[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 30 (Monday, February 25, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E222]]
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. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 12, 2008

  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 United States 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 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, Illinois 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 over 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 two 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 in this difficult time.

                          ____________________