[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 727]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING CONGRESSMAN TOM LANTOS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize one of America's 
most respected and distinguished lawmakers: chairman of the House 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Tom Lantos of California.
  The story of Congressman Lantos is unique in American history, and 
one that serves as an inspiration to each of us. Born in Budapest, 
Hungary, on February 1, 1928, this young man displayed the type of 
intellectual precociousness characteristic of our great statesmen of 
the past. It was during his youth in Central Europe that Congressman 
Lantos experienced great joys but also endured a most terrible tragedy.
  By the time he was 16 years old, the Nazis had occupied his native 
Hungary, and as a result of being born into a Jewish family, 
Congressman Lantos was soon taken to a forced labor camp. Through 
unimaginable perseverance and resolve, he survived long enough to 
escape and then complete the 22-mile trek to a safe house run by 
Swedish humanitarian Raoul Wallenberg. Sadly, like so many other Jewish 
families torn apart by the Holocaust, Congressman Lantos lost his 
family in the ordeal.
  A bright moment during these darkest of times in human history was 
the reunification of two childhood sweethearts. Tom and his lovely wife 
Annette first met as children growing up in Budapest, and they have now 
entered their 58th year of devoted marriage to one another.
  Two years after the last shots of World War II were fired, 
Congressman Lantos won a scholarship to study in the United States. 
Arriving in America with nothing more than a piece Hungarian salami, he 
began his studies at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he 
received a B.A. and M.A. in economics. This young academic then moved 
to San Francisco in 1950, where he began graduate studies at the 
University of California, Berkeley, eventually receiving his Ph.D. in 
economics.
  Following three decades as a college professor in economics, Tom was 
elected to Congress in 1980 from the State of California. Ever since, 
Congressman Lantos has enjoyed as fine a career in public service as 
any lawmaker of his generation. Perhaps his greatest single 
contribution to our cherished branch of government was his founding, 
along with Congressman John Edward Porter of Illinois, of the 
Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1983. In the intervening quarter-
century, the caucus has brought much-needed attention to the most 
pressing human rights crises around the world. In 1987, the caucus 
became the first official U.S. entity to welcome recent Congressional 
Gold Medal recipient, his Holiness the Dalai Lama, to the United 
States.
  Considering Congressman Lantos' wealth of intellect and wisdom in the 
field of foreign policy, the United States has been privileged to have 
him serve as chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for the 
past 12 months, where he previously served as ranking member. From 
demanding tougher sanctions on the Iranian government to standing up 
for democracy and human rights in Burma, his chairmanship has been 
nothing short of masterful in these most difficult of times. I can 
stand up here today, with the full confidence of my colleagues in the 
Senate, and say that American foreign policy has been greatly enriched 
by the contributions of Congressman Lantos throughout his tenure in the 
House of Representatives.
  I met Tom before I came to Washington in 1982. He is terrific in so 
many ways and he is devoted to his wife, children, and grandchildren. 
His No. 1 priority is his two beautiful daughters, 17 fantastic 
grandchildren, and two wonderful great-grandchildren. He loves them and 
loves to talk about them.
  I served with Chairman Lantos during my years as a Member of the 
House of Representatives and consider him a friend, as well as a 
leader. I shared the sadness of my fellow Senators and House Members, 
when Chairman Lantos announced that he will leave the House at the end 
of this year. On behalf of all my friends in the Senate, I wish you and 
your family all the best as you continue your public service in other 
ways following this congressional session.

                          ____________________