel and by their knowledge of the 
             law; out of their fund of wisdom they gave instruction. 
             They were men of loyalty, whose good deeds have not been 
             forgotten.'' As the Eulogy of Heroes proclaims, ``He will 
             be buried in peace, but his name lives forever, as people 
             recount his wisdom.''
               Such is Tom Lantos. He died as he had lived: surrounded 
             by the people he loved the most, his family. Annette, 
             Katrina, Annette, children, grandchildren, Timber and 
             Dick, his sons-in-law and just so many people who 
             benefited from knowing him.
               Of all the things that are said of Tom, his love of our 
             country is one thing that everyone has something to say 
             about, and so do I now. If I may present to Annette the 
             flag on behalf of all of my colleagues in the Congress, 
             the flag that was flown over the Capitol on the day that 
             Tom passed away. I present this to you, Annette, in a 
             tribute to Tom's patriotism.
               He loved America. Others will speak to that as well. He 
             loved its people, he loved its freedoms and its 
             Constitution. He loved its natural resources; he was a 
             champion for the environment. He loved its industry. He 
             was a champion for America's working families. And he was 
             committed to the pledge that we take every day as we open 
             the Houses of Congress, the pledge to the flag. He was 
             committed to liberty and justice for all.

             [Presentation of the flag].

             Annette Tillemann-Dick. My father was a man of profound 
             faith. He had faith in the fundamental principles upon 
             which America was built. He reveled in the gifts of life, 
             liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He loved America 
             intensely, and he taught us to cherish the privilege of 
             being a part of this great Nation.
               He believed the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit 
             of happiness were part of the human family's endowment, 
             and he wanted to extend them to all, to all his brothers 
             and sisters on this planet.
               He had faith in the power of education. He believed that 
             education could lift us all to a better place together. I 
             remember my dad driving me to Taylor Junior High School in 
             Millbrae, California, one morning as I fretted over an 
             upcoming chemistry exam. ``Don't worry about it,'' he 
             said, ``you'll forget everything you learn.'' I looked at 
             him in shock, and he continued, ``but the education will 
             remain.'' He believed a mind is like a parachute: It works 
             only when it is open.
               He had faith in the power that is within each individual 
             to make a difference. He believed that we can be decent, 
             courteous, and caring--and he expected it of us. He also 
             knew that we each could make the world a better place, and 
             he showed us how in innumerable ways every single day. He 
             had, and shared with my mother, a faith in the healing 
             power of canine companionship. He was not surprised when 
             my mother noticed what ``dog'' spelled backward. He had 
             faith in his friends. He loved them. He relied on them. 
             And he was so, so grateful for them.
               He had faith in my mother. He had faith in the 
             sustaining power of her faith and spirituality. And by his 
             faith my father taught me to have faith, to hope and to 
             believe in something beyond the visible, to trust in 
             courage, in kindness, and love. He was a man who had faith 
             in the bond of family and the transcendent love that binds 
             us all together.
               And I have faith that we shall meet again, and 
             anticipate that reunion with joy. Thank you.

             Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick. Back to doing away with 
             protocol; I will announce my own selection.
               My grandfather was always very concerned that none of us 
             were ever alone, and I know that during this phase he 
             similarly won't leave us alone, that he'll be there with 
             us through his legacy and through his spirit. And so I 
             thought it was appropriate to sing my grandmother's 
             favorite song, which is ``You'll Never Walk Alone.''


                 When you walk through a storm

                 Keep your head up high

                 And don't be afraid of the dark

                 At the end of the road is a golden sky

                 And the sweet silver song of a lark


                 Walk on through the rain,

                 Walk on through the storm,

                 Though your dreams be tossed and blown.


                 Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart

                 And you'll never walk alone,

                 You'll never walk alone.

             The Honorable Condoleezza Rice. Dear friends, I am certain 
             that God chooses special people to touch the lives of many 
             and to truly make a difference. Surely then, God is well 
             pleased that Tom Lantos, who suffered from such tragic 
             beginnings in Hungary, went on to leave an indelible mark 
             on people's lives and on nations. And that his legacy is 
             so far reaching, from his native Hungary, to his beloved 
             northern California--a love that I share--to the many 
             places across the globe where he traveled and where he 
             fought for human rights and for human dignity.
               For people who met him, Tom Lantos was the epitome of a 
             true American hero. For those fortunate to serve with him, 
             he was the quintessential and inspirational statesman. And 
             for those of us blessed to really know him, Tom was a kind 
             and loyal and compassionate friend. I personally feel that 
             I have lost an irreplaceable mentor and a dear, dear 
             friend, who embodied the best of America--not only what 
             America is, but what America strives, and dreams, and 
             hopes to be.
               Tom was a Holocaust survivor, and he had a seat in 
             Congress; and for Tom, freedom was not just an abstract 
             idea. His advocacy for freedom was a moral calling. He 
             truly embodied what it meant to have one's freedom denied, 
             to strive for it, and then, upon gaining it, not just to 
             love America for oneself, but to insist that America would 
             stand up for those who still denied and were denied the 
             blessings of freedom.
               I was blessed to befriend Tom and his family long before 
             coming to Washington. Annette, you were his center, you 
             were his anchor, and he was yours. You were his childhood 
             sweetheart, and you still are childhood sweethearts, and 
             you're always going to be together because the chasm of 
             death is not big enough to break a bond as strong as 
             yours.
               To Tom's daughters, Annette and Katrina, and to all of 
             his grandchildren and great-grandchildren: You meant the 
             world to him--you were his pride and his joy.
               And in that regard, I want to tell you a story. One day 
             Tom came to see me, and through that encounter I got to 
             know the Tom Lantos that I thought I knew, in a much 
             deeper way. I thought he was coming to see me to discuss, 
             as we often did, American foreign policy, but I noticed 
             that he wasn't quite himself. Something was weighing very 
             heavily on his heart. And so, with tears in his eyes, he 
             told me about his granddaughter Charity's battle with 
             pulmonary hypertension.
               He said, ``You've just got to meet her. She has the 
             voice of an angel, and she has the heart to match. I want 
             the two of you,'' he said, ``to perform at an event at the 
             Kennedy Center so that we can raise awareness of this 
             terrible disease.''
               I said, ``Tom, I'm not much into the business of 
             performing these days.'' (Laughter.) ``I need to 
             practice.'' But Tom wasn't going to be denied. And so we 
             performed our little concert, Charity, and we raised 
             awareness of that disease, but it also brought great music 
             to your grandfather's heart.
               The course of Tom's life, intertwined as it was with the 
             great human tragedies of the twentieth century--nazism and 
             communism--allowed him to feel deeply and passionately in 
             a way that few can. We're all so grateful today for a life 
             well lived. I'm going to miss Tom. I'll miss his humor, 
             I'll miss his compassion, I'll miss his courage and his 
             strength. But you know, standing here, I can see him 
             looking at us with those piercing yet compassionate eyes 
             and saying, ``All right, you can pause for a moment to 
             remember me, but then you must resume the struggle for 
             rights and liberties for oppressed peoples. Do not forget 
             the downtrodden, and fight every day until every man and 
             woman on the Earth enjoys the dignity of liberty.''
               Our great friend, Elie Wiesel, has written about those 
             who fought inside the Warsaw ghetto in April 1943. ``Those 
             people,'' Elie said, ``lit a flame that continues to burn 
             in our memory.'' Well, that's how I think of Tom Lantos. 
             We are grateful that he was pulled from history's fires so 
             that he could go on to engrave our hearts with the 
             pressing call of conscience. His life has lit a flame that 
             will forever burn in our memory and that will call us 
             forever to action. And his spirit will live on.

             Her Excellency Tzipi Livni. Dear Annette, Katrina, 
             Annette, the entire Lantos family, dear friends:
               The free world has lost a great leader, and Israel has 
             lost a great friend. I've come here today to bow my head 
             to join with the entire United States in paying respects, 
             and to join with the Lantos family in mourning a great 
             loss.
               I am grateful for the privilege to say a few words from 
             the heart for a man who had a special place in his heart 
             for the state of Israel. Tom Lantos represents in our 
             eyes, as a man, what we aspire to represent as a nation.
               In the Holocaust, Tom lost his family and all that was 
             due to him, but he never abandoned his values or lost his 
             self-respect. From the ashes of the Shoah arose a warrior 
             who stood up tall. He fought from this great institution 
             and in the name of this great country for a better world, 
             a world that would represent the values that he so 
             believed in.
               For Tom, standing up for the right causes transcended 
             borders and crossed oceans. It was about the values 
             defined by your person's inner compass. And Tom's inner 
             compass always pointed in the same direction, whether in 
             English, or in Hebrew, because Congressman Tom Lantos was 
             a proud American and a sworn friend of Israel and these 
             two things were, for him, two parts of the same complete 
             whole.
               Those who knew him knew that his commitment to the 
             United States, its flag, and its values were complete and 
             absolute, just as his love and concern for Israel was 
             complete and absolute. In his eyes, and rightly so, his 
             love for both the United States and for Israel was driven 
             by the same values--two flags, but the same inner compass.
               Since his passing I've been thinking a great deal of 
             Tom's last visit to Israel. We started with the tour of 
             the southern city of Sderot, a city that is targeted daily 
             by terror from Gaza. There, Tom touched the hearts of 
             Sderot's strong citizens, asking each one with the love 
             and sensitivity of a family member about their family, 
             their life, and their daily struggle with the threat of 
             terror. We ended the visit in the northern part of Israel, 
             looking out over Lebanon. There, he asked the military 
             commanders, with the vision of a leader, and the concern 
             of a father, about the situation on the ground, and 
             Israel's ability to cope with the future threat. And we 
             promised him that we would protect the security of Israel 
             and the lives of its citizens.
               And in between, Tom and I watched a film together, and 
             we cried together. Sitting at an Israeli Air Force base, 
             in Ramat Aviv, we saw a film documenting Israeli pilots 
             flying American-made F-16 planes over the trucks, the 
             gates, and the death camp of Auschwitz. We saw the planes 
             cut through the skies of Auschwitz. Those same skies that 
             absorbed the smoke of the crematoria, those same skies 
             that did not hear the roar of the fighter planes in time, 
             were hearing them now. And in my eyes, the Star of David--
             that was transformed from a yellow Star of David on the 
             torn clothing of a victim into a shining blue Star of 
             David emblazoned on an American Air Force jet and flown by 
             an Israeli fighter pilot. That shining star is Tom Lantos. 
             Yehi zichro baruch.

             Dr. Katrina Swett. My dear friends, I really struggled to 
             try and find the right words to share with you about my 
             father today. I truly feel I have so much to say, and so 
             little time to say it. From the bravery and brilliance of 
             his youth, to the extraordinary dignity, wisdom, and 
             unfeigned love of his final days, my father has been an 
             incredible source of inspiration and strength to me and so 
             many others. But interestingly enough, in preparing my 
             remarks, I kept coming back to music.
               Now, my dad was more of an admirer than a practitioner 
             of the musical arts. He loved classical music, and almost 
             all Hungarian folk songs, and he particularly enjoyed the 
             marvelous Broadway musicals from the golden age of the 
             theater. So much so, that in recent years, his 
             grandchildren took to rewriting various Broadway shows to 
             tell the story of their grandparents' life in song. From 
             Joseph, to Hello Dolly, to the Sound of Music, and of 
             course, Fiddler on the Roof--all were staged with brand-
             new lyrics to tell the tale of their remarkable Didi. I 
             think Dad's personal favorite was the song they performed 
             for his 75th birthday in his native Hungary: ``If I Were 
             the Chairman . . .'' (Laughter) to the tune of ``If I Were 
             a Rich Man.'' It was hilarious, and as it turned out, 
             thanks to Speaker Pelosi, prophetic as well.
               Looking back, I think the reason Dad loved these shows 
             so much was that they captured something very important 
             about the way he viewed life and lived life. To him, life 
             was not just an interesting but random series of 
             sequential, unconnected events in pursuit of pleasure, 
             power, or experience. With apologies to our friend Bono, 
             you might say Dad was not a fan of the modern rock video 
             as a metaphor for life. Rather, he believed that each life 
             was meant to be a purposeful narrative, a story, sometimes 
             glorious, sometimes sad, but always imbued with meaning, 
             and always, always moving forward toward a noble end. His 
             own story, particularly in the early years, had some 
             heartbreaking scenes, almost too painful to watch, and 
             plenty of unexpected twists and turns. But the underlying 
             musical score was always one of optimism, love, and above 
             all, family.
               The words and music of my father's life have now been 
             safely delivered to the printer. I deeply wish there could 
             have been a few more acts in the play, a few more songs, a 
             few more chapters in the manuscript. But that was not to 
             be. But I want to share with you my deep and confident 
             belief that his story, and all of ours, goes on. The final 
             words of the beloved ``Chronicles of Narnia'' series 
             express it so beautifully: ``And for us, this was the end 
             of all the stories. And we can most truly say that they 
             all lived happily ever after. But for them''--and for 
             Dad--``it was only the beginning of the real story. All 
             their life in this world, and all their adventures in 
             Narnia, had only been the cover and the title page. Now at 
             last, they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, 
             which no one on earth has read, which goes on forever, in 
             which every chapter is better than the one before.''

             The Honorable Steny Hoyer. Annette, extraordinary 
             children, grandchildren, and absolutely spectacular, 
             wonderful, extraordinary great-grandchildren:
               There are so many distinguished guests here, but the 
             people he served most are those whose names we do not 
             know. Today we mourn the loss of a wonderful, 
             extraordinary man, a giant in this institution and around 
             the world.
               But we also celebrate an inspirational life marked by 
             unimaginable hardship and tragedy, but as well, soaring 
             love and triumph.
               I was honored, like so many of you, to know Tom Lantos 
             for nearly three decades. And this I can attest: Tom had a 
             backbone of steel and a heart of compassion, commitment, 
             and courage.
               No member of this body has been a more compelling voice 
             for the rights of individuals--individuals, as I said, 
             unknown to all of us, but who were not unremembered by 
             him. Whatever their background, wherever they lived, 
             whatever the excuse used to oppress them--Charity, they 
             would know that they did not walk alone, for your 
             grandfather walked with them.
               When Tom spoke, especially on matters of human rights, 
             America's role in the world, and the imperative of 
             confronting and defeating tyranny, his words contained a 
             moral clarity, an intellectual gravity that were seldom 
             matched in this body or anywhere in the world. As he spoke 
             for individuals, he spoke as well, compellingly, for a 
             small country surrounded by those who would destroy it. 
             Israel, as the foreign minister has said, had no more 
             supportive or compelling voice in this country or around 
             the world than Tom Lantos. Those of us who had the 
             opportunity to be with Tom when we met with people from 
             around the world knew that he would be diplomatic, but he 
             would not be misunderstood.
               There was no uncertainty, there was no silent or 
             uncertain trumpet that our friend Tom sounded. Quite 
             simply, Tom was a great man, a great American, a great 
             humanitarian whose remarkable life is an inspiration to 
             all of us and a reminder of the indomitable human spirit.
               Although he was unable to attend the U.N. annual 
             commemoration of the Holocaust last month--as you know, 
             Secretary-General--Katrina, Katrina who has just spoken to 
             us so compellingly, delivered his remarks which called on 
             the international community to ``dedicate ourselves to 
             stopping current tragedies such as the genocide in Darfur 
             . . . and to preventing such inhuman cruelty in the 
             future.'' He went on to say, and no one perhaps on this 
             dais other than Elie Wiesel has spoken more compellingly, 
             and he said this, ``The veneer of civilization is paper 
             thin. We are its guardians, and we can never rest.''
               And Tom Lantos never rested from that commission. Until 
             his last day on this Earth, Tom Lantos was a strong and 
             compelling and principled voice for assuring that that 
             thin veneer was maintained and respected and would not be 
             breached to the detriment of millions. Until his last 
             day--his last day.
               Katrina, you talked about the song of Tom's life. And 
             while the song may be over, the melody is compellingly 
             present with us to this day. He was an indefatigable 
             advocate for human rights and basic decency.
               And he was joined in this journey by his beloved 
             Annette, a kindred spirit born of equal experience, with 
             an unswerving commitment to those who needed a voice. Tom 
             does not sit with us this day, but in a very real sense he 
             does, for his beloved Annette sits with us. I know of no 
             couple that I have ever met that were more united--truly 
             as one--that we talk about in the marriage ceremony than 
             Tom and Annette Lantos.
               May we honor him, remember him, hold high the torch of 
             human liberty that he held so high, so successfully, and 
             for so long. God blessed America when he gave us Tom 
             Lantos.

             His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon. Mrs. Lantos, dear family 
             members, Madam Speaker, distinguished guests:
               Tom Lantos was a dear and irreplaceable friend of the 
             United Nations and of mine.
               The leadership of Chairman Lantos on challenges 
             confronting humankind from AIDS to Darfur resonated far 
             and wide because his voice had unique authority and reach. 
             His was a voice that stemmed from witnessing the worst in 
             man and confronted by the best in man. He knew what was 
             possible because he had lived through the unimaginable.
               So when Chairman Lantos used his voice to build a better 
             understanding in this country of the United Nations, or to 
             build a better understanding in the United Nations of this 
             country, people listened. We took account of what he said 
             and we took action.
               As for me personally, I will always remember all I 
             learned from Tom Lantos on my first visit to Washington to 
             this Congress as Secretary-General. He reached out to his 
             colleagues to remind them of the importance of the United 
             Nations. He introduced me to people, all the people who 
             could support me in my work. When I visited him again in 
             his office a few months ago, I had no time for lunch, so 
             he and Annette gave me sandwiches as we walked together 
             and he told me to consider his office my sanctuary on the 
             Hill.
               Today my profound condolences go to Annette, to their 
             daughters, and grandchildren; they go to countless friends 
             of Chairman Lantos; the United States Congress and 
             Government; the Jewish community and international 
             community. He leaves a profound legacy of ideals, of 
             boundless love of his chosen country and the world, and a 
             family that will carry this forward.
               All of us here have this in common. We knew Tom Lantos 
             as a champion of our common humanity. We benefited from 
             his tireless efforts to train our consciousness and 
             conscience to the dangers that come with inaction, 
             intolerance, and injustice. We have lost a voice that 
             binds us to the very reasons the United Nations was 
             founded.
               Today I am proud to stand among you and give thanks for 
             the varied and incomparable leadership and life of Tom 
             Lantos. He left his legacy. Whatever he has left 
             unfinished, we will carry on. May his soul rest in peace 
             and in eternity. Thank you very much.

             Senator Joseph Biden. As we say in the other body, excuse 
             a point of personal privilege. I am delighted that so 
             many, present company excluded, important people are here 
             speaking of Tom's incredible contributions to the Nation 
             and the world. But I can't talk about Tom in anything 
             other than personal terms.
               His death was not unlike his life. He overcame pain with 
             pride, dignity, and grace, but always grace. Tom Lantos 
             was the most graceful man I have ever known in my life. He 
             was larger than life to me and larger than life to my 
             family.
               When you were with Tom Lantos, you knew you could win. 
             His optimism and his confidence, as you grandchildren 
             know, is absolutely contagious. And he never, ever, ever, 
             ever gave up on life. Never. Up until the very moment of 
             his death.
               My God, this man had courage. As my dad would say to all 
             the children, ``You've got good blood, kid. You've got 
             really good blood.''
               You know, he faced his diagnosis like he faced 
             everything else: without remorse, without excuses, and 
             without fear. He was quintessentially Tom. He was heroic.
               I believe R.G. Ingersoll could have been thinking about 
             Tom and your grandpop when he wrote, ``When the will 
             defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, 
             when honor scorns to compromise with death--that is 
             heroism.'' Your grandfather, your father, and your 
             husband, was truly a heroic figure.
               I want you children to understand that there are very 
             few women or men who have ever served in this body that 
             could bring together this assembly of people--again, 
             present company excluded. I was just his friend and 
             nothing more. I mean that sincerely.
               So you have to know that he left you a legacy that is 
             unparalleled. And he left you one another. My God, what a 
             remarkable family. Tom Lantos, as my brother would say.
               By the way, we are intertwined for three generations. 
             Your grandpop--well, I worked for your grandpop. He was in 
             my office, but I worked for him. Your aunt and your mom, 
             Katrina, worked with me as a very, very underachieving 19-
             year-old Yale Law School graduate. And now his grandson, 
             Tomicah, Dr. Tomicah, who handles all of Europe for me, 
             and my God, is he like his grandpop.
               Annette, and as your dad would always say, little 
             Annette--excuse me for saying that, but that is the only 
             way we Bidens know you, as little Annette--and your 
             grandchildren, you were the light of Tom's life. As a 
             consequence of it, he was able to light up everybody 
             else's life. When he'd start talking about you, literally, 
             there was sort of a radiation of joy you felt. You felt 
             this sense.
               I'll never forget when he came in and he said, ``I've 
             got two sons-in-law now.'' He sat in front of my desk and 
             he said, ``Dick Swett and Timber Dick,'' he said, ``very 
             Aryan sounding names.''
               I want to tell you, I was kidding the ambassador when I 
             told him the stories that Tom would talk about, and he 
             said, ``He was a great athlete at Yale.'' And I looked at 
             your grandpop and said, ``Well, how would you have felt 
             about him had he gone to Delaware?'' And he said, ``Oh, I 
             would like him very much as much.''
               You were really the reason for Tom's being. You were the 
             explanation, I believe, for his survival. You were 
             literally the explanation to him for why he survived and 
             why your mom survived.
               I can say with absolute certainty the 32 years that Tom 
             was my mentor, my teacher, and my friend--and you say that 
             we use those words so glibly around this place--but he 
             really was my mentor. He sat down with me. He educated me. 
             He was older and wiser and I sought him out and I never, 
             ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever felt a moment of 
             resentment as he would instruct me about my strengths and 
             my weaknesses. He was one incredible man.
               There was never a day, though, in the 32 years that I 
             knew Tom, and spoke often with him, well beyond the time 
             he left the office--never a single time I spoke with Tom, 
             he didn't start by talking about you, Annette, and the 
             family.
               I know more, as many of us do, about you grandchildren--
             granted, it's getting hard, when you get up at 17, 18--
             now, you know really--it gets difficult. But we know, and 
             we all who loved Tom, know about those he loved.
               Tom entered my life with a clarity as bright as those 
             blue eyes, at a time when things were not so clear in my 
             life. He embraced my young sons who had just lost their 
             mother and their sister. He embraced them as if they were 
             his own.
               I used to say to him, Madam Speaker, ``Tom, you can't 
             buy them gifts. You're on the staff, you're not allowed to 
             do this. People will think that there is something 
             unethical about this.'' And he would have none of it. He 
             would have none of it.
               When my son ran for Attorney General, all of a sudden 
             money started pouring in from contributions that I never 
             asked Tom a thing about. When my Jill, my wife of 30 
             years, then my fiancee, met Tom, at the time Tom came to 
             work with me, he reminded us by example, at that moment in 
             my life, that the antidote to tragedy was only one thing--
             love. There is no other antidote to tragedy than love.
               He was living proof of the saying that love is never 
             defeated, and family is freedom. I believe that's what he 
             thought. At least, that is what he conveyed to me, 
             Annette. He was a remarkable friend.
               I may be the only Member of the U.S. Senate who ever 
             went on his honeymoon with a staffer. You all think I'm 
             kidding. I'm not.
               I did not want to get married in Delaware because so 
             many yentas had adopted me as a young bachelor for 4 
             years, unfortunately.
               And so Tom came up with the idea. Tom said, ``Get 
             married at the U.N.'' I said, ``The U.N.! Where in the 
             heck am I going to be married at the U.N.?'' He said, 
             ``There's a beautiful chapel there.'' And he arranged for 
             the chapel at the United Nations. My sister found a Jesuit 
             street priest, who worked in the street with people, to 
             marry us. And Tom arranged it all.
               But it didn't stop there! It didn't stop there! What 
             happened after that was my two sons were with my new wife 
             and me that weekend in New York and we came back to the 
             Senate. Business as usual.
               We were married in June but in August there was an 
             opening--the end of July--and Tom said, ``We are going on 
             a honeymoon.'' And I said, ``What in the hell are you 
             talking about?'' It's a true story. And he said, ``We're 
             going to Hungary.'' And I said, ``OK, Tom.''
               So Annette and little Annette were there, and my wife 
             Jill and I packed up and we went to Hungary. And we went 
             to the Balaton. I did not realize until that moment that 
             the only fish worth eating in the whole world come out of 
             the Balaton. I did not realize that everything, everything 
             of value and consequence originated in Budapest. I was 
             unaware of that.
               But ladies and gentlemen, the most remarkable thing to 
             me about Tom Lantos was how, like Elie Wiesel, he could 
             come out of his experience with anything other than a 
             feeling of hatred and resentment. He loved the country 
             that cost the lives of his family. I found it remarkable 
             in that, how a man could return to a country that was the 
             scene of the elimination of the bulk of his family, and 
             love it so much. I could never understand it, but I 
             admired the hell out of it.
               Annette, I will always think of Tom and you when I hear 
             those words of Christopher Marlowe, those famous lines, 
             ``Come live with me and be my love; and we will all the 
             pleasures prove.''
               He taught us a lot. He taught us a lot in my 
             professional life, he taught us a lot in my personal life.
               Tom is going to be missed by an entire generation of 
             Americans who will never fully understand the sacrifices 
             made to remind our world, every day, that there is still a 
             core of humanity that beats in its heart.
               As Shakespeare wrote, ``He was a man; take him for all 
             in all. We shall not look upon his like again.''

             The Honorable Christopher Shays. Annette, you are Tom's 
             love. You are his sweetheart, his valentine, but most of 
             all, his equal, and we know he had few equals.
               This Holocaust survivor was not intimidated by anyone. 
             He was brilliant, passionate, courageous, tough--almost to 
             the point, frankly, of being brutal. But he was also kind, 
             gentle, loving, and fun to be with. He had a great sense 
             of humor. Tom was the most eloquent person I have ever 
             known. It was hard sometimes not to feel inadequate in his 
             presence. But he never wanted you to feel that way. He 
             would always make me feel like the best was ahead of me 
             and that I should think big thoughts.
               Tom was a natural teacher. He taught by example and by 
             the questions he asked, and he expected you to grow and to 
             be a better person. That was your duty, and your duty was 
             also to be of service to others. It is no secret Tom 
             adored his family--his two brilliant daughters Annette and 
             Katrina and his 18 truly talented grandchildren--but you, 
             Annette, always came first. Annette, I smile to think of 
             the dinner conversations that must have taken place as 
             your daughters were growing up. There's Tom, confidently 
             expressing opinions few others could contest, except in 
             the presence of a wife and two daughters who begged to 
             differ. It was probably nice for him to go back to work, 
             where he could actually win an argument.
               To the staff, you need to know how proud he was of you 
             and grateful for your service. You worked with a great man 
             who loved you, cared about you, and was not reluctant to 
             give you a bit of his advice. And if you were like any of 
             his grandchildren, you didn't always take his advice, 
             which we know is hard for him to accept.
               You see, when it came to his grandchildren, he was a bit 
             of a micromanager and liked to take a disproportionate 
             share of the credit. I would occasionally remind him that 
             I thought his daughters and sons-in-law deserved a little 
             bit of the credit for such great kids. He would just smile 
             at me. It was not always easy to be a son-in-law or a 
             grandson-in-law in the Lantos family. Woe be to any man 
             that sought to marry his daughters or granddaughters. They 
             were mere mortals. He expected more for his daughters and 
             granddaughters. Now, granddaughters-in law were another 
             story. They were deemed worthy, he embraced them 
             immediately even when one turned out to be a Republican.
               Madam Speaker, I hope and pray Congress finds a way to 
             immortalize this great man with legislation that will 
             forever bear his name. We have Pell grants and Fulbright 
             scholars. These are names I have heard for almost all my 
             life. Tom Lantos deserves to have this same kind of 
             recognition.
               Tom Lantos, I refuse to think of you in the past. I 
             refuse to think your life can be snuffed out. I refuse to 
             think your light will no longer shine. You are too great a 
             man for me to think anything but of your enduring 
             indomitable presence.

             Bono. Wow. I'm not going to talk about the things that Tom 
             fought for, things like debt cancellation or access to 
             anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS patients a long way 
             from here, or human rights. I actually want to think about 
             the love story a little bit because I went visiting with 
             Tom and Annette in their apartment there on Capitol Hill 
             and he said some very poetic and beautiful things about 
             his relationship there, lying on the sofa in the company 
             of his granddaughters Chelsea and little Kipling.
               He said, ``This struggle that I'm having is not 
             important at all.'' He said, ``Whether I win in this fight 
             for my life or not is not important. This love we have 
             cannot be defeated.'' He said, ``Did you know that?'' He 
             said, ``Whether I win or lose this fight, this love that 
             we have cannot be defeated.'' And he said, ``Can you feel 
             it?'' I said, ``Yeah, I can.'' And he said, ``Really, can 
             you feel it?'' It was like a warmth in the room. Like an 
             open fire on a winter's day. I could feel it all right.
               And, you know, there are many explanations for this 
             prizefighter's stamina. He would go any amount of rounds 
             with anyone, anywhere, to protect human rights and common 
             decency. There are many explanations, but the only real 
             explanation for this relentless life in the pursuit of 
             peace and justice is sitting right there. And Tom, it's 
             Valentine's Day, and so I want to sing for you to her.
               Thank you for watching my back. In the words of the 
             famous Hungarian folk singer, Jan Van Lennon (laughter):


                 There's nothing you can do that can't be done

                 Nothing you can sing that can't be sung

                 Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the 
                   game

                 It's easy


                 All you need is love

                 All you need is love

                 All you need is love, love

                 Love is all you need


                 Nothing you can make that can't be made

                 No one you can save that can't be saved

                 Nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in 
                   time

                 It's easy


                 All you need is love

                 All you need is love

                 All you need is love, love

                 Love is all you need
                 Nothing you can know that isn't known

                 Nothing you can see that isn't shown

                 Nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

                 It's easy


                 All you need is love

                 All you need is love

                 All you need is love, love

                 Love is all you need

             Chelsea Hedquist. To most of the people gathered in this 
             great hall, our grandfather was a champion of human 
             rights, a fighter for freedom and justice, a voice for the 
             voiceless and a truly great American. He was all those 
             things to us as well, but he was first, and foremost, just 
             our grandpa.
               He used to tell us often, ``You don't know how much I 
             love you.'' In this case, as in most instances, he was 
             probably right. We probably couldn't fully grasp or 
             comprehend the depths and totality of his love for us.
               But if we couldn't know it, we could always feel it. We 
             could feel it in the time he took to sit with each one of 
             us. To know us as individuals, to talk with us about our 
             plans and our dreams. To give us advice that was almost 
             always spot on.
               We could feel it in the way he went above and beyond to 
             help us achieve those dreams. Taking us on college tours, 
             attending our athletic competitions, picking out our 
             courses each semester, discussing our career paths and job 
             opportunities.
               We could feel it in the way he placed us at the center 
             of his busy universe, bringing us along on his adventures 
             to far-flung corners of the globe, introducing us to his 
             fascinating friends and colleagues, making time for us in 
             the midst of a schedule that would have brought most 20-
             year-olds, let alone 75-year-olds, to their knees.
               We could feel it and hear it in the tone of his voice 
             when he spoke about us and to us. We could feel it in the 
             very way he hugged and kissed us, always holding on just a 
             beat longer than we liked as small children. We would give 
             anything for one of those infamous hugs and kisses right 
             now.
               There is nothing we can ever do, no way we can ever hope 
             to repay our grandfather for the love and the tireless 
             devotion he showed each one of us. All we can hope to do, 
             I believe the only way we can truly show our gratitude for 
             his hand in our lives, is to grow to become good, 
             compassionate, unwavering advocates for the causes he held 
             so dear.
               Moreover, I think our best gift to him will be to love 
             each other as deeply and completely as he loved each of 
             us. If we succeed in this endeavor in even some small way, 
             it will certainly be owing to his great example and to his 
             great love which we feel even now and we know, somehow, 
             that we will feel it forever.

             Tomicah Tillemann. I was with my grandfather when he 
             passed away. And in the hours before he left us, members 
             of our family gathered at his hospital bedside, and as he 
             surveyed the tear-stained faces in front of him he began 
             to speak.
               ``If you knew how happy I am,'' he said, ``you would not 
             be sad.''
               ``I am completely at peace with what I have accomplished 
             for my country and for my family,'' he told us.
               He summoned his doctors close. He motioned for them to 
             lean down toward his face as though he was going to 
             whisper instructions. But instead of giving directions, he 
             kissed them. He told them that he wished everyone could 
             feel similarly satisfied at the end of their lives.
               Having spent time with my grandfather almost every day 
             in the weeks since he was diagnosed with cancer, I know 
             that this serenity was not a temporary side effect of 
             medication. The peace of mind my grandfather demonstrated 
             in his final days and the spectacular courage with which 
             he faced his final struggle arose from careful assessments 
             of his past and our future. He knew that his was a life 
             well lived, as Secretary Rice indicated.
               As you've heard from others, this was a man who did not 
             squander his mortality. He made mistakes along the way, 
             but he wore himself out in pursuit of his principles.
               He was under no illusions that the battles he'd fought 
             his whole life were over, but he knew that there would be 
             others to carry on after him. He knew that he was leaving 
             a wife who was, himself included, Washington's most 
             formidable advocate for human rights and human decency. 
             She was his everything. And the fact that she is with us 
             means that my grandfather has departed in only the most 
             superficial sense of the word.
               He knew that he was leaving a family comprised of 
             individuals who, though we may lack his eloquence and 
             experience, are fiercely committed to carrying on the 
             efforts that defined him.
               He knew that he was leaving all of you. He mentioned 
             many of you by name. Colleagues, friends, staff, 
             throughout the country and around the world, who would 
             pick up his work where he left off.
               As I held my grandfather's hands in the hours before he 
             passed, I had faith that he was going to join the family 
             that had been taken from him many years ago. I also had 
             faith that someday I and each of us would join them. And 
             when we do so, I hope we can do so in the same spirit he 
             left life. He has left us a mighty legacy. But looking out 
             on you this morning, I can't help but share his optimism 
             that each of us will carry it forward.

             Elie Wiesel. When I got the news soon after he passed 
             away, I sat down and wrote in my diary the last part of 
             the dialog with Tom. In a way, if you would close your 
             eyes for a second, you should imagine him here, for what I 
             wrote down is what you could hear now.
               Tom, my dear friend, how does one say farewell to a 
             cherished companion with whom one has fought so many 
             battles, at times alone, hoping to improve the world 
             around us?
               The last time we were together was here, in this 
             edifice, honoring our mutual friend the Dalai Lama, and 
             speaking up for his kinsmen in Tibet whose spiritual 
             sovereignty is sadly still curtailed. It wouldn't have 
             been the same without you.
               Whenever we met it was always to somehow intervene on 
             behalf of people beyond mountains and oceans enduring 
             hardship and persecution. We never met socially just to 
             break bread and drink a glass of wine, enjoying the 
             peacefulness of the hour and the glorious yet discrete 
             beauty and elegance of friendship. No small talk, no 
             frivolous exchanges.
               Other people's needs of freedom were your obsession. 
             Political oppression in Eastern Europe. Official brutality 
             in Burma. Tragedy in Darfur, Sudan. Disrespect of citizens 
             in various countries. Massive violations of human rights 
             in communist China. The entire plant Earth has become your 
             battlefield.
               When victims of society or prisoners of destiny felt 
             defenseless, abandoned, neglected, humiliated, and 
             desperate, they had in you a defender, here in the 
             uniquely special, august Halls of the Congress of the 
             United States. It wouldn't have been the same without you.
               Tom, my friend, where did you take the strength to 
             confront powerful structures and walls of human 
             indifference on behalf of known or unknown orphans and 
             widows and beggars? In faraway lands where injustice had 
             the attributes of divinity, what motivated you? Is it the 
             traditional humanism you have found in this new home of 
             ours, the United States, which we both love? Is it our 
             passion for the state of Israel, the Jewish state? Or is 
             it the horror-filled experience that marked your 
             adolescence in wartime Budapest?
               You and I, sons of the ancient Jewish people, separately 
             lived through times when victims died more than once, and 
             never a moment without fear. Oft, you and I spoke about 
             their solitude; then, they were so alone. Is this what 
             drove you in so many ways to fight, with remarkable 
             eloquence and vigor, for the honor of humankind, inspired 
             by the eternal principle that wherever and whenever a 
             person or a group's ethnic or indigenous identity is 
             shamed, our own is blemished? Is this what remains in both 
             of us--you in Budapest and I in my little Jewish town, 
             Sighet?
               We sang together once ``Sol HaKatoshma,'' this beautiful 
             song, the Chassidic song which expresses our love for God 
             and his creation. Conventional wisdom teaches us that our 
             personality is often shaped by more than one force, more 
             than one element. But some are more pronounced than 
             others. In your life, the memory of what we so poorly in 
             desperation, if anything would say of course, would recall 
             the Holocaust has impacted your moral universe, for like 
             everything else, memory must be part of whatever we do. 
             And just as hope can become someone else's nightmare, 
             memory, too could become a curse to some and a blessing 
             for others; it all depends what we do with it.
               Occasionally people ask, ``Why remember? Why cling to 
             repressive memories of dark, torment and terror? 
             Terrifying mass imprisonment and murder?'' In other words, 
             what does one do with memory? We used to ask this question 
             when we met.
               Oh, I know that you grandchildren, you children, and of 
             course, Annette, share this pursuit of truth in memory, 
             but we responded simply, ``If we remember suffering, our 
             own and that of others, only to bring more suffering into 
             the world, we would betray it.'' The only response to the 
             tragedy is simply to remember it for the sake of our 
             children, children everywhere. In other words, because it 
             happened already it must never happen again anywhere to 
             anyone. And that was, of course, the meaning of your 
             endeavors, the goal of your battles.
               So, my dear friend, farewell. Go in peace, and rest in 
             peace. You deserve it, for you have done so much for so 
             many. And yet, there is still a lot to be done. It will be 
             difficult without you, but your example will be followed--
             not only by your colleagues, by your friends, by your 
             allies, and there are so many, but by men and women who 
             never met you. Oh yes, we will continue. But it won't be 
             the same.

             Rabbi Arthur Schneier. Katrina, you brought back memories. 
             Budapest, 75th birthday. All of us together. Annette, 
             children, grandchildren.
               As you said, Senator Biden, remarkable. The love he had 
             for a country where a massacre took place, including my 
             own family. And there we were in the magnificent Dohany 
             temple, the largest synagogue in Europe. The place where 
             Tom was bar mitzvahed. And I presided over that wonderful, 
             memorable celebration. And we sang ``Simen tov u mazel 
             tov.'' And now it is painful for me to say yitgadol 
             v'yitkadosh, glorified and sanctified be your name, 
             almighty God, for the gift of our friend Tom in our midst.
               God said to Abraham, vayahei bracha, ye shall be a 
             blessing to your family, to your people, to humanity. God 
             said to Tom, you shall be a blessing, vayahei bracha, and 
             indeed he was a blessing. To you, Annette--the perennial 
             honeymooners. To every member of his family.
               Just as Abraham traveled, left his country, his 
             birthplace, Tom was the wandering Jew, came penniless, 
             like myself, to this land of opportunity and freedom, and 
             what an American dream fulfilled. What a journey it has 
             been. As has been said, he taught us a lot because he 
             experienced a lot.
               We often spoke about having lost our youths. You know, 
             we became adults overnight. We were children. We became 
             adults. You remember that, Annette, being a step ahead of 
             our persecutors. Forgetting about our music lessons, 
             forgetting about our ballgames. Survival. How do you 
             survive?
               What a journey it has been from the valley of dry bones 
             to the heights of human achievement. And Tomicah, you are 
             right. Grandpa was at peace.
               Annette, being with you, Elizabeth and I, and reciting 
             the psalms together and singing the Shema Yisrael.
               As a man of faith and seeing his life fulfilled, he 
             felt, mission accomplished. Mission accomplished. It has 
             been said he had compassion. He heard the cry of the 
             oppressed, the cry of the poor, and the sick, and 
             challenged the oppressors: Let my people go. Tom, I can 
             still hear him say it: ``I'm very hopeful about the world. 
             Tyrants and oppressors end up in the dustbin of history.'' 
             That is classic Tom Lantos, ``Tyrants and oppressors end 
             up in the dustbin of history.''
               And I still remember in Budapest, Tom Lantos speaking in 
             the parliament. A parliament where anti-Jewish legislation 
             was enacted in 1939 and 1944, and what did he speak about? 
             Democracy, freedom. The very same parliament, we were all 
             there.
               I would like to conclude, we lift our eyes up to the 
             mountains, Lord, from whence shall our help come. Our help 
             comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth.
               Psalm 1--He will be like a tree planted by streams of 
             water that yield its fruit in season.
               He planted so many seeds, so many seeds: Love, champion 
             of human rights. Hero of this august body. Sword of peace 
             and justice.
               And what does he say to us? And what did he say to me? 
             ``I am the happiest man. Grateful, so grateful, so 
             grateful for my family, for Annette.''
               He showed that beautiful portrait of yours in your 
             modest home near the Capitol. And then, to the right, his 
             mother's picture, mother who was burnt in Auschwitz just 
             like my grandparents.
               He had a message for all of us. What's the message? We 
             all go through that one-way street that leads to the 
             grave. There is no immunity from the grave. We all have to 
             meet our Maker sooner or later. And the message of Tom: 
             Maximize your stay on Earth. Maximize your stay on Earth. 
             And be a blessing vayahei bracha and above all, what we 
             can do for him.
               He inspired his family in public service. He inspired so 
             many of us young people with the honor and integrity of 
             public service. We have to pledge in his memory to 
             continue to make sure that the seeds he planted will bear 
             fruit for a better world of peace and justice for all.
               To my beloved friend, our lives have intersected a long, 
             long time. We shared our milestones. We shared yours.
               I say, the Lord is your keeper, the Lord is your shade 
             upon your right hand. The Lord will guard your going and 
             coming in for now and forever.
               Adonai shomrecha Adonai tsilecha al yad yeminecha. Yomam 
             hashemesh lo yachecha veyareyach b'laila.
               The sun shall not smite you by day nor the moon by 
             night.
               Adonai yishmorecha mikol rah.
               God shall guard your soul from all evil.
               Adonai yishmor tseytcha u'voecha meyatah ve'ad olam.
               May He guard your going and coming for now and forever.
               Tom, kedves beratom csokolak. I love you. And I will 
             never forget that kiss you bestowed upon me. Or to come 
             closer, I want to kiss you. And upon Elizabeth. Stay 
             forever. Came from a man, friend who was a chaver tov. 
             Endowed with a lev tov with a generous heart. Lech 
             v'shalom.
               Go in peace, until we meet again in heaven. Let us all 
             say, Amen.
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