[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 25 (Thursday, February 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E198-E199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON THE DEATH 
     OF THE HONORABLE TOM LANTOS, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE OF 
                               CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BRIAN BAIRD

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2008

  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 
     befriending 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. Capital 
     honoring Raoul Wallenberg. The teenagers from Budapest have 
     spent a life-time 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.

[[Page E199]]

       There is another Lantos legacy. As a parent of 2 daughters, 
     he took great pride in their 17 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.

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